Nirad Choudhry and his book " Continent of Circe"

Reviewing the Book' The Continent of Circe; by Nirad Chaudhury, India's Finest Writer in English

MG Singh

Master of Historical interpretation

Nirad C Chaudhury is generally recognized as the original Indian great writer in English. Now we have Kushwant Singh and Salman Rushdie who are Indian writers to the core, but the original master of the English language is Nirad C Chaudhuri.

Many claim that Nirad was an anglophile, this is I am afraid an untruth. Nirad for anything was a true Hindu, a man who had an acerbic pen and he put it to good use. One book by Nirad written in 1965 titled ‘The continent of Circe’ has generated enough controversy. The book itself is acclaimed having won the Duff Cooper award in 1966. He is the only Indian ever to bag this prize. The book‘Continent of Circe’ however remains an enigma and very few in India can understand it.

Circe as we all know is the Greek witch in Iliad’s Odyssey who casts a magical spell on the sailors of Ulysses. Nirad uses the metaphor of Circe to describe a similar magical spell on all inhabitants of the sub continent.

To start with the prose is difficult and Nirad quotes passages and sayings from Latin and French that very few readers will understand. In addition his style is slightly archaic, but over all the books opens a hornet’s nest about Hindu thought and philosophy as seen by Nirad.

A reading o the book brings out that what Nirad feels about Hinduism. As per him Hinduism is not a religion but is a name for all inhabitants of the sub continent. He however concedes that Hindus and Muslims are entirely different people who just cannot assimilate with each other.

Nirad further says that the Hindu way of life is a contradiction. They extol ahimsa and non violence but the history of Hinduism is a history of death and destruction. His view is that the caste system was a method of amalgamating the locals with the Aryans who came from Central Asia.

Nirad also comes out with a theory that the climate of the sub continent moulds Hindu thought and leads to what it is today.

You may or may not agree with Nirad but one thing stands out that he has a sharp brain and he puts forth his theory as something original. That is a fact and very few writers have the originality of Nirad.

Nirad was not an anglophile, but the fact he settled in England must go against him. As far as the Continent of Circe is concerned I recommend it to serious students of history and philosophy. They will find it a rewarding experience.

Gnat and the IAF **

The Gnat and its Romance with the Indian Air Force

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• The Beginning
• Induction of the Gnat
• Gnat in the IAF
• The Sabre Killer
• Last Word

The Beginning

Me before a Gnat on display

The Indian  Air Force has a chequered history and many types of planes have been part of its arsenal. Earlier the planes used by the IAF were of British origin as the IAF had been created by an act of the British parliament in 1932. It had a strong association with the British Royal Air Force and during the days of the Raj, many vintage fighters were transferred to the IAF. After 1947 this trend continued as the first 2 Chiefs of the Air Force were British. 
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Induction of the Gnat

Gnat with IAF markings

During this period a committee appointed by the government after evaluation decided that the Folland Gnat was a good interceptor for the IAF. The Gnat was a midget fighter bomber with a maximum speed of 0.98 Mach. It could carry 2 500 Lb bombs and also had machine guns. It was a single seater fighter bomber and due to its small size was a difficult target for the enemy planes. My father used to fly this plane and he opined that it was a very swift and manoeuvrable fighter

Gnat in the IAF

Gnats lined up

The Gnat remained in service for about 15 years before it was phased out. In fact it was the last British fighter to join the IAF as after some time the British began to play dirty and stopped supply of essential parts and ammunition for the plane. India then turned to the Russians  and the MIG's made an entry into the IAF

The Sabre Killer

Gnat on display

The Gnat was a very successful interceptor and earned the nick name " Sabre killer". In the 1965 war the Gnat shot many Pakistan Air Force Sabre jets in single combat. Very few Gnats by comparison were lost in aerial combat. Partly this was also because of the skill of the IAF pilots who flew dare devil missions against the PAF.

Last Word

An isnstructor

The last Gnat flew for the IAF in 1968 and a plane is kept in the Air Force Museum  at Palam in Delhi. Readers who visit Delhi, must visit the museum located in Delhi Cantonment at Palam. It is worth a visit.

All photos no 1, 3 and 5 from my archives. Photo 2 & 4 from wiki free

Failure of Christianity in India *

Why Christianity Failed to Spread in the Sub-Continent despite 200 years of British Rule

Jesus was perceived as a "White God"

Church in tribal area

Gandhi

Inside an Indian Church

White Missionary with converts

Background

The British ruled India for close to 200 years. Generally it is accepted that the Battle of Plessey (1757) under Robert Clive which the British won, marks the start of British rule. By a policy of divide and rule the British became the paramount power in the sub continent. This continued till 1947 when the British had to leave India very reluctantly. The retreat from the sub continent was brought about by Adolf Hitler who severely weakened England that it just could not hold on to its colonies. In short the victory in the Second World War was a Pyrrhic victory.

British Rule and Missionaries

During the almost 200 years of British rule, a lot of good took place as the British laid the framework of a modern nation. This also fuelled a nationalism which went beyond caste and religious lines. Gandhi and Bose successfully channelized this nationalism as well as instituted a sense of pride in the culture of the sub continent which was dominated by a vast Hindu population and minority Muslim believers.

The British being the paramount power also allowed Christian missionaries to come to India. Their purpose was to civilize the people of the sub-continent and convert them to Christianity. A lot of impetus was given by the Pope who made unlimited funds available for the missionaries to facilitate the conversion of the Hindus and Muslims to Christianity.

The Role of the Missionaries

The missionaries spread out in the hinterland of India concentrating on tribal areas and poor Hindu and Muslim residents. These were given ample gifts and were told that these were sent by Jesus Christ and as such they should convert to Christianity. This inducement by the church marked the hall mark of the thrust under guidance from Rome to convert as many as possible to the Christian faith. I will add that the main trust was from the Catholics from Rome and in comparison the Protestants were not that zealous in their attempt to convert Indians to Christianity.

Failure of the Missionaries

Despite unlimited funds and food aid, the missionaries made little headway in the sub continent. They did do some good also as they set up schools and hospitals, but the overall framework was to spread the gospel. In this they felt anything including inducements was justified. Fr the missionaries the end justified the means. But despite a vigorous thrust for 2 centuries the missionaries could barely convert 2% of the population to the Christian faith. The reason is not far to seek as Christianity came face to face with Muslim and Hindu religion and the missionaries just could not , despite all the inducements counter the appeal of Hinduism and to a lesser extent Islam.

Reasons for Failure

One of the reasons which I think stand out now is that all the missionaries were whites and these appeared to the people as Alien. The Christian god Jesus was thus associated with white race and most people in the sub continent were averse to being ruled by whites. Another reason was that despite the concerted attack on Hindu ideals and philosophy the people felt that Christianity as a religion lacked the deep spiritualism of the Hindu faith. This was a major reason as despite preaching the gospel along with inducements, the locals never converted to Christianity. In fact there were cases of missionaries being attacked and many were killed. Many people felt that if the Church was sincere, why it was not advocating freedom from British rule.

This was a major flaw and like in America a where the church condoned and supported slavery, the church in India also never advocated an end of British rule. In fact with the protection of the state they penetrated deep into India but the result was an abysmal failure.

Last Word

One other reason for the failure of Christianity is that the rulers were Protestants and they looked at the actions of the missionaries with askance. In fact most Protestants were keen to revive Indian culture and many studied Hindu philosophy, but Protestants made no concerted attempt to convert the local people to Christianity.

The failure of the Church and Catholic faith to convert Hindus and Muslims to Christianity will remain a discussion point. It will not be wrong to say that Christianity in particular the Catholic faith met its waterloo in India.

Benefits of Nude Yoga *

Nude Yoga As a Sadhna (Meditation) and Path to Mental Control

Madan Singh

Nude yoga is generally to be done in the morning before the sun rises. The participants under the guidance of a guru are to enter a large hall with small mats for each participant. The practitioners are to divest themselves of their robes and clothes and commence the logic session as directed by the Guru. It is generally seen that participants of Nude yoga do have very little sexual thoughts as they concentrate on reaching a higher plane

Yoga is an Indian spiritual exercise concept that has an additional benefit of toning up the body. Basically it consists of holding poses called Asana for some length of time. The Asana have existed for thousands of years and it is only now that western scientists and scholars have appreciated the concept of Yoga. Yoga is intrinsically linked with Hinduism and generally has a twofold purpose. It tones the body but also elevates the mind to a higher plane. This part of Yoga is difficult to understand and practice and cannot be achieved with a Yoga guru.

Swami Shraddanand was a Yogi (master of Yoga) and had his ashram at Nirmal GAO in Bassien Road. The Swami is no more but he advocated doing Yoga in the nude without any clothes. It must be understood that the nude Yoga recommended by the Swami is not part of mainstream Yoga and can only be indulged in by a man or a woman who has achieved some degree of proficiency in normal yoga. The swami died almost a decade and a half back, but his concept of Yoga in the nude is very much valid even today.

Yoga in the nude is to be done only by a person who has mastered and reached a higher level of Yoga. In case a person is shy of doing nude Yoga in a gathering than it is best to practice it alone in a bare room with only you and a mirror. The mirror is essential so that you can see yourself as created by god. Women undergoing Yoga and the men as well are advised to do naked yoga in their natural form without use of hair remover and razors. Shaving the beard is not included as a taboo.

Yoga in the nude after a period of practice in solitude is to be done in a gathering with a mixed grouping of men and women. The basic aim of Yoga in the nude is to make a person aware of his or her body and raise him to a higher level that leaves sexuality behind. It is difficult and that is the reason it is recommended only for persons who have reached some level of proficiency in this field. Yoga teaches concentration and relaxation. Both essential ingredients’ for the human mind. It also tones the muscles and advanced Yogi’s can also by a mixture of celibacy and the Sir Asana (head stand) develop ESP powers. Many Swamis in India have developed these powers through yoga.

Nude yoga is generally to be done in the morning before the sun rises. The participants under the guidance of a guru are to enter a large hall with small mats for each participant. The practitioners are to divest themselves of their robes and clothes and commence the logic session as directed by the Guru. It is generally seen that participants of Nude yoga do have very little sexual thoughts as they concentrate on reaching a higher plane. But attractions can develop which in itself is a good thing. There are to be no inhibitions and the aim is to have an awareness of the body and reap the benefits of Yoga to reach a higher spiritual plane.

A Yogic pose in the nude

Real Danger to World Peace is Nuclear Weapons of Pakistan and the Turmoil There

The West Fears a Nuclear Iran, What about a Already Nuclear Pakistan

The Dangers in Pakistan

The refrain all over Israel and the west is that ‘we must prevent Iran from going nuclear’. The fears may or may not be unfounded, but the dread is real as there is a general perception that Iran may nuke Israel and later on the USA (If it develops the capability).

However it surprises me that Israel and the USA are not that much concerned about another Muslim state which is already nuclear. The danger of a nuclear armed Pakistan is much more than Iran. It must be remembered that Pakistan went nuclear to match India. But India is 5 times the size of Pakistan with a much a much more advanced industrial base and a GDP that is 10 times of Pakistan. The Indian Rupee has double the value in the international monetaryMARKET. In addition India is a practicing democracy for 6 decades with an armed force that is the third largest in the world. So nuclear or no nuclear Pakistan cannot claim parity with India.

But the danger by contrast is that Pakistan is extremely unstable. During the last 6 decades of Independence it has faced 5 military coups and 2 of its civilian prime ministers were hanged or assassinated. Pakistan as a matter of state policy also started terrorist movements with the philosophy to ‘bleed India with a 100 cuts’. In addition significant segments of the armed forces were indoctrinated with extremist Islamic thought.

But as we all know those that ride the tiger are eaten by the tiger. Thus the terror groups being nurtured by the Pakistan army turned on their own mentor. The Pakistan Taliban and al Qaeda decided that the present Pakistan regime is to be replaced with an Islamic regime and the rule of the law should be the Shariat. Thus a massive terrorist movement is on in Pakistan to overthrow the present dispensation. These terror groups have also made the USA their enemy number one and have made no secret of their desire to lay hands on the Pakistan nuclear arsenal, which at present consists of about 35-40 warheads.

The danger of these war heads falling into the hands of these terror groups is real as the common soldier and seaman is greatly influenced by Islamic and Jihad rhetoric. This recently resulted even in the Pakistan Naval base at Karachi being infiltrated by extremist Muslim groups with the help of seamen of the Pakistan navy resulting in destruction of naval planes and hostages and killings.

Right from Islamabad to Lahore and Karachi not forgetting the volatile Federal Administered tribal territory (FATA) in the North West the Islamic insurgents are waging a war on the Pakistan state. It will be interesting to know that this has resulted in the largest number of killings of political leaders and common citizens anywhere in the world due to terrorist activity. Even the political leaders are not safe as is evidenced by the killing of the Punjab governor by his own body guard. Now teh Punjab Home minister is assassinated. What Mayhem!  !. .

Not much is known in Pakistan as to who in real terms controls the nuclear button. We are also not clear as to how secure the Pakistan Nuclear war heads are with a part of the soldiery itself suspect and sympathizing with extremist philosophy. Many senior Pak officers of their army have been killed and it should not be forgotten that the previous President of Pakistan General Mushraff faced 3 assassination attempts by the Pakistan Taliban. The same people also assassinated the moderate Benazir Bhutto after a public rally.

Though the Pakistan leadership has made no bellicose statements, it should not be forgotten that ZA Bhutto (The hanged ex premier) always talked of the Pakistan nuclear bombs as ‘Islamic bomb”. The real danger is of even 1 or 2 warheads falling in the hands of the Taliban or al Qaeda. The west must be alive to this situation, as it is not in the realm of fantasy. The situation in Pakistan is extremely volatile and Israel and the USA may have an ogre in their back yard. Once this happens the nuclear weapons of Iran will be a childs play.

Lust, Muslim Men and Hindu Women *

Do Muslim Men Lust for Hindu Women

MG Singh

See all 2 photos

See all 2 photos

Inter religious marriage

Lust is a word that means intense or unrestrained sexual craving. Sometimes the word does look vulgar or coarse but it defines a mindset that is dictated by desire and temptation. All over India and Pakistan the one fact that stands out is the number of Hindu girls with Muslim men has husbands. In Pakistan it takes a bizarre form with about 20-25 Hindu girls being kidnapped every month in Sind province and forcibly converted and married to Muslim men. In India there is no coercion but any numbers of Hindu girls marry Muslims. Even the film stars are into it and the most famous present day heroine Karina Kapoor is marrying a Muslim star who has 2 grown up children.

I began to wonder why this is so after all just a few decades the Muslims and Hindus did not have much of intermarriages. Before independence and the advent of the Raj, the Muslims were the rulers and they could have their pick of Hindu girls. Even the warrior Timur selected 200 of the most beautiful Hindu girls for his harem. But it all ended with the Raj and independence.

So frankly I am intrigued to see so many Hindu girls marrying Muslim men. The contrast is stark as in all cases the Hindu girls convert to Islam. This is mandatory and is something that happens, but I suppose there is very little coercion involved, except in Pakistan where the situation is entirely different. I wonder what could be the psychology behind these marriages.

Obviously there is some background to it. One thing that strikes me is loss of power by the Muslims the Hindu girls became unattainable. So the Muslim men with a not a little encouragement from the Mullahs began to assiduously woo Hindu girls. The idea was to win them over and marry them and beget children. It’s like a victory in battle, after all in ancient wars the women were the prize.

These are harsh thoughts, but I suppose there is some truth in it. Thus the Muslim man will go out of his way to court a Hindu girl. What about the Hindu girl? There is a new found freedom given by independent India and the Hindu girl is exercising it to the hilt. One manifestation is these marriages. In contrast the reverse of Muslim girls marrying Hindu boys is just a trickle. Rigidity in Islam is intense?

OROP: A Split and What to do ? *

The agitation led by General Satbir Singh for OROP has done wonders and the government has finally agreed for some of the demands of the ex soldiers , but the core demand as approved and recommended by the Koshiari commission are not approved or watered down. This certainly envisages that some action is called for. The Ex servicemen under Gen Satbir are thus girding up to continue the agitation minus the fast unto death, till the demands are agreed to.

Unfortunately as with all movements a splinter group led by General Balbir Singh has opposed this continuation of agitation. This has brought a schism in the ranks of the movement and one fails to understand the logic of general Balbir and his group. I wonder if he is aware that nothing is won till an agreement encompassing all points is reduced in writing and to rely on airy comments or shall I say " Hawa Bazi" is not a forte of an agitation. General Balbir while opposing the agitation has thus let the soldiers down.

I cannot fathom his reason for this pull back except that it appear to be out of pique as all the  lime light is hogged by Satbir and probably the General Balbir feels left out. So the only way he can come in the lime light is by opposing this agitation. I can't help feeling that General Satbir is right and all servicemen must accept that a let up at this stage may well mean  a great loss. Can the worthy general Balbir answer as to what he plans to do in case the government does not agree and in the fine print backtracks.  Probably he will just sit tight as he cannot revive an agitation again.

As a man sitting thousands of miles away I will caution the old vets not to be taken in by men who advocate a scaling down or suspension of the agitation. There is a fine line between defeat and victory and to win the battle the agitation must go on and the hands of  men like General Satbir be strengthened. People like General Balbir must be shown the door.