AHMEDABAD
As India remains obsessed with the idea of learning from "international" best practices, the homespun wisdom finds no real recognition in Indian policies
While Indian classical literature is littered with romantic references of chatak (pied cuckoo) as harbinger of monsoon, my own bird of choice for ushering a season far more accurately is Asian Koel, a cuckoo family bird very often inaccurately referred to as common cuckoo that is (just like another famous matching misnomer, the common sense) not very common!
For most of the Indian subcontinent, waking up to a rising crescendo of Koel calls is a wakeup call for summer. As our Koels have hired crows as surrogate parents, we can still find them living in our cities to remind us of impending summer.
If you are an Indian birdwatcher, it would be heartening for you to know that Vajasaneyi Samhita of Yajurveda refers to Koel as anya-vapa (raised by others) whereby proving that we were far more observant of nature 4000 years back than today.
This Yajurveda reference tempts me to bring forth yet another ancient text where cuckoo finds a mention.
A 2500-year-old play "The Birds" written by Aristophanes talks of a new city built by birds called Nubicuculia or cloud cuckoo land. The play has led to coining of this phrase to describe a state of unrealistic and idealised fancy, beyond the realms of possibility.
As I have meandered across a landscape full of birds and ancient texts, I see the need to tie it all up, and hence the only tool of stitching these far-flung areas has to be a metaphor.
I always feel that though Koels scream their heads off early in the morning to remind us that summer is arriving in our tropical nation, we have a special group of people who insist on remaining in cloud cuckoo land, i.e. our policymakers.
The real salient feature of Indian policymakers is their complete and total agnosia about local climate in every possible way.
By remaining blissfully ignorant of our location on the planet, our policymakers make us live with 10 to 6 jobs that expect humans to work during hour where all other warm-blooded life forms rest, build round-the-year water-retaining structures that make our cities mosquito heavens, promote glass-fronted architecture that needs constant air-conditioning, build public transport ideas that imagine that people can walk in 40 C and more on the same theme that India is not a hot tropical country but a nation located somewhere in Europe.
The same agnosia is also extended to the social climate of India where our policymakers imagine equally unrealistic things and wish away five thousand years of cultural and religious context of India. On the economic front, they prefer to remain blind to the abject poverty of the rural masses.
This miracle is possible for our policymakers to perform because they live in the comfortable cocoon of elitist empowerment that has the power to silence the raging climate outside their windows, be it real, social or economic. As they rarely experience the reality, they imagine all kind of Indian climates to be inconveniences best ignored.
This absurdity is augmented further as, even after seventy years of independence from an occupier who came from an alien climate in every sense, we still look westwards for answers to our problems. As India remains obsessed with the idea of learning from "international" best practices, the homespun wisdom finds no real recognition in Indian policies.
As I have woken up to a morning with a cuckoo screaming loudly outside my window, I am struck by the absurdity that we live with as a nation. We are a real cloud cuckoo land that needs to wake up to the realities, especially climatic, social and economic that our nation can't afford to ignore while making public policies.
The Koel is calling. I hope we are listening to her, sorry his warnings!
City-based science nomad who tries to find definitive answers
samir.shukla@icloud.com
World Diabetes Day 2024: Types, causes, precaution to avoid this chronic disease
Children's Day 2024: 50 WhatsApp wishes, messages, quotes to share on bal diwas
AUS vs PAK Live Streaming: When and where to watch Australia vs Pakistan 1st T20I live in India?
IND vs SA: Ramandeep Singh achieves THIS feat on T20I debut, joins Suryakumar Yadav in elite list
Meet man who used to earn just Rs 65, now heads Rs 23416 crore company, he is…
DNA TV Show: Arsh Dalla, Khalistani terrorist, arrested in Canada
Pushpa 2 first review: Rashmika Mandanna says Allu Arjun movie is 'freaking amazing'
SA vs IND: Tilak Varma scripts history with maiden century in 3rd T20I against South Africa
Delhi becomes world's most polluted city, overtakes Pakistan's Lahore, AQI recorded at...
Last Supermoon of 2024: Know when and how to watch it and other details here
Noida man arrested for creating ‘cannabis nursery’ inside house after being inspired by…
Actor John Krasinski named 'Sexiest Man Alive 2024' by People magazine
Meet outsider who worked in bank for eight years, became OTT star, will now star opposite Kajol in..
What is wedding invitation scam, how to protect yourself from it?
Arjun Tendulkar achieves rare feat which father Sachin Tendulkar never did in his 25-year career
Mukesh Ambani suffers Rs 12548 crore loss after buying Star from Disney, here's how
Ananya Panday sets Instagram on fire in sizzling bikini; BFF Suhana Khan, mom Bhavana Pandey react
International Trade Fair 2024 in Delhi from Nov 14: Know ticket price, timings, venue and more
SA vs IND: Varun Chakravarthy eyes Ravichandran Ashwin's all-time India record in T20Is
This govt company sold Rs 28880000000 shares of Ratan Tata firm, reduces its holding to...
Delhi Air Pollution: AQI hits 'Severe' category, record high in India today with 418
Tesla CEO Elon Musk spreading misinformation on X? His own AI model says...
Independent candidate slaps SDM outside booth during Rajasthan bypolls, watch video here
Viral video: Vistara crew bids emotional farewell on last flight before merger with Air India, watch
NBR Group Redefines Luxury Living With New Brand Identity, Tagline, and Logo
Resham Kamboj: Empowering Souls and Financial Freedom Through Spiritual Mentorship
NTPC Green Energy Rs 10000 crore IPO: Check subscription date, price band, lot size and more
India’s first hydrogen train to start trials soon: Check route, features, top speed to be…
Tejasvi Jaiswal's selfless sacrifice for brother Yashasvi Jaiswal rewarded with life's greatest gift
Mukesh Ambani, Isha Ambani to shut down these outlets under Reliance Retail due to...
Watch viral video: This MP stole Bill and ran away with intention to...
US comedian's hilarious imitation of Donald Trump goes viral, watch video here
Jharkhand Assembly Elections 2024: CSK legend MS Dhoni and wife Sakshi cast vote in Ranchi - Watch
LoP Rahul Gandhi rides Kerala's longest zipline in Wayanad to boost tourism after landslides; watch
Nita Ambani stuns in floral ensemble as she poses with Anupam Kher at NMACC
Anil Ambani's company makes HUGE profit in 3 months, market cap now reaches Rs...
Is Space Travel Safe: Surprising ways Space affects human body
Aishwarya Rai and Katrina Kaif lost this blockbuster franchise of Rs 600 crore, were replaced by...
'Can't believe...': Woman dresses up as ghost in viral video, here's what happened next, WATCH
HURRY UP! Coldplay announces fourth show in Ahmedabad, tickets to go on sale from...
Chhath Puja turns scary! Venomous snake turns towards woman performing rituals, then…
Meet man who left college at 18, earned Rs 1200 crore at 20, is CEO now, has net worth of Rs...
Radhika Merchant changes name, shares thoughts on work and marriage
Renewable Energy: Power generation expert Shahroz Anjum leads way in solar optimisation
Meet man, Indian-origin VP, who uses vacations to determine if he's hired right people, he is...
Ricky Ponting hits back at Gautam Gambhir's 'minding own business' advice, says, 'He is…'
Decision between renting and owning: Krupa Goel's perspective on what's shaping choices today
SC pronounces verdict on 'bulldozer justice': 'Having a home is a longing that never fades...'