The Ferment of Change: A Case for Maharlika
Posted:
Thursday, August 14, 2008
By Eddie U. Ilarde
Even more hostile was the accusation that the bill was drawn-up by President Ferdinand Marcos himself, "Maharlika" having been associated with him during the war when he named his guerrilla unit to fight the Japanese invaders “Maharlika.” If true, the bill would have passed without question in that “rubber stamp congress.” But the measure did not even merit a committee hearing. The consoling thought however is, the bill was ahead of its time in a country long indoctrinated to accept blindly historical inaccuracies and Western hegemony and culture—the people made averse to resisting a deeply rooted conservative status quo as a consequence.
“The times are changing” is an affirmation of present circumstances. Today we see encouraging developments in favor of our proposal, but only after 27 years. Opposition has started to give way to an open mind by the same people who yesterday sneered at it.
Recently we have been receiving letters mostly from Filipinos abroad asking if our proposal to rename the country is still alive, realizing the relevance today. This country’s image in the eyes of the world today is at its worst, tarnished by such epithets as “the most corrupt country in the world,” a nation of cheats and thieves,” “a country of slums and hungry children,” “the dirtiest country in the world,” and other negative exaggerations. Heir common complaint: “We are constantly humiliated as “Filipinos’ in our host countries with insults like ‘the Philippines is a country of prostitutes, maids, thieves,’ and other indignitaries we cannot swallow any longer.” The shared optimism is “if we become Maharlikans this Filipino identity shall be erased forever and the world shall take notice and stop insulting our country as we create a new image and rebuild our reputation.
Great thinkers and visionaries have some time derived their thoughts and judgment from the common people. We must take our cue from this urgent call. If we don’ move this country shall be left behind by then winds of progress. In this country the wheels of change are heavy and slow. Our people are averse to change and are easily disinclined to anything outside the scope of easy comprehension. It is time to find the psychological why and wherefore and from there we must find the catharsis to expel this negative nature. Simple experiment al applications of new ways to improve existing conditions are always met with contempt, which lead to protracted squabbling and to miscarriage of good intentions. “Let us keep what we have; the known evil is best,” describes us best.
Our people's character of easily accepting “what is there and what is given” is so ingrained; what were imposed upon us in 1543 have coarsely acquired lasting currency through the centuries. The “ferment of change” addressed by other counties in Asia, Africa, Europe, and in other regions, we have ignored. Formosa, Siam, Dutch East Indies, French Indochina, Malaya, Ceylon, Burma, Khmer/Kampuchea, Persia, Bombay, Calcutta, to name only a few have all changed their names. We have remained as is even as we behold the phenomenal economic growth of these neighbors brought about by a compulsion for change back to the reassured ethos of their past which served as the touchstone for their quest for progress and prosperity.
Our penchant for change is so trivial, proven by changing only the names of streets and other minor things and places. Dewey Blvd. is changed to Roxas Blvd. because Dewey was American; Azcarraga to Recto because Azcarraga was Spaniard, etc. The country is named after King Philip II of Spain. Have we ever asked ourselves what kind of a man we were named after?
Philip was only ¼ Spaniard, his father Charles V was Hapsburg and did not even speak a word in Spanish when he became a king. Philip was as some historians call “a monster of bigotry, ambition, lust and cruelty.” His own official court historian described him as a man whose “smile and dagger were very close.” He was the son of fist cousins. His grandmother Juana died of insanity. Even today she is known in Spain as “Juana la loca.” His “auto-da-fe” after being sworn in as king was the burning in the stake alive of thousands of Muslims in Spain. Protestants in Europe, then under Spain were beheaded as heretics. He was ex-communicated as a Catholic by the pope for looting Rome. He died of what historians evasively described as a very communicable social disease (syphilis) that had affected his mind. Before he died thousands of insects festered his whole body which was covered with ulcers dripping with puss and reeking with unbearable smell. His name is better forgotten whose unpleasant memory we still honor today by identifying ourselves as Filipinos, carrying his name with pride.
Maharlika is our ancient heritage and has been with us long before Western colonialists set foot on our shoes. Maha is Sanskrit for noble, great, as in Taj Mahal. Mahatma (a great soul); the moon that supports all the planets and celestial bodies,” “The food that nourishes vital forces in everyone, “chanting Maha is to be one with the Lord,” “Maha is God Himself.” The inflectional ending of Maharlika, Likha is our own word for create, make, cause, design, breed, conceived, Maharlika therefore means “nobly created,” “God’s creation,” “the self personified,” etc. The great philosopher-philologist-spiritual master P.R. Sarkar said, “Maharlika means a small container (country) containing great things (people).” Maharlika is a spiritual mantra, a divine name.
The name “Filipino” has obscenely outlasted is purpose and has become malapropos. We only need it as much as we need a tragic memory. Our people must hear from our leaders in government, business, the academe, and from our opinion makers. Maharlika shall be the precursor of the great transformation of this country; it shall inspire a romantic tale, nay, a great national epic which is absent in our present annals. Maharlika shall discover our true identity, then beginning of our renaissance, our rebirth to greatness.
[Eddie Ilarde is a former councilor, congressman, senator, and assemblyman. He is a Lifetime Achievement Awardee for radio and television having pioneered many programs of lasting value to the country. He is the founder of Maharlika Foundation for National Transformation and Golden Eagles Society International, a movement to benefit the older people of the world. Kuya Eddie, as he is fondly called is semi-retired author and free-lance writer and spends his time in his small arm in the province].
Astonishment and wonder were the unfavorable reactions of our peers in the Interim Batasang Pambansa when we filed Parliamentary Bill 195 on August 14, 1978 seeking to change the name Philippines to Maharlika. It was as if to say “some members have lost their marbles to even contemplate such a thing”, as if they didn’t know that Article XVI, Section 2 of the constitution says that “The Congress, may by law, adopt a new name for the country x x x x which shall be truly reflective and symbolic of the ideals, history, and traditions of the people x x x such law shall take effect only upon ratification by the people min a national referendum.”
Even more hostile was the accusation that the bill was drawn-up by President Ferdinand Marcos himself, "Maharlika" having been associated with him during the war when he named his guerrilla unit to fight the Japanese invaders “Maharlika.” If true, the bill would have passed without question in that “rubber stamp congress.” But the measure did not even merit a committee hearing. The consoling thought however is, the bill was ahead of its time in a country long indoctrinated to accept blindly historical inaccuracies and Western hegemony and culture—the people made averse to resisting a deeply rooted conservative status quo as a consequence.
“The times are changing” is an affirmation of present circumstances. Today we see encouraging developments in favor of our proposal, but only after 27 years. Opposition has started to give way to an open mind by the same people who yesterday sneered at it.
Recently we have been receiving letters mostly from Filipinos abroad asking if our proposal to rename the country is still alive, realizing the relevance today. This country’s image in the eyes of the world today is at its worst, tarnished by such epithets as “the most corrupt country in the world,” a nation of cheats and thieves,” “a country of slums and hungry children,” “the dirtiest country in the world,” and other negative exaggerations. Heir common complaint: “We are constantly humiliated as “Filipinos’ in our host countries with insults like ‘the Philippines is a country of prostitutes, maids, thieves,’ and other indignitaries we cannot swallow any longer.” The shared optimism is “if we become Maharlikans this Filipino identity shall be erased forever and the world shall take notice and stop insulting our country as we create a new image and rebuild our reputation.
Great thinkers and visionaries have some time derived their thoughts and judgment from the common people. We must take our cue from this urgent call. If we don’ move this country shall be left behind by then winds of progress. In this country the wheels of change are heavy and slow. Our people are averse to change and are easily disinclined to anything outside the scope of easy comprehension. It is time to find the psychological why and wherefore and from there we must find the catharsis to expel this negative nature. Simple experiment al applications of new ways to improve existing conditions are always met with contempt, which lead to protracted squabbling and to miscarriage of good intentions. “Let us keep what we have; the known evil is best,” describes us best.
Our people's character of easily accepting “what is there and what is given” is so ingrained; what were imposed upon us in 1543 have coarsely acquired lasting currency through the centuries. The “ferment of change” addressed by other counties in Asia, Africa, Europe, and in other regions, we have ignored. Formosa, Siam, Dutch East Indies, French Indochina, Malaya, Ceylon, Burma, Khmer/Kampuchea, Persia, Bombay, Calcutta, to name only a few have all changed their names. We have remained as is even as we behold the phenomenal economic growth of these neighbors brought about by a compulsion for change back to the reassured ethos of their past which served as the touchstone for their quest for progress and prosperity.
Our penchant for change is so trivial, proven by changing only the names of streets and other minor things and places. Dewey Blvd. is changed to Roxas Blvd. because Dewey was American; Azcarraga to Recto because Azcarraga was Spaniard, etc. The country is named after King Philip II of Spain. Have we ever asked ourselves what kind of a man we were named after?
Philip was only ¼ Spaniard, his father Charles V was Hapsburg and did not even speak a word in Spanish when he became a king. Philip was as some historians call “a monster of bigotry, ambition, lust and cruelty.” His own official court historian described him as a man whose “smile and dagger were very close.” He was the son of fist cousins. His grandmother Juana died of insanity. Even today she is known in Spain as “Juana la loca.” His “auto-da-fe” after being sworn in as king was the burning in the stake alive of thousands of Muslims in Spain. Protestants in Europe, then under Spain were beheaded as heretics. He was ex-communicated as a Catholic by the pope for looting Rome. He died of what historians evasively described as a very communicable social disease (syphilis) that had affected his mind. Before he died thousands of insects festered his whole body which was covered with ulcers dripping with puss and reeking with unbearable smell. His name is better forgotten whose unpleasant memory we still honor today by identifying ourselves as Filipinos, carrying his name with pride.Maharlika is our ancient heritage and has been with us long before Western colonialists set foot on our shoes. Maha is Sanskrit for noble, great, as in Taj Mahal. Mahatma (a great soul); the moon that supports all the planets and celestial bodies,” “The food that nourishes vital forces in everyone, “chanting Maha is to be one with the Lord,” “Maha is God Himself.” The inflectional ending of Maharlika, Likha is our own word for create, make, cause, design, breed, conceived, Maharlika therefore means “nobly created,” “God’s creation,” “the self personified,” etc. The great philosopher-philologist-spiritual master P.R. Sarkar said, “Maharlika means a small container (country) containing great things (people).” Maharlika is a spiritual mantra, a divine name.
The name “Filipino” has obscenely outlasted is purpose and has become malapropos. We only need it as much as we need a tragic memory. Our people must hear from our leaders in government, business, the academe, and from our opinion makers. Maharlika shall be the precursor of the great transformation of this country; it shall inspire a romantic tale, nay, a great national epic which is absent in our present annals. Maharlika shall discover our true identity, then beginning of our renaissance, our rebirth to greatness.
[Eddie Ilarde is a former councilor, congressman, senator, and assemblyman. He is a Lifetime Achievement Awardee for radio and television having pioneered many programs of lasting value to the country. He is the founder of Maharlika Foundation for National Transformation and Golden Eagles Society International, a movement to benefit the older people of the world. Kuya Eddie, as he is fondly called is semi-retired author and free-lance writer and spends his time in his small arm in the province].
The Modernization of Islam and the Creation of a Multipolar World Order
Posted:
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
NEW BOOK
Dr. Susmit Kumar's fascinating work on the modernization of Islam and the creation of
a multipolar world order is out.
Dr. Kumar writes engagingly and with easy authority on the causes of Islamic fundamentalism, the collapse of American economy, and demonstrates the excellent prospects of PROUT in the later part of the book. This comprehensive work succeeds
in placing the idea of PROUT in a temporary political framework underscoring an
upcoming basic shift in values.
Read more the synopsis here »»
Dr. Susmit Kumar's fascinating work on the modernization of Islam and the creation ofa multipolar world order is out.
Dr. Kumar writes engagingly and with easy authority on the causes of Islamic fundamentalism, the collapse of American economy, and demonstrates the excellent prospects of PROUT in the later part of the book. This comprehensive work succeeds
in placing the idea of PROUT in a temporary political framework underscoring an
upcoming basic shift in values.
Read more the synopsis here »»
The Modernization of Islam is a provocative analysis of the present global Islamic militancy, based on the author’s 1995 article published in Global Times (Copenhagen, Denmark). The 2001 attack on the US and subsequent Western-led attacks on Afghanistan and Iraq have led political scientists to believe in Samuel Huntington’s theory of a "clash of civilizations." The world’s civilizations -Western, Islamic, Chinese, Japanese, Orthodox/Russian, Hindu, African, and Latin - will, according to this theory, align and engage in war on a civilizational basis. Although experts predict that Islamic militancy will last three to four decades, they are unable to predict its final outcome. Until 1900 no one was predicting that democracy would replace kingdoms in most European countries, or that Asian and African countries would gain independence within five to six decades. But, because of World Wars I and II, most European kingdoms were replaced by vibrant democracies, and colonial rulers had to leave most of Asia and Africa due to the destruction wrought on their economies during these wars. In order to give birth to a beautiful child, a woman has to go through the pains of labor. Europe had some of its labor pains in the last century, when World Wars I and II were necessary to change the global socio-economic and political environments of those times. Had those wars not occurred, much of Europe might still be ruled by monarchs, and most Asian and African countries might still be awaiting independence from their colonial masters. Islam is the only major religion imposed by government fiat anywhere in the world. Today Islamic civilization is going through what Europe went through between World Wars I and II. At the end of this crisis, the majority of Islamic nations will become secular and democratic, like Turkey: the world seat of the Islamic Caliphate since 1517, Turkey shed its fundamentalist rule in 1923 and has remained free ever since.
Main chapters include:
You may check out the book here, and purchase the book at Amazon
- Causes and Consequences of World Wars I and II
- Victims of the Cold War and the Rise of a Fundamentalist Islamic Frankenstein
- The History of Islam and The Islamic Empires
- Islamic Civilization in Turmoil
- The Collapse of the American Economy
- The Modernization of Islam
- Capitalism, PROUT and Deficiencies of Democracy
You may check out the book here, and purchase the book at Amazon
Necessity for economic democracy
Posted:
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
By P.R. Sarkar
The first requirement for economic democracy is that the minimum requirements of a particular age -- including food, clothing, housing, education and medical treatment -- must be guaranteed to all. Not only is this an individual right, it is also a collective necessity, because the easy availability of the minimum requirements will increase the all-round welfare of society.
The second requirement for economic democracy is that increasing purchasing capacity must be guaranteed to each and every individual. In economic democracy local people will hold economic power. Consequently, local raw materials will be used to promote the economic prosperity of the local people. That is to say, the raw materials of one socio-economic unit should not be exported to another unit. Instead, industrial centres should be built up wherever raw materials are available. This will create industries based on locally available raw materials and ensure full employment for all local people.
The third requirement for economic democracy is that the power to make all economic decisions must be placed in the hands of the local people. Economic liberation is the birthright of every individual. To achieve it, economic power must be vested in the local people. In economic democracy the local people will have the power to make all economic decisions, to produce commodities on the basis of collective necessity, and to distribute all agricultural and industrial commodities.
The fourth requirement for economic democracy is that outsiders must be strictly prevented from interfering in the local economy. The outflow of local capital must be stopped by strictly preventing outsiders or a floating population from participating in any type of economic activity in the local area. For the success of economic democracy, Prout must be implemented and the economic welfare of all people must be enhanced step by step. This in turn will lead to greater opportunities for the spiritual emancipation of human beings.
Finally, it should be remembered that economic democracy is essential not only for the economic liberation of human beings, but for the universal well-being of all -- including plants and animals. Economic democracy will devise ways and means to effect the smooth progress of society by recognizing the unique value of both humans and non-humans alike.
June 1986, Calcutta
Prout in a nutshell 21
The first requirement for economic democracy is that the minimum requirements of a particular age -- including food, clothing, housing, education and medical treatment -- must be guaranteed to all. Not only is this an individual right, it is also a collective necessity, because the easy availability of the minimum requirements will increase the all-round welfare of society.
The second requirement for economic democracy is that increasing purchasing capacity must be guaranteed to each and every individual. In economic democracy local people will hold economic power. Consequently, local raw materials will be used to promote the economic prosperity of the local people. That is to say, the raw materials of one socio-economic unit should not be exported to another unit. Instead, industrial centres should be built up wherever raw materials are available. This will create industries based on locally available raw materials and ensure full employment for all local people.
The third requirement for economic democracy is that the power to make all economic decisions must be placed in the hands of the local people. Economic liberation is the birthright of every individual. To achieve it, economic power must be vested in the local people. In economic democracy the local people will have the power to make all economic decisions, to produce commodities on the basis of collective necessity, and to distribute all agricultural and industrial commodities.
The fourth requirement for economic democracy is that outsiders must be strictly prevented from interfering in the local economy. The outflow of local capital must be stopped by strictly preventing outsiders or a floating population from participating in any type of economic activity in the local area. For the success of economic democracy, Prout must be implemented and the economic welfare of all people must be enhanced step by step. This in turn will lead to greater opportunities for the spiritual emancipation of human beings.
Finally, it should be remembered that economic democracy is essential not only for the economic liberation of human beings, but for the universal well-being of all -- including plants and animals. Economic democracy will devise ways and means to effect the smooth progress of society by recognizing the unique value of both humans and non-humans alike.
June 1986, Calcutta
Prout in a nutshell 21