LIFEISNOWHERE

  HOW UNIQUE IS BEING UNIQUE     Fr Paul Lelen Haokip Introduction We live in an epoch of instantaneous copycat culture, severe competition and polarised ethnic identity politics. The idea of copyright, patent, DOI, etc., are all geared towards maintaining the uniqueness of something, an idea, an art, a music note, a literary piece, etc. Over the centuries, humans construct their patterns of categorization (Brosius et al, 1986), culture, language, worldview, vastly influenced by their past experiences and geographical locations. For example, people who settled near the oceans have myths connected with the sea; so also, people who have lived in the mountains carry myths related to trees, animals, mountains, streams and rivers. All these people (naively) think that their habits are (so) unique. At best, people who can trace their origin as distant as possible will be sensible as they possess some sort of scientific temper leading to social learning (Social learning th...

  FEAR TO DIFFER     Fr Paul Lelen Haokip Introduction This article does not encourage people to shun from differing. If all are the same, there would not be advancement. The differences in life are useful for progress, an inexhaustible God’s gift for humanity. The psychological ailment of “fear to differ” to entertain people or be in the good book of higher-ups is an emerging condition. This is a mental disease that has permeated the bureaucracy, political arena, religious circles and even universities. It takes courage to differ. Have no fear to be different because each person is unique and important. If you have not been rejected, accepted, confronted and challenged in your life, probably you have not done anything worthwhile. All the above conditions come up when you do something extraordinary or perform feats that have not been completed by anyone. The tendency to agree with everything, anything and everyone is also a pointer that you have nothing unique in yo...

  FATHERING A NATION: OPTING NON-VIOLENT WAYS     Fr Paul Lelen Haokip Introduction We live in a nation of seekers – seeking the divine, knowledge, philosophy, consciousness, awakening. While nature is given the title of ‘motherhood’, politics seems to hold its ‘fathers’ down the centuries. A patriarchal society like India has accorded Mahatma Gandhi - the ‘Father of the Nation’ as he was the was driving force behind the independence of India from foreign domination and the establishment of India as a free nation. This is indeed a kind and befitting gesture of gratitude shown to him. The whole world stands in awe to the Gandhian principle of non-violence. He led us from fear of colonial regime to think and reason for ourselves (freedom). Founding fathers of the Indian constitution More than seventy years ago, the founding fathers of the Indian republic - Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, B. R. Ambedkar, Subhas Chandra Bose and Vallabhbhai Patel - ...