Drugs. Narcotics, plus alcohol, tobacco. Trafficking. ~1% of global trade. Some USD 1000B. These include: cannabis-marijuana-opium-hashish-bhang, heroin, methamphetamine, temazepam, cocaine, morphine, fentanyl (synthetic, and more potent). Some of these are cultivated with license/permission. Some are required for medical purposes. Some are cultivated and used traditionally, on special occasions, events. Not for regular use. Not for ‘abuse’. It is harmful, and illegal to use. Can we say no to them, their consumption? Going beyond statutory warnings, saying no sales to people below 21 years or 18 years. Can we say no to production? Can we quit these value-chains for good?
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, 39, Mission plot, Axiom-4, astronaut number 634, is onboard the International Space Station, orbiting at 400 km from the Earth. Second Indian in space. After Rakesh Sharma. Shubhanshu sees Earth – a complete planet as our home with no borders visible – no countries, no states. We are all part of humanity in it. India really looks grand, very big. Much bigger than what we see on the map.
Mindfulness helps us to stay calm, to make good decisions. Can we be mindful? Mindful practitioner?
PV – Bharat Ratna Pamulaparthi Venkata Narasimha Rao, 105 [28 June 1921 – 23 December 2004]. Prime minister of India, 1991-96. Was Chief Minister, united AP. Was Union Cabinet Minister – handled several portfolios – Human Resources, Home, Defence, External Affairs. Polyglot, speaking 17 languages, with a Kendra Sahitya Academy award for his Hindi work, Sahasraphan. India’s economic reforms, liberalization, globalization orchestrator. Nuclear and ballistic missiles programme energizer, resulting in Pokhran tests. Silent, may be deliberate, spectator of Babri demolition. On another note, he pioneered and initiated Gurukulams in Andhra Pradesh. Later, Navodaya schools in the country. He has a hand in NITs. Now we have residential schools all across, 4-5 per district; and ashram schools all across tribal areas. For girls and boys. We also have KG to PG educational institutions emerging. Personally, in some sense, I was a product of these Gurukulams, being in them for a decade or so. Thanks to PV sir.
His own ‘The Insider’, other books ‘Half Lion’, ‘How P V Narasimha Rao made history’ and ‘From the brink to back: India’s 1991 story’ give an account of his work.
Rath Yatra. Stampede near Gundicha temple in Puri – 50 injured; 3 people died, Sadgati to them. Maybe for the first time in its recent history. With million people in attendance to witness the chariot journey of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra through the streets of Puri from main Jagannath temple to Gundicha temple. This is a tradition lasting several centuries. Every few (8, 12 or 19) years, the ‘atmas’ of the deities change their bodies and get into new bodies – nabakalebaras. During the year of nabakalebara, the people witnessing ratha yatra multiply several fold.Rath Yatras – chariot or car festivals, processions with people pulling the chariots – are historically common and widespread in Vishnu and Siva shrines in particular. Many a time, the deities in the sanctum sanctorum would not be in the yatra. Instead the special festival ‘replicas’ do the needful. In Puri Jagannath, it is the sanctum sanctorum deities – moola virats. And they stay out for a week and return to the main temple, referred to as Bahuda Yatra. Together, it is also the largest and most visited Ratha Yatra in the world. Could we visit or watch this, if not already done?
It appears we are going digital in voting – via mobile app, from anywhere. In Bihar, as a pilot. Hope it remains tamper-proof, encrypted, with end-to-end security, robust authentication. Every vote needs to be counted, but no multiple counting. May mean: more inclusion; higher voter turnout; migrants can vote; lower costs of voting. The world is watching.
NF’s mature models – A/A+/A++ modes, ATM models, Drought-proofing models, compact blocks – emerged. 365 day green cover – universal principles, nine. Input-output centres, enterprises are supporting. Now, NF is spreading across AP. Communities are gearing up to take charge of the mobilization, saturation, deepening, consumption-nutrition. Sapta Sutra. And taking charge of data, traceability, endorsement towards certification. NF nutrition is increasing locally. Local demand is growing, for more and more nutrients, produce/product multiplicity. In the food basket(s). Rythu Seva Kendras, extension system(s) are taking NF into their scope. NF Farmers’ Field Schools. Beyond what and how of NF, why NF science is getting available to the communities. More projects of research, exploration and evidence are on ground with farmer researchers. PM PRANAM, based on the reduced fertilizer consumption, has to find its way to reach the state.
NMNF or otherwise, NF is going to more states. APCNF seeds NF in 17 states, through State Rural Livelihoods Missions, Civil Society Organizations, Civil Society Coalitions, Community Organizations, Individual families. Best-practicing Community Resource Persons taking the lead. APCNF goes global too. To Indonesia, Zambia, now Sri Lanka. Delegations from 55+ countries visit to figure out how to take forward.
We are greying000want to manage our physical wellbeing – can we restrict/reduce calories, do fasting, balanced diets? Can we follow exercise routines, walking et al? Can we make some lifestyle adjustments? Rather than using drugs.
Are we seeing cognitive decline in us? Memory loss, focus loss, slower mapping and connecting, slower thinking et al. Can we follow mental exercise routines? Can we learn a new language, music, instrument, skill, tool? Can we play chess, solve sudoku, crosswords, puzzles, logic questions etc.? Can we listen to music, sing? Can we read books, articles, boards, newspapers, literature etc., for information, comprehension, vocabulary, focus? Can we reflect, meditate, practice being mindful? Can we keep adding new activities? Can we take notes, journal, note down on physical paper, or an equivalent e-paper? Can we write? Can we converse, recall, socialize, meaningfully? Can we do math mentally, rather than using pen and paper, calculator, etc., as much as possible? Can we keep trying new routes, new methods, new practices etc.? Can we try creative work, writing poetry, stories, photography, videos, blogs, so on? Can we translate, transcribe, interpret?
Can we remain engaged, working, till the end, till the last day of life? Can we volunteer, and respond to the needs of the people, communities, teams, organizations who need us? Can we spend time with communities, community teams, community organizations, facilitating teams, organizations? Can we travel? Can we keep unlearning, learning, teaching, mentoring? Can we be with field stations, tuition centres, schools, learning academies? Can we help visioning, realizing vision(s)?
Yes, we can. If we coexist, flowing. Being engaged usefully. In N? yukthaanushtayoga for 7L.