History, Politics and Logic

Since I am quite ignorant when it comes to worldly affairs, I often find myself applying logic to the news I read, trying to make some sense out of them. Some news cycles I read over the last year are a proof positive that human brain can still function after logic attacks.

Here’s what happened:

Sometime last year, Government of India submitted an affidavit to Supreme Court which said that they could not find any proof that Ram existed, ergo, Ram didn’t really exist. After many protests and a huge outcry, they realized that Ram did, indeed, exist.

Conclusion: In a democracy, vox populi = proof of existence

But then, that proof did come in the way of the Ramsetu project, which was really the reason for all the controversy. So, after a lot of research, GoI found out a mention that Ram destroyed the setu himself, based on the Kamba Ramayan written by Tamil poet Kamban. So the structure popularly known as Ramsetu cannot be the real Ramsetu. (Since Ram returned to Ayodhya by Pushpak, this may well be one of the first records of aerial bombardment.)

Conclusion: A mention in any of the records available = proof

This year, after 15 years of Dadoji Konddev Puraskar, Maharashtra Government scrapped the award since the committee assembled did not find any proof (sorry, the link is in Marathi) that he was the teacher of Chhatrapati Shivaji.

Conclusion: vox committee = proof of absence (?)

After notable historians removed themselves from the committee, it was noted that the 17th century records at the time of Shivaji did not mention Dadoji Konddev’s role as his teacher, and the first record is the Sabhasadachi Bakhar, written during 18th century.

Conclusion: Contemporary records = proof (?)

My brain, trained by Sherlock Holmes, detected a logical fallacy here somewhere. And since such fallacies tend to keep me awake at night, I decided to solve this conundrum.

After a lot of research, I have come to the conclusion that one of the following is the missing assumption for all of the above statements to be true (I always did well on those “Find the missing assumption” questions in competitive exams):

1. Kamban was a contemporary of Ram, thus possibly predating Valmiki.


2. Our school board was not looking for just convenient curricular structure when they combined History and Civics (with detailed descriptions of Indian political scenario) together in one subject.

Got any other explanation?


- The Great Eagle Has Spoken

Sultan ka hukum...

sar-aankhon par.

Since I haven't written a post in a long time, and given my current task list, it looks hard I will finish the drafts any time soon, I think it is time I get the tag by Her Highness Sultaan-e-Pitustan Pitu done.

So, here it is:

1. If your lover betrayed you, what will your reaction be?
   - You know what they say, if you love somebody, let them go. Especially if that person betrays you. Serves her right…


2. If you can have a dream to come true, what would it be?
   - Chaand tare tod lau,
   saari duniya par mein chhaoon,
   Bas etna sa khwab hai…
   See, I don't require too much to be happy in life.


3. What do you love the most in your lover?
   - Paraphrasing Holmes, it is a capital mistake to theorize before you have the necessary experience.


4. What would you do with a billion dollars?
   - Create a library. Build a time machine. Build this and get rid of commuting hassles. (Given current conditions, investment is out of answer)


5. Will you fall in love with your best friend?
   - Given that all three of my best friends are guys, I would have to go with “No”.


6. Which is more blessed, loving someone or being loved by someone?
   - If loving someone was blessed, my friend is the most blessed man on this earth, at any and all given times.


7. How long do you intend to wait for someone you really love?
   - Given my time-keeping skills, there is higher possibility that she has to wait for me. Though not more than 15 minutes at a time, given my record.


8. If the person you secretly like is already attached, what would you do?
   - I like keeping secrets. Especially if they are mine.


9. If you like to act with someone, who will it be? Your gf/bf or an actress/actor?
   - Why would I be acting with my girlfriend?
   Oh you mean like in a film or a drama. In that case, why would I be acting with my girlfriend?


10. What takes you down the fastest?
    - Elevator (The elevator in my office is so impatient to get going that it sometimes doesn’t wait for the doors to close).
    There are faster ways down, but not being a cartoon character, I am weary of trying one.


11. How would you see yourself in ten years’ time?
    - In a mirror. In a picture (on back of my book). On my blog. Take your pick.


12. What’s your fear?
    - Snakes. In all shapes and sizes. And all forms.


13. What kind of person do you think the person who tagged you is?
    - Ab Sultan ki tarif mein hum kya kahein? I am speechless.


14. Would you rather be single and rich or married but poor?
    - Why would I be rich and single? Are we talking about the same person (i.e. me) here?


15. What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?
    - Check my cellphone and smile that the alarm hasn’t gone off yet, and then burrow back inside the comforter.


16. Would you give all in a relationship?
    - Refer #3. (I love this “refer” business).


17. If you fall in love with two people simultaneously, who would you pick?
    - Do tell me none of the people are the one in #8. In which case, I like choices. If not, there is really no choice, is there?


18. Would you forgive and forget, no matter how horrible a thing that special someone has done?
    - Do I need to answer about forgiving after #1? And… what was the question again?


19. If you get to go back in time and fall in love all over again, would it still be with the same person?
    - Sorry, wrong setting on time machine. Change the polarity.

List 6 people to tag:

RULE #1: Tag 6 people to do this quiz and they cannot refuse. These people must state who they were tagged by, cannot tag the person whom they were tagged by, and must continue this game by sending it to other people.

RULE #2: People who have been tagged must write their answers on their blogs and replace any question that they dislike with a new question formulated by themselves.

So, the list goes on:
1. Cuckoo
2. Sid (Haven't been posting anything either)
3. DewdropDream (I hate to do it, but she has to know disadvantages of reading my blog)
4. Princess Stephania
5. First person to comment on this post
6. Anybody who wants to take it up

Please feel free to be as political as you want on #13.

And there... a new post is done.


- The Great Eagle Has Spoken