Ideas We Believe

Yes, I am proudly a Hindu and also a Nationalist. But its a risk today, the risk being targeted as an Islamophobic and an intolerant. And to a large extent, the fear is genuine, just misdirected. Well, I may have sounded judgemental in the past few lines, so, I would love to present my case. Hinduism is, arguably, one of the most complicated religions, because of the lack of a single discourse, multiple narratives and the argumentative nature of the texts. This, however, has made things simple for the people of the subcontinent, allowing for customisations to rituals and traditions. An excellent example of this is the cultural influence on the religious practises, or even better the inclusion of Jains and Buddhists to the mass umbrella of Hindu dwellers. However, the story has an ugly face over the last decades, namely the partition of India. This has exposed so many fault lines over the years and needless to mention the crooked politics that exploits these frontiers. The appease...

To ward off political correctness as an unnecessity would be a blunder in the part of a rational being. Power at hand must be used to protect the one who is the utmost need of it, be that any form of identity. However, here is a thing about power, people don't give it up that easy. I usually dive into feminism when I speak of this issue. The need for equal opportunities for women was morally a very strong argument, and by no means could have been defeated. Only that power was never given to females to put forth their demand. it was only when people saw it as a political obligation and of course some rebellion, the change began to happen. What was expected next was that the movement would spread itself empowering women all over, but sadly that was not achieved. The struggle for equality remained the same, and the additional attention, power and control was hijacked by certain pockets of the movement (the feminazi) thereby derailing the process. This has been true to most cases wh...

How do you access a dictionary these days? The Internet, right. Well, let's talk about the English language today. Mostly the era of emerging words, when urban dictionary, gets more clicks than the oxford one. I remember of days when my dad, would always look with disbelief at the pocket dictionary, constantly cross-examining the words with his dusty reference book of the '80s. Not all languages have seen such a shift in their word usage, rather many are losing out in the battle, leaving certain words only to the dictionary, but English has. In fact, there is some historical connotation to this new sport. The world war had crowned the U.S as the new power centre of the globe, giving it a scope to spread its culture over the nations. But, the U.S. had killed its indigenous culture long back like Australia. It had become the assemblage of the Europeans who wanted to move out of the nation-states. With the lack of an indigenous language, the U.S. went with an unusual choice,...

Yeah, money. Wealth is a reflection of specialisation in society. As the roles get complex, its often required for a common and standardised means of exchange; that correctly values the services given, and rewards to be received in return. For a long time in the history of humans, the unit of wealth was something valuable, collected farm produce, or special pottery or maybe even rare metals. Even our mythos, often speak of the horses and cows being used as a unit of wealth. All of these related to something that was physical, useful and limited. But the potential of wealth goes beyond the basics of security and exchange, relating to the abstract concept of power and dominance. Over time this soft control that comes along with wealth has gained more and more importance. And with power comes, the insatiable lust to remain powerful. Governments and kingdoms attempting to accumulate the methods of wealth generation, keeping it, out of reach for the public. And social hierarchies came in...

To be fair, its a hard time for mass media these days; especially for broadcasted media. The print media, as of now, caters to a class of people, who have the patience and intent to scroll through, roughly ten pages of small letters (thanks to the need for advertisement and page 3 models). But thankfully its market is not dead yet. There are people who value opinions and literature of these old pioneers of information. The cable/satellite TV does not so. It faces a herculean task of getting the smartphone-addicted adolescents and office weary adults to the tv screen, and hold them together with a story both fascinating and useful. And this is where the fall begins, in the battle for fascinating and useful; useful is generally the suitable bride, but the difficult one to chase. And when the facebook and google clicks are reducing the viewers of the TV media with every new click, Fascinating is the easy optionṣ. The script for the death of TV news was written the day fancy stories ab...

A powerful line from the character, Ra's al Ghul, in the Batman Begins; " With Gotham, we tried weapon of a new kind - Economics". The prowess of the tool called economics is perhaps unknown to most, even the best the field. Sometimes the Nobel memorial prize has been given to two directly conflicting theories, just to remind you how well we can measure the success of economics as a science.  So today, I would love to describe how is this tool being employed in modern warfare. Of the most significant consequence of globalisation, is the emergence of multi-national agglomerates and institutions. Since the barriers to trade and money flow (both technological and ideological) are being lifted off by the day, businesses have expanded beyond frontiers and developed a new sense of world identity. Although nationalism, is at its peak, there is a clear sense of transfer of control to businesses all over the world, as they have a say over one of the powerful resources of the ...

The entertainment industry in India is waiting for yet another disruptive innovation, with millions of young users equipped with gigabytes of data every day, there is a new untapped customer base. Not particularly untapped since it makes do with pirated movies and free web series. But, there is an apparent lack of entertainment streamed towards them. Also, the shift from television sets to mobile devices, sets the stage clear for a change in content. the spikes in porn consumption and adult web series do speak of this unattended guest. The popularity of two platforms, mostly youtube and TikTok, have also helped in developing a new class of actors. To name a few Sumeet Vyas, Jitendra, Bhuvan Bam and much more. It has become apparent that the arduous task of going from one to another production house seeking a side role in a daily soap or movie, is on a decline. Not that, people won't get their debut at soaps and movies, but it seems easier to get a web series and keep working tha...

Plunged into the darkness, the golden valley of India has no routes of communication with the rest of the world. J&K is experiencing the worst curfew of all times, as we celebrate the independence day. With leaders promising of the changes that the move will usher in, and opposition dazzled by the sudden turn of events, the common media has no means to breach the incommunicado.  I feel I can bet with some certainty about how the world looks at the Kashmir issue. Much similar to how we see the Rohingya issue of Myanmar, or Palestine in Israel (I know I have just pulled in ears of FBI). But yes, Kashmir is the Achilles heel for India's global image. And probably the biggest burden of the Indian army. However, a mother cannot just cut-off a child just because, it is in trouble. Primarily because of two reasons; one that we have a responsibility to help people of the valley and second that if such fate draws upon another state of our country, we would do the same, help them recov...

The Notre Dame de Paris, vibrant and unique as it is, also boasts of millions, given in donation for the supposed rebuilding of the ancient architecture. Most of this amount can be traced back to the wealthy, the sophisticated, the luxury-seeking, just a handful of families around the world. To me, the question is not if this money could have been used in the welfare of the needy, because I stand by their right and discretion to spend their own wealth. But the critical question is, even to the creamiest strata of the society, religion does have a significant impact. Now, heading back to India. Although the ruling party made no apparent movement to suggest their affiliation to any religious body, the intellectuals (and somehow many of them liberals) did cry out loud that the politicians were using religion as their weapon of mass mobilisation. What they supposedly thought, was that such aggressive revelation would make people morally conscious of their choice and chose the otherwise...

A beautiful facet of Indian mythology is its very nature of the presentation. Most of the stories are merely answers to intriguing questions, drawing attention to the basis of societal design and functioning. The narration merely presents a scenario to questionee. Quite different from other forms which build upon a higher than a human figure of the hero and dehumanise the villain. So, when mythology is retold, it must be open to new perceptions and interpretations. This by no means should be judgemental, rather a more encompassing exercise. But, the picture of modern society speaks a sorry tale. A place where, a constant and deliberate attempt is made to match between the protagonist of myths, to ensure just a mental pleasure or some other gains. This, however, comes at a cost, the cost of reason since most choose to accept the majoritarian opinion as for the truth. The shift, from dialogue to an authocratic discourses is at the heart of the atavism, I intend to speak of. Looking...

I am not a fan of Bollywood movies, for most of those don’t tell good stories; they just brand actors. That is probably the reason why production houses spend so much on promotions. There is nothing wrong with that.  A majority of Indian movie watchers don’t step into the cinema halls to fry their brains on some twisted storyline; it's more often a hangout, an escape from the already tensed everyday life. This is a reason why, generation after generation, people fall for fairy tales; everyone feels out of the world for some moments. A lie, so blissful that we find it hard to leave behind unless we run a risk of being a laughing stock. All this would prove to us why  fancy is the food of cinema, a motion picture of the daily life of the common man would fancy no one. But my complaint today is not about viewers but filmmakers. It's easy to cash in on popular stars. Easier to get some cars blown and hired fighters beaten up. But all these are Pabulum.  Your visitors wil...

“Treat.” Every time I feel happy enough with my life to share some good news with a friend, that familiar, slightly nagging word jumps out: “Treat.” Quite shamelessly, I’ll then start downplaying my achievement, as if trying to convince us both it wasn’t such a big deal. This pattern repeats so often that I sometimes wonder if “treat” is the truest form of “congratulations.” But what makes a treat so essential? Why does celebrating feel incomplete without it? Why Celebrating Success Matters Psychologically Celebration is an essential part of success. Taking time to acknowledge an achievement imprints a sense of positivity, helping good moments feel memorable even when life’s not perfect. Most of the effort behind any accomplishment isn’t that glamorous—it’s the joy after success that inspires us to keep going. By linking achievement with positive emotions, we reinforce motivation and remind ourselves that life is more than just its struggles. The Social Dynamics of Treats But i...

The sky is almost dark, save for those last golden tinges that would fade in no time. As palm trees mark the oblivion, a muddy reflection forms the ground. The last few days were mostly rainy. So profound is our love for rain. And why wouldn't we? Unlike most other seasons, rain is so tender. A drop of patience which is about to reach its final destiny. Every time I look at raindrops, they remind me of a struggle. A journey that begins with summer in an aura of dry and burning heat. And in no time, the drop loses its sources. The long-held identity of its mother. With the loss of identity, an awakening awaits. The pleasure of reaching out and bonding. As our drop moves up and up the end of the sky, it realises the futility of pride and the necessity to bond. This comes with age. Not until it is near Earth does it agree to meet with other wanderers of the new world. And finally, all our drops reach the cold atmosphere. The coldness makes life dreary and lonely. As the youthfulne...

Let’s start at the end— Chi . As Po, the beloved hero from Kung Fu Panda, discovers, true chi lies in understanding your real identity. In popular self-help and personal growth circles, “finding your chi” is often mistaken for fitting into a neat definition. However, authentic chi is about recognizing that your true nature is a dynamic blend of many personalities and experiences. This awareness is at the heart of personal development. Next comes the powerful concept of  inner peace . Whether you’re overcoming anxiety, past experiences, disabilities, or fear, inner peace is about clearing mental blocks and embracing self-acceptance. Po learns that only after attaining inner peace can he take on the toughest challenges and face them with confidence and ease. Achieving inner peace is a core principle in mindfulness practices and is essential for anyone seeking self-mastery. What does it take to become the legendary Dragon Warrior? Is there a secret formula? The answer lies in  ...

Welcome to an unknown psychiatric syndrome, which  cripples a lot of teenagers as soon as they move away from home.  If you still doubt my claims, I shall recommend that you peek into any ordinary college bitching about professors, courses or tests. The level of obscenity in all these are far beyond the actual intentions of the teenagers or so to say young adults (this sounds like an oxymoron). Often, my friends would say, their address to mother or sister is only  to trigger a sense of disgust in the listener because they are pretty immune to the other (non-obscene) ones.  Well, it could be the case, but we must look into this psychological behavior of this specific age group with some more caution. One of the first causes of these could be a severe restriction prevalent in society when someone intends to talk about sex. This leads to two bad outcomes, namely, the first is that the  teenagers get to know about stuff from a highly unauthenticated and filthy ...

Most people search for hope, for belonging, for purpose. Religion can offer all of that, but if it ever sidelines your freedom to choose, to think, to wonder—something precious is lost. So, what’s the answer? Not confrontation, but honest, unguarded questions. Questions that aren’t meant to provoke or undermine, but to genuinely understand and maybe even reshape how we see the world, each other, and ourselves. See, preachers—like everyone else—filter their teachings through layers of personal experience. Some are gentle guides, others take a hard line, but most fall somewhere in the middle. That’s not surprising. We all lean on what we know: our stories, our histories, our mistakes. It’s just that, for religious teachers, this bias carries extra weight. Sometimes their perspective anchors a community, offering stability and belonging. Other times, accumulated bias can make a religion feel rigid or exclusionary—raising walls instead of building bridges. There’s an intricate relationshi...

Why does social media feel like a double-edged sword for so many of us? We all face challenges with social media, yet its pull remains irresistible. The root cause lies in a major ideological shift that emerged alongside the technological revolution around the millennium. Millennials — those who grew up in the 2000s — witnessed innovation shaking traditional norms. They admired thinkers, leaders, and anyone who dared to challenge the status quo. A defining belief for this generation was that “everyone is special.” This fueled a desire for recognition and a platform to showcase unique talents. Millennials became known for breaking rules and injecting fresh energy and creativity, though often at the cost of personal burnout. Conversely, discipline and conventional thinking hold subtle advantages. Sure, the chance of becoming super famous is slim, but the risk of failure is also low, akin to a safe investment. However, millennials tend to reject this conservative path. These societal shif...

Corruption: Inheritance, Happiness, and the Roots of Greed Corruption is often discussed in lofty philosophical tones, but the reality we encounter daily is surprisingly direct—and yet, not as easily unravelled. A recent conversation with an elderly couple, travelling to Bangalore to visit their children, brought this dilemma into sharp relief. They articulated the common concern: corruption hinders national growth, and there is an urgent need to eradicate it. One unorthodox idea emerged: “Let’s abolish inheritance of property across generations.” At first glance, this proposal seems transformative. It would: Deal a heavy blow to the privileged who plan to coast along on family fortunes, enforcing true accountability in society. Dismantle the motive for amassing wealth simply for one’s heirs. Remove the incentive to accumulate money purely for future generations, shifting the focus from legacy to present merit. If such a structural change sounds initially appealing, the...

To treat one human differently from another just because of their birthright is a crime. To force someone to do a job that he does not want to do is a violation of human rights. Issues like caste discrimination and the Indian caste system have long challenged human dignity and social justice in India. Understanding the Varna system’s impact on freedom and equality in India is crucial to ending caste oppression and building a fair future. To treat one human being differently from another simply because of their birthright is not just unfair—it is a crime against human dignity. Forcing someone into a job they do not wish to do violates the most basic human rights and limits the full realisation of their potential. Freedom is an essential part of human existence. Deeply connected to our sense of privacy and autonomy, it fuels our dreams and ambitions. Today, society is shaped by competition, where individuals strive to reach the pinnacles of success through their talents and hard work. ...

As a remarkable gift of human civilisation, we have religions. But these divisions have nothing to do with whether god exists or why we need to pray. Let's consider the real-life mathematics of prayer. Imagine you're hoping for a loved one’s health to improve. The act of praying—whether you’re religious or a sceptic—is rarely a calculation of certainty. Rather, it’s a sum of “what ifs” Whether you pray or not is a multiplied probability of the three  God's existence, and him listening to you The effort it would take you to pray What you risk losing!!!! I will now build up examples to show you how the interplay of these probabilities shapes our prayers. To start the belief in God. That in fact forms the very basis of prayers, but even those who do not believe in God will also have to admit that there are some happenings which our physics simply can’t decode. Think of a parent pacing a hospital corridor. In those moments, the "risk" feels infinite, the ...