Sri Rama Navami. Final day of Chaitra, Vasanta Navaratri. Sita Rama Kalyanam, Rama Pattaabhisheka. Ram Lila, Ram Rath Yatra, Ram Shobha Yatra. Rama Upavasa. Rama Bhajans. Surya Tilak to Ram Lalla at Ayodhya.
Rama, considered as the seventh incarnation of Vishnu. Lived in Treta Yuga. Mythologically speaking. Historically between 5000 BCE to 1000 BCE. Charming, well-built, dark person, Aajaanubaahu. Raamaayana is there in several texts: Mula Raamaayana; Valmiki Raamaayana; Kalidasa’s RaghuVamsa; Panini’s Astaadhyaayi; Mahabharata; Vimlasuri’s Jain texts; Dasaratha Jataka Buddhist Jataka Tales; Vishnu, Padma, Matsya, Linga, Kurma, Agni, Garuda, Skanda, and Shiva Puraanas. Sree Ram, Sita Ram, Hare Ram, Ram Ram, Hare Rama Hare Krsna as salutation. Rama is in almost all religious texts in India. Rama, Sita, Lakshman, and Hanuman are in culture, daily life, paintings, music, dance, cultural forms, films, YouTube, and everywhere. More or less in India, without a Ram’s temple.
Waqf Amendment. It amends Waqf Act 1995 and renames the same as ‘United Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act 1995 (UWMEED Act) and repeals Mussalman Wakf Act 1923. Waqf land encompasses 870,000 properties covering 940,000 acres amounting to Rs.100,000 Crore. This is the third largest property holder; Indian Railways and Armed Forces being the first and second. The current amendment includes: Only a person practising Islam for at least five years may declare a waqf; only an owner of the property; waqf inheritance rights to donor’s heirs including women; waqf survey by Collector and/or her/his nominee; waqf boards to be broad based including wider muslim community (shia, sunni, bohra, aghakhani et al), muslim women, and non-muslims; separate boards for Bohras, Aghakhanis; registration portal and database; due process of mutation to be followed; tribunal structure with two members; appeals against Tribunal orders to High Court within 90 days; Limitation Act is applicable. The Amendment is signed by the President. However, a case was filed in the Supreme Court challenging the same. Let us see what the court says.
Babuji Jagjivan Ram, 117 (5 April 1908 – 6 July 1986). MP from Sasaram, representing it for 50 years; longest serving central cabinet minister, serving principally labour, agriculture, and defence. Youngest Minister in the provisional and first cabinet. Deputy Prime Minister during 1976-79. 5 April is observed as Samata Diwas. His daughter, Meira Kumar was Lok Sabha Speaker.
On ‘liberation day’, 2 April, after declaring a national emergency, a 10%+ universal import duty is announced on all goods into the US. Reciprocal tariffs have been announced. It is 27% for India. Trump suggested replacing income tax with tariff revenue. This is considered a mathematically impossible idea. 23 Nobel Prize Economists said: Trump’s policies including high tariffs would lead to higher prices, larger deficits and greater inequality. The US stopped contributions to the WTO, 11% of its budget. Yale Budget Lab calculates: 22% as the average effective US tariff, from 11% earlier. Highest since 1909. Probably, the Global free trade regime has started to end. The World is becoming arbitrary, protectionist, dangerous, and troubled. Can we prepare ourselves and get ready?
Health. Physical, Emotional, Mental, and Social wellbeing. normal functioning of the body, with absence of disease, pain or injury; more than anatomic, physiological, and psychological integrity; more than ability to perform family, work, and community roles; more than ability to deal with physical, biological, psychological, and social stress. It is the extent to which an individual/group is able to realize aspirations and satisfy needs and to change or cope with the environment. More than Proper healthy nutritious (with all food groups) diet, adequate (4-8 hours) quality sleep, exercise (for endurance, strength flexibility, and balance), time in nature, hygiene, and healthy activities – habits contribute to better health. Excessive stress is not OK. High risk behaviour may not be fine. Genetic disorders might contribute to health issues. Accessible affordable healthcare system can make this situation better.
Health Fields include biomedical, environment and lifestyle. Health of the population can be gauged from air they breathe; water they drink; food they eat; places where they live; and the lifestyle they practice. Non-communicable and communicable diseases, malnutrition, injuries-infections, lifestyle choices, and genetic disorders take us to death, rather quickly. Most of them may be preventable. 20% are suffering with mental disorders. A whopping 20% of people lack access to healthcare systems and remedies – primary, secondary and tertiary care. Public health systems that prevent disease, prolong life and promote health are also lacking in availability, accessibility and affordability to the public at large, individuals, communities et al. One of the reasons our life expectancy crossed 70 more than doubling since independence is because of the improved systems. Maybe that is not sufficient.
Personal care hygiene matters. Social relationships matter. Engagement with others, work matters. Smiles matter. Some stress is fine. No excess stress and strain. Safety, security matters. Can we increase physical – standing, walking, and field work as we age? Can we volunteer?
CSR is Rs.30,000 Crore a year. It is going to the rich. Top 10 districts receive 26% CSR funds. 7 of these are state capitals. 93 aspirational districts received only 5.5% CSR funds. Education and Health take most of the funds. Gender and women’s empowerment received just 3%. Can CSR become more equitable? Geographically, thematically?
The Philippines is telling us: green revolution reduced soil fertility, productivity; and increased chemical use, water use; increased costs, increased water scarcity; artificially kept low prices meant low income to farmers, farmers leaving farming, land use shift to non-agriculture; self-sufficiency lost to become large importer. Are we ready to learn?
Can we build cohorts of emerging NextGen livelihoods-poverty reduction-development of poor vulnerable marginalized – LPRD-PVM – animators, facilitators, mentors, and leaders with deeper knowledge of issues, processes, practices, methods, tools, bolder solutions, and stronger connections, glued to robust future? 100, 1000?
Can we retain these risk-taking, relentless, high performer leaders? Even if we succeed somehow to attract them. Can we pay them well? Can we offer recognition and appreciation? Can we demonstrate valuing them? Can we let them own? Can we give ‘play’? Can we set boundaries and let them do? Can we ‘journey’ together? Can we share – listen and tell? Can we let them excel individually, collectively?
Can we let them take charge of our wellbeing, lives, freedom, and destinies?
Yes, we can. If we coexist, flowing. With life makers. In N? prapadyayoga for 7L.
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