Tale of two blogs!

Blog 1: Village Republic

Went home for Durga Puja. On my way I had a looonngggggggg halt in Howrdah station. Howrdah station can be a mine of lost treasures for book-hunters. I fished a book called "Vinoba on Gandhi"! Somehow I have got tremendous appreciation for these freedom fighters, esp. Gandhi, Vinoba and Gokhle. We know so little about these guys. These people I consider as real polymaths. Anyway, in that book, I discovered a new term: village republic! What a wonderful idea! I often think that USA is better off a part because of the fact that it has a looser federation than India. Independence at local level solves many problem in one go. It makes smaller independnet entitites, encourages healthy compition and lastly it also gives a community identity which lacks so badly in India. This idea of village republic seemed to solve all the problems.

1. This will make independent village economy. With proper planning this can be done. E.g. there are many villages in coastal OdishA called Sasana-villages, set by medival kings. In such villages there are few families of almost all clans, some smiths, some farmers, some priests, some weavers etc etc. Hence, this is no new idea.
2. This will also make democracy more realistic. Today one legislator represents huge number of people. Hence, Indian democracy has become a mockery. At a very local level things will be more trackable. Even for independent decisions all villagors can be drawn to the assembly hall.
3. This will create a bond. Given sufficient independnece this village identity may come over other differences like cast and religion.

Hats off to the great thinkers!!

Guru-and-sisya
The sort of relation that we have between teacher and student, is something unique to orient. I am not going to tell you about how great is this or if this is all bullshit! I will just write about a sloka I read this time in home. In my home, I find many old books from no where !! This time I found a book by Pandit Gopabandhu. He was one of the major figures in British OdishA. He was also a passionate educator and along with some others has started the first Gandhian school in OdishA, named Satyavadi-banabidyalaya. In the book I got hold of, he was talking about education. There he quoted a sloka which reads:
"sarvatra jayamanwichhet,
sishyat icchet parajayam!"
I.e. aspire for victory in all fronts; from your student aspire a defeat! I was really touched by the idea. How great the mind might have been which conceived of such a piece of thought...