Source : Google photo Synopsis :People all over the world are protesting the cultural invasion from outsiders who denigrate the native culture and promote their own in the guise of civilizing the uncivilized. This notion of I am better than you so you must follow me is so outdated that it needs a thorough introspection. All cultures are beautiful in their own way so we should learn to appreciate them as they are and not try to influence them.
My blog today may seem controversial to some because in this blog I will write about the African pride in their culture and history that has been denigrated by those who see the Africans as "savages" who still go about bare breasted and dance the way their ancestors did long ago. Africans take pride in their native dresses and costumes their ancestors wore and feel that their culture is under threat from those who fail to see beauty in their culture and criticize them for not being modern. Africans since time unknown have lived in small villages before the towns and cities developed during the colonial period in South Africa and elsewhere in the continent. The villages by their nature and location were isolated often from each other due to lack of roads and other infrastructure that bind a modern nation today. They did not have the money as we know it today so the concept of money, banking and using paper money to buy things was unknown to them but they did have a system that suited them quite well so they used the barter system very effectively. It still prevails in some rural communities where the farmers bring in their produce to the market once a week and exchange them for what they need thus bypassing the monetary system. Their physical isolation also helped them preserve their culture that included clothes, food and numerous rituals. They did not have fancy jewelries made of gold, silver or precious metals or gems but they did have their own they made from cauri shells , beads or seeds of plants. They made their own clothes they designed from animal hides , barks or home spun cotton clothes and decorated them with embroidery or beads or shells. They colored their clothes from natural dyes they extricated from plants or earth. They did not have western or strange foods that foreigners brought because they were isolated from the outside world so they had their own food they grew and prepared their own way that was quite tasteful and unique. They did not have fancy pots and coated non stick pans that you can buy in super markets today but they made their own beautiful potteries of clay that they baked and made extensive use of gourdes they cultivated and used them for keeping water or beer they knew how to brew from corn, sorghum or banana that they grew in abundance. They did not have the so called modern houses made of cement and tin but they did live in beautiful adobe houses or round huts made of reeds, bamboo and vines that were waterproof and wonderful. The Africans were master artists using what materials were available to them so they decorated their huts and adobe houses using organic natural dyes and colors to make them look magnificent. ( see my blog called the Spirit of Africa here) So over a period of time the Africans everywhere developed their own unique culture in their own regions so there is tremendous diversity in their culture because these cultures developed on their own mostly in isolation as 200 years ago most of Africa south of Egypt remained pristine and untouched by foreigners. In fact many such isolated communities had never seen an outsider of any race or color . This started to change when the white missionaries who were the early explorers in the unknown parts of Africa arrived in late 17th century and brought with them their culture, food, cloths and most notably their religion that they wanted to spread among the Africans who were mostly animists. The Arab slavers and traders who were Moslem also did the same and spread Islam in the deep interiors of unknown Africa that the traders and slavers went into for their own reasons so the Africans learned for the first time about the outside world they knew nothing about and were very dismayed. This was the start of the cultural and religious invasion brought about by the whites and Moslem Arabs that tried to impress upon the " savages" that they brought to them superior knowledge about religion , food and clothes among other things. They brought with them guns that they sold them in exchange for ivory and animal pelts and brought in deadly diseases like small pox and venereal diseases to which the isolated Africans had no immunity. But mostly they brought with them their sense of what was right and what was wrong and tried to impose their belief system on the Africans through coercion at first or through outright military conquest that paved the way for the rabble missionaries to set up their churches or mosques etc. to begin the process of religious indoctrination. This would have serious consequences for the culture and traditions of Africa everywhere that is the subject of this blog today ( Please also read my earlier blog called the Cultural and religious imperialismhere) . Today as I watched the videos of Zulu women in South Africa who were protesting on the streets of their cities and towns this cultural invasion that denigrated them and tried to impose on them the alien values and norms developed in other countries that have nothing in common with the traditions and values of Africa, I was feeling sympathy for the Zulus and all other Africans who feel similarly threatened so I decided to write about it today. Recently one American missionary who went to evangelize the isolated tribes living in the Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal was found dead, shot with poisoned arrows by the tribes that did not welcome outsiders . It made international headlines in all the media and continues everyday to expand the story about the savages who run around naked and had the affront to kill a " well meaning good hearted missionary" but no one writes or talks about why the natives there do not like outsiders. When the isolated Africans protested the arrival of these missionaries to spread their brand of religion, there were protests and even armed resistance that generated the ire of their sponsors in Europe and America. One African king Mutesa in Uganda burned the new converts wholesale and banned the white missionaries from his kingdom but there were similar protests elsewhere. Dr. Livingstone was also a missionary but he was a doctor first so the Africans welcomed him and his medicines. It was the letters of Dr.Livingstone about the practice of slavery and the mass murders of the native by the slave traders that created awareness about the slavery that brought pressure on the Government in England to enact laws to end slavery in the continent. Dr. Livingstone would have been lauded by the Africans if if had shown the same zeal against the missionaries but he was a missionary himself who saw the benefit of spreading Christianity among the " heathens". Now the Africans are asking how the evangelization of the Africans at the cost of losing their culture and traditions was a good thing? They are protesting the Google and facebook that routinely remove photos of bare-breasted females who are so proud of their culture but allow pornographic photos and videos everyday. I have myself deleted, muted and complained about the pornography in Google plus but it continues unabated. The Zulu women who are proud of their culture, the manner of dressing etc. are protesting about the sexualization of bare breasts that to the Africans is a beautiful part of woman that should not and must not be sexualized. Zulu women just like in many other parts of Africa consider breasts as nothing to be ashamed of and to be covered up because to them their breasts make them women and beautiful. I have earlier written that the African women who have always lived close to the nature have gone about bare breasted and still do because men respect this aspect of their culture and say that breasts sustain them when they are children so they fully support their women in their fight with the media like Google and Facebook to desexualize breasts. I will post some videos here to show their pride in their culture and heritage.
There are some 11 Million Zulus in South Africa and nearby countries who take immense pride in being Zulus and they celebrate the anniversary of the death of Shaka who for the first time shaped the nation of Zulus by combining various tribes under one banner and one nation even if his methods were cruel and tyrannical. They say that Shaka was the greatest Zulu ever lived who made them proud to be Zulus for the first time in their history. They honor him with a great statue in Natal. When the Zulu women protest in South Africa, U tube videos are posted but who speaks for the Amazon tribes who are being sexualized this way and their culture being changed by the missionaries there in deep jungles? Who speaks for the tribes in Andaman and Nicobar who protest such cultural invasion by outsiders ? People have a right to preserve their culture and traditions no matter where they live and how they live. No one should tell them how to dress, what religion they must follow, what they must eat or not eat etc. but this cultural invasion goes on unabated worldwide with the full support of the governments that send the missionaries to change the natives in Africa, Amazon jungles or the jungles of Papua New Guinea in the guise of bringing civilization to the " savages ". From the pulpits of churches and mosques all over the world, people are thundering on this idea that the infidels and uninitiated must be shown the true religion although they are at odds to define what is the true religion and get into heated arguments over it with anyone with a different point of view. I think we should all step back from this ideology that we are always right so the rest must follow us . This ideology caused a lot of grief in the past and continues to fuel unrest in many parts of the world so it makes me happy to see that the Zulu people are fighting back and are celebrating who they are through dances shown in the videos above. They are also protesting against the sexualization of women in the media. In Vanuatu and Kiribati they too are very proud of their culture and celebrate it. Girls attend schools bare breasted because they are comfortable being who they are , the missionaries not withstanding. The diversity in cultures is what makes this world so interesting. It would be utterly boring if such diversity is suppressed and only one culture promoted everywhere. To appreciate the diversity in people one must accept that all people have the right to live the way they want , eat the food they want and dress the way they want. I am sure they will appreciate any help in improving their health and sanitation, their infrastructure like roads and bridges, their living conditions, their access to government services, their source of food, water, shelter and medical care. There should be schools and colleges to bring education to them that will offer new job opportunities . These are the things all people appreciate. What they do not appreciate is the denigration of their culture and the way they live. I agree with them and fully support the Zulu women in their effort to preserve what is so beautiful in their culture and traditions. Note : My blogs are also available in French, Spanish, German and Japanese languages at the following links : tumblr posts Blogs in French Blogs in Spanish Blogs in German Blogs in Japanese Anil’s biography in Japanese Anil’s biography in French. Anil’s biography in English. Anil’s biography in Spanish. Anil’s biography in German http://achtrjee.wixsite.com/mysite/blog
Source : Google photo of Shaka, the king of Zulus Synopsis :When we think of Africa, we think of war and famine, poverty and inter-tribal rivalry that lead to many conflicts and deaths. This has not changed since the time of Shaka so many countries like Somalia, Burundi, Rwanda, Congo and many others suffer but most of their sufferings are man-made and not natural. The new factor is religious zealotry that one group tries to impose on others that have caused deaths like in Somalia. I compare the rural mostly agrarian societies where the spirit of Africa thrives and resolve their difference through peaceful means with the countries in conflict where violence prevail. As Africa as a continent develops itself, there is hope that someday it will regain its place as the richest continent in the world where everyone will live in peace.
Recently I was watching some videos of the African tribes of Morsi in Ethiopia and noticed that they were carrying fire arms that they obtained from the government there to protect their cattle from the raiding tribes in their neighborhood. This made me think of the Zulus especially when Shaka was their ruler long ago who were also the cattle herders and became a mighty empire under Shaka that covered the vast territory of what later became South Africa. The Zulus found it easier to raid their neighboring tribes who were also cattle herders and kill them to steal their cattle wholesale and augment their numbers quickly. There was a time when the Zulus could say that their cattle numbered in millions that multiplied even more naturally but were mostly acquired through constant warfare against their neighbors like the Matabeles and other tribes. This is the start of the tribal warfare that raged on for a very long period of time in the African history because the Zulus became a warrior tribe and were prepared to shed blood of others in order to prosper. Shaka became known as the warrior king who had come to power through abject brutality himself and did not hesitate to order killings of others to expand his kingdom. Here I post a video of Zulu war chants before they attack the English soldiers https://youtu.be/ODM1RJe4FvQ
Source : Google photo of Zulu warriors I think the nature of their existence on mostly their wealth in cattle that they protected against all odds was the primary reason for their aggression and constant warfare because they did not like to be settled agrarians like in other parts of Africa. The settled farmers who cultivated their farms to sustain them also had some cattle, goats and sheep but the primary source of their food came from what they grew and stored. So historically we see the cattle herders in Africa like the Zulus, the Masai and the Matabele among many others were war like because they had to protect their wealth in cattle all the time not only from lions and other predatory animals but mostly from neighboring tribes so they carried spears , bows and arrows. The Masai were initiated into lion hunting early in their life and considered it a badge of honor to show off the lion skins they wore or the leopard skins they wrapped around their shoulders.The bragging rights thus earned got them the attention of Masai belles. ( Read the book The Covenant by James Michener to learn more about South Africa history) I have recently posted a blog called the Spirit of Africawhere I extolled the virtues of peaceful agrarian farmers in West Africa and in other parts who are very unlike the aggressive Masais and Zulus of the past but today I also want to write about those Africans who were not peaceful and constantly waged wars against their neighbors due to their greed for more cattle and their dislike for agricultural work that required hard labor. This job was mostly relegated to their women who grew their mealies near their villages and raised chickens and goats as well. The warfare against the neighbors gave rise to intense animosity between them that resulted in bloodshed and the feeling of vendetta that lasted generations so often one tribal chief helped the slave traders to capture the rival tribes by giving them information about their defense weaknesses. ( Read my blog called The ancient scourge called slavery). Shaka was an invention of his time because he fulfilled the need of leadership among the Zulus who needed a strong leader like him to mould them into the fighting force that they became . Under Shaka ,their influence and hold over other tribes grew steadily as they acquired more and more cattle and territories to rule over which only came to an end when the Voortrekkers arrived. Source : Google photo of conflict between the Zulus and Europeans At first the Voortrekkers just wanted to settle down somewhere in the vast empire of Shaka so that they could start farming and raising cattle and other animals because basically they were Dutch farmers who saw immense opportunity in the velds of South Africa that they could turn into lush farmlands. Note : The complete story of Shaka is given below in 10 episodes in video links here. ( Source : U tube videos )
Episode one
Episode two
Episode three
Episode four
Episode five
Episode six
Episode seven
Episode 8
Episode nine
Episode ten
Shaka gave them some land to settle down at first where they prospered through hard work but soon they wanted more land to expand their farms that brought them into direct conflict with Shaka who took a stern stand against their expansionism. It resulted in some massacres of the Voortrekkers in the hands of Shaka warriors who had never liked the new comers to start with and gleefully killed them and walked away with the herds of cattle and other farm animals.
Thus the Voortrekkers started arming themselves with the latest weapons they imported from Europe to protect themselves and their farms and families from the raiding Zulus and other tribes thus paving the way for the armed conflict and the eventual demise of the Zulu empire . The bows and spears of Zulus were no match for the guns of the Trekkers so there were huge massacres of the native tribes in the hands of the Europeans who changed the course of the history in that part of Africa. I will not repeat the history of South Africa here because that is not the purpose of this blog. The Voortrekkers eventually came to power and created the Apartheid regime that took many sacrifices and struggles of heroes like Mandela , Sisulu and Biko to win but that is also history that does not need repeating here. I will therefore write about the cause of this inter-tribal rivalry over cattle and territories that did not exist in more agrarian societies of Africa where people cultivated land peacefully and where their existence did not depend on meat and milk of cows. This does not mean that there were no cattle raiders as we still see in some parts of Ethiopia and Guinea today but the mass massacres of the past during Shaka’s time do not happen now (except in Burundi, Rwanda and Congo) because there are established governments in most parts that intervene and prevent such hostilities before they get out of hand like in Ethiopia. The native cattle breed and other animals of Africa were resistant to tse tse flies so they thrived and multiplied while the imported cattle and horses of European origin were not so resistant so the Dutch settlers cross bred their imported animals with the tse tse resistant breeds to develop new breeds of cattle that thrived and improved the milk and meat production. They also became prosperous but it took them a long period of struggle and bloodshed to achieve it so they in their turn became the ruthless oppressors giving rise to the Apartheid. Now if you go to South Africa, you will find no trace of Shaka and his once thriving empire and his story has moved into the realm of folklore that still brings some nostalgia among the Zulus who remember their glorious although hard fought past when they were the rulers of thousands of square kilometers of the land. Later the same proud Zulus and Matabeles were reduced to abject poverty so they worked in the diamond mines discovered in various parts creating wealth for others and nothing for themselves , living in places like Sharpeville like slums where the Apartheid police often raided and killed them with impunity. I remember a story I read in the book of Michener where he wrote about the Matabele king who loved to paste raw diamonds onto his skin sitting on his lion skin covered chair surrounded by his extremely fat wives. He ordered his people who worked in the diamond mines to steal the diamonds and give them to him as a tribute. One day a miner found a huge piece of diamond while digging deep in the tunnels and somehow was able to smuggle it out of the mine under the watchful eyes of the guards. He kept it a secret and waited for an opportunity to find his way to his village where his king wanted it but could not get away so he smashed the huge diamond into thousands of pieces in frustration. When the owner of the mine heard about it through the grapevine, he almost lost his sanity over such a loss. Now to prevent the theft of diamonds, the owners have put in place the most severe restrictions on the miners the world has ever seen. Every miner is searched, x rayed and patted thoroughly every day. I do not condone the violence of Shaka and his Zulus on anyone but that is a part of their history and that is how they lived and I certainly do not condone the violence of the Voortrekkers and later the British on the natives but out of this prolonged warfare and bloodshed came the end of Shaka who was after all a tyrant. It also led to the establishment of farm lands everywhere to feed the nation, an improvement in the animal husbandry through the cross breeding of imported and native cattle, horses and hogs and many such things so South Africa is a much altered country from those days. They gained their freedom from the Apartheid regime after a hard struggle and are trying to make the new South Africa a country for every one and not just for one race dominating over others. The inter-tribal conflict in Burundi and Rwanda Source : Google photo of mass exodus of Hutus due to conflict in Burundi and Rwanda When I lived in Burundi, I noticed the intense inter-tribal animosity that still exists between the Hutus and the Tutsis that has caused massacres on a large scale in both Burundi and Rwanda but the seed of this animosity was sown by the Belgians who were the colonial master there. Under the guise of ethnological studies of two different people who had co-existed in the past without trouble, the Belgians declared that the Tutsis were descendants of some Ethiopian tribes with superior features like tall heights, thin lips, straight nose etc. Then they compared them with the Hutus and said they were inferior to the Tutsis in their physical features and intelligence. This sort of comparison emboldened the Tutsis who saw themselves as masters over the crude and illiterate Hutus who were mostly farmers so they mistreated them, put them down socially and exploited them because most of the farm land was owned by the Tutsis who got the best of everything including education, jobs and positions in the army. The result was the start of animosity between the two groups that led to massive Hutu massacres just before I arrived in Bujumbura in 1988. The tragedy of violence in Rwanda later did not come as a surprise where the Hutus took revenge for what had happened in Burundi and slaughtered the minority Tutsis there wholesale. I was able to foresee such violence when I visited Rwanda then and saw the writings on the wall so to speak and warned a Spanish Missionary sister I had known in Mali to leave Butare as soon as possible which to my great relief she did. So the violence between the tribes during Shaka’s time was due to their greed for cattle and territories while the later violence between the Hutus and Tutsis were caused by the Europeans . The same story repeats itself in Congo where the Belgians spread mayhem between the tribes in Katanga and exploited them to mine the copper and diamonds . This trouble still continues today although Patrice Lumumba and Kasavubu died long ago when I was still in college and never realized their dream of a democratic and peaceful Congo. Both South Africa, Zimbabwe as well as Congo are immensely rich in their natural resources but the native people still remain poor living in appalling conditions. I was shocked to see the shanty town just outside Nairobi and their poverty where I spent a few days while the shiny cars of Europeans sped by on the highway on the way to Kampala . Kenya is also rich in natural resources. Africans by and large resolve their differences through peaceful means in agrarian societies through their village councils where the elected village chief has the power to persuade the people to come to terms without resorting to violence . I saw this system in Haiti where the conflicts between two parties were often resolved through their system of social justice administered through their Houngan or Voodoo priests which is a remnant of their African tribal heritage. Africa still suffers many ills like social injustice, poverty, lack of job opportunities, famine that are man-made like in Somalia or Ethiopia, illiteracy, lack of decent housing, health care and sanitation in many parts, poor or non-existent infrastructure like in Mali where I worked, exploitation of their natural resources like diamond, copper and other precious minerals by the foreigners etc. The list is long and grows instead of getting short. Those Africans who still have the spirit I wrote about in my previous blog are therefore an inspiration to those who need it to overcome their day to day challenges that are many. Remember Wangari Mathaai who singlehandedly spearheaded the plantation of millions of trees in Kenya and received Nobel Prize for her dedication to uplift the lives of so many in the process.? There are many Wangaris waiting for an opportunity to shine in Africa so I am hopeful that in the long run, Africa will regain its old glory again when all countries elect their own governments democratically by setting aside their tribal differences and think of their country first. It may not happen during my lifetime but there are reasons to believe that it will happen someday. Rwanda, South Africa and Ethiopia are now peaceful and on their way to development. Zimbabwe now has a new democratic government and Uganda has overcome years of conflict due to the fanatic zealots but Africa still faces numerous challenges elsewhere that hopefully they will overcome in time. At least I hope so because there is no future without hope.
Source : Google photo of Ubuntu children playing Synopsis :The indomitable spirit of Africa and the Africans made me write this blog that was long overdue. I have tried to explain this spirit in Africans through a video and many colorful power points that should educate you and make you aware of the beauty of Africa and its people though they may be quite diverse in their languages, art, culture and traditions. One thing that is universal in Africa is their joyful spirit.
I have always marveled at the spirit of Africa where I have spent a great deal of time in many countries working with them in development work. I have learned from them what it means to be a helpful being who is a part of the community, where every person helps the community in every possible way without the slightest hesitation and so unselfishly. I have learned from them the value of hard work , love for their neighbors, sharing , caring for others and the feeling of pride in their culture, their way of living, their ancient traditions and their art. I have eaten with them their simple meals, danced with them during their festivities, lived like them in their villages and even built my house with their help in a rural village far from the city. I have trusted them with our children and they in their turn adopted us as theirs in the village and made us feel being apart of their community that has never happened to me and my family in other countries. My wife lived happily in our adobe house that was unique in design that I made myself and gleefully coated the floors with cow dung paste every week to give the rooms a dust free hard surface. ( Please read my blog called How to be self reliant anywhere here). Today I will write about a very unique country of Burkina Faso where the African spirit I write about is shown in this video I post here. https://youtu.be/z0cr4-Q1zY4
Watch this video to see how the whole village joins hands in building a beautiful adobe house for one of their neighbors using the soil, the straw, the grass for the roof and the decorative paints extracted from natural sources in keeping with their traditions. They sing together while working showing joy and excitement in doing such community work in their true African spirit to help build their neighbor's house who when required does the same for others. The whole process is free because they only use what the nature provides with such bounty and build a truly beautiful house with their bare hands. This is the spirit of Africa that the westerners who have never been to Africa denigrate as primitive living and scoff at their mud houses. They even came to our beautiful house in our village that we were so proud of and looked for a refrigerator and generator and openly wondered how we could live under such " primitive conditions " because they failed to see the beauty of an African village and joyous and peaceful way they all lived in total harmony with the nature and each other. This is true of most people in Europe and Americas who have never been to Africa or have visited only to denigrate their great culture and traditions calling them heathens and uncivilized and are ignorant and filled with misconceptions . The missionaries are at the forefront of this effort to "civilize the Africans " and who do not know or understand what it means to be an African and their glorious culture and traditions. They do not know that we all have our roots in Africa where our ancestor Lucy first appeared in the Rift valley millions of years ago. The Africans have always lived the way they do in total harmony with the nature and their surroundings in their communities where everyone knows everyone , where the old people sitting under the baobab trees keep a sharp eye on all the children who play nearby and do not hesitate to chastise them when they mis behave or get into fight with other children. They always kept an eye on our children and even fed them so we never worried about where our children were at any time of the day. Our baby daughter loved riding piggy back the African way. We learned that the African way of carrying the children on their back in a sling was the most practical and comfortable way for the children. Their simple way of pounding the corn and sorghum to prepare their meals every day was beautiful and efficient. They grew all their vegetables and fruits they needed near their village and raised their chickens and guinea fowls or goats and cows. We got fresh milk, fruits, vegetables , eggs and chicken from them whenever we wanted. They gave us gifts of a fawn and a monkey to keep as our pets and asked every day how we were doing. They brought us cow dung every week so that my wife and the maid could coat all the rooms. They provided us the maid as well. The African spirit I write about today is what makes Africans so unique because their spirit and humanity touches your heart in a way not found anywhere. I see some of it in Haiti where the slaves taken from Africa settled long ago and still maintain some of the traditions of their ancestors. The African traditions and music, language, art and craft vary a great deal from country to country that makes the continent so unique and beautiful. I have made many power points on African art and craft that are worth a look to understand how varied they are and still maintain their wonderful spirit so check them out here: ( African art and craft power point)
These seven power points are a treasure trove of beautiful photos of African tribes ( in three parts), African art and craft, African wildlife and birds of Africa that will bring you a wealth of knowledge about Africa that only a power point can bring to you. I have put a lot of effort to make these power points over a long period of time so enjoy them and share them with anyone who is interested in Africa, its people, its culture, its art and its wonderful wildlife. These power points will make you immensely knowledgeable about a continent and its unique beauty that a simple blog can never do. There is this misconception that people who live like the Africans in their adobe houses and without any modern amenities like running water and electricity are primitive and poor. They may be poor as compared to others but primitive they are not. They have a rich culture and tradition of their own that should be emulated and not looked down upon by anyone. Missionaries do more harm than good by trying to influence the Africans with their culture and traditions because the imported culture and traditions are unsuitable to the African way of living. I was told by an American that when the missionaries told the African women in their villages that they must cover their breasts with bras because showing nude chest is immoral etc., they did so but the wire of their bra cut into their flesh causing wounds that were infected thus making the women suffer more. Without bras, they did not have such horrific problems and their smooth skin glowed with health. African women do not wear clothes due to modesty but as a function of the climate so being topless is not immodest but quite natural for them. I never considered them immodest but I am not a missionary. What I want my readers to understand is that the African people are proud of being the way they are and do not need others to tell them how to live. The western influence has done nothing but harm to them in many parts where they have given up their beautiful homes and live in rectangular ugly homes with tin roof that is extremely uncomfortable and hot most of the time. But such homes are promoted by the church school educated elites who have discarded their traditions and consider themselves civilized by adopting Christian names. I have written many blogs that discuss the isolation and loneliness of the western culture that promotes selfishness and apathy in people. I have written about many social ills that afflict the so called civilized people who get into drugs, alcohol, domestic violence, gambling and many such vices, who inflict harm on others through gun violence and anti social behaviors . They should learn from the African how to live peacefully by helping each other in their communities. If you go to any rural community or small town in America and Europe, you may face hostility at first because they do not like you just because you are different from them. Not so in Africa anywhere. There if you visit any village, you will be asked to wait while someone goes to find the village chief. When he arrives and asks you about the purpose of your visit, he then gives orders to prepare a hut for you and to prepare hot water so that you can wash and clean yourself while women prepare a meal for you. After you have washed and eaten , only then the village chief invites you to his village forum where he may introduce you to the villagers and explain the purpose of your visit. If you look at the art and craft of Africa, you will be impressed by their originality and quality of art and craft. They make wonderful musical instruments themselves using gourds and animal hides and make wonderful drums that are still used to send messages at night to neighboring villages using a Morse code of their own and such messages can be relayed hundreds of kilometers. They make clothes and potteries ,foot ware and jewelries using only the natural materials available to them. The African designers are now world famous for their originality of dazzling colors and intricate weaving of textiles. African models are world famous for their beauty and poise. They are very innovative about how the women dress their hair into intricate works of art that our daughter in Zambia likes so much. But what I like most about the Africans is their spirit of helpfulness to each other. Whatever they have, they share with their neighbors including food and shelter. No one fights over a piece of land because people do not own the land. The village chief who is democratically elected decides who will cultivate which piece of land and freely allocates it to those who need it the most. I have seen this spirit of helping each other in Africa myself because I have lived in their villages and shared their hospitality. It is true that the women work hard to fetch water and firewood from great distance in many parts and then prepare the meal of the day by pounding the corn or the millet and do many other chores that are tedious and tiring but it does not diminish their spirit so they sing joyfully while helping build their neighbors house as you will see in the video above. What Africa needs is an understanding of their spirit and their way of life . They have suffered a lot during the period of slavery when the western countries treated them like cattle to be sold to the highest bidder so the concept of Africans being inferior to others was born resulting in racism that still persists. I have written about the Scourge of slavery in one blog so read it. People who do not understand the Africans and their way of life , their culture and their proud heritage still insist that they need to be educated and Christianized. This should be stopped. One must learn to look at them with clear understanding and empathy. Only then you will begin to appreciate Africa and its inhabitants. I hope this blog brings to you new knowledge and makes you more aware of the beauty of their culture and spirit.
Source: Google photo : Red tape and bureaucracy Synopsis :The Bureaucracy and the red tapes it creates are often the bane of the government services in many countries. What is incredible is that people keep on making more red tapes instead of reducing them. This blog looks at the reason why red tapes are made and ways to make government services more efficient.
We have all faced red tape annoyance at some time in our lives that has caused numerous difficulties in getting the services offered by the government so today I will try to understand why the red tapes are created and how it affects the lives of millions of people worldwide in a very negative way. I will start with a classic case of red tape when a fellow wanted a sheet of paper to write something because his office did not provide him with paper so he went to the clerk manning the photo copying machine and asked him for a sheet. The clerk answered that he could not give him a fresh sheet of paper due to stringent office regulations but could only give him a photocopy of a document. So the gentleman, very annoyed at this point asked for a photocopy of a plain sheet and got one because of the red tape. It may sound hilarious but in fact it shows how stupid some people are who make such regulations in the first place. Just walk into any government office anywhere in the world and demand a certain service and you will come up against rules and regulations no matter how ridiculous and insane they may be just like the clerk who would not give a plain sheet of paper before photocopying it. The fundamental reason for any red tape is the premise that people cannot be trusted to be honest so they must be kept in line through innumerable rules and regulations. There are people who have nothing better to do than to create more forms to be filled up, more rules and more regulations adding to the overburdened list of such rules. The senators and congressmen elected to their offices often through disreputable means spend a great deal of their time submitting new bills and regulations that they discuss endlessly and often fail to pass as law ( thankfully) because they tend to take their role as lawmakers very seriously indeed. Sometimes it takes a courageous leader to cut the red tapes so that the country can make progress. One day Rajeev Gandhi who was then the Prime Minister of India, went to the office of the Ministry of Trade and Commerce totally unannounced and found the office desks with pile of files collecting dust. These were the applications from many industrialists who wanted to make many products and had applied more than 20 years ago giving up hope that they will ever get the permit due to massive red tape. Mr. Gandhi was very surprised at this state of affairs and ordered all the desks to be cleared of all pending applications within 7 days and approve all the required permits that created panic among the clerks who were not accustomed to work like this. But the Prime Minister’s orders had to be obeyed so the desks were cleared and all the permits issued. This also broke up the monopoly of certain manufacturers of scooters and other things so people who had to wait for five years just to buy a scooter were now very surprised to find the scooters easily available under various makes and brands. The middle class is the motor that drives the economy because they create the demand for consumer goods that the industries then manufacture and compete with each other. The country as a whole makes progress through the process of industrialization because it helps improve the lives of ordinary people. Now if you go to India, you will see how many choices people have when they want to buy something. Scooters, motorcycles and mopeds are now sold on the sidewalk en masse and still only a few people buy them because almost everyone has them already. Now the middle class is buying small cars in record numbers so the car market is vibrant and comes up with new models every season. Another dynamic Prime Minister is Mr. Modi who is moving India toward an efficient country where most of the government services are being offered on line and digital payment system is being introduced nationwide cutting down the red tapes. Recently he announced that a Government loan of up to 10 million Rupees ( almost 138000 USD) will be approved within 59 minutes when people apply on line to improve their small scale business. This is very good news for the entrepreneurs who were given run around by the banks for years just to get a small loan for their business. He has also ordered a thorough review of all laws created during the colonial period that is now redundant that should be scrapped. The red tape creates massive corruption at every level in any society. Just go to any office in any country and you will find people sitting at their desks whole day just pushing papers and rubber stamping documents like morons because twenty different signatures are required just to approve something. I knew a German fellow who went to Dar Es Salam in Tanzania to get his car that he had imported and had paid all the dues on the car but he could not get his car because someone needed to sign the papers. After waiting a long time , one day he got hold of his keys and just drove off. I was a victim of such corruption when I applied for my passport for the first time and got very impatient after waiting for over nine months so I decided to go to Delhi and see the big boss myself and plead my case. Soon my dusty file was brought out by the clerk who could not explain why it was sitting there for nine months. The big boss assured me that I should return home because he will do what he can. My passport came within 7 days. Another case I must mention here that shows how deep rooted corruption is in India when a widow went to her husband’s office to claim her benefits due to her but the clerks gave her a run around hinting that she must pay a bribe to expedite her case. She was helpless and needed the money so she agreed. Then the same clerk who was giving her difficulties said that all will be done shortly so she got the benefits finally. Now the Prime Minister wants to make all such transaction transparent and speedy so that the public does not suffer needlessly. India is making it easier for the foreign companies to do business there by quick approval of applications and speedier implementation of the government decisions. In other countries where corruption is rife, people still have to pay bribes to get things done. One Saudi Arabian gentleman who is super rich says that he only takes a 10 to 15 % commission on any deal that he approves so the companies inflate their bidding price to include the bribe. This is still the practice in many countries where the ministers get super rich through such commission. When I was in Khartoum, I was offered 10 % commission on anything I bought for my project. When I said that the seller should reduce the bill by the amount of the commission so that they could win the bidding, they refused. Another fellow insisted that I pay him for the newspaper ad I had put in to recruit some local staff and would not show me the newspaper office to pay my dues because he was also a commissioner so such corruption is widespread. The red tapes create corruption because it creates the opportunities for people to seek bribe just to do their job. If you refuse to pay then your application collects dust just like my passport case. I had to travel over 1400 kms to go to Delhi. The red tape also creates jobs for those clerks who sit at their desks stamping papers whole day, day after day like robots and take no initiative to expedite the cases they are to handle. It also promotes an atmosphere of distrust and no accountability. I just read that the Australians also suffer from red tapes and complicated bureaucracy. The most notorious case of red tape affects the judiciary that drowns in red tape and backlog of cases that never come up for presentation in the court system. There the omnipotent clerks are the masters who decide whose case will be heard and when depending upon how much bribe they can extract from the hapless citizens who clamor for justice. The courts in India present a depressing site where black gown clad lawyers outnumber flies and where the poor and distressed citizens wait endlessly for their cases to be heard but they are at the mercy of these vultures who have no compassion for the litigants and demand bribes for their services. This is the legacy of the British colonial system that the courts adopted in India including the obsolete laws they can’t get rid of. It is just as bad in England as it is in India but new and dynamic judges can make a difference by instituting reforms in the judicial process, by computerizing the cases and the documents, by making the process transparent and speedy, by computerizing zillions of laws and bylaws for easy reference and access etc. Remember that justice delayed is justice denied. I was very impressed by the Prime Minister Modi who abolished the office of the Planning Commission of India where some 20000 clerks worked to develop the five year plan of development of India and micromanaged even the size of nails to be used somewhere. It was absurd that so many people wasted the government resources on their salaries but they wanted to protect their jobs. I do not know what happened to those clerks. May be they were absorbed in other offices and retrained. So really it takes a very dynamic and determined person like Mr. Modi to bring about reforms into moribund offices and make them more streamlined and efficient. Such people are not afraid to rock the boat that maintains status quo. I think there has to be a review of all the bureaucratic processes in every country to make them paper less if possible or use less papers and less stamps so that corruption generated by the red tapes is reduced if not totally eliminated. There are good examples of good services provided by the governments in many countries like in Scandinavia and Japan or Korea where the common people avail the services speedily without any fuss in a transparent fashion. We are now living in the age of fast computers and paperless transactions that leave an electronic trail which can be followed up easily in case of need. Most of all such reforms are so necessary to revolutionize the government services in all democratic and even non democratic countries to make life easier for the common man. Paperless transactions are also eco friendly to say the least. Imagine how many millions of trees can be saved if most offices go paperless? Most of all people must learn to trust each other because this lack of trust is the foundation on which red tapes are built. There has to be accountability for those who make life difficult for others so either they must shape up or be fired. So learn from the countries that offer excellent services to their citizens so that their practices can be emulated. India is fighting corruption by eliminating middle men in transactions so your money earned can now be directly remitted into your account that you can then withdraw through the ATM anytime. Computers also speed up the processing for the services that used to require a lot of manual checking. I think taking bribe for doing your job is a sin that must be eliminated in any modern society that aspires to make progress. ( Please read my blog called The monster called corruption in this regard).
Bridge of Ram Source: Google photo of NASA satellite image of the Ram Causeway between India and Sri Lanka that is now under water
Synopsis :We have learned that many myths around the world contain a grain of truth in them that get obscured over a long period of time but do not diminish the value of the myth. One such myth was the bridge that Ram built to reach Lanka to rescue Sita from the clutches of Ravana but now a satellite photo taken by NASA has revealed that there is such causeway between India and Sri Lanka mentioned in Ramayan thousands of years ago. It is under water but clearly seen.
People say that the myths are not entirely made up and fictitious but are real based on some truth. Over a period of thousands of years and poor record keeping, some of the facts and truths get obscure and take on the mantle of myth that is repeated through generations to keep it alive in the minds of people. Time also embellishes the myth often with supernatural aura that tends to bury the truth within. In every religion and culture there are such myths that are passed on as a matter of faith with less regard for its historical veracity because faith seems stronger than historical discoveries. I have written about the case of Jesus and Mary Magdalene in my blog that shows that Jesus did not die on the cross as the popular belief goes but escaped out of the Roman empire to die somewhere else of old age. But his wife Mary Magdalene was spirited out of Palestine and arrived in the region of Rennes le chateau in southern France where she gave birth to a son who continued the blood line of Jesus in the Merovingian kings who ruled France for a period. There are ample evidences of this blood line and the grave of Mary Magdalene. ( read my blog Jesus and Mary Magdalene of history) Jesus reportedly died in Kashmir and is buried there in Sri Nagar and has left behind his blood line through nearly 400 generations there that is still traceable. He is known there as Issa Masiha meaning Jesus the Mesiah. Today I will write about another myth called the story of Ram, the Hindu deity who lived thousands of years ago. Here is the summary of Ramayana or the story of Ram as written by Valmiki long ago that the Hindus read and believe. Later Tulsidas wrote the story in Avadhi which is a dialect of Hindi and still spoken in north India that made RamCharitmanas ( The story of Ram ) wildly popular in India because it is in a language millions of devotees of Ram in rural India understand. The story of Ram is a long one so I will just print a summary of his story here to tell you the gist of it. The story of Ramayana : "Dasharatha was the king of Ayodhya who had three wives and four sons. Ram was the eldest and his mother was Kaushalya. Bharata was the son of Dasharatha’s second and favorite wife Kaikeyi, The other two were twins , Lakshmana and Shatrughna whose mother was Sumithra. In the neighboring kingdom, the ruler’s daughter was named Sita. When it was time for Sita to choose her bridegroom at a ceremony called Swayamvara, princes from all over the land were asked to string a giant bow which no one could lift. However, as Ram picked it up, he not only strung the bow, he broke it. Seeing this, Sita indicated that she had chosen Ram as her husband by putting a garland around his neck. Their love became the model for the entire kingdom as they looked over the kingdom under the watchful eyes of his father the king. A few years later, King Dasharatha decided it was time to give his throne to his eldest son Ram and retire to the forest. Everyone seemed pleased, save Queen Kaikeyi since she wanted her son Bharata to rule. Because of an oath Dasharatha had made to her years before, she got the king to agree to banish Ram for fourteen years and to crown Bharata, even though the king pleaded with her not to demand such a request. The devastated King could not face Ram and it was Queen Kaikeyi who told Ram the King’s decree. Ram, always obedient, was content to go into banishment in the forest. Sita and Lakshmana accompanied him on his exile. One day Ram and Lakhsmana wounded a demon princess who tried to seduce Ram. She returned to her brother Ravana, the ten headed ruler of Lanka. In retaliation Ravana devised a plan to abduct Sita after hearing about her incomparable beauty. He sent one of his demons disguised as a magical golden deer to entice Sita. To please her, Ram and Lakhsmana went to hunt the deer down. Before they did though, they drew a protective circle around Sita and told her that she would be safe for as long as she did not step outside the circle. After Ram and Lakhsmana left, Ravana appeared as a holy man begging alms. The moment Sita stepped outside the circle to give him food, Ravana grabbed her and carried her to his kingdom in Lanka. Ram then sought the help of a band of monkeys offer to help him find Sita. Hanuman , the general of the monkey band could fly because his father was the wind. He flew to Lanka and finding Sita in the grove, comforted her and told her that Ram would come to save her soon. Ravana’s guards captured Hanuman and Ravana ordered them to wrap Hanuman’s tail in cloth and to set it on fire. With his tail burning, Hanuman escaped and hopped from house to house top and set the city on fire. He then flew back to Ram to tell him where Sita was. Ram, Lakhsmana and the monkey army built a causeway from the tip of India to Lanka and crossed over to Lanka where a cosmic battle ensued. Ram killed several of Ravana’s brothers and eventually Ravana himself and freed Sita. They returned to Ayodhya in triumph and his way was lighted by millions of clay lamps by his people who called it Deepavali that is still celebrated in India as Divali. An effigy of Ravana is also burned at this time." The story of Ram is epic in proportions and runs into hundreds of pages. Now a clear photograph taken from a NASA satellite shows that Ram’s causeway was not a myth but real giving credence to Ram’s story and proving that Ram was a real person who went to Lanka to defeat Ravana and rescue Sita. The causeway that was built by the so called army of monkeys was at the shortest point between the two countries but still several kilometers long where the sea was shallow thousands of years ago. Now the causeway is under water but can still be seen from the NASA photo. The rising sea level has swallowed up many cities like Dwaraka of Krishna and Alexandria of Cleopatra but underwater photography there proves that they existed. The story of monkey army building a very long causeway is still quite incredible so the historians who are familiar with the tribes still living in South India called Todas say that Valmiki called these people monkeys because they were tribals therefore not to be compared with the civilized Aryans that Ram represented. The author of Ramayana also denigrated forest dwelling tribals as demons with horns and black in color but the tribals were peaceful people who helped Ram with food when he and his wife and brother were in exile in the forest for 14 years. The Todas who are essentially cattle herders say that their ancestors built the causeway debunking the myth that the monkeys built it. The king of Lanka and his people were dark in skin color so they were also called demons but Lanka at that time was a prosperous country and Ravana was a very educated person albeit a very nasty character who kidnapped Sita and brought about his defeat in the hands of Ram and his army. It reminds me of the Helen of Troy story that has some similarities here although Helen was not kidnapped but ran away with her lover because she was promiscuous that caused the war and the destruction of Troy. That is where the similarity ends because Sita remained chaste and loyal to Ram through her ordeal . A German archaeologist and anthropologist who did extensive diggings on the shores of present day Turkey found the ruins of Troy and the blackened walls because Troy was burned to the ground proving that the story of Helen was not a myth. Another myth that is still being repeated shows Ravana as a ten headed monster whose effigy is burned during Divali throughout India as a proper rebuke for his misdeeds but it is simply a metaphor meaning Ravana had the wisdom of ten men or could fight like ten men in battle. It is the same metaphor used to describe the Deity Durga who has ten arms but actually was a great fighter who slayed the demon. Her strength was like five men in battle but this metaphor has become a part of the Hindu belief system so no one can argue with them unless you are looking for a fight. Faith and reality are often at odds with each other that ends up glorifying the faith in a very old religion like Hinduism the same way the Christians still adhere to the Biblical stories of Jesus and ignore the recent gospels found in Egypt that suggests that Mary Magdalene was the wife of Jesus. This blog does not discuss the matter of faith of the Hindus but looks at some recent evidence that the causeway of Ram is very real so his story holds true except some literary and biased renditions of Valmiki about the demons and monkeys. Now I come to the part where the story of Ram is being appropriated by others outside India namely the Thais who say that Ram was their God as well which does not seem so far-fetched as the Thais were Hindus long before they were Buddhists. What is interesting is that the Thais built a city full of temples of Ram and Sita in a place they call Ayuthaya that is some 100 kms East North East of Bangkok and is a big tourist attraction where all manners of thieves and scammers abound. For a long period the Thai kings called Ayuthaya their capital. Their descent from divinity also has common grounds with many others like the ancient pharaohs and Cambodian kings. We all know how a word taken from one language ends up in another with some modification so I do not blame the Thais for changing Ayodhya to Ayuthaya. They also celebrate Ramayana in classic drama telling the story of Ram albeit with a bit of Thai twist that tends to tweak the story a bit here and there to suit the Thai culture. There was a time long ago when most of South East Asia and Indonesia was Hindu so you will find various versions of Ramayana in different countries that they have adapted to suit their fancy and culture. What got the Hindus so excited was the proof that the Ram causeway is real that proves that Ram is not a myth. He was as real as you and me but he and his brother suffered deprivations, exile for 14 years in a forest because of his wily step mother and Sita suffered as a prisoner of Ravana. Now Ayodhya has become a very hot issue in India because they want to build a massive temple there to honor Ram and Sita. They have destroyed a mosque built during the rule of Babur who set up the Moghul dynasty ruling India for centuries and destroyed a Hindu temple of Ram to build a mosque there. Moghul rulers like Babur and later Aurangjeb were known to destroy Hindu temples and forced Islam on hapless citizens that still causes problems there after so many centuries. Now the matter of Ayodhya is being litigated in the Supreme Court of India that is taking its time to come to a conclusion that will placate all contesting parties in Ayodhya. The temple mount in Jerusalem is another hot issue just like Ayodhya where the Jews want to rebuild their original temple but a mosque stands in the way just like in Ayodhya. I have visited many South India temples including the famous temple of Rameshwaram where Sita established the Shiva linga after her rescue and am always reminded that all myths have in them a kernel of truth that people always believe.
Source : Google photos of Minotaur and the labyrinth in Crete No one took seriously the myth that a monster half human and half bull called Minotaur lived in the labyrinth of a king’s palace in Greece until they discovered the ruins and the labyrinth beneath it.
Source : Google photo of an alien craft in Afghanistan No one believed that people in India used aircrafts thousands of years ago until they found one in Afghanistan that looked like an alien craft . So the story of Ram turns out to be not totally a myth but based on some evidences that are now being discovered. I am sure more such evidences will be found in the excavations that are going on in Sri Lanka and India that will make the story more believable. We are living in the age of discovery .
