What is in a name?

          I always wanted a pen name, even from I started writing. I was in 5^th or 6^th class when I started writing whatever comes to my mind. I was fond of having a pen name even though my literary works never shown light. There was a reason for that; I hated my name at that time. Well, my real and official name was not at all liked by me then. But as I grew up the dislike melted away. But I was not connected with my name well.

          My real name is a combined form of two short names. The first part means ‘shining’ or it related to reigns. The second part is a Hindu goddess name and the meaning is prosperity or wealth. And in combination it becomes the altitude of prosperity. My parents decided to name me the second part only but my father’s younger brother insisted to put the first part as well. And thus I got my name. Initially, I felt the name was an outdated one and I didn’t feel any connection with that. But I had to (still have to) face a serious problem than that. Everyone was started to call me the short form of my name, that is the first part only and I hated that more than my whole name. I couldn’t agree with that; that is not my name! But who cares? All my relatives and school friends still call me that. My attitude towards my name changed as years passed as I understood that this is what I got and I have to deal with this. But I am still angry with the short form calling. Fortunately most of my college mates call me by my complete name or shorter version that I approved.

           Apart from this when I meet new people and I tell them my name, I used to see their amusement. Well, that is because and not because of my name. My name explicitly states I’m a Hindu. But my look doesn’t match with that. So this people expect a Christian or Muslim name when they ask for my name used to exclaim ‘you are a Hindu’ or ‘really, looks like a Christian/Muslim’. And this is the one thing in my life that caused excitement to a lot of people. So when I was worried about my name being old, it puzzled a lot of people with my appearance. That is, I think my name doesn’t suits me, others think my appearance doesn’t suits with who I’m.

          Other thing which caught my attention later was that the name of goddess (which is my name) doesn’t go well with my personality. The Hinduism provides you more than 33 crores of Gods including men and women (this story prevalent in Kerala, I don’t know whether it is applicable in other areas too). Most of them are assigned with different tasks. This goddess of wealth is somewhat like calm, quiet and subtle character who gives blessings to whoever prays to her. I’m a little bit noisy and reactive. So people close to me used to say about this disparity between me and my name.

      In my college time, during our talk my friend said that I should be a 'kali, durga or bhadra' and my parents made a mistake while naming me. Those are Hindu goddesses who manage law and order type of things. At first, I was not happy with that comment; I thought I was not that much virulent. Then I liked the idea, all those were gracious, independent women who well manages the system. I felt (still feels) every woman should be gracious as well as courageous. Suddenly, my wish to have a pen name popped up. So, even though I haven’t proven to be one of them I took the name ‘DURGA’ as my pen name with the hope that I will be the ‘meaning’ of that name with my pen. And then I added my parents’ name (in short form) as initials. After that I write by this name, I became Durga when I write. Well, I like my pen name than my original. It has something that connects with me well.

            I don’t hate my original name. Now, I respect my name more than before. That is my identity towards the world. It is important for me as it represent me in the world I live. And I like the name I given myself because it represent for what I think I’m. Both can’t be wrong. It is important for some to suit their name with their persona.  For others it should be match with what they are in front of the society.  The meaning, logic, origin: everything behind a name matters. A name matters.

Where are we going?

   If BJP, the party based on ‘Hindutva’ ideology came to power what would happen to the communal harmony and secularism of our country was a concerning question for a lot of people a few months back (I wondered why there was a huge concern this time since we had an NDA rule before too, but now I know ‘all is not the same’ this time). The BJP lead NDA has been ruling India for the last 10 months. So, does the 10 months rule sweep past all the fears and concerns of people or exaggerated it? One doesn’t have to search a lot for the answer, just check some news that made the headlines for the past few months, the answer lies there. Art, culture, science, history, education, awards…nothing could escape from the hands of religion and favouritism (even though favouritism was here for as long as our constitution, it took new dimensions now).

     Actually I expected a lot more reaction from people of different fields in these things. But to my surprise not even their political opponents took these matters seriously. There were murmurings, but nothing came strong even from the social protectors, the eminent people who stand for our constitutional values and rights. Doesn’t that concern when some people questions everything what India stands for and Government just stand and watch? Actually, the Government itself was so much interested in making comments and claims in addition to their ‘silent backing’ of their allies.

    A number of our union ministers including our Prime minister himself were eager to add some more scientific achievements to our kitty (as India’s findings) which are backed by myths. In that way the fathers of genetic sciences, plastic surgery, aero planes etc. are Indians (please refer puranas, itihasas etc.). In addition to that we can boast of the Uncertainty principle and Pythagoras theorem as our discovery now, our ministers have proofs. One of the papers presented at the prestigious Indian Science Congress was titled ‘ancient Indian sciences through Sanskrit’. I have no idea what the ‘science through Sanskrit’ means. I just hope at least the person who presented the paper got some idea about the subject. And the comment that we don’t need a science congress to utter blunders and to distort facts is an acceptable one. Those nonsenses are shame to both sciences and our discoveries.

    The love for Sanskrit never stops as the government replaced the third language German with Sanskrit in Kendriya Vidyalayas and that too in between the academic year with immediate effects. History taught me that Sanskrit was always a language for the rich and elite people; it was never allowed to use by common man. But the importance of Sanskrit in our past life and literature is unquestionable. Yet, should we give the importance in the name of religion? Now, it’s like ‘Sanskrit should be preserved because it is Hindu holy language, river Ganga should be cleaned because it is Hindu Holy River and cows should be spared because they are Hindu holy animals!!’. All these deserve importance in our land even without the Hindu tag. Nowadays everything is watched and rated through the eyes of religion.

     Bhagavat Gita contesting for the ‘what wants to be the national scripture?’ competition was news to me. Even though the minister said ‘work is in progress’ and ‘almost completed’ to make the holy text the last word of India, the move was came as a surprise to most of the people. Fortunately it turned out to be her dream only.

     And the Government decided to celebrate December 25 as good governance day to celebrate the birthday of two great Indian men. And to show the ‘good governance’, the day should be a working day, not a holiday. It has no intention to override Christmas, trust me, not even in their dreams! So if the two birthdays don’t coincide with the Christmas day, then what would be we celebrating on 25^th December, ‘the waiting for tsunami remembrance day’??

     The social empowerment lessons by RSS, VHP and their tributaries to enlighten and improvise the Hindus are the highlight of this period. Those people are in search for ‘ram santhans’. There is still confusion between some ‘experts’ whether a Hindu woman should bear 4 or 10 children to expand the ‘Hindu army’. ‘Reproduce maximum and keep the majority’ is the developmental slogan for Hindu women (women empowerment to its highest level!).

      At present, Government is not seeing any forced conversion in ‘ghar vapsi’ and it is just a natural thing to happen. Of course, people do get converted to Hinduism to get BPL cards and ration cards, which is quite normal. What to worry? If anybody has complaint, government is ready to ban forced conversions, their part is so clean. And whoever doing this is trying to help some poor people go ‘back to their roots’, just that! (Funny thing, isn’t it? people with no back bones showing others their roots!!) And this is not at all the answer for love jihad or things like that, please don’t doubt something like that (How can one doubt the ‘largest social group’ RSS or even VHP for such a crime?).

    The attacks towards films and literary works continue. No place for fictions or imaginations. Writers and directors can’t show the ugly truth that taking place on the back of religion and especially God. If you do so, you may have to take VRS. What do you just ask; freedom of expression? If you ‘passed’ by religious institutions and their heads of this country, you can express anything. What, censor board to check this? Oh, come on, what is the difference between the censor board and a religious institution now!

      The answer to how many times I heard ‘India is a Hindu nation’ in the past 9 months should be infinite. Each day somebody or other going to say this thing or they just say ‘all Indians are Hindus’. And a lot of them boast of the government they got this time to support them to achieve their vision. In a secular country, government should clear this to people whether their vision is to make the development of all Indians or to make a Hindu nation.

     Hindu fundamentalists demanded the proof from the non-Hindu husbands for their love towards their Hindu wives. They just have to convert to Hindu religion to prove their infinite love, as simple as that. And other finding was that the celebrities who indulge in inter caste marriages are proven to be wrong examples to the new generation. I agree with Government in this case, silence should be the best answer for this. This can’t be honoured with a reply. But does this allow to be continued?

       Amidst of all these Government itself is ‘mistakenly’ omitting words ‘secular’ and ‘socialist’ from the preamble of the constitution. The value of civilian honours is going down. And the law and order found the vandalizing of churches at the capital as just theft attempts. Most of such actions were never seen by the government, or if see, ‘people who complain, communalizing it; not the ones doing it’.

     One of the leaders of a political party who is a Muslim proposed 51 crores reward for the Charlie Hebdo murderers. He said such an action avenged the ridiculing of prophet. It was heard that some cases charged against him. Well, this one is not by the Hindu fundamentalist. But still whoever living with this mentality despite of the religion is a danger to the nation. A silent government with closed ears towards Hindu fundamentalism will apparently loose its power against all communal activities. What could you say to the people who are ready to shed blood for avenging Gods and prophets?

      Another thing which I find irritating has been here for decades, and it has been here regardless the parties rule the center. Whenever something happens in Srilanka some regional parties of a state make some noise, the same thing happens when somebody goes to Srilanka and somebody come to India from Srilanka. These parties need to approve the agreements and deals with Srilanka and all the Governments allow this. If Srilankan ethnic community (Tamils) faced violence or their human rights violated then that should be condemned. But that doesn’t mean that India should always interfere in whatever happen in Srilanka. I always doubted whether the Srilankan Tamils are actually Srilankans or Indians. They are Srilankan citizens and they should be considered like that. Human right violations are condemnable whether it happens in Srilanka, Paris, Palestine or Pakistan, alike. Government should not allow the play of regionalism in international matters.

    Until now the Government doesn’t make a single statement against the communal remarks by its own persons, functionaries or allies. Actually unlike I used the word ‘Government’ many times in this post the Government itself proclaims ‘a single person’ going to make a lot of things in India. It’s not called democracy if a person’s vision forming the agenda than a group of people working on it. It is the main duty of a Government to keep the good values of the country as it is. When the whole world admires us as the country of Mahatma, how the governing body can shut its eyes towards ‘Gandhi out, godse in’ policy of their best friends? The ruling party should clear this, what they really think? If they are on the same page with these fringe elements then Indians don’t need such a government. If they are the Government of India now, then act like one by taking actions against these people.

      Communalism (Hindu, Muslim or any other) is spreading all over the country faster than anything else. These insidious powers are succeeding in inflicting the young minds easily. They all are setting their moral codes in the society, making their own rules and establishing it (forcibly). Unfortunately, people are drawn to this based on their religion. And the new generation is getting the lessons about religions from these antisocial groups; some of them fall into this trap and some start to believe these religions anti human. Both are hazardous. This is the effect of some wrong men preaching the religious extremism as the way of living in the name of Gods.

     All the political parties utilized the religion and caste sentiments of the people to get their votes always. Parties always tried to please various caste and religious groups by various methods. But now, a Government which elected with a handsome mandate by the people allows its ministers to induct the Hindu element whenever they get a chance. It permits the religious leaders to utter anything which could affect the communal harmony. And these apostles of religions are showing their versions of religion and the exact opposite of what religion standing for.  And more than that the Government says there is nothing wrong happening and everything is our imagination.

       India is not a Hindu nation and all Indians are not Hindus. I don’t think any Indians have a different view on this. And in India, majority is not giving the minority the maximum religious freedom; it is the constitution of India or India herself giving all its citizens the maximum and equal religious freedom regardless of their differences in their believes. Everyone has the right to follow any religion and proud about that, but it is not the license to implement their logic on others. And most important thing, we need leaders who help in the development of whole country with no pseudo secular thoughts. We need leaders who wish the people of India not only makar sankranthi and janmashtami but also Eid and Christmas. And we need ‘Indians’ here in this country who are proud to be that than anything else. It is better to lose the ‘majority egoism’ and ‘minority fears’. Hope the government will soon address all these worries and it will be people friendly than religion friendly.