We invented pen and gun. Both very mighty, earth-shaping or you could say earth-breaking inventions! During the early era, the gun might have been a better tool initially than pen because it could be directly used to guard and defend human lives from beasts that roamed in the jungles. Not very long before I was born, one night my grandfather fired a shot in the highlands of Bangladesh to save his family and villagers from a rampaging wild elephant.
In our modern times without fear of attacks from beasts any longer, we have trained the guns at each other. There are so much guns in the world that there is one trained at everybody's back!
There is a big tussle between two powerful forces to conquer the domain of human conscience. I am referring to the pen and gun - the good and the evil force. Which force do you pay faith or heed to? What force plays in the big, airy dormitory inside your head?
Go to bed, have dreams as you sleep; or wake up and have dreams while awake; next you go chasing your colorful dreams. Hey stop, lemme ask you: how have you equipped yourself for the chase – with a pen or gun?
Turn on the TV to the news channels. Flip the pages of the morning newspaper. Or, browse the internet looking for news. Folks, can we realize how much the gun gained over our head and thought-process?! There's now so much guns out there we've one trained at everybody's back.
We have endless problems in our world started all by the gun. We have fielded our best man out there to control and mop away the problem, and guess how and what are the tools as he tries for a solution, it is none other than the gun. Guns booming against guns, ceaselessly, however, who is dying?? The guns are lifeless, they have nothing to lose, eventually we lose as we human die. Relate to the news that you just received thru the TV news, newspaper headlines and internet updates that you checked, we are dying. We are dying because of the guns.
One is saluted by the load of his guns. A person salutes and heeds the street cop than his professor. A country respects another by the enormity of the gun against his. There are more people in the globe that reports to duty with a gun than pen. There is more production of guns and ammunition than pen and chalks around the globe. A gun can go off any time. A gunshot could pierce the night sending down a chill down your wife's spine and make your sleeping baby cry. Compare the chalk. A chalk does not produces a mad noise. If it is squealing in the morning across millions of classrooms all over the globe, its disturbance is actually good for all those sloppy and dreamy kids in the class rapping them up from their inattention and drowsiness. That's your dreamy kid that goes to high school that the squealing just helped!
How are you equipping your child as a family ...... with a gun or a pen??
If family members are not supporting schooling for the children, restricting getting social with friends or entering playgrounds and family elders are failing to set example of fairness and good conduct; their child will grow up to chase the dreams with the gun, not with the pen. The child will show a less tolerant attitude, not nurture a compassionate heart, wants to have what does not belongs to him, not accept the truth and always deny the truth, and, ever ready to use force at every turn of his life for the meekest reason. The child that the family breeds will have abused all the energy of his lifetime, diverted all of it towards unproductive activities without any positive contribution to the family and unto himself. Economically, that's no more than a pest to the family and the state. In the traditional Indian interpretation, a person of such nature will have to take birth again and again to unlearn bad habits (bad karma) and learn good habits (good karma) and then how to hold the pen with the fingers instead of the gun-trigger. In the Buddhist language, circle the samsara cycle without end.
To nation-heads across all 6 continents, I ask you to sit down and ponder over your lost days sitting as a child in the classroom. Come out of your thought, a deep breath and pose yourself the question: how am I equipping my citizens ..... with the pen or gun?
Next order your troops to withdraw, de-alert them all, and reconsider all those policies that your government has backed or backing up where the gun is the means to the end.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Friday, April 3, 2009
To all our brethrens especially Karbi Anglong's
Question on God, can God be unkind to us? Not long ago in South-East Asia, the God just spreaded the Chakmas like butter outside their permanent domicile!!! In this way, our Chakmas are spreaded over the farthest eastern frontier of India known as the North-East India! A substantial Chakma population is found as half-foreigner and half-citizen along the belt of Himalayan foothills and tropical forested areas of the Brahmaputra valley in Arunachal Pradesh. Their main source of livelihood is subsistence farming. Their lands are known to be exquisitely fertile and cultiviable, yielding rich paddy crop and mustard seeds year after year. While the paddy stock meets their two squares of meal daily, the mustard seeds harvested during winter earns cash. In India, the cash or currency is called 'rupee'. In addition, families are bound to own a pair of trained bulls for the purpose of tilling their lands. In case not, you've just discovered the poorest family in a Chakma village! Their annual economy essentially banks on a plot of tillable land, a good summer followed with a good winter and a pair of trained bulls.
An equal chunk or higher live in Mizoram, admist the Christain Mizos, are well settled with full citizenship status, and better positioned by far than any Chakma family from Arunachal or Tripura though trailing far behind their Mizo neighbors in sectors more than one. Thinking of our Mizoram brethrens, the foremost object that comes to the mind is that they live in the only town in India which is built for the Chakmas by the Chakmas. There is abundance of business and trade both domestic and cross-border trade handled by Chakma business family and traders. What is less attractive about them is that, sometimes, they have this image that they do not push their children hard into pursuance of higher studies at university level. The tend to find comfort in mediocrity. Their region has, otherwise, got the right ground and economic strength to launch their wards to the finest university campuses available throughout the nation and produce brilliant gems who could lead their local community forward plus extend helpful assistance to brethrens beyond Mizoram borders. There is the splendid gift in their hands - an autonomous district council - bestowed by the Gandhis and Congress.
The situation of our brethrens in Tripura is plainly alike to Arunachal or Mizoram. There is nothing significant except that they may have gained some extent of powers in the field of active politics and civil service division of the state govenment of Tripura. This is a very direct statement though I don't mean to be impolite, however, their unfortunate aspect is that they may have absorbed too much culture, fashion and language of their Bengali neighbors. This is sad. The best deal though is at their hands, geographically, they live closest to the ancestral CHT. If they wish anytime, they can plan and wrap up a CHT trip with a flick of a finger, which is a real blessing judging from the envious eye of an Arunachalese Chakma. It's requires a good measure of budget preparation, lenghty road travels and above all a strong conviction for the man from Arunachal to make a make a trip to CHT to meet the relatives who still live there, the brave one who defied communal flares, hostile governance and ruthless military operations throughout decades to retain their original spot on earth. Coming back to the main point, there is something that I really admire that will not go unhighlighted: I am continously impressed with their fondness of traditional music and folklores, initiatives, experimentation and producing commendable arts! They keep aside the time to practice and create music for our ears! We look forward to each year for a nice piece of art work release. There's quite many out there awaiting some form of art work release around this Bizu! Lastly, those of you not belonging to Tripura may protest, but the most romantic youths in our whole tribe are to be found in Tripura only.
Looking beyond the Indian border, my deepest respect to our brethrens in CHT who did not falter and braved the worst of times to protect and retain the traditional homes, villages, culture and heritage. When dusk befalls and the body is willing to surrender, they can breathe their last on their own soil with dignity, honor and peace of inner mind. There is one thing for which it is worth a man's life, that is for the defend of one's birth place. Had we a rosy past, had we a nation to call our own, something unlikely to ever have, you could get these sentimental feelings. As a Chakma, there are many things that we will never understand in our life, like fighting for the nation, sacrificing for the nation, winning for the nation. I will carry a deep regret to my grave that I have never lived in a nation of my own....
Coming back to the main topic, the modern generation of Chakma women in CHT has a prized place in my heart. First of all, they deserve three-big-cheers for re-inventing the 'khadi'. I heartily appreciate the women society for transferring the new weaving skill to their sisters living far across the other side of the international border. (I've seen a new khadi from Tripura and Mizoram, but not sure having seen one from Arunachal, hope some girl out there did that, probably I just need to sniff out who ;-) Secondly, my metta specially goes out for the women again for helping nurture a Dhamma bent of mind among their family members - be it a son or daughter, brother or sister, husband and parents and old grandparents. (In every dhamma publications released from CHT, I am impressed to see the sheer number of women Buddhist devotees, their respect for the Triple Gems, heartfelt reverance for the living dhamma gurus, and participation in dhamma activities in support of their local viharas.)
One more para dealing with Karbi Anglong brethrens would do very good in the blog, unfortunately, can't produce any about them from me. Last evening I attended a phone call from Bodhgaya. I spoke Phra Ratna, who told me that our brethrens in Assam are suffering being left stranded from all of us - all of us includes the Chakmas residing in Arunachal, Tripura, Mizoram, Delhi and CHT. Our brother and sisters living in Karbi Anglong do not seem to be progressing at all! They are stalled. Their livelihood could be very toiling and harder than anything we meet daily. If you are a student or an officer in any metropolitan city in India, please ask a question to yourself: Do you know of a Chakma brethren belonging to Karbi Anglong living in your city for studies or job? Phra Ratna's answer is blank! So is mine! What is your answer?
Somebody who's been to and mixed with the brethrens in Karbi Anglong could fill the left over space in the blog by making a comment. Interested? Please forward a short one to me at your convenient time. I will have a little trip to Northeast, not sure if I can squeeze a quick visit to Karbi Anglong. If that can be, it would be great.
Wishing HaPpY BIZU GREeTiNg to all Chakma bhei-bhon lock!
Have a colorful time!
Lots of Metta!
*living under the indian democratic instituion as an half-baked citizen, but riding on the liberty to full speech and expression, these are liberal opinions of an individual. if readers disagree and/or words or comments may have hurt sentiments, which is not in the intention, my sincere and advance apologies. if you believe that author may have overshot in his opinion, please comment and freely feed updates to the author. i welcome it.
An equal chunk or higher live in Mizoram, admist the Christain Mizos, are well settled with full citizenship status, and better positioned by far than any Chakma family from Arunachal or Tripura though trailing far behind their Mizo neighbors in sectors more than one. Thinking of our Mizoram brethrens, the foremost object that comes to the mind is that they live in the only town in India which is built for the Chakmas by the Chakmas. There is abundance of business and trade both domestic and cross-border trade handled by Chakma business family and traders. What is less attractive about them is that, sometimes, they have this image that they do not push their children hard into pursuance of higher studies at university level. The tend to find comfort in mediocrity. Their region has, otherwise, got the right ground and economic strength to launch their wards to the finest university campuses available throughout the nation and produce brilliant gems who could lead their local community forward plus extend helpful assistance to brethrens beyond Mizoram borders. There is the splendid gift in their hands - an autonomous district council - bestowed by the Gandhis and Congress.
The situation of our brethrens in Tripura is plainly alike to Arunachal or Mizoram. There is nothing significant except that they may have gained some extent of powers in the field of active politics and civil service division of the state govenment of Tripura. This is a very direct statement though I don't mean to be impolite, however, their unfortunate aspect is that they may have absorbed too much culture, fashion and language of their Bengali neighbors. This is sad. The best deal though is at their hands, geographically, they live closest to the ancestral CHT. If they wish anytime, they can plan and wrap up a CHT trip with a flick of a finger, which is a real blessing judging from the envious eye of an Arunachalese Chakma. It's requires a good measure of budget preparation, lenghty road travels and above all a strong conviction for the man from Arunachal to make a make a trip to CHT to meet the relatives who still live there, the brave one who defied communal flares, hostile governance and ruthless military operations throughout decades to retain their original spot on earth. Coming back to the main point, there is something that I really admire that will not go unhighlighted: I am continously impressed with their fondness of traditional music and folklores, initiatives, experimentation and producing commendable arts! They keep aside the time to practice and create music for our ears! We look forward to each year for a nice piece of art work release. There's quite many out there awaiting some form of art work release around this Bizu! Lastly, those of you not belonging to Tripura may protest, but the most romantic youths in our whole tribe are to be found in Tripura only.
Looking beyond the Indian border, my deepest respect to our brethrens in CHT who did not falter and braved the worst of times to protect and retain the traditional homes, villages, culture and heritage. When dusk befalls and the body is willing to surrender, they can breathe their last on their own soil with dignity, honor and peace of inner mind. There is one thing for which it is worth a man's life, that is for the defend of one's birth place. Had we a rosy past, had we a nation to call our own, something unlikely to ever have, you could get these sentimental feelings. As a Chakma, there are many things that we will never understand in our life, like fighting for the nation, sacrificing for the nation, winning for the nation. I will carry a deep regret to my grave that I have never lived in a nation of my own....
Coming back to the main topic, the modern generation of Chakma women in CHT has a prized place in my heart. First of all, they deserve three-big-cheers for re-inventing the 'khadi'. I heartily appreciate the women society for transferring the new weaving skill to their sisters living far across the other side of the international border. (I've seen a new khadi from Tripura and Mizoram, but not sure having seen one from Arunachal, hope some girl out there did that, probably I just need to sniff out who ;-) Secondly, my metta specially goes out for the women again for helping nurture a Dhamma bent of mind among their family members - be it a son or daughter, brother or sister, husband and parents and old grandparents. (In every dhamma publications released from CHT, I am impressed to see the sheer number of women Buddhist devotees, their respect for the Triple Gems, heartfelt reverance for the living dhamma gurus, and participation in dhamma activities in support of their local viharas.)
One more para dealing with Karbi Anglong brethrens would do very good in the blog, unfortunately, can't produce any about them from me. Last evening I attended a phone call from Bodhgaya. I spoke Phra Ratna, who told me that our brethrens in Assam are suffering being left stranded from all of us - all of us includes the Chakmas residing in Arunachal, Tripura, Mizoram, Delhi and CHT. Our brother and sisters living in Karbi Anglong do not seem to be progressing at all! They are stalled. Their livelihood could be very toiling and harder than anything we meet daily. If you are a student or an officer in any metropolitan city in India, please ask a question to yourself: Do you know of a Chakma brethren belonging to Karbi Anglong living in your city for studies or job? Phra Ratna's answer is blank! So is mine! What is your answer?
Somebody who's been to and mixed with the brethrens in Karbi Anglong could fill the left over space in the blog by making a comment. Interested? Please forward a short one to me at your convenient time. I will have a little trip to Northeast, not sure if I can squeeze a quick visit to Karbi Anglong. If that can be, it would be great.
Wishing HaPpY BIZU GREeTiNg to all Chakma bhei-bhon lock!
Have a colorful time!
Lots of Metta!
*living under the indian democratic instituion as an half-baked citizen, but riding on the liberty to full speech and expression, these are liberal opinions of an individual. if readers disagree and/or words or comments may have hurt sentiments, which is not in the intention, my sincere and advance apologies. if you believe that author may have overshot in his opinion, please comment and freely feed updates to the author. i welcome it.
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