Law of dual cause

UNHAPPINESS is alien to a man’s nature, and it depends for its existence to some extent upon certain external conditions but mainly upon the conditions of the mind. Something goes wrong and a man becomes unhappy. There are two causes that create that undesirable state of his mind. Let us call them “action” and “reaction”. Action is the external cause — an event — and reaction to it is the internal cause, which may be called a negative behavioural response to an event. This is known as law of dual cause that is responsible for a man’s unhappiness.

The external cause in itself does not make a man unhappy unless it affects the internal attitude or, in other words, generates a negative reaction in him. Thus unhappiness depends more upon the inner attitude towards an external condition than on the external condition itself. If it is positive, it brings happiness to him but if it is negative it causes unhappiness.

It is possible for a man to stop the joint action of the two causes that makes him unhappy. While he has a choice in actions which he himself performs, he has unlimited field in controlling the negative reactions to the actions of others, over which he has, obviously, no direct control. A control within is not only within his power but is also the easier method of attaining than a control without.

As an illustration, let us suppose that someone speaks harsh words to us without any provocation. There are two possible reactions to it. One is that we may treat the abuse as an insult and retaliate it giving abuse for abuse or even coming to blows. Alternatively, we may refuse to accept the abuse by taking no notice of it. We exactly behave in a similar way when abused by an insane person. The difference between the two types of attitude is self-evident and needs no elaboration.

The million dollar question is: should we allow ourselves to be slaves to others who can make us unhappy at their will by their pinpricks, or should we exercise self-control and remain always calm and peaceful, come what may? A charioteer is one who controls an unruly horse and not the one who merely holds the reins and lets the horse go wither it would.

A. K. SURI
Chandigarh

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Tired, yet enthusiastic

This refers to Kuldip Nayar’s article, “Vajpayee regime’s 200 days” (Sept 25). It appears as of Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee is a little tired and weary of conferences and doubtful of their utility. But even though his enthusiasm for conferences may have waned, the feelings of public betterment is as high as ever. He is worried about the growing prices and the problems faced by the common man that of an insensitive bureaucracy, growing corruption and the miscellaneous other affairs of public concern.

India is tied down to the area where we reach and get influenced by material things — guns and goods. Foreign policy also depends on these two things. As these goods are limited, so are policies. These limited policies are defensive and the defensive policies are losing policies. Mr Vajpayee has to make use of his experience and take India towards a fully self-reliant and economically well built country. I would like to quote a few words of John Wesley for Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee:

Do all good you can,
In all ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as you can.

VIVEK SINH MAR GIRAN
Kurukshetra

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Implications of Afghan conflict

Mr Inder Malhotra's article "Afghanistan's mounting peril — unheard alarm bells" (The Tribune, September 23) meets a deeply felt need — understanding the developments in that hapless country occurring for quite some time.

Firstly, it is not easy to get over the gnawing suspicion whether the US missile attacks, widely resented in international fora, were intended to blunt Osama bin Laden's terrorist activity. Frankly speaking, one is reminded of the Gulf of Tonkin episode of the late sixties staged to justify the escalation of the US involvement and intensified bombing in Vietnam. This appears to be palpably the case and, as observed by Mr Malhotra, "the thundering silence of the USA on the dangers posed by the Taliban and its promoter and patron, Pakistan...", particularly in the context of its long quest and abiding itch to take control of oil and natural gas-rich Central Asia, is a precursor of the events to come.

Secondly, at another level, the compulsive involvement of Shia Iran in the developments in Afghanistan following the calculated massacre of its diplomatic personnel in Mazar-i-Sharif seems to have been taken into account by the wily policy planners in Washington to carry forward their strategy of hunting with the hound and running with the hare perfected in the Iran-Iraq war and earlier in the Sino-Indian context.

Apart from the ominous portents of the emerging confrontation in Afghanistan for Russia and other members of the CIS, the developing situation has some lessons for India. It was under Mr Vajpayee's stewardship of the Ministry of External Affairs that Pakistan was allowed to become a full-fledged member of the nonaligned movement. Will the new dispensation show the necessary grit and firmness not to let any undue advantages go to Pakistan and the Taliban, under the benign influence of the USA or otherwise, in the name of helping the new adversaries take more sober attitude? Any faux pas in the sphere of the CTBT or any other area could prove costly for India.

J. N. NARANG
Chandigarh

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Birth of Ambala

In his letter (Sept 23) Mr Rajinder Bhatia has enquired about the year in which Ambala Cantt. was established — whether after the British abandoned the plan to have the cantonment at Karnal because of the mosquito menace, they set it up at Ambala before the "Mutiny" or later in 1859. The position in this regard is clear. According to the authoritative gazetteer of the district, the cantonment was established in 1843, many years before the "Mutiny".

One more point. The letter rightly mentions that the name "Ambala" came from the word "umb" (mango) and, presumably in support of this, adds that the code assigned to Ambala Cantt. at one time was "umb". However, the code "umb" has no connection with "mango", it was just derived from the name of the place, Ambala, which used to be spelt as "Umbala" in those days. Similarly, Amritsar was originally spelt by the British as "Umritsur".

SAROOP KRISHEN
Chandigarh

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Reservation policy

Mr M.R. Sharma has aptly brought out the ill effects of the reservation policy in his article, "Policy of reservation" (Sept 28). The policy has benefited very few persons, and the majority of those for whom it was meant are still no better than what they were 50 years hence. A caste-based reservation policy only exposes the poor to exploitation at the hands of the politicians who consider them nothing more than their vote banks. It is, therefore, no wonder, as the writer has rightly said, that even the present government also seems to be inclined to continue this policy.

No doubt, the caste-based reservation policy has polarised the country on caste lines. The advent of parties like the BSP is a clear example. Even some sections of the religious minorities supposed to be casteless — like the Muslims, the Christians and be Sikhs — have started claiming themselves to the SCs/STs/OBCs and demand privileges accordingly. In other words, we, the wise people of free India, are undoing the social reforms brought about by our great men. I feel Mahatma Gandhi would have been a frustrated person in a free India like this.

BHAGWANT SINGH
Mohali