Live Sisyphus And Not Abyss Of Absurd

Vijay Hashia discusses 'Surrender to the Absurd' in The Times of India of 26 August 2026:

Live Sisyphus And Not Abyss Of Absurd

He begins by referring to the recent tragedy involving 18 year old Kunal Murlidhar Chandvade, triggered by his stubborn demand for an Apple phone. His father could not reportedly afford it, It led to the fatal  fall from the cliff where the whole family lost their lives. They were attempting to save one another.

According to Crime records Bureau, annual suicide rate in India is 12.2 to 12.3 per 100000 with young adults aged 15-30 at high risk. The reasons include academic stress, a traumatic and negative familial environment, conflicts, depression and anxiety disorders among others.

This is the abyss of the 'absurd.'  In his philosophical essay, 'The Myth of Sisyphus,' Albert Camus calls suicide a surrender to the 'absurd.' It occurs when the mind develops  the notion i that life is not worth living. The surrender then is meek.. He asserts why we must continue struggling like Sisyphus pushing his boulder endlessly uphill, without promise that the struggle  will ever reward or resolve anything and without losing life's hope.

The boulder remains unmovable for Sisyphus and his pushing it is a resolute act against the absurdity of existence. 

Retreating and withdrawing from pushing the boulder, he says, is succumbing. And there is one act of dignity left, and that is to continue struggling resolutely even beyond limits of endurance.

Allowing an 'absurd' moment to dictate life's value and meaning is yielding, he says. 

A targedy of misfortune ought to have an explanation. A devastating loss ought to contain some rationale. We instinctively  search for  justification, responsibility, fate or circumstance and we ask why that happened and where the fault lies.

But the world is not irrational nor is the human being incapable of reason. The 'absurd' emerges from the collision between our insatiable desire to understand and the world that does not respond to it. We demand absolute meaning. Existence gives us only contingency, uncertainty and death. 

For Camus, faith is consolation disguised as a deep philosohical choice, giving up on reason. He admires boldness to face life honestly without building philosophical theories around it.  For Soren Kierkeggaard and Lev Shestov, when logic fails to explain suffering, one turns to faith  rather than explanation. Nietzche accepts life's cruely but advocates embracing it fully

No faith, theory or doctrine of fate can make any such tragedy suddenly occur.

Gita, Chapter 2, says, from contemplation on sensory objects arises attachment, from attachment arises desire, from desire arises anger, from anger arises delusion, from delusion arises loss of memory and destruction of intellect and finally the ruin. Upanishads counsel us to enjoy life and the world through detachment and renunciation without greed.

Today thought patterns have shifted towards acquiring material possessions, social media, brand consciousness, self centredness, manufactured personality traits for approval and a craving for social acceptance has engulfed young minds.

The remedy begins at home, where children are allowed to speak early and vent small frustrations.  The role of the  elders is not to enforce order through writs. The development of the psyche of the children become wholesome when they consent to accept advice when in need and without compulsion.

Nothing is worth losing a life. 

It must be lived on, endured through any eventuality and carried forward with resilience and courage.

DOLLY PARTON SIGNS OFF

The Times of India on 26 August 2026;

Dolly Parton, queen of country music whose songs spoke to millions dies at 80

Dolly Parton had been the country music icon to the legion of her followers. Her soaring vibrato vocals, poignant songwriting and sparkling costumes had defined her. The rise from her log cabin in the Tennessee mountains to the  pinnacle of stardom and acclaim was an unbelievable journey of grit. . 

Known for her curvy physique, massive blonde wigs and skin-tight outfits that served her self deprecating wit, she was among the most beloved personalities in music and beyond - the rare celebrity  whose appeal transcended generations, geography and politics.

She wrote hundreds of songs. They included classics like 'Jolene' (1973), 'Coat of Many Colours' (1970 - written on the back of  a dry cleaning receipt in 1969),  'I Will Always Love You' (1974) and 'Here You Come Again' (1979). Her songs sold more than 100 million worldwide. It generated more than 1 billion online streams. Dolly Parton, who plucked bejewelled banjos, guitar and dulcimers with her long fingernails during performances was  a generous philanthropist. In addition she was a successful businesswoman. Among her projects, there was a theme park in the Smoky Mountain foothills near her birthplace.

Her career was forever influenced by her upbringing. She was one of the 12 children born into what she called a 'dirt poor' Tennessee family. 

Her first musical performances were in a church. Her grandfather was a preacher there.

When she was ten years of age she was learning Guitar and singing on local TV shows.

After graduation from her school, she followed her uncle, Bill Owens, a song writer to Nashville, with a suitcase of songs. 

Fred Foster, who produced Roy Orbison, Willie Nelson and more saw her potential and got her songs cut by other artists. 

Her partnership with Porter Wagoner, a pencil thin pompadoured star with flashy rhinestone outfits, was key to her career. She honed her acting skills on his syndicated TV show. He advocated for her to get a record deal at RCA. 

She got her first No.1 solo single  with 'Jolene'. She reached the Top 5 with the ballad "Coat of Many Colours".It narrated how her mother sewed together scraps of clothes to make a coat she wore 'so proudly.' Her peers mocked her all along for being poor.

The song, with its biblical references and ode to maternal love, was made into a children's book and TV movie.

In 1973, she had the hit, 'Jolene.' The song skyrocketed her to fame. It was the familiar country music, standard with its steady churning. As she sang,'Jolene,' with the repeated delivery of the title where she pleaded to the woman not to steal her man, the song took wings taking her to the top of the country charts.  It was later released on the international platform. It opened up new audiences for her. 

Dolly Parton was considered a feminist role model for holding the reins of her own career, writing her own songs, owning her her content and looking after her finances in an entertainment world dominated by men. 

She married Carl Dean, an asphalt paving contractor, in the mid 1960s. They were together until he died in 2025 at the age of 82.

In her first major film role, she played alongside Fonda and Tomlin as office workers who were rebelling against their tyrannical boss in '9 to 5'. 

Critic Roger Ebert called her a "natural born movie star'. The title song '9 to 5'  earned her two grammy awards. 

With 55 Grammy nominations and 11 wins, Dolly Parton is the third  most nominated woman in Grammy history, only behind Beyonce and Taylor Swift

The Malayala Manorama on 28 August 2026 reveals, she was under treatment for cancer.

At 80, she has succumbed to the ailment that plagued her.

When we had been young, her songs had memerised us. We had no TV. It was the Radio. .

Sad she is gone. 

Grateful to Dolly Parton for making our lives livelier as we struggled to make a living.

She gave us hope.

THE MIGHTY DOLLAR

 The Mighty Dollar

America's most powerful weapon is its currency that it deploys in every major conflict

What missiles, bombs and a naval blockade couldn't do in six months, US now hopes to achieve with tougher sanctions on Iran. It's described "Operation Economic Outcast'  as the "single greatest financial offensive ever."  Leave aside the hyperbole, what it really means is that US will go after everyone having any financial dealings with Iran. The idea is to financially starve Iran into submission. Will it work? That's debatable, but the fact that "economic warfare' has become US's "nuclear option" in every conflict, from Cuba to Russia, is a testament to dollar's continuing strength 82 years after Bretton Woods.

It was in 1944 that 44 Allied nations agreed to peg their currencies to dollar, which was pegged to gold at the time. And the system continued, rather expanded, even after US dumped the gold standard in 1971. In fact, it's become so big that it's considered too big to fail. and that implied sense of safety makes it even more indispensable in difficult times, although enough central bankers would relish it supplanted. 

So, how big is dollar? In 2016, 65.4% of forex reserves were held in it globally. Euro, the second biggest reserve currency, had 19.1% share. By 2025, dollar's share had slipped to 57,7%, and euro's had risen to 20.1%, but in absolute terms, dollar holdings globally grew from $5.5tn to $6.7tn in the same 10-year period. More importantly, around 90% of global forex transactions still occur in dollar. Commodities like oil, gold and coffee are all priced in dollar. And most dollar transactions are routed through American banks which is why America can weaponise dollar so effectively. It can stall payments, and freeze assets, like it did with over $300bn worth of Russian central bank assets in 2022.  And that's what it 's threatening to do to Iran's financial partners.

America's action against Russia had rattled central banks, and there had been many discussions to devise alternatives over four years, but there is no immediate threat to dollar's dominance. Simply because no country other than US, offers the scale of economic, political and financial stability, as well as openness of financial markets and currency convertibility. Dollar is simply the most efficient way to deal financially, outside your own country's borders. Euro or some other candidate might become world's preferred reserve currency one day, but that day is probably decades away.

The editorial in The Times of India 26 August 2026

TRUE SPORTSMANSHIP

 

To train and perform at  your best is not the only task in sports or in any other job. 

To  retire with grace, courage and hope is also a part of true sportsmanship

It applies everywhere else too.

P.H. KURIAN IAS PASSES AWAY

P.H.Kurian, IAS, former Additional Secretary, Kerala passed away on 26 August 2026. 

He was 67.

The 1986 - batch civil servant belonged to an agrarian family in Kottayam.

He had always employed power for people's welfare. The instinct to put people ahead of procedure ran throughout his career.  As Revenue Secretary, he led relief efforts during 2018 floods. As IT Secretary, he laid foundations of Kerala's startup ecosystem and drove investments to the state.

Dr. V. Venu, former Chief Secretary and longtime colleague writes:

"He was the textbook example of how an IAS officer ought to perform his duties. He was thorough with the rules and always interpreted them in a way that benefitted the common man."

"He was open and transparent with everyone, from commoners to coworkers and businessmen. That gave him an insight other officers rarely get."

PH Kurian's most defining moment came in 2012 when he served as the Controller General of Patents, Government of India.

Bayer, the German Pharmaceutical giant was selling its cancer drug Nexavar at over  Rs.2.80 lakhs for a month's dose. The medicine was out of reach for a majority of patients.

It was then that Natco Pharma sought a compulsory licence for Nexavar's generic version. It offered to sell the drug at Rs.8800.00 a month. After an 18-hour hearing over three days, Kurian wrote a 62 page order in Natco's favour. It became India's first compulsory licence that drew global attention. 

Irked, US had placed India on its Priority Watch List over the ruling

The irony is, it was Cancer that took him away.

Excerpts:
'From pharma fiat to leading '18 relief ops, Kurian was 'textbook' bureaucrat'
M.S.Vidyanandan, The New Indian Express, 28.08.2026

ANDRE AGASSI's Memoir OPEN

Andre Agassi's memoir OPEN conveys the turbulence that tormented him  on the final appearance at the the US Open in 2006. 

He was 36. He was on the court. He was very tired. He was in excruciating pain. But he knew well  that to step back from what he had been trained for years together is not that simple.

He penned:

"As this last piece of identity falls into place
I slide to my knees and in a whisper say
'Please let this be over'
But
I'm not ready for it to be over"

Realising that the human connection he has found on the way is worth more that anything else in the world, he addresses his fans at the stadium 

"You  have given me your shoulders
To stand on, 
To reach for my dreams
Dreams 
I could have never reached
Without you."

TUKARAM MUNDHE I.A.S - 25 TRANSFERS IN 21 YEARS

Tukaram Mundhe is the real life Singham. 

The IAS officer from the 2005 Maharashtra Cadre has faced 25 transfers in his 21 years of service.

If you are upright, you have to be happy it wasn't 50 transfers or more. You have to be happy you are still in service. You have to be happy you are still around.

Every once in a while, we get to witness the resounding impact of a firebrand government officer who lives up to the ideal image of how a public servant should function.

Tukaram Mundhe, Commisioner of Maharashtra's Food & Drug Administration (FDA), had assumed charge only in May 2026. Spearheading high profile statewise raids,  inspection of eateries and food manufacturers and looking for evidence of  adulterated food and unhygienic practices, he has won accolades from the general public. They want him retained and not transferred.

But one Mundhe every now and then isn't what we need.

More than just celebrating the work of one upright public officer, the people, the judiciary and the media need to closely look at all the actions of all officers occupying important positions, especially  jobs that directly affect people's lives. 

Mundhe's clampdown has brought to the focus that several eateries in Maharashtra and leading food brands have been found to be violating the food safety laws.  There is a general sense of shock at the names involved. Had it not been for for Mundhe, these establishments and companies would have continued their business as usual.

Mundhe's efforts shouldn't have been exemplary in the first place. It should have been the default situation of food regulation in India.

However, we get the the administration we deserve.

Mundhe is a product of the Indian Adminstrative Service. It is India's elite public service. It selects the most meritorious students who crack one of the most rigorous exams. Yet officers like Mundhe tend to be the exception rather than the rule. It definitely is not a good sign of governance when things depend on one individual officer to correct the system. 

Mundhe had revealed the true potential of his department in setting things right within weeks after taking charge, disrupting the status quo. Of course nothing like this had happened when Mundhe's predecessors were in charge.

The questions are,"Why is it so difficult for most officials to instil accountability in their departments?" "Why are poor quality products  sold in India by companies that sell better quality products in other countries?" "Why do Indians faced with administrative apathy, learn to become fatalist in their beliefs and approach to life?"

One official becoming a sort of messiah is not what India's administration needs. It needs a majority of its public servants to provide honest, consistent and diligent service. Then routine inspections will not be replaced with once in a blue moon raids.

Going by his track record, Mundhe will soon be replaced. But this time, the state food commosioner will be under compulsion to raise the bar and not lower it.

Excerpts from:

WHAT HEADLINES ON TUKARAM MUNDHE TELL US

That we laud Maharashtra's FDA chief for doing his job, shows low public expectations from administrators.                                                                                                                              
We should demand more, and also know that lone crusaders often get tagged as "high-handed'

Kiran Kabtta Somvanshi in The Times of India of 26 August 2026