2012-06-28
Downloaded a week ago and managed to watch this fully two days ago but found time only now to share my thoughts.
Long journey of man in a few short paragraphs.
Based on the mutations in Y chromosome (of our DNA) which is passed without being shuffled from father to son down the
generations, this documentary traces the journey of man from Africa to all over the world. Where
men had gone so too women. So, if you trace the DNA marker (mutation)
you draw the path of human journey. Each of us carry a bit of time
machine in our blood.
Modern
man (brain size, upright walk etc) appeared around
200,000 years ago (his ancestors - hominids - separated from ape 2
million years ago) but didn't show any sign of development (culture,
language etc) until 50,000 years ago. In fact, it is still later than
that around 30 to 40 thousand years ago. Humans left Africa around
50,000 years ago. One branch traveled along the coast via India to
Australia to become aborigines. Another left to central Asia and then
spread to India, Middle East, Europe, China and rest of Asia. Some
tribes traveled up North of Russia and crossed via Alaska to populate
Americas as Native North Americans and South Americans. So, under the
skin, by the blood, we are all Africans aka one human race.
To
trace the path via India to Australia the Author samples blood around
Madurai in Tamilnadu and finds evidence. A bit of personal interest to
us.
Finally, the author ends with the
something like: 'Racist views are not only unethical but also unscientific'.
'யாதும் ஊரே யாவரும் கேளிர்' (All our kin; any town our own) என்பது அறிவியல் அடிப்படையில் விளக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.
In
UK, when talking about illegal immigrants to this island, it is said if
you go far back in history, everybody on this island is an illegal
immigrant. Similarly, if go far back in lineage, there are no friends
(non blood related) only brothers and sisters (blood related).
சிம்பென்சிக்கும் (மனிதக் குரங்கு) மனிதனுக்கும் (குரங்கு மனிதன்!) 99% மரபணு ஒற்றுமை உள்ளது
என்பதால் மனிதருக்குள் வேறுபாடுகள் 1 விழுக்காட்டிற்கும் மிக மிகக் குறைவாகவே இருந்தாக வேண்டும்.
It
is human nature to dig our past and realize that we are all one. It is
also human nature to segregate ourselves in to many groups. Even the
scientist (geneticist) presenting the documentary mentions, Europeans as
his ancestors drawing an arbitrary line. We are not able to escape our
trappings even if we realize it. Why? Because we can understand the past
but not live (in) it.
We accept that we
cannot grow wings and fly like birds. Similarly, we may not be able to
feel all 6 billion people as brothers and sisters.
Globalization
(of capital, commerce) is another method of duping ourselves. It is
progressive only in the sense it exposes the fake 'nationalism' we
assumed (in each nation including developed countries). Wealthy
Americans/English/Indians are not bothered about poor
Americans/English/Indians. In fact, wealthy and powerful of all
countries (developed, developing) join to keep the poor of all countries
divided by 'nationalism'. This is not rich-bashing. They are also in
the same (consumerism) trap but on the other side. They are more afraid
of losing what they have than the rest. We all need help, may be of
different nature. Nobody else (கல்கி) is going to help us. We are our
saviours.
We have to accept both: 1. that
we are one human species. 2. that we have limitations in the size of our
family, relations, friends, community, society etc. With that
understanding and using global communication connectivity, we have to
help each other to remain local as well as global. 'Local' should not
stop at
any particular level. The freedom has to go down to individual level.
'Global' should not stop at any level. It should embrace all living and
non-living things. We have to evolve common species rights (globally) as
well as different group rights (locally). Even if we are flying across
time zones and living in space station above earth, we are very much
rooted in our biology (physiology and psychology).
Physiology
and psychology are not separate. One cannot be without the other. We
are not just thinking with our brains. We are thinking with our whole
bodies. More about this later.
"பிறப்பொக்கும் எல்லா உயிர்க்கும்..." (திருவள்ளுவர்)
"எத்துனையும் பேதமுறாது எவ்வுயிரும் தம்முயிர் போல் எண்ணி
உள்ளே ஒத்துரிமை உடையவராய்..." (வள்ளலார்)
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