FOWEWORD TO THE BOOK "RISING TO SECOND FREEDOM" BY MR N VITTAL FORMER CVC

Padma Bhushan Mr. N Vittal is a career IAS officer who is credited with affecting changes in the Central Vigilance Commission like Mr. TN Seshan did in the Election Commission of India. He is also known for his outstanding work in the Department of Telecommunications and the Department of Electronics. [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N._Vittal] 

I congratulate Nixon Fernando for coming out with an unusual book “Rising to Second Freedom: Enlightened Minds and Ignited Spirit”.

It is an unusual book because of a number of reasons.

It has multiple dimensions and has huge potential to influence action over a wide spectrum of areas.  Edward de Bono says that ideas are spectacles with which we look at facts.  What Nixon Fernando has done is to bring within the compass of single book an amazingly wide spectrum of ideas.  His style of writing is such that the tone is always calm, looking at every issue first with the focus on facts and secondly evaluating every issue from an objective and rational point of view. 

This exercise carried out throughout the book in such a way that as I read the book, I got the impression that I was following an young enquiring mind which was exploring a whole range of ideas, in such a manner that this can be a source book for wide range of readers and social activists.

Nixon Fernando has been associated with two great active thinkers and leaders of our times, TN Seshan and Prof Bala Balachandran.  Seshan who is my senior colleague in the IAS has become a legend when in the nineties he practically reinvented the Election Commission and made the Election Commission of India the gold standard with which all other such institutions are judged for conducting free and fair elections in a democratic system.

Prof Bala Balachandran single handedly established a world class advanced institute of Management in Chennai in a record time of a couple of years, realized his goal of setting up an outstanding Indian School with a global mindset and Indian roots.  This made him after a lifetime track record of academic achievement in the US, a global icon for excellence in management education.

The book is designed to provoke ideas and action on the ground.  In fact, as I read it from cover to cover, I got the impression that this is the book that should never be read alone by a single reader.  It is the type of book that should be read in groups. 

Ideally, such groups could be students in a classroom, participants in a conference or seminar, in an institute of higher education in Management or a study circle of a serious minded political group /party or the corps of socially committed activists and civil society organizations.

Nixon presents the facts at every page and while you read, you wonder how is it going to be implemented?  And then, if the reader or the group of readers reading this book gets provoked by these ideas, then they themselves will develop the ignited mind to find appropriate solution and course of action to see at least that part of idea for betterment of society and better India are implemented.

Therefore, this book has an immense potential to influence thinking like Eric Shoemaker's  “Small is beautiful” and others which influenced thinking  and had a major impact on a wide range of people across the world. 

For us Indians particularly, this book should have a special appeal because it virtually holds a magic mirror before us in which we find ourselves and our history and traditions, culture, religion and our value /belief framework analyzed and reflected upon.  The book lists many of its multiple dimensions and facets are like a sparkling diamond.

This book in short, is intellectual tinder. 

Another aspect of this book is its supreme timing of publication.   After 1947, when our county became independent, till the general elections of 2014, the political narrative was dominated by the overwhelming impact of Nehruvian socialism.  Jawaharlal Nehru’s vision and his charismatic impact on the whole nation not only during the freedom struggle, but also the years after, first as the first Prime Minister of India for 17 years and later on by the Indian National Congress had the focus on left of centre and the critical narrative was highlighting the need for secularism, in the sense that the state will not have any link with religion.

Elections of 2014 when the BJP led by Shri Narendra Modi established a government for the first time which was decisively and explicitly a right of centre, a massive tectonic shift took place in the political narrative of India.  In this context, the word, Hinduism and Hindutva have become emotionally charged words conveying a wide range of impressions.  As Mr. Seshan points out in his Foreword, Nixon Fernando, being a practicing Christian has provided an insightful understanding of the essence of Hinduism i.e. Sanatana Dharma.  This in itself is an intellectual performance of high order which will be welcomed.

Facts and ideas analyzed in this book should provide the answer to many of the issues raised by the left of centre intelligentsia who question whether there is an intellectual gravity and depth to make a case for a valid and credible modern state in our country.  The way of actually understanding of the essence of Hinduism and Sanatana Dharmain as brought out in this book should go a long way in providing for an informed understanding of the philosophy of political right in the country.

An equally important aspect of this book is its exposition of equally important is its focus on Mahatma Gandhi. Our former President Dr Abdul Kalam and Prof Dr P.V. Inderesan former director of IIT Madras, articulated the concept of reconciling town planning with the vision of Mahatma Gandhi of village republics and PURA [Providing urban facilities in rural areas] was the result.  This concept has been brought out beautifully in the book by Nixon Fernando.

 In fact, in this book Nixon has displayed a quality which is in the Hindu philosophy, normally attributed to the divine!  That is the capacity of combining the opposites!  As a student of physics, with the focus on quantum theory and Heighenberg's uncertainty principle, Nixon Fernando has displayed what in Sanskrit called, ‘agatitha gatana samartyam’  i.e. the capacity to combine in harmonious way the opposites.  After all, God is considered to be ‘anoraniyam mahatvamahiyanan', smaller than the atom and bigger than the universe. 

In other words, this Book is indeed an unusual book with very provocative ideas.  The impact it has will depend as much on the readers and users of the book and the institutions and organizations that access it.

Once again, I congratulate Nixon Fernando on his efforts and wish the book all success. 

N. VITTAL

3rd December 2018

The book can be accessed at
https://notionpress.com/read/rising-to-second-freedom

https://notionpress.com/read/rising-to-second-freedom

SABRIMALAI ENTRY: AN UNFAIR IMPOSITION ON DENOMINATIONAL FAITH

The argument is that an agnostic view must be taken, the third generation human rights of a certain group of believers must be respected, and this has nothing to do with woman's rights. Secularism alright but why atheistic secularism, why not agnostic? 

By giving all women the right of entry to the Sabrimalai temple is the Indian system of law not stretching itself higher towards perfection? Is it not a sign that the nation is making progress? Not necessarily. The questions involved are not as straightforward as they seem.   

For an atheist it is a matter of women’s rights being pitted against what they see as the naivety and superstition of the believers, so atheists have no doubts on this matter. The agnostic will give credence to both perspectives and look at finding a middle way. For the believers however, something of unmeasurable value is poised for destruction at the altar of a needless misdirected controversy.

The United Nation uses an agnostic approach in its definition of Human Rights. Over the decades it has arrived at what some scholars call as the third generation of human rights. This concerns peoples’ rights to pursue their own faith and beliefs. And India is a signatory. So, for instance, a Christian in India would have the right to profess and practice his religion under the rule of law.

But, if the Christianity community itself does not have a right to exist, how would a Christian get his third generation rights? So by implication, the community itself should be able to enjoy its sacraments, its holiness, its beliefs and its places for worship. This calls for a new generation—the fourth generation—of Human Rights; not for individuals but for communities. A community needs to be treated as a legal entity and this legal entity must have the right to exist under rule of law.

The Indian Constitution leads the world in allowing for such diversity; for example the Indian legal system supports diversity in its civil code, something uncommon in the world. The Indian courts have also used terms like ‘integral to the practice of the faith’, ‘denominational’ or ‘essential practice’ to address this. If a certain practice is considered an ‘essential practice’ of a certain denomination or faith then credence has been given to such claims against challenges. The question therefore is to establish whether or not the traditional restrictions on the entry of women into Sabrimalai temple are integral to the faith or not.

The question gets further complicated by the fact that neither the belief system surrounding the deity Ayyappa Swami nor the whole of Hinduism can be defined as religions. If Christianity is the perfect example of a religion, then Hinduism is more than one. Hinduism is actually a confluence of sub religions or alternatively it can be called as a confluence of ‘denominations’. Each denomination by itself has a certain operational wholeness about; they can each be considered as sufficient paths to the divine experience. The scriptures celebrating Lord Ayyappa may only be a part of the voluminous scriptures of the Hindus, but the worship of Lord Ayyappa is traditionally considered to be adequate to meet the faithful’s spiritual needs. This makes the community of believers of Lord Ayyappa a complete and valid denomination. The faith in lord Ayyappa is a living reality for the believers and it plays a huge role in their daily lives.  

For example, Kannagi (name changed) is close to 60 years old and works as a daily wage labourer in one of the gardens in Chennai. She has a son of around thirty who is an alcoholic. His marriage is on the rocks and he lives with his mother separated from his wife and child. Advice, counselling, de addiction, medicines, nothing helped him get rid of his habit. Then it was suggested to him that he should wear the ‘mala’. And to Kannagi’s surprise and joy the man agreed. The young man’s awareness of culture surrounding the institution seemingly gave him hope. And in due course one night, he had one last swig at the bottle came back measuring the road, and the morning he wore the ‘mala’. 

A week down the line I asked Kannagi Amma “How is he doing?” and she replied, “He got angry and stamped me on the chest yesterday and I am in some pain. I held his feet and said ‘Sami should not get angry’. He calmed down after that. But he is finding it difficult, fighting it, I hope all goes well.”

The son was probably battling withdrawal symptoms, and the mother was both compassionate and hopeful. 

This real life instance shows how deeply the legend and traditions relating to Swami Ayyappa are integrated into the living culture in south India. Besides non-drinking the austerities include, non-smoking, no bad habits, no non-veg, no cutting hair or shaving, regular team prayer and most of all avoiding contact with women—including one’s own wife.

It naturally implies austerities for the wife as well. The man first of all seeks permission from his wife for undergoing the pilgrimage. Then it is she that hands out the ‘black’ robes to him. The family abstains in honour of the swamis in the home. And it is a process of purification for all the members of the family. So both men and women have different prescriptions in the pursuit of their faith in the deity. And in totality these practices in some way bind a family together in prayer and promote the family’s wellbeing.  

These austerities come as a package. And it includes the entirety of the disciplines coming through scripture, through living tradition and through the disciplines associated with the ‘Mecca’ of their ‘denomination’. The purity of such austerity may seem meaningless to atheists and agnostics but it means the world to the believers.

Then there are those who believe in a Universal God; for them all holy places, whether temples or mosques or churches are the same. The following two verses throw light on this system of belief: Bhagwad Gita 7:21, 22.

  “Whatever form a particular devotee wishes to worship with full faith—concerning that alone I make his faith unflinching. Endowed with that faith, he worships that deity, and from him gets his desires, which are indeed granted by Me alone”

The Universalists therefore consider deity worship as having limitations, but they overlook the limitations because they accord far greater value instead to the graces which faith brings. They recognize that for the faithful the worship of that deity is their only access to the Divine, so in wisdom they refrain from disturbing denominational faith.

As for those who do not believe in God, they must realize that there is no conclusive proof about the non-existence of God either. It can be considered a matter of perspective alone that while one believes that God exists the other believes that God does not exist. As such the faithful may be allowed a private place they call holy with associated notions of purity and defilement. One can therefore avoid wickedness and show kindness instead by abstaining from doing something that ‘defiles’ what the faithful consider as pure. 

The arguments placed in defence of women entry tend to reduce the profoundness of faith related matters to the simple question of a monthly biological cycle in women. In truth it is incidental that the cycles are natural to fertile women and it is the fertility instead that is addressed in the austerities associated with the deity. If the scriptures said that the deity distanced himself from fertile women then what is the hassle in respecting that? And though the board that takes care of the temple is under government control, the institution is still not a public utility equivalent to a hotel or a tourist spot; instead it is an integral part of denominational faith. Protecting the temple’s traditions is the protection of the third generation rights of the faithful.  

Even if the judges do not want to change their minds, it still leaves the women the freedom to act in wisdom. The options are clear: believers in the Universal Spirit will not disturb the denominational faith. Those that believe in Lord Ayyappa will observe the required austerities and those that do not have faith can, out of compassion, desist from wickedness against the faithful. Just because the law permits someone to do something that hurts another for no reason it does not mean one should necessarily do it. And if the judiciary finds itself helpless, the legislature can still amend the laws to ensure that the third generation rights of the faithful are protected.  

Note: Kannagi Amma’s son eventually had to cancel his pilgrimage on account of a death in the family. And his mother sighed deeply in the hope that he will undertake the pilgrimage the next time. And one prays of course that the verdict and its aftermath have not sullied the faith which the young man experiences it in surroundings.