Insightful newsletter of Drishtikone: Issue #130

(Photo by Sergey Pesterev on Unsplash)

“It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important.” ― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince

Creating something of value is never sexy. When you spend your time on manure, water, fertilizer, soil, dirt, and sun; you may get the beautiful rose or a nutritious vegetable.

Shaping a Civilization and life is also like that. Work on the small, simple things, and hopefully one day something good may come out of that.

Search for Truth is very similar too. You look at the world and you keep dismantling everything that is the Untruth. You let that urge to seek the Truth seep in deep. So deep that distinguishing between what aligns with the Truth of all-pervading consciousness and what does not becomes clear. You look at things and keep contemplating from the vantage of the universal consciousness and you realize which direction may help.

But the full awareness is impossible without a Guru who has tread the path. Those who say they don’t “need a Guru”, are either megalomaniacal idiots or Swambhu Shiv Himself. Everyone else needs a Guru.

“Rajiv Gandhi was like a Cushion”

Who was Rajiv Gandhi? The Indian media and writers have treated him with kids’ gloves and have white-washed a lot of his work and personality. That is why, it is sometimes interesting to know what those people, whose job it was to evaluate you for finding a way to influence geopolitics think of you? How do they analyze your personality along with their strengths and weaknesses?

Some of the documents detailing the confidential assessment of Gandhi’s tenure in office by the British high commissioner in New Delhi, David Goodall, have been declassified. Interestingly, the British Foreign Office in London had called his observations and analysis as an “astute and perceptive analysis”. (Source)

The British Government did not hold Rajiv Gandhi in high esteem and believed that the cabinet dynamics were that of an “oriental court”, where he was “king among courtiers”.

Goodall’s note said:

“The small coterie of privileged bureaucrats and political associates on whom he relies for advice are liable to go in and out of favour with disconcerting suddenness; and the question who currently has the Prime Minister’s ear is the perennial topic of speculation among both Indian and foreign political observers in Delhi”. “After over four years in office, inexperience is no longer a sufficient excuse. It has become clear that Gandhi also has problems of indecisiveness and a tendency to lose interest in the implementation of policies”. (Source)

The British High Commissioner likened Rajib Gandhi to a cushion!

“It would be unfair of apply to him Lord Beaverbook’s dictum about Lord Derby that, like a cushion, he bears the imprint of the last person to have sat on him; but it is a frequent observation that he is too influenced by the last person who has spoken to him, and that he signally lacks judgment in his choice of close advisers”.

Rajiv Gandhi’s style of functioning was very autocratic and the British thought it reminded them of the late Shah of Persia. No one could dare speak negatively or even contradict him

We are told that in cabinet no-one, with the possible exception of K C Pant, the Defence Minister, dares to contradict him. With 24 re-shuffles in four years, no Minister has been allowed to remain in one job long enough to establish an independent political reputation

Here is an image of the declassified papers.

This kind of man had ruled India for so long and had decided the future of India!

Xi and Duryodhan - leadership lessons

What is happening between India and China is very interesting. We have two different types of leaders. China has Xi Jinping and India has Narendra Modi.

As Xi has become the leader of the Chinese Communist Party for life, he has been orchestrating the battles that China is now involved in - Wuhan virus, South China Sea, Ladakh, Vietnam, Taiwan, US, and Hong Kong - to boost his power. When close to a hundred Chinese were killed in the Galwan clash, the Chinese did not even provide them proper acknowledgment.

The Indian side is very different. The battles are being taken up and fought because they are being forced upon India. Now, that the battles have been brought upon India, the Army has full authority.

Two different types of leaders. One for himself and the other who fights because the battle is to be fought for the nation.

There is a very interesting parallel in Mahabharat. In the very first chapter, Duryodhan is introducing the different characters, and as he does that he betrays his style of leadership as well as his fears of his main opponent - Bheem. Let us take a look.

अस्माकं तु विशिष्टा ये तान्निबोध द्विजोत्तम।
नायका मम सैन्यस्य संज्ञार्थं तान्ब्रवीमि ते॥१-७॥

हे द्विजोत्तम, हमारी ओर भी जो विशिष्ट योद्धा हैं उन्हें आप को बताता हूँ। हमारी सैन्य के जो प्रमुख नायक हैं उन के नाम मैं आप को बताता हूँ। (Sir, now I will tell you about our side of the Army. The main warriors and the leaders.)

भवान्भीष्मश्च कर्णश्च कृपश्च समितिंजयः।
अश्वत्थामा विकर्णश्च सौमदत्तिस्तथैव च॥१-८॥

आप स्वयं, भीष्म पितामह, कर्ण, कृप, अश्वत्थामा, विकर्ण तथा सौमदत्त (सोमदत्त के पुत्र) – यह सभी प्रमुख योधा हैं। (You yourself, Bheeshm Pitamah, Kripa, Karna, Ashwathama, Vikarna and Saumdutt – son of Somdutt are the main warriors of our side.)

अन्ये च बहवः शूरा मदर्थे त्यक्तजीविताः।
नानाशस्त्रप्रहरणाः सर्वे युद्धविशारदाः॥१-९॥

हमारे पक्ष में युद्ध में कुशल, तरह तरह के शस्त्रों में माहिर और भी अनेकों योद्धा हैं जो मेरे लिये अपना जीवन तक त्यागने को त्यार हैं। (The warriors on our side are very skillful and have numerous arms and ammunitions and many warriors who are ready to give up their lives for me.)

अपर्याप्तं तदस्माकं बलं भीष्माभिरक्षितम्।
पर्याप्तं त्विदमेतेषां बलं भीमाभिरक्षितम्॥१-१०॥

भीष्म पितामह द्वारा रक्षित हमारी सेना का बल पर्याप्त नहीं है, परन्तु भीम द्वारा रक्षित पाण्डवों की सेना बल पूर्ण है। (Our Army orchestrated and designed by Bheeshm Pitamah does not have adequate strength but the Army that is protected by Bheem is very strong.)

First, let us get some background on the cast the Duryodhan mentions, just to get some background on Mahabharat.

Somdutt: When Devaki was young and was ready for marriage, many princes competed for her hand. There was a battle between Somdutt and Sini. Sini won the battle and took Devaki for Vasudev. Satyaki, also mentioned earlier in Gita was Sini’s grandson. Kripacharya: was the wise old man of Hastinapur. He was the Chief Priest of Hastinapur. He was the son of Sharadvan and Apsara Urvashi. Sharadvan was the son of Devi Ahlaya and Rishi Gautam. Kripacharya’s sister, Kripi was married to Dronacharya. Vikarna fought on the side of the Kauravas, although he had objected to the disrobing of Draupadi earlier.

Who is a leader?

It is interesting that although Duryodhan feels that people on his side of the line are willing to give up their lives for “him”, yet the Pandava Army is stronger and better.

An able leader is the one who – despite the obvious emotions that he may arouse in his followers – makes them believe that they are fighting or “in it” for themselves. If the followers or the fighters believe they are fighting for someone else, their ability to give 100% will never be there.

For Duryodhan it was always all about himself. No matter what Bheeshma Pitamah or the other elderly advised him, he treated that advice with utter disdain. And it was quite an irony that the person who was most against the war with Pandavas was Duryodhan’s Chief of Army. How do you enter a war with such an army?

If Arjun had doubts about the war and needed a Bhagwad Gita to go beyond them, then it is foolhardy to believe that elderly warriors on the Kaurav side were crystal clear in their minds about their role in the war.

Also, despite his self-confidence, Duryodhan shows that his personal fear got better of his ego when the actual war showed up at his door. Bheem was Duryodhan’s main competitor and Duryodhan always fancied himself as being better than Bheem. Yet, at the moment when death – of such gigantic proportions looked in the eye, his fear couldn’t be hidden behind his ego.

The repeated attacks, the espionage, the use of leftist Naxals - are all desperate attempts of a fearful despot to turn around what he knows that he will lose on the ground.

With each attack, where losses keep piling up, what we see is a similar leader who wants his men to die for him. Him. When he knows that the force on the other side is much superior. He is still willing to risk it all. For his ego.

How human follies and destiny are stuck in a circular rigmarole.

TheQuint Journalist arrested for passing military secrets to China

The Indian journalist Rajeev Sharma has been arrested. He has disclosed details about his involvement in the procurement of secret/sensitive information and sending them to his Chinese handlers. They were named Michael and George and were based in Kunming, China. He was using different digital channels to get them through to them. This is the statement/press release by the Delhi Police.

As is obvious, he was scoped out by the Chinese establishment and then taken to China and “groomed”. They used front companies as well as informal payment mechanisms to buy his loyalty. Here is a photo that may be interesting to many people of the 60s-70s generation.

The two men standing are KGB agent Yuri Bezmenov and Indian poet Sumitranandan Pant. Yuri calls people like Pant as “political prostitutes.” Yuri points to the many liquor bottles which were used to dumb down these men. They knew why they were being wined and dined, but they pretended that it was because of their great talent.

This grooming of journalists and so-called intellectuals happens as a means of warfare. In this video, Yuri Bezmenov - who was the KGB cultural attache/spy assigned to India - discussing the KGB subversion work within India. (You can watch the full video, but I have it started from where he discusses his India operation)

the rampant grooming (love jihad) crimes in India

Three Muslims - Shakeel, Imran, and Noor Alam changed their names to Hindu names are tried to seduce three sisters in Bilaspur, Chattisgarh. They got them to Lucknow and tried to force them to convert. Hardoi police have now filed a case against these three cheats.

Grooming, which is mistakenly called “Love Jihad” in India, is an old technique that the evangelical Abrahamic followers have used to further their conversion and imperialist agenda.

The recent spate of Grooming / Love Jihad crimes had started in the UK specifically and Europe in general, specifically by Pakistani Muslim youth where they targeted White, Sikh, and Hindu women using different “techniques”.

The technique of using emotional appeal in converting people is a “best practice” that has been perfected by the Christian sects in different geographies over the years and has been documented by The Oxford Handbook of Religious Conversion as well.

Over the years, this manner of targeting the local population using the appeal of “Love” has been called “Love Bombing” and “Flirty Fishing”. Love Bombing uses “Feigned love” to target vulnerable teenagers who have a need for emotional dependence to create unquestioning loyalty.

When one looks at the progressive use and perfection of the erstwhile technique of “Love Bombing” to create resources and assets for the Jihadi activities of Muslim terrorists, one finds that before this scourge hit the Indian shores, it has already been firmly implemented in Europe. Look at the following documented cases of how Pakistani gangs have exploited girls in Europe over the last few decades.

The number of victims has been in thousands!! And the perpetrators have been Muslims (Pakistanis almost always) in almost 100% of the cases!

Read more details about this in this article - Love Jihad in India and Europe – Its Historical and Empirical context and Denial by vested Interests

nota bene

Amul Thapar may be the next SC Justice in the US: Indian-American judge Amul Thapar is among the top names being considered by US President Donald Trump to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, according to multiple media reports. Ginsburg died on Friday at the age of 87. Trump, who on Saturday indicated that he wanted to move “without delay” on naming a replacement, has not indicated who it will be or when. But he has had a list of potential candidates for a long time, which he updated recently with 20 names. (Source)

Pak’s Narco-terrorism gambit: “Pakistan’s involvement in state-terrorism and sponsorship of international Jihadism are well-known and documented. Moreover, there are increasingly numerous reports regarding Islamabad’s engagement in a phenomenon described as narco-terrorism,” writes Wolf in his latest paper ‘Pakistan’s bigger plans of narco-terrorism’. “The notion of narco-terrorism originates from an understanding that the two occurrences of trafficking in narcotics and terrorism are interconnected. Narco-terrorism is here understood as an integral component of Pakistan’s state-sponsorship of cross-border terrorism used so as to fund and conduct asymmetric warfare against its neighbours -foremost India- and achieve certain foreign policy goals,” points out Wolf. (Source)

First Editions of Galileo and Newton found: The police in Romania have found around 200 books worth Rs 23.7 crore under the floor of a home. The "irreplaceable" books include first editions of work by Galileo Galilei and Isaac Newton that were stolen from a warehouse in London in 2017, police, and the European Union’s judicial cooperation agency. The books were discovered on Wednesday in a concealed spaced under the floor of a house in rural Romania. (Source)

Jesus with Breasts: The Church of Iceland's new 'woke' ad welcoming people to Sunday School has sparked outrage after it featured a bearded Jesus Christ with breasts, makeup, and a dress. The advert, which apparently shows Jesus shaking his 'breasts' while dancing under a rainbow, appeared on the National Church's Facebook page on September 11. The advert has since been deleted from the Church's page but will be depicted on buses in the Icelandic capital Reykjavik for at least another two weeks. (Source)

a dream within a dream

Sometimes in life’s rigmarole, it becomes important to touch the softer side of life as well. So, here is a beautiful poem by arguably the most popular poet that the US has produced - Edgar Allen Poe.

This poem has many layers of contemplation about life, past, and future. And, it has been rendered beautifully.

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