74 Years of Republic. It is the diamond jubilee year of the Republic of India, the Constitution of India. This is the day – we, the people of India, adopted, enacted and gave ourselves the Constitution that made India a sovereign socialist secular democratic republic and secured us Justice, Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity. Justice – social, economic and political; Liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith, and worship; Equality of status and of opportunity (and to promote among them all); Fraternity assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation. This is also the diamond jubilee year of the Supreme Court of India.
Karpoori Thakur, 100, becomes a Bharat Ratna. Venkaiah Naidu, Chiranjeevi, Vyjayanthimala Bali, Padma Subramanyam, and Bindeshwar Pathak become Padma Vibhushans. Captain Vijaykanth, Justice Fathima Beevi, Togdan Rinpoche – Padma Bhushans now (posthumous). Mithun Chakraborthy, Usha Uthup included. Sarbeshwar, Satyanarayana, Chellammal, Yanung, Sanjay, Parbati, Chami Murmu, Dukhu Majhi – Padmashrees in farming domain. Kurella Vithalacharya, poet-writer, my father’s friend – a Padmashree now.
Rama is back at Ayodhya. Next – Siva at Gyan Vaapi? Krsna at Mathura? And more?
Nitish is sworn in again as Chief Minister of Bihar, realigning with BJP.
Mahender Reddy (Chair) and Amir Ullah Khan (member) joined Telangana Public Service Commission.
India’s farm landscape is 160 million ha. with 150 million farm families. Overlapping 80 million dairy farm families. 190 million tonnes of milk annually. The scientists have found the food that we eat, and the milk we drink, have lost nutritional value including essential micro-nutrients over time, by 50%; toxics have increased; High-yielding plants are not able to take up nutrients from soil. Together, we are at a higher risk of nutritional insecurity, micronutrient deficiency. Non-communicable diseases have increased by >25%. It would worsen in due course, unless we act upon it. Natural farming – chemical free 365-day green cover of multi-layered multiple crops with indigenous seeds, added with trees and animals embedded, is one sure way forward.
Power is an agency, with ability, willingness and space provided. Power is demonstrated in giving time, knowledge and other resources. In having pictures, references, ‘reserved’ spaces, etc. In breaking rules and saying sorry. In the positioning, seating, and using the language. In being political. In accessing the continuous feedback. Filtered feedback could be a power trap. Playing politics could be a power trap. Can we have an Agency, without being into power trap?
Let us try and sleep well. Let us have the courage to sleep even if we do not know by the time it is time to be up. Without carrying work to sleep; as lightly dressed as possible; as clean as possible; with no phones, laptops, gadgets around; forgiving and forgetting as much anger, grudge as possible; being grateful today and till today; being at peace with ourselves as much as possible; with no/zero watt light.
Can we appreciate life is short? A tiny dot. Can we cut out negativity? Forget gossip(s)? Be more silent than saying words hurting others with/without our knowledge? Say goodbye to people who don’t care? Spend time with people who are always there? Can we do this as much as possible? As often as possible. Can we be available to mentor and support others, even if we are not called mentors? Because we want to unlearn and learn. Can we take time, energy to find the right genuine mentees first? And set scopes, boundaries, expectations and frequencies of these evolving relationships, with reasonable space and flexibility within? As mentees, we need to surrender and take an anchor role in the relationship. It is not the other way. As mentors, we are not the doers. But, we give purposive, clear, specific, actionable, timely, constructive but polite and kind feedback, when sought. Satyam na apriyam. Priyam na asatyam. Critical in confidence. Mostly, these are life relationships, with increasingly free and independent mentees. If at all, they have to be ended gracefully.
Yes, we can. We are mentees and mentors rolled-into one. If we join In the movement of building our spirit, our agency. If we coexist. In the flow of N. For 7L.
Join us in the yoga of relating in nature and people –gurukulayoga for 7L.
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