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From Independence to the Emergency: The Sordid Journey of the Downfall of Indian Cinema

The downfall of Indian cinema can be traced with a cutoff point: the Emergency of 1975 and its aftermath.

From Independence to the Emergency: The Sordid Journey of the Downfall of Indian Cinema
Sandeep Balakrishna
Sandeep Balakrishna

Read the Past Episodes in this Series:
From Independence to the Emergency: The Sordid Journey of the Downfall of Indian Cinema

*Stability as a Contemporary Metaphor in the Downfall of Indian Cinema*

*From Independence to the Emergency: The Sordid Journey of the Downfall of Indian Cinema*

*The Destruction of the Indian Aesthetic Tradition has Culminated in Artistic Famine in Indian Cinema*

— 3 —

RAJASHEKHARA, THE SANSKRIT dramatist, poet and aesthetician who flourished in the ninth and tenth centuries, dedicates an entire chapter in his classic Kāvyamīmāṃsā treatise describing the environment that a poet (broadly speaking, an artist) must cultivate for himself.

The kind of standards that he mentions in the chapter by itself offers a mirror to the ruin of what passes off as art, literature, drama and cinema today. A similar example is Kshemendra’s Kavikaṇṭhābharaṇa, another illustrious work on aesthetics.

All such poets and aestheticians deliver this essence: at least a scintilla of culture and refinement is indispensable for anyone aspiring to be a poet or artist. The list of subjects that they all recommend includes but is not limited to the following: classic works of literature, prosody, grammar, the 64 arts, lexicography, logic, and life experience. An artist who is not equipped with these qualifications is endowed with Vyutpattimāndya — the broadest meaning of this term is “cultural penury.”

Today, cultural penury is exactly what we notice in the most visual and the most composite of all art forms: .

Actually, “cultural penury” is an extremely mild term to characterise the filth that is being rapidly churned out especially on the OTT conveyor belt of perversion. Depravity, soullessness and nihilism are being actively promoted in the name of cinema. All these are being dictated by a vile soup made up of wokeism, megalomania and demonstrable insanity on the part of elite production houses and armies of deranged writers and directors.

*What are the topics that our contemporary filmmakers select? They mostly revolve around crime, s*x, more crime and even more graphic s*x. And of late, the ugly on-screen march of LGBTQRXXIJKW.*

Subtle romance has been replaced by grunts and groans. Depravity has slaughtered sensitivity. Deafening cacophony has triumphed over deliberate silences both in voice and music. Suggestion is nonexistent.

Even movies that have no ideological flavour exhibit the same blandness. Of late, most of them are based on newspaper cuttings with familiar themes: gruesome murders, rapes or other crimes… then there is a rush to capture that other new market: .

With few exceptions, most biopics that have made in India till date are uniformly atrocious. We also have hilarious adventures like Toilet Ek Prem Katha and Padman, a movie on sanitary pads. What next? Films on handkerchiefs and ties and underwear and the nuances of urine? Fear not. They’ll arrive soon at a theatre near you. The power of idiots in large numbers is truly potent.

*Small wonder that the current crop of movies have become mock-worthy memes instead of works of art.*

*All this is a direct consequence of a variety of factors chief of which is the destruction of . More specifically, what is the kind and quality of that these filmmakers read, if at all they read anything of value?*

Several anecdotes will clarify this point in a tangential fashion.

Two anecdotes will clarify this point in a tangential fashion.

A key thread in the plot of the 1984 Telugu blockbuster, Bobbli Brahmanna was directly borrowed from the celebrated Sukanyōpākhyāna occurring in the Mahabharata.

Likewise, the whole plot for the Tamil superhit is based on another immortal Mahabharata episode: the story of Savitri and Satyavan. Interestingly, the seed for the movie was given by K. Balachander, the film’s producer and iconic director.

This in itself is a revelation of the solid cultural grounding of our past filmmakers of his calibre. It is also the starkest contrast between Balachander and Mani “sir.” When Maniratnam attempted something similar with his unaided Communist intellect, he gave us an elongated dud like , a movie allegedly based on the story of Karna. We see Rajinikant, not Karna.

*In fact, the emergence and rise of new-age directors like , , , , #₩₩RakeshOmprakashMehra & Co is just a continuation of a downward phenomenon in Indian cinema.*

It can be described using this phrase: from Independence to Emergency.

*The spread, takeover and subversion, especially of Hindi cinema by the artistic goon squad was the primary casual factor for this phenomenon.*

*Peddling Marxist propaganda on screen was one side of this coin. The other side has proven fatal. This was the birthing of two generations of writers and filmmakers who consciously ignored and then trashed the ennobling wealth of our classical literature and the finest traditions of Indian theatre.*

*If at all the present generation of filmmakers use our epic and Puranic characters, they use it to contemn the very culture that birthed them.*

Without exaggerating, it can be said that there is almost no “mainstream” filmmaker in any Indian language who can make a Pauranic movie. Or even a grand fantasy like Jagadekaveerudu Atiloka Sundari, released in 1990. Or an engaging historical like Mayura.

*Our filmmakers have criminally abandoned our classical aesthetic tradition and it is only obvious that audiences are quickly abandoning our filmmakers. and gang are learning it the hard way.*

*If the Emergency was the political abyss ushered in by a single that ran the Government like a mafia, the post-Emergency period witnessed the full toxic bloom of the cultural destruction that had been put in motion through the backdoor capture of institutions. Dr. S.L. Bhyrappa’s Tantu narrates this ghastly and painful saga with compelling power.*


— 4 —

IN 1974, TOM WOLFE was rudely jolted awake in his bathtub when he read the following words in The New York Times written by one Hilton Kramer, dean of the arts at Yale University:

Realism does not lack its partisans, but it does rather conspicuously lack a persuasive theory…to lack a persuasive theory is to lack something crucial.
Recall what I had mentioned about The Theory, The Theory, The Theory! in the previous episode of this series?

Tom Wolfe’s awakening culminated in a devastating evisceration of not just Hilton Kramer but the phenomenon that he represented. Titled The Painted Word, Tom Wolfe gave a masterclass and a magnificent critique of the art scene in the Elite and Posh America of the era, something he contemptuously called “Cultureburg.” Here is a sample:

Modern Art has become completely literary: the paintings and other works exist only to illustrate the text…Art made its final flight, climbed higher and higher in an ever-decreasing tighter-turning spiral until… it disappeared up its own fundamental aperture… and came out the other side as Art Theory!… Art Theory pure and simple, words on a page, literature undefiled by vision.


What Wolfe lamented and outraged about was the disappearance of the most fundamental element in all art: beauty.

And here is the legendary DVG writing about the same thing in 1969. An anguish, an anxiety about the loss of beauty in literature written in beautiful prose.

“… art is the experience of beauty, grandeur and exaltation. But today, the new kinds of art works flooding into India from Europe and America, do they give us this experience? In my case, the answer is no. Perhaps my view might be partially blind owing to my attachment to our artistic tradition. But a person who regards Jakkanachari, Tyagaraja, and Valmiki as Gurus does not get the aforementioned experience in these new works of art. But others who don’t have this attachment might experience beauty in them.

In which case, what is beauty?

In today’s world, there is no standard to measure it.

For us, dignity of dressing is beauty; for others nudity is. For us, subtle movement of the human body is beauty; titillation is vulgarity… new cults in art like the hippies and the Beatles have become popular even in India…to my eyes, their dressing and behaviour appear grotesque in the extreme. Even their painters have followed the same path…

The fate of modern poetry is also similar…the simile is derived from some place and its object of comparison is unclear…it is impossible to understand the feeling or emotion attempted to be conveyed.

OVERALL, IT APPEARS AS THOUGH A SENSE OF ANARCHY AND FRENZY IS BEING DELIBERATELY SPREAD…

In my limited knowledge, a true conception of beauty and exaltation is characterised by selection and proportion. Not all things in this world are endowed with beauty, and not all parts of a thing are equally beautiful… But there is a fundamental philosophy underscoring selection and proportion. THE VISION OF BEAUTY AND GRANDEUR SHOULD NOT PERVERT THE CONNOISSEUR’S MIND. THE PAINTING OR PLAY OR SCENE MUST IMBUE JOY AND NOT INFLAME CRUDE PASSIONS. The enabler of beauty and profound values is a cultivated inward attitude of bashfulness… BASHFULNESS IS THE PROTECTIVE ARMOUR OF ALL ART. SANS THIS, THE WORK OF ART BECOMES AN EXHIBITION OF DEPRAVITY. Thus, the work of an artist is one that carries immense responsibility. Just as how the artist needs freedom, he must also erect restraints upon himself. (Capitalisation added)




Clearly, filmmakers of our own time continue to flagrantly violate every single warning that DVG has given here.

But to state it in polite language, today’s movies make us leave the theatre after having merely witnessed them, not experienced them. We have facts, not characters. Expertise in technique and craft have become convenient bypasses for circumventing art. In fact, at some point in this journey towards the bottom, acting or performance has been slowly murdered. We now have stock expressions for emoting which last for fleeting seconds instead of the time-honoured art of sustaining an emotion at length…the fine art of the monologue has mostly gone extinct, and both monologues and dialogues have become one-liners…instead of allowing the actor to use his or her innate or honed creativity and wide reading to interpret the character, readymade factory products are being handed down. As far as Indian cinema is concerned, we have bodybuilders and gymnasts and athletes as onscreen “heroes.” The acclaim received by “character actors” is precisely because the main leads are not actors. Female leads exist to perform one or both of these two functions: (1) arouse s*xually the audience (2) spew the woke ideology.

In the final reckoning, this lethal handiwork of the Left which has succeeded beyond its wildest dreams, serves another defining purpose. The example of Lenin’s hounding of intellectuals and artists is illustrative. The moment he captured power, he decreed that all art was meant only to propagandise Communism. In other words, the Left uses art, literature, drama and cinema not merely to make an ideological statement but ultimately to topple governments. No section of the society is immune from it.

The first step to do that is to kill the very foundations and goal of all art — beauty and joy — and to replace it with pessimism and agitation. The downfall of Indian cinema has occurred exactly on these planes.

Series Concluded

From Independence to the Emergency: The Sordid Journey of the Downfall of Indian Cinema The Indian Emergency is almost a visible line that separates the finest traditions of Indian cinema and its subsequent downfall.

United Nations Human Rights you are living in some utopian world. SL governance has collapsed due to various reasons n issues. Their economy is in shambles and financially they are in deep dire due to China's Debt Trap. Protests have turned violent and to safeguard silent majority authorities are duty bound to use coercive methods to restore order.

🇱🇰 : Ahead of large demonstration in Colombo on Saturday, 9 July, we urge authorities to show restraint in the policing of assemblies & to prevent violence. All Sri Lankans have the right of freedom of expression & peaceful assembly.

Read more: http://ow.ly/RzVJ50JRkwF

विनाशकाले विपरीत बुद्धि...

संजय राऊत सार्वजनिक धमकी देकर अपने गुंडों की मुट्ठी भर फौज के साथ हिंसा का खेल खेलने के लिए सड़कों पर उतर गया है। ऐसा कर के उसने नेता की अपनी नकाब खुद ही नोंच कर फेंक दी है और अपना असली चेहरा-चरित्र पूरी तरह निर्वस्त्र कर दिया है।

संजय राऊत लेकिन भूल गया है कि मुंबई का मौसम पूरी तरह बदल चुका है। महाराष्ट्र में राजनीति और सत्ता के बदल चुके समीकरणों पर सबसे पैनी नज़र मुंबई पुलिस की ही होगी। बड़ी संख्या में अधिकारी अपने सियासी आका भी बदल चुके होंगे और अपने नए आकाओं के संकेत की प्रतीक्षा कर रहे होंगे।

संकेत मिलते ही संजय राऊत के पालतू लफंगों का भूत कुछ घंटों या यूं कहिए कि कुछ मिनटों में उतार देंगे।
सन 2000 में महाराष्ट्र के तत्कालीन गृहमंत्री छगन भुजबल ने यह कर के दिखाया था।

उस समय तत्कालीन प्रधानमंत्री स्व. अटल जी के हस्तक्षेप के कारण बाल ठाकरे की इज़्ज़त जैसे तैसे बच पायी थी। महाराष्ट्र की राजनीति का वह बहुत चर्चित प्रकरण है।

उसके बाद लगातार 15 वर्षों तक छगन भुजबल ने इसी मुंबई में शिवसेना की छाती पर मूंग दली थी। और यही संजय राऊत और इसके लफंगे 15 वर्षों तक छगन भुजबल का रोयां तक नहीं हिला पाए थे। राणे बंधु, नीलेश और नितेश द्वारा मुंबई की सड़क पर ही की गयी बेबी पेंग्विन की लात घूंसों से धुलाई का किस्सा भी बहुत पुराना नहीं हुआ है।

संजय राऊत और उसके गुंडों की गुंडई का चूरन बेंचने में जुट गए न्यूजचैनलों के हाहाकारी प्रहसनों से अलग, प्रतीक्षा करिए, अगले घटनाक्रम की।

*मुम्बई में पर्दे के पीछे किसकी किरदारी ?*



आजकल मानवी रुचिवाली (human interest) खबरें कम दिखतीं हैं। शायद इसीलिये कि सियासत रुखी हो गयी है। वर्ना *महाराष्ट्र #महाविकासअघाड़ी की त्रिकोणीय सरकार की अंतिम लौ पर पाठकों को दिलचस्प किस्से मिल सकते थे। इस #एमबीए गठबंधन को भाजपायी नेता #महालूटअघाडी नामित कर चुके है। यहां का गृहराज्यमंत्री #अनिलदेशमुख) ही उत्कोच का अपराधी पाया गया। चोर के हाथों में चाभी वाली बात अथवा पुलिस ही डकैती करने लगे।*

*खोजी रिपोर्टर तलाश कर सकता था कि महाभारत की भांति मुम्बई रंगमंच पर असली किरदारी खासकर दो हीरोईनों की है। #रश्मिउद्धवठाकरे जिसके पति वजीरे—आला हैं। दूसरी #अमृतादेवेन्द्रफडनवीस, नेता भाजपायी विपक्ष, विधायक की ब्याहता।*

*बागी शिव सैनिक 58—वर्षीय #एकनाथशंभाजीशिन्दे ने ठाकरे का तख्त पलट कर डाला है। उसने सीधा आरोप लगाया है कि उद्धव ठाकरे का #जनानखाना ( #मातोश्रीभवन) ही उनके विभागों में सीधे हस्तक्षेप करता रहा है। धन की उगाही भी उनका सीधा दोषारोपण है। उनके #नगरनिकायविभाग जहां कुबेर का खजाना रहता है, में ट्रांसफर—पोस्टिंग करना, ठेका देना आदि पर्दे के पीछे से ही नियंत्रित होता है। सार्वजनिक उपक्रमों को कुटुम्बीजन की हिदायत है कि #ठाकरेपरिवार की अनुमति के बिना मंत्री (शिन्दे) के किसी भी आदेश का पालन न किया जाये। शिन्दे संतप्त हैं। बगावत अंतिम राह सूझी।*

उन्हें इसकी सम्यक समझ भी है। कारण वे राजनीति में प्रदेश के पूर्व थाने उपनगर में तिपहिया आटो रिक्श चलाते थे। भिन्न—भिन्न मुसाफिरों की बाते सुनकर, समझकर मनोविज्ञान के नियमों को जाना। वे भाजपा—शिवसेना मिली जुली काबीना में वे पीडब्ल्यूडी मंत्री थे और #देवेन्द्रफडनवीश के चहेते थे।

* #शिन्दे का आरोप यदि सच माना जाये तो #रश्मिउद्धवठाकरे का भारी योगदान रहा है आज महाराष्ट्र में इस राजनीति संकट को जन्माने का।*

कौन है यह रश्मिजी ? उनके पति सरकार के मुखिया हैं तो तीस—वर्षीय पुत्र #आदित्यठाकरे भी पर्यटन तथा पर्यावरण का काबीना मंत्री है। पहले उसका नाम पिता की जगह मुख्यमंत्री के लिये था। शायद #शरदचन्द्रगोविन्दरावपवार की मनाही से यह नहीं हुआ।

अचरज की बात यह है कि जब मंत्री पद की शपथ आदित्य ने ली थी तो पढ़ा था : ''मैं #आदित्यरश्मिउद्धवठाकरे इत्यादि।'' यही सूचक था की सरकार #अर्धनारीश्वर द्वारा संचालित होगी। अर्थात रश्मि की रंगमंच पर हाजिरी की यह पूर्व सूचना थी।

रश्मि यूं तो कामर्स से स्नातक है मगर वे अब पत्रकार के नये रोल में भी किरदारी निभा रहीं हैं। शिवसेना की अधिकृत, पत्रिका '' #सामना'' की वे प्रधान सम्पादिका है। इसी में धाकड़ सांसद संजय राउत भी कार्यरत है। इन्हीं राउत से इसी पत्रिका में (13 अप्रैल 2015) में लिखा था कि भारतीय मुसलमानों को मताधिकार से वंचित कर दिया जाये। भले ही आज ठाकरे काबीना में चार मुसलमान मंत्री हैं।

#रश्मिठाकरे शिवसेना की पत्रकारिता में ओवरटाइम भी करतीं हैं। वे प्रबोधन प्रकाशन द्वारा छापी जा रही कार्टून पत्रिका '' #मार्मिक'' की भी संपादिका नियुक्त हुयीं हैं। इसे उनके श्वसुर बाल ठाकरे शुरु किया था। बाल ठाकरे शुरुआती दिनों में अंग्रेजी दैनिक ''फ्री प्रेस जर्नल'' में कार्टूनिस्ट थे। मेरी उनसे भेंट वहीं हमारे बंबई यूनियन आफ जर्नालिस्ट्स के समारोह में हुयी थी। तब मैं टाइम्स आफ इंडिया में रिपोर्टर था और इंडियन फेडरेशन आफ वर्किंग जर्नालिस्ट्स का प्रारंभिक सदस्य था।

* #रश्मि हिन्दी सांध्य दैनिक '' #दोपहरकासामना'' की भी संपादिका हैं। कुल तीन—तीन समाचार पत्रों की !! मुम्बई के उत्तरी दिशा में थाने जनपद के निकटस्थ गांव डोंबिविली में पली, पढ़ी और वयस्क हुयी। उद्धव से उनका प्रेम विवाह 13 दिसम्बर 1989 के दिन हुआ था। बाल ठाकरे की भतीजी (राज ठाकरे की बहन #जयवन्तीठाकरे) ने परिचय कराया था।

* #शिवसेना विधायक रश्मि को ''वहिणी'' कहते हैं, हिन्दी में भाभी। जब मोदी सरकार के गृहमंत्री सत्तावन वर्षीय #अमिताभअनिलचन्दशाह ने उद्धव ठाकरे से 20 अप्रैल 2019 लोकसभा चुनाव में सींटों के आवंटन चर्चा करने मुम्बई आये तो रश्मि लगातार पति के साथ—साथ रहीं। तब अमितशाह असुविधाजनक महसूस करते रहे।*

*दोबारा 24 अक्टूबर में जब विधानसभा चुनाव की सीटों पर चर्चा के लिये यही केन्द्रीय गृहमंत्री मुम्बई आये तो उन्होंने पूछा था : ''क्या रसोई में बात करनी होगी ?''*

यूं भी जीवन बीमा आयोग में क्लर्की का काम कर चुकी #रश्मि को मनोविज्ञान तथा जनसंम्पर्क का अच्छा खासा तर्जुबा है। उनका दूसरा पुत्र तेजस अभी तक तो राजनीति से परे है। बाल ठाकरे के प्रथम पुत्र दिवंगत बिन्दुमाधव की विधवा, प्रथम पतोहू, #माधवी भी सियासत से कोसों दूर है।

अभी दूसरी महिला रहबर #अमृतदेवेन्द्रफडनवीस की चर्चा हो। उद्धव को '' #कपटीराजा'' कहते हैं। हिन्दी की कहावत ''एक था कपटी राजा'' अमृता को याद है। उनके इस ट्वीट संदेश ने मुम्बई राजनीतिक वर्तुलों में हड़कम्प मचा दिया था। यह टिप्पणी ही एकनाथ शिन्दे की बगावत के बाद आयी।

* #विदर्भ के ब्राह्मण परिवार रानाडे में जन्मी, नागपुरवासी अमृता एक बैंक अधिकारी रहीं गीतकार और गायिका है, तथा सामाजिक कार्यकत्री भी। #डोनाल्डट्रम्प ने शांति सम्मेलन में उन्हें आमंत्रित किया था। अर्थशास्त्र से स्नातक वे टेनिस की खिलाड़ी हैं। कर कानूनों की ज्ञाता हैं। उनकी इकलौती पुत्री दिविजा है।*

*तो कुल यह है महाराष्ट्र की वर्तमान राजनीतिक परिदृश्य है लघु महाभारत का विवरण।*

https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/bigotry-is-not-an-american-problem/

CULTURE

*​Racism Is Universal​*
*)History shows that bigotry is not a uniquely white problem.*

Rajputs, classified as a high Hindu caste, in the 1860s. (Public Domain)

JUNE 20, 2022
CASEY CHALK

“In California,” NPR reported in May, “accusations of caste-based prejudice at the workplace and on college campuses are growing louder.” One student, a member of the Dalits or so-called “untouchables,” the lowest echelon in the millennia-old social, economic, and political system of India, claimed to suffer caste discrimination from fellow South Asian students at Cal State, East Bay.

Meanwhile, the Washington Post reported earlier this month that the Hindu-nationalist movement has spread from India to the diaspora community in the United States, including Silicon Valley. A woman scheduled to give a talk at Google on Dalit History Month was labeled by some employees as “Hindu-phobic” and “anti-Hindu.” The talk was subsequently canceled despite appeals to Google CEO Sundar Pichai, who comes from an upper-caste Indian family. “Many Indians have moved to the United States to work in tech companies, and several Big Tech CEOs are of Indian origin,” the Post notes. “Some employees allege the patterns of discrimination [found in the caste system] have been replicated within Silicon Valley companies.”

This is not a new phenomenon. The Atlanticreported on it last year, as did the New York Times. The Washington Post reported on it in 2020, and NPR reported on it in 2018.

We shouldn’t necessarily be surprised by the importation of the caste system. After all, our country’s elite institutions increasingly disparage assimilation into American society. Indeed, they often argue that immigrants should be permitted, if not encouraged, to retain their cultural identities. And, they argue, American citizens (and employers) should make all necessary adjustments to accommodate, and even learn from, these other cultures.

The caste system, though officially abolished only a few years after Indian independence, remains ubiquitous in Indian society. It would be difficult for recent Indian immigrants not to bring some vestiges of that system with them to the United States, whether intentionally or not. Especially when eight in ten Indian-Americans who identify with a caste claim to be of an upper one.

This presents a problem for those (typically on the left) who adhere to the narrative that white, “Eurocentric” culture is uniquely or preeminently racist and prejudiced. And when it comes to the Indian caste system, you can’t blame colonialism or imperialism, given that the Indian socio-economic and political system predates not only the British Empire, but Christendom, and even what we now understand as Europe.

Indeed, the globe is filled with examples of “persons of color”—a useless, fabricated concept if ever there was one—oppressing or abusing other “persons of color.” I lived in Bangkok, Thailand for three years, and the Thais are notoriously prejudiced, not only against black, mostly West African immigrants, but even other Southeast Asians, including minority ethnic groups who have been in the country for centuries. Many Thais despise and mistreat the Cambodians and the Burmese, many of whom are economic migrants working on the margins of Thai society. Some detest the ethnic Malays living in the country’s Muslim-majority southern three provinces.

But that’s just one example. How about the majority and their treatment of the population, which many are calling genocide? Arab culture has a long history of antipathy towards black people, importing many of them from Africa as slaves. The government sponsored ethnic Arab militias called “ ” to commit genocide against black Africans in Darfur.

had its own genocide in the 1990s as a result of animosity between two different groups of black Africans, and . Some Latinos with Spanish ancestry mistreat black Latinos with African ancestry. In our own country, black Americans are twice as likely as white Americans to commit a hate crime (often against Asian Americans). A survey of racism, bigotry, and class discrimination around the world makes the United States look tame by comparison.

This illuminates another uncomfortable truth for those who label America a nation of unparalleled “systemic racism” perpetrated by white Americans against various racial minorities. Namely, the steady demographic decline of white America will not bring an end to racism, prejudice, or bigotry in this country. Those sins against charity, I’m sad to say, inhere not in melanin but the human person, in all of his vulnerabilities and fallenness.

Sure, the fewer white Americans there are as a share of the population, and the less represented white Americans will be in various elite institutions in our country, and the fewer people there will be who can trace their ancestry to slavery, westward expansion, or other crimes, real or fabricated, committed against “persons of color.” But it is both naive and dishonest to pretend that those who replace them will not have the ancestral baggage of bigotry or racism—if they do not possess it themselves, as apparently do some Indian-American Brahmins.

The problem, it would appear, isn’t with America, or even white Americans, but with humanity. Prejudice has been a part of the human condition for millennia.

Some scholars believe that ’ siblings and ’s derision of Moses’s (likely black) *tewife was motivated by racism. Their punishment with a skin disease that made them “white as snow” (Numbers 12) may then be a most ironic divine punishment. Scholars argue that the and harbored ideas we would today consider racist. were committing acts of genocide against Asian ethnic minorities almost 2,000 years ago.

The story of the exporting of Indian caste discrimination to American academia and business suggests that perhaps the problem lies not in “ ” or “ ” but in the sinful human condition. It also suggests that the solution to racism and bigotry will not be found in scapegoating “white America,” which is no more sinful than any other tendentious, politically concocted demographic category.

In truth, it is the racialist ideology of , with its obsession with absurd racial categories and victim narratives that is aggravating identitarian conflicts in this country. Assimilation to a common American identity worked very well for generations of immigrants, from Irish to Germans, from Cubans to Mexicans, and from Vietnamese to Koreans. Each of those groups has been allowed to leave its imprint on America while imbibing the principles and culture that have been with us since before the Revolution. But some things must be left at the door. An anti-republican caste system, among other cultural idiosyncrasies, is one of them.

* writes about religion and culture issues for and is a contributing editor for the . He is the author of : True Stories of Courageous Christians Living Their Faith in Muslim Lands (Sophia Institute Press).*

​Racism Is Universal​ - The American Conservative History shows that bigotry is not a uniquely white problem.

Start your morning with these 4 yoga poses in bed for a happy day ahead

Yoga in bed is perfect for a lazy person's/girl’s fitness routine. These easy 4 yoga poses will energize your morning and prepare
you for the day.
Shifa Khan

yoga in bedThese 4 yoga poses are perfect to do in bed!

Okay, where are my lazy divas at? Being the new age urban dwellers, most of us have a sedentary lifestyle, disturbed food habits, and an equally tumultuous diuretic cycle. Watching web series while curled up on the couch is our everyday drill. Add to this our work style which involves sitting on a chair all day and looking at a laptop or desktop screen. This not just makes you gain weight easily, but it also leads to a faulty posture and a muddled sleep cycle. Sigh! However, doing yoga in bed each morning can be the easiest thing you can do for your lovely body! isn’t it?

Health Shots spoke to Deepanvita Biswas, Premium Yoga Coach, Fittr, who shared 5 amazing yoga asanas that are simple to do and can be done in bed!

Biswas says, “Yoga can be looked upon as a solution towards enhancing your flexibility and helping us with a sound sleep. There are many poses one can do by simply lying down, that can help people relax their muscles and reduce some problems such as back pain and muscle stiffening, bloating, digestive problems, menstrual pain and much more.”

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Listed below are 4 poses that are perfect for a yoga in bed routine:

*1. Badhakonasana*

Popularly known as the butterfly pose, this is one of the easiest and most relaxing poses of yoga that helps reduce back pain as well as shoulder pain. Additionally, it also helps in increasing the flexibility in the inner thigh muscles, stimulates the heart, ovaries, abdominal organs and reduces fatigue. It is a great healer for sciatica pain as well.

“For this pose, one must sit straight, bend their knees, and bring their feet near the ge****ls, as much as possible. Make sure that the soles touch each other, grab the feet tightly in hand and flap the knees,” says Biswas.

*2. Janu Sirsasna or the head to knee pose*

As the name implies, in this posture the forehead touches the knees. This pose helps soothe upper back pain. It is also efficient in normalizing menstrual flow, back pain, helps in releasing stress and makes your mornings fresher than a mint.

For this pose, sit straight and spread out one leg while folding the other one. Now bend forward and stretch your hands towards your sole and grab it with both the hands. While doing this, try to touch your forehead on your knee. stay in the position for 2 minutes and repeat the same with the other leg.

janu sirsasana
Janu sirsasana offers several benefits, if performed correctly.

*3. Parivratta Sukhasana or the seated twist*

This is again a great pose that helps reduce back pain, distress, and stimulates abdominal muscles, relieves anxiety, varicose veins, and calms the mind thus promotes clarity.

“For this, you need to sit straight with your legs stretched. Then lift one of your knees, twist the upper body in the knee’s direction, fix your opposite elbow on the knee to support your twist, Relax and repeat,” says Biswas.

Seated twist pose
Perfect for yoga in bed, the seated twist pose is your go to pose to reduce backache.

*4. Vartika Karani or inverted lake pose*

This pose helps in improving flexibility and toning the muscles. It is exceptionally helpful in backaches and muscle cramps.

For this one needs to lay down on their back and lift their body upwards with legs and back straight in the air. They can support their body with their hands or else with the help of a wall.

Yoga is extremely good for the body and mind, but it is important that we understand how to do the poses before trying them as the wrong posture might cause pain at times. Also make sure that you’re not doing yoga in bed that has a soft mattress that makes you sink in. This might result in wrong postures and do more bad than good.

Yoga
Shifa Khan

Home Fitness Weight Loss Here’s how dancing for an hour can do wonders for your body
WEIGHT LOSS
Here’s how dancing for an hour can do wonders for your body

Shaking a leg is enjoyable and can give you a fit body. Here are 6 reasons why you should take out 1 hour to dance for weight loss everyday.

Shifa Khan
dance for weight lossHere’s why dancing can help you lose weight and keep you fit.

Dance is a form of expression and art for some. But, it may give you impressive weight loss results too. Yes, shaking a leg or two and choosing dance for weight loss can help you hit your goal sooner than you think. All you gotta do is get your best dancing shoes out and shake it till you make it! Don’t believe us? We spoke to a fitness expert to convince you.

Xavana Dias, a fitness expert at Cult.fit, spoke to Health Shots and explained reasons why dancing for an hour is something that gives fitness for free!

Dias says “Workouts may seem scary for beginners – getting into a gym where muscular people are pumping weights may feel quite intimidating. Dance for weight loss is a perfect workout for people who want their fitness journey to feel like a party. Yup! That’s precisely what dance workout is all about.”

Here are 6 reasons why you need to dance for weight loss and fitter body:

1. It’s a superb HIIT workout
Dance gives you a real workout! It’s a HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) cardiovascular endurance workout allowing one to burn anywhere between 300 – 500 calories in a 50-minute class which really feels like 15 minutes.

2. Dance helps to exercise each part in one go
According to Dias, “Dancing for an hour and keeping your core tight while doing big movements, ensures most muscle groups are exercised. Try it once and you will feel slightly sore muscles in areas you never thought you worked out.”

3. Mood booster

It’s an instant mood booster! Great music and dance are a perfect combination to relieve stress, set your mood up for a great day or evening, and make you smile. A good mental health and less cortisol levels are directly linked to faster weight loss.

how to stay happy
You’ve gotta move it, move it! Image courtesy: Unsplash
4. It’s easy and you don’t need to know how to dance
“There is no pressure of right or wrong with dance fitness – we all have different ways and styles. What matters is movement. We should embrace our movements regardless of our dancing level and missing a beat or two. Every move should tone every part of your body,” says Dias.

5. Dance gives you many chances to work those abs

If you dance for weight loss, you don’t need to smash out complex moves one after the other like a professional dancer does. It has super simple steps that are repeated multiple times in one song. So, if you miss the steps the first time, your chance to ace it comes back in 30 secs and again in another 30. By the fourth time you may be busting out those moves better than a pro and working those abs out!

flat belly
Blast the fat away by choosing dance for weight loss. Image courtesy: Shutterstock
6. Dance makes you flexible
Dancing is uber social! You are not only smiling while doing it, but you’re also encouraging yourself each time you get a step right. It strengthens each muscle in your body and makes you flexible as well.

However, it is necessary to have fun while doing it and consider it as a great workout. Do not forget to stretch once you’re done with it to avoid any chances of cramps and muscle pulls. Consistency is what you need before opting for dance for weight loss. Once you get into the groove, it already feels like a party becomes something you want to do every day without pushing yourself too much!

Shifa Khan Shifa Khan.

An aesthete and a skincare ju**ie, Shifa spends most of her time cooking delish food while wearing a sheet mask. At HealthShots, she creates high-octane content that can leave you all a little intrigued!

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https://www.healthshots.com/fitness/staying-fit/yoga-in-bed-wake-up-fresh-and-energetic-with-this-quick-yoga-flow/

Start your morning with these 4 yoga poses in bed for a happy day ahead Yoga in bed is perfect for a lazy girl’s fitness routine. These easy 4 yoga poses will energize your morning and prep you for the day.