Why is India more religious than UK?

ନେହରୁଙ୍କର Glimpses of World History ବୋଧ ହୁଏ ମୁଁ last10 ବର୍ଷ ହେଲାଣି ପଢୁଛି | କିଛି ପୃଷ୍ଠା ପ୍ରତି ବର୍ଷ | ବହିଟି ହେଉଛି Jail ରେ ଥିଲା ବେଳେ ଦୁଇ ବର୍ଷ ଧରି ନେହରୁ ନିଜର ଝିଅ ଇନ୍ଦିରକୁ ଚିଠି ମାଧ୍ୟମରେ ପୃଥିବୀର ଇତିହାସ ବୁଝେଇବାର ଏକ ପ୍ରୟାସ | (ଏଥିରେ ଆଶ୍ଚର୍ଯ୍ୟ ହବାର କିଛି କାରଣ ନାହିଁ, ସେତେବେଳେ Wikipedia ନଥିଲା ଯେ)

I must admit, ଯେତେ ମୁଁ ଏ ବହିଟି ପଢୁଛି, ସେତେ ମୋ ମନରେ ଥିବା ନେହରୁଙ୍କ ପ୍ରତି ସମ୍ମାନ ଆହୁରି ବଢି ବଢି ଚାଲିଛି | ନେହରୁ ଏ ବହିଟି ଗୋଟେ ଇତିହାସକାର ଭାବରେ ନୁହେଁ, କିନ୍ତୁ ଜଣେ ଇତିହାସର ଆଲୋଚକ ଭାବରେ ଲେଖିଛନ୍ତି (like Yuval Noah Harari), ଯେଉଁଥିରେ ସେ ନିଜର ନିଜତ୍ବ ମନ୍ତବ୍ୟ ଦେବାରେ କୁଣ୍ଠାବୋଧ କରି ନାହାନ୍ତି | I found myself nodding to most of his opinions.

ଗୋଟେ ବହୁତ interesting perspective ପଢ଼ିଲି କାଲି | କାହିଁକି ଭାରତର ଲୋକ ଏବେବି ବହୁତ ଧର୍ମଭୀରୁ, କିନ୍ତୁ, Europeରେ atheism ପ୍ରଖର ରୂପରେ ବଢିବାକୁ ଲାଗୁଥିଲା | ଭାରତର majority of people ଥିଲେ ନିଜର ଜୀବିକା ପାଇଁ କୃଷୀ ଉପରେ ନିର୍ଭରଶୀଳ | ଆଉ କୃଷି ବର୍ଷା ଉପରେ ନିର୍ଭର | ବର୍ଷା ଉପରେ ମଣିଷର କିଛି control ନାହିଁ | ତେଣୁ ଭଗବାନଙ୍କୁ ପ୍ରାଥନା କରିବା ନିତ୍ୟାନ୍ତ logical. କିନ୍ତୁ, because of industrial revolution, Europe, especially ଇଂଲଣ୍ଡର ଲୋକ, ନିଜ ଜୀବିକା ପାଇଁ machine ଉପରେ dependent ଥିଲେ | ଆଉ Machine ମଣିଷର control ରେ | ତେଣୁ, naturally ଭଗବାନଙ୍କ ଉପରେ dependency ଲୋକମାନଙ୍କର କମିଗଲା |

Interesting perspective, isn't it?

P.S. More than half of the population in UK are irreligious.

Writer's Block

ଠିକ ବର୍ଷ ଶେଷ ଆଡକୁ, ମନେ ପଡ଼େ ମୁଁ ବି ଦିନେ ଲେଖକ ହବାର ସ୍ବପ୍ନ ଦେଖିଥିଲି ବୋଲି |

ପୁଣି ୟାଡୁ ସ୍ୟାଡୁ ଲେଖକ ନୁହେଁ |

ଜଣେ ସୁନାମଧନ୍ୟ, ଉଚ୍ଚ ପୁରସ୍କୃତ, ଦର୍ଶନଶାସ୍ତ୍ର ବିଶାରଦ ଯୁଗାନ୍ତକାରୀ ଲେଖକ |

मुंगेरी लाल के हसीन सपने |

ହସ ମାଡ଼େ ଏବେ ନିଜର ନିରୀହ ବାଚାଳାମି ବିଷୟରେ ଭାବିଲେ |

ବେଳ ଥାଉ ଥାଉ, ଚୁଟି ପାଚିବା ପୂର୍ବରୁ, ନିଜର limitations ବୁଝିନେଇ, ये दुनिया अगर मिल भी जाये तो क्या है ବାହାନା ଦେଇ ନିଜର ଭ୍ରାନ୍ତ ଅଭିଳାଷକୁ କବର ଦେଇଥିଲି ବହୁ ବର୍ଷ ତଳେ |

ତଥାପି ବେଳେ ବେଳେ ଭାବେ -ସୁନାମଧନ୍ୟ ଲେଖକ ନହେଲେ ନାହିଁ, ମନ ଭିତରେ ଯୋଉ ଲକ୍ଷେ ଲକ୍ଷେ କଳ୍ପନା ଜଳ୍ପନା ସବୁ ଘୁରି ବୁଲୁଛି, ତାକୁ ଲେଖା ମାଧ୍ୟମରେ ପ୍ରକାଶ ନକଲେ, ସେ ସବୁ ହଜି ଯିବ ଯେ | ପୁଣି ଯେତେବେଳେ ବୃଦ୍ଧ କାଳେ amnesia ର ଶିକାର ହେଲା ପରେ, ଏହି ଲେଖା ଗୁଡିକ ହିଁ ମତେ nostalgic କରିବାରେ ସାହାଯ୍ୟ କରିବ | ସେଥି ପାଇଁ ଲେଖିବା ଜରୁରୀ | ସମୟର ଅଭାବ ନାହିଁ | Doom scrolling ଠାରୁ ଶହେ ଗୁଣ ଭଲ ନିଜର କଳ୍ପନାକୁ ଶବ୍ଦର ରୂପ ଦେବା | ତେଣୁ ଲେଖିବା ଜରୁରୀ | ନୁହେଁ କି?

Addiction

Addiction is terrible. 

Any addiction. Doesn't matter the object or subject of addiction. Person. Thing. Activity. Good. Bad. Ugly. Doesn't matter. 

I am addicted - is an avoidable state. 

You will get hurt if you are addicted to something. Anything. Sooner or later. 

I had been addicted to many things in the past. Books. Porn. Street Food. Alcohol. Movies. YouTube. I still am to some of those. Many alone times, I feel miserable.  

What's antonym of Addiction ? Indifference ? Detachment?

Is that a coveted state? Being indifferent? ନିର୍ଲିପ୍ତ? Don't know. Probably, better than getting addicted, right? 

Stop Reading The News

 

I had stopped watching news channels more than a decade ago. So, thankfully I have been spared of the cacophony of news debates for quite some time. I can't recognize the current opinion makers and influencers. Pity me.   

Fulfilling my new year resolution, I uninstalled the Twitter (sorry X) app on January 1st this year. So, I don't receive my news every minute anymore. What's the current trend,  what a politician tweeted, when an actress is pregnant, how an influencer slapped another, where an accident has happened, which social media celebrity made a gaffe  --- I have no clue since many days. Oh! My daily life is so peaceful now. 

I have understood, consuming news daily or staying updated by the minute is no longer a priority. If the news is important enough, I would know it anyway. I am not socially cut-off. I still talk to my friends. Daily. Multiple times. 

When I was reading the book by Rolf Dobelli (the author of The art of thinking clearly), I realized I am not alone in such a thought. The book "Stop Reading the News" bolsters my confirmation bias. 

P.S. Well, I don't exactly follow this advice to the letter. I still read News, that get delivered everyday outside my front door, printed on paper, but mostly confines itself to Business and micro and macro Economics. 

Motivation

ପ୍ରେରଣା  - ସବୁ ମୂଳରେ ଥିବା ଦରକାର ଗୋଟେ Why. 

If you don't know why you are doing something, it would be difficult for you to carry on. A success may not motivate you. A failure will crush you. 

But if you know the why, you won't stop, even after achieving the original intended result.

ପ୍ରେରଣା ହିଁ ସବୁ କିଛି। 

Neitzsche said - He who has a why to live for, can almost bear any how. 

I am still searching for my motivation...

Perspectives - Black and White

I love watching Black and White movies. 

Cause, the focus is on the story, on the plot, on the dialogues and not on visual effects whatsoever.

As I was watching the movie, "It's a wonderful life" (what a beautiful movie it is),  a thought crossed my mind - We see them black and white and shades of grey perhaps.... But, they? They don't see each other like that. They see them as colourful as we see anything today. 

So, how one sees oneself or others is independent of how others see them. Isn't it? 

Happy New Year

A new calendar.

Anything changes? Probably not. It's the same me. It's the same everything. 

Still, feels it is a new start. A new dawn. To change. To be changed. 

Let's see....