Twenty first Century Ultra "Slave Labour"

In the American plantations, slave labour was bought & overworked. As they were bought, if they were worked to death too soon, one had to buy fresh labour. So seven years work (to death) was the optimum period arrived at. If they lived longer, they would not be cost-effective!

In post industrial England, there was no slavery, but "free" children, women & men were available in plenty. If they died soon, one need not buy others, as there were plenty more where they came from, readily available.  The American slaves had to be fed even when there was no work. The English poor could just be turned out into the street during slack period to fend for themselves. At the peak of this system, small children were worked to death under the whip, so much so that it was said that industrialists wore out nine generations of population in one generation. So capitalism was infinitely worse than slavery. 

Appalled at this state of things, the visionary Robert Owen, a Welsh industrialist himself (not a labour leader or communist, mind you) pioneered the  International Labour Organisation mandated 8 hours as the maximum working day. This can be treated as an Universal Human Right.

But after the second world war, to reconstruct their shattered economy, the Germans started working longer hours.  Appalled at this, the German Philosopher Josef Pieper, wrote a book "Leisure, the basis of Culture", where he critiqued this short sighted route to progress. He underlined that sufficient leisure is absolutely essential to maintain one's humanity.

This pernicious doctrine has raised its ugly head in post pandemic India now. The hard-earned humanistic social progress of centuries globally is now thrown to the winds under the guise of strengthening the nation by a few captains of industry. Are they to be  lauded for this or rather considered eligible for prosecution under International Law for human rights violations?

Quintessential Non-romantic Love Story

L. M. Montgomery's "Anne of Green Gables" is the rarity referred to in the title. Unlike the traditional love stories, which concern themselves with only the romance between the hero & heroine, here different facets of human love take centre stage.

To start with is the unselfish love between the middle aged, unmarried siblings Matthew & Marilla. Instead of being frustrated & irritable, they are at peace with themselves & their world. 

With the arrival of the unwanted orphan Anne Shirley, who from the beginning loves them, as she comes from a horrendous background, the dynamics change. Matthew is sympathetic right from the start, while Marilla takes her time. But her feminine, unrequited maternal heart is also soon conquered.

Then there is the friendly, sisterly love between Anne & Diana, which progresses in spite of initial external hiccups. Though beginning with a stormy start, the love between Anne & the older ladies Rachel Linde & Josephine Barry strikes root firmly & becomes enduring.

Only towards the end of the book, the embryonic romantic love between Anne & Gilbert makes its beginning. In spite of it, Anne rejects a lucrative college scholarship to be with the aging Marilla in a supreme act of selfless love.

The Myth of Truth in Love & Religion

The major preoccupation of Western literature & cinema is romantic love often touted as the only meaning of the word love. Frequently it is designated as the "true love" when one has presumably found the object of one's affections. Whether it is "true" can be examined further.

Richard Bach, philosopher-author of "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" married 4 times including the longest lasting one of 22 years with Leslie Parrish whom he designated as "soulmate" & celebrated his "true" love for her in "A Bridge Across Forever". He was earlier also married. After 22 years with Leslie, his "soulmate", he divorced her & married 2 more times. One may wonder what happened to his soul, whether it was split into pieces like the Horcruxes in the Harry Potter stories.

Even among human love, which is arguably neither true nor lasting, including the much touted maternal love, romantic love may be less strong than filial or sibling love in many cases. Even in Western literature, this is occasionally depicted.

Divine love is the highest form of love, declare all the religions of the world. From the Upanishads to the New Testament & the Quran, it is reiterated. This is also reminded by Saints & mystics of all religions. 

Now about religions, each of the Abrahamic religions, which comprise the highest number of adherents, claim themselves as the only "true" religion, implying that the others are false. This highly arguably tenet, was first publicly repudiated by Swami Vivekananda, who in spite of being a Hindu monk, famously said that all religions are true. Depending on the varying needs of the people, living in  different places at different times, different religions arose to satisfy those needs. Instead of celebrating the essential unity of the human race despite their diverse religions, claiming their own as the "true" religion & themselves as the "Chosen People", is both irrational & dangerously divisive.