Tramping the Dusty Roads: My Worn & Dusty Musings

Danger often lurks beneath a calm surface

Rajiv Chopra — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 10:43:22 GMT

Be aware: A calm surface can hide a ruthless aspect.

Some old stories.

I’d like to share a strange story, and one that ought to remind everyone that you should never judge a person by their mild demeanor. Let’s travel back to Allahabad (now, PrayagRaj) for this story.

The first time I passed through Pratapgarh was when I took a bus to a small town called …

Blind Rage in Ayodhya and Poona

Rajiv Chopra — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 12:15:39 GMT

Once, I was religious.

Once upon a time, I was religious. When I returned to India, we lived with my maternal grandparents. I became friends with a lady who lived down the street. We called her Krishna Aunty because she had a huge statue of Lord Krishna in her living room. I’d help her dress the statue every evening.

Then, I went to school in Nainital, a…

Reclaiming History II: Genghis Khan

Rajiv Chopra — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 08:03:17 GMT

Voltaire distorted Genghis Khan’s legacy

I have not read the book, but I listened to the audiobook and liked it so much that I bought it afterward. I have a selfish interest in Genghis Khan because Babur, the founder of the Mughal Dynasty, is a descendant of Genghis Khan (and Timur). Maybe I have one strand of DNA that comes from both great warriors.

One …

Reclaiming History: Nalanda and The Cholas.

Rajiv Chopra — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 14:52:37 GMT

Two books that gave me food for thought.

Recently, I read two books quickly. I had borrowed them from the library, and the librarians asked me to return them quickly, as there was a long waiting list for the books.

Sometime in the next few months, I will borrow these two - and another one - again. I confess I have had to fight the temptation to buy them, …

You can never leave Nainital

Rajiv Chopra — Tue, 03 Feb 2026 06:43:59 GMT

A song, by golly!!

Poles apart: Gauhar Jaan & Abu Salem

Rajiv Chopra — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 17:09:18 GMT

Gauhar Jaan and Taylor Swift

If you have allowed Taylor Swift to dominate your music tastes, there is a high possibility that you will not like Gauhar Jaan’s music. Nor will you appreciate Begum Akhtar’s music. Much though I want to claim that I am musically democratic, I confess that I find Gauhar Jaan’s music hard to swallow. Her music belongs – in lar…

Lohri: A young, yet primeval festival.

Rajiv Chopra — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 17:36:53 GMT

Lohri: A Punjabi, midwinter, agrarian festival.

The Meaning.

It was Lohri yesterday, on the 13th of January.

Most Westerners, including those of Indian origin, mispronounce the words ‘Punjab’ and ‘Punjabi.’

They pronounce the ‘Pun’ as ‘Poon,’ which is incorrect. The ‘un’ is pronounced the same way as ‘un’ in ‘unable.’ The word comes from the root that me…

Preconceived notions. Buddhism. Animism.

Rajiv Chopra — Thu, 30 Oct 2025 14:17:56 GMT

When I first visited Arunachal Pradesh

I visited Arunachal Pradesh for the first time two years ago. There are two places I decided to visit when I was a teenager: China and Arunachal Pradesh, and I have visited both. I absolutely love Arunachal Pradesh and, even though it is far away, I intend to explore the state over the next decade, along with other …

Beware the absolute peril of being ignorant of history

Rajiv Chopra — Thu, 09 Oct 2025 13:59:13 GMT

A few examples to kick off the post

Ayodhya 1992 CE

I last visited Ayodhya in 1992, one week before the demolition of the Babri Masjid, and two weeks after crazed Hindutva mobs demolished the structure. I could easily identify Muslim homes by the burnt doors, as well as the desolation that hung around their homes like broken ghosts.

A few weeks ago, I visited Jantar Mantar in New Delhi and struck up a conversation with one of the lady guards there. We got talking about my many road trips, and she told me I must visit Ayodhya to see the magnificent temple built in honor of the avatar of Vishnu, Lord Ram. She had absolutely no idea of the Babri Masjid or its destruction.

People don’t have an idea of the subcontinent’s ancient or medieval history, I thought, and repressed my desire to reproach her for her absolute ignorance of India’s modern history.

Falsehoods & Our Freedom Struggle,

Our Prime Minister declared that the British Raj imprisoned members of India’s fascist organization, the RSS, during India’s struggle for independence. This statement is demonstrably false. Even though the British jailed VD Savarkar (the creator of the Hindutva philosophy), and he did suffer, he and the RSS did not fight for our independence. They were, in fact, British apologists and turned against the Muslims, who were, are (in my opinion) easier targets.

Benjamin Netanyahu & The Bible

Benjamin Netanyahu claims that the Bible states that God will bless those who support Israel and curse those who criticize it. Again, this is a false statement, and the question we must ask is, if at all, which God made that statement?

Our government now wishes to depict the Mughal kings as unrepentant tyrants – a false depiction.

So-called leaders falsify history. Beware.

Politicians, businesspeople, and academics often falsify history, a fact that we must acknowledge. We must be mindful of the lies emanating from the mouths and minds of these individuals and verify every statement that emerges from their thoughts.

At this point, I will ‘back pedal,’ and travel down memory’s dusty lanes to history class in school. I hated history in school. All I remember is the teacher forcing dates into our reluctant and rebellious brains – the dates for the First Battle of Panipat, the Battle of Plassey, the Battle of Buxar, the Great Uprising, and so on. I don’t blame the teachers, but I do accuse our education boards of being short-sighted, stupid, and primitive. The word ‘primitive’ is unfortunate because we assume that ‘primitive people’ are crude, unimaginative people. A few books I read over the last few months prove that people we deem primitive were, or are, curious about the world, and possess a trove of poetry we, who claim to be more sophisticated, dismiss with a sneer.

The Indian rote-learning system.

Our authorities based our education system on rote learning, with almost no attention paid to critical thinking. I know I keep cursing politicians and priests, but rote learning is convenient for them. Nowadays, this system has broadened its scope to include the WhatsApp University.

The Indian education system and the employment market have a history and sociology problem. When schoolchildren opt for these subjects, parents often discourage them from pursuing their interests because they do not believe their children will find suitable employment upon completing their studies.

In my time, history was a boring subject, and, when I did my MBA, sociology was even more so. Not only did our teachers dry out these subjects, serving us a desiccated dish, but they also failed to teach us the importance, uses, and implications of the lessons contained in the course material.

Contrary to popular belief, history is not a static subject. It flows like a river, forever, changing its course, picking up new material along the way. History is an interpretative subject, and the person who writes history creates history. The same principle applies to sociology.

You must read widely.

Those who read history – even as enthusiasts – must read widely and continuously. I do not recommend you ignore other genres of writing – that would be stupid – but read widely, and ignore 99% of the rubbish you receive on social media.

I’d like to illustrate my theory and recommendations, and will start with India. When I was a schoolchild, history books referred to the events of 1857-58 CE as ‘The Great Indian Mutiny.’ Many years later, I read a history book written by a British historian, in which he stated that it should be called ‘The Great Uprising.’ The events were not a mutiny, nor was this India’s first war of independence: India did not exist at the time. ‘The Great Uprising’ is, in my considered view, a much better description.

Rivers and history.

All of us grew up with the caste system, and many believe that the ideas written in the Manusmriti were cast in stone, dominating Indian thought over the centuries. While the caste system has always existed, my recent reading suggests that, in earlier years, it was more fluid than it is now.

When the British government took over the governance of India after the 1857-58 uprising, it decided to study India and carried out several census activities. A side effect of these activities was to harden the caste and religious divide in India. I did not know of this fact until a year ago.

History is like a river. You cannot step into the same river twice – the river is constantly changing. You cannot expect the interpretation of a particular historical epoch or event to be static. The British coined the term, ‘The Great Indian Mutiny.’ Another called it ‘The Great Uprising.’ The term you use will affect your interpretation of historical and sociological events.

The manner in which ‘The Economist’ writes about the war in Ukraine differs from how it writes about the genocide in Gaza. Objectivity does not exist. Like ‘democracy,’ ‘objectivity’ is an ephemeral concept, forever changing to suit the needs of an audience and the times.

I had read that the term ‘Hindu’ was originally a geographic term, encompassing the region and peoples living east of the Indus River, but books I read a few months back state that the British coined the term ‘Hinduism’ to include the diverse faiths in India, and bring them under one umbrella.

If both theories are true, then Hindus must introspect and question the universal faith they deem to be Hindu. Indeed, people find it challenging to hold more than one idea, and the current government appears intent on reducing the Hindu pantheon to a single avatar of Vishnu. If they succeed, Indians will be poorer because, as per some theorists, monotheistic religions are violent, in contrast with polytheistic societies. Many challenge this simplistic belief, however.

I believe that monotheistic faiths are more narrow than polytheistic faiths in one respect. No polytheistic faith speaks of ‘the one true God.’ In today’s India, the chant, ‘Jai Shri Ram,’ has become a call to violence, especially against Muslims and Dalits. If Indian belief transforms from its current henotheistic/polytheistic form to a monotheistic belief system, Indian society will change and become impoverished.

Strong chains bind history and sociology together. One affects the other.

The rise of mega-influencers. Will you become a puppet?

I will move to another, vital part of this short essay – the rise of ‘mega influencers.’ I came across this term while reading an article on the subject in Engelsberg Ideas, and I endorse the central theme and recommendations presented in the article.

Mass media amplifies messages, but social media has enabled the emergence and growth of mega-influencers. Nowadays, everyone has a microphone, and the relentless barrage of sensations numbs us and dulls our critical thinking faculties. The influencer becomes the message, and we forward messages from group to group, prefacing the forward with a bland statement – ‘forwarded as received.’

The sender seeks to wear a mantle of saintliness and innocence when they use that statement – ‘forwarded as received.’ I disagree, and insist that this behaviour stems from cowardice, and an absolute refusal to be accountable for the messages – truthful, false, or hateful – that they send into cyberspace.

Engelsberg Ideas suggests that we minimize the time we spend on social media platforms like ‘X’ and Instagram. Instead, we must read books, study the citations, and be open to different perspectives.

Echo Chambers: Black, White & Grey

We live in echo chambers, and being open to exploring different perspectives is far more difficult than we anticipate.

Once, I tried to have an open discussion about our Prime Minister. I told his supporter that there are aspects of our PM I admire. He labelled me a supporter and clapped me on my shoulder with approval. Then, when I expounded on my theme and explained the aspects I detest, his face turned a mottled shade of purple, his eyes bulged, and he called me an ‘anti-national.’

Suppose we cannot agree on current events or allow influencers to shape our perception of recent history. In that case, we will allow anyone and everyone to manipulate our already limited sense of history. In short, we will permit and encourage ill-informed and prejudiced goons to poison our minds.

Will you become a puppet?

Study history, and do not react when influential people bombard you with soundbites. I must end with a warning: simplistic messaging that suits social media and advertising always hides more than it reveals. History (and sociology) are subtle subjects, and you cannot reduce them to soundbites. If you do, then prepare yourself to live the life of a puppet, forever manipulated by a puppeteer.

Some crazy memories are local.

Rajiv Chopra — Thu, 28 Aug 2025 16:42:19 GMT

Where I started my career.

I started my career in Bombay (nowadays, people call it Mumbai) and traveled across the city in the 'local' trains, or 'locals,' as we called them. I was unaccustomed to the crowds, and nothing prepared me for the people crowding into the trains. Hey! I will stop here and move on six years to the time I lived in Delhi as a bac…

Now, aren’t we just a bunch of bloody hypocrites?

Rajiv Chopra — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 11:01:40 GMT

Permit me to rant.

If you permit me, I will go off on an unhinged rant, and I invite all of you to travel with me as I go off in different and unrelated directions. I don’t know how many of you are aware of the term ‘stream of consciousness writing,’ in which the writer writes without pausing to think. The words follow the thoughts that tumble continuou…

Aliens come visiting. Boy, are they in for a surprise!

Rajiv Chopra — Wed, 28 May 2025 10:10:19 GMT

Starting with a fabulous quote from Isaac Asimov.

I’ve been on an AI roll lately, and when I make AI art containing aliens, I am sarcastic about humanity. Before I continue, I’d like to insert a fabulous quote attributed to Isaac Asimov.

“The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom.”
Isaac Asimov

Isaac Asimov lamented the growing cult of ignorance in America. You can read about his essay by clicking this link. The essay also has a link to Asimov’s original essay.

He wrote his lament in 1980, and since then, the cult of ignorance has grown exponentially in America. What is worse is that this cult is spreading like an uncontrollable pandemic, and our generation’s greed will condemn future generations.

If you read books like ‘The Singularity is Near’ or ‘The Singularity is Nearer,’ you may ask yourself where this supposed intelligence is hiding.

Computers and artificial intelligence are valuable tools, but must not replace our brains. People like Ray Kurzweil demonstrate arrogance when they state that the human brain is slow and inefficient or that ‘intelligence’ will spread through the universe. These people even believe that we can conquer death.

The value of time.

Many years ago, I read a science fiction story in which the world’s most valuable commodity is time. Money has lost its purpose, and people trade time. Those who run out of time die. The story has a scene in which a man about to die begs for five more minutes of life, but the person before him denies him his wish and watches the doomed person die on the street. We can ask the question: Who wants to live forever? Queen asked this question in their song of the same name.

I will resist the temptation to philosophize about why we would desire to live forever. Most of us will die of ennui.

What kind of species are we?

The philosophical problem is more fundamental and relates to our behavior, not our pious words. The Israelis are conducting genocide in Palestine while the world watches. This genocide may be the world’s first documented mass murder, where horrifying visuals fill our screens, and politicians try to invade our minds with their propaganda.

The visuals in Palestine are so horrific that the majority of us ignore what is happening in Africa, Myanmar, China, India, Ukraine, and other places. Yet, we talk of human intelligence spreading through the universe and how our intelligence will be the fount of intelligence in the galaxies.

We have technical brilliance but, not wisdom.

People like Kurzweil also tell us that advances in AI will reach a tipping point somewhere around 2041 CE and then outstrip our intelligence. I use Google and an Android phone and constantly swat away Google’s repeated suggestions that I sign up for a free trial of their product, Gemini.

Why will I pay Google to take my data for their training and allow their machines to invade my brain? I am a cynical fool, and as I write these words, I am conscious of the childlike excitement pervading many people who become dependent on them.

For all our technical intelligence and remarkable progress in these fields, we are not becoming wise, which is the second part of Asimov’s quote.

We have become adept at creating ‘kill zones’ and blowing each other up. Our religion teaches us to hate each other despite our pious words.

We aim to colonize Mars, as Elon Musk declares, or to convert humans into an interplanetary species, as Jeff Bezos suggests. Yet, we cannot solve the problems of global hunger, rising temperatures, and pollution, or prevent the calamitous effects of climate change.

Bill Gates wants us to build solar panels, and he wishes to disperse sulfur particles in the air to block the sun. We are becoming obsessed with technological advancements, yet don’t care about becoming wise.

What do the aliens discover?

What will a group of aliens witness when they travel to Earth on an investigative mission to verify if our claims of superintelligence are credible or incredible?

Do watch the short YouTube video. Enjoy. Comment, and find out what they discovered!

And, please consider subscribing to my channel!

A Confession

I was to start writing about Benares this week but, because we have lots of work happening at home, I may postpone this section to the next week or, the week after.

Should we praise the amateur?

Rajiv Chopra — Thu, 15 May 2025 16:08:28 GMT

The age of the amateur scientists

Were Isaac Newton, Aryabhata, Bhaskara I, Bhaskara II, Al-Karaji, or Sharaf al-din al-Tusi professionals or amateurs? I don’t believe Charles Darwin was a professional either.

All the people mentioned in the previous paragraph were outstanding scientists or mathematicians. We should not forget the contributions made by Ch…

Brief Histories: School and Nainital.

Rajiv Chopra — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 06:54:01 GMT

I will begin with a few nostalgic reflections.

Last week, I wrote about my class reunion and the possibility of never seeing any of my classmates again. I know I can become sentimental if I dwell on this grim possibility. We cannot deny that we have trod separate paths since leaving school. I have reconnected with some of them over the last few years, bu…

A sense of wonder.

Rajiv Chopra — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 11:13:05 GMT

The Milky Way. School. Wonder.

Many years ago, when I was a student in Nainital, we had a quaint custom or rule. After dinner, we'd change into our night suits, wear our dressing gowns, and walk across the 'First Field' to the toilet block to relieve ourselves. Then, we'd return to the dormitory, where the school rules allowed us some reading time before…

Wild Travel Stories

Rajiv Chopra — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 14:32:41 GMT

You cannot photograph every trip.

A photograph does not accompany every trip, nor do historical facts about a place. Not every journey is to an exotic location to explore the far ends of our planet, to unearth our planet’s deep, dark secrets or past. We do not always journey to distant shores, flaming sword in hand, to battle injustice, to heal the plane…

Oh, for a cup of chai!

Rajiv Chopra — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 13:24:20 GMT

I will visit Agra this weekend.

I plan to visit Agra this weekend to photograph Maryam’s tomb, visit Sikandra, and maybe the Taj Mahal again. I will be honest: the unusual heat this month terrifies me. What can we expect in the coming months if it is so hot now? The sun is merciless, and my head hurts when I stand under that fierce, yellow orb. I just fi…

On Tangents, Webs, and Streams

Rajiv Chopra — Thu, 30 Jan 2025 05:06:40 GMT

On Tangents

I was supposed to be in Agra to photograph Maryam-uz-Zamani's tomb, but I am in Delhi for various reasons. A part of me is sad, and another part is happy because I will travel to the city in February and meet someone I have known for several decades. To add to my joy–or sadness–my friend will drive me, so I will lie back in the car and snore.

…

Should you visit India? Yes or No?

Rajiv Chopra — Fri, 24 Jan 2025 07:37:28 GMT

In Benares. A short case study. The Varuna River.

I've been to Benares over fifty times but not in the last decade, and now my wife is keen to visit the town. Therefore, I will return. Two forces motivate my plans to revisit the city. The first is to photograph the changes Narendra Modi has made around the ghats and to see if he has made any other signif…

2024 is dead. Long live 2025!

Rajiv Chopra — Wed, 01 Jan 2025 10:05:16 GMT

2024 is dead. Long live 2025.

2024 is dead. Long live 2025. This year will be one day shorter than the previous one, so if we wish to achieve much, we must move faster than last year. I know that the previous sentence sounds strange and disjointed, but I hope that by the time you read this post, I have clarified myself.

I spent most of the previous year–2…