On Poetry

A true poem has no meaning. It is only a feeling which connects one seamlessly to self and others. Words only contour inexpressible sentiments.

Niraj Kumar Jha

Grand Hollowness

What they learn and know

Makes gigantic architecture 

Having perfect arches and beams of logic 

Intricate carvings of flawless wordsmithery 

But lo and behold 

It covers only a grand hollowness

Offering no shelter

No solace either

No place for rest and recreation 

Their design is to leave you 

Awestruck and bewildered 

The tragedy is that you visit them eagerly  

Is it that hollowness within you seeks assurance 

Niraj Kumar Jha 

Living and Reliving Reality

A piece of news is there due to its newsworthiness, and the shock value of news makes it more so. The greater possibility is that the reported happenings may not be the trend or representative of the larger reality. On the other end, strangely, something that is just an event of a very quotidian type gets flashed and even that shocks people. Why does this happen? The reason is that specific trends and practices people tend to overlook or do not take notice of because these are so routine, and when these come under abrupt media focus, all those who are aware of the trend and even part of it get shocked to discover it to be a shocking matter. Living reality and reliving reality reported are different cognitive phenomena.  

Niraj Kumar Jha 

Laissez Faire: the Substance of Democracy

 It is capitalism that loosens close-knit communities letting their members recognise and exercise their individuality. Further, an individual discovers his or her person and owns that. People do not know or ignore the simple fact that democracy is a byproduct of capitalism. Chinese collectivists deployed captive capitalism to build a massively productive economy but now it is difficult to keep the mechanism captive. Capitalism inevitably casts subjects into human beings, who in turn tend to remake the society into a republican order. 

Self-respecting people consent only to a republican democracy. They should know that the processes and procedures that they see as democracy are only processes and procedures of democracy, not democracy itself.  The sustaining substance of and for democracy is capitalism. People in businesses serving each other devise means that transform into the republican regime. Any knowing democrat would always seek the maximisation of laissez-faire. 

Niraj Kumar Jha

Globalism v. Internationalism

Nations, I think, would never succeed in designing globalisation, though I believe it would be the default destination of human evolution. A nation propagates the dismantling of barriers only when it has an edge versus the rest in competitiveness. Moreover, a powerful nation may disregard fairness in honouring intellectual rights and trade norms with impunity. Though one can propagate democracy in international relations theoretically or rhetorically, it is not feasible practically. A nation can only ensure its interests through good economic policy domestically and by entering layered bilateral pacts and multilateral arrangements. There is only limited scope for globalisation in the world though it should be promoted; nations can only have better internationalism suiting their national interests as well as global good. Globalisation needs goodwill which interstate interfaces hardly generate, whereas internationalism needs tacts, which every country deploys. If they skillfully act in pursuing their own good, they would be promoting internationalism and thus globalism incrementally. If most nations act rationally, it would become the operating logarithm of the world, without which no country be able to carry out its international business. The problem is that those countries that fail domestically also fail the fair global order. 

Niraj Kumar Jha 

Historiography Shock

Among others, one purpose of historiography is to pave the passage of the future. It is always the future that poses the most critical challenge to humanity, a community, or a person. In this respect, knowledge of the past is a vital resource. It depends on the wisdom of people to use the past and move ahead well-equipped to suitably shape the future or let other people use the past to control them to their whims and fancies. The colonial historians did exactly the latter. India has yet to recover from that historiography shock. We are still far away from acting in unison to ensure that each of us can work to our best for the good of ourselves, our nation, and humanity.

Niraj Kumar Jha

हमारा सत्य

सत्य कोई परम सूत्र नहीं; 
नहीं यह कोई अबूझ रहस्य।  
यह यात्रा नहीं, 
गंतव्य भी नहीं।
यह प्रयोग नहीं, 
यह आविष्कार भी नहीं है। 
सत्य सतत सत्प्रयास है; 
संवेदना से युक्त क्रियाकलाप है।  
सहानुभूति का भाव है; 
स्वानुभूति की क्षमता है।  
यह क्रूरों का प्रतिकार है;
दुष्टों का उपचार है।  
यह सीमितताओं को चुनौती है; 
संभावनाओं के प्रति  सकारात्मकता है। 
सत्य हमारा अस्तित्व है; 

हर क्षण और कण इसकी धुरी है। 
सच हमारा प्रतिदिन का जीवन है।  

जीवन विजयी, सत्य जयी है। 

नीरज कुमार झा 

The Arthshastra for Our Times

 Aristotle had called political science the master science. This is a lasting truism. All different disciplines help humankind in myriad ways in their lives; it is political science which shapes their lives. The civilizational advance of humankind is basically a work of political philosophical or theoretical formulations. 

There is no science in politics but the nomenclature of the discipline studying politics as political science appeals to the concerned citizens of intellect to apply science in its studies. Finding patterns in social processes and scoping the same for human intervention for the collective good is making a science of politics. This is how humanity has moved away from the miserable state of being under the dictate of elements. 

However, applying science is not about sheer voluntarism or willpower, which requires some motivation. Any person and collective have to confront dogmas first and secondly, even more challenging than the first is that the entity has to steer clear of pseudosciences. The challenges are, however, not only mental: a powerful class of clergy espouse and enforce a dogma so the armed and brainwashed vanguards ramrod a pseudoscientific idea. 

Our traditions for long sustained a science of politics which Chanakya's Arthasastra epitomised. However, many would not be comfortable with this statement of fact as they see the treatise as a rule book or a manual of statecraft. They should know that it may look as one wishes but the fact is that it is the skimmed wisdom from the vast pool of knowledge drawn from observations,  experiences and contemplations of ages. 

We need to reinvent the Arthastastra for our times. 

Niraj Kumar Jha 

Owning Expressions

There is a greater chance that one's expressions, thoughts they convey and language they use are not theirs, not even representing their status or interests. More often, expressions possess expressing people, appropriating their persons and dispossessing them of their natural selves and legitimate entitlements. People hardly express themselves; rather expressions puppeteer them. To a certain extent, we all are puppets for frozen expressions.

Niraj Kumar Jha

सामाजिकता के आधार

सामाजिकता के आधारों को लेकर विमर्श अल्प है लेकिन यहआवश्यक है। आधारभूत रूप से यह मानव की जैविक प्रकृति की उत्पति है। दूसरे छोर पर इसका कारक मानवजीवन के पारलौकिक लक्ष्य को लेकर मान्यताएँ हैं । दोनों छोरों के बीच, जन्म और मृत्यु के मध्यकाल में, सामाजिकता के प्रधान कारकों में अभाव और असुरक्षा हैं। सामाजिक उत्कृष्टता हेतु इन नकारात्मकताओं को न्यून करने और कला, साहित्य, क्रीड़ा, स्वास्थ्य, ज्ञान-विज्ञान और पर्यटन को लेकर सहकार की प्रधानता का मार्ग प्रशस्त करने की आवश्यकताएँ है। इसके लिए सामान्य जन की सुरक्षा सुनिश्चित और संपन्नता के पथ को निष्कंटक करना होगा।

नीरज कुमार झा

Appreciation and Veneration

As I can see it, the appreciation of good is almost non-existent. Most people are wired to admire prescribed objects or pieces. It is mostly conformity which we seek and admire. Here it is worthwhile to point it out: appreciation and veneration are two different things. The first is about understanding, gratitude and promotion of good in the spirit of fellowship and veneration is about incomprehensibleness and submissiveness to the perceived greatness. Let me define good here too. Good is one which serves the secular interests of one and all. One's interest is served only in a conducive milieu. The sense and approach of appreciation is a marker of a good education.  

Niraj Kumar Jha 

भाषाई विपन्नता का संकट

भाषाई विपन्नता सम्प्रेषण का बाधक ही नहीं, स्वतंत्रता का भी संकट है। बोध और अभिव्यक्ति की निपुणता का अभाव अधिकतर विवादों का कारण होता है। यह समस्या तथाकथित विद्वानों को लेकर भी भिन्न रूप में व्याप्त है। उनमें से अधिकतर ज्ञान के नाम पर किसी विशिष्ट विचारधारा में प्रशिक्षित होते हैं और उनका भाषाई संसार समृद्ध होने के पश्चात् भी एक विशाल व्यूह रचना ही होती है, जिसका प्रयोजन अन्य का पराजय और स्वयं का महिमामंडन होता है। इस व्यूह रचना का अंधपक्ष यह है कि इसके द्वारा निर्मित व्यवस्था पदसोपानात्मक होती है, जिसमें स्थित व्यक्तियों की परिलब्धियाँ वंचना से शुरू होकर विशेषाधिकार पर समाप्त होती है। वास्तव में भाषा की विपन्नता और इसका दोहन प्रभावरूप में समान परिघटनाएँ हैं ।

नीरज कुमार झा

Democracy's Edge

No matter how large and resourceful land they command, authoritarian regimes face their nemesis after a dazzling performance. As it happened in China, they very capably put the economy in full throttle, and that for decades, and forcibly flattened all the obstructions on the way. But a time comes when intoxicating power numbs the good sense of unquestionable leadership, And, when the leadership deviates, nothing can stop them. This happened in China even earlier, as the leaders there had perpetrated man-made catastrophes on their people.

Democracy, meanwhile, keeps swinging between the workable and non-workable, and any crisis either leads to a course correction or a change of leadership. A federal structure is more geared toward getting back to equilibrium.

Indian democracy, thanks to its great civilization legacies, holds the course. While removing the vestiges of its prolonged occupations, it is driving economic growth sustainably.
Democracy is the substance of national strength for any country, and more so for India. India does face challenges; poverty and corruption remain sticky. It is imperative for every citizen to contribute towards the common good for their own welfare. They must conduce their own conduct to democracy and promote democratic institutions. One must keep in mind that it is the free market that gives the lift democracy needs to remain afloat. The country must ensure a fully free market within borders and promote it strategically internationally.

We must cherish and work for the glory of our civilization and democracy.

Niraj Kumar Jha

Troubles of Literary Representation

Literary and, more so, cinematic pieces are inevitably selective and creative. It is exceptional that a producer does good than harm the social good. Conscientious litterateurs and literature presenters must train themselves rigorously in ethics and sciences. 

Niraj Kumar Jha 

Education and Liberation

 The absence of education has been the greatest threat to freedom. Unfree societies have traditions resistant to education. They do have mechanisms to mould and control minds and they do that in a way that each watches the other so none can defy the mechanism. Any perceived freedom deficit in a society is directly linked to the proportionate quality deficit of its education. 

Education is not about teaching, but it is about enabling the interested to learn. However, it is not as simple as it sounds. It is a consciously accomplished systemic arrangement. Well-meaning persons who are highly educated and competent can alone work the arrangement. There are many who thrive on prevailing ignorant beliefs and practices and they leave no stone unturned to let that go. Such concerted actions over time become traditions and make any learning almost impossible. They do deploy decoys which go by the name of education but only perpetuate the ignorant ways. 

There are many historical and contemporary instances of the subverted education system. I here cite one - the Bolshevic one. They forced the system on the people of the Russian empire and tried to indoctrinate the gullible lot anywhere in the world. The loss of education there in fact threatened the world and caused colossal harm to humanity. 

The effect of the loss of education in any historical phase lingers on. Colonialism in the same way dehumanised the folks in the greater part of the world. They deployed modern methods to uproot their subjects from their land making them mental slaves for times to come. Postcolonial societies have still to find ways to free themselves. And, it is their 'education' primarily, which keeps them clueless. 

A shining arrangement of a good education system was what our ancients devised. The system is testified by the flourishing of literature, arts and sciences during those times. It produced unparalleled prosperity and ensured peace in those times and remains unique in accomplishments to date.  

Niraj Kumar Jha