Harmony...

Today I got up at 7 o’clock to meditate on the roof. People are generally up very early here, so a great need for inner peace and a bit of ME-time. I am not sure if I can call today’s session meditation, but sat still for 30 minutes and relaxed. It is weird how hard it becomes to zone out; when your brain has a million things it would like to remind you of. It does loosen up every part of your body though, and you firmly wake up. I was hassled a bit by nature – as a crow was interrogating this new specimen, me, which had entered its territory. On the rooftops of Delhi the peacocks where everywhere, whilst here, you have small white owls, crows and hawks. A very nice start to the morning…

It is Founders day of ISEC today, as the institution was founded 37 years ago. The governor of Karnataka, former leaders of the board and a broad range of the best Indian academics will come here and celebrate. It is all in English, so I have had an interesting Sunday so far. Professor André Béteille gave a very interesting talk on the current understanding and significance of the cast system. He looked at it from a modern point of view, comparing today’s understanding, with that of the past. His main points were that the practice of the cast system was fading, and that there was a general acceptance for this in many parts of India. The obsession with cast and the very often negative connotations it has, is of the past. According to Béteille the only place which revives this tradition, and thereby retain a rather incorrect picture, is the political arena. By playing the cast card, there party’s popularity at various levels remains. This is unfortunate, but as long as it is a known fact, there are ways of dealing with it. Béteille did not deny that there is still a cast practice going on, but it is loosing its firm grip. As an example he used intermarriages. (One cast marries another cast) Many accept intermarriages, as long as the man is of higher cast than the woman. This is progress and was unthinkable 60 years ago. Another example he used was that there is less bias in the work arena and in the educational system. At this point Béteille asked the audience to think about how some occupations are valued in the US, as well as in other parts of the world? Very interesting indeed… All in all a nice eye opener.

(ISPY is gone again, and I wonder where he is this time… Just don’t jump on me in my sleep.)

I am trying to relax, but the context makes me want to dive into the many books I have found and work, work, work… I will try enjoying the sun whilst reading – a bit of business and pleasure at the same time…

Later,

Klem Mai