badge

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

A New World of Donors




Suddenly breeding special species of human beings has gained currency amongst intelligentsia in the country! A leading film star, John Abhram made waves by declaring that every third girl in the country is dying for donor sperms to raise a progeny which will be a class apart in terms of macho looks and brawn! The IVF clinics in the country are having a field day in making tall claims and promises for those without kids! Lord Krishna’s elder brother Balrama was born to parents Devaki and Vasudeva as their seventh son. According to the mythological scripts, King Kansa of Mathura was cursed that he would be killed by the eighth son of his sister Devaki. So he killed all the children till the seventh soon after their birth. The seventh child, Balrama was transplanted in the womb of Rohini , another wife of Vasudeva and was therefore born safely without the knowledge of Kansa. So the humans even in the times of great epic Mahabharata were familiar with these techniques. Lord Krishna was born as the eighth child but the entire set of guards was put to sleep on the stormy night by the divine power while Vasudeva carried the new born crossing the turbulent river Yamuna to leave him in safe custody of Yashoda..

Likewise the Kuravas were born from the nectar kept in a container( kalash) to raise a race of a hundred brothers born to Gandhari wife of Dhrithrashtra in the story of Mahabharata. This has resemblance to the current stem cell technology when the single foetus of Gandhari was broken into hundred and one pieces and preserved in ‘Kalash’ very akin to the test tubes of modern times. These were incubated till the birth of children under supervision. And thus a hundred sons and a daughter called Duhshala were born!

The techniques of artificial insemination has been used by the humans to breed better cattle, horse, cows who are a better race in terms of the end products they create for human consumption.

During the Second World War Hitler was obsessed with the idea of creating a race of blue blooded Nazis. . Himmler ordered weird experiments on  women in the concentration camps by Dr Carl Clauberg  on artificial insemination in Auschwitz and other places In the process a lot of women suffered at the hands of these mad scientists!

The doctors and researchers had been obsessed with the idea of creating a genius like Einstien, a musician alike Mozart and so on. Currently, the new generation wants to breed a new set of off springs having unique set of intelligence and looks. This fascination for having superior breed of humans has existed from times immemorial

I sometimes wonder that how the god’s ways of sustaining the world and creating a future generation is being explored to create another brave new world. How will it be if a lot of children had looks of Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Bachhan, intelligence of brilliant scientests like Einstien, musicians like Tansen and voices of great singers in a few years from now. 

PS: I was prompted to write this post after hearing a young girl tell her mother after watching the movie, ‘Vicky Donor’ that why did she not go for a donor instead of producing her brother who was constantly fighting with her!

Image : Kind courtesy Google

84 comments:

  1. Make oneself better is. Something else and to create something best is something else.Women have been chalanging God since very long by changing face complexion,hiding dark circles, wearing lenses,and so on.no wonder if they want a perfect progeny as per their choice.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Agree with you Arooj! We must not play with nature beyond a point:)

      Delete
  2. Make oneself better is. Something else and to create something best is something else.Women have been chalanging God since very long by changing face complexion,hiding dark circles, wearing lenses,and so on.no wonder if they want a perfect progeny as per their choice.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Make oneself better is. Something else and to create something best is something else.Women have been chalanging God since very long by changing face complexion,hiding dark circles, wearing lenses,and so on.no wonder if they want a perfect progeny as per their choice.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Make oneself better is. Something else and to create something best is something else.Women have been chalanging God since very long by changing face complexion,hiding dark circles, wearing lenses,and so on.no wonder if they want a perfect progeny as per their choice.

    ReplyDelete
  5. A thoughtful post indeed. Today artificial insemination is being apparently used to create designer children instead of helping childless people. The quest for perfection is being taken to ridiculous lengths. On another level this is also being seen as a way of liberation for women, who don't need to suffer the male even to beget a child.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. True Zephyr but how can one say that they lead a full life without tasting the forbidden fruit:)Designer children is an overkill and ridiculous according to me!

      Delete
  6. LOL PS part is awesomely funny!
    But then this is Uffff a very sensitive topic indeed, but thought provoking, I mean producing offspring was once natural now it has changed way of life and is challenging nature itself!

    my personal opinion on raring for some superior breed is that each one of us are unique and have immense potential so lets find and encourage the true self in our next generation instead of striving to build a whole new world, for all the world with strongest ppl have eventually collapsed and Nature has won constantly

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ramya, I liked the way you mentioned about the uniqueness of each individual! Thanks for this value added comment:)

      Delete
  7. :-) Very nice read, Rahul. :D I would not prefer a world with people who looked like Shah Rukh Khan and Aish Bachchan. I like the world just the way it is :D Instead, they could focus on less crime. Iknow - total tangent....but reading the newspapers every day is getting to be more and more tortuous.

    :-) Are you on Twitter?

    Cheers and have a great day!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Agree with you, Vidya that having too many good looking people are of no use if they are not kind at heart:) Am on Twitter too though do not explore its full potential due paucity of time:)I do not read newspaper for days as there is so little to learn from them now:)

      Delete
  8. Lol@P.S seriously kids these days r so smart...its a bit scary! Everything has its downside, and I suppose this is one of the downsides of artificial insemination.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know what you mean, Ria! This girl is around 20 :)

      Delete
  9. Ours is a country obsessed with looks and intelligence. If every second person looks like a Khan or a Rai it would become boring & mundane.
    It is amazing isn't it that our epics talk about artificial insemination & stem cell technology !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Agree in toto Ram! Our mythology is just amazing when it comes to farsightedness! Thanks a lot!

      Delete
  10. Ermm...was the little girl innocently hinting that the fighting genes came from the dad?Just curious:D:D The possibilities are endless,of the world having clones like,Angelina J IV Bhatia or Brad P VI Kulkarni on the streets.Had fun reading and my wicked mind is racing with thoughts!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sharmila, you too got me thinking on a different level with mention of Brangelina:) BTW your new profile pic is nice!

      Delete
  11. The movie is supposed to be awesome, and I cant wait to watch it. The post was very thoughtful and all the references were apt.
    and the PS part, totally an ROFL :-) Great post Rahulji.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Am yet to see the movie, Jenny but the remark from that young girl sowed the seed for this post:)A big thanks for that comment!

      Delete
  12. Interesting topic of discussion, I don't think that 'test-tube' progeny in every case, especially when there is vanity involved. People who are obsessed with creating offspring that are intellectual geniuses or have incredibly good looks are doing it for the wrong reasons. I do feel however, that in the case of parents who cannot conceive, or have medical related problems in having kids should be freely able to use the method of donors and such. I don't like to believe in the notion of a 'superior breed', i'd like to think we are all equals.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sam, I think you just spoke my mind! IVF et al are fine for those who cannot conceive but for designer children, it is just ridiculous:)A beautiful comment like always from you:)

      Delete
  13. The reference and mapping of incidents from the Mahabharata epic with stem cell technology was brilliant! Times are changing too fast, the PS part stands testimony to this fact.I just wonder how its all going to shape up, 50 years from now. Very thoughtful post indeed!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Arti, a huge thanks for liking the post! I only hope the world in 50 years is better if not worse from what it already is:)

      Delete
  14. Interesting analogies to Mahabharata..I mean if the Kauravas were hatched in pots( or isn't that how the stories go?), well, that was the ancestor to testtubes right? :) (PS: I dont think SRK is a good candidate for handsome male is he now?? I have a feeling I'm going to get a lot of hate mail for that remark..;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Just imagine those people knew exactly thousands of years ago what people make a big fuss about now! In the process of evolution we unlearnt more at least in many domains , I feel:)SRK and Ash were just examples not that I had them specifically in mind:)

      Delete
  15. Interesting! I didn't knew the epic Mahabharata's incidents like how Kauravas were born. It is amazing that even in the olden times (Mahabharata/Ramayana times) we were very much advanced in technology, medicine and every field. In Ramayana, Ravana travelled by air (By Pushpak Viman)!

    I, certainly don't want to see many Shah Rukh Khans around. :)

    very thoughtful n interesting post!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Exactly, Kitty! We have treasures in form of epics but somehow we do not get to read them:)A sincere thanks to you for that kind comment!

      Delete
  16. Such an interesting post! Yes people do seem to be obsessed by this idea. Just imagine, several Sachins here and there, plenty of Karina kapoors all over ..... :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. True Rupreka! God has created a perfect world for us ! We just need to take care of it , rather than manipulating it:)

      Delete
  17. This is a thought-provoking post. Really...what would the world be like if we designed our kids. One hell of a talented world but imagine what the race to fame would be like; it's bad enough already.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So true! A huge thanks for following my blog!You made my day:)

      Delete
  18. I am a biologist and a genetist....but I truly dislike the abuse of science, this is not what we should aim to....
    Don't Call Me Fashion Blogger
    Bloglovin'
    Facebook

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow, You are a biologist, genetist and a fashion designer all rolled in one:) What you say is true, Francesca:)

      Delete
  19. Can't help remembering a little boy whose pregnant mum asked if he'd like a baby brother or sister. He thought a while and then said, "Ghodo" (horse).- Gradually this idea of producing perfect babies will gain acceptance, I guess. Not knowing what to expect and being ignorant, I'm full of trepidation at the thought. What puzzles me is Hitler wanting tall, blond, blue blooded Aryans. Either he hadn't seen himself in the mirror or perhaps, one always wants what one lacks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. These are exactly my thoughts:) This idea has been taken to ridiculous heights instead of genuinely helping childless parents!

      Delete
  20. New techniques helping infertile couples are welcome but "designer-kid" is an insane concept.Does it even ensure the kind of results that one expects.To think of it even Amitabh Bacchan's own son is not as talented or as good looking as him.Aishwarya's mother is not as beautiful as her, I wonder how Dharmendra's dad looked like.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Agree in totality with your words:)Even god has not created perfect humans and each one has his/her limitation:) Thanks for those lovely thoughts!

      Delete
  21. How ridiculous and frightening... Perfection on the outside doesn't lead to perfection on the inside.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LadyFi precisely, striving for inside is what should be pursued:)

      Delete
  22. Fiddling with god's creations will always bring disaster..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Renu, we are already saddled with enough disasters and would surely not like to see yet another addition:)Thanks!

      Delete
  23. Interesting, as we speak, in secret laboratories around the world - often in places unknown or not heard of, experiments are being carried out in making the perfect human, or humans according to spec (i.e. Blue eyes or green eyes, black hair or blonde, tall or short, and so on).

    The world, as we know it, has always been fascinated with the idea of 'perfection'. It's in human nature that we try to do the same with less effort, or try to make something which is perfectly fine - even better.

    The world, at one point, will go out of control.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Experiments of these kinds which go against the human grain are just another money making venture are immoral and can never bring happiness in the end!Thanks for your comment

      Delete
  24. What a very intriguing and thought provoking post!! I've been in countries where everyone strives to look 'great' and to look 'just like each other'-- I find that pretty boring...I love diversity...I love the wrinkles and the pug noses and the crooked teeth...if we just create this 'master race' where everyone is great looking -- I think (YAWN) I would be bored :)

    GREAT POST!!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Imperfections are the rough edges which make the life pleasurable! Could not agree with you more, Anjuli:)

      Delete
  25. very interesting .. I have heard about the movie , I guess I got to watch it soon os i can put all you have said in perspective ..

    Bikram's

    ReplyDelete
  26. wow the world is a crazy place. Why cant we be happy with what we are I wander. As long as you have good health what else do humans want. Sadly we are a kind that we are never happy.
    www.thoughtsofpaps.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That is precisely the point, PAPS! We keep looking for things which may not bring the happiness:) Thanks a lot for your comment!

      Delete
  27. Interesting post... the advances of science that we call today was present in our mythological past too... amazing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. True, Shilpa!Imagine most of these things must have existed thousands of years ago as they are on records:)

      Delete
  28. Great post, really interesting! Thanks for sharing!

    Alessia

    THE CHILI COOL


    FACEBOOK

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks a lot Chilicool to have spent time to read this!

      Delete
  29. Wow! I had no idea this was happening in India. While I am very pro IVF because it gives couples with fertility issues a lot of hope, this idea of "selective" and "special" breeding is plain disgusting.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Not only in India but in many other parts of the world, too unfortunately! Disgusting for sure if the mere objective is to have designer kids for future! Good to see you after a long time, Gayatri with a very nice profile pic:)

      Delete
  30. Sir, I am not a strong supporter of playing with nature's way. But if someone is not medically capable, we can surely take help. Our fascination for things has gone to crazy extent...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Saru, yet another time you echo what I had in mind, while writing this post!If it helps childless parents, I am all for it , but to have ones with special looks and selective sex, is what I abhor!

      Delete
  31. I do agree with Saru .
    Well, haven't seen the movie yet .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I too have not seen, Izdiher:) Thanks for your remark!

      Delete
  32. Donation is the way we care for everyone around us. If it helps someone smile, so be it.

    PS: Your "PS" was iceing on the cake!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A lot of people are willing to donate for this noble cause, Binu:)Thanks for liking!

      Delete
  33. Rahul, this is a great post and timely as well as the movie Vicky Donor is quite the hot thing now. IVF is a boon for couples with fertility problems, but this selective breeding is pretty disgusting. I need to watch the movie to see what it is all about.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Even I have not seen the movie but just read the critics and heard! However, as you rightly mentioned playing with nature just for seeking gratification of fancies is not correct:)

    ReplyDelete
  35. I saw Vicky Donor recently. You should watch it. It isn't great, but the idea is good :) There is no harm in adoption and in donation!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As you recommend, I will see Vicky Donor now:) I believe that a responsible person takes decision as he feels is the best and moral policing is not necessary! I am however apprehensive when it comes to aspiration of producing children with special traits and features, Juhi:)

      Delete
  36. I dont know why people dont realize that the beauty comes to a person who has gotten rid of anger/jealousy/hatredness than a person who uses false eyes lashes/mascara/lipstick :-) I am making a painting on this topic right now!
    It was a beautiful read Rahul!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Very true Padmaja ! I look forward to see your paintings which are a sheer delight:)

      Delete
  37. P.s. is so funny!..Lol.....But a very thoughtful post!...Parents are known for the unconditional acceptance and love for their children.....After reading this post, I feel some of the parents are expecting too much from their children...how they want to live or how they want to look like...:/

    ReplyDelete
  38. Replies
    1. Thanks Ashok! A nice place to exchange some news!

      Delete
    2. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
  39. Thanks for enlightening us by drawing parallels from Mahabharata and that Hitler's obsession is a news to me...

    Special looks and intelligence by artificial methods? Am not sure of this idea Rahul-ji. A person has to be unique just like everyone else; but whatever said and done, there can only be one Einstein and one Mozart. Such geniuses cannot be brought again by our limited brains!

    A very nice post :)

    ReplyDelete
  40. Great post. Thank you for the info.

    ReplyDelete
  41. A post that is very relevant in our genes-crazy times!!! God's ways are confounding, I guess!!!

    ReplyDelete
  42. The designer babies with presumably perfect 'features' will still have limitations, especially for parents. The quality of greed has been given to man in order to make sure that they get what they deserve. The world is never ideal.

    Destination Infinity

    ReplyDelete
  43. DI, it will be impossible to replicate the god's creation even with all the learning from science! Thanks for your comment!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This is a very relevant post. I heard from a friend recently that IIT sperms were being sold for Rs 35000- no this is not a joke!! I think if I were an IITian and male I would have found a career option :) But jokes apart- I think this is just our way of meddling with nature. Every human being is special and there should be room for each of them- whether they look like John Abraham or Johny Lever!

      Delete
    2. Good business case, Meera:)On a serious note I too do not agree on tampering with the process of nature be it for a man or woman!

      Delete
  44. Very interesting post. Now there is a movie "Vicky Donor" which highlights certain issues.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks a lot PN for liking! I am yet to see that movie:)

      Delete
  45. Ashwini, you are bang on target! The uniqueness of god's creation needs to be admired and if we need to progress then it should be in domains where tangible gains are visible!Thanks a lot for your comments:)

    ReplyDelete