Quick Thought

In a rapidly fossilizing government an 80 year old technocrat known more for reforms and less for politics is struggling to promote his visions. In a party that is known more for its cronyism and allegiance to a pseudo-monarchist family than its transparent process of promoting merit, this comes as little surprise. While the crown-prince acknowledges this very fact, the grand lady wields the powers-in-the-shadows deftly and sometimes, brazenly. Accountability is therefore thrown for a toss. We are left in the lurch as to whether to tarnish the image of an old, nimble and shy PM or attribute it all to SG who is above accountability. This is not to say that the government has not been trying. Rather that the docility with which it approaches each issues and policy decisions it looks more and more akin a dog with bones that it brings back to its master, wagging its tails and showing intent. Sometimes, it does make one wonder if a two-party system would have been better in India despite its myriad and gigantic populace. This also, despite one’s sharp aversion to dynastic politics and power-by-birth doctrine, makes one wishful of the virtues of one prodigal son, hoping against odds that he learns and delivers– it then matters not how and what gave him the power. At the very least, a central authority with visibly wielded powers is better than an opaque power sharing agreement, one where each decision is fraught with melodramatic emotions, stupid blackmails, irrelevant logic and a paralyzed parliament. As long as he learns, understands and corrects himself and his alma mater I vouch for the king-to-be, not because I think he deserves to be more because pragmatism and resigning to the best alternative go hand in hand. Too much of wishful thinking? That’s all that can be done isn’t it?

Anna (Go to Him)

Anna (Go To Him)

A grungy molass, as it rests over the black monolithic stone  notices a small crevice breaching the laws of the land while crouching low to avoid notice. As is its wont to do, defying all sense of propriety it approaches the fissure with measured restraint and an intention to forge alliance. A bonding, as it develops, harbors trust and mutual understanding. The molass with its infinite capacity to spread and the cleft with its palpable guilt coalesce as strange bed-fellows.

As tides turn and return, while the colors come and fade away the structure stands the test of times, strong from the roots and confident of its ancient foundation. Forces of nature however, conspire to side with the minority. The accomplice, in the meantime spreads out; encouraged by the stark cleft and undeterred by the unconditional reception.

As time goes by, wind and water sweep by with utter disdain the remaining vestige of pride while the unintended consequences of servility and colonial baggage continue to play its part. Slow poison, as it spreads, chokes (in fractions) the functioning cells while Sushruta stands by and confers with the quacks. As it happens, a bit of trembling is all it takes to dismount the rigid structure from the mantle-piece, dislodging with itself, the myths that surround the prophesied ideals, the supposedly unassailable and indefatigable spirit of THE CONSTITUTION.

 

We, the people.

As we turn 60 our thoughts invariably turn to how successful have we been in living up to the dream of India, the nation as it was on the eve of 26th January, 1950. A plethora of thoughts cross our minds as to whether the constitution or we, the people were responsible for the state we are in. We are reminded of Dr. Ambedkar, Pandit Nehru and the revered Mahatma- the champions of India. Who triumphed when now we look at the series of events in hind-sight? The dreamer or the pragmatist? Who’s idea was it to create a socialist republic state of India where the powers of executive would rule over the combined strength of legislature and judiciary?

We come back to the age old question of what is the most important role of the state? According to Kautilya, who wrote in the Arthashastra, Kautthe maintenance of law and order and the dispensation of justice is the science of the government. Indeed, Robert Nozick, one of 20th century’s most influential political philosophers, was of the opinion that the first responsibility of the state is to protect its citizens against violence, theft and fraud as well as to enforce contracts. In a democracy, which as we are taught to believe is for the people, by the people and of the people who bears the responsibility of the state? We demand of our government to provide us with security, promote economic and social development and sustainably march towards a progressive land where the fundamental rights are truly fundamental and the law of the land is there for the taking. How successful have we been in making this dream come to reality?

We have evolved, as a nation and as its citizens. The 50 million strong young citizens today are more aware of what is expected of them and yet there is a strange disconnect between their desires and their foremost responsibility. We should know, for a fact that an ideal state is a misnomer because there can never be such a thing. Such is the nature of man that the idea of good and bad falls prey to the theory of relativity. It ain’t a black and white picture. A gray cat on a gray porch in a gray day for a gray cereal.

For long, we Indians have looked up to the ideals that define the west. For long have we nurtured our childhood with the hope of a truly democratic nation, for long have we passed on the responsibility to others. But times, they are a changing my friend. I being an eternal optimist am pleasantly surprised at the pace with which we have come to appreciate the basic tenets of nature-that things do not naturally fall in place, buildings do not come up all by themselves and achievements do not spring up all of a sudden. I see a punctured enthusiasm, feel the rhythmic pulse of change and am enamored by the brilliance of the times. We do live in interesting times and so did our ancestors, the difference being the slow and steady pace of education. This enlightenment is bringing about a refreshing transformation, the likes of which cometh once in a century, the likes of which has the potential to scale up and bring about a 21st century renaissance.

I am hopeful that one day in my lifetime I would look at the sky and ponder of where things were back then and where things are now. For your sake, I sincerely wish you do too.

The joy of Giving

Giving is Good

This is a tribute to the wonderful idea that is The Joy of Giving Week. Small contributions when added up make a big difference and can dent even the most gargantuan of problems. Some of us believe that making small contributions that make no visible difference to the conditions at hand are of no use and should be done away with which is not the right way of looking at it.

Am quoting Livemint Blog: Sharing is Beautiful here: Public policy impact could take decades to achieve. So one has to keep plugging away without impact. Of course, in some cases, it might be good not to have an impact, especially if one’s thinking is flawed to begin with.

I came across this wonderful blog post by one of my friends about beggars and what thy policy is and why? To be honest I was and still am amongst those who detest sparing a penny for those hapless chaps that I frequently encounter on the streets. I detest them feeling that when they have their assets intact they could do better than begging, the world has so many things for them to do and earn a living with. Yet, strangely I connected with the blog. The recent Cadbury ads about the joy of giving a gift unexpectedly to a very unlikely beneficiary is heart warming and sweet. I tried it with a rickshaw-walla a couple of days back and extra 30 bucks brought a smile on his face which totally made my day. Sparing a penny or a mere 30 bucks wont starve me of anything but it would be specially significant for some who form the bottom layer of the demographical pyramid.

Talking of Ads I found the recent HT ads “It is time” to be thoughtful, funny and provoking. The campaign strikes the right note with its audience and connects instantly. The first ad on Journalism is spot on and carries forward teh debate on Meaningful Journalism and not merely a populistic overture lidden reporting. The second one on Swine Flu is hilarious and betells a lot about us Indians and how we perceive things. The one about praising China for making the Sea-link double our size and in a record 3-4 months is special to me because sad as it may seem I found myself thinking much along the same lines when the sea-link was inaugrated with much fanfare.

Then theres the one on Child Labor which had our Pizza delivery Guy laughing out loud! The Railway Crossing, the stooping neta etc makes for an interesting view and is a telling commentary on the state of affairs here. Heres the link of the entire campaign for those who are not hooked onto the idiot box(no wonder).

Ads in our times are evolving and I am loving it!!

iProxy

It says here that proxy-voting in India came into being on September 2, 2003 wherein India joined the elite group of countries that enabled soldiers/Jawans at the borders or active duty to nominate a person to vote on his behalf. With more than 1,130,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,800,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world’s second largest and enabling proxy voting for these spirited individuals made sense.But what the Election Commission fails to grasp is the intellectual capacity of Indian citizens. The novel idea of proxy-voting that it had given green signal to has been going on for years at end in parts of India one would consider to be backward and unassuming. The fact that proxy voting was carried on without the prior approval of the voter to be ‘proxied’ as also his not being an Indian Soldier does not mean the right in itself is over-stressed. What it does signify is the superior intellectual development of these intricately developed humanoids.

On 23rd April, my home-town Giridih went for elections. As many as 17 candidates pushed their claim for the coveted seat. In the ’04 elections JMM had won the seat by a margin that would have put even Narendra Modi to shame. 50% voting for one person while the rest was divided amongst the remaining 8. I was not that much into elections at that time and had things more pressing on my mind back then. This time though, I wanted to be involved. I could not vote mainly due to my inability to secure me a voter card (a big issue here) as also my absence from Giridih. Yet, being a concerned and caring citizen I enquired my parents of the same and was astounded at what i heard from them. The election process officially terminates at 3 pm and no voting can be entertained after that. Although I had heard somewhere that somewhere in Malkajgiri Lok Sabha constituency, Hyderabad, the polling continued right upto 7 pm mainly due to the large voter turnout and the long winding queue outside the election booth.

This was not so in this obscure shanty little town of Giridih,where thanks partly to the relative misguidance and partly to lethargy, the voter turnout was (in reality) abysmal(no official stats available). Yet, you might wonder, how is it that all the major booth in the region recorded a robust 80% turnout in the first phase of elections?  I will let you in on one awesome secret. Since it was 2 pm and no more voters were expected with just an hour to go, the election commission authorities took to themselves the “Responsibility” of appearing as proxies for those mean citizens who gave this big dramatic farce a let go. So much so, that inspite of not one member of my family ever being 100 metres near the booth, their votes were registered and accounted for.

 Hell, no ink marks? What a shame!

When my Dad enquired about the novel act he was cold shouldered and asked to become a proxy for another member of the clan if he was so hell-bent on voting. So much for the idea of having a say in these cold times. Add to that the conspicuous absence of required number of Election officials and Indian Police at the venue. No wonder in these parts of the country people never pass a fractured mandate and choose unanimously the worst of the lot to carry out in the worst possible way the duties enshrined in the constitution of India. Proxy voting? Hell, we have been doing that for a long time now. We don’t need no official proclaimation to do what we see right and fair. Junta hai bhaai, we do what we want to do ‘with or without you’.

Internet has revolutionised the phenomena of public participation in the big fat Indian elections. We now see spirited individuals commenting on national issues, on ‘national’ politicians, on ‘personal’ development, on the ‘sad’ state of Indian electoral list and what not. The social media now has turned head over heels with the great Dance of Democracy as TOI likes to put it. We see FaceBook, Twitter, Orkut etc getting filled up with concerned citizens voicing their opinions on anything and everything that needs to be put out there. All roads to a mature democracy eh? It would have been if the ground realities would have changed alongwith the virtual awakening. The Great Digital Divide again strikes back. While we see enlightened folks dishing out words of wisdom for anyone willing to lend an ear, we also see our politicians retort and retort back amongst themselves, while we skim through Election manifestoes, Mayawati proudly denounces the importance of even having one!

Interestingly, inspite of contesting for as many as 500 constituencies BSP hands out flyers proclaiming the importance of giving free reigns to dalits and whoever votes for her and declines to come out with Election Manifestoes. Why do we need them? -she says. We won Assembly Elections in 2008 without them didn’t we. “See, our vote bank comprises of people who vote for reservations and discriminations. These are people for whom manifestoes would be what computers are to mankind, total shit man!”- she goes again. I am totally fascinated by the idea of the Third Front becoming a front-runner in the present elections. The inability of India to cast a powerful mandate for any of the two national parties and the continuous rise of regional political parties astound my sensibilities and tickle it in more ways than one. The mere rumour of Mayawati contesting for the ‘kursi’ of the perime meenisther, I shit you not, makes me puke. (not of the Deluxe Oxford Hardbound variety, more like the Smirnoff/RC/Antiquity variety).

 

Technorati tags: India, Elections, Vote, Mayawati, JMM, Giridih

Bura na mano holi Hai!!

Holi Mubarakaan!!

The day of the colors!! When Bhaang rules the roost and people are required to be wild for a change. This festival of our tradition spares us the arduous task of celebrating something much too formally and asks you to let your spirits free and enjoy the day to the hilt. 

Festivals in India have developed through the ages. While colors are natural now, the fire crackers are GHG emission free!! While people are more accommodating to rascals some are even lesser so. ‘bura na mano holi hai‘ is as vulgar a term as any I could ever find in the urban indian hindi dictionary. This festival does not guarantee you a safe passage to invade the homes of your acquaintances and spread the largesse of painted walls and stained ceilings all around. Nor does it ask you to be wild with whomsoever and whatsoever you may encounter during the day. What it does say is to use colors as a symbol to bring in some of them literally into your life. By incorporating fits of madness it has been suggested by scientists you can lead a non-monotonous and happy life. This is what holi is all about. 

I despise both of the devil incarnations. The ones who play it over-zealously and the ones who play the over-zealous spoil-sport. I have encountered both and have been quite literally pissed off by with no exception, both.  This is not some of your wild-f#$ing-fitful orgy where you can just plunder and parade around with flashing colors and bright metallic adhesives. This, in turn is also not just another day in your life. Its one in which the inherent wild and irrational nature of man is asked to be let loose and set free. 

About 4 years ago, I was back in my hometown Giridih celebrating this auspicious day just as it was supposed to be celebrated. Friends and family gathered around and played it playfully and that too with natural colors!!Had a hell of a time with them all as holi always is with the ones you love and care about. I was in a buoyant mood and not done with the day suggested a ride on the countryside with pals.  Call it irnoy or anything but it was I who suggested to some of my friends to take out the bike and make a round-about trip of the town in the elusive hope of some rare bird-watching- I am a big fan of birds you know. 

There we were riding aimlessly through the streets and corridors of our dusty little town, sleepy always except offcourse when it comes to holi. It would seem to any new-comer that the people here save their energy to be used entirely on this day and this is why Giridih is where Giridih is. Anyways, it was a pretty wide alley and we had really hoped to find some rare species of birds around. There were around 30 odd people huddled infront of the alley playing holi as mercilessly as it could be played. Buckets full of wet-garbage and slime were their instruments and they were the bright metallic silver masters painted red somewhere and black in other. I would have hoped to pass by them un-noticed, foolish it may seem now but then it was not so. I pushed the accelerator and took my bike to the 4th gear to cruise through the unruly crowd. No dare there. 

Since these were the roads of a shanty little town in your upcoming neighbourhood there cannot be room for more than 2 bikes on a single pavement. We were 4 friends on 2 bikes wandering around.  Try as I might I could not make myself tear through the elite infront of us. A hand rested on my shoulders and I heard someone shouting-” Arre fatafat laao, yeh log kaafi jaldi mein lag rahe hain”.

I had to stop my bike. 

I turned around to see a 6 foot giant standing tall infront of my passenger making it a definite point to show that we can go only when he will allow us to. I heard a splash and immediately traced the source. It was the other bike which was now turned to gleaming black in place of gleaming red. The junta on it were heard coughing and cursing all the way. 

Hoodlum: arre yaar…bura na mano holi hai. 

Me: aise holi kheli jaati hai? dhang se nahin khel sakte?

Hoodlum: naah, maine kaha na..bura na mano holi hai. 

Me: holi ke naam pe katl kar doge to bhi bologe- bura na mano holi hai? 

Hoodlum: abe pagal ho gaya hai kya, kuch bhi bolega. shukra manao kichhad daal rahe hain, kichhad mein duba nahi rahe hain. 

Me (understandably subdued): bura na mano naadaan hun. daalo kichhad hi daal do. 

My turn. I had to brace myself for this biological attack. Oh, how I then wished I should have heeded to my mom and applied anti-dotes in the  form of vaseline but then that would have corrupted the whole notion of holi. But this was not holi!! This was a mob playing out its handi-works nice and easy. Such is the power of the un-ruly that 1 in 100 compensates for the rest of the 99. Its not about the ganvaar sadakchaap gunde mawalis, its more to do with the general psyche of people. I was drenched in shit, slime and kichhad as we call it here in-case you are wondering. I decied not to play holi in giridih after that. 

The phrase bura na mano holi hai has remained a one-off spin-offs of the mob. I very much expect some others on similar lines to crop up pretty soon. For example:

1. bura na mano MNS hai. 

2. bura na mano ladke hain. (On eve-teasing for the tubelights amongst us)

3. bura na mano elections hain, woh bhi general wala elections. 

4. burna na mano Indians hain. ( on what? there can be so many!!)

5. bura na mano recession hai. ( Job cuts )

6. bura na mano sarkari hai. ( State banks, post-office, bsnl/mtnl etc., you get the picture)

7. bura na mano samaaj hai. (Samaaj is a hindi term for society)

8. bura na mano jehaad hai.

9. bura na mano humare sanskaar hain. (On the self-vigilantes amongst us-the moral police that is).

10. bura na mano Bharat hai.

All of them listed above will stand out only due to one reason. Using something good, something worth-while in the society, distorting it to un-recognizable limits and then chucking it to the re

Happy Holi

ceptive mob. This is the job of select elements of the society who has nothing left to do other than grab whatever power the mob provides him with and using it to the hilt. You have heard of Financial engineering, this is India, we have social engineering, mob engineering and culture engineering. It does not come as a surprise that Engineers are constantly in so much demand.