This is Mata Amritanandamayi Devi,My GURU,my guiding light.To me and millions of people she is the Universal Mother-AMMA 

This is my Grandfather,a role model,an inspiration in effect he is my GOD 

Reservation

In a world driven by competition,“quality” is the mantra.Ours is a country led by “paradoxial” ideas.One side we talk of being secular-“equality for all”. But again we have this reservation system where there is “percentage” reservation. I would call it “preferential” reservation because the system has not been able to serve the actual needy. This system was to be valid for a limited period of time to “compensate” those who were downtrodden and had to eat the dust of the “superior” classes during the British Raj.Though the “idea” was good, the implementation has been dragging along. It is like promoting the continued use of medicines which has lasted its expiry period. The medicine now becomes a poison.

Is/Has the system really done its job? A simple example- say a candidate gets a job by his “rightful” reservation . His family is now able to progress. But the system does not stop there, his son and a multitude of generations to follow(thankfully) get the same treatment meaning the “backward” communities “inherit” their rights.So a seat which has to go to a deserving candidate goes to the son/daughter of a person who is now well to do. That is why I call it “preferential” reservation. “Reserve” for the “deserving” should have been the rule. The bow of law as usual has been bent and broken to string the desires of the “unworthy” . There are always instances of members of a lower community “depromoting”to a further lower level to get extra rights. Moreover they get to “compete” in the “open” category also. Due to this,deserving people who have the quality are often displaced by undeserving and no quality individuals. Reservation for minorities have ensured that the majority have no voice in the country. How do we expect our country to improve in quality when the foundation is made of low grade variety?

The British Raj was an autocratic rule where classes and social divisions were used cunningly to promote “divide and rule” policy. But now in India which proclaims to bea soverign socialist secular republic, it is high time that such divisions are removed.The system was according to the constitution constituted for a limited period of 10 years.But convenient politics and the so called voice of the downtrodden have been playing “dirty” sorry “political” games to give continued extensions .All this for the sake of votes. Money,corruption and fights for political gains have fuelled furthur damage.As I said earlier, the medicine of reservation is long past its expiry date and has begun to poison the very soul of democracy.

A policy of reservation where reservation is given to the poor without basis on caste,creed and relegion will serve the purpose. I do not intend to support the “upper “classes or malign the “lower” classes. Casteism and relegious divide has long since corrupted our minds. Let democracy be democracy in creed ,word and deed. But who is listening? Since I do not have a reservation I did not have the need to “reserve” my comments .

Synthesis of Science and Spirituality

Hi,
I read the book "The Da Vinci Code" written by Dan Brown.The book was very interesting however what happened in the aftermath proved more interesting.Iam doing my final semester Msc Software Engg at the Amrita Institute of Technology,Coimbatore.Iam involved in a project work which necessiates me to go to the Amrita School of Business everyday.I heard a heated debate/argument among 2 people->both had read Da Vinci Code.One was a guy who kept accusing the other for having "belief" and "faith" and that these two had no scientific evidence.The other said "faith" is "beyond reason"...and so on.I saw science pooh pooh'ing relegion and vice versa.I was pondering over it(I wanted to take an impartial view)when I realized that the two who were arguing had not in fact read the mission statement of our college->the underlying principle is synthesis of science nad spirituality.
So to have a synthesis we must have homogeneous substances...that which can mix.But how can that happen when both are at war with the other. Where in do we find a homogenity?Well it is simple.All we have to do is look at the aim of both.The quest of both Science and Spirituality has always been the same->finding out what/who we are?I would say the basic problem we find here is that we consider both as different whereas in fact Science and Spirituality are 2 sides of the same coin(the quest to find out the TRUTH about ourselves).Perhaps Dan Browns another book "Angels and Demons" is an eye opener in this respect.
A simple example.Research in science is single minded search+analysis+dedication to a field of study.Tapasya in Spirituality is again single minded search+analysis+dedication to a field of study,here the field of study being GOD.So who/what is GOD?All of us know the phrase "we are made in the image of GOD"."Thou art that"(Tat Tvam Asi)from spirituality(religious texts).Science says the essence of all matter is the same.We are in fact using only 5% of our brain and we will achieve super human feats if we are able to acheive 100%.So we again find that both are in essence trying to explain the same.Mankind has been in its quest for perfection and as he evolves and attains perfection he then perceives the whole world as his own being-> a Universal mind.Again I saw a recent science article which says "The universe is all mind stuff"...and isn't that called MAYA????
So from the above I believe science and spirituality are literally one and the same->a quest towards TRUTH and perfection and the union of science and spirituality will take place only at its culmination when mankind attains perfection by learning nay understanding the TRUTH.

The inner "Jehad"

The whole world has now found a synonym for "Jehadis" ->"Terrorists".
Speaking from a very secular view point we do have to analyse what Jehad is.
Every human being has 2 sides, the good and the bad.It is always an inner struggle
for mankind battling the Mr.Hyde hiding within.We know that the mind is like a monkey
always jumping towards sense objects,but again there is nothing in the universe as powerful
as the mind.To make the mind focussed on "Good" requires alert discrimination or Shraddha.
I believe this inner struggle which began right from the time mankind evolved is called "Jehad".
So all of us are "Jehadis".Just because of a few misguided(comparitively),brainwashed and blinded section who have lost their very identity as humans we cannot blame an entire relegion.In essence every relegion is pure and deserves veneration.It is we the followers who malign them by making convenient "interpretations" and use them for our own ends.So "jehad" is over when we have won victory over our true enemy->ourselves.