Ayothya - The long awaited travel

Last week, I had the privilege of visiting Ayodhya and Varanasi.

In Ayodhya, my heart longed for the darshan of Shri Ram — a place sanctified and restored after a prolonged struggle, both in the courts and beyond. Standing there, I felt the weight of history and the blessing of the divine.

From there, I journeyed to Varanasi, to bow before Vishwanath ji and to perform the sacred Thithi.

One serene evening, I found myself seated at the ghats near Kedar Ghat temple. The Ganga flowed majestically, full yet tranquil, as though cradling the twilight in her embrace. With the power supply gone, darkness settled over the city — but the river herself glowed, lit by the fading sun. Here and there, boats drifted gently, carrying little lamps that flickered like stars upon the waters. The air vibrated with the sound of Vedic chants, timeless and resonant.

In that moment, I felt eternity brush past me — a truly soulful experience, etched forever in memory.

Bodies were seen cremated in Many Ghats. I was wondering, why Hindus and Buddists preferred river banks for cremation; that too close to temples.

The practice of cremating bodies on riverbanks in India and Nepal—especially on the Ganges (Varanasi, Haridwar) in India and the Bagmati (Pashupatinath, Kathmandu) in Nepal—comes from a blend of religious belief, cultural symbolism, and practical reasons.

1. Spiritual & Religious Concepts

Water as purifier: In Hinduism (and also in Buddhist traditions in Nepal), rivers are seen as sacred. Especially the Ganga is considered to have divine origins and the power to cleanse sins. Dying near or being cremated on its banks is believed to help the soul attain moksha (liberation from rebirth).

Returning to the elements: Hindu philosophy (Panchabhutas) holds that the human body is made of five elements — earth, water, fire, air, and space. Cremation by fire dissolves the body back into these elements. Putting the ashes into a flowing river completes the cycle.

Journey of the soul: The river symbolizes a passage—continuous, flowing, eternal. Immersion of ashes is thought to help the soul travel smoothly towards the afterlife.

2. Cultural & Symbolic Reasons

Proximity to sacred temples: Cremation ghats (like Manikarnika in Varanasi or Arya Ghat at Pashupatinath) are often adjacent to ancient temples. Families believe cremation there ensures blessings and spiritual merit.

Community & continuity: The riverside ghats are public spaces, so the rituals happen in view of others. This preserves tradition, continuity, and shared belief across generations.

Ashes swept away by river: Yes, it us right — immersion in a flowing river ensures that ashes are carried away, symbolizing the soul’s release from worldly ties.

3. Practical & Scientific Aspects

River as disposal medium: Flowing water disperses remains and reduces the chance of contamination at the cremation site itself.

Ease of cremation: Riverbanks provide flat open spaces, easy access to wood, and continuous water supply needed for rituals (sprinkling, cleansing, extinguishing embers).

Fire as a natural disinfectant: Burning the body prevents spread of disease that might happen if bodies were buried shallowly (especially in flood-prone areas near rivers).

4. Additional Historical/Environmental Angle

In ancient times, burial was less common in the Gangetic plains because the soil was alluvial and rivers flooded frequently. Cremation ensured remains weren’t unearthed or disturbed.

The ashes in rivers also had symbolic ecological meaning — returning nutrients to nature. Though, with today’s population, this has become an environmental challenge.

So in short: It’s a blend of faith (purification, moksha), symbolism (flow of life, release of soul), practicality (fire + water safety), and geography (floodplains).

மகிழ்ச்சி எதில்?

We measure knowledge in schools,

talent in titles,happiness in coins,

and sorrow in the silence of death.

But joy is no marketplace.

A mountain of gold

and a humble cup of coffee

can both warm the soul—

one for an instant,

the other for a lifetime’s memory.

Death may spare us pain,

yet a single careless word

can cut far deeper.

Life knocks only once—

let every breath be sweet.

Better to leave with a smile in the eyes

than tears in the hands.

For the weight of a moment

is not in the clock’s ticking,

but in the shape of our thoughts

Why Do Humans Prefer Bad News?

🧠 1. Evolutionary Wiring: Negativity = Survival

In prehistoric times, our ancestors who were more alert to dangers—a lurking predator, a poisonous plant, a change in weather—were more likely to survive.

> 🧬 Negativity bias developed as a survival mechanism.

This means: We detect threats faster than opportunities Negative events leave stronger and longer-lasting imprints in memory. We tend to assume the worst first—it’s safer

Even today, when physical dangers are rare, our brain responds as if bad news is still a threat to survival.

🧪 2. Neurological Bias: The Brain Reacts More Strongly to Negativity. Studies using fMRI and EEG have shown:

The amygdala, which processes fear and emotion, lights up more in response to negative stimuli

People remember insults more than compliments

Bad news increases cortisol levels (stress hormone), triggering alertness

In short: Negative stimuli are processed more deeply and with greater urgency than positive ones.

📺 3. Media Logic: "If It Bleeds, It Leads"

Media outlets across the globe, especially in the digital era, thrive on attention. Since humans are naturally drawn to bad news, the media ecosystem is designed to amplify fear, outrage, and scandal.

This includes: Gossip, crime, corruption, war, and personal downfall stories. "Breaking news" alerts that hijack your attention

Social media algorithms that reward emotional engagement, especially anger and anxiety

> Fear sells. Outrage spreads. Calm does not go viral.

Even entertainment is not immune—many successful films, series, and dramas are based on conflict, betrayal, or tragedy.

📉 4. Gossip and Schadenfreude: Social Brains at Play

Gossip (especially negative) is a social survival tool.

In ancient tribes:

Gossip helped people monitor reputations

Knowing who was dangerous, untrustworthy, or cheating the group had survival value

Gossip helped strengthen in-groups ("us") by mocking or blaming out-groups ("them")

 This may explain why people are secretly drawn to the downfall of others, especially celebrities or powerful figures—known as schadenfreude (pleasure in others' misfortune).

🧩 5. Cognitive Economy: Negativity Feels 'More Real'

Positive stories often require context, explanation, and effort to believe. But negative stories feel immediate and concrete.

Examples: "Corruption scandal exposed" is easier to grasp than "Quiet reforms succeed""War breaks out" triggers urgency; "Peace treaty signed" seems distant or abstract

The brain prefers shortcuts, and negativity offers fast emotional processing without critical thinking.

🌐 So, Is the International Press Capitalizing on It?

Absolutely. Most global media—especially digital platforms—are not just reporting news but competing for your attention. And they know:

> 🔺 Negative headlines = more clicks

🔺 Fearful content = longer watch time

🔺 Emotional outrage = more shares and comments

This results in what scholars call “doomscrolling”—the compulsive consumption of bad news, which then increases anxiety, stress, and pessimism.

🌱 But Humans Also Long for Hope—What Can Be Done?

While we are wired for negativity, we are also capable of joy, awe, love, and growth. The key is:

✅ Awareness – Understand your biases; don’t let the worst things dominate your mental space

✅ Media Literacy – Ask: Who profits from this panic? Why am I being shown this now?

✅ Curated Consumption – Balance your media diet: combine critical awareness with positive, constructive sources

✅ Community Focus – Support journalism that highlights solutions, not just problems (e.g., "solutions journalism")

🧭 Final thought:

Humans' ancient brain, built to detect danger, has collided with a digital world designed to exploit that fear. But being aware of this makes you part of the solution.

> The challenge now is not just to consume news, but to understand why we consume it, and at what cost.

Indian Lefts -Part 2

The Silent Collapse of the Indian Left — And the Possibility of Renewal

It’s tme to move beyond the well-intentioned musings of individual leftists like Achuthan. However noble or intellectually sound they may seem, such voices no longer resonate—neither within the Left parties nor in public discourse. The ideological centre of the Indian Left has eroded, and the symptoms are now impossible to ignore.

🎭 The Cadres vs the Command

At the grassroots, Left-leaning supporters are often sincere—driven by patriotism, personal integrity, and a deep emotional loyalty to their leaders.

But the leadership tells a different story. Many have become instruments of foreign influence or captive to narrow interest groups. Hidden agendas are not uncommon, and the divide between principle and practice continues to widen.

🧠 A Deeper Crisis: Not Just Ideological, But Epistemological

The Left's failure isn’t only about messaging or strategy—it’s about how they understand reality itself. The Marxist lens of class struggle, while historically powerful, now feels antiquated in a world shaped by:

Artificial intelligence and automation

Identity-based politics

Climate crises

Market-driven governance

Hyperconnectivity and digital surveillance

The Left continues to use 20th-century tools to interpret a 21st-century world. As a result, it no longer even asks the right questions, let alone offer solutions.

🎯 The Shift from Class to Aspiration

Where the Left speaks of exploitation, the Right speaks of aspiration.

Where the Left laments inequality, the Right promises opportunity.

Even among the working class and urban poor, the dream is no longer revolution—it is upward mobility.

The Left’s politics of grievance has failed to evolve into a politics of hope, and in doing so, it has lost its audience.

🕸️ Losing the Cultural Narrative

Politics is no longer limited to parliament or party manifestos.

It plays out on WhatsApp, in cinema, classrooms, festivals, and family dinners. The Indian Right recognised this early and began reclaiming cultural pride—linking nationalism to tradition, faith, and emotional belonging.

The Left, in contrast, either ignored or dismissed these cultural signifiers, often in the name of rationalism or secularism. This created the impression that the Left was out of touch with the Indian psyche, speaking only to urban elites while mocking the everyday values of the masses.

🧱 The Irony of Left Elitism

Though it champions equality, much of the modern Indian Left has become socially and intellectually elitist.

Its urban intelligentsia speaks in the language of academic conferences and journal articles—far removed from the vocabulary of the common man.

Meanwhile, the Right speaks in the language of the street and the temple.

It is emotionally accessible, culturally rooted, and communicatively superior. It has democratised political engagement, while the Left has slipped into self-referential discourse.

🔄 A New Beginning—or a Slow Fade?

The Indian Left stands at a crossroads. Without serious introspection and reform, it risks not just electoral defeat but complete intellectual irrelevance. Yet, there is still a narrow window for renewal.

That path forward demands courage and humility. It requires the Left to:

Move beyond outdated class-war doctrines

Embrace identity politics with care, not cynicism

Engage meaningfully with tradition and faith, without surrendering secular values

Shift from protest to policy innovation

Decentralise leadership and nurture young voices

Speak the language of modern India—not 1960s slogans

The Left must reinvent itself not by mimicking the Right, but by reconnecting with society in real terms. The future belongs to those who offer clarity, empathy, and vision—not just criticism.

🧭 Final Thought

India’s Left has become like a third-grade student asked to submit a professor’s thesis—woefully unprepared for the complexity of today’s challenges.

The fall of the Soviet Union, the capitalist transformation of China, and the strategic evolution of the Indian Right are not just political events; they are warnings—and blueprints.

The time has come for the Indian Left to choose: reinvention or irrelevance.

The Intellectual Decline of the Indian Left

 The Intellectual Decline of the Indian Left

It’s time to move beyond the well-intentioned ideas of individual leftists like Achuthan. However noble they may seem, such thoughts have no real traction—neither within the party nor among the public. The ideological core of the Left, once potent and relevant, has eroded.

At the grassroots, many Left-leaning cadres are sincere—marked by patriotism, personal integrity, and deep affection for their leaders. Yet, the leadership that guides them tells a different story. Over time, it has become increasingly evident that some among the top brass are compromised—either influenced by foreign powers or controlled by vested interests. Hidden agendas are not uncommon. This widening disconnect between the base and the leadership has caused lasting damage.

More critically, the Indian Left as an organisation suffers from a deep ideological vacuum. Once driven by the fierce passion of class struggle and worker mobilisations, it now finds itself stranded. The theoretical backbone of Marxist doctrine, built around class conflict, has lost its edge in a fast-evolving world.

Modern realities—globalisation, the rise of individual enterprise, savings-led growth, corporate ecosystems, the shift from blue-collar to white-collar jobs, the emergence of a powerful middle class, and the steady increase in consumer purchasing power—have rendered the Left’s old templates ineffective. They have failed to adapt.

The Right, by contrast, has formulated long-term strategic plans that address these changes. It has crafted a narrative that aligns with aspirations of a growing nation. The Left, meanwhile, seems clueless—its intellectual engines rusted, its rhetoric stuck in a bygone era.

Beyond slogans, protests, strikes, and calls for rebellion, the Left appears unable to generate new ideas. The revolutionary fervour that may have served a purpose during the industrial age now feels misplaced in an economy driven by innovation, services, and markets.

Today, none of the Left's agendas hold promise. While the Right prepares for the next hundred years, the Left is still clinging to ideological scripts written fifty years ago. The fall of the Soviet Union and China's transformation into a state-driven market economy are living reminders of how the Left’s core doctrines have crumbled or been redefined.

In India, the Left’s position is akin to assigning a third-grade student the task of writing a professor’s dissertation. Their awakening to contemporary challenges is too little, too late.

Take, for instance, the legacy of B. R. Ambedkar. Contrary to popular belief, the Right is not interested in sidelining him. Instead, it is strategically incorporating his image to expand its own ideological appeal.

As for the Congress, it suffers its own identity crisis. Rahul Gandhi remains a figurehead—a product of perception management by those with vested interests. Beyond that symbolic projection, there is little substance.

The Indian Left must confront this crisis with honesty. Without serious introspection, innovation, and ideological renewal, it risks further irrelevance in a rapidly changing political and social landscape.