DEAR FEHUM ( FELLOW HUMAN ):
“MY TWO CENTS AND A
LITTLE MORE”
PREFACE
Dear fellow humans, dear children , ladies and gents ! I would like to share with you ; my following two cents : These ideas , in a way , are , a sort of my wish-list And a question to Fehums, do we ‘live’ or merely exist ?
This question , in fact , gives birth, to many others as well
You too may have similar questions, who really can tell !
Our lives on this planet, could be happy , full of bliss
But all and sundry, seem to be sad, I wonder why is this !
Maybe we have missed, the core theme of existence
We are all slaves of ISMS ; Not free… in a true sense
Only Ism that was needed, was HUMANISM , nothing
more
What we have sadly , instead , inhuman theories galore !
My two cents have been spoken , with harsh words agreed
But my aim is to highlight, changes that we badly need
I am not ‘anti anything’, only anti ‘lack of good intentions’
As , Good Vibes everywhere, can end all the tensions
I have stuck my neck out ; tried to call a spade a spade
In the spirit of ‘human’, not as any vested-interest tirade
I know I shall ruffle.. many feathers, displease quite a few
But I am willing to be damned, for the sake of what is true
Dear Fehums , you might call me… “a disillusioned man
who is shattering all the isms , as quickly as he can”
But my earnest plea …do kindly hear what I have to say
And if you disagree , then please find another way :
Shun this double-speak ; that we’ve accepted as a norm
It is the essence that we need , not merely outer form !
Oh ! It is a wonderful thing , this developed frontal lobe
But what we have done .. abused this , all over the globe
With superior intellect , we can surely ‘prove’ any thing
But our focus is on word-smithy ; truth always is missing
Am sadly aware, these longish two cents, might go in vain
But I am saying them , anyhow, as ,no risk taken, no gain
!
I shall speak once , then rest my case ; it is up to you now
In case you deem fit, let us update , even the holiest cow
With ‘human’ as the focus , all RULES ought to be made
I have only this to say ,in my seventh blessed decade
WHAT IS GOING ON ?
I’ve made a small inventory , of things that need a relook
But I’ve simply gone with my feelings , not by any book
First item on this list , is the human intentionality
We say one thing , but often mean another ; in reality
But why do we humans do this ? It is a question very moot
Our revered leaders do this , so we simply follow suit ?
And we have blatantly neglected , our own inner voice
Leaders often lie , so do we , as if ‘honesty’ is not a
choice
Next problem , there is , an ignorance towards psychology
And for this folly , all rule makers must make an apology !
What we seem to do , is to follow some hackneyed norm
And see the entire humankind …as an oversimplified form
..Make common minimum rules , in all and sundry things
But humans are unique , bundles of complex feelings !
The idea of education , law & justice, and human relations
are simply tackled ; like distribution of common rations
Then there is, a gross abuse… of religion and spirituality
Idea of God , too, has been , over-laced with morality !
We have different religions , all claiming to be pure
But these different sects , they have, divided us for sure
God and Humans ; such personal and pious connections
Have been turned into .. many violent and warring factions
And what we call as spirituality , is the least understood
Everyone wants moksha , but no one wants to be good !
Next stumbling block , on the road to human evolution
Is the idea of governance , seems to have no solution !
Having tried everything else , we now have democracies
But those who are elected , act like very strange species
They lie , they con ; and simply make false promises
And the hoi polloi , gets short changed ; no more than this
Two or three parties , kind of, hog the election space
And voting ? is it merely , a three-legged numbers race ?
Ah! Then there is this thing, called funding of the elections
Money always wins ! Democracy is not for poorer sections
Our education system , does it promote real learning ?
Sole purpose of schools , is it to help people with earning !
Vocational education , as an idea , is definitely desirable
But we need to focus, on many other , finer things as well !
We cannot evolve, by only creating a skilled labour force
We need humans too , education can do this ,of course !
But schools are never free , they have a curriculum
fixation
Nothing much in schools , is taught , for joyful elation !
We have , they say , a robust system of law and justice
but the crime goes up and up ; and we cannot check this
I have a feeling , we are obsessed, with jails and punishing
Never give a thought : why crime seems to be flourishing
“Law shall take its course” , we constantly have to say
But do nothing at all , to find real reasons for this decay
Statutes and the law courts ; and a battery of legal men
Is all we have ; justice loses , jargon wins , all too often !
We have , myopic definitions ,of everything that matters
And this strange way of thinking, it weakens and shatters
The idea of freedom , happiness , success and humanism
We cannot think straight , always look through some prism
Another serious folly , all of us seem to have perpetuated
Is to worship the precedents ; we seem to have created…
This myth for ourselves : “that everything olden is great”
We are a ‘conditioned’ race of people ; repeaters first rate
Then we have this , new-found , fascination for the data
We are number freaks now ; algorithms make us go gaga
We believe almost anything , that is presented as a model
Data tells we are happy , while the masses live in hell !
We have reduced everything , into a quantitative circus
Now , Life is some complex equation… feelings are bogus !
Intellect seems to rule , we believe it’s the age of reason
But all we actually do , rationalize everything , and shun
Human debates on real issues ! Intellectualize, never feel
With super frontal lobe , we prove anything ; no big deal !
What happens when we do this, we may get a justification
But that elusive thing we miss out ; sheer joy and elation !
HOW THINGS REALLY WENT SO
TERRIBLY WRONG ?
(LEADERSHIP FAILURE ?)
Most serious problem , mankind seems to be facing
Is a kind of LEADERSHIP VACUUM , it’s a terrible thing
Almost all the great shepherds , and leaders of the masses
Let us down , in a way , and this needs a serious analysis
We have sung praises, of the leaders though the ages
Be it the warlords , statesmen , god-men or the sages
But if we carefully see….and become simply
dispassionate
Almost all the leaders , from the dawn of life , till date
Have failed, yes, failed ….the litmus test in a sense
Of intentionality …. reasonableness and commonsense !
Religious leaders , and the self-appointed agents of god
Saw life as a struggle , men as mere sinners… it is odd :
They thought: “we are the chosen ones, we have to lead”
But were they really chosen ? It is a valid question indeed
God is one , they all agreed , but created different sects
And in the process, dogmas were nurtured…not any facts !
It won’t be really wrong , to state this simple thing :
That religions foster hate ,not compassion or good feeling
Religion is a need , agreed , as we all need to belong
But it cannot be true : we are sinners ,who do only wrong
Purpose of life , and spirituality …..if I may venture to say
Is to live and let live , love and … and pray any which way
Religion is … between god and human, nothing really more
No need for sects, rituals and these dos and don’ts galore
We need leaders, who spread joy and empowerment
not burden us with guilt ,and promise fake enlightenment
Then there are these political leaders , rulers and kings
Military dictators , tyrants and many other similar things
They all lead , different sorry groups… of gullible hoi polloi
They promise many things ….wealth , happiness and joy
For them ruling is a privilege ..and governance some game
They exploit , they brainwash …they cajole and they tame
People. With patriotic fervour, men are blinded in a way
Sun shines only for a few , who are busy making hay !
The whole story of politics, really, is no more than this
Leaders get rich and famous… people get mere promises
Since religious and political leaders, are the way they are
All other leaders of people, in every institution , by far
Are lacking good intentions ; not reasonable and caring
In fact, whole leadership paradigm, truly needs repairing !
One sorry conclusion , one can draw from this no doubt
Is that better LEADERSHIP TRAITS , need to be found out
WHAT THE COMMON PEOPLE COULD
HAVE DONE ? ( OR CAN DO )
Human beings, so far, have showed one trait in common
Of letting others control them, they always need someone
Things like self worth , self belief or self reliance
are woefully missing …. a rarity…..in every sense
We have been called sinners, sheep who need shepherds
We’ve been called ignorant fools… and worthless herds
We have accepted all this : and even taken pride
In following the ‘pied pipers’ who often take us for a ride
We seem to have forgotten , our very own potentialities
Or , perhaps , we never were , aware of such realities
“the chosen ones by God”, as they often called
themselves
Used us , controlled us , took us away from ourselves
And we , the hapless masses , thought it was all ordained
We never dreamt of freedom ; we were always chained
by some rituals and dogma , and later by glib slogans
Little did we know , god loves us all ; his daughters & sons
We all are born , with a spark and a rare quality to explore
But the ‘masters’ of the ceremonies , they surely deplore
Any individual , who stands up , to seek the answers alone
Aware masses would , as if , pose threat to their ‘throne’
We have been made to believe , by almost all institutions
That we have to follow precedents ….never our intuitions
And little did we do, to challenge these funny constraints
We are guilty , surely, of turning tricksters into ‘saints’ !
It is our single biggest weakness, to assume we are small
And this… is a disrespect to God , who loves one and all
There is a difference, in different human beings , for sure
But this notion of superior beings , is so gross , so impure
Human beings are all, children of the same loving creation
All are equally entitled …. for love , knowledge and elation
It is a fallacy to believe, we have to look for pity and doles
Leaders of all kinds, are mere managers , playing roles
Human beings need progress , a fight against all odds
And the leaders have to guide us , but they are not gods !
It is time that we saw this , started living with self worth
Give our best shot, even small ; we jointly own this earth
Surely , we need a system , rules … teachers & mentors
But we have to speak up, against exploiters & tormentors
All of us cannot be, ‘ Nobel’ winners or space scientists
But we’ll do fine, if we are romantically inclined realists
We have to take the onus …on ourselves… and be bold
God helps only those who help themselves , as we are told
WHAT A MESS HAVE WE CREATED !
Both leaders and the lead, have seriously missed the point
Now we have a concoction , that is bound to disappoint
We’ve been guilty, of creating a web all around our lives
We all feel trapped, and unhappy…. only misery thrives
Greed , manipulation and an imaginary race for existence
Is hallmark of institutions & individuals , everyone’s tense
It is true that we have progressed, in materialistic things
But when it comes to freedom , we are puppets on strings
I’ve made an attempt, dear Fehum , to briefly pen down
On how hollow are our lives , be it the rags or the crown
Complex things , seem to have plagued, simplicity of life
Did we bargain for this …? All this unfulfillment and strife !
POLARISATION , PROPAGANDA PR and PLOYS
Seem to have become …trusted handmaidens and toys
Of those in POWER , they PLAY with sentiments of humans
PARTISAN fires are lit ; ‘hate’ , often ,wins higher positions
POLITICS they say is the fundamental truth of existence
Both religion and governance, thrive on this , in a sense
Wars and killing is seen , as a proof of PATRIOTIC feelings
Whole world is at war , be it in the battlefields or dealings
PRECEDENTS are valued everywhere ; as well in schools
PEDAGOGY is a name , given to ‘never upgrading the
rules’
PEDANTIC PURITANISM and a passion for equations
Seems to be the mainstay , now , of scientific innovations
Science and religion , they are at loggerheads…always
But both are seeking same answers to same blessed maze
Grand PRIZES are given for discoveries and theories
Which are fit to be taught …not fit ,to end human miseries
Science has made giant strides , seeking out god particles
But religion has a copyright on daily marvels and miracles
PUBLICITY & advertising, now are new-age PREACHERS
People , brainwashed, learn from such devious teachers
As a result , the whole idea of truth and hardcore logic
Has vanished , it is the AD COPY, that creates the magic !
Cinema and sports …. and other forms of diversions
Are based on rivalry & hate , same theme , many versions
We have adopted, such aggressive mind influencers
In the name of creativity , we’ve almost killed the censors
Almost everyone in power , in politics or elsewhere
Relies on gimmicks , simple truth ? not seen anywhere !
PRESS as it was called, now is called media with respect
Dishes out news …. one is not sure to believe or suspect !
The entire game of information …and distribution of news
Has been turned into, ‘sponsored features’ …for public use
The whole wide world , has been turned into a business
Everyone wants riches , power and wealth in excess !
Law and jurisprudence , courts , and police investigations
Serve masters in power, seldom improve human
situations
Individuals , families , society… in fact the entire nations
Are all marinated in manipulative , fake representations
In no walk of life , one can find simplicity anymore
Everything is packaged , no room for stories and folklore
While we have a great life, totally state-of-the art
Each one is lonely ….there is a hole in every heart !
While all this was happening , a serious casualty occurred
People are now living with guilt and anxiety unheard
Relationships are sinking , relationships of all kind
Heartfelt emotions ,and lust for life…..nowhere I can find !
Probably, I’ve said too much, things are not all that bad
But everywhere I see , I find , human beings are sad !
WAY OUT OF THIS MESS
The first thing we need to fix is the list of leadership traits
We need humane thinkers, not orators who win debates
Pure intentionality, reasonableness, simple common sense
Childlike spirituality ; Leaders with no guile ; no pretense !
It is important to understand , difference between things
Spirituality is not any way , same as religious feelings
We can be religious , perhaps , have different ways to pray
But in spirituality , there is no sect …no different way :
All that humans need, is to be simple , loving , and pure
We all need to be accountable , only to ourselves for sure
And once we are all …accountable to our own inner voice
Leaders and followers …all shall be positive …as a choice
Positive selfhood , is surely a great mantra , not any bane
And we need to redefine many other definitions arcane :
Patriotism and nationalism, they too need a re-analysis
We simply cannot.. justify wars, guns killings etc. by this
Guilt and morality…. and many other draconian social acts
Need to be seen , as man-made evils ….not god-sent facts
We need to understand , psychology, in spirit not in letter
Most of our laws & rules, then shall change for the better
Focus on humans, not mere human resource development
Might give us a better quality of life , to a very large extent
Education that is free from clutches of academic snobbery
Is the only solution… to end this ignorance and misery
We have achieved a great deal , come up with inventions
But always ignored, INNER THOUGHTS AND INTENTIONS
Till such time we do not fix this fundamental oversight
Nothing else can help us , humans shall have a sorry plight
If we start keeping …..human evolution as the only aim
Then all ideologies would be fine, whatever be their name
Last thing that is needed, to make world a better place
Is to shun things like ‘elitism’ ….. and inhuman rat race
We cannot save this earth by mere green slogans of
sustainabiity
We need to love mother nature… then conservation is a
possibility
Question still remains : who’ll rebell the cat of ignorance ?
Right education , of course , if based on common sense !
POST SCRIPT
Dear Fehum , fellow human , as I lovingly call you
It is not easy to change ….but this fact is equally true
If we celebrate mindless ISMS …that we hold so very dear
We shall never get happiness, this much is very clear !
BHASKAR BENJAMIN'S WORLD 