Modi at Harvard

Modi at Harvard

Modi’s barbs against the venerable Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen and the esteemed University that he once adorned remind one of the mindless taunts that we all used to practice as schoolchildren. Fascinated with the use or misuse of the English language we made all sorts of puns and alliterative idioms and a meaningless nonsensical rhyme or a faux poetic rhythm which then became the hallmark of our childish efforts. It ill behoves the head of a large nation to descend to such puerile bickering.

The sign of great wisdom is a humility that the learned seer wears on his sleeve, just as the unmistakable sign of an upstart is the ease with which he flings mockery at men of learning. One is not looking down at the man of achievement who may have overcome humble beginnings.  After all we do not ask which University Alexander the Great graduated from before he started conquering the world. But when a false pride enters the soul of the successful man it indeed cometh before a fall.

This is where Brthrhari comes to mind.

Ajnah sukham aradhyah, Sukhataram aradhyate visheshajnah;

Jnanalav durvidagdham, Brahma bhi naram na pujayate

The ignoramus is easily satisfied, the learned even more easily

He who prides on an iota of knowledge, even the gods fail to satisfy.

We salute Narendra Modi as our Prime Minister; we congratulate him for occupying the seat that Jawaharlal Nehru once held; we think he deserves to feel a just pride on having reached the pinnacle of political achievement. Such dizzying heights also compel one to overcome the vertigo that it brings and a distillation of the mind, an elevation of the soul is necessary to occupy this exalted post. Failing to rise to the position he holds the clay feet of the idol is slowly coming into view. 

iT IS SLOWLY BECOMING CLEAR THAT THE MAN IS OUT OF HIS DEPTH.