Tomichan Matheikal's blog

The day Donald Trump strutted proudly to the White House, The Guardian concluded an article about Trumpism with the following paragraph: The religious right is in retreat, and the political appeal of free-market fundamentalism is fading. Republican strategists will now turn to Trumpism to replenish the well, enlisting its many supporters and sympathizers as foot soldiers for a new era of rightwing ascendancy. Now that Trump has reached the White House, the era of Trumpism has just begun. Source: Trump As Lord Vishnu? How Hindus In America Are Campaigning For Donald Trump Some sort of right wing balderdash always holds sway over collective imagination whether in America or India.  Religion may be losing its traditional sheen.  But it keeps reincarnating in the form of gau mata or Trumpism or something of the sort. But is religion really “in retreat”?  This is one question that refused to leave me after reading the Guardian article yesterday.  So I researched using

Book Review Paul Beatty’s Booker-winning (2016) novel, The Sellout , is hilarious satire that makes fun of many things that America holds sacred.  But the satire and its fun are so much American that many Indian readers may find it hard to comprehend.  Frankly, I had to refer to the internet scores of times in order to understand the allusions that the novel carries on almost every page. The book and the author The narrator of the novel referred to by only his surname, Me, is facing a trial in the Supreme Court for keeping a black slave.  Me is black himself. The slave he keeps is Homini, the last of the Little Rascals actors still alive.  Homini wanted to be a slave.  It helps him retain his African-American identity.  The whiplash on his back makes his back feel good though his heart feels good while living in a Black-only area.  The narrator also has a strong though complex affiliation with Dickens, a Black-only ghetto.  Me’s father was a sociologist who used th

The Prime Minister's announcement that currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 will be worthless paper bits from tomorrow comes too soon. Black money is a serious problem in the country and the PM's decision is quite revolutionary.  Think of the practical problems, however. There are thousands of people travelling long distances by the Indian railways right now, for example.  Their destination may be still two days away.  For example people travelling from Kanyakumari to Dimapur.  They order their food and are told by the caterer that he won't accept Rs 500 notes.  Should the passengers starve a couple of days? There are thousands of tourists on the move right now in the country.  Tough situation for them.  Hospitals, hotels, and a lot of other places may be forced to accept the banned currency which the PM himself referred to as "worthless paper." We are asked to go and change our currency reserve at banks and post offices.  But how many hundred rupee notes w

Hindutva India is very proud of its ancient heritage of Vedic wisdom.  At the same time, it is painfully aware of the futility of that wisdom in a world which is led forward at rocket-speed by Western science.  On the one hand, India sees itself as the Jagatguru.  On the other hand, it has a Prime Minister who goes to every country he can and tries to cash in on Western science as well as Western economics.  Modi’s India sees no contradiction in asserting the superiority of India while begging the other countries for all sorts of investments.  India knows that Western science and economic policies are what really matter in today’s world.  But it cannot digest that fact simply because it believes more in its gods, godmen and the scriptures with all their obsolete systems and worldview.  So Hindutva India will keep asserting that our Vedas and other scriptures contained all the science and mathematics much before the ‘cultureless’ Westerners civilised themselves.  We ha

It’s been a rough ride from my youth until this day when my hairs have greyed and smiles are warped.  Very few things went right.  And the wrongs have been exacting teachers.  They have taught me that most stories do not have fairy tale endings.  Very few poems rhyme or follow rhythm.  The most beautiful smiles may be sustained by terribly battered hearts.  Unpredictability is the essence of life.  Which sperm out of the millions ejaculated gets to fertilise the egg?  What all genes do the chromosomes carry from each partner?  How do they configure their permutations and combinations?  There begins the story of life’s unpredictability. Once you are pushed out into the world, unpredictability is the ruler.  From your parents to your boss(es), from the priest in the church to the politician on the throne, from the fellow next door to the colleague on the next seat, there’s a whole range of permutations and combinations impinging upon you every moment of your life. Persona

Physical involvement adds a unique charm to a tour.  Meenmutty Falls in Wayanad, Kerala, involves you physically because you can ascend the hill keeping the falls in view all the time. It’s not a difficult climb at all.  Half an hour and a little effort.  The rocks are slippery in some places but there is a rope to support you. Here are some pictures from our climb on 1 Nov 2016.  Meenmutty Falls The climb is not really tough Almost there! Crystal clear marvels entice you all along Sense of Achievement Time for a selfie Lest we forget the trail There we are! The landscape that cradles the falls It was a cloudy evening with a mild drizzle Wayanad has a pristine beauty.  You won't fail to notice that there is not a speck of waste thrown anywhere on the way.  No plastic, no wrappers, no bottles, nothing but nature and its enticing beauty.  The people of the place have opened up their lands for parking areas.  Tourism will be a b

Nisargadhama's longings Nisargadhama forest is one of the tourist attractions in Kodagu, Karnataka. It is an island formed by the river Kaveri.  What you see everywhere on this 64-acre island are bamboos.  There are also some sandalwood and teak trees.  As you walk along the mud track, some deer will gaze at you with a strange longing in their eyes.  Their gaze looks plaintive.  You enter this forest through a narrow hanging bridge which raises your hopes if not dreams.  You walk along chasing those hopes or dreams.  Bamboos blink at you everywhere. An air of desolation overwhelms you slowly.  You long for something more than bamboos.  More than the wistfulness in the doleful eyes of the deer. One of the many huts on the way For a change you can choose an elephant ride.  Or maybe look out for a peacock.  The easiest diversion will be the elevated huts.  Climb up and then climb down.  Back on the mud track, philosophise about life’s inevitable ups and downs.