Translations

  Original Source: https://www.jeyamohan.in/193158/ Date: 9-Nov-2023   "What use are the travels that a writer undertakes? Shouldn't he be writing about the people and the places that he knows quite well? How can the lands, places that he skims about and the passing acquaintances that he makes help him? Wouldn't he be able to write in detail only about those that he knows?". Several years back, a senior Tamil writer asked me this. This is the reply that I gave him. Writers are of 2 kinds. The first kind are those who write about things that they know pretty well or about things that they have experienced with a direct narration and with correct details. These are the majority. A few among them have some significance in literature. But they are not artists. Because, literature is a quest undertaken with imagination as the tool. These authors are against imagination and are incapable of understanding imagination. They will be labelled as "biographers of life" ...

Original Source: https://www.jeyamohan.in/133260/ 22-Jun-2020 What really is Gandhi's contribution; Is Gandhism merely just a belief like that of religion? This conversation has been going on among friends for the past few days. In fact, this discussion had been going on from Gandhi's living days. Occasionally, a notable person from another domain would mount a vicious denunciation. Osho or V.S.Naipaul or Sudhir Kakar. Marxists and Hindutvas had similar - mostly in similar wordings - antagonism on Gandhi. It would just keep coming. Marxists have conversed with me like that. I would retort, "Aside Gandhi, who has had real influence on the world? Whose words does the world follow sincerely?". They would hesitate a little and would say "Marx". "Apart from being a pioneer of an intelligentsia, where is Marxism existing now? It is just a political action plan. In the past century, where has this plan succeeded?", I would ask. With some difficulty, they ...

Original Source: https://www.jeyamohan.in/193275/ 11-Nov-2023 Dear J, During the question-answer session after the speech at Canada, you seem to be siding with Hamas in the Israel-Hamas war. I would like to know your standpoint. Ravichandran Dear Ravi, One of the basic problem of SriLankan Tamils is that they always converse only about politics unable to think of anything else - but 90% of such people have escaped from those political shores and have settled safe and sound in their business and work. Politics is nothing but their imaginary game. Therefore, it contains only the exaggerated emotions. Many among them can be seen in a constant state of intensity (only within the social-media and stage). They think that if they can present themselves in a forum they would achieve an identity. They imagine that their compromises and downfalls would get evened out by blaming others. I know people who have been playing this game for 30 years. Most of them have reached the age of 60. Their next...

Original Source: https://www.jeyamohan.in/185101/ 28-Jun-2023 In the field of ideologies, the one thing we must realize is that any ideology is a product of its times. We must understand the ideology only through its origin, its logical methods etc. We must also be re-evaluating that ideology constantly through the contemporary perspectives. When European researchers arrived on our shores, they saw the caste system that was prevailing here. During their research, the proponents of caste system cited the scriptures that emphasized the Varna system. The researchers interpreted this to mean that the Hindu scriptures were propounding the Varna system. They theorized that the Varna system was the one that morphed into the Caste system Two centuries have elapsed whence this occurred. Several scientific studies like sociology and anthropology have since been developed. There are now myriad new principles. We now have the facility to collect and analyze on all information from around the world...

Original Source: https://www.jeyamohan.in/187478/ 30-Aug-2023 Dear J, Chennai's birthday being celebrated, I thought you would be writing your thoughts about Chennai city. I know that you have a long running relationship with Chennai. That's the origin of this request. Muralidhar   *   Dear Muralidhar, If one has a long running association with a city, he/she would have developed many a memories with it. We would be recalling those memories with nostalgia. It would seem that the place is in fact pleasant. I am one with those feelings. But as far as possible, I would mandate myself to view it objectively. I view it likewise. I came to Chennai in 1979 during my wanderer days - while in my college final year. Perambur was a place of publishers. I lived there. I have chronicled my experiences in my novel "Purappaadu" (புறப்பாடு). Many faces from those days rush to my thoughts. I have come to Chennai after that for many reasons. The house of my friend Sendhooram Jagadish w...

Original source: https://www.jeyamohan.in/2789/ 29-May-2009 Dear Jeyamohan, I am sharing you the link for an article written by a person named Aravindan Neelakandan. He has highlighted some things as Gandhi's faults. Koenraad Elst, a popular researcher of Indian Politics has categorically explained them. What is your views on those points? https://hikari1965.blogspot.com/2008/02/blog-post_1431.html Bheeshma Chennai The interest of the nation or that of the Hindus have never figured in  the lust for power and self-promotion of the Hindu leadership either  before independence or afterwards. All through the 20th century, ever  since Gandhi came on the scene, Hindu leaders have treated India as  their personal fiefdom and Hindus as slaves. Gandhi did not mind even  the slaughter of the Hindus provided it kept the Muslims happy. Jeyamohan, I read your reply to Semmani Arunachalam. I cannot accept it entirely. In today's world, what is your response for the difficulti...

 Original Source: https://www.jeyamohan.in/183585/ For the past month or so, readers have been asking me this question via email - Is there really a Hindu religion? Majority of them are youngsters, beneficiaries of modern education and are interested in culture. But all they listen to are social media and the politicians' blather only. I replied rather irritated, "Hindus have a uniqueness. It is only them, who learn about their religion from their enemies and from those who have vowed to destroy their religion." Just give it a thought. How many numerous philosophers and scholars have existed here. How many books have been written. Nobody reads those. But they form an opinion about Hindu religion listening to the hatred speeches of those who do not have even an iota of understanding on the history or the spirituality of Hindu religion. Is there any other religion that exhibits such a pitiful state? To form an understanding by reading books and placing the concepts within t...