ageless body and timeless mind - Seminar Report

SEMINAR organized by Current Books and conducted by Ekkentros Forum on 25-9-09(Friday)

Venue: Currenr Books Premises, Thalassery.
Participants Present: Sri K.V.Kunhikrishnan, IRS(Retd), Chairman of the Forum,
Dr. Babu Ravindran, Prof. P.M.Sankarankutty, Dr. K.P.Thomas, Dr. Md.Abdulla, Prof. Mohanan Nair, all members of the Forum,
Sri. K.P.Kunhikrishnan Nair,
Mrs. Shobha Rajagopal Menon, Principal(Retd), St.Kabir High School, Ahemedabad.
Prof. Richard Hay, Member of the Forum arrived late as he was held up in his college. His paper is, however, added as an appendix.
Subject: Ageless Body and Timeless Mind

The function started with Sri Biju, Manager of the Tellicherry Branch of Current Books welcoming the members of the Ekkentros Forum, other participants, and the gathering. He then invited the chairman of the forum Sri K.V.Kunhikrishnan to conduct and moderate the seminar.

Sri. Kunhikrishnan: We are here today to participate in a seminar. The time available is very much limited. Usually a seminar will last for a whole day from ten to five. But here we have only two and a half hours for about twelve people to present papers or to speak. Therefore the time for each to present his papers and to explain his point briefly will be only eight to ten minutes. Those who are only speaking may take not more than five minutes, and those who have not so far given their names, may take only three minutes.
The language used can be English, Malayalam, or both.
Any arguments and controversies should be avoided. Each puts forward his point of view which may freely differ from any other point of view. In this regard it would be proper to bear in mind the invocation of the Forum, which I shall read out now.
Ekkentros Forum is a discussion forum constituted in Tellicherry about eleven years ago to discuss on various topics of a basic nature relating to man and the universe. The first twenty topics discussed were published in a book titled “Confessions of Eccentrics” by the New Delhi Publisher, M/s Somaiya Publications. Subsequent topics are published in the blog of the forum, www.ekkentrosthoughts.blogspot.com . There is also a blog of the chairman of the forum, www.kvkekkentros.blogspot.com the contents of which are published in a book recently released, ‘Ruminations and Reminiscences at Eighty Plus’. Let me read out the invocation which may be given some careful attention:

WITH THE KNOWLEDGE GATHERED ALL THROUGH OUR LIVES,
WITH THE WISDOM DAWNED THEREFORM,
WITH THE ABILITY OF EXPRESSION
ACQUIRED WITH CARE AND EFFORT,
AND OUR UNFATHOMED INTUITIVE FACULTIES,
WE NOW INVOKE,
FOR A FREE INQUIRY WITH NO HOLDS BARRED,
WITHIN THE VAST MENTAL SPACE IN THESE MOMENTS OF SILENCE

The subject today, Ageless body and Timeless mind’ is a very tough subject. It would have been very vague and intangible also but for the book by the same title of Deepak Chopra, a doctor and an endocrinologist. It is one of the best sellers, a wonderful book much appreciated in US as well as in India.
Deepak Chopra’s main point is that aging is a matter of choice or is optional, and not mandatory or inevitable. How the choice is exercised is a big question. It is exercised through belief. Aging happens because from birth onwards we believe that we have to age and die. We see also that others as well as animals and plants age and die. This belief has to be reversed. And the belief that aging is not inevitable has to be so rooted that it has to come from beyond the mind from the quantum field or domain. Deepak Chopra tries to prove through the latest findings in quantum physics that aging can actually be avoided. He approaches the source deep within all of through three different paths, through body that is matter, through mind which is the transition level, and time.
Body is made of material. But what is this material? If you go to the ultimate ingredients we find the individual cells and then the genetically coded DNA consisting of Nucleotides and then Amino Acids, Sugars etc. Material means cluster of energy. DNA contains information and energy. All the information for the functioning of the body is contained or coded in the DNA. But if you analyze the DNA we come across amino acids, sugars etc which are nothing but molecules and atoms. Atoms consist of quarks, neutrinos and electrons, all of which are photons in vibration. The material part ends at the atom. Beyond it, the quarks, leptons etc are energy photons in vibration with vast spaces in between. This is the quantum field or domain. There is tremendous intelligence functioning in the body for all the organs working in unison. Where is then this intelligence lying? Not in the material body. In between the neutrinos and electrons there is only vast space. In fact 99.9 per cent of material is space. There is intelligence and information functioning, directing, manipulating, guiding these constituents of the body to act in a particular manner in these quantum space or quantum field. It sees and supervises that a cell does not grow as a nail in the liver. Tremendous intelligence is at work without our conscious participation. The seat of this intelligence, the source of this information we cannot find in the cells or in the DNA. The coded information in the DNA functions alright but what intelligence creates it and makes it function we cannot fathom. The quantum field, the non-material mental stage, as already mentioned is composed of concentrations of energy waves and vast empty space. Therefore we can say that the whole universe is composed of empty space and energy, fluid energy. Energy and matter are convertible at quantum level. This is therefore the transition stage between mind and matter. Our body is mainly empty space at the quantum level. The intelligence, the source has to lie in that empty space at the quantum field level or beyond it at the virtual level. How to access that intelligence to stop ageing or slow down aging is the question.
Human thought happens when the neurons in the brain fires. Thought is thus matter. Memory is stored impressions of thought. But no storage device is found anywhere in the body or brain. The brain is all mainly liquid. Only thing I have left is my awareness, pure awareness. All the intelligence, all the information that the body needs must therefore be coming from the awareness or through the awareness. That must be the source and that must be the creator and the controller of the DNA and the very atom. Its seat need not be anywhere in particular. In the quantum field or beyond space and time has no meaning. The source can be anywhere or everywhere. The gap, the chink in the quantum world through which the access to intelligence is possible is the awareness. It is the window.
We know from modern science that billions of cells are dying in our body every day and billions are being replaced. Yet we all look and function as if the body is the same. That is to say that repair and replacements are happening every day, and by the time a year is out we have a completely new body. Then why should we age? It must be because the replacing mechanism does not function fully. Replacing and repairing or healing will work perfectly if the underlying intelligence of the awareness is taken recourse to without interference by thought. The thought has to be quiet, still. Attention and intention of pure awareness can do the trick says Deepak Chopra.
According to Einstein’s theory time is not absolute. That is, time is a make believe, an illusion. It is relative. We have chronological time, psychological time and biological time. While my chronological time is eighty-two, my biological or physiological time may be only seventy and my psychological time only fifty-five. Chronological time is because of earth’s change of position or rotation relative to the sun, our light. The duration is divided into twenty four hours etc. imagine a person in empty outer space far away from the sun. What is time for him? There may be changes in his position or bodily functions. But there is no time. There are only changes in the universe. And memory creates past and future. We metabolize time by thinking. But if we metabolize it by observing, perceiving, witnessing then we find that time stands still in the present. A timeless mind, a timeless awareness creates an ageless body. Natural rebuilding and replacing of the body happens and aging slows down. Even the bio-chemistry of the body actually arises from the awareness.

Prof. Dr..P.M.Sankarankutty: I intend to continue what Sri. Kunhikrishnan elaborated, namely, the idea of going beyond death, but connecting it at the level of mythology. A myth does not prove anything empirically, but it has its own warp in bringing out the immensity of the universe. In Hindu mythology death is represented by Yama who is also the lord of time. Most of us have come across the story of Nachiketas who went to Yama and had a discourse with him on Life and Death. Because of the deep devotion and penance of Nachikethas the Lord of death had to give/show him the secret of Life.
The most fascinating of all the myths about death is the story of Savitri-Sathyavan, adopting which sage Aurobindo wrote his famous epic poem “Savitri’, to bring out his idea of the supramental manifestation on earth, achieving immortality. The legend of Savitri is one of the side stories found in the Mahabharatha in its chapter or part relating to ‘ Forest ’ (Vanaparvam). The story in the Mahabharatha starts with the king of Madra, Ashwapathi and his wife Malathi living an ascetic life for years praying to the Sun God (savitur) for many years because they had no children. Finally they are blessed with a girl child who was given the name Savitri in honour of that God. When Savitri grew up she also became deeply devotional and ascetically bent. Beautiful and pure, she shunned all men. No suitor would dare approach her. Fed up, her father tells her to find out her own husband. She therefore goes on a pilgrimage and by chance meets Sathyavan and falls in love with him. Sathyavan, she learns, is the son of blind and destitute king of Salwa, Dyumatsena, who lived in exile in the forest because his kingdom was usurped by enemies. In spite of all that Savitri loved Sathyavan intensely and decided to marry him. But the blind king in exile was told by sage Narada that the choice made by Savitri was an erroneous one because Sathyavan was destined to die exactly after one year. Savitri was therefore asked to change her mind. Yet Savitri would no relent, and stuck to her decision to be the wife of Sathyavan, who was never told about his fate. They thus get married and live in the forest with Sathyavan’s parents. Few days before the foreseen death of Sathyavan, Savitri takes intense vows of fasting and vigil. On the morning of Sathyavan’s predicted death, Savitri accompanies her husband who is not aware of the impending doom, into the jungle. While splitting wood, Sathyavan collapses and dies on Savitri’s lap. When Yama comes and takes the soul of Sathyavan Savitri follows Yama. In spite of all coaxing and threatening Savitri refuses to turn back. With devotion, strength of feminine chastity and extreme love, she argues her case with Yama and wins him over. Impressed by her devotion and wisdom Yama allows her three boons, except the life of Sathyavan. She asks for the restoration of eyesight for her father, children for her parents, and also children for herself by Sathyavan. Yama could not break his promise and thus she indirectly got back the life of Sathyavan. Savitri is thus able to overcome the death of her husband. That was the original story in Mahabharatha. But its spiritual and mystic meaning comes out in Aurobindo’s epic poem by the same title.
The Savitri story held an irresistible fascination for Sri Aurobindo, because Sathyavan stood for Truth and Savitri for a wife’s devotion and power. When they come together, the union gets charged with enormous possibilities, ready to dare even Death. On the material plane his poem begins on the day Sathyavan is fated to die. And the poem ends with the resolution of the crisis, that is, wresting satyavan from the clutches of Yama, the lord of death. In her final confrontation with Yama, Savitri assumes her cosmic form (Viswaroopa). In Aurobindo’s words, I quote:

A mighty transformation came upon her
In a flashing moment of apocalypse
The incarnation thrust aside its veil
Eternity looked into the eyes of death.

Now the fateful day has surpassed its fate and the poem concludes magnificently.

Night splendid with the moon dreaming in heaven
In silver peace, passed her luminous region
She brooded the stillness on a thought
Deep-guarded by the mystic folds of light
And in her nursed a greater dawn

Savitri became a supramental being by expansion of her consciousness to claim extension of life for her husband. In short through the evolution of consciousness, space, time and death can be defeated by supra-mental manifestation.


Sri. K.P.Kunhikrishnan Nair: (Sri Kunhikrishnan nair opened his talk by saying that he had gone through the book of Dr.Deepak Chopra on the subject, but unfortunately he could not find anything practical in it. The paper he presented in Malayalam is given below.)

Dr. Md Abdulla:In the course of the evolution of Man, since the dawn of the human race, there has been no change in the anatomy of the human body, but for the difference between male and female (Sex difference). The structure, and the functions of human body in terms of Anatomy and Physiology remain the same, unaltered through millions of years of their existence in nature. In short, Human Beings Have an Ageless Body. Here the reference is not the life span of an individual but the Human Body as such through the ages. Hence we can refer to it as the Ageless Body.

There are infinite potentialities for the human mind. It is so vast that we cannot find any boundaries for it. No amount of calculation will suffice to determine its speed or any other parameters. For example, mentally I can reach my children who are abroad far off in Australia in no time. Here the distance and speed are of no concern. It takes no time for the mind to reach them, nor does the distance delay the speed. That would mean that the mind reaches its object near or far at the same time. One can reach the top of Mount Everest in no time when you think of it. The distance and speed are totally irrelevant.

Where exactly is the seat of the mind in human body, is it in the brain, the heart, or in every cell or gene? Scientists are unable to locate it till today. And to where does it leave from the body when a living creature dies?

We never know when the life enters the foetus inside the mother’s uterus. It is a timeless entry – only when the fetal heart is heard beating we know that the body inside is alive.
The human mind has wondrous capabilities. Among the various capacities of the mind two are very important, the capacity to dream, and the capacity to imagine. They both have no borders in space or time. It is timeless and thus we have the timeless mind.
Dream and Imagination are also not much influenced by your knowledge or intelligence. Even uneducated and ignorant people can have wonderful imagination or dreams. The difference between dream and sleep is that dream occurs in the sleeping state while imagination including fantasies is active while one is in the waking state. These are phenomena which are secrets of the human mind beyond measurement and beyond time. Hence Timeless Mind.

Mrs.Shobha Rajagopal Menon: Healing From Within
(Health Through Spiritual Practice)
It is widely believed that the people of ancient times, the Vedic period and before were taller and larger and had much longer life-span than humans today. Even today, off and on we hear someone or the other mention that such and such a recluse living in the mountains or forest is already above 200 years of age or so. I myself have heard a well known spiritual Guru mention such an individual among his own acquaintances who has crossed the age of 300!
Everyone has heard of the miraculous disappearance of diseases, sicknesses and even wounds in the presence of saints and other spiritually advanced persons. The phenomenon is common to all religions be it Hinduism, Christianity, or Mohammedan. Christ is known to have cured many by mere touch, Mata Amrithanandamayi, popularly known as ‘The Hugging Saint’ does so in her own benevolent way, Yogi Ram Dev does so through his widely popular yogaasanas. ‘Reiki’ is another popular system of healing by the use of Cosmic Energy. You on your part probably know of many other instances of healing through spiritual methods. It is well known that in large spiritual gatherings, many people go back feeling healthier and happier. Often there are instances of miraculous cure of serious sicknesses. In my own personal experience during serious and sincere practice of meditation for over eight years I have witnessed many instances of healing taking place through spirituality.
If the presence of spiritually evolved persons can make these phenomena happen, isn’t it clear that if we ourselves evolved spiritually we can, each of us, tap the healing power within us. Incarnations and saints are but humans who have taken the initiative to evolve their spiritual selves to the utmost and tap the wonderful potential within themselves to the fullest.
The truth is that the human race has long forgotten to look within themselves. The whole attitude has become objective. Most are ready to bestow all their faith on to a stone idol, but cannot believe in their own living breathing self! Man has been quite effective in harnessing the external resources and has accomplished immense material advancement, but has failed miserably in tapping the powers inherent in his own self,
Everyone is familiar with the concept of the left and the right brain. The right brain represent those qualities which are considered ‘feminine’ and include imagination, intuition, love, compassion, artistic perception etc. humanity is at present tapping the left brain containing the intellectual, mathematical and material abilities, ignoring the finer qualities of his ‘better half’ to a great extent. A human being with the left brain highly advanced and the right neglected is not properly balanced and hence is only partly healthy. When both the objective and subjective aspects of the individual are fully developed he is healthy and happy, mentally, physically and emotionally. This can happen only by giving a chance to the hitherto neglected intuitive, aesthetic and spiritual aspect of the individual through yoga and meditation. But the problem with us is that we are not ready to practice spiritual systems sincerely and methodically. We are not ready to discover and accomplish this inner wealth. We want ready made solutions dished out on a platter. The fact is that spiritual rejuvenation is available only in one form: the ‘do it yourself kit’!
All religions have in some way or the other discovered the presence of what are called ‘energy centers’ in the human body. When one undertakes spiritual practice in some form, these centers are activated. Each of these energy centers within the human body are associated with certain parts of the body and certain specific organs. When each of these centers get activated through yoga and other spiritual systems, cosmic energy gets transmitted to these organs and healing of different kinds take place in these areas. The more advanced spiritualists like yogis and saints produce such healing energy in surplus quantity. This surplus energy flows out into the surroundings and touches those present around causing healing in them too. This healing is need based; it may be physical, mental or emotional as per your personal condition. Also, the degree to which this healing energy is received by one depends on one’s receptivity. Devotion and dedication to the spiritual path prepares one to receive this blessing in equivalent proportion.
Nothing I have said here is mere assumption or theory. It is the essence of the spiritual knowledge I have gained through years of dedication to the spiritual quest. What I intend to stress here is that our body, during what we call ‘old age’ has capabilities to heal itself. But we have to reap these blessings within us with our own efforts. Try practicing yoga, whichever kind you choose, with total dedication and faith and you will find new wonders opening before you as you progress.
Often people are reluctant to take up spiritual exercises because we feel we may have to give up our favorite addictions like smoking, drinking etc. I assure you, you do not have to give them up; they drop off you most naturally, like old and spent hobbies. They dull out and fade-out before the new addiction to spiritual well-being.
The proof of whatever I have said is within yourself alone. So I cannot prove it to you. All you can do to convince yourself is to begin practice with whichever spiritual system suits you.

Dr.Babu Ravindran: Aging is the accumulation of changes in an organism or object over time. Aging in humans refer to a multidimensional process of physical, psychological, and social changes. Some dimensions of aging grow and expand over time, while others decline. Reaction time, for example, may slow with age, while knowledge of world events, wisdom may expand.
Aging is the progressive, universal decline first in functional reserve and then in the function that occurs in organism over time. So it is heterogeneous. Aging is not a disease. But the risk of developing disease is increased, often dramatically as a function of age. The biological composition of tissues changes with age, physiological capacity decreases, the ability to maintain homeostasis in adapting to stresses decrease, vulnerability to disease process increase.
Population world wide are aging. Improvement in environmental (clear water and improved sanitation) and behavioral factors (nutrition, reduced risk exposures), and treatment and prevention of infectious disease are largely responsible for the 30 year increase in life expectancy since 1900.
Women outlive men. In the world only 15% of centenarians are men.
As we age, we become increasingly unlike one another. The ability to maintain stable functions in the face of change in environment is called ACCOSTASIS, and it declines with age.
One problem as we age is NOSOLOGIC. It is a question when exactly is a peculiar change considered a normal age related alteration, and when does it become a disease.
Earlier 75years BP of 170/90 was considered an age related increase in systolic BP which need not be interfered. Now we know it is a reflection of increased vascular stiffness, one of the major cardio-vascular risk factor.
The term ‘aging’ is again some what ambiguous. Distinction may be made between Universal aging,- changes that all people share,
Rehabilistic Aging,- age changes that may happen to some, but not to all e.g., T2 DM(type II Diabetes Mellitus)
Chronological aging, - how old a person is
Social aging, - Society expectations of how people should act as they grow old
Biological aging, - A person’s physical state as he ages
We quite often see that age does not correlate perfectly with functional age.
Aging is a very personal experience. No two individuals age in the same way. It is because each one has unique experience and genes. Nobody dies of age.

Mind refers to the aspect of intellect and consciousness manifested as thoughts, perception, memory, emotion, will, imaginations etc. including all of the brain’s conscious and unconscious cognition process. Mind is often used to refer especially to the thought process of reason. Subjectively, mind manifests itself as a stream of consciousness.
The question as to which attributes make up the mind is also much debated. Some argue that only the ‘higher’ intellectual functions constitute the mind, particularly reason and memory. The emotions – love, hate, fear, joy – are more primitive or subjective in nature and should be seen as different from the mind. some argue that it cannot be differentiated.
In popular usage ‘Mind’ is frequently synonymous with ‘Thought’. No one else can know our mind. they can only interpret what we consciously or unconsciously communicate.
We can see that individuals are prisoners of thought. He is what he thinks he is.
The development of the body is greatly decided by the mind. the fears, stress, emotion, jealousy, rivalry, enmity, are all manifestations of one’s thoughts and that affect the body to a great extend. Our bodies are constantly exchanging information and energy from our environment.
If one thinks that he is old and has to retire from activity he is as good as dead. So a refreshing mind is very essential for a comfortable life.
I think that it was the actor Thikkurissi who said that man passes though five phases of life. First is that of a monkey playing pranks and running about. Next is the horse galloping away on its energy. Then as a donkey he suffers all the burdens of life and family. After that he has the life of a faithful dog serving as watch-man. And in the end he just sits like an owl looking this way and that, and responding with only h’m for everything. Deepak Chopra compares human body to a river. It appears to be still but is constantly changing every moment with its flowing waters.
To know himself fully man has to understand his mind. Breathing is definitely helpful as any change in the rhythm of breathing changes the mood and emotions of the person. For example when the breathing is regular and slow one cannot get angry. When you are angry or agitated you breathe very fast. Breath control can therefore definitely help. And I believe that a good meditation method is a way by which one can perceive and understand one’s own mind.

Dr. Thomas: The theme today relates to time, thought, meditation, and aging. One main factor that controls our aging is the genetic configuration inherited from our parents. Then there is the environmental factors that modify our thoughts and life. There is aging occurring in all objects around us, for example, cloths when old will tear easily. Paper becomes fragile after a few years, whereas a living object, though subject to aging will be renovated. The hormonal mechanisms will swing into action for this purpose. The renovation is related to the mind and thoughts, and Serotonin, the chemical transmitter between neurons that activate the mechanism.
Overeating is one sin that can damage our frame of health. From the thought processes in the brain hormones and the other body secretions are controlled and produced. Exercise and meditation induced pheramones increase the sense of well being. The harmony in life with love produces oxytocin (love hormone). For example, oxytocin is enhanced by the mother’s touch on an infant.
The aim of religious practices through the ages had been to promote these states of the mind in the brain. Words and actions can stimulate ‘God spot’ and the ‘Pleasure spot’ in the brain. Kundalini is the force derived through the vagus nerve which runs down supplying the heart, stomach, and intestines. The balance we obtain with the opposing nervous system through practiced prayer or meditation will give the solace and freedom from fear. Understanding capabilities by the mind that is thus sharpened will be the cutting edge against any problem.
Possibility of renovation on aging is very much there as has been noticed in nature. The study on bees showed that when a hive is full of aged worker bees, and insufficiency of young bees to collect honey or fight enemies is felt, they put the aged bees in special cells and feed them and look after them till they become young and energetic again.
Alzhiemers disease affecting the brain and cancer are the two killers that have puzzled man for the past 17 years ever since publication of Alzhiemer’s book in 1992. Reversing the onslaught of these diseases may give some path breaking clue on aging.

Prof. M.V.Mohanan Nair: The extension of human life span has been one of the oldest preoccupations and greatest dreams of man! The Indian concept of rebirth and elixir are only extensions of man’s eternal craving for immortality. In the modern world this desire for longevity has resulted in the establishment of hundreds of thousands of anti-aging clinics in most of the developed countries as early as the beginning of the second half of the 20th century. Millions are being spent on anti-aging research projects. The discovery of the structure of the DNA was a great stride in this direction. The Human Genome Project which identified all the genes in the human body and which was completed in 2003 was the greatest effort in this direction. Man has now taken over the control of all the genes in the human body. He has succeeded in removing the genes that cause aging and replacing them with non-aging ones. The American company which produced tomatoes which do not ripe and rot had removed the genes that cause ripening. If this is possible in a fruit why not in man? It is as simple as this – remove the genes that cause aging and replace them with genes that cause youthfulness and vigor, and man achieves immortality! And the social consequences when man never dies? Dead bodies which are preserved using the cryogenic technique come back to life. Will they be ghosts or human beings? Science has to give an answer.
Let us now pass from modern science to certain ancient branches of knowledge which had advocated a healthy body and healthy life-style for the extension of human life span. It is said that during his wanderings in search of ultimate knowledge Gauthama Buddha gave himself up to fasting and terrible penance. Consequently his body became so weak that one day he fell unconscious. That brought him the realization that Truth could be reached only by a nourished brain in a healthy body.
Modern man often finds it difficult to cope with the hurry and stress of modern life. Relaxation, both physical and mental has become impossible, even in bed. Recognizing man’s need for discipline to prevent mental and physical deterioration the ancient saints of India evolved the Yoga cult which embodies the secrets of successful living. Yoga combines in itself Asana, Pranayama, and Meditation. It provides an effective remedy to the problems that plague modern man. Dr. Deepak Chopra, in his book “Ageless Body and Timeless Mind” has stated that meditation lowers the biological age. It provides the much needed basic harmony in the mind of man.
However, I think that no man would desire an infinite extension of his life. A day may come when he will be overtaken by the desire for death, like the Sibyl of Cumae. When the Sibyl of Cumae was asked, ‘Sibyl, Sibyl, what do you want?’ the Sibyl’s answer was “I want to die” because her longevity had caused a sort of death wish.


At the end of the program, three members among the audience gave their comments. Sri Raghavan Vengad pointed out the twelve stages (four plus eight) of man in his life’s journey mentioned by Nithya Chaithanya Yathi in his works, and said that finally Man carries his burden like an ass. The ass or donkey was shown in a cartoon some years back. Sri P.V. Ramachandran who spoke in detail, extensively reviewed the talks of the various participants in the seminar but said that he had missed the talks of the first few speakers. He was all praise for what was said by Sri. K.P.Kunhikrishnan Nair.

Appendix :
Prof. Richard Hay: Whatever be the incantations of poets and authors on ‘ageless body’, man is destined to perish after having lived a certain period of time. No doubt about it. The concept of ageless body is a mere myth or the flight of imagination. The oldest man in human history is Seanne Calment who lived for 122½ years. In non-human longevity, the 460 year old bristlecone pine in the mountains of California, called Methuselah, -I had occasion to see this during my visit to Mount Sastha in California-, steals the lime light. I have also seen the great tortoises, near the Velliankallu off the coast of Payyoli, which would have lived for more than 150 years or more according to eye-witness reports of generations of fishermen of the area. Whales do live longer.
Why human beings are destined to die in a short life-span? The main reason is said to be the death of millions of cells in our body, which results in aging and finally death. Scientist Leonard Hayflick, in his study on Human Cells demonstrated that a population of normal human fetal cells in a cell culture divide 40to60 times, and then it enters a senescence phase that increases aging. Each cell division (mitosis) shortens the telomeres on the DNA of the cell. Telomere shortening in human beings eventually blocks cell division and the action correlates with aging.
Along with the death of cells, impairment of physiological systems like the homeostatic system or immune system, expedite the aging process.
The oxidation – inflammation theory states that the chronic oxidation stress which affect the neurons, endocrine and immune system is adding to the process of aging. Hence the role of anti-oxidants in ensuring a healthier life.
Gerontology, Geriatrics, and other ares of modern medicine are constantly developing newer and newer medicines for the treatment of the aged. Alzeimers’, Dementia, Parkinson’s are diseases for which no permanent cure is discovered. Scientists and doctors practicing in the field of modern medicine can throw light on these aspects of aging. We can only leave it to them to ponder over this central area in the survival of our species.
Nanotechnology, stem cell research, etc. are being considered as tools or methods by which span of life could be increased. Before we extend the span of life of humans, let us first prove our capacity by proving that the span of life of our pets could be increased.
In Kerala, the aging process is accentuated by the fact that the retirement of Govt.servants takes place at the age of 55. elsewhere in India it varies from state to state between 58 to 62 and 65. judges retire at the age of sixty-five, university professors too. in USA and Europe the age of legal retirement is 65. taking into account these figures, the hapless Govt.servant in Kerala is a big loser. He starts thinking of old age when he attains the year of retirement, ie. 55. age of retirement casts a negative influence on Keralites.
Recently in an Oprah Winfry Show, Winfry interviewed centenarians from different countries to find our whether their life-styles had an impact on the aging process. The show revealed that the centenarians led an active life and ate lots of vegetables and fruits instead of meat. But, that being the case, here in our country we see that cent per cent of the octogenarians die around eighty plus or seventy plus. Hence, it can be stated that there are some factors other than vegetarianism which decides the faster aging process.
Some say that ‘Reservetrol’, a chemical found in red grapes can help extend life span. Hence in the west, people are drinking red wine to avail this boon. Some new drugs are being developed for extending life span, but so far those drugs have not resulted in slowing the aging process. Some say we can extend life by consuming fewer calories.
In a TV show the other day, an actor with Alzheimers’ appeared and talked at length about his physical and mental disabilities. One doctor stated that due to lack of lubrication inside the brain, all those dysfunctions were caused. As you grow old, the brain shows a decline in its function. Our memory fades considerably.
Cloning and stem-cell research may one day find a method of regenerating the cells or even parts of the body. But, the question is whether these new bodies will have the capability to ensure consciousness and enable them to think like a human being. By the way, consciousness, it seems, is some form of energy which could be transferred from one body to another. Are these only whimsical ideas?
In Christianity it is believed that when Jesus returned, the resurrection of the just will take place in which all believers who died would be raised again and the unfaithful would also be resurrected, judged and condemned to eternal punishment and alienated from God. Hence, for the just and the unjust, there would be life after death. In this sense, timeless mind is not a quixotic idea.
But some believe that consciousness ends once a person dies and the physical death of body and mind takes place simultaneously. In this sense, such believers do not subscribe to the idea that there is life after death or immortality of life. In such a situation the scope of religion becomes dimmer and dimmer. Spiritualists too would be annoyed if one argues that life after death or deathless soul is a non-starter.
All religious interpretations about life after death which ensures a timeless mind, are a manifestation of intuitive thinking, used for the purpose of teaching everyone to lead a virtuous life.
It is easy to make us believe that there is a timeless mind and so a life after death since most of us are carried away by the thought of the fear of the unknown. We are confounded every moment by the concept of eternal life. For some it gives immense joy to follow a life of piety and virtuousness and to subjugate oneself to the judgment of a supreme being.
At this point, I can only say that the mysteries of life, whether it is timeless mind or imperishable soul, will confuse mankind for years to come until the Truth is revealed.
To me consciousness is like a transient light of candle, when the light of which is blown out, the candle remains in its physical form for some time and disintegrates. Likewise, when life ceases, consciousness and the body disintegrate.
Also the concept of ageless body itself would create a mammoth problem for humanity when with five billions of people on earth, the earth suffocates with the alarming situation of needing to feed such a big swarm of people. The depletion of huge natural resources would be alarmingly huge.
Deepak Chopra fascinates us with his interesting theory which as I understand it is that through some awareness one could tilt the biological clock in one’s favor to enable himself to live longer. He too is a wishful thinker spreading his message throughout the world like any Indian Sanyasin, especially to a world of stress, strain, confusion and miseries, more often in a state of mayhem.
As far as the quest for life and passion of life inspire us to live longer, man would desire and seek new methods and practices that ensure longevity.

facts for free thinking

EKKENTROS FORUM


The Matter: Report of the proceedings of the discussion held on 10-11-09 (Tuesday)

Venue: Residence of Prof. P.M.Sankarankutty, Green Hills, Temple Gate, Tellicherry-670103

Coram: Seven members attended. Prof. Hay and Sri. T. Bhaskaran could not attend as they are out of station to the Gulf.

Subject: Facts in Unbiased Free Thinking.
Dr. Md. Abdulla: In our discussions we have now reached a point where the question to be tackled is whether any unbiased thinking is at all possible for human beings. While caught in the worldly affairs, every individual faces problems and agonies of different kinds and intensities. The practical reaction to search for a solution in such circumstances has been to seek God Almighty’s assistance. While praying the problem seems to become lighter, but when we come out of the prayers the problem returns. This would make it clear that we are unable to hold on to “Bhakthi Bhava” or the devotional attitude. We are able to experience the emotion of devotion only fleetingly.
The secret of leading a life where problems do not affect us is therefore to learn to sustain the devotional attitude or in other words, to maintain the purity of the mind. All religious texts give us the advice to reach that goal by continuous devotion and prayers. In short Purity of the Mind is the prerequisite for unbiased free thinking, and devotion or Bhakthi is the simplest way to attain and sustain it. And they have to be realized in one’s inner self as an experience of God’s all pervading Truth. That results in a state of absolute humility.
Dr. Babu Ravindran: What is actually purity of mind? Is it a mind without any feeling of doing wrong or a feeling of guilt? I think doing wrong is a mental concept. One feels that he has done wrong.
Sri. Kunhikrishnan: A person has an idea that killing is wrong. He has been brought up to think so. But killing an enemy soldier in battle is not wrong. Yet killing a stray dog is sin.
Dr. Babu Ravindran: There is no sin except the mental concept of guilt. It is the conditioning of the mind which brings about the feeling of guilt.
Dr.Thomas: For the Jains, even inadvertent killing of insects is sin, and they really feel guilty for the death of tiny insects caused by their breathing. They are supposed to go around covering their mouth and nose to avoid that. Many of them follow that practice even now. Similarly among hunters there were certain codes to be followed to avoid committing sin. Animals should not be killed while they drink water from their water holes. Neither pregnant animal or a couple in mating should be killed. Once these are in their mind they naturally feel guilty when they go against the codes.
Dr. Babu Ravindran: Each person’s thinking is based on the way he is brought up. It is based on past experience and is limited by his experience. And there are certain rules of society that everybody has to follow in order to keep harmony among its members. The concept of sin comes from that. Any violation of the standards brings a feeling of guilt or sin. All sins are the manifestations of the feelings of the mind. But you can, of course be emotionless like saints and then you may be free of guilt. One is afraid of ghosts as he has been told stories and experiences relating to them. Imagination takes over and he is afraid. But if you analyze the mechanism of the process in the mind, the fear disappears and the person becomes calm. Certain amount of intuitive analysis is required. If the imagination goes uncontrolled, fantasy takes over resulting in psychosis etc. It is an aberration of the mind.
In a situation of unbiased thinking or comment, one’s previous knowledge or preconceived ideas should not interfere.
Dr. Abdulla : Only a pure mind can have balanced thoughts. That is why I say that purity of mind is essential for unbiased thinking.
Dr. Babu Ravindran: One must be able to understand that external things and extraneous matters always come up and interfere with free thinking. In one is aware of that then free thinking will be possible.
Sri. Kunhikrishnan: Yes. If I am aware that I have my prejudices and my past experience is continuously interfering with my thoughts it makes a difference. I can think with an open mind and think freely. Free thinking is thus possible.
Dr. Abdulla: My past experience and my opinion need not be always wrong. If you are pure at heart you can be absolutely correct and you can insist that your opinion is correct. There, one is sure of one’s opinion. A man who is pure at heart can make a good and correct decision.
Dr. Sadanandan: Conscience is built upon so many factors. Past experiences, Rules and codes, ideas of right and wrong, religious beliefs, etc. etc.
DR. Abdulla: One must be prepared to hear others’ points of view also for the thinking to be free.
Dr. Sadanandan: But we act on our conditioning. We are patriotic and love our country intensely. Therefore we kill, and killing becomes thus right. But basically where is the enemy? He also is patriotic and loves his country. Countries are mere border outlines, and a person born on the other side cannot become automatically an enemy. Ultimately there is no enemy. I believe that no human being should kill another human being. I may not be patriotic and I may be persecuted as a traitor. But I am right. I act according to what my conscience tells me is Truth.
That is free thinking. But we act on our conditioning. We act on the basis what we are told by others to be patriotism. The thinking itself is biased.
Sri. Kunhikrishnan: Who was it that died in prison taking Hemloc? Yes, Socrates died for the Truth that he was sure of. Unbiased thinking has its consequences when one acts accordingly.
Dr. Sankarankutty. Bernard Shaw said that we act on a state of conditioning, not on realization.
Sri. Kunhikrishnan: I cannot be said to be biased if I am aware of my conditioning and prejudices, and am willing to understand others and to change my opinion if I am wrong.
Dr. Md. Abdulla: The one great character I admire as absolutely unbiased, is Mahatma Gandhi who truly lived in Truth.
Dr. Thomas. In the events of the world, right action or wrong action is said to be known only long after the events are over. Therefore it is only from history correct action can be judges, known and studied. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels are being judged now on the basis of the results of their actions. They were both sure of the correctness of their ideas and theories in their time. They had no doubts. But their actions created great miseries in the world and they are being judged now accordingly. Trotsky was different. He was more flexible in his thoughts and was a liberal. Therefore he suffered at the hands of the other two. He had his convictions for which he suffered. Marx and Engels were both biased by their own notions and ideas, but still they firmly believed then that they were right.

facts in free thinking

EKKENTROS FORUM
The Matter: Report of the proceedings of the discussion held on 11-8-09 (Tuesday)
Venue: Residence of Dr. Babu Ravindran, Edavalath House, Tellicherry-670103
Coram: Eight members attended. Dr. Sadanandan could not attend as he was not well.
Subject: Facts in Unbiased Free Thinking.
Dr. Mohammed Abdulla: I would like to raise an important point that occurred to me. It can be elaborated later if necessary. That is the basic question whether free thinking is at all possible unless the mind itself is free? I find that the mind has to be first freed of all thoughts before free thinking can become possible. For that, meditation would be necessary. Generally, chanting of Mantra may help to reduce the flow of thoughts that disturbs and clears the mind to make it free. Mantra has got that capacity.
Prof. Sankarankutty: Thought is not separate from environment. Is there any thought at all unconnected with environment?. I mean the environment, internal as well as external. Therefore thought is always there. The mind is never free of it.
Dr. Thomas: It is generally an autocratic mind which has adamant thoughts that always wins. Stalin was an autocrat while Trotsky was democratically minded. Stalin could manipulate and kill Trotsky to captured power for himself. Then he killed all the members of the Trotsky family. A set or fixed mind succeeds compared to a free thinking mind.
Prof. Sankarankutty: Yes. That is ‘Macbeth Strategy’. There is struggle for power, capture of the power, and then retention of the power. That is the technique.
Dr.Thomas: But now it is difficult to fool people like that because of the media and the resulting instant publicity.
Dr. Babu Ravindran: What actually is bias? What is meant by being biased? How can anybody decide whether some thought or action is biased? What is bias for one may be fair and unbiased for another.
Dr.Sankarankutty: By the quality of thought itself we are all biased. So says J.K.
Dr.Thomas: I found an example yesterday. Our Administrative Officer and Manager were having an argument yesterday on an unimportant matter. I was noticing it quietly. Each vehemently held to his own opinion and went on talking agitatedly without making even a smallest attempt to hear the other point of view.
K.V. Kunhikrishnan: Bias means prejudice. One can hold one’s own view. There is nothing wrong with it. But if he is aware of his own prejudices, and is willing to hear the other point of view, and also willing to change his opinion if he is wrong then he is not biased.
Sankarabkutty: Mantra sounds have significance; it is supposed to open the channels to the Chakras or the vital points in the body. The ancients had found out great truths subjectively and communicated them in forms that others could understand. For example, they knew the steps of evolution of man from the form of fish (animal in water), through the stages of tortoise (animal on water as well as land), pig (animal on land), Man-Animal, Small short man, and then Man. This they told out to others in the form of the story of Dasavathara(Ten Incarnations). The epics and legends are not mere superficial facts of life narrated. But they contain several profound truths. Naked truth cannot be easily exposed. They will be misunderstood and are therefore given in legends. There is an interesting story why Truth is called naked. Truth and Falsehood are sisters. They went together for a bath in the nearby river. Falsehood got out of the river first and seeing the nice, clean and colourful dress of Truth, wore them and left immediately. When Truth came out of the river her dress was not to be found. The tattered, worn out dirty dress of Falsehood was lying on the bank. She would not wear it and therefore had to go naked. Thus formed the expression ‘Naked Truth’. This is an example how myth is developed. When language is difficult and insufficient to express truth, myth develops and comes to the rescue.
Prof. Richard Hay: The bias and prejudice of the dominant holds control. The saying that might is right holds even today. See the result of the Iraq invasion. Tony Blair has the cheek to say in British Parliament that he was right in being a party to it. And the opposition could not counter! Facts do not count. The more powerful always decide what is right for all.
Dr.Thomas: Britain is trying to hold on to their might as long as possible.
Dr. Abdulla: Earlier, spiritual power prevailed over the world; but now material and physical power has supremacy.
Prof. Hay: Compared to the materialist world of thought, there has been clear deterioration on the spiritualist world.
Prof. Sankarankutty: In the evolution scale there has been a time when one who had the power to heal, the medicine man, counted and controlled all others. But later the mighty took over.

book release on 14th july 2009

The report on Book Release:
Thalassery 14-7-09
The premises of the New Cosmopolitan Club, Thalassery, Kannur Dt., Kerala, bore witness to a small but beautiful function when the book entitled ‘Ruminations and Reminiscences ay Eighty Plus’ authored by Sri K.V.Kunhikrishnan, Chairman and Convener of Ekkentros Forum was formally released by the celebrated novelist and short story writer in Malayalam Sri. M. Mukundan, President of the Kerala Sahitya Academy. Dr. A.N.P.Ummerkutty, the former Vice-Chancellor of Calicut University received the first copy of the book.
The deliberations began with a prayer by Miss Shreesha Chandran which was followed by the Ekkentros Invocation by Dr. A.V. Sadanandan. Prof. Richard Hay welcomed the gathering. Dr. T. N. Babu Ravindran, presiding over the function traced the history of the Forum and its growth over the last eleven years.
Sri. M. Mukundan, the chief guest of the evening was introduced to the audience by Prof. Mohanan Nair. Sri Mukundan dwelt at length on the various themes covered by the author. He said that the mind is both the hero and the villain, and the book is an effort to map its complexities and continuities. He described the present age as the age of ‘indescretions and disasters’ where the rising tide of the cult of the individual has defiled the sanctity of the social values. He also said the book is not one to be just read and kept aside on the shelf, but to be read over again and again.
Dr. A.N.P.Ummerkutty, the Guest of Honour, elaborated upon the several facets of philosophy as adventure and an attitude, and made a special effort to highlight the relevance of Jiddu Krishnamurthi’s illuminations on the predicament of modern man.
Sri.K.Balakrishnan, Program Executive, AIR, Kannur hailed the book as a unique reading experience which raises the issues that confront the sensibilities of modern man.
Prof. M.P. Radhakrishnan, described the book as another experiment with questing after the Truth. According to him the book spoke the language of ultimate surrender that emanated from a mature mind.
Prof. K.V. Haridasan, the renowned modern artist, and brother of Sri Kunhikrishnan spoke about the family tradition that spurred scholarly pursuits like this and corroborated Sri Kunhikrishnan’s perceptions.
Finally, the author shared with the audience his perceptions on the making of the book, its content in cyber-world, and the themes that impinged upon the human community at large.
Dr. P.M. Sankarankutty proposed a vote of thanks, and the deliberations concluded with the national anthem.

After the Function of Book Release was over a grand dinner with fellowship was hosted by Mrs. & Prof. Richard Hay for the Chief Guest with the members of the Forum.

EKKENTROS FORUM
The Matter: Report of the proceedings of the discussion held on 9-6-09 (Tuesday)
Venue: Residence of Dr. A.V.Sadanandan, Kavumbagam, tellicherry-670110
Coram: Seven members attended. Dr. Abdulla joined later. Prof Mohanan Nair could not attend as he was out of station.
Subject: Facts in Free Thinking
Dr. Sadanandan: In the discussions here now I propose to follow the line of thinking of J. Krishnamurthy. Human mind is the greatest of all mysteries. The status and stature of the human being in this universe is because of its mind. What one is, is his mind and the mind’s activities. The whole developments, progress, and achievements of the human race is because of its mind. Yet our minds are burdened with our day to day existence too. We are unhappy. We struggle, we crave for security, have fears, anxieties and confusion created by our minds. Should we change, if at all it is possible to change, or simply accept our fate to continue in our mediocre existence of struggles to fit into and conform to the social morality and modes? On accepting the fate and modes we are conditioned. We get biased. Our conditioning to the race, religion, class, nationality or organization, is to seek security. Culture, traditions, own experiences in life, memories of hurt, fear and grief, all, weigh down us from having a new avenue in the mind for Free Thinking. We are conditioned, we are biased. The built up idea of ‘me’ is the most restricting, conditioning. The ‘me’ has to be silent for the free thinking to be possible, or to arise.
We live the way we think. Thought is the tool to act. It is the knowledge, experience, feelings as memory that responds to any challenge. The knowledge, intellect, and intuitive faculties through generations of human existence helped the scientific and technological progress that we see today. There is definitely creative and free thinking involved in this. The story of science is the story of human capability to understand facts, and to develop by imbibing newer ideas through free thinking.
But man’s story of progress or failure is largely dependant on his psychological existence. His thoughts, feelings, emotions and sentiments decide his actions. Our inner psychological nature is reflected in our relationship with ourselves and the society at large. What life is, is our relationship with each other. This psychological nature conditions one’s relationship with the society. And this conditioning has tremendous influence in our social well being. This conditioning doesn’t allow one to relate to another freely and gracefully. So, the real problem is lack of true relationship due to one’s own thoughts, feelings and emotions. But these are all important factors of one’s being. Do we see these as real facts or illusions? We do not see facts, and our life is an emotional circus. If we could see these thoughts and use them only when required, illusions could be subdued.
Psychologically, when thoughts are seen and one is aware inwardly there can be freedom from thoughts. Then there is free thinking, but what is there to think? Outwardly we build up that with understanding of solid facts and inwardly we uncover layers of illusions to see what is.
Dr. Sankarankutty: It appears from what Dr. Sadanandan has put forward that free thinking is never possible. Even if facts are verified and accepted, the bias of conditioning will still be there. Thinking, any thinking, itself is therefore biased by the conditioning.
Sri Kunhikrishnan: Quite true. But if one is aware of the conditioning and the bias, free thinking would still be possible. The illusions are there as fully recognized. But one goes beyond them.
Dr. Sankarankutty: When thought itself is conditioned and one is not conscious of the conditioning, there is no freedom in thinking.

Dr. K.P.Thomas: When we talk of the product ‘free thinking’, we have to take into consideration the raw materials, namely, the brain, experiences, inheritance, present and previous beliefs, decisions already made, and the like. A debating mind can make anything look logical and correct. Therefore a mind like that of justice V.R. Krishna Iyer, though flowery literature, cannot be trusted because of his inconsistent intellectual truthfulness, and attraction to opportunities. Vis-à-vis, Panampally Govinda Menon was, in my opinion, a better debater, and intellectual administrator, full of wit and humor. I compare these two because they were well known debaters and public personalities one time during the same period. We can put some well known personalities in the category of luminaries who are self centered intellectual beings more bothered about their own image and news-making capacity than anything else. I would put Sukumaran Azhikode and Justice Krishna Iyer in this category of public figures.
Free thinking was put to test abrasively during the emergency period of 1975-77. V.P.Ramachandran, the doyen of journalism in Delhi those days was appointed as the censor working for the P.M., Indira Gandhi initially. When he passed a text of news for release without censoring, a junior close to Indira Gandhi reminded him that the PM was interested in censoring that particular text. He censored it accordingly with a light remark jocularly, ‘let the bitch have her way’. This comment was, it appears, promptly relayed back by the junior journalist to Indira with the result that V.P.Ramachandran was sent on transfer to a post with silly responsibility in Madhya Pradesh overnight. Intellectual honesty is always in jeopardy when there is power that is corrupt, and vested with one or few. The streak of a little madness in Nehru runs in Varun also through Sanjay. There was innocence in Achutha Menon, Craftiness in EMS, and popular welfare interest in AKG, all personified.
Twisted facts masquerading as fiction may make our lives worth living. My letter to the Home Minister is a good example, I think. Facts were in fact a little twisted to entertain and titillate the sensitivity of the scores of reading public. Still, even now after over a few months, I get comments from the rank and file of the ‘party’ for the tremendous courage exhibited by me in launching that news story item. Explicit expression of thoughts through pen at the right time may alter the course of our social history. I sometimes wonder how useless the present day communist leaders are, with their lack luster pedantic writings, full of clichés, in their party paper that appeal neither to the intellect nor to the masses. Time alone can prove whether ‘free thinking’ was after all, the right one or not.
The role of visual media and telecommunication has made facts to reach you instantaneously, and hence people are able to give a verdict decisively. For example, in the case of the Karala Governor’s permission to prosecute Pinarayi, instant sms polling showed that 85% of the people who sent sms was in favor of the prosecution. It has therefore become extremely difficult to suppress facts, and information by any government or party. I think that an oligarchic iron curtain, or an iron fisted rule by fascists, or a totalitarian communist governance will not be possible any longer. If the communist party has to survive anywhere, they have to first destroy the media as well as all modern means of communication. Without genuine facts we find that people are not swayed or influenced easily. At present, the party machinery, the PB, and the Government, all are trying to save the career of Penarayi or to save him politically from ‘Banvas’ of fourteen years in court jungles. The present tragicomic situation is the result of globalization which is dooming any dictatorial governance, whether proletarian or not. Iran, South Korea, Afghanistan, Iraq can be said to be some exceptions; only time can prove what will happen to them in future.
Sri.Kunhikrishnan: To illustrate the point of unbiased thinking, the present controversy on the Governor’s permission on the Lavlin case can be a good example. We can understand that politicians are naturally divided according to their party or leanings. But look at the different opinions expressed by legal luminaries and intellectuals! The Governor had said that he gave the permission to protect the interests of the public.
Senior Advocate Ramkumar said that as per Supreme Court decisions in two cases the Governor can take independent decisions against the advice of the cabinet if it is warranted by the apparent bias of the Ministers. Therefore Governor is right.
Sr.Advocate Janardhana Kurup said that there is no provision in the constitution for the governor to take a decision against the decision of the cabinet.
Justice Krishna Iyer also said that the governor has to obey the cabinet. The few exceptions cannot be expanded to suit a different decision in the present case. (Italics mine)
The DG of Prosecution, P.G.Thambi said that Pinarayi should immediately go to the High Court.
The PUCL President P.Chandrasekharan also said that he should go to the court.
Sr. Advocate Kelu Nambiar said that Governor may not be right because he cannot go against the cabinet.
Sr. Advocate Kaleswara Rao said that Governor is right and Government should accept governor’s decision because there are other accused also involved. (unfair to let off Pinarayi alone!)
Former advocate general M.K.Damodaran said that Governor, if he does not agree with the cabinet, should have consulted another legally constituted authority and not any lawyer of his choosing.
These opinions are only some among hundreds. The differences merely show that the matter of giving permission can be argued both ways according to the interpreter’s leanings.
Dr. Sankarankutty: Politicians and bureaucrats are hand in glove and they always escape the arms of the law through loop holes and clever interpretations.
Prof. Hay: It is a fake democracy. Consider the case of Ex-Minister Sukh Ram who had crores of rupees stuffed in his waste baskets! He never got punished, but was again contesting elections with impunity!
Sri. Kunhikrishnan: The interesting part is that in all these discussions and opinions nobody talks of finding the truth. They are bogged down with the technicality of giving permission to prosecute. How can the truth be known unless investigated, prosecuted and tried? After all, prima facie, fraud has happened because others, who were not ministers, are anyway being prosecuted. For all that Pinarayi may be innocent. There should be a way to prosecute without affecting the future or political career of any accused in the meanwhile. The defect of the system lies there.

Facts in Free Thinking

EKKENTROS FORUM


The Matter: Report of the proceedings of the discussion held on 12-5-09 (Tuesday)

Venue: Residence of Sri K.V.Kunhikrishnan, IRS(Retd), Patikkal, Kavumbagam, tellicherry-670110
Coram: Seven members attended. Dr.abdulla and Prof Mohanan Nair could not attend as both were out of station.
Sri. K.V.Kunhikrishnan:
We had briefly touched upon this subject in our tenth anniversary proceedings but had no opportunity or facility to discuss the subject in detail.
Fact is a casualty in today’s world. A stage has come when we cannot rely on any information whatsoever that we come across in the media. They are manipulated by personal or group interests. As our Forum stands for free unbiased thinking, we have a stake in the premises based on which we think, and the premises are facts. The first requisite for free thought is the correctness of facts and a respectful commitment to facts. The other requisites are of course, clear logic, understanding the other, and willingness to change one’s opinion.
The main requirement is getting the facts. When we have direct knowledge, facts are clear and self evident. For example, when I tell you that I am old, you see straight that I am old. Nobody will deny. But when I say that I am over eighty, it can only be a reliable belief to you because it is not in your direct knowledge. There is no proof. That is why I have to produce my birth certificate to get enhanced pension on crossing the eightieth year. In day to day life we believe and rely on so many doubtful facts without evidence that the conclusions arrived at are very often widely off the mark. So, what is the remedy? Doubting anything and everything till authentic proof is obtained is no remedy, and is neither practical. But a healthy skepticism has to be maintained while having an open mind. Those who do not have an open mind cannot be unbiased.
Facts are generally elusive. It has different perspectives. There are different versions to the same set of facts. But the deliberate distortions of facts have to be recognized and discarded diligently.
Those who do not have an open mind can never find out the truth. Anybody who is wedded or committed to a dogma can never be free thinkers because he has already surrendered his mind/brain to fixed ideas. He will accept as facts only what suits his blind beliefs To avoid conflicts we need free thinkers. Future leaders have to be free thinkers who can influence the ideologists to change and be free. This is not to discount any dogma or ideology, or to say they are wrong or right. But the necessity to have open minded people in this age is very important. merely tolerating the other point of view is not enough. One must fully understand and respect the opposite point of view also. Then there cannot be any violent conflict. Facts have a most important function here.
When I was a student of sixth and seventh standard we had two Newspapers in Malayalam. The Mathrubhoomi and the Kerala Patrika. All people believed whatever was published in those papers, and rightly so because there were no contradictions or differences in facts. Facts were never disputed because non-verified facts were never published. Of course there were deliberate distortions like those by Sanjayan for the sake of humourous writings that used to appear in Kerala Patrika. The 8th column of the paper was reserved for him. What I mean is that things have changed so much that today we do not know on what to rely and what not. This is not to blame anybody, but only to highlight the pitiable helplessness of the readers.
Today if you read four newspapers you will get four versions of the same small incident. Everything seems to be distorted and politicized. It is difficult to get at the truth and form any opinion. Truth is always hidden somewhere. And even to find the truth of a very small incident you may have to appoint a commission and wait for several years! Most Newspapers can be read only as fiction not as facts.
There is a book called Flat Earth News by Nick Davies, a journalist. He cites a typical example of how a false news is sensational. A news item was published in the Fleet Street Journal saying that a five year old boy was caught by a rowdy gang and tried to kill him by hanging by neck on a tree and that he somehow managed to escape. Most of the prominent papers like the guardian, Times, Mail and Evening News went on repeating it. Newspapers did not stop there. They published features about the atrocities that have increased in the city and the terror that have been unleashed.
But it appears that the real truth was only that a twelve year old girl tried to walk a boy of five like a dog by tying a leash around his neck and in the process he got some bruises on his neck! Nick Davies compares this with the vide coverage to the news that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. According to him only ten percent of the news published by newspapers are verified and authenticated. The rest are second hand news as handed out by interested public relation people or governmental agencies.
Once something has happened it has become the past. It has become the history. Unfortunately it has become “his story’, and not my story. My story is different, I claim. Everybody claims his story, his version, to be true. Of course it depends on one’s perspective. But if there is compassion, understanding, truth will emerge. A willingness to find truth may help. Capacity for discrimination is important. For recognizing facts from fiction the only thing one can rely on is one’s own direct intuitive perception and understanding without bias or preconceived notions. Too much stress has been made on logic and reasoning, which, although have helped man in scientific development, are actually only instruments for verification of intuitively obtained ideas.
I think, an open mind and willingness to understand the other point of view can help to sift facts from fiction.
Dr. K.P.Thomas: I first thought that free thinking was unbridled thinking without caring for facts or anything else. If free thinking is on its own considered a virtue facts are of no relevance. One goes on thinking of various aspects of a case from different angles till a conclusion emerges. Then naturally the decision based on incorrect facts will also be incorrect. The importance of facts are then recognized. Sometimes in a court of law we find that opposite parties go on putting arguments in all sorts of manner giving several reasons and law points on a matter before the judges without bothering about the facts. After considering all the forceful arguments if the judge comes to a conclusion he will be committing grave errors if facts are not checked. Free Thinking is thus not merely thinking freely with abandon as you like. Fact is the most important part of free thinking.
Prof. Hay: Just consider the case of P.J.Joseph, ex-Minister. The judgment of the court is in all the Newspapers to-day. What is the actual fact? Did he actually molest the lady or not? The allegation was outraging of her modesty while traveling in the aircraft. The court says the prosecution could not produce sufficient evidence. We cannot say that he is exonerated. One can neither say that he was innocent nor that he is guilty.
Dr. Babu Ravindran: A lady will not normally come forward with such an allegation openly in public unless she did feel really outraged. What would be her purpose otherwise? There is no possibility of any political conspiracy.
Dr. Thomas: Protection for ladies in such circumstances is difficult. It is one man’s word against the other. No direct evidence is possible. The innocent, the minister or the lady, suffers the humiliation and consequential losses.
Dr. Babu Ravindran: In the film ‘Sakshi’ recently seen, an innocent is thus hanged because the truth was never revealed.
Prof. Sankarankutty: The truth should come out from the bud of fact and blossom naturally. Facts are different from truth. To-day’s fact may not be a fact tomorrow. Things change and therefore facts also change. But truth never changes. Unlike truth, facts get twisted and turned in the folds of time and space. In the legal proceedings, facts are found out and established by examining evidences and cross questioning witnesses. In the process a lot of violence may be done to facts as the judge watches on. A fact is thus temporary.
Sri. Kunhikrishnan: But often we use the word fact as synonymous to truth. An established fact is considered true.
Dr. Thomas: There is the difficulty with languages. Words will have different meanings at different times and therefore meanings are never precise. Meanings and grammar are formed in the brain. American linguist Noam Chomsky has written about it.
Prof. Sankarankutty: He said that actually there is no need to teach or learn grammar. Human being knows the general principles of language by birth. It is the way of thinking later codified into a form of rules or grammatical structures for uniformity. Language itself is actually unreliable because what is expressed is not exactly what is intended or understood. Everywhere there is infection of facts. How to disinfect facts is the question.
Dr. Babu Ravindran: Time and space do affect facts. Earth was flat earlier and that was a fact then. Now it is round and that is accepted as fact.
Prof. Sankarankutty: Facts get altered in time and space but truth always remains the same.
Sri Kunhikrishnan: Mathematics as such never changes. Two plus two is always four when two, four and addition are defined.
Dr. Sadanandan: But perceptions of it do differ and change. For those who do not understand mathematics even the fact that two plus two is four need not be a fact. It can be a bigger two.
Dr. Thomas: It is a well known fact that Omar Khayam was a man who loved and wrote about wine and women. Now I understand that he was a mathematician as well. What is truth or fact?
Sri. Kunhikrishnan: He was actually a mystic. Ultimately I think, fact is a state of the mind. When a mind is settled on a matter it is accepted as a fact. But it need not be true.
Dr. Sadanandan: Truth cannot be explained. When I explain it, it becomes only ‘my explanation’ having nothing to do with the actual truth. Prophetic sayings may be slightly different because they come out with the light of truth. But when explained they become mere words. Truth when explained becomes merely versions of facts.

roots of terrorism

EKKENTROS FORUM


The Matter: Report of the proceedings of the discussion held on 17-3-09 (Tuesday)

Venue: Residence of Prof. Mohanan Nair

Coram: Eight members attended. Dr. Thomas could not be present as he was out of station in Bangalore.

Subject: The Roots of Terrorism (cont’d)

Prof. Mohanan Nair: Most of the aspects of terrorism have already been discussed by this forum, and therefore what I have to say here may have some repetitions.
The use of the word ‘terrorism’ began in 1795 with reference to the ‘Reign of Terror’ initiated by the revolutionary government in France, though violence has been used systematically throughout human history by political organizations, nationalist, ethnic and religious groups, and by revolutionaries to create fear and to force government or societies to achieve political, religious and ideological goals. It has been an effective tactics of the weaker side of a conflict. Being an asymmetric form of conflict it confers coercive power with many of the advantages of military force at a fraction of the cost. This is also true with regard to the human lives lost in terrorist operations. Though terrorist activities had started early in human history its impact has been magnified by the deadliness and technological sophistication of modern weapons. The attack on the WTO on Sept.11, 2001 by the Al Qaeda suicide squad is an illustrious example. Changes in the tactics or techniques of the terrorists have been significant, but even more significant, is the growth in the number of causes and social contexts where terrorism is used.
Terrorism has been described variously depending on whose point of view is represented. There are three perspectives of terrorism – that of the terrorist, the victim and the public. The three perspectives can never be accommodated in one definition. The terrorists never consider themselves as evil. They think of themselves as legitimate combatants fighting for what they believe to be right while in discriminately killing the non-combatants including women and children. The suffering of the citizens accomplishes the terrorist’s goal of instilling fear and getting their message out to the world. A victim of terrorism looks at the terrorist as an inhuman criminal having no regard for human life. The perspectives of the general public should have been the most important. But unfortunately it is the most unstable.
There is also another difficulty in constructing a definition for terrorism. History provides us ample examples of organizations and leaders branded as terrorists eventually emerged as accepted leaders. This is particularly applicable to national liberation movements fighting colonial oppression. Nelson Mandela, Bhagat Singh etc. are standing examples. In spite of the terrorist activities committed by the communist party of Nepal, Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal alias Prachanda, is now the head of a democratically elected government.
Another dimension to terrorism is the exploitation of the capability of the media by the terrorists. The terrorists are always careful to obtain the greatest publicity. The effectiveness of a terrorist act does not lie in the act itself but in the public’s or government’s reaction to the act. The ability of the media and the avidity in covering news of terrorist activity instantaneously encourages the terrorists to carry out novel techniques of suicidal killings.
When we try to analyze the causes of terrorism we find that primarily it is the imbalanced human brain that initiates terrorist activity.
Dr. Abdulla: Not exactly. We cannot call it imbalance which will amount to madness. It is an aberration rather than an imbalance.
Prof. Mohanan Nair: whatever it is, the loss of balance may be due to political reasons as was in the case of the French Revolution or the Soviet Union of Stalin, racial in the case of Nazi Germany, ethnical in the case of LTTE, religious fundamentalism as in the case Lashkar E Tioba or Al Qaeda, or social or economic inequality as in the case of Maoists in a number of states in India. We cannot have an exhaustive list because the number of cases is on the increase. The perpetrators of terrorism exploit the poverty and illiteracy among the masses. Illiteracy breeds gullibility. The sweet imagination of immediate ascent to heaven or having hallows of martyrdom around them are ideas that could be easily driven into a gullible brain. We find that the organizers of terrorism keep themselves away at a safe distance and encourage illiterate ones to blow themselves up in the name of an imaginary cause. The manic ideology of Al-Qaeda has no roots in mainstream Islam which share core values of peace and tolerance with the world’s major religions.
We notice that always it is the crazy idea of one single man that is at the root of any terrorist organization, and he is the person who propagates and builds up a terrorist outfit. It may be either a Hitler or an Osama Bin Laden.
Dr. Babu Ravindran: Any idea is always like that. It originates from one man, spreads and takes root. Only, the originator has to convince his group.
Dr. Abdulla: No Bin Laden or LTTE Prabhakaran will go with the suicide squad. They will only send their brainwashed followers.
Prof. Mohan Nair: No engineer for that matter will join the suicide squad. They plan and engineer from behind. If a few top leaders including the originator are eliminated, the organization could perhaps be destroyed.
Prof. Sakarankutty: If leaders are killed violence may become out of control.
Dr.Abdulla: All the same, it will definitely harm the organization. The second rung leaders would take over, and if they are unable to control the followers there may be chaos and more destruction imposed on the public.
Sri. Kunhikrishan: There is some point in the idea of eliminating the leaders. In olden times when a Raja is killed in battle, his followers and army are defeated and they surrender.
Prof Sankarankutty: There was a news item recently in The Hindu about Bin Laden’s death. Some papers reported, as if originating from authentic source, that Bin Laden was killed. But before his organization was affected by the news they managed to show him alive in some Television Channel.
Prof. Mohanan Nair: though suicide attacks are particularly associated with Al-Qaeda ideology, they have been adopted even much earlier by Tamil Tigers, and by militant groups in Afghanistan (Taliban) and Pakistan. Islamic education system, may be in a very minority of cases, advocate extreme views which are inconsistent with main stream Islam. This has been said to flourish in Pakistan where inadequate funding of state education permits unregulated ‘Madrasa’ religious education to take hold.
Prof. Sankarankutty: When we think about the lack of funds for education, the first thing that comes out is the expenses that are incurred in this world on the military or the defense establishments as a whole. A fraction of that would have been sufficient to promote good education and social uplift.
Prof. Mohanan Nair: Terrorism has invariably an imaginary enemy. To fight it terrorists use all means in their command, right or wrong, basing their activities in weak countries. In fact, the countries which are conducive to the spread of terrorism, according to the UN are those characterized by the ‘lack of rule of law, and violation of human rights, ethnic, national, and religious discrimination, political exclusion, socio-economic marginalization and lack of good governance.’

Dr. Sadanandan: Terrorism is an extreme form of violence, heinous, tragic, and distressing. Innocent people getting caught unawares, killed for no reason, and for no fault of theirs, is barbaric. It is brutal, coming out of some crazy ideas of a beastly mind.
Our concern here is to get to the root of terrorism, perhaps to find out means to eradicate this evil completely. We have been going through all possible reasons behind this problem and what contributes in the making of a terrorist. It may be the violent reaction in an outburst of an oppressed and disgruntled individual in his struggle for existence. And someone cunning and having ulterior motives might be exploiting this mind to his virulent designs.
We have explained many reasons that lead to violence in our social existence. Social upheavals, social differences and discriminations, religious fundamentalism, economic disparity, political and national differences, ideological conflicts and psychological idiosyncrasies, are all causes for violence in our society. The problem is in human relationships. The existence of appalling division and thereby isolation of individuals into different groups, sects and compartments does not help to instill good relationship in the society. But why these differences cause violence amongst us? Is it that while getting evolved, human beings still retain and inherit those qualities of animals that generate violence? And is it that in humans, apart from the biological evolutions, changes take place in their consciousness too – the evolution of the mental process – thereby a refinement and maturity of the mind is possible, but is lacking when one is violent? In our day to day life we are all violent sometime or other. We are at war with each other on our differences. Battle is there in the psyche too. Mind is where all thoughts, feelings, ideas, experiences exist. And our relationship is based on this mind. Daily living is a struggle for each one of us. When we compete with each other and force one’s way up, there develops friction, noise, and violence. For generations we have lived with these noises. We are getting accustomed to it. Our social morality has been shaped accordingly and we live with it.
But terrorism is horrible and dangerous. With it civilized society cannot exist. That dark-hooded man from the distant land crossing the sea, getting into a hotel room fully armed, killing a helpless innocent lady, the mother of a small, kid and shooting anybody at sight, it is horrifying1 one can’t see any logic in it. The only logic could be that man is still an animal. At least some are, and they behave beast-like.
The Tatas are considering doing whatever is possible to rebuild the structures of their hotel to make it terror proof. Government is making sure that every nook and corner of our land is accessible to the security guards and commandos within no time when the need comes. Cross- border terrorism has to be sorted out with our neighbors with dialogues and appropriate diplomacy. Now we try to rest our hope on Mr. Obama, the most powerful leader on earth to save us from Osama, the terrorist. Osama Bin Laden is there very much alive in his den, and to extricate him seem to be a real task. And who knows how many dens are there with terrorists inside, and where all?
Is not the real den our own mind, the resting place of the wildest of all beasts always exuding venom and creating whatever problems we have? Do we see this? Can we understand? Is there light? Is there intelligence? What is it that we lack?

Sri. Kunhikrishnan: We have seen that criminally minded people will be there as long as human mind does not change either by individual effort on a wide scale or by mutation. Till then the causes for terrorism will have to be contained, viz. 1) the patronages by, politicians of different states and countries, interests of religious groups, ideologies, and selfish interests who use the criminals and 2) people or organizations who finance the operation of terrorists.
I feel that there is a need to make people aware of the utter need to eschew violence on a wide scale, in matters of dispute or dissatisfaction or grievances, relating to religion, ideology or politics. Nothing can be achieved by violence as it breeds counter violence. One may think it is a futile exercise, or is useless to try. But why not make a world wide campaign for all organizations, political parties and religions to be forced to give a declaration that they are against terrorism and violence in all matters? Those who do not give a declaration or include the pledge in their manifesto should be treated as criminals by the world society. And to remedy grievances there could be arrangements to solve them in all countries, sponsored by the world Forum. This may at least morally discourage the general public not to join or support terrorism financially or otherwise.

roots of terrorism

EKKENTROS FORUM


The Matter: Report of the proceedings of the discussion held on 24-2-09 (Tuesday)

Venue: Residence of Dr.Mohammed Abdulla

Coram: All nine members attended.

Subject: The Roots of Terrorism (cont’d)
Prof. Richard Hay: There has always been a conflict between the East and the West for several centuries. The conflict between the Middle East and the West has roots in the belief that Jerusalem and surroundings were given to the Jews by God Himself. Even long before the present Israel was born, there were crusades for centuries.
Dr. Sankarankutty: That is the ‘Cross and the Crescent’ conflict.
Prof. Hay: The conflict between Islamic fundamentalism and Hindu fundamentalism is another. The main objective of the Al-Quaida is said to be to destabilize the American Federal Government and other western powers to establish complete radical Islamic control. There is a similarity in the fundamentalist RSS way of thinking and objectives. And this is similar in the sense that they want to enforce what is called Manu Dharma, the law founded on the caste system, or the Racist Culture. How can such differences be reconciled? Is there any solution? Not to just contain the conflicts, but to stop it once for all?
Al-Quaida was formed in 1980 with the financial support of America to fight Russian Communism in Afghanistan. The Taliban was also similarly encouraged and supported by US to chase away communist Russia from Afghanistan. On the ouster of the Communists from Afghan, Americans lost control over the powerful fundamental groups who had out-served their utility and had become religious fanatics. Under the leadership of the wealthy and disgruntled engineer from Saudi Arabia, Osama Bin Laden, Al Quaida became a terrorist organization to fight the US and defend Islam from it’s ‘oppressor’.
Same is the case with other fundamentalist organizations and the states that support them. Extremism and fundamentalism are built up and encouraged first to whip up emotions on the basis of religion, language, race etc. to capture power, and then they get out of control leading to creation of terrorist outfits. Criminally minded leaders take advantage of the situation.
The same sort of situations can be traced in respect of most of the terror outfits, whether it is the fundamentalism of the Sikhs, the LTTE, the Irish Terrorists, or the Nexalites.
Sri.Kunhikrishnan: Emotionally charged factors like religion, language or race are used by politicians and countries to play power politics and in the bargain end up creating fundamental outfits for criminally minded leaders to take over and misuse. The root cause is therefore not religion or language, but the politicians who use the outfits for their purpose whipping up hatred.

Prof. Hay: It was to capture power from the Shah of Iran that the fundamental religious heads organized and promoted Islamic fundamentalism under the leadership of Khomeini. Finally it ended up in the extremist religious rule and a ‘fatwa’ against Salman Rusdie for imagined insult to Islam. Now Taliban desires to establish Shariat Rule all over Pakistan and Kashmir.
Sri. K.V.Kunhikrishnan: Kashmir’s position is different. It was originally under the rule of a Hindu King to whom the Kashmiris owed allegiance sincerely. This was said to be because the majority of Kashmiris revered the Sufi tradition which the King encouraged as against the strict following of Sunni Islam. The majority were, no doubt, followers of Islam, and that gave the reason for Pakistan to claim the area.
Dr. Thomas: The people there were on the side of India when the partition happened. Their leader Shaik Abdulla joined Nehru in the fight against Pakistan to retain Kashmir with India. Present leader Omar Abdulla is his grandson.
Prof. Richard Hay: The question now is how we can end terrorism? Is there any solution? Any solution has to be political, for it to last. It cannot be suppressed militarily or by the elimination of terrorist sanctuaries. Will terrorism end if the unjust military occupations are reversed? Can we reclaim religion from the clutches of fundamentalists? These are burning questions now. Terrorism is born out of grudge, grievance, disappointments that find expression in hate-attack-revenge syndrome. When an opportunity comes in the form of fundamentalism and finance it flourishes. Can the terrorists be brought to join the political process? Arab countries are divided over Palestine. And their governments are not democratic. It is doubtful that the Islamic countries would prefer western type of democracies. Can a united Arab World tackle Terrorism?
Dr. Abdulla: The Arab countries have been financially independent and self sufficient. Economic grievances are not there for the general public. People are otherwise controlled by force of stringent laws. There is no political force in Arab countries. People are by nature peace loving and nature loving.
Prof.Richard Hay: Every country has its own culture. That culture never propagates terrorism. Deep within, the inner feeling is always peace loving. But I am surprised and even embarrassed at times to find that yet some of them support extremism and violence.
Dr. Abdulla: I wonder why the U.N. is not working in a big way against terrorism. It is only at the international level that terrorism can be tackled.
Dr. Babu Ravindran: Now that Obama is at the top of the most powerful nation in the U.N, can’t he do something? Somebody can move him.
Prof. Hay: It is definitely a possibility. There is perhaps a chance.
Sri.Kunhikrishnan: Somebody has to put forward the idea. Man should be educated to think without bias. Free thinking without the bias of religion, language, race or idealism has to be promoted in a big way at the world level. Indian constitution provides for treating all citizens alike without this bias, but yet people are not even aware.
Prof.Sankarankutty: But history repeats. The abolished caste system has come back in the form of reservations in a more complex pattern creating fights and conflicts.
Dr. Babu Ravindran: Had the criterion for giving special status and concessions been only economical for any reservation, the division on account of caste would not have been perpetuated. Any discrimination or insult on account of caste etc. could have been instead made more stringently punishable by law.
Prof. Sankarankutty: A change has to happen at the level of the mind of Man. World is a universal brotherhood. The change from violence to peace has to come from within. Sage Arobindo’s idea is to transform the mind of man in such a way that it can be compared to a state among animals where the dear and the tiger drink from the same stream without any animosity or conflict.

roots of terrorism

EKKENTROS FORUM


The Matter: Report of the proceedings of the discussion held on 20-1-09 (Tuesday)

Venue: Hotel Malabar Fort (Gokulam Fort) hosted by Dr. K.P.Thomas.

Coram: All nine members attended and participated in the discussions. Dr.R.Ramesh, attended as invitee and guest participant.

Subject: The Roots of Terrorism
Dr. K.P.Thomas: The height of perceived nationalism is down. It is now much less than before. The threat of a third world war is minimal as opposed to the threat in the fifties and sixties. The strength of the superpowers are also now in doldrums, the communist block led by Russia failing in late ’89, and the leader of capitalist, America, failing in 2009 economically. The days of an imminent confrontation is over, a nuclear holocaust in the 80s was predicted, but has not happened. By the advent of the twenty-first century, Sept 11 occurred as a novel way of terrorizing USA by Taliban/Al-Queida outfit lead by Osama bin Laden, a rich construction engineer with imagined revenge against America. The core of hatred is directed against the Jews of America who control the world economy. The brainwashing technique is attained by promise of immediate ascent to heaven for those who are willing to indulge in suicidal attacks in the name of Jihad. The act of destruction and killing is justified by Jihad, a term originating from the teachings of Prophet Mohammed. Lashkar-e-Tioba, another terror outfit is having an intelligent pediatrician as its leader. To a certain extent a large chunk of Islamic population supports action against USA by boycotting their products through sms and internet.
Weaker nations like Pakistan, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, and Lebanon are being used by the terrorists as hiding places. Israel, the half-brother of Muslims, is master of terrorism claiming also that they are the selected people of God. Now, off and on, the war has been developing vigorously in the Palestinian region. The Terror in India is Pakistan sponsored, and the irritant causes are Kashmir, river water sharing, and Religion.
Christian evangelism does not have any physical aggression component or any use of weapon other than a little conversion mania which is now being made illegal. They suffer aggression from outfits like Bajrang Dal, ABVP, and RSS. They advocate clean living, education and the betterment of the ignorant people.
Religious fundamentalism is on the increase more than feelings of nationhood, and the way of life is different from religion to religion. Even in the same religion there are sub-groups who disagree with each other. The borders of nations have thinned out, and in the global village people are divided into Jews, Muslims, Christians, RSS, Backward class, Scheduled castes, etc. etc. Many of these groups have so-called charitable outfits into which large amounts of money flow in and these funds are managed by criminally minded people. Dominance of these criminals is on the increase, and the moment they are identified and tackled, terrorism can be contained. The outfits of the mischievous elements have always been coated with so much culture, way of life, lofty interests, religion, and political clout, that it has been virtually impossible to identify their real purpose. That is why there was a Jenkiskhan, Timoor, Lodi, Khilgee, and then westerners marching on to India, Ceylon, Burma, Malayesia and Indonesia. The superior cultures always asserted themselves in the olden times. But now, in the globalized situation, conditions have changed.
Terrorism in the world as recorded were in France, Italy, and South Africa at different times with different groups, like Communists, Nazis, Zionists, Ku Klux Klan, Irish rebels, and the like. In India, Nagas, Mizos, and Nexals are the examples.
As of today many terrorist outfits are whipping up imaginary fears among themselves that make them indulge in or abet terrorists. A weak government like Pakistan has no control over many of the outfits who get finance by drug trafficking, smuggling, and mafia activities. Davood Ibrahim is an example where no government can touch a criminal. Benazir Bhutto was eliminated and then Marriot Hotel in Pakistan attacked and destroyed. These points to a weak president and a weak Prime Minister ruling a country with the military calling the shots.
The majority community in India is also acting with immaturity in certain parts of India. In the present times the political parties are losing their grip over the masses. The money and facilities pumped into gullible youth results more in terrorism than in any political process.
The consequences of terrorist actions are explained to the outfits by interpreting religious texts as glorifying God, or by manipulating ideology as leading to the freedom of a community or region. Some promise, through religious edicts, entry straight into heaven to suicide squads.
In the present world order when there is no great identifiable evil threat to the human being affecting in a common way – except perhaps the environmental hazards – even small subtle ethnic differences lead to clashes of interests.
In the absence of the thrill of a pastoral life, unemployment and deprivation leads the youth towards the excitement of terrorism as a hobby, livelihood, and way of life. This is with regard to the youth in a society of pastoral parents. The struggle for Khalistan is an example. It got burnt out by itself during a period of two decades between 1980 and 2000. Khalistan or a Punjab separate from India, died along with their proponents, their gullible youth, and the then PM Indira Gandhi. An altogether different terrorist action, the LTTE’s terrorism snuffed out the life of Rajiv Gandhi in 1991.
After 1978, with the end of Viet Nam war, terrorism has become something of a fashion. It is cheaper for prosecuting a struggle and it is perpetrated by hatred and perceived injustice, utilizing youth power.
In modern times politics and religion are like business. Politicians and priests acquire wealth and that wealth is spent to increase clout. Some exceptions may be found in individuals like Antony, Oommen Chandy and Achuthanandan. But a party like the communist Party is acquiring wealth aligning itself with running business and receiving commission money. The spending money thus acquired by one group is used to increase clout against the leader of the opposite group. Example is the clout developed against Achuthanandan. Some private companies are hand in glove criminally with politicians. With a small change of policy ministers and leaders can make money. Many have accounts in Swiss banks according to Subrahmania Swamy. Widening economic disparity is a cause for youth to pursue easy money by indulging in violence and terror-like activities. One can use religion, caste etc. to whip up violence. But finally drug trafficking and smuggling come in to make quick money. Illegal wealth can in turn generate terrorism in the younger generation under the garb of charitable activities like orphanage schools and hospitals.
Glorification of wealth and glittering life style should not be encouraged. The neat, puritan, pastoral just living, has to become the order of the day and could be encouraged and rewarded if the society is to be rid of violence and terrorism.
Regarding the Thalassery killings, after the Hindu-Muslim showdown in 1973-74, the fights did not recur because people realized that much will be lost on either side if the killings are to happen again. M.V.R had instigated violence in the eighties to show his party’s superiority. After his exit in 1992-3, it was the turn of the RSS and Marxists to sponsor the violence leading to murders. Actually it is the absence of any apparent welfare work by the NSS and SNDP in these areas, combined with a traditional glorification of martyrdom, that resulted in the present day violence and murders between Marxists and RSS in North Kerala.
While people born as Marxist in Marxist families naturally advocate violence as a means to achieve their ends, the RSS who were hitherto separated from the tradition of violence, now indulge in and keep up the culture of violence and murder in order to retaliate in the same coin. The religious stigma against killing of a fellow being as an ultimate sin is no more rooted in the youth in and around Thalassery. To a certain extent, intellectual discussions and verbal showdowns are absent here. And that is terrifying.

Dr.R.Ramesh: It is the big-brother attitude of one Party that does not allow any other Party to function which creates frustration in others to retaliate. No freedom is allowed for others to work in their strong holds. This is especially so in and around Tellicherry. They have also the full support of the police.

Dr.Md. Abdulla: There is no internationally accepted definition of terrorism. But generally it is ‘the unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence by a person or an organized group against people or property with the intention of intimidating or coercing societies or governments often for ideological or political reasons.’
There is also the statement, ‘one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.’ Thus, in the struggle against terrorism the problem of definition is a crucial element in the attempt to co-ordinate international collaboration, based on the currently accepted rules of traditional warfare.
Terrorism is variously classified:
International Terrorism
National ,,
Racial ,,
Economic ,,
Environmental Terrorism
Social ,,
Political ,,
Psychological Terrorism
Cyber ,,
Religious Terrorism – Islamic Terrorism.
One of the distinctive characteristics of the times we live in is the overwhelming presence of violence in our societies. Whether it is the bomb going on in the market place, or the hijacking of the aircraft where innocent people are held ransom to achieve political ends, we live in an age where the manipulation and loss of innocent lives has become common place. Such is the all-pervasive nature of indiscriminate violence, that terrorism is considered as one of the prime threats to peace and security in our societies.
The word terrorism came into wide usage only a few decades ago. One of the unfortunate results of this new terminology is that it limits the definition of terrorism to that perpetrated by small groups or individuals. Terrorism in fact spans the entire world, and manifests itself in various forms. The perpetrators do not fit any stereotype. Those who hold human life cheap, and have the power to expend human lives, appear at different levels in our societies. The frustrated employee who kills his colleagues in cold blood or the oppressed citizens of an occupied land who vents his anger by blowing up a school bus is a terrorist who provoke our anger and revulsion. Ironically, however, the politician who uses age-old ethnic animosities between peoples to consolidate his position, the head of state who orders ‘carpet bombing’ of cities, the exalted councils that choke millions of civilians to death by wielding the insidious weapon of sanctions, are rarely punished for their crimes against humanity.
It is the narrow definition of terrorism that implicates only individuals and groups, that has caused Muslims to be associated with acts of destruction and terror, and as a result to become victims of hate and violence and terror themselves. Sometimes the religion of Islam is held responsible for the acts of a handful of Muslims, and often for acts of non-muslims.
Could it be possible that Islam, whose light ended the dark ages of Europe, now propound the advent of an age of terror? Could a faith that has over 1.2 billion followers the world over and over seven million in America, actually advocate the killing and maiming of innocent people? Could Islam whose name itself stands for ‘peace’ and ‘submission to God’, encourage its adherents to work for death and destruction?
For long we relied on popular images in the media and press for answers to these pertinent questions. It is now time to look at the sources of Islam, and its history to determine whether Islam does indeed advocate violence.
Now, let us see what Islam say on terrorism. Islam considers all life forms as sacred. However, the sanctity of human life is accorded special place. The first and foremost, basic right of human being, is the right to live. To quote, “….if any one slew a person – unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land – it would be as if he slew the whole people; and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people.”
Such is the value of a single human life, that the Quran equates the taking of even one human life unjustly, with the killing of all humanity. Thus, the Quran prohibits homicide in clear terms. The taking of a criminal’s life by the state in order to administer justice is required to uphold the rule of Law, and the peace and security of the society. Only a proper and competent court can decide whether an individual has fortified his right to life by disregarding the right to life and peace of other human beings.
Even in a state of war, Islam has drawn a clear line of distinction between the combatants and the non-combatants of the enemy country. The instructions of the prophet are as follows: Do not kill any old persons, any child or women. Do not kill the monks in monasteries and do not kill people who are sitting in places of worship. Thus non-combatants are guaranteed security of life even if their state is at war with an Islamic state.
JIHAD is a word that is totally misunderstood and abused. While Islam in general is misunderstood in the western world, perhaps no other Islamic term evokes such strong reactions as the word ‘jihad’. The term jihad has been much abused, to conjure up bizarre images of violent Muslims, forcing people to submit at the point of the sword. This myth was perpetrated throughout the centuries of mistrust during and after the crusades. Unfortunately it survives even to this day.
The word ‘Jihad’ comes from the root word Jahada, which means to struggle. So jihad is literally an act of struggling. The prophet said that the greatest jihad is to struggle with insidious suggestions of one’s own soul.
Thus jihad primarily refers to the inner struggle of being a person of virtue and submission to God in all aspects of life.
Secondarily, Jihad refers to struggle against injustice. Islam like many other religion, allows for armed self defense, or retribution against tyranny, exploitation, and oppression. Thus Islam enjoins upon its believers to strive utmost, in purifying themselves, as well as establishing peace and justice in society.
As Martin Luther King said, “We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of bad people, but for the appalling silence of the good people.”
This is not surprising to a Muslim, for his faith prohibits him from forcing others to see his point of view. Quran says, “ Let there be no compulsion in religion; Truth stands out clear from error; Whoever rejects evil and believes in God hath grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold that never breaks; And God heareth and knoweth all things.”
Far from being a militant dogma, Islam is a way of life that transcends race and ethnicity. The glorious Quran repeatedly reminds us of our common origin.
As with the term Islamic Terrorism and the Christian Fundamentalism, the latest addition to the media lexicon is highly emotive. It was in the aftermath of the 29th Sept. 2008 bomb blast in the predominantly Muslim town of Malegaon in Maharashtra that the newly coined term ‘Hindu Terrorism’ or ‘Safron terrorism’ came to be used widely.

Dr. Babu Ravindran: The holy religious texts never promote or advocate violence and terrorism. But the terms in the texts are misunderstood or deliberately mis-interpreted for their use by the terrorists.

Prof. Sakarankutty: Quran is subjected to exhaustive and serious scrutiny by scholars of the world, and therefore there is not much room for misinterpretation.

Sri.Kunhikrishnan: Those who utilize terrorists for their agenda use deliberately, the wrong distorted interpretations.

Dr. Babu Ravindran: Injustice, deprivation, denial of legitimate rights, excess use of force, social and economic inequalities, are thought to be the usual causes of terrorism or violence.
May be, after exhausting all means of getting redress, a frustrated individual feels that the only way for getting public attention is by measures of intimidation. Opting violence also appears to be the short cut towards attainment of goals. But the very interesting aspect of it is why some resort to terror and others do not. Mahatma Gandhi for achieving independence for India, Eastern Europeans for bringing down the Berlin Wall, Martin Luther King for equal rights, have not opted violence or terrorism. If deprivation of rights is indeed the root cause of terror then why do we see these people not resorting to violence?
Those practicing terrorism do not think of harmony in life. For them, the cause they espouse is so all-encompassing, so total, that it justifies anything. There is no name for the doctrine that produces the evil – i.e., totalitarianism – simple brainwashing of its subjects to indoctrinate hordes of killers to suspend all normal constraints for the sake of a twisted cause. In history we can see from its beginning totalitarianism has always been wedded to terrorism. From Lenin to Stalin, to Hitler, Ayothullha, Saddam Hussain, and right down to Osama Bin Laden, one can see a total blind commitment to a totalitarian belief.
Measures they choose tell us what their goals are. Bin Laden is not seeking to defend the rights of Muslims, but to murder as many Americans as possible and destroy America. Like that Saddam Hussain was not seeking to defend his people but to subjugate his neighbor.
Those who fight as terrorists rule as terrorists. They cannot protect freedom and human rights.
If poverty is the cause of terrorism the most poverty stricken areas of the world like the indigenous parts of South America, sub-Saharan Africa, East Asian islands, should have been the breeding grounds for terrorism. But they have not produced any terrorists. On the other hand all terror leaders and most of the terror perpetrators are seen to be extremely rich. Poverty may assist in the recruitment of vulnerable individuals to train as terrorists, but it does not seem to be the root cause.
If helplessness, desperation, lack of opportunity and use of force are the causes hundreds of thousands of Burmese in the refugee camps of Thailand who have been poverty stricken, are helpless, and are hopelessly desperate for the past more than twenty years should have turned terrorists. No terrorist has arisen from them.
If religion alone is the cause, why do we see Muslims killing Muslims? Saddam Hussain must have killed far more Muslims than any other leader in the world at any time did even in war.
So, it is the tyrannical mindset of some which initiate terrorism. Prof. Mahmood Mamdani, the author of ‘Good Muslim, Bad Muslim, Islam USA, and the Global War Against Terrorism’ says that the rhetoric of terror is the rhetoric of demonisation, the only way out of which is to destroy the perpetrator.
Praveen Swami, in an article in the Hindu has written as follows: ‘GHASWA’, the weekly newspaper of Jamat-Ud – Dawa hailed the Mumbai Massacre as ‘a historic victory for Muslim warriors who have avenged the atrocities committed by India against its Muslim minority’. Hafiz Mohammed Saeed, the chief of Jamaat – ud – Dawa, said in Feb 5 2001 in his speech delivered during the formation of Indian Mujahiddeen, “Remember friends, that the jihad has been ordained by Allah, it is not an order of a general that can be started one day and stopped the other day. Our Jihad in Kashmir will end when all the Hindus will be destroyed in India”.
What rhetoric! And what to do with the perpetrators?

Sri.Kunhikrishnan: Those who indulge in such rhetoric have to be tackled of course, and the propagator of hatred destroyed. But I think that the root cause of all this is the source that uses such people for their purpose and those who finance them. The roots can be there.