Humanism

 Religion had become my topic earlier as well. 

For me it has been a quest, to make sense. Of how the gods came into being. Where it all started. Belief systems. Scriptures. Organised religion and its laws. It was like being born with a party membership, to be born into a religion. All you have to do is follow what is being told. About purity, sin and penance. Just follow. As the rules have fallen from the sky for our redemption.

But how dump we were to believe in the apple and snake story. Even to praise the sacrifice of one's own son in obedience to an unseen god. Why couldn't I understand that the Devas were the white Aryans and the asuras the dark-skinned Dravidians. It has been so evident even in the pictures. How mean is that religion which considered an entire race as demons and unworthy of heaven. We are so indoctrinated to believe blindly. To die to keep up the status quo.

Snipping off the binding cords to the religion I was born into, was freeing. Freeing myself from fear, from blind adherence to customs and rituals I turned towards reason and Humanism. I wilfully adopted humanism as my belief system. Reason, compassion and responsibility as the guiding principles. I forgo the sahasranamas I have byhearted and brave to be a sensible and kinder person.

Finding Love

     Recently, I read an article about adopting the Indian breed of dogs instead of exotic breeds. I was reminded of my daughter's violin tutor, a retired man who takes care of two country dogs, an injured mother, and her son. He adopted the mother dog from the blue cross.

    A noble act. 

If you need someone, to love, then be it someone who is in need.

The country dogs are no less loving than my friend's golden dog, I found. They are friendly, intelligent, and loyal. It is later I began to notice the dogs in the street from whom I used to keep a safe distance until then. Some are friendly. You only have to look and acknowledge their existence. They would come to you. Some even allowed me to pat them on their heads. 

    Was it that simple, to find love!

    I think now I know when I see the friendly canines. About other ones,... they may not be unfriendly. It could be that they may not be interested for a rendezvous. Or maybe they are doubtful of unfamiliar humans. Lived experience... Can't blame them.

    Now when I look at them, I am able to recognise smiling faces, not-so-happy faces, the reserved look, 'go away human' and the 'I am hungry and tired' look. I understand that a little more kindness from humans to stray dogs can make life better for them and us. And that, being kind can be a conscious decision.

Women sexuality in Malayalam cinema

 There was a time when I used to watch old movies in Asianet and Surya movies. Both black and white and colour. These channels used to telecast movies in the afternoon. So, when I come back from school I could watch the second half. Heroines in those movies were women in their thirties playing maidens. Fully grown with large hips and impossibly pointed tits which reminded me of ghee roasts that were served as cones at Indian coffee house. There was Sharada, the 'dukha puthri' who sacrifices, Sheela, who flutters her eyelids, and Jayabharathi who dances revealing her bulky belly. Zero figure was a shame then. Women had to be healthy and round.

And men, there were two types, the hero who sings and dances with the heroine, and the villian who conspires against the hero or rapes the heroine. The hero has to somehow stop the rape from happening. Or else the heroine will be spoiled. She will become impure, unmarriable. Her only option is either commit suicide or marry her rapist. It is from there I got the idea that women's chastity was something to be protected and guarded for the husband. So she can be delivered pure by her father to the groom, 'kanyadanam'.

Also, the assumption was that the lovers should ultimately marry. Otherwise, it is cheating. To love another man before marriage is cheating the to-be-groom. Not marrying the girl with whom a boy was in love is cheating the girl, but it won't do any harm to the to-be-wife. Only women's purity of heart matters.

At school, we used to discuss the movies we watched. My father, a movie lover, used to take us to film every month. One day, in my early teen, a friend told me the story of the movie 'Kattuchembakam' (2002), in which the heroine is raped by some people. What was unusual was that she was accepted by the hero saying that 'she is still pure to him'. How can he? That was what I thought. But kind.

During my college days, I saw Ritu (2009). A girl, working in some IT firm, I think, having many boyfriends and sleeping around. She is shunned by her goody friend who once loved her. people who might have married. The girl, in the end, leaves the high paying job and takes up community service, teaching computers to small children. She repents. It was a bad thing to go loose.

Then came the movie Sara's (2021), in which the heroine aspires to become a film director. For her, 'sex is not a promise', to get married. Sex is sex. It's a need. And fun. Free thinking career woman. Don't bind her to chastity and child-rearing. How far our women have come.

How do religion work?

 I am reminded of a father telling "my caste is bigger than god" when asked whether his caste was bigger than his daughter. It is not about caste that I am going to write about, but about religion. Man-made the religion, and religion made the gods. Then, man, religion, and gods together divided the earth. This is the translation of a song in the Malayalam language. How true! Caste and religion stand more important than God. And gods are needed for the survival of religions. T survive the religion, we celebrate our gods' birthdays, arrange festivals, and processions, and invent customs, prayers/ chants. 

If we look, we can see that political organisations are also following the same strategy. Organise events and processions to demonstrate their strength and canvas more people. Jesus, Ram, Krishna, and Mohammad all were real human beings who walked the earth. They were exceptional in their thoughts and actions and had a huge number of followers, no doubt. Even their flaws were praised. 

But when and how did respect and admiration become worship. How does the prayer work? How do these 'once human now gods' grant the wishes the devotees pray for? Or does the universe really conspire when we wish for something intensely?