Impromptu speech

[VED]

1. What would you rather be - wise or intelligent?

2. Women are more intelligent than men.

3. True wisdom comes from experience.

4. Threat is more powerful than execution.

5. Real wealth is never measured in money or possessions.

6. Everyone smiles in the same language.

7. Egg or the Chicken, which came first...

8. Fools rush in where angels fear to tread!

9. If I were to rule the world..

10. If I were the president!

11. If aliens visit planet earth, what would they think?

12. The bad news is time flies; the good news is you are the pilot!

13. To err is human, to forgive divine!

14. The media controls how and what we think!

15. Space colonisation!

16. About English!

17. The world is a smaller place these days!

18. The more we communicate, the less we really say.

19. Promises are meant to be broken!

20. The state of our nation!

[VED]

What would you rather be - wise or intelligent?

Well, the question posed here, is what would I rather be – wise or intelligent? Well, I think I should be wise when answering this question, and answer that I should be both wise as well as intelligent.

This is my answer: I should be both wise as well as intelligent. Well, I was being wise here. Or am I mistaken? I was not being wise, I was being intelligent.

That, ladies and gentlemen, sums up my confusion when answering this question posed to me.

Is there really any difference between intelligence and wisdom?

Have you read any writings by Jack London? Among his writings there are some that describe life in the South Pacific. The social system there in those far off times, was totally different from his native-English culture. In his writings, there are a lot of allusions to the ‘wise men’ of those social systems. They were generally the aged, respected men of the village. They were wise, but were they intelligent?

Am I confused? Or am I confusing you?

Well, I am in a quandary.

Or am I talking in paradoxes?

There are times, when we listen to our intuition. It is said, that we are listening to our heart. Well, is our heart wise, rather than intelligent?

Is being wise being smart or is it the intelligent man who is smart? Is there really any real difference between these two words? Is one just the synonym of the other?

Well, this type of talk leads us nowhere. However, I am sure that it would not be wise of me to talk authoritatively on wisdom from here; for the subject is complex and complicated. But then, it might be intelligent to put in a few words of wisdom here.

Technically speaking, intelligence is a word that can be used to describe a property of mind, which encases our capacity to reason, plan, solve problems, think, understand, use language, and also to learn.

Now where does wisdom lie? Well, it is also very much connected to intelligence, and in many ways, the term may overlap with intelligence and also with such other things as perceptiveness, spirituality, and even our own cunningness.

Yet, it has been said that wisdom is a distinct term and not a composite of all these terms.

But then, apart from being just a part or content of intelligence, wisdom also is our knowledge of what is right or true, connected to our capacity for judicious actions, discernment and insight. In that case, it is not just knowledge, but its application to live a good and virtuous life. Thus being wise means an innate ability to choose between different options, based on social ethical principles.

Well, all this brings us back to what I would rather be? Well, I should be intelligent enough to choose to be wise. Or is it the other way round?

[VED]

Women are more intelligent than men.

Or is it the other way round?

Well, does it really matter? Or is there any reason that either of them should be better equipped mentally than the other?

Well, is there actually a need to debate this question?

What is our own understanding about this? I have very intelligent men and also very intelligent women in my circle of friends.

Moreover, I have had the experience of seeing quite idiots among men and also among women.

Now where does that take us?

I would say it all depends.

There was this finding by British-born American researcher John Philippe Rushton who found that on an average, men are more intelligent than women. This finding was based on a study which found that male IQ was above female IQ by 3.63 points. The average man’s IQ is around 100 points.

My friends, I am not an expert in these things, but then as a layman, I too do have ideas and understandings about these things.

For example, what is IQ? What is it based on? Can university aptitude tests really gauge human intelligence?

Suppose the questions asked were connected to some other kind of aptitude such as painting, solving riddles or even about coconut tree climbing?

Would these same persons score high? Well, I would say that the very concept of intelligence might need to be re-examined.

For instance, if the intelligence tests were based on cooking techniques, who would score high? Well, it is possible that the females would score high. But then, if there was a male who had experimented much on culinary art, wouldn’t he score high?

Couldn’t Intelligence be connected to how much more opportunity the brain was given to whet itself? For example, would not a youngster given the opportunity to use his or her brain much from a very early age show more intelligence?

I would propose that it is more intelligent to see that both males as well as females do get the same opportunity to develop their brains. If anyone from the either sides is showing consistent lower calibre, it might be a good thing to find out why. And to find a way to remove the negative factor.

[VED]

It has been said that wisdom comes from experience.

Well, my friends, you are all persons with a lot of experience, there is no doubt about that.

I ask of you this question.

Do you think that you are wise? Wise from the experience? Wise from your age?

Are you wise?

Well, I am sure that you do have much information on many things, and thus you have wisdom in many topics.

Did you become wise from the experience? Well, certainly you did.

Did you become wise from your growing age?

Well, age did bring in experience, and that in turn brought in information, which we have identified with wisdom.

From a minute perspective, all these answers are correct.

There is a quotation from Oscar Wilde’s writings, ‘Wisdom comes with Winters’.

Well, I think it meant that you gain wisdom from tough experiences.

Yet, my friends, actually all these information or knowledge that we allude to here are of the mundane, and of the everyday events.

It is like a battery mechanic saying that he is wise. Well, he is wise as far as repairing an automotive battery is concerned.

Or like saying that a computer mechanic has expertise in computer repair.

You yourselves are wise in your field of operation.

Yet, true wisdom is not so limited a theme as that. Let me remind you of the words of Socrates: The only true wisdom is in knowing that you know nothing.

I do perfectly believe that what he said is true.

For, there are things that neither age nor experience can lend. There are things beyond the realm of ordinary material understandings. For, they belong to a world, where we are just creations, and not the masters.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I propose my thoughts that true wisdom has nothing to do with age or experience.

It is more connected to intuitions, which come to us from beyond; from beyond the boundless!

[VED]

Well, ladies and gentlemen, there was once an incidence in world history, which made the whole of modern mankind hold its breath in terror and anticipation. I speak here of the Cuban Missile crises.

This happened when Kennedy was the American president. Cuba was setting up nuclear missiles, being sent from Russia. A Russian ship loaded with suspected nuclear missiles is moving towards Cuba. Kennedy has to act fast.

For, once such a threat is installed inside Cuba, just minutes away from the USA, American security is compromised. Kennedy acts fast. He orders the entry and search of the Russian warship; and if nuclear missiles are found, to arrest the ship. It literally means war. However, the Russian president ordered the return of the ship, thus averting a possible third world war.

Well, modern international relationship is more or less centred on the concept of balance of power and deterrence. Be armed, and send out the message that one is armed to the teeth. In other words, an offensive stance can lend you a great defence. However, once that stage is removed, and one goes in for actual attack, the advantage of this deterring threat is lost.

Ladies and gentlemen, the best strategy is to play the game of threat to its fullest potential. At the same time, be ready to enforce the threat. Well then, the menacing hovering threat would do a lot of wonders. It is a strategy that has been used by many great strategists in many areas of life. For, a threat can really lend an unsettling feel, and can even unnerve the opponent. And that is what is required.

[VED]

Only a foolish man would belittle the value of money. For money is really some kind of energy and power in a codified form. It is a fuel that drives the machine of social living.

You might have heard people saying that money is nothing and such words. Maybe they are the rich, or maybe they have not suffered the pangs of poverty.

Do not believe them. Money is a basic requisite for social living, just as blood is an absolute necessity for life.

Yet, money is not everything, just like blood is not everything in life. There are other things also of equal or even more importance.

The most essential requisite in a human life is happiness. If you are happy, then it is an attainment that nothing else can deliver.

I remember this story which I had I read when I was a kid.

There was a king in a European nation. He was always crazy about his own comfort, and happiness. He went in for the sweet sides of life, such as luxurious food, intoxicating drinks, and delicious dances.

Such idle luxury led him to a health breakdown. No one could cure him.

At last a famous physician came and pronounced that the cure was simple. He just had to wear the shirt of a happy subject of his, just one time. He would be cured of his mysterious ailment!¬

The fact was that under the miserable rule of this useless king, all the subjects were suffering.

The soldiers rushed to the east and then to the west, and to the north and then to the south. They could find no man, who could truthfully admit that he was truly happy.

However, in one town, the soldiers came upon a wandering man, a sort of beggar, in a most delightful mood. He was singing and cracking jokes, and was thus entertaining the crowd around him.

The soldiers immediately asked him, ‘Are you happy?’ He replied, ‘Yes, I am. I have no care in this world.’

The soldiers immediately had him taken to the royal court and into the king’s presence. The king had been lying down in his bed. He rose up and remained seated in his bed. He said, ‘Oh, the only-happy-man-in-my-kingdom, lend me your shirt for one day.’

The happy man simply smiled and laughed. He said, ‘I would be very glad to lend you my shirt, Oh my King. But then, I do not have a shirt!’

Well gentlemen, this story, I suppose, does bring out the dilemma that exists in our conception about money and happiness.

In my opinion, the real intrinsic wealth a man can possess is happiness - clear, candid and flawless. Nothing less, nothing more!

[VED]

My friends, did you know that you need not always speak. For your body can also speak. Have you noticed that when you are near a person who likes you, you know it? The same way, when someone with inimical intentions accosts you, you sense it. There are vibes that can be sensed.

Do you feel what I am saying is correct? I speak not just about body language, but of something beyond even that parameter☝️.

Our body and our mind have tools for communication. Look at the persons sitting around you. Can you sense anything? Possibly not, for there are so many vibes in the room and around you.

But then, think of someone you know as a friend, and another you know as an irritant in your life. Even the very imagining of them, does spark emotions into your mind.

Then what about a smile? It is a great tool of your mind. It can convey powerful feelings. It can, for one thing bring in delight in you and a charming feeling about the person who bestows this smile. It conveys passions and fellowships, which words cannot convey. A smile can convey love, friendship, hope, camaraderie, support and in some cases, it can even convey messages. Still, it remains beyond the limits of human languages. In many ways, it is part of a universal language for mankind.

Well, it is inexpensive and yet quite so powerful. I remember a quote from Charles Gordy: A smile is an inexpensive way to change your looks. It’s true isn’t it?

And there is still another quote from an unknown author that I do cherish: Life is like a mirror. We get the best results when we smile at it.

[VED]

A very trivial question indeed, my friends. Yet, it is a question that has taxed the brains of innumerable philosophers and thinkers over the centuries. Maybe there would be practical persons here, who would say, ‘What a stupid question! There are more weighty matters in this world to think about!’

I have read that the earliest recorded reference to this question can be found in the collection of essays and discussions by the Greek historian Plutarchus. He was born in the year 46 AD. In this discussion, he does mention his friend Sulla commenting that even though the question is of seeming minor importance, this question does really lead one to the greater question of the creation of the world.

Well, indeed, ladies and gentlemen, this is a question that has been debated in many circles, including that of the scientists as well as of the theologians. Actually Aristotle had alluded to this problem even before Plutarchus.

As for us, what does it mean? Did the chicken come first or did the egg come out first? We know from our common intelligence that neither is possible. But then does our common intelligence really mean anything? The secrets of this universe are far beyond the grasp of our common sense and intelligence.

Can I give you an answer to this question? No, I don’t think so. Can you? Well, it is doubtful. Try if you dare.

Modern science, I mean biology, does deal with this question from another angle, that of evolution and mutation. Well, it is true that it can deal with it to some minor extent, but then, it cannot answer the question downright.

This question does really lead us to the question of how our universe was created. Any answers, gentlemen?

Well, if you have the time and the inclination to ponder on this seemingly simple question, do it. May be you may stumble upon greater answers☝️ than you ever imagined possible.


(Old audio. Will be changed later).

[VED]

My friends, dare, and dare again, but then, always remember that the better part of valour is discretion.

Well, should I talk about this line from this perspective of daring and bravery? May be there are other angles from where I can discuss this line. For example, what about a literary discussion?

Fools rush in where angels fear to tread. What do you understand from this statement?

It was Alexander Pope who first wrote this line in his: An Essay on Criticism. It was really a poem, which he wrote in 1709. It was published in 1711. Well, this was a poem which had other famous lines like

A little learning is a dangerous thing;

Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring

And also the equally famous line:

To err is human, to forgive divine.

The fools that Alexander Pope had in mind were not the fools of today, but more or less, the literary critics of his days.

Many persons have since used this line in their writings. The general meaning is something like:

Fools rush in where the brave hesitate to enter.

Or we may even say:

Fools rush in where the wise dare not.

There was also a novel by E M Forster with the title : Where Angels fear to tread.

That much is from the literary perspective.

Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.

Does this statement really have any substance?

Well, one has to have courage, but then, as I mentioned, a bit of discretion to mellow or even blunt the spirited sharpness of bravery is a healthy thing. It can also blunt the explosive burst of the spur of the moment actions. For, sheer bravery devoid of all hints of forethoughts cannot be a wise thing.

I think, you will agree that it might always be good to give your intelligence some credence, when your passions are being prodded on by the unintelligence of fanatic frenzy.

Do you feel that I am belittling courage? No, I am not. For courage is a great thing. It has the capacity to achieve great things. But then, it needs tempering. And that tempering is given by discretion and wisdom. Be brave, but then, go along with the angels. The angles are also brave, but then, they go where they never get despoiled.

My friends, be brave and courageous, but then, let your brave actions bespeak of noble attributes, and not of atrophied stories.

[VED]

I am sure that most of you have heard of Charles Dickens, the famous English writer. His one very famous novel was The Pickwick Papers, in which he describes the activities and the adventures of the members of the famous Pickwick Club. It is a very funny novel.

In one scene, Samuel Pickwick, is in the midst of an election scene. He is mistaken by the surging crowd as an election candidate and made to speak out of his manifesto.

Based on this scene, a famous song was composed by Leslie Bricusse and Cyril Ornadel in 1963. The title was If I ruled the world. This song was to promote many other stage and TV productions based on this picturesque title.

Well, on hearing the theme given to me to speak on, this is what immediately comes to my mind. However, I am sure what you might be expecting to hear from me would be what I would actually contemplate on doing if I were to rule this world.

Gentlemen, it sure is a difficult question to answer.

If I were to rule the world? It would signify a very quaint scenario, in which there is only one single government for the whole world.

In many ways, it is a theme that had been pondered upon by many great minds of the world, including Bertrand Russell, the English philosopher.

In the early part of the last century, there were many persons who saw an immense possibility for this to happen. For England was ruling a great many parts of the globe, including Great Britain. It was only a few more steps, they thought, for this to be made a reality. However, as we know it, it never came to happen.

But then, a single rule for the whole world can have both benevolent as well as malevolent affects. It depends. On who rules the world.

If I were to have this power, my first concern should be that my rule should be benevolent. It can very easily turn malevolent.

For power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely, that is what the adage claims. It need not be me who turns malicious, but the various organs of my rule. The civil administration, the police, the army, the various power lobbies, the various business interests. Well, I should be able to set up a very transparent administrative system over the people.

But then, what about the people? Low calibre people can easily corrupt and atrophy even a most noble administrative system. It shall be my first and foremost endeavour to see that people quality shall go up.

What about other things? Well, vegetation is disappearing from this globe. Urgent steps are required to stop this looming disaster.

The oceans need protection. The climate needs protection. The various indigenous peoples in the various continents need protection.

Well, can I rise up to the expectations of the people as well as of mine own? Well, it depends on my team. Would I get a good team?

Well, if providence chances to provide me with one such, I shall save this globe from becoming a dry shell.

[VED]

Well, gentlemen if I were the president of India, I think there is a real possibility of some sparks in the air.

I mean very explosive sparks! Why?

Well, I am the president of India.

It is a very prestigious position, endowed with immense responsibilities and powers!

Did you notice that only persons who are mellowed and malleable are allowed to become a president here?

Well, why?

As per my understanding, the president is a very powerful person.

He is the commander of the Indian armed services.

He can summon the prime minister for explanation and much more.

But then over the years, his powers have been clipped, and only rubber stamps who love a position of pomp and pageantry come to occupy this seat.

That is, persons who love to make the be st of a very bad bargain!

They love it, and love the persons who lend them this position.

Actually, when a new nation with the same name of the original India, that is British-India, was created in 1947, there was no clear understanding that the President is a rubber stamp.

It is not so in Pakistan or in Sri Lanka.

How did this situation come about that we ended up with a rubber stamp as president?

When Dr. S Radhakrishnan became the president, he tried to go in for active participation in the administration.

He was a learned man.

Jawaharlal Nehru was the prime minister. He did not like this interference in the set up.

He literally told Dr. Radhakrisnan to keep to the sidelines.

Well, if it had been any other individual with some political clout, a tough fight would have ensued.

But then Nehru claimed that new India, which had been bestowed upon him by Clement Atlee, the then prime minister of Great Britain, was following the British parliamentary system, wherein the monarch is just a figure head , and the prime minster ruled the nation.

Well, that was not entirely correct.

The Monarch of Great Britain is not just a figure head. He or she does really have more antiquity behind him or her than a person here who becomes a president for a temporary time.

Moreover, British monarchs are not elected.

Nehru had powerful support from Clement Atlee, and from the British Labour Party. Dr. Radhakrishan had only his intellect.

Dr. Radhakrishan mentioned the statutory aspects of the presidential position, at a Delhi Bar Association meeting.

He wanted a discussion on the exact powers of the President.

But nothing came out of it.

Well, gentlemen, what does all this information have to do with me becoming the president of India?

Well, I just wanted to stress that if I were to become the president of India, I would rule this nation.

The prime minster and the council of ministers shall be my council of ministers.

It shall be an effective administration.

That is what I shall do.

The rest of what I shall do shall be as powerful as what I just mentioned.

Bear no doubt about that!

[VED]

Well, my friends, is this a creepy question, or is this something that really sends our imagination into the realm of exotic dreams? Who or what are aliens?

Well, what I need to ponder on here is on what they would think, and not on what we would think.

They could think many things, depending on what they are, and where they land. Also on what their intentions are over here?

If they are like us, then there is the issue of what their religion is. Off course, there is the essential issue of what they eat. Are they vegetarians in the earthly sense, or do they crave for non-veg items. If they relish vegetarian stuff, maybe they might go after mushrooms and cauliflowers, or the seaweeds.

Or would they drool on seeing the animal life here? If so, well, we have had it. For how do they differentiate us from the rest of the animals? For, even human beings have found it difficult to see other human beings as different from animals. For example, human beings have eaten other human beings. Moreover human beings have been used like animals of burden over the centuries.

Well, all living beings have to eat. That is what we understand over here on earth. Well, aliens may also have this eating habit.

Now, the serious issue might be how they love to kill their animals for food. Like they do it over there in the Far East nations and China, - brutally, with pain being inflicted to get the best quality to come out from the meat? In that case, we better find a very safe place to hide.

If they come to study the inhabitants of earth, would they try to communicate with the human beings or with some other beasts in the forest?

What would they understand from our ferocious wars? If they study us, what conclusion would they come to? How would they define human behaviour?

Suppose they land in England, and see the roads and the town planning over there, and the quaint life style over there. After that they come over to Bombay. They see the crowds here, and the rushing trains, with human beings hanging from the doors, holding on for their dear lives!

How would they adjust to the contrasting inputs? Wouldn’t they feel maddened by what they get as data input?

If they take these mutually contrasting inputs back to their own world, what would the others over there say about those who brought such strange and contradictory inputs back home?

Well, I seem to have asked a lot of questions. Yet, I do think that my questions do bring answers to the main theme on which I needed to talk upon.

[VED]

It is a quote from Michael Althsuler.

Well, what did he mean by that?

Time flies, so what? Let it not just fly, but swish from one end to the other. What’s my problem?

Why should time linger on and on? I do not think that this life is the only arena that we have to go through. There are other realms where we need to reach, that lie beyond the boundaries of this life.

As to time going slow, well, that is good for the snails. They would be happy to see time moving at their pace.

Now about me being the pilot! Well, in the case of my own life, I think I am quite happy to be the pilot.

What about you? Are you happy to be the person who takes decisions in your life? Well, that is what a pilot does.

You see, a pilot sits inside his cockpit and takes decisions. He has certain frameworks to work inside. For example, he can’t takeoff, and fly into the skies as and when he wishes.

There are rules to be followed, procedures to go through, protocols to be adhered to, schedules to be borne in mind and also a great responsibility to take care of, - to take care of the lives of the passengers and the crew members.

Yet, he is free to take decisions.

Well, he is free to take intelligent decisions. Not just act as per his whims and fancies. Before taking off, he has to get permission from the control tower, and when he is landing, again, he has to wait for permission. When there is an emergency, he should know what action to take. For all this, he is trained.

Now talking about your life, where you are the pilot, do you have the necessary training to do all this? You see, there are other people’s lives also, which can get affected by your decisions.

Well, my god, I am not happy to hear that everyone is a pilot of his own life, or even that of the time, which flies with him. It is not happy news for me to hear that all persons, who have no idea about the various rules, procedures, protocols, schedules and responsibilities are taking to the skies, on the wings of time. It really gives me the creeps.

I shudder, and the terror reaches out into my dreams. I can say no more.

[VED]

There are persons who never can forget an insult or forgive an injury. They are majestic persons, and truly impressive. But then, they are merely being human! It is this limitation in them that makes them take this obnoxious stand.

I need to speak of Prophet Mohammad. It might surprise many when I say that Prophet Mohammad was an apostle of peace and forgiveness. For, there are many now who associate Islam and him with terror, revenge and vengeance. When he had defeated his enemies who had literally tormented him for long years, and they stood before him totally at his mercy, he asked: ‘How do you expect me to treat you?’

They replied: You are noble. We know it.

Mohammad the Prophet gave a reply, which should stand as the cornerstone of Islamic jurisprudence for all times to come. He said:

'You may go. You are free. Let God in his infinite compassion forgive you, for it is God who has to forgive you. He is the pinnacle of Compassion.'

I am not sure that modern Islam remembers these words of Prophet Mohammad.

Well, what is being said is that when we forgive our enemies and others who had done us harm, we literally rise above our human limitations. For, forgiveness is an act at the level of divine jurisprudence. Human beings do make mistakes.

Can you say that you are perfect? We have all learnt through the route of trial and error. No human being has been able to avoid this route. Yet, it requires a definite amount of divine capacity to remember this, when we see others making mistakes and going astray on their routes.

Bearing anger and revenge in your mind is a dangerous thing. For, anger and revenge are extremely sharp double-edged knives. They can slice the vitals not only of your enemy, but of yours also. Forgive, and thus blunt this dangerous knife, which could wound everyone.

Well, it is not easy, I do admit. But strive to learn this art. Once you have learnt this divine art, your words are the words of God. Your actions rhyme in tune with the desires of God!

[VED]

There is diabolical power in indoctrination. The mob and the people, they can be led by clever manipulation of information. Revolutions, freedom struggles, great philosophies and much else that storm the world can be traced back to some level of mass dissemination of ideas.

Gentlemen, even our own beliefs on how our nation was formed are more or less based on premeditated indoctrination.

In the earlier days, it was the print media. Now, print media has to compete with other equally powerful media such as films, TV and even the Internet.

It is doubtful if there is any mass media which has only altruistic aims. Almost all of them have business interests. When they indoctrinate the people, the consistent ulterior motive is always self preservation and business gains.

I remember a story that I heard many years ago.

Napoleon Bonaparte had escaped from St. Helena. Louis the XVIII was on the French throne. The headlines of one prominent French newspaper screamed: The Monster has escaped.

The next day, Napoleon reached the shores of France. The newspaper headlines roared: Napoleon has reached France. On reaching France, Napoleon moves along with a surging crowd towards Paris. The king runs away and Napoleon is on the throne of France. The same newspaper headlines thunder: Napoleon is emperor. Viva la Empereur!

Here one sees not just the control of the mob by the media, but rather the mob power controlling media. Well, in many ways, I think it is a give and take relationship between the media and the mob. For example, in many ways, the media tries not to dismantle the idols of the people, but rather loves to rhyme with the love, and the whims and fancies of the mob. But then, still it can influence the majority view in a very slow and non-tangible manner.

I may even say that the First World War was spurred by the words used by the Austrian newspapers. Even in the case of India-Pakistan relationship, can one deny that the newspapers and TVs of both nations do play a great part in stirring-up violent and vengeful passions in the people of both the nations?

Gentlemen, may I now mention a more unsettling thought? It is this. Most of our great men, great political leaders, mahatmas and much else are merely the creations of our media. In fact our nation is a nation of an immensity of great men. But then, where is the evidence of their capacities on the streets of this nation? Well, the fact is that their greatness disseminates all round us from our media. Yet nothing concrete is there to prove their greatness other than what our media teaches us, incessantly.


(Old audio. Will be changed later).

[VED]

My dear friends,

We are now entering a most momentous period in the history of mankind. NASA has declared that it would be able to establish contact with living beings on other planets, within a matter of two decades.

It is time to ponder on the various possibilities with regard to this emerging scenario. What kind of living beings will be found on other planets? Would they be like plants, or will they be like the animals found on earth? Will there be beings who are similar to us - mankind? Will they have languages? How will we communicate with these beings?

If we do come across human beings on other planets, how will our entry impact on their social system? Will our entry bring in anything good to them, or will they be exploited by human beings.?

As we all know, man is not known for being good to other human beings. For instance, in our own nation, around 80% of the population lives in a state of slavery and exploitation. Even in Wynad district in Kerala in South India, the tribal population has literally been suppressed and exterminated. Many of them survive as domestic servants and other low-grade employees of the settler classes.

Continental Europeans have enslaved and exploited the people of South America and Africa.

At the same time, in Asia, Africa and South America, the traditional social upper classes have kept the lower populations as social slaves.

The only exception to this might be England, which during the times of English colonialism, liberated the enslaved populations in all nations, including those in this South Asian peninsular region, which now consists of Pakistan, India and Bangladesh.

From this background, we need to think of Space Colonisation. If feudal language nations build up colonies in other planets, the local populations there might end up in slavery.

My dear friends, I will conclude this talk of mine, by requesting you to ponder on this issue.

[VED]

My dear friends,

I wish to speak to you about English.

English is a wonderful language. And quite easy to study. It has only 26 letters.

In the first impression, one might feel that it is such a small language that it cannot do much. For, most Indian languages have much more letters and many more powerful words. English words do not have the power that the words in Indian languages have.

Yet, it is not power in words that makes a society great. Simplicity and ease of use is what makes social communication easy. Not only communicating with others, but debating, discussing and such other things are much more comfortable and easy in English.

I am not saying that these things are not possible in other languages. However, most other languages, including many European languages, are feudal and hierarchical.

A society reflects the personal dignity and quality of its people. This in turn is connected to the language and words used with regard to the people. Languages that discriminate and belittle people variously cannot create a great social set-up or nation. This is where English does make a very definite difference.

English is not a feudal language👉. In fact, it is a planar language. There are no higher-ups or lower beings in ordinary English words.

English has words for the king, queen and other statutory functionaries. Yet, ordinary words that discriminate or degrade or ennoble a particular person or groups of persons are not required for ordinary communication in English.

This is what makes English a great language. In fact, it is this sterling quality of English that had made it the language of a wonderful world empire.

It was Lord Macaulay who argued for the teaching of this wonderful language to the ordinary people of British-India. The rich people of British-India could study English on their own. It was the common man’s children who had no opportunity to study English. English East India Company decided to agree with Lord Macaulay. English education was given to many school children. In many cases, the lower financial classes and other lower castes improved tremendously due to this.

In fact, many lower caste individuals got into senior official positions without any reservation, due to this great magnanimity on the part of the English East India Company.

At the same time, the higher castes also benefited from the various social reforms which enabled them also to improve.

My dear friends, in my opinion we have to be grateful to our benefactors. Ingratitude is a very vile thing.

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[VED]

There was a time, when crossing the dangerous shores of Cape of Good Hope was a seen as a most propitious thing, by the mariners of the west.

People spoke of Mesopotamia, Tigris, Ganges, the New World, Persia, the Dark Continent, the South Pacific Islands, Tahiti, Sahara, the Middle East, the Far East, Sumatra, Djibouti and of the South American continent with a mood of awe, in hushed tones, as if they were all on the frontiers of the universe. The seas and oceans were vast, and on the far ends of them, lay the edges of the world.

Travel took an immensity of time.

I need not remind you of the tales that Marco Polo narrated. Of the exotic ruler, Kublai Khan of China. One may even remember the silk route that extended from China, and moved through the Golden Triangle of Jaisalmer, Jaipur and Bikaner, the cities that rose up in the desert sands of Rajasthan.

There was a time, when the English rulers of British-India could take independent decisions without waiting for an approval from Great Britain.

However, over the years, the world shrank. First came the under-the-sea cable that connected British-India with England. The decision-making power in the governing of British-India moved effectively to the parliament of England.

After that what all things have come up, all from technology!

Think of the steam ships, the railways, the aeroplanes, the phones, the radio, the television, the geostationary satellite, the automobiles, the computers, the Internet and the mobile phones.

Well, in the last few years, the globe has shrunk as never before. We talk about far off events as if they happen near us. The Internet along with the geostationary satellites have enabled us to see live scenes that happen in far-off locations.

Gentlemen, I remember the time, when the People’s Liberation Army of China attacked the agitating people at the Tiananmen Square. People in the US were shocked to see the actual shooting and beating up, as it happened in the far-off land.

Well, that happened a few decades back. Now, China is no more a far-off place for the US. In fact, China is only a few clicks away on the computer. One can get things from China in a matter of seconds, if they are downloadable from the internet.

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[VED]

Brevity is the soul of wit.

These famous words come from Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

May I quote the exact words, my friends?

Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit,
And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes,
I will be brief: your noble son is mad:
Mad call I it; for, to define true madness,
What is't but to be nothing else but mad?
But let that go.

Well, it was LORD POLONIUS who speaks these words. Yet, I am sure that he is not very brief in his words. In fact, I fear that it was a verbal torrent that came from his mouth. In fact, he was just an old chatterbox just as Freud has termed him.

Well, do chatterboxes effectively convey ideas? Well, they do, no doubt about that, but then, precision and exactness of ideas get lost in the gushing sound and flow of the immensity of words and sentences that come along with it.

My friends, you may have noticed, that when we really have something concrete and serious to communicate, we generally tend to be more focused in our words, and sentences. Persons who want to convey not just the message but other things about their own personality complexities usually mingle the message with these frill issues, and make a mess and mincemeat of the message.

Gentlemen, I have worked in sales in my youthful days. The best sales communication strategy that I used in sales was allowing the potential customer to talk to his or her heart’s content.

This gave me an immensity of information. For, when the customer talks, he or she invariably conveys ideas and requirements.

At the same time, I try to be brief in my words. This not only allows me to listen to the words of my customer and gets me time to bring focus on to my words, but also allows me to hide my own pitfalls from coming up.

When I speak, it is focused on what the customer wants to hear. And also, he or she gets a satisfied feel that I was a very good listener to his or her words.

It helps.

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[VED]

Are promises meant to be broken? Well, if that be true, then it must be that lies are what should be kept.

There is this quote from H L Mencken, the American author and humorist.

Lying is not only excusable; it is not only innocent; it is, above all, necessary and unavoidable. Without the ameliorations that it offers, life would become a mere syllogism and hence too metallic to be borne.

Gentlemen, I can understand when one says that hearts are meant to be broken, for it is an essential part of life’s training that makes us resilient towards the travails of life. But then, that is something we do to ourselves, basically, even though, one may accuse another of having broken one’s heart.

But then, my friends, I cannot condone a broken promise. For, promises are powerful strings that connect themselves to an immensity of others, events and many other things. A single promise can spur into action a huge machinery of events, involving a lot of people in many places. Promises are commitments that need to be kept.

But then gentlemen, we are a nation of promise breakers. Even our innate tendency for impunctuality and procrastination, is basically connected to our lack of commitment to our words.

I wonder if any one of you people would say that breaking words is a great feature in a human being. I would say that there is nothing, nothing worthy of learning from a man who breaks his word. I would say that he is a traitor, big or small.

Gentlemen, there are many kinds of promises. There are promises inherent in all relationships, be it between lovers, spouses, boss and staff, the military chief and his subordinates, and so many such.

There are other kinds of promises like that one gives during business deals, or of promising to do something or of being in a particular place at a specific time.

To break your word, doesn’t require great refinement, quality or even character. Even the most base of individuals can do it.

Ladies and gentlemen, I would call upon you to emulate the best, and not the worst.

It requires great capacity, character, refinement, fortitude and many other superior attributes to be a man or woman of your word. It may be difficult, but still strive for it.

In the short term, all these qualities may not seem to be of much value, but then, I can assure you that in the long run, a reputation of being honest, committed and an individual of his or her word, can help you much.

For it is these sublime qualities that really run the grand machinery of life in a smooth manner. All others of a contrary character go into ruin.

Trust me!

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[VED]

My dear friends:

It is nice to be able to stand here and speak a few words to you.

I want to speak to you about the terrible condition of our nation. It is true that our nation is developing. We are now a financially strong nation. There is enough and more foreign exchange in our coffers.

Yet, where is the evidence of all this on the streets of this nation? The government is having a lot of money. But there is nothing an ordinary man of this nation can get from the nation.

There is no place a man can sit or relax in a town. No toilets. No safe drinking water. Everything has to be paid for. For the person, who cannot afford all this, there is nothing here.

Most of the trees on the public roads have been cut down since we got our so-called independence. The heat on the roads on any day is unbearable. There is no shade to relax.

If this is what we call freedom, it is a pitiable freedom.

The so-called democratic government of this nation has to provide free rest houses for the common person in towns and cities. It has to arrange for the free availability of good drinking water. There should be free school buses for children. There should be good conveniences in public offices, which people who visit the offices can use.

There are many more things that need to be mentioned. However, for the time being, I conclude.

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