Election Commission announced elections in Bihar and bye-elections in Jammu and Kashmir (2 – Budgam and Nagrota); Rajasthan (Anta); Jharkhand (Ghatsila); Telangana (Jubilee Hills); Punjab (Tarn Taran); Mizoram (Dumpa); Odisha (Nuapada) on 11 November. Bihar elections will be held in two phases – 6 November (121 seats) and 11 November (122 seats). Counting would be on 14 November.
Cotton. Cotton fibre/fabric. 25M Tons = 110M Bales per year. Cotton is grown in about 2.5% of the world’s arable land. India and China are the world’s largest producers of cotton, almost equal. In India, Maharashtra, Gujarat, AP, and Telangana are in the lead. 4 species – Gossypium hirsutum, 90%; Gossypium barbadense – extra-long staple cotton, 5%; Gossypium arboreum – tree cotton, ~2%; and Gossypium herbaceum – Levant cotton, ~2%. Cotton provides livelihoods to a billion people, including 100 million smallholders. On average, they are receiving Rs.100,000 a year from cotton. But this is uncertain and fluctuations are wide.
Cotton production – harvesting, pickings – ginning, separating seed and lint – carding and combing lint, soft untwisted rope of fibres-silver – spinning, stretching and twisting to form a continuous strong thread-yarn – weaving to create a fabric – finishing – garment. Cottonseed to cottonseed oil, when refined is an edible oil; cottonseed meal is a feed to livestock.
Cotton’s competition is from rayon, nylon, and polyester; natural fibre alternatives; cellulose fibre alternatives. Cotton is used to make a number of textile products – terrycloth for highly absorbent bath towels and robes; denim for blue jeans; cambric for blue work shirts; corduroy, seersucker, and cotton twill. Socks, underwear, T-shirts; and bed sheets. Blends with cotton. Cotton is used in fishing nets, coffee filters, tents, explosives manufacture, cotton paper, etc. It is also used as absorbent in medical, cosmetic, protective packaging, etc.
Now 61. Time to get ready for Vanaprastha to begin. Legacy, let go to kick in. Time to slow down. Being with nature. Walking more. Fasting more often. More reading, writing. More classes. More conversations. More travel, slow travel. Reflecting more, meditating more. More quiet, more silent. Can we be quiet? Can we practice silence? No technology, no agenda, no mails, no messages, no calls, no meetings, no talking, no noise. Making time for being available more. Mentoring, visioning. Practice, process, tool, skill, knowledge support.
Alexander conquered land and died at 32. His empire collapsed before his body was cold. Adi Sankara conquered minds and died at 32. His empire runs stronger today than it did in the 8th century. 1,200 years ago, Adi Sankara lived 32 years. He had walked across an entire subcontinent on foot, from Kerala to Himalayas, then crisscrossed India multiple times – town to town, temple to temple, university to university – reactivated temples, reset rituals; unified a splintering religion; founded four peethas – Srngeri Sharada Peetham, Dwarka Sharada Peetham, Jyothir Matham@Joshimath, Goverdhan Matha@Puri – that still stand today; written the definitive commentaries on Hinduism’s holiest texts including Bhagavad Gita, Brahma Sutras, Upanishads. He taught a very powerful method, na iti, na iti – elimination method. Keep eliminating – not the body; not the mind; not the thoughts; not the emotions; and so on. He could start enterprises that keep teaching and practicing. The mathas are running Dashanami Sampradaya/Order even after 1,200 years. He wrote poetry/hymns too: Nirvana Shatakam; Bhaja Govindam; Saundarya Lahari – Shiva-Sakthi together.
Can we work on the legacy, in this amrt kaal, next 12-24 years? Usefully, being human, the ordinary us. Can we join, support the global movement in the making for N-living? Can we be N-Support 1?
Yes, we can. If we coexist, flowing. Pooling all ‘droplets’ into rivers. In N? akhaapravaahayoga for 7L.