'bout last night

We went to watch The Kashmir Files at the movies last evening. Before the projection, and for some obscure reason, both the Mauritian and Indian national anthems were played and everyone stood up. Everyone? Not quite, my very good friend refused to budge an inch, detecting a propaganda smell behind.

I respect his choice and will not discuss it. But at the same time this gave me food for thought about how we, human beings, perceive things. To me, one should show respect towards a national anthem no matter what. Patrice on the other hand brought the situation to a whole new level by intellectualizing it. A national anthem shouldn't be used for any purpose, less so for some obscure reasons in a cinema when about to project a movie revolving around such a sensitive issue. Good point. But then, was it really propaganda? If yes, which purpose was it serving? Was it to protect one group from another? If yes, whom against whom? Or was it a way that the hindus in India found for extracting support from mauritians due to what is happening in Kashmir?

I believe we were both right and wrong. Maybe I reacted too quickly and didn’t stretch my brain enough to analyze what was going on. Or maybe he didn’t see that there was a message of patriotism underneath it all, one not meant to hurt any specific group but simply to portray the ugly truth of what this conflict is  about. Now that I think about it, maybe the Indian anthem was played because it was an Indian production of not just any commercial film. Had the movie been a Pakistani production and their anthem played, I would have stood up just the same. Not everything needs to be a political act.

This is what probably differs us. For Patrice, everything is a political statement and he is driven by this passion of right and wrong. This is actually what I like about him, this thrive and energy he has to fight against injustices, just like my brother. I, on the other hand, am not like that. I do not carry such passion. The authenticity of our friendship was highlighted yesterday with him remaining seated and me standing without any of us feeling embarrassed in front of the other. We took a stand as per our very own perception, our outlook on life and we felt enough respect towards each other by not arguing over it.

As for Antish, he did not know that people usually stand up for the national anthem of any country, not only theirs. He learned it last night and did it for the Indian anthem. If for any reason, he chose not to stand up, I wouldn't have argued with him either. People are responsible for their own choices and should be respected for that.

I will not talk about the movie itself here. It was uncomfortable to watch with layers of it that I still need to digest. 

Published and Unread

I have been reading posts from my fellow colleagues on LinkedIn and there is one which struck me particularly by the sheer authenticity of its content; 'Lessons from an unpublished draft' by Deepa.  Beautifully penned, it encourages me to venture into an unfamiliar terrain. 

See, I am no writer. I wish I was but I am not. But the way Deepa went, giving a handful of useful tips about this whole process of writing echoed in me, with  #7 being the point which brought a smile to my lips: ' You can't please everyone...you're not chai', a punchline which I suppose sums up pretty well the wit and humor that characterizes her. I know I shouldn't compare myself to others but jeez, wouldn't it be nice if I could come up with punchlines or witty formulas like that?

I keep reading that article over and over again and I tell myself that maybe I should keep publishing on LinkedIn too. It would be taking the risk of being exposed to scrutiny  but hey, a man's gotta do what he's gotta do to exist on a network. I know, one just cannot throw anything in there. Drama and emotions are for FB, whereas on Linked things need to be thought provoking, as Akhi would put it, otherwise what's the use of posting? Writing to exercise style would not be of no appeal.

This blog is where I publish my thoughts and they remain unread with the exception of Antish who reads everything, not because he finds what I write particularly interesting but because he is my partner and somehow feels that he needs to show support. Occasionally, he needs to check what's going inside my bloody head too. Being too aware that I am unable to grow enough thick-skin to appreciate criticism about thoughts that I lay here, I have never looked for an audience as such. I know it might sound paradoxical to write on public space and at the same time thoroughly enjoy not being read, well, that's me, the guy who goes out there without going out there. 

Maybe it's time I pull my shit together and start caring, if I want to move forward professionally. Maybe it's time I ask myself whether my writing skill has evolved over this past decade.

'Write to express not to impress'. That one I can easily remember I think.

March

Uninspired and with a brain on strike, can't be bothered about finding a title to this post. To some it may sound solemn but I actually can't think of anything else as subject. No particular stuff that I want to write about either, just throwing in something before April marches in.

First post on LinkedIn for professional reasons and  I wrote about responsibility, a topic we have tackled in class last Saturday. I must admit I did feel guilty pleasure writing it.

Meditation classes have resumed on Wednesdays at the center and it's a good thing that we go. It strengthens our bond and bring yet another dimension to our relationship. Antish & I live like an old couple (in the good sense of the term) doing 'activities' together. It's funny, positive and healthy. I don't know the constraints and restrictions that await us in the future but for the time being we try to make the most of everything. I always say that it is a luxury to be able to go to the movies, eat around the street corner, go to the beach, meet family members, all that in a sane and beautiful environment. War reminds us everyday of how privileged we are. We dedicate our merits to the people of both Ukraine and Russia and we pray for this carnage to stop soon. From a Buddhist perspective, I cannot think about what is happening as fair or unfair. And no, I do not use karma as an excuse to explain things. I am a firm believer in the law of cause and effect and I get it that the world is going where it's meant to go, that purification prayers and helping in whatever way we can is the only path to help settle things for this moment.

Not later than yesterday afternoon we were talking in the car about how difficult it is to remain on a spiritual path, at how easily we could derail at any moment. We keep witnessing numerous examples around us and we are conscious that we are not exempt from giving in to the temptations of worldly pleasures, to sloth and torpor present in so many aspects of our very own lives. Being in daily contact with the teachings is the only constant that allows us to remain cool headed, to keep us away from the dangers of our environment. At the same time, the very reflection of my own well-being conveys me with a sense of superiority to others. Instead of feeling different, I think of myself as being better and I can't fight it. There is tremendous work for me to accomplish before I even learn about what humility is. I pray that writing about it here could be the starting point of something impactful though.