This is with reference to Sangom’s post #174,177 and Krishji’s post#175 and 178.
This is just to present another view from a different drishtikone.
After retirement the TBs fall into two groups generally:
Let us take the first group first:
1. To this group, belong those who had been brought up from their childhood in traditional brahmin households with traditional values. They would have been taught to do nitya karmas, go to temples, try to excell in everything they do with sincerity, be good sons/daughters, good husbands/wives, be good fathers/ mothers etc., etc., This group, because of the disciplined life they had led, are in the best of their health even when they reach 60 years of retirement age. They, in order to keep themselves busy(they can not remain idle lying in an easy chair) join the local devotees group and engage in service in temples or join a local bhajan mandali and participate in Nama samkirtan. This becomes a natural choice for them because they are inclined towards that kind of a living because of their upbringing.
These people, when they were working-in banks or Government etc.,-deleberately underplay their religious inclinations because the atmosphere is hostile. Secularism, western culture, the simmering anti-brahmin feelings of hatred are the reasons for this underplaying. Moreover to be effective in such a secular milieu it is not enough if they are fair in their dealings with colleagues and public, they have to appear to be fair also. They may do a sandhya vandanam in the morning, follow it up with a pooja at home and then leave for Office. Once in the office they are a completely transformed lot. They drink tea with their colleagues, eat in the common dining room with colleagues etc.,or take food in the canteens at the work place etc., Once back home they get back to their personal regime of sandhya vandanam, sahasranamam chanting etc., This is just the art of living and a necessity for survival. Underneath the ritualistic discipline is the love for God or bhakti which is something natural to such people. If you ask what bhakti and why bhakti they may not indulge in the dukrinjkarane of going to the root of the word bhakti or an argument with you because they have only experienced it and they believe it is a wasteful exercise to argue with such people.
Majority of these individuals do not take bribe and suffer because of that at the hands of the politicians. They are a misfit usually at the parties in which foreign liquor flows like water and every known frontier/limit of morality is violated. They become the butt of ridicule too if they have an over ambitious wife at home.
Once they reach the retirement age, their sons/daughters would have settled down in life (mostly abroad) and they also would have the cushion of an adequate pension and Bank Balance. Thus free from the worries of day to day survival they look around for useful avenues to engage in. As politics is ruled out for them(being Brahmins, they are untouchables)they join these bhajan mandalis, worshippers group etc., and spend time. Some others read books, watch TV or do baby-sitting (grand children)
It is this group that is being targeted by Sangom very enthusiastically to the accompanying loud and jarring “yes”, “yes” of Krishji.
Members here having heard the other side can decide what is the real state of affairs.
About the other second group I will write later in another post in continuation of this.