Tentacles of ISRO spy case!

ISRO spy case is much more nail biting than the recent box office hit ‘VIKRAM’ with twists and turns embedded with the much needed juicy contents for a success! But Madhavan has proved to be no Kamala Hassan.

The story starts with two Maldivian ladies landing in Trivandrum airport – Fauziyya seeking a school admission for her fourteen-year-old daughter Zila Hamdi and Mariam for treatment of her heart condition, exploring also the possibility of getting her eleven-year-old daughter Nisha, educated here. At the airport, the customs officer extracted $100 from Mariyam. The Maldivian kept cribbing about the ‘extortion’ when she was overheard by a co-passenger, K. Chandrasekhar, a Bangalore-based Indian representative for Russian space agency Glavkosmos. Playing the hero and trying to help a damsel in distress, Chandrasekhar quarreled with the customs officer and got back the money for Mariam. He struck a conversation with a thankful Mariam who tried to take as much advantage of the helping hand as possible. She told him of her heart and the school admission problems. Chandrasekhar promised to deliver on everything. In Bangalore, he took Mariam to meet his friend S K Sharma who was also a labour contractor. Sharma’s uncle K L Bhasin was a retired brigadier, an influential person who could be tapped for the school admission. Bhasin and Sharma met Chandrasekhar and Mariam at a club in Bangalore where Sharma promised to get admission for Fauziyya’s daughter. As for a doctor for Mariam, Chandrasekhar suggested the name of wife of Sasikumaran, who is a colleague of Dr Nambhi in ISRO! Later Sasikumaran met Mariam. In Bangalore, Mariam Rasheeda stayed with Fauziyya at Sara Palani’s house where Fauziyya was a paying guest. As Fauziyya Hassan was having difficulty in getting admission for her daughter in a good school, and the schools were demanding high capitation fees, Fauziyya and Rasheeda met Chandrasekhar at his office on 21 June. Chandrasekhar asked S K Sharma, a labour contractor in Bangalore, for help since Sharma knew the husband of the principal of Baldwin Girls School.

Mariam Rasheeda and Fauziyya Hassan as early as 14 October 1994, approached one inspector Vijayan for getting permission for stay beyond ninety days. When Vijayan made sexual advances to her, She snubbed him. She even mentioned the Brigadier friend but as ‘IG’ to keep the inspector away, but in vain. On 20 October 1994 arrested her under the Foreigners Act and lodged a complaint with Vanchiyoor Police Station.

‘Thaniniram’ a local evening daily reported Mariam’s arrest on 20 October 1994. Deshabhimani, the CPI(M) mouthpiece reported it the next day, bringing in the espionage angle! Vijayan, who had discussed the ‘offensive strategy’ with Trivandrum city police commissioner V R Rajeevan, had by now made a valuable discovery that Mariam was a private for the Maldivian National Security Service! This was the genesis of the word ‘spy’ in the Desbhabhimani story, and later in the case itself. In the following days, Kerala Kaumudi came out with an ‘exclusive’ linking I G, Raman Srivastava with the spy ring as Mariam has mentioned wrongly ‘IG’ in her investigation!

In his book ‘Spies from Space: The ISRO Frame-up’, Rajasekharan Nair explains the Malayalam daily’s motive in fixing Srivastava who evicted its editor M S Mani from the office, following a court order on a family feud. This case came as a shot in the arm for the ‘Oommen Chandy-led Antony’ faction of the Congress to hit at Chief Minister K Karunakaran. The faction constituted a crack team that kept feeding Malayalam journalists’ imaginary tales of the spy case. Srivastava was suspended later, following adverse remarks by the Kerala High Court (which was later chided by the Supreme Court), and Karunakaran lost his chair. Those were two victories for two minor players who were not aware of this case being dragged into a bigger conspiracy, which was being hatched by some foreign hands to delay, if not prevent, India from entering the commercial satellite launch market. With Vijayan finding the names of ISRO scientist Sasikumaran in Mariam’s diary, the stage was set to link the arrested women with the space organisation.

The IB had already interrogated Mariam and Fauziyya, and evidently formed an opinion that spying had happened, though they had no evidence of it. In fact, the first Unofficial (UO) note the IB had sent to the higher ups said that no espionage had happened. A second UO note, said spying appeared to have taken place. A third UO note, after IB could not gather any evidence to substantiate their theory, said it was all a combination of truth, half-truths and lies.

As the newspapers went to town with the spy women’s links with ISRO scientist Sasikumaran, ISRO transferred him to Satellites Application Centre (SAC), Ahmedabad on 5 November 1994.

Behind this transfer move was one Sengupta, an IAS officer in the space department with whom Sasikumaran had a tiff earlier. In a review meeting, the bureaucrat had chided Sasikumaran, saying he did not understand administration. Sasikumaran, for his part, retorted that he as an IAS man did not understand technology! Now, with his name linked to Mariam Rasheeda, Sengupta made haste to impress upon the ISRO chairman to sign on the dotted line to transfer Sasikumaran. On 9 November 1994 the day Sasikumaran joined SAC, Ahmedabad, Fauziyya Hassan was arrested in Bangalore and brought to Trivandrum. The next day, IB joint director M K Dhar came from Delhi to Trivandrum, marking a turning point in the case. It was on this day that the IB claimed to have got the first ‘confession statement’ from Fauziyya about espionage. The mention of Sashikumaran’s name in the case diary fortified the linkages. On 13 November 1994, Mariam and Fauziyya were now charged with espionage.

With newspapers going overboard with spy tales, the Kerala Police held internal meetings and decided on 14 November 1994 to hand over the investigation to the CBI. But IB was against the idea. The next day the Kerala DGP constituted a Special investigation Team (SIT) headed by DIG Sibi Mathews to investigate the case. By now IB men were torturing the accused to extract ‘confessions’.

On 21 November 1994, Sasikumaran was arrested in Ahmedabad, and Chandrasekhar was picked up in Bangalore. On the same day, IB sent an unofficial (UO) note to the highest authorities in Delhi, to book the accused under Official Secrets Act and implicate Ravinder Reddy of MTAR and Prabhakar Rao in the case. These moves were to tighten the noose around ISRO, and prepare ground for Nambhi’s arrest. The first indication of dragging him into the plot came on 28 November 1994, when Kerala Kaumudi published a false report that he was under house arrest. On this day, the IB sent another UO note recommending that Raman Srivastava may be questioned. Two days later, Nambhi was arrested.

So what urged IB Joint Director M K Dhar to rush to Trivandrum? It was part of his counter-intelligence operations against Pakistan, argues the IB officer. He mentions about Ratan Sehgal in the initial phase of the investigation, but took upon himself the task of being the prime fabricator of the ISRO spy case.

The timing of the implication of ISRO makes it a suspect on at least two counts: One, when Dhar came to Trivandrum, the countdown for the launch of PSLV-D2 rocket was about to begin. Even as he was questioning Mariam Rasheeda and Fauziyya Hassan, on 15 October 1994, PSLV-D2 put in orbit Indian Remote Sensing Satellite IRS-P2. It was the first successful launch of an Indian rocket that could be used for commercial satellite launches. Two, ISRO was in the process of bringing materials and drawings as part of a cryogenic technology transfer from Russia after the US imposed sanctions on Russia and India. Owing to the pressure from the US, Glavkosmos wanted to cancel the contract, but ISRO had succeeded in advancing some milestones and making payments before the new clauses kicked in.

It was quite an achievement for India to have skirted the US pressure to bring home the cryogenic consignments. ISRO managed, much to the chagrin of the US, to get the Russian Ural Airlines to bring the voluminous documents and hardware to India. Of the four scheduled consignments from Moscow, three had landed in Trivandrum between 23 January and 17 July 1994. The last one was to come in December 1994. Someone wanted the head of the cryogenic mission arrested as part of the plot. The project had be stalled. So a ISRO spy case was fabricated.

M K Dhar was to retire by the beginning of 1995, a few months after Mariam Rasheeda was arrested. It is also on record that Dhar had made some desperate attempts to get his official date of birth ‘corrected’ so that he could get an extension of service. When a senior officer nearing retirement is handling a sensitive case, it is usual for the government to give him an extension beyond superannuation to complete the assignment. Dhar had tried in vain to weave a story of a Pakistan conspiracy by arresting a Muslim religious leader in a northern state, but when the government was convinced of the leader’s background and standing, Dhar had to eat a humble pie. It is at this juncture he saw the potential of the ISRO spy case.

Dhar’s observations on rocketry and ‘the plot’ in his book show either he was ignorant of how rocket technology is transferred or if he had some basic understanding, he was fabricating the ISRO spy case, ostensibly on someone’s orders!

That the IB was penetrated by the US became clear when Dhar’s colleague Ratan Sehgal was sacked as the IB joint director and charges of having nine ‘unauthorized and clandestine’ meetings with CIA station chief in Delhi, Timoty Long, and his deputy Susan Brown between 19 September and 31 October 1996. The investigation found that the meetings happened in Sehgal’s house in Bharati Nagar and in the parking lot of Ambassador Hotel, both in Delhi. Counter intelligence officers reported evidence of Sehgal having received a ‘large packet’ from Ms August, a former deputy station chief of the CIA, outside Ambassador Hotel. Sehgal was asked to face prosecution or put in his papers. He chose voluntary retirement. It is strange that the ISRO spy case started a few months after Sehgal joined the IB from the Ministry of External Affairs and ended around the same time he was chucked out of the IB.

Some people were clearly not happy also with India flying its first satellite launch vehicle; they knew India would barge into the commercial satellite launch market with high competent prices (as less as half an American launch) if it acquired cryogenic technology. Then Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao put it mildly during a discussion in the Parliament, indicating the ‘involvement of a foreign country’ in thwarting the Russian cryogenic contract.

Six respectable people—Satish Dhawan, T N Seshan, U R Rao, Yash Pal, R Narasimha and S Chandrashekar—had this to say in an open letter after the Kerala Government ordered ‘further investigation’ in the case even after the Chief Judicial Magistrate had accepted the CBI report and absolved all the accused of the charges: ‘The “espionage case” reveals that the country’s space programme or for that matter other strategic programmes, may no longer be immune to outside interference.’

The unanswered riddle is “why was Nambhi implicated in the ‘non-existent’ spy case? To bewilder and disband the cryogenic team? Are the IB officers pawns or active foot soldiers in this interested party’s international board game? It will be tough to say ‘no’ if you look at the systematic way in which the US imposed sanctions to scuttle the cryogenic technology transfer from Russia to India only two years earlier, and the way in which Dhar and a few other IB officers decided on the espionage angle, even before they started investigation. The way those in power (including the minister whom Nambhi met during this period) turned blind eye to the whole fiasco is an indication that no one would like the truth to become public. We are not that ‘sovereign’ after all! Patriotism aka nationalism is only for the ordinary citizens and not for those sitting in seat of power!

Dhar’s book “Open Secrets: India’s Intelligence Unveiled ” published in 2005, self-righteousness, lies and bravado, claims Nambhi. In that book, in an attempt to give his arguments a façade of credibility, Dhar makes a suggestion. A joint investigation agency should be formed with representatives from the IB, CBI, R&AW and the ISRO to have a detailed look into the evidences and documents for arriving at a final conclusion. There is no harm if this reinvestigation is carried out silently and out of the glare of the media.

Dhar did not live to see such an investigation. He died in May 2012. Now, on his suggestion for a joint investigation of all the top agencies to expose the real conspiracy. Would it happen? Or would it just stop with financial compensation to Dr Nambhi Narayanan and Padma award?

Till then, Mr Dhar, RIP.

Credits:

1. Ready to Fire: How India and I survived the ISRO spy case – Bloomsbury Publishing India Pvt. Ltd

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China – A Nation Elusively Sinistral

Is it appropriate to view geopolitical imperatives of the 1950s through a contemporary prism? It is a startling fact Nehru’s decision to cede veto-carrying membership of the UNSC to China has proved to be a ‘Himalayan blunder’. It has led, decades later, to aggressive Chinese behaviour not only in the world politics but to India in particular that is being paid back with interest!

For strange reasons, Nehru held China closer to his heart. He stubbornly turned a deaf ear to all friendly warnings by his own Deputy Prime Minister, Vallabhbhai Patel, who, as far back as 1950, had alerted him to China‟s intentions and objectives in invading Tibet, and its dangerous implications for India‟s future security. And later by his old comrades Jayaprakash Narayan and Acharya Kripalani. Instead he criticised European imperialism and pooh-pooh[ed] all criticisms of his China policy as that of war mongers who were spreading fear and panic in the country. He was proved WRONG: In 1962, our Jawans, ill-clad, ill-shod, ill- equipped were sent like sheeps to their slaughter! Mao Zedong -Chou En Lai duo smeared mud in his face!

As early as in 1955 offer from the Soviets and by the US in August 1950 for India getting the permanent seat at the UNSC, are well-documented. Acceptance could have checkmated China on many fronts! But Nehru’s unexplainable (unpardonable?) renunciation became a major obstacle of the future!

In any case China(PRC) was given the UNSC seat only in 1971 in lieu of the seat held by China(ROC), which was driven from the main land to Taiwan by PRC. U.S was then primarily interested in seeking the PRC’s help in resolving the sticky Vietnam situation, using influence with the PRC as diplomatic leverage against the Soviets, as quid pro quo! That too backfired with soviet aligning with the dragon, off late!

But, US agreed to recognise PRC’s ‘one China’ policy with ‘limited’ sovereignty over Taiwan, much later in 1979 (Kissinger diplomacy)! To US, this queer Taiwan policy was important to stabilize Taiwan-strait relations; guaranteeing assistance to Taiwan in the event of an unprovoked aggression by the PRC! Through this deliberate strategic ambiguity, US fostered mutual economic prosperity with PRC that blossomed in the next decades. But, unfortunately China became a Frankenstein!

While in late 70’s, China was content to accept the ‘Taiwan’ ambiguity, it is now making noise to establish its hegemony over the tiny nation!Even today, there is no ‘Tailwan’ for many nations! it is just another province of mainland China. Its GDP is one of the highest in the world, of course, with US investments!But, Taiwan’s security is at risk especially after the Ukraine fiasco. PRC is waiting to have the bite! It is waiting for its ‘day’!

China’s rise over the past two decades has remade the landscape of global politics. Beginning with its entry into the World Trade Organization in December 2001, China rapidly transformed its economy from a low-cost “factory to the world” to a global leader in advanced technologies. Along the way, it has transformed global supply chains, but also international diplomacy, leveraging its success to become the primary trading and development partner for emerging economies across Asia, Africa and Latin America. China is ambitious to expand its hegemony with its economic might, quite unreservedly! Many are ‘deeply indebted’ already!

On the territorial front, it is beginning to openly threaten its neighbours with its military might. It is exploiting the unipolar world scenario, occupying the space Russia has vacated!

Nehru could have been only be one of the first few victims of china’s ambitious beginning. But it is true that he was shattered by the 1962 war, at his being stabbed in back by Mao Zedong whom he had faith to the hilt! He never recovered from the shock that could have led to his deteriorating health and demise shortly thereafter in 1964!

Politics is not for the faint hearted, especially when dealing with highly ambiguous and ambitious China!

Credits:

1. https://www.thequint.com/news/webqoof/did-nehru-give-india-permanent-seat-at-unsc-to-china-in-1950

2. https://theprint.in/world/india-never-had-an-offer-to-become-permanent-unsc-member-this-is-a-fact/206091/

3. https://www.harvard-yenching.org/wp-content/uploads/legacy_files/featurefiles/RamachandraGuha_JawaharlalNehruand%.pdf

4. https://masspeaceaction.org/the-taiwan-conundrum/

5. https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202206/1268164.shtml

6. On China – Henry Kissinger

Putting Breaks on Fossil Fuel Exploitation

Are we pragmatic in taking the right steps to preserve the nature while exploiting the energy sources?

Carbon dioxide is considered primarily as the villain in our quest for energy. Two main guzzlers of fossil fuel spitting CO2 are, power generating plants and automobiles.

Though the cleaner nuclear option opened up opportunities to replace fossil fuels for power generation, hiccups for one reason or the other, delayed its large scale induction. Still Chernobyl and Fukushima accidents deter many from considering that choice!

Experience shows that the other greener options, solar, wind and hydro wouldn’t make an impact. Sunlight and wind are inherently unreliable and energy-dilute. This means that at leat 450 times more land and 10 – 15 times more concrete, cement, steel, and glass, are required than for nuclear plants. All of that material throughput results in renewables creating large quantities of waste, much of it toxic. For example, solar panels create 200 – 300 times more hazardous waste than nuclear. Meanwhile, the huge amounts of land has a devastating impact on rare and threatened species — even when solar and wind are at just a small percentage of electricity supplies.

Thus solar and wind are largely unnecessary at best and counterproductive at worst when it comes to combating climate change [1]. Only nuclear scores in realistic terms when it comes in replacing the fossil over dependence. Unless there is a concerted approach to revive nuclear, fossil fuels would continue to have their share of damaging the atmosphere for some more time to come [2,3].

Automobiles are the second largest polluters – would the thrust on electric vehicles or EVs, be at least of a partial relief? Primafacie Electric Vehicles, appear attractive option if the primary source of energy for the grid supply has lesser fossil fuel foot print. Else, the energy efficiency of power plants could negate the benefits of EV in net emission terms. Not just that – there is another environmental burden on EVs – the batteries that supply the energy could ruin the pollution estimates.

The electric cars store energy in large batteries (the larger they are, the bigger their range is) that have high environmental costs. This happens because these batteries are made of rare earth elements like lithium, nickel and cobalt that only exist beneath the surface of the earth and therefore depend on mining activities with very polluting processes [4]. Their extraction process called smelting, emits sulfur oxide and other harmful air pollutants. The water required for producing batteries is about 50 times higher than traditional internal combustion engines. Recycling of used batteries might become efficient enough providing answers for environmental concerns remains to be seen. That’s why asking whether electric cars are net-greener or not, does not come with an easy answer.

EVs would reduce the green house gas emissions of large metros and reduce the pollution levels, at least locally. But for this segment to have a significant impact, power generation and transmission capacities have to be significantly augmented. The energy consumption may be comparable to an Air conditioner or Fridge! But, there only appears to be more excitement and noise than action on the ground [5]. Large scale structural changes need to take place before catering to the needs of significant EV induction!

Are we on track to keep the environment as green as possible? Are we taking the total picture into account or addressing it ‘piecemeal’? are we to take the blame of degrading the earth by tapping the earth profusely, rendering the planet ‘unliveable’! you may have to watch the consequences ‘helplessly’ from the heavens with guilt!

Credits:

1. https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelshellenberger/2018/05/08/we-dont-need-solar-and-wind-to-save-the-climate-and-its-a-good-thing-too/

2. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-26355-z

3. https://www.fraserinstitute.org/blogs/renewable-energy-cant-replace-fossil-fuels

4. https://youtu.be/RFHvq-8np1o

5. https://youtu.be/t50MFchtg5E

Tryst with Death

How would you like to die?

Does the word ‘death’ not send tremors to most of us? Since time immemorial, man would strive to do anything to ward off death – be it ‘a magic potion – elixir of life’ or religious rites to please the god of death. Rig Veda advocates a prayer to Lord Shiva – mrithyanjaya mantra, that can protect one from death. It is believed to stop premature deaths, or at best ward off the fear of death! There are citations in epics where Lord Shiva himself revealed this mantra to his disciples: Markandeya, sukrachaya and Rishi Vasishta. One who does not die is called a Chiranjeevi. There are six more Chiranjeevis as per Hindu mythology: Hanuman, Parashurama, Vibhushan, Aswathama, Mahabali and Kripacharya. Though ‘chranjeevi’, lives for ever, one can consider himself so, after having lived for over a hundred years in the present day of evolutionary autonomy coupled with progress in various facets of medical field. The life expectancy otherwise being a little over 70 years in most of the developed societies of the world.

Is living that long a boon or bane?

As people age, they are much more likely to develop degenerative conditions that could lead to a lower quality of life. Crucially, strategies to promote healthy ageing may not only ease the burdens on society, but help to ensure that our longer lives are better lives – even in a philosophical sense. As the population continues to age, we will need to make important and potentially difficult choices about how we want to care for the elderly. Sometimes it might be better for us to die earlier than we otherwise might have, if doing so is more consistent with the “life story” we wanted for ourselves – for example, being active and independent throughout our lives. Else life then becomes a pain rather than pleasurable. But even then, the very thought of Death is scaring – as dying is not easy.

But terminally ill also may dwell on such thoughts!

Though the impact of sudden death is terrible, it is extremely painful to watch the sufferings of terminal ills. More so to the kith and kin. Even the philosophically balanced person would be extremely disturbed if the ‘expiry date’ is known! For example those who are terminally ill, their days are counted but not sure whether it is months or years. In such cases, the life expectancy statistics are just numbers that are not useful to those suffering. Oncologists are often reluctant to discuss life-expectancy estimates with their patients because of concerns about their inaccuracy and limited evidence regarding benefits. Those are really blessed who do not know the ‘secret’ – ignorance is bliss!

Though there were several writers who wrote about the mental tribulations of the kith and kins when the ‘death’ was at the doorstep, the recent one by Dr Paul Kalanidhi, ‘while breath becomes air’ depicts the resolution to face the reality with determination and grace! After years of hard work, when he was about to reach his cherished goal of qualified neurosurgeon, he was struck with lung cancer. In this book, written in his twilight years of less than two years from the knowledge of his impending death, he beautifully depicts the mental tribulations of all close to him, most of them doctors in their own right. With so much of plans to accomplish in life, when death suddenly stares at him, he and his wife settle down to face the reality and plan for the small ‘left over’ life. It needs immense guts to live the ‘remnant’ life with grit.

On the other hand, sudden death, say due to massive heart attack or by an accident, though is extremely painful, is on an entirely different plane, compared to the slow death.

Coming to the life of ‘non-Chiranjeevis’, the normal mortals – most of them age ‘gracefully’. As one ages the expectations of ‘left over’ remnant life depends on the quality of life or the their present status of health. The wish reduces – accordingly one plans ‘the future’ – in sixties it may be for a decade at best, while in nineties, even if you wake up healthy, you should be happy – you live for the day! One should be aware of fragility of life, though! I am not talking of life of ‘real chiranjeevis’ living after scoring a century.

Think of the plight of terminally ill patients, when the doctor first pronounces the prognosis. They invariably utter – ‘God, why me? What have I done for the hell to befall on me?’. But the fact of life is, if such thing can happen to anybody, then why not you. There are diseases with extremely rare even in productive age group who are commonly with robust health – But it is not absolute zero occurrence. How many can simply accept that as one’s fate? Yes, it is a fact that all are mortals, but knowing when you are going to die or the death is not far away, is extremely sickening! The fateful day being a secret to many, is indeed a blessing in disguise!

Even if you have not sinned, you may not be totally risk free! The oft quoted adages like வினை விதைத்தவன் வினை அறுப்பான், as you sow so you reap, is to keep the morally weak not to sin. But in day to day life, do you really see its happening that way? No. One sows for others to reap! The adage is pronounced only to heal your afflicted wounds – to curse others who are harming – to vent out your helplessness!

I am amazed at our elders often putting a prefix while pronouncing any plans – ‘பொழைச்சுக்கிடந்தா நாளைக்கு ஊருக்கு போகலாம்’! This roughly translates to ‘will go to town, if at all we are alive’ – what a prophetic statement? They have understood that life is uncertain. If at all one plans, be certain that there would be ‘uncertainty that can’t be planned’!

In the Indian epic ‘Mahabharata’, there comes an encounter with ‘yaksha’. The eldest of the Pandavas is asked by the yaksha several questions and one of them is on this present topic – ‘who is the most ignorant fool?’ Dharmaraj answers ‘those who think they would not be dying even after being witness to many of the deaths around’! This phenomenon called ‘death’ could not have been philosophically explained better!

But taking the life as it is even while being terminally ill and suffer in silence, require moral strength which only a few possess. King Parikshit on knowing he is left with only a week to live, listened to ‘Bhagavatham’ for a blissful demise!

தேர்ந்த ஆன்மீகவாதிகள் நாளையும் நேரத்தையும் குறித்து கொடுத்துவிட்டு அந்த நாளில் சமாதி அடைவதாக கேள்விப்படுகிறோம். அது அவர்கள் தவத்தினால் கிடைத்த வரம். அது போல் எதுவும் அறியாதவர்களுக்கு மரணகாலத்தை மறைத்து வைப்பது இறைவன் கொடுப்பினை.
அதுவும் இருக்கும்வரை (ஓரளவுக்காவது) பிறருக்கு துன்பம் தராமல் இருப்பதும் கொடுப்பினை. அது இயற்கையாக நிகழ்வதும் கொடுப்பினை. நோய் என்று வந்து வாழ்கையே சுமை என்னும்போது மரணமே கொடுப்பினை. அனைத்துக்கும் ஆண்டவன் அருள் வேண்டும்.

Is there any other way to get mental peace for ‘agnostics’ in this predicament?

Two Giant Indian (namesake) Scholars of ancient heritage

Two namesakes who left indelible mark in their own right: One is Bhaskaracharya and another is Bhaskararaya.

Bhaskaracharya (Bhaskara II) was born in a family of scholars, mathematicians and astronomers, was the leader of a cosmic observatory at Ujjain, the main mathematical centre of ancient India. Bhāskara and his works represent a significant contribution to mathematical and astronomical knowledge in the 12th century. He has been called the greatest mathematician of medieval India. His main work Siddhānta-Śiromani, for “Crown of Treatises” is divided into four parts called Līlāvatī, Bījagaṇita, Grahagaṇita and Golādhyāya, which are also sometimes considered four independent works. These four sections deal with arithmetic, algebra, mathematics of the planets, and spheres respectively. He also wrote another treatise named Karaṇā Kautūhala.

Bhāskara’s work on calculus predates Newton and Leibniz by over half a millennium. He is particularly known in the discovery of the principles of differential calculus and its application to astronomical problems and computations. While Newton and Leibniz have been credited with differential and integral calculus, there is strong evidence to suggest that Bhāskara was a pioneer in some of the principles of differential calculus. He was perhaps the first to conceive the differential coefficient and differential calculus. His book on arithmetic is the source of interesting legends that assert that it was written for his daughter, Lilavati.

There is an interesting anecdote- Bhaskara II studied Lilavati’s horoscope and predicted that she would remain both childless and unmarried. To avoid this fate, he ascertained an auspicious moment for his daughter’s wedding and to alert his daughter at the correct time, he placed a cup with a small hole at the bottom of a vessel filled with water, arranged so that the cup would sink at the beginning of the propitious hour. He put the device in a room with a warning to Lilavati to not go near it. In her curiosity though, she went to look at the device and a pearl from her bridal dress accidentally dropped into it, thus upsetting it. The auspicious moment for the wedding thus passed unnoticed leaving a devastated Bhaskara II. It is then that he promised his daughter to write a book in her name, one that would remain till the end of time as a good name is akin to a second life. Lilavati, later emulated her father and specialised in the same subjects.

The other great giant is the 17th century (1690–1785) Bhaskararaya. He is widely considered an authority on all questions pertaining to the worship of the Mother Goddess in Shaktism/Hinduism. He was born in Hyderabad, Telangana, was welcomed by king Serfoji II of Bhonsle dynasty in South India, and thereupon he settled in Tamil Nadu.

Bhaskararaya is the attributed author of more than 40 and range from Vedanta to poems of devotion and from Indian logic and Sanskrit grammar to the studies of Tantra. Several of his texts are considered particularly notable to the Shaktism tradition, one focussed on the Mother Goddess:

• Commentary on Tripura Upanishad and Bhavana Upanishad

• Commentary on Devi Mahatmya, titled Guptavati. Bhaskararaya, in his Guptavati, offers comments on 224 out of the 579 verses of the Devi Mahatmya.

• Varivasya Rahasya, is a commentary on Sri Vidya mantra and worship. The Varivasya Rahasya contains 167 ślokas numbered consecutively. It has an accompanying commentary entitled “Prakāśa“, also by Bhaskararaya.

• Setubandha is a technical treatise on Tantric practice. It is his magnum opus. It is a commentary on a portion of the Vāmakeśvara-tantra dealing with the external and internal worship of Tripura Sundari.

• “Soubhāgyabhāskara“is a commentary (bhāsya) on Lalita Sahasranama.

• His Khadyota (“Firefly”) commentary on the Ganesha Sahasranama is considered authoritative by Ganapatya.

There is another interesting anecdote attributed to this Bhaskararaaya…

In Rameswaram jyotirlinga temple, many people argued that main Lingam of the temple was not made of sand and also said that if Lingam was made of sand it would have been dissolved while anointing the Lord.

During that time, Bhaskararaaya made a Lingam out of salt and anointed it. But the Lingam did not dissolve. He said that if the Lingam made by him who worship Devi Parvati did not dissolve, then it is of no wonder that the Lingam made by the wife of Lord Vishnu is not dissolved yet. The salt Lingam made by him is present even now behind the main Lingam of the temple. Even after many years, the salt Lingam also has not yet dissolved like the main ‘sand’ lingam!

The stories attributed to these two Indian giants are indeed very interesting, though curious to the scientifically oriented.

Is making hay while it shines, unethical?

So much is talked about pharma giants making ‘a kill’ in the pandemic ‘tsunami’. Is it immoral? Who is competent to decide what is morality in the first place? Anybody could have done the needed research and found the elixir! It is a free world. At the beginning of the game itself it is known the winner would take it all. They have won and get their fair return for their success. Period.

There is shrill cry that though the pharma companies have got state funding for the research, the price of the vaccines which are products of the research, is disproportionately high. But, after all, the state also knows it is betting on a winning horse; it has in fact tied (unethically) all the supplies on priority exclusively for its own use. Any other tags could also have been tied to the recipient of the grant.. but having agreed, now crying foul is anarchism.

One would then argue that in any State sponsored research, the fruits of the efforts should accrue to the society since it is public money. But, ethically, to promote research state should fund such researches in public interest without tying the funding for its own benefit. After all the knowledge generated is not the exclusive domain of the state but of the scientists whose free will play a major role. Even then, the state in its wisdom desires to stake a claim, it is free to incorporate such a clause in the contract while awarding the grant. If not, there is no binding. Play as per rules of the game – don’t change rules retrospectively just because you are empowered! But be a referee and ensure fair playing field.

Should in all state funded research programs, state must have a share? Can the public rightfully demand a stake always in the product, even without such a contractual binding? It is akin to binding all the students graduated as subordinates to the state as they have indirectly got the state funding! What would be the responsibility of those who graduate with state scholarship? To what extent are they subordinate to the state?

This sort of allegations of exploitation, making huge profits and demands to cut down the price, throttle motivation to innovate in scientific arena where the success rates are low and opportunity costs are the norms! Who pays for failed research anyway? If the vaccines had fizzled out, would the market even whisper? No way….

Compared to the US model of Pfizer, Moderna funding or UK’s Astra Zeneca for that matter, is far different from that of India’s handholding strategy at every step of the development of vaccine: Covaxin is a Codeveloped product with the public-private cooperation. Covishield production capacity was funded with advance purchase agreements. These models largely helped in keeping the prices in check and affordable. The agreements are transparent compared to that of Pfizer’s! Why the west succumbed to the conditions of contract, the terms were kept secret, could be due to the eagerness of securing the scarce supplies on priority, ‘at any cost’, in common parlance. Now, on looking back, the west might contemplate on the unnecessary urgency and the trap it fell into. But that is a different story altogether. They have missed the bus!

Arm twisting the companies at this point of time, citing their profit margins, is unethical. At best, you take it or leave it at your peril. These strategies get support only with those having ‘collectivist’ mindset: only a few would toil to generate knowledge and wealth while every one in the society would share equally. This communist philosophy cannot sustain.

Don’t expect a free lunch without a sweat!

Science-ethics dichotomy

Many of the scientists who were architects of the Manhattan Project, including the one who headed the program to make the deadly weapon of mass destruction, Robert J Oppenheimer, never dreamt its immense potential. But were positive it would win them war. Yes, it won the war but nevertheless caused immense loss of life. They were pained to see that it actually become part of the world’s most deadly military arsenal. The only motivation and dedication of many scientists in the project was the mortal fear of nazi Germany Hitler’s win in the ongoing Second World War as German scientists were also working on a similar pursuit; they would have preferred it, may be more as a deterrent, than as a regular military arsenal! After all most of the scientists love humanity! Most of them returned to academia – never wanted to continue the exciting research.

The conscious, self upright, The Times’ man of the year, Oppenheimer met the then American president to dissuade him from pursuing the more deadly H-Bomb told, “I feel I have blood on my hands”. This was unacceptable to Truman, who retorted, “that was no concern of Oppenheimer’s, and that if anyone had bloody hands, it was the president”. The politicians primarily averse to communist Russia taking a lead did not want to derail the H-bomb project; eventually they succeeded in indicting the much acclaimed scientist – he was pronounced not trust worthy anymore with state’s nuclear secrets! Oppenheimer, who has had in his head for years every secret about the atomic bomb and even discovered some of them, was tagged “untrustworthy”! It is to the politicians, who had no iota of this knowledge, that science was pledged! Oppenheimer lost the battle and died a lunatic! The country realised the insults to this extraordinary man much later after his death, corrected the historical blunder and restored his lost glory, is a different story!

Could a scientist destroy the knowledge that he has created, if driven to its being wrongly exploited? Howard Roark, the fictional architect envisioned by Ayn Rand in The Fountainhead, defends his right to dynamite a building, his own creation, because it wasn’t made the way he wanted. “I destroyed it because I did not choose to let it exist,” declares Roark. At best, this is like a kid throwing a tantrum and smashing his toy blocks. At worst, it’s terrorism masquerading as free speech. Does scientist have such a liberty?

Can a professional soldier accept a job with Murder, Inc. and claim he is merely practicing his trade, that it is not his responsibility to know for what his services being used? Would the predicament of the scientist be same as that of ‘that soldier’? What should a scientist do, if he comes to know that his knowledge is being exploited by the powers that be? Does he have the right to destroy the knowledge?

There could be many examples where self conscious scientists could be at logger heads with their own conscience. Let me assure you that this narrative is not to bring out any similarity to the controversial genetic experiments in the Wuhan lab by the ‘bat lady’ with possible CDC funding! Or the scientists, who pioneered the mRNA vaccines to defeat the virus, could feel guilty of windfall gains that their corporates are making, repenting a little on their being out of reach to many poor nations!

No doubt science has won many a wars in the recent centuries, but it has been defeated in the ethical battle, hands down!

Shunning Mask for Self Esteem

Inherent human nature is self esteem that gets expressed in revolts at the slightest semblance of violation. Self esteem and independence are synonymous. But a social order, especially in larger population, demands calibrated curtailment for larger interest. When this compromise exceeds limits, it results in revolts. Such a behaviour is not uncommon in adolescents, family, religions, ethnic groups and even at the level of countries. Sermons by heads of families, leaders of the nation, and priests of religions could psychologically condition to surrender independence for larger good, but can’t sustain long as it is contrary to the very human nature. Only self esteem aka independence, bring true happiness to the individual and ultimately to all in the society.

But larger societies call for organisation for order and stability that would be at some cost to individual freedom. Religions are known to play a role in persuading individual to willingly surrender self esteem through psychological conditioning? It is welcome, as long as religious passion does not violate others’ freedom! Could a government also convince a similar surrender? Yes, by invoking nationalism. Be it religion or government, restraining individual liberty is inevitable in the larger interest!

But, invoking and harnessing mass hysteria either by religious fanaticism or through patriotic nationalism, is a tough proposition and could evolve as a Frankenstein, that would be difficult to contain even by the creators! This might do well in fits and starts, during times of calamity or war, but never as a long term strategy. Why? Because it calls for surrendering individual liberty which is against human nature!

Which would bring peace and happiness in the society, prosperity through wealth or self esteem? It would be interesting to find out, who is more happy – one in China or the one in USA? They are poles apart in individual liberty and freedom, but seemingly both are prosperous occupying the top two positions in world GDP! Or the one in the lower rungs of GDP, India, where, the individual is largely independent but yet, not prosperous enough! There are gapping disparities and poverty pervading across the spectrum of the society, but yet there is freedom of every kind!

Why do the liberal west, rebel covid lockdowns and curfews, while those in India, largely accept but with a murmur! Does prosperity entitle one to have more self esteem? In less prosperous democratic republics, that guarantees freedom and liberty, one is penalised for having self esteem, “for violating covid protocols”!

China will be silent anyway, as no one would dare open the mouth, lest be silenced for eternity!

Self esteem in humans is a premium product – nurture with care!

Can the Indian Sugar industry ever become ‘Sweet’?

Can the sugar cane cultivation in india be made sustainable? Presently it is in very bad shape – Cost of production of sugar is higher than selling price. Inspite of this, as against the demand of 25 million tonnes per year, because of political brownie points involved, production exceeds 35 million tonnes—a recipe for disaster for farmers and India.

Not just that. India is totally dependent on sugarcane for sugar production, which needs huge amounts of water. Irrigation uses up over 80 per cent of India’s fresh water apart from free electricity that depletes the groundwater.

Options? switch to beet sugar – Using 30 per cent of the water and 30 per cent of the time, sugar beet can give the same output of sugar from the same acreage, compared to sugarcane. In the now freed-up land and water, the farmer is also free to grow what he or she wants. Plus, the additional crops would give profits too.

The downside of beet sugar is that it has an earthy, oxidized aroma and faint burnt-sugar aftertaste, whereas cane sugar is characterized by a sweeter aftertaste and more fruity aroma. So, there could be reluctance for acceptability but it can be managed with appropriate price structure!

The only other impediment for the proposed change in landscape is fear of loss of political patronage by the powerful actors in the sugarcane drama. They don’t see beyond their self interests! See what happened in the reform process?

Any other options: yes. Convert the Indian sugar cane industry into one of biofuel feedstock producer rather than as one for food and beverages. Brazil has a very successful program for over four decades on gasoline blended with ethanol produced from sugar cane. Widespread use of ethanol blended petrol would be beneficial both from the carbon emission as well as from sustainability of the livelihood of agriculturists;

Ethanol can be produced directly from sugar syrup than from molasses which is a byproduct after removing sugar; There is substantial reduction in water requirement if ethanol is directly produced from sugar juice.

This way farmers get remunerative prices; saving of water and electricity; as well of foreign exchange due to reduction in crude imports! Sustainable sugar industry – you can continue to pamper the lobby (Sharad Pawers) without losing sight of Indian economy!

It is high time that sugar cane cultivation gets a relook to secure the future of the Indian economy. Course corrections through major Policy decisions should not only be pragmatic but viable too. After the recent farmers fiasco, would anybody dare to bell the cat?

Credits:

1. https://www.newindianexpress.com/opinions/2019/apr/16/sugar-lobbys-bitter-tactics-hurt-india-1964808.html

2. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/by-using-sugarcane-juice-to-make-biofuels-india-can-make-sugar-more-productive-and-sustainable/articleshow/88763592.cms

3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol_fuel_in_Brazil

மாணிக்கத்திலும் மரகத்திலும் தெய்வங்கள்

கண்களுக்கு உவகை அளிக்கும் வண்ணவண்ண நவரத்தினங்களை அணிகலனாக வடிவமைத்து அணிவது காலம் தொட்டு வந்த வழக்கம். முத்து (Pearl), வைரம் (Diamond), வைடூரியம் (Lapis Lazuli; Cat’s Eye), மாணிக்கம் (Ruby), நீலம் (Blue Sapphire), மரகதம் (Emerald), புஷ்பராகம்(Yellow Sapphire; Topaz), பவளம் (Coral), கோமேதகம் (Hessonite) ஆகியவை நவரத்தினங்களாக கருதப்படுகின்றன. கடலடியிலும், மலைப்பாறைகளிலிருந்தும் இயற்கையாக மட்டுமே கிடைக்கும் இவைகளை ஒரு காலகட்டத்தில் நவகிரகங்களுடன் சம்பந்தப்படுத்தப்பட்டு குறிப்பிட்ட சிலநோய்களைத்தீர்க்கும் குணங்களும் உண்டு என்ற நம்பிக்கை, விஞ்ஞானபூர்வ ஆதாரங்கள் இல்லாவிடினும், மனிதனிடையே ஊன்றியது. பலப்பல அணிகலன்களாக அவை உருவெடுத்து அணிவகுப்பதும் இந்த காரணத்தினால்தான்.

இவைகளில் முத்தும் பவளமும் உயிரினத்திலிருந்து உருவானதால் மென்மையானவை. அவைகளை உருமாற்றம் செய்ய இயலாது. வைரம் மிகவும் கடினமானதால் பட்டைதீட்டி மெருகேற்றி பளச்சிடவைக்க மட்டுமே முடிகிறது. மற்றவை [வைடூரியம், மாணிக்கம், நீலம், மரகதம், புஷ்பராகம், கோமேதகம்] படிகவகையை (crystal structure) சேர்ந்ததாலும் ஓரளவுக்கு கடினமானதாலும், நுணுக்கமான அணிகலங்களயும், உருவச்சிலைகளையும் வடிவமைக்கமுடிகிறது.

இவைகள் பெறிய கற்களாக கிடைப்பது அறிது. அதிலும் மாசின்றி (impurity as inclusions) கிடைப்பது அறிதிலும் அறிது. இந்த மாசு அவைகளின் ஒளிர்வை குறைப்பது மட்டுமன்றி கண்களுக்கு தனியாக வெளிப்படுவதால் மதிப்பை பெருமளவும் குறைக்கின்றன.

நவரத்னங்கள் எடையை பொருத்தே மதிப்பிடப்படுகின்றன. ஆயினும் வைரம் அறிதாகவே கிடைப்பதால் அதன் மதிப்பு மிகவும் அதிகம். மாசில்லாத பெரிய வைரங்களுக்கு மதிப்பு பன்மடங்கு அதிகரிக்கிறது. தென்அமெரிக்காவில் 1905இல் கண்டெடுக்கப்பட்ட, சுமார் 600 கிராம் (3100 கேரட்) எடை கொண்ட கல்லினன் (Cullilan) வைரம்தான் இது நாள் வரை உலகிலேயே கிடைத்த மிகப்பெரிய கச்சா வைரம். இது பல துண்டுகளாக்கப்பட்டு அவைகள் பட்டை தீட்டப்பட்டன. அதில் உருவாகிய பெரியதுண்டுதான் ஸ்டார் ஆப் அமெரிக்கா-1 (Star of America-1)என அறியப்படும் 106 கிராம் (530 கேரட்) கொண்ட வைரம். இதுதான் இன்றைய நாள்வரை உலகிலேயே உள்ள மிகப்பெரிய பட்டை தீட்டிய வைரம்!

வைரங்களை பட்டை தீட்டி மணிமகுடங்களிலும் அரசசிம்மாசனங்களிலும் பதிக்கப்படுவது அந்நாட்களில் மிகவும் பெருமையாக கருதப்பட்டது. கோஹினூர் வைரத்தின் கதையை அறியாதோரும் உண்டோ?

மற்ற படிகவகை வண்ணக்கற்களை கட்டிடங்களின் அழகை கூட்டுவதற்கு பதிப்பது வழக்கத்தில் இருந்தது. ராஜபுதன, மொகலாய அரண்மனைகளில் இந்தபயன்பாடுகளை வெகுவாக காணலாம். ஐரோப்பிய தேவாலயங்களை இவை மெருகேற்றின. ஆசிய மசூதிகளும் இதற்கு விதிவிலக்கல்ல.

ஆனாலும் தெய்வங்களின் சிலைகளை இவ்வகை கற்களில் வடிவமைக்கும் ஆவல் தென்னிந்திய அரசர்களுக்கு ஏன் ஏற்பட்டதோ தெரியவில்லை. 9 ஆம் நூற்றண்டிலேயே கருங்கல் (granite), மண்கல் (sandstone), மாக்கல் (soap stone), சுண்ணாம்புக்கல் (limestone), பளிங்குக்கல் (marble) போன்ற வெவ்வேறு கடினத்தன்மை கொண்ட கற்சிலைகளை வடிக்கும் கலைஞர்கள் தென்னாட்டில் அதிகம் இருந்ததால் அந்த கலை நன்கு முதிர்ந்திருந்தது. ஜைனர்களின் கோயில்களும் பேலூர் ஹலபேடு இந்து கோயில்களும், பாண்டிய, பல்லவர் கால சிற்பங்களும், மகாபலிபுரம், காஞ்சி கைலாதநாதர் போன்ற பலப்பல குகை கோயில்களும் இதற்கு சாட்சிகளாகும். இந்த காரணத்தால், சிறிது கடினமான ரத்தினக்கற்களிலிருந்தும் சிலை வடிக்கும், அந்த மன்னர்களின் ஆர்வமும் நிறைவேறியது. இவ்வகை சிற்பங்கள் பெரும்பாலும் 15, 16ஆம் நூற்றாண்டுகளில் வடிக்கப்பட்டிருக்கலாம். எளிதான லிங்க வடிவங்கள் முதல் நுணுக்கமான விக்ரஹங்கள் வரை தெய்வ வடிவங்களை தமிழகத்தில் பல கோயில்களிலும் காணலாம்.

இராமநாதபுரம் அருகே அமைந்திருக்கும் உத்திரகோசமங்கை கோயிலில் உள்ள மரகத பாறையிலிருந்து உருவாக்கப்பட்ட நடராஜர்சிலை, இந்த வகையில் ஒன்றுதான். ஐந்தரை அடி உயர தில்லை கூத்தனை, ஒன்றரை அடி உயர பீடத்துடன் “ராஜ கோலத்தில்” மிகவும் நுணுக்கமாக, திருக்கரங்களில் உள்ள நரம்பு தெரியும் அளவிற்கு வடித்தார், சித்தர் சண்முக வடிவேலர் என்ற ஒரு சிற்பி. பால் அபிஷேகத்தின் போது இந்த வேலைப்பாடுகள் வெளிப்படும். ஆடல்கூத்தனின் வடிவத்தை உருவமைக்க எப்படிப்பட்ட கருவிகளை எல்லாம் உபயோகப்படுத்தியிருக்க வேண்டும் என வியப்பதில் விந்தை ஒன்றும் இல்லை! ஒரு குறைபாடு உண்டாயிடினும் முழு வேலைப்பாடும் வீணன்றோ? இந்த சிலை இராமனாதபுர மன்னன் சேதுபதிகாலத்தில் 16, 17 ஆம் நூற்றாண்டு காலகட்டங்களில் அமைக்கப்பட்டதாக அறியப்படுகிறது.

**நடராஜர்சிலை, உத்திரகோசமங்கை, தமிழ்நாடு**

மதுரை மீனாட்சி சிவையும் மரகத்தில் ஆனதுதான் (சுமார் ஐந்தடி உயரம்). வைதீஸ்வரன்கோயிலில் சிவலிங்கம் மரகதம். தில்லையில் உள்ள நடராஜர் (ரத்தினசபாபதி) சிலை மாணிக்க கல்லில் (சுமார் ஒரு அடி உயரம்) வடிக்கப்பட்டது, ரத்தினசபாபதியின் தீபாராதனையின் போது, ஆடலரசனை தீப்பிழம்பாக காண்பது ஒரு பேரின்பம்தான்.

இந்த வகையைச்சார்ந்த மற்ற சிலைகளைப்பற்றிய விபரங்கள் இணையத்தில் கிடைக்கவில்லை. மேலும் வைடூரியம், நீலம், புஷ்பராகம், கோமேதகம் ஆகிய வகை கற்களிலான தெய்வச்சிலைகள் இருப்பதாகவும் தெரியவில்லை.

இவ்வகை நவரத்தின கல் சிலைகள் மூலவிக்ரகங்களாக இருந்தாலும் அபிஷேகங்கள் குறைந்த அளவில்தான் நடத்தப்படுகின்றன. உத்திரகோசமங்கையில் வருடத்திற்கு ஒருமுறை மார்கழி திருவாதிரையில்தான் அபிஷேகம். மற்ற நாட்களில் சந்தன காப்பு மட்டும்தான்.

உத்திரகோசமங்கையில் அபிஷேகம்

பலநூற்றாண்டுகாளாக பின்னமில்லாமல் இந்த சிலைகள் காக்கப்படுவதற்கு இதுவும் ஒரு முக்கிய காரணம்.

நவரத்தின கற்களின் சக்தியும் தெய்வத்தின் அருளும் ஒருமித்து கிடைத்தால் வாழ்வில் மகிழ்ச்சிக்கு குறைவும் உண்டோ? கல்லிலே கலை வண்ணமும் தெய்வ வடிவமும் ஒருங்கிணைத்த கலைஞனை இந்த தருணத்தில் வாழ்த்தி வணங்குவோம்.