Blame the People, Not the Religion.

I was in a Golf Club House in Selangor downing whiskey with my pals Rocky and Sarj earlier in the evening when a professional looking middle-aged Indian chap walked in with a guy whom I assume is his son. From what it looked like, they were coming in for drinks after their golfing session. However, that didn't matter. Moments after they took their seats hardly a metre or two away from us at the bar, the Maghrib prayers were heard. Within seconds, their conversation topic diverted to Islam. They began to condemn the religion, and blamed it for the massacre around the world. Now, this did matter. As much as I would've loved to be part of them and engage in their conversation, I decided not to after seeing all the bottles stacked up in the bar. I knew that the presence of alcohol could trigger a potential brawl or a hardcore argument, especially with that middle-aged guy whom I had just lost respect for. I chose to keep mum, leaned back and whispered to Sarj that I've just decided to post my second blog. He shrugged it off.

So here I am, half drunk, doing it in his house.

Be wise and stop the attack on Islam, for it is a beautiful religion, just like all other religions. I often say this and I would like to say it again. The problem lies with the people, not the religion, be it Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, Buddhism, Sikhism, Judaism etc etc. The problem lies with the oblivious ones who translate and comprehend religious scriptures into something that gets them into an advantageous position. This has been the pinnacle of all problems. All religion teach their disciples that there's only one God. Hindus know Him as Brahman(*different from Brahma), Muslims call Him Allah, Sikhs use the term Waheguru and other religions have their own ways to call Him. However, they are all referring to the same God, the one and only. Only the names differ, but the Truth remains One. If you were to check the definition of all the terms above in the various scriptures, you would see just how well they tally. That's if you choose to be tolerant and read them all.

I am a non-Muslim, and I've come across many non-Muslims harping on a verse in the Quran that says "Tiada tuhan lain melainkan Allah" or "There are no other gods other than Allah" if translated into English. These non-Muslims have been misled. In fact, Islam never said those of other religions do not have a God. What they mean by the term "Allah" is in fact God Himself, the same God everyone prays to. One should not ignore the environmental and situational factors when reading or understanding a particular religion. Islam arrived at a time when Arab was in a state of social illness known as Jahiliyyah, where the community was ignorant of the divine guidance. The verse "There are no other gods other than Allah", if put into proper context, actually means "believe in God, and nothing else..not spirits, not supernatural powers, not paganism". It has to be noted that the society at that point of time were inclined towards paganism. Islam brought them all to the right path with the teachings of the Quran. Sadly, many non-Muslims fail to grasp this concept AND many Muslims actually believe that only they pray to the 'right' God. Lesson to be learnt: The Muslims and the non-Muslims are getting it wrong, not Islam. The religion is perfect, but the people chose to fit ambiguous verses in the Quran into something that conforms to their own assembled beliefs. Therefore, blame the people, NOT the religion.

Now that I've spoken about the misconception of Islam, let me speak about a significant misconception of Hinduism. Many believe that Hindus pray to many Gods. Hindus pray to one God, the Brahman. The Vedas refer to Him as the formless and the infinite, just like how other religions describe God. The idols that are associated with Hinduism are the attributes of God, and not God Himself. It can be said that Hinduism speaks in a language of symbols. Every idol symbolizes Hinduism and aspects of life. Many of you would have heard of the elephant god known as Ganesha. Do bear in mind that this is just symbolic. The trunk of an elephant can bring down a huge tree and yet, pick up something as tiny as a needle. Thus far, I'm not aware of any machines that are capable of performing both these functions. The trunk of an elephant can also extract water from a muddy pond and yet, leave the mud behind. The message is solely about discriminating the bad from the good; man may live in a corrupt-society, but he should be able to distinguish the good from the bad and leave the bad aside. If one were to have a glance at statues or drawings of Ganesha, one would notice a mouse at its feet surrounded by sweet delicacies. Now, Hindus do NOT pray to rats. If you were to look properly and pay attention to it, you would notice that the mouse always has its head up facing Ganesha and not at all tempted by the sweet delicacies. The point? That is how mankind should be; devoted towards God and not towards materialistic desires. All these convey messages on good deeds and the teachings of the religion. Many would notice the presence of spears in Hindu idols. A spear is of a shape where it gets broader when in penetrates into an object. It sends a message stating the more you learn or enquire the broader your mind gets. The shape of the spear which is broad, sharp and deep also indicates broadness of mind, sharpness of intellect and depth of knowledge. Lotus is also a fairly significant flower associated with Hinduism in drawings. Although it exists in a dirty pool of mud, it emerges white, pure and untouched. Again, an example of how man should be. Others that can often be noticed are snakes and demons. Snakes move in a crooked path, just like the path man takes when he is consumed by desire. If one were to look at the idol of Lord Vishnu, it can be seen that the snakes bow to Him. In other words, it portrays a message where one should have complete mastery over desires. There is also Goddess Kali, who appears to be blood-thirsty and ferocious. Again, these are just symbolic meanings. Goddess Kali is seen killing demons. The demons represent ego, jealousy and wickedness. The image of the idol in fact carries the concept that one should get rid of negativity within them. These are basics of Hinduism. Hinduism is not a religion of idol worshipping but sadly today, many Hindus have become idol worshippers simply because they fail to grasp these concepts of symbolism in their religion. Again, blame the people, NOT the religion.

Another misconception of Hinduism is the caste system. Hinduism never once stated that castes are linked with an individual by family lineage or birth in a certain family. In fact, it even states clearly that one can only be a Brahmin by conduct, and not birth. The Upanishads and Vedas have classified the caste system as a well organised and efficient human society. This was significantly practiced during civilisation in ancient India. The castes were the Brahmins, the Kshatriyas, the Vaishyas, and the Shudras. Vedic scriptures would tell you that the pillar and strength of any organisation would depend on a knowledgeable system. That's where the Brahmins come in. It would then depend on security, which include military and defence; this are the Kshastriyas. Next would be the business and economic system; the Vaishyas and finally the productive working force which are the Shudras. It refers to an efficient society structure. Probably it would be clearer if I were to apply it into a more understandable context. Take a country as an example. It has the Government, Military Defence, Investors and Labor Force. If any of these functions fail, it would no longer be an efficient structure. This was the tenet of the caste system in Hinduism. However, many Hindus themselves have exploited this system for their own well being and used it as a stepping stone to leap ahead of others when they should in fact be working hand-in-hand in all departments. They operate no differently from those in a cabal. Need I say it again? Blame the people, not the religion.

I find it odd that religion has become the cause of aggression. Has a Hindu not read the Al-Fatihah before? Has a Muslim not read the Gayatri Mantra before?

GAYATRI MANTRA:-

Aum Bhoor Bhuwah Swaha,
Tat Savitur Varenyam,
Bhargo Devasaya Dheemahi,
Dhiyo Yo Naha Prachodayat.

translated into English:-

Oh God! Thou art the Giver of Life,
Remover of pain and sorrow,
The Bestower of happiness,
Oh! Creator of the Universe,
May we receive thy supreme sin-destroying light,
May Thou guide our intellect in the right direction.

SURA AL-FATIHAH:-

bismillâh ir-rahmân ir-rahîm
al-hamdulillâhi rabb il-âlamîn
ar-rahmân ir-rahîm
mâliki yawm id-dîn
iyyâka na`budu wa iyyâka nasta`în
ihdinâ s-sirât al-mustaqîm
sirât al-ladhîna an`amta `alayhim
ghayr il-maghdûbi `alayhim wa la d-dâlîn

translated into English:-

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful,
Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds,
Most Gracious, Most Merciful,
Master of the Day of Judgment,
Thee do we worship, and Thine aid we seek,
Guide us on the right path,
The way of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy Grace,
Those whose (portion) is not wrath, and who go not astray.


If people chose to read, they would've noticed similarities and known that ALL religions guide their disciples through the right path. Compare the Gayatri Mantra and Al-Fatihah above with Lord's Prayer of Christianity[The New Testament, King James Version] and one could see greater similarities.

When comparing Islam to Sikhism, we can look at the case where the Muslim King Akbar went to Guru Ji to check if there were anything against Islam in Guru Granth Sahib Ji. As he flipped the pages, he wanted Guru Ji to read them to him, and below was the Shabad that Guruji read:-

"Raamkalee, Fifth Mehl:
Some call Him, 'Raam, Raam', and some call Him, 'Khudaa-i'. Some serve Him as 'Gusain', others as 'Allaah'. ||1|| He is the Cause of causes, the Generous Lord. He showers His Grace and Mercy upon us. ||1||Pause|| Some bathe at sacred shrines of pilgrimage, and some make the pilgrimage to Mecca.| Some perform devotional worship services, and some bow their heads in prayer. ||2|| Some read the Vedas, and some the Koran. Some wear blue robes, and some wear white. ||3|| Some call themselves Muslim, and some call themselves Hindu. Some yearn for paradise, and others long for heaven. ||4|| Says Nanak, one who realizes the Hukam of God's Will, knows the secrets of his Lord and Master. ||5||9|| (Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, page 885)"

Being shocked and extremely pleased that there were nothing against Islam and their acceptance of other religions, the King bowed at the feet of Guru Ji before leaving.

From what I am aware of, misconceptions of Christianity is slightly different from other religions as it normally revolves around the Gospels. For instance, many question the differences among Gospels themselves when mentioning about the sign thats incorporated on Jesus' cross[New Testament]. Mark 15:26 states "The King of the Jews", Matthew 27:37 states "This is Jesus, the King of the Jews", Luke 23:38 states "This is the King of the Jews" and John 19:19 states "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews". Now, different they may be, but it has to be understood that there were four languages that were being used in Palestine at that time; Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek and Latin. Slight differences are bound to occur, but the Gospels are still accurate, without a doubt.

Religion is a topic too wide too mention about in a blog. Thousands of pages would still be deemed insufficient. However, a rough idea on different religions and a proper understanding of them all could change the peoples' perception of other religions.

By pointing out the similarities between religions, let me make it absolutely clear that I am not saying all religions are the same. They are NOT the same. However, many similarities exist. And the similarities that exist are in fact, the vital ones. For example, believing in one God and righteousness in deeds.

Differences do exist. Islam and Christianity believe in Heaven and Hell; Hinduism believes in karma and reincarnation. However, these differences do not create much of an impact on mankind as both teachings share the same point, which is be righteous and one shall be rewarded with a better life in Heaven(according to Islam and Christianity), or probably a blessed life in the next birth(according to Hinduism and Buddhism). Whichever it may be, we are still better of. I believe that no religions have teachings that contradict another religion in terms of righteousness.

Despite some differences in concepts and theories, each and every religion teaches their disciples to be tolerant towards religions of others.

The Quran has stated that " Those who believe (in the Quran ), and those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Christians and the Sabians ,- any who believe in God and the Last Day, and work righteousness, shall have their reward with their Lord; on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve"[Quran 2:62]. It went on stating "We believe in God, and that which has been sent down to us, and sent down on Abraham and Ishmael, Isaac and Jacob, and the Tribes, and in that which was given to Moses and Jesus, and the Prophets, of their Lord; we make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we surrender ( Muslimun )"[Quran 3:83-84]. This is evident that Islam is a tolerant religion, and not a religion of aggresion.

Sikhism believes that there should be "Respect and tolerance for other religions"[Guru Grant Sahib Ji]

Swami Vivekananda came up with a classic parable when he addressed the crowd in Chicago at the Parliament of the World's Religions in 1893:-
"A frog lived in a well. It had lived there for a long time. It was born there and brought up there, and yet was a little, small frog. Of course, the evolutionists were not there then to tell us whether the frog lost its eyes or not, but, for our story’s sake, we must take it for granted that it had its eyes, and that it every day cleansed the water of all the worms and bacilli that lived in it with an energy that would do credit to our modern bacteriologists. In this way it went on and became a little sleek and fat. Well, one day another flog that lived in the sea came and fell into the well.
“Where are you from?”
“I am from the sea.”
“The sea?! How big is that? Is it as big as my well?” and he took a leap from one side of the well to the other.
“My friend,” said the frog of the sea, “how do you compare the sea with your little well?”
Then the frog took another leap and asked, “Is your sea so big?”
“What nonsense you speak, to compare the sea with your well!”
“Well, then,” said the frog of the well, “nothing can be bigger than my well; there can be nothing bigger than this; this fellow is a liar, so turn him out.”

That has been the difficulty all the while. I am a Hindu. I am sitting in my own little well and thinking that the whole world is my little well. The Christian sits in his little well and thinks the whole world is his well. The Mohammedan sits in his little well and thinks that is the whole world. l have to thank you of America for the great attempt you are making to break down the barriers of this little world of ours, and hope that, in the future, the Lord will help you to accomplish your purpose." [Swami Vivekananda, 1893]

Religion should never be exploited for personal gains. And I personally believe that while one should practice his own religion whole-heartedly, he should also understand and appreciate other heavenly religions that do exist. Respect and venerate other religions and never once condemn them, for God is One.

Blame the People, Not the Religion.

Ekam Sat, Vipra Bahudha Vadanti (Truth Is One; the wise know Him by Many Names)

Dinesh Nair.

Double Standards- The Nation Sees It All

I never thought i would be writing a blog. The time has come, I think. I've never tried to comprehend the actual definition of a blog. Blame it on my ignorance. Does it reflect personal point of views? Does it describe a significant event? Does it operate as a forum for poetic ideologies? In fact, it DOESN'T matter. Yes, notice the caps. Today, I see it as a platform to address an issue. An issue concerning all Malaysians, an issue which is slowly eating us all up, except a particular ethnic, the majority, the "shareholders" [I would use the word 'shareholders' throughout this blog, instead of taking the direct approach to avoid it from being over sensationalized]. They're reaping the benefits; the ones that they should not have had access to, the ones they aren't entitled to, the ones that the were meant to be spread equally. They take it all. Ethics isn't part of the game. They believe so. And they reap it with honour. Honour? At least They believe so. Not us. Not the minority group of Malaysia. This is not a lashing. This is a projection of what our nation is made of. Once, I used to get angry seeing these double standards being implemented. Once, I used to sit and have conversations on how bad things have turned out for us. Those were the past. Today, I'm no longer angry. I'm no longer frustrated. Therefore, i repeat. It isn't a lashing. How could a person who isn't angry engage in a bitter hard core lashing or whacking or whatever which is synonymous to brutality? It wouldn't synchonize, it just wouldn't.

Now, by saying that I'm not angry doesn't mean that I'm prepared to let you'll, the "shareholders", of the hook ;). I'm not frustrated for one simple reason. We aren't on the same level of playing field. In many aspects, we lead. Mentality heads the list. In some aspects, you lead. Government assistance heads Your list. Classic. You cling on to it. Hug it real tight. Never let it slip. Condemn those who question it. Curse me. =) On behalf of the non-shareholders, let me tell you this. We aren't impressed. I will tell you why. And I will show you the difference, between you and us. Pre-Independence, we were both struggling. We worked our way up. You chose not to. Post-Independence, we continued riding. Again, you chose not to. Your heroic government came in to provide assistance. For the economic-welfare gap between us to be reduced. For you to be on par with us. It was meant to be a momentory guidance, my friend. Fifty years on, and you still need it. Oh wait, you crave for it. It's a sitcom. That's the metaphor. A comedy where families sit together and laugh at. But sometimes, sitcoms do turn out sad. That's how it turned out. Sad. Extremely sad, for you. We sympathize. For what you are made out of. That's about it.

You are insecure. Above all rights, you have another right. The Allmighty. The Internal Security Act. The right to shut our mouths. The right to detain us. The cops don't have to be punctilious in going through one's past records or coming up with an arrest warrant like any normal arrest. Arrests can be made without a notice, without a reason, without a warrant. Proud of this Act too? Knowing you, I would very well place my bucks on it. And get my pay cheque, of course.

Now, as you read this I know what's going through your head. You feel I'm exaggerating. You feel I'm making a big deal out of nothing. You feel I'm blowing things out of proportion. You feel the non-shareholders should be thankful that we are being treated well here and there aren't riots. I feel, you've got it all wrong. Firstly, it isn't an exaggeration. From civil-service rankings to sports, you've got the trump cards, just waiting to throw them. From university seats to loans, you hold the Ace. To prevent it from looking racial, the select-few nons who were lucky to get through this dirty game of yours get highlighted and mentioned numerous times. And that too, IF they're lucky. And secondly, just because this is a RELATIVELY peaceful country, it's no excuse to use it as a supporting evidence to show that you're being kind towards us. Living in such environment is what we DESERVE, as Malaysians. Not something for you to Give us. We need not seek for it. We need not ask for it. Mind you, it's our country we are talking about. Not mine. Not yours either.

Special privileges were agreed upon before the Declaration of Independence. None of which we are trying to amend. We stand by the deal. Apart from those privileges, you promised to be fair and just. That was the deal. But you added on to the ever-increasing list of privileges, very much to the dismay of others. The British hesitated to hand us Independence before. They knew racial sentiments may overshadow rationale decisions. The heads of all races promised to stand UNITED. And TOGETHER, they influenced the British. If the heads of the non-shareholders decided to back out, the British would not have given in. It's NOT my intention to point this out, but the fact remains that you think we played a tiny micro role in achieving Independence. And you think that this is your country alone, and we are immigrants. Which is why you utter invective words like "Kalau you tak suka, you boleh keluar dari Malaysia". For the record, this was a statement made by the Member of Parliament of Jerai, Badruddin bin Amiruldin. And now, to justify yourself as usual, you may say I shouldn't stereotype an entire race based on one man's comment. True enough. I have good friends that come within the group of the "shareholders" that I've even lived with for a sifnificant period of time. They have been my roomies, they have been great pals. Whatever mentioned here refers ONLY to those who PRACTICE these double standards. It's not the entire race I'm talking about. Now, treat it as a disclaimer and I do hope you people would read it as neutrals and not be biased by racial sentiments. It's not a personal attack, for I am NOT a Racist. It's a blog AIMED at those who used race as a stepping stone ahead, those who used race to misuse authority and power. Back to the case of Badruddin. He refused to retract his statement and there was a motion to refer him to the House Committee of Privileges. It was rejected though, by a voice vote. Not a surprise. It's Malaysia were are talking about. He was actually being backed for making such a remark. And you say we are being treated fairly? Think about it, again. It was not only one man. It was the voice of the majority. And the Parliament House witnessed it.

**As I was mentioning above about the different races seeking for Independence as One, it reminded me of Indian History. The seperation of India-Pakistan. Of course, the India-Pakistan issue was religion based, unlike Malaysia. But it still qualifies as a good comparison. When Ali Jinnah pushed for an Istamic state of his own, he did so because Muslims were minorities in India. He feared they would be ill-treated by the Hindus. Gandhi, on the other hand, was totally against the seperation. To the extent that he told Jinnah to name the entire Cabinet of the Indian Government, and they could all be Muslims. Gandhi knew he could get Nehru to agree. Jinnah's reply was simple yet thought-provoking. "There's only one Gandhi", he said. He then went on, "India isn't made up of Gandhis. Once you leave, my entire Cabinet could be resolved within minutes". Jinnah was not being selfish. He was being practical. He played it safe, to ensure the safety of the Muslims. Wondering how is it linked? There's only one Tunku. He took it for granted that everyone after him would follow suit. The Indian and Chinese Ministers felt the same. But gradually, the treatment evolved, for worse. I understand that things are worse off in many other places, but comparing it with them doesn't make your wrongdoings right. I also understand that there's no way to be perfectly fair. That's highly impossible. But I do believe that we can do much more than the current situation. I do believe that we can set a positive benchmark**

Need more examples? Have it. Member of Parliament of Jasin, Dato Mohammad Said Bin Yusof. He told the Customs officer to 'close one eye' when a company was found to be involved in an illegal timber import scandal. The Customs officer leaked the matter out and when questioned, Dato Mohammad Said said that he was simply trying to help a Bumiputera company in need. And thats not all. It was later revealed that the company was his own and there were many more reports lodges against them before, including that off pirated compact discs. On the contrary, we have another Member of Parliament, Dato' Sothinathan. All he did was question the reason behind the recognition-status being stripped off Crimea State Medical University where many Indian students were part of, and he was suspended from the Parliament for three months. However, Dato' Mohammad Said, who was directly involved in criminal activities and was clearly trying to deceive the Parliament from the beginning, remains untouched. In fact, today he sits in the Parliament condemning the Custom officers on corruption grounds. He's been doing this for the past year or so. Another comedy, this is. Sadly, it's only aired on Malaysian satellite channels or it would have definitely made it at the Golden Globes.

I shall go on, I really should. Late last year, Datuk Ong Tee Kiat was blamed by the Government for questioning the misappropriation of public funds that had been allocated for Chinese schools renovations. The Reason: It wasn't under his ministry and was in fact under the Education Ministry so he should keep mum. In other words, they were trying to tell him to mind his own business. Utter rubbish. Anyone can question misappropriation of funds. That's what you call transparency and that's exactly what's louded by the government. But as usual, it ended up being a case of action not speaking louder than words. Furthermore, he was not dictating or interfering in the works of the Education Ministry. He wanted to know the whereabouts of the funds. Nothing seditious about it. But, he was told to apologize.

Now, I shall move to the Constitution. It states that Malaysia is a Secular country. The Malay Language is the official language and Islam is the official religion. These were incorporated into the Constitution. I've always accepted it; never once denied it. It appeared garmane to me. But now, all of a sudden in recent years, the Government claims that Malaysia is an Islamic country. Not only the Government, even the people of the country seem to believe so. Exclude me please, as I do not wish to be part of them. I don't find it valid. But wait, we are in Malaysia, a Magical Land where the word impossible simply doesn't exist. Now thats what you call the Malaysia Boleh spirit! But coming to think of it, considering the other issues that are taking place in Malaysia where no human rights activist could possibly do anything, Malaysia being an Islamic country is something I believe the nons can 'close an eye just like the Jasin MP' and live with. It does not really deprive us from our Constitutional rights. Not literally.

**Note that a little humour on a timely basis may help prevent the situation from exacerbating, to a certain degree. Also note that to some quarters, they are currently in no position to digest whatsoever humour that has been included. Oh hang on, did that just defeat the purpose?**

It's a sad state that we are living in. To make it even more shameless, we in fact preach democracy. Or should I just say Democrazy. We teach the South Africans not to practice apartheid. We teach President Kennedy to be equal to the blacks. We teach President Bush that Iraqis should be free. We preach, and preach, and preach our DEMOCRAZY. But we are only making a fool out of ourselves. In fact, you, the "shareholders", are making a fool out of yourselves. The Siamese Government told you to keep your house in order before getting into other houses when you tried to preach the Democrazy of yours to them. Lee Kuan Yew, representing the Singaporean Government told you that the Chinese in Malaysia were systematically marginalised. And you get all worked up. Place your hand on your heart and deny it. Let us see if you can. The truth is, you are NO Gandhi, you are NO Nelson Mandela, you are NO Martin Luther King Jr. So, until you can walk the talk, or walk YOUR talk, just shut up.

**For those who believe we live in a fairly democratic country, I'm sure you're a champion of freedom of speech as well. Afterall it goes hand in hand. So don't bother making a big fuss about this blog. REMEMBER, Freedom of Speech. For those who don't believe so, create an illusion of one around you during your reading period. ;)**

I stand by what I've said earlier. I am not angry. I just feel sorry for you "shareholders". Perceive it whichever way you want to, as long as you get the point. Now that's the deal. But like I said earlier, and I wouldn't mind mentioning it over and over again SIMPLY because this entire write up would lose its credibility if it is deemed racial. We are talking about injustice here. And the group of "shareholders" who seem ever willing to apply them. These are the double standard advocates I'm taking about. Again, NOT the entire race, but ONLY those who put injustice into play. It's a general overview on them. Which is the truth. And they say truth STILL hurts. So I am expecting some angry reactions right now. Be so, I care less. You had your time back then. It's my floor today. And I'm not wasting my time typing this out for fun. These double standards are being practiced by the Government. Not much on the side of the public and the voting "shareholders", to be fair. And the Government is doing it to earn the support of the "shareholders". They know only one tagline, which also happens to work well as a strategy -Please the "shareholders" and the Election is won-; simply because there are the majority. Take it as a dictum. Because the Government knows that you DO bend. You've proved it in the past. If you, the "shareholders" of Malaysia could stand up and change the past, rise up and change history by setting your feet firmly to the ground and say no, we dont need help to survive, Malaysia would be a much better place to be in. The non-shareholders can't change the system. It's become too much of a routine. It's become so monotonous that any regular man would see it as ordinary and nothing beyond that. The Government has to stand by YOU to get the votes coming in. And will continue to do so UNLESS you decide otherwise. Whether or not you choose to accept it, whether or not you would want to digest it, it's undeniable that this entire system has been cruel towards us non-shareholders throughout the years. And now, you have the choice to make up for it. That's IF you choose to. But i know, it is NOT gonna happen.

And trust me, all these assistance don't make us look up upon you. In fact, it makes us look down on you. Way down. And until the system is revised AND altered, we will continue to believe that you can't walk alone. We will continue to believe that you will survive only through spoon- feeding. Harsh, it may sound but we can't be blamed for believing so. We simply can't. Because you initiated the Game. You played it. Not us. We were the observers. We sat back, and watched you play it all wrong. We sat back, and watched it slip away from your fingers. Pride, that is.

Dinesh Nair.