Aadmi Aadmi Party , Hobbits and an unexpected journey !

It has been a while I blogged and a greater crime is that I took over 10 years to finally watch the Lord of The Rings Trilogy and recently the 2 Hobbitt sequels. So only folks who had read the books or watched the movies might enjoy this post.

It is an interesting world of Middle Earth which has Orcs, Wizards, Trolls, Elves, Dwarfs who are much more capable, political and even have the ambition to rule Middle Earth, yet to overcome the Evil, its the hobbits who come forth to take the burden, a race of 4 ft tall beings who never want to venture out their comfortable town of Shire.

The Aam Aadmi or the Indian middle class are much like Hobbits, very content and self centered around their own life, eking out a simple living and hardly wanting to step out of the comfort zone and not involve themselves in politics and civil life. They did rather bribe a police man or govt. official than take a stand, forget about standing for elections, even voting was a luxury for this folk.

What changed all this, the rampant corruption and apathy of governments finally led to a breaking point, where Arvind Kejriwal & team ( i admit I was a skeptic) decided to take the plunge into electoral  politics  and actually won power in the very first time a party was formed. off course we can debate till the cows come home whether Arvind and team are any different from BJP and Congress but for that we need to give them time.

Coming back to Middle Earth analogy, although the Hobbits were creatures who punched much above their weight, they also had to bear the cross of "One Ring" which was evil and was always looking for every opportunity to lead him astray.

The post of Chief Minister is such a double edged sword - it offers power to Arvind and Team to make a difference or fall prey to power and perks to become just like politicians before them. I truly believe in the race to get power, the older political parties have become like "Gollum" obsessed with power and not really remember why they joined politics at all.

This Delhi govt led by AAP will be a true test if politics in 21st century can take a turn for good or bad, but kudos to the middle class in Delhi who opted for a change and gave a fledgling party a chance to rule.  The next 6 months before 2014 general elections will determine if this movement is a fire or mere flame based on their performance.

As JRR Tolkien wisely said it is foolish to expect one man can change the nation, may it be Modi, Rahul or Kejriwal it has to be the collective actions of the common folk each and every citizen to make a difference.

Some believe it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I found it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay - Gandalf ( The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey)

Censorship and abdication of the state !

It is off course old news, the ban on Kamal Hassan's movie and the outrage news media has moved on since to the VVIP helicopter scam, as of 24X7 is like a genie which needs new and new challenges and does not really have the time to linger on the past.

The spectacle of a movie cleared by the censor board and even released in other nations and states but is banned in the home state of TN because the CM says she does not have the security to guard each cinema hall.  In a clear abdication of her responsibilities  she goes on to give a mathematical calculation of the police constables available and she cannot protect 550+ theaters. By that logic none of 1 billion Indians excluding VVIPS and industrialists are safe in this country.

 In a country where a facebook status update can get you arrested or girl band can be bullied into submission by a fatwa and threats in social media and a government which does little to curb the fringe elements across religious lines only creates a social where the majority prefers to be silent and watch freedoms been curbed.

A society where law enforcement is limited, a police force which is intimidating and court cases which takes years to be taken to resolution, there is little hope but rather more cynicism and anger on the system. this was  seen in the aftermath of the Delhi gangrape case, instead of engaging the youth the government instead used water cannons and lathi charge on the crowds.

How curious is that, the government finds it easier to terrorize the slient majority than take action on the fringe elements. If a veteran actor like Kamal Hassan can be bullied into re-censoring a movie then what chance does the common man have ?

As it stands, there is little hope left, the middle class is so helpless, they are ready to follow any voice which will take on the system which can represent a radical change, i.e. earlier the support for Jan lokpal and now the fascination for the iron leader from Gujarat, in a way looking for a easy way out of the mess.

Every time we step back with a movie ban, facebook & twitter related arrest or remove paintings from a museum, we are only digging ourselves into a deeper and darker pit.

"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censured, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably - Star Trek TNG

The churn but just the beginning ...

The recent uprising of the Indian middle class especially the youth in protests against the Delhi gang rape case and earlier the Janlokpal movement shows an interesting shift in the social consciousness of modern India. Media pundits and sociologists are describing this as a final change in the typical Indian apathy driven mindset. If you are following Indian media and news papers reports, a lay man would form the following opinions:- 

• The Indian government has failed in the Indian state and there is complete breakdown in law and order, Indian women are not safe anywhere
• The Indian middle class has completely awakened and this is Indian equivalent of Arab Springs 
• The misogynistic views made by certain religious and political leaders are been condemned across the nation
• The accused should be given severe punishment like Arab nations or castration 

Although the above statements are true in partial measure, there are shades of grey in all aspects of the points discussed, although the Indian government has failed in protecting the victim in Delhi and many other cases, but unlike the Arab nations which deny many freedom particularly to women.

The Indian govt. definitely missed a great opportunity to connect with the youth and instead resorted to water cannons and lathi charges which only helped in reducing their already limited credibility to further shambles and in the current social media and sensationalist news media had a ready story in hand to exploit. 

Although the middle class has shown a change and shown signs of participation, it is still an urban camera friendly protests which only identifies with the causes close to its psyche and cannot identify with causes like caste discrimination and vast social inequality or even  crimes against women in rural India.

Although I cannot agree with most of Mohan Bhagwat's statements but definitely there is a Bharat and India emerging which share the same geography but heading towards different economic opportunities available to them. The misogynists and old age view held by many draconian minds will not change over night , it will require sustained focus by the people. 

The media has as an invested interest in the social protests and state of unrest, it gives them ready fuel and drama to run a 24X7 news channel and their true interest is only tapping into the unrest of the Indian masses and not in actually solving any real problems.

The churn in the youth has began which is encouraging but it still needs further direction and also reconciliation with the rural India to have an effective pan India movement which will drive true change. The Indian constitution has enough freedom and laws to enable this change but this requires a new kind of leadership needs to emerge from civil society and ordinary walk of life to make this happen. 

India's "Beta-cracy"

Just yesterday I was watching Karan Johar's latest movie Student of the Year starring the Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan the kids of Mahesh Bhatt and David Dhawan respectively. In this movie, there was another character who had a decent role, a chubby bespectacled kid Parsi boy who had pretty strong lines and scenes considering the usual scope of a supporting role like that of the hero's friend.  I felt happy at-least Kjo had a heart to give lines to a non-star kid. 

Turns out that Parsi kid is Kayoze Irani, the son of Boman Irani another star son launch. DAMN. 

It is not just Kjo giving an easy platform to the star kids, there are plenty of examples of Kapoors, Deols and  even Bhagnanis where it just matters what your surname is. Very few outsiders can even hope to break in the clique and even if they do they did need to work twice as hard to maintain their position.

Even looking beyond Bollywood, look in the corporate industry or politics, you will see several examples of seats been kept warm for the scions. Even in media you have several star sons and daughters, Barkha Dutt is the daughter of leading journalist Prabha Dutt. Rajdeep Sardesai is the son of cricketer of Dileep Sardesai. Sagarika Ghosh is the wife of Rajdeep. Prannoy Roy is the brother in law of Prakat Karat.  

There is not one field in India which are not run by select group of well-connected families. I remember reading in an article few years back, the Pakistan legislature is controlled by 200+ families, I suspect the Indian Parliament must also show similar trends.

The reverse question which people will raise is, if begin a star son a disqualification and speak about the services rendered by the previous generation and qualifications they have acquired. Whilst this is true, the fact is this, it is only a reflection of a feudal mindset where the masses give control of their lives to benevolent landowners or Kings.

Thats why even though I do not really endorse all the following people, I really appreciate the rise of Mamata Banerjee, Narendra Modi, Kejriwal, NRN, Arnab Goswami, John Abraham. India definitely needs change in all fields be it politics, business world, civil service, news media and entertainment.  There needs to be a clear break from the "Beta-cracy" which is plaguing our nation.

The question is will this makes a big difference, will the new blood which will replace the old guard make a difference or will it remain the same. 

The same fiery Bal Thackeray and Karunidhi who drove the Congress dynasty to the ground in the 60-70s are battling with a large dynasty of their own. The vicious circle of nepotism rears its ugly head. The un-holy nexus between politics, business and government is what leading the country to the un-heard of levels of corruptions. 

As the Joker says in The Dark Knight - " The city deserves a better class of criminals" 

Gangnam Style, Kolaveri and Innocence

If you have an existence on social networking sites, you could not have missed a portly Korean man prancing around in extraordinary goofy style which is now "Gangnam Style" the most viewed and liked video in the history of Youtube.  

Some time back, another video sung quiet off-key by Southern Actor Dhanush "Kolaveri Di" was  the talk of town, this very ordinary piece of singing reaching a far greater reach than imagined.  Clearly in this era of the highly networked world, an Internet connection and social media channels like Twitter, Facebook and Youtube, ideas both good, bad, ugly and funny can resonate across the world. 

Takes me back to the song Friday by Rebecca Black which was derided by people all over the world, imagine the kind of rejection the poor girl would have faced.  Still the criticism stayed virtual or the trolls who hound celebs, journalists with vulgar and crude language. 


Sadly another video found a much larger audience than it should have, "The innocence of Muslims" a disparaging video made by mischievous elements with extremely poor production values and the voices overdubbed so even the actors were taken for a ride. 

Such an ugly video, found credence and has been circulated by the same social media channels which promote so much of mirth to become a weapon of hate, leading to deaths and damage to people and property. A mob killing an envoy, bomb killing Russians and South Africans in Afghanistan and attacks on Norwegian embassies and protests worldwide.

The Innocence of Muslims is not the only ugly video on the Internet, there are lots of hate videos against Hindus, Muslims, Christians and Sikhs. 

The violence has promoted many nations to block social media sites. Censorship will only take the world on a slippery road, and violence over hate speeches and thoughts will only increase the fault-lines in the society. 

Social Media is not the cause of unrest but only an medium for amplification. I hope in not so distance future only Kolaveri ( Murderous rage) is reserved for the likes of Dhanush and people learn to take things in stride and live life "Gangnam Style".

It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. In fact have the wisdom to reject hateful thoughts.

Trouble in Eden !

There was once a magical land named Eden where the Demi-gods lived, where dreams came true, it was a place where wishes came true and for little efforts, rewards were huge. The Demi-Gods were kind and admitted the mortals freely and for devotion, mortals were rewarded with gold, plush houses.

The mortals from earth could come visit Eden and live for a few years, earn huge fortunes and go back to their land much wealthier and influential. The Demi-Gods just wanted the mortals to make statues and to glorify them.

As the story of the mortal artisans making the trips to Eden became more and more well known, the mortals realized this was an easy ticket to ride. Several schools to train and deploy artisans began to spring up. Other trades began to be ignored, the sole motive of mortals was securing a gateway to Eden.

Like all good things, the good times at Eden also had to come to an end. By the curse of the sages, Eden was struck by a series of natural calamities like quakes and storms. Suddenly the demi gods no longer had the luxury of entertaining the mortals.  Suddenly the demi-gods wanted the mortals out, they began to see the mortals as parasites feeding on their great society.

The mortals were concerned, and once the gateways to Eden began to close, politics and opportunism began to take over, it was no longer easy for people to reach Eden. The journey to the promised land of Eden has just become a nightmare, with thousands and thousands of mortal artisans waiting for their turn to enter Eden, life just got tougher.

As you might have guess, this story was a thinly veiled reference of the Indian IT services industry and the situation in the Western World. India was fortunate to have an army of English speaking programmers who could take on the Y2K problem. Any one who was lucky enough or smart enough to catch the IT wave became quite successful, however the same cannot be said for the young engineering graduate passing out of college today as circumstances have become much more challenging.

Where is the Ad Break Dude ??

Last week, I was seeing a program on CNN IBN - “The Greatest Indian” with the host Rajdeep Sardesai and his boss head of TV18 Raghav Bahl gushing about how Dhirubhai Ambani was a contender to be the greatest Indian and also how he shaped Indian economy and perhaps his achievements were even greater than JRD Tata. 

Although there is nothing wrong in this point of view, what we were not told explicitly, Mukesh Ambani and RIL recently acquired a large stake TV18 including CNN IBN. So how independent is the view taken by the channel. 

Going to more innocuous instances of paid or sponsored media, nothing which comes close was the garish Indian Premier League which successfully sliced ads into the sport itself. DLF Maximum, City Moment of Success and RGV style spider camera looming at different close up angles at the Volkswagen Vento. 

Although this is relatively acceptable, as this is quite direct advertising unlike the movie promotion campaigns. Notice when a big budget movie is going to hit the screens, you see lots of PR spin articles on the news papers, television and even radio. 

FM radio, I remember during the late 90's and early 2000 was a pleasurable experience, the Radio Jockey had a closer connect with the viewers and song selection was without agendas and less audio ads into the program. However cut to 2012, we have radio programs whose Radio Jockeys are screaming non-stop and songs which play which also tie in as promotions to the movie or the actor's previous movies which serve to drive you to the movie hall. 

Even corporates have a convenient relationship with media groups to get positive coverage, when I read newspapers its clear, press releases masquerading as “real news”. Lifestyle channels and news paper supplements all have product placements. 

A leading newspaper Times of India has taken advertising to the next level by accepting equity stake from companies instead of cash as remuneration .Can you imagine negative news ever coming on this newspapers regarding companies which in the media house has a stake in. This allows paid content even in editorial space. 

The most dangerous form of paid news media was exposed by a Press Council of India inquiry commission, during election times, newspapers both vernacular and English media charging candidates from 30-50 lakh rupees for news coverage and also positive spin.  So much for independent media.

I really wonder where's the ad break dude ? At least the advertisements is in the breaks is honest unlike the spin we are subjected to the regular programming. 

Trouble in BCCI Paradise

Today Feb 4^th was an awful day for BCCI / IPL with the withdrawal of Sahara India franchise from both the Pune franchise and Indian team sponsorship on the day of the IPL 5 auction. 

The collapse of the Kochi & Pune franchises, the cricket TV rights debacle with Nimbus and the waning form of the Indian cricket team overseas, BCCI is looking at both severe reverses in financial and cricketing fronts.

Just a year back, India winning the ODI world cup and humongous amounts which Kochi and Pune franchises paid for the slice of the IPL action.  

Need to phase out the legends

Indians have always been in awe of their cricketing Gods – they can never imagine them to age and retire on time. It is always a case, we ensure they overstay their welcome and give very few chances to blood new youngsters. It happens when it is too late. 

Cricket Australia has been quite ruthless to cut legends down to size when needed, be it Ian Healy, Mark Taylor or Steve Waugh. 

Over all fitness / intent

Forget the slow moving gentlemen like VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid, younger players like Zaheer Khan and Virendra Sehwag seem so tired and bored to take to the field.  

Easy IPL money

Ravindra Jadeja picking up 2 million $ is crazy for playing a domestic T-20 league to bowl 4 overs and slog the bat. The IPL is an unlikely villain which incentivizes slam bang cricket and further de-incentivize classic test cricketers on the lines of  Wasim Jaffer or Akash Chopra.

DRS obstinacy

One bad experience in Sri Lanka with the DRS, Indian cricket is ready to block DRS thus ensuring cricket games are no longer played in the same playing conditions. The chances of human error can be minimized but never eliminated. If cricket boards had played similar hard ball in the early 90’s we would never had the third umpire.

Neglect of other domestic tournaments

Apart from IPL, the older domestic tournaments like Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy are not getting crowds and even the performances in these games do not get the same visibility of an IPL.

We are creating a generation of T-20 focused cricketers ignoring the other formats of cricket. 

Overpriced business models

SET MAX, Neo and the IPL franchises have definitely over-invested and paid huge amounts, the number of meaningless games and waning interests in both cricket grounds and dropping TRPs is clear that the game is going to see tougher times ahead.

Is there Hope ? I don’t think so

Usually I conclude my posts on an optimistic note but I don’t see one here, a game which is run by business men and active politicians who have no love for the game, a cricket coach and selection committee who cannot take tough calls, this are only going to more bleak. I don’t see any conviction in the cricket administrators to make a change. 

Remember Sachin Tendulkar will retire soon one day, it is going to take some great magic to get the average Indian fan turn on his TV set for 5 am Test match versus Australia or buy a ticket for an IPL match.  

Sahara has seen the storm coming and there is trouble in paradise.

News Channels Today - Peddling Aspirations or Pure Denial ?

if you follow the news channels in India regularly apart from the politician bashing you will probably be seeing these headlines getting repeated over time with some small variations. 

China fixation / India Superpower
if you see experts in TV studios you would believe India is a superpower and developed nation which is just days from a permanent seat in UN security council. In its flight of fantasy it needs to match China in military prowess and pursue an aggressive foreign policy. 

 Pubs/Alcohol Age 

 If you followed the news about actor Imran Khan who is opposing the increased official age of drinking to 25 as an affront to the freedom of Indians ( I guess adding the right to booze to the Constitution is really the need of the hour) and the draconian laws in Bangalore pubs of shutting down too early.

 IIT / St Stephens fixation 

 Another key headline is the entire IIT debate of Narayan Murthy and Chetan Bhagat and about the quality of students from our premier institutions. Reams of news print and air time spend on discussing mostly Chetan Bhagat's point of view ( not by co-coincidence He is having a book launch soon ) Offcourse some or the other stories about St. Stephens, I am quite surprised that Mani Shankar Aiyer got away easy with his Hansraj BA pass remark on Sports Minister Ajay Makhan. 

 Exclusive Interviews with Actors 

 Another trend is the interviews with actors, its a win win because its easy TRPs and no efforts to research or report and for the actors like SRK, Ranbir Kapoor good marketing for their up coming releases. 

 Reading out Twitter Posts 

 Is it even a real journalist job, reading out twitter posts ?? Actually Twitter is the best thing which happened to 24X7 journalists, verified soundbytes ( 140 characters ) delivered on your smartphone by the celebs. 

 Over Simplification / News for Dummies 

 Even the issue of Rs 32 as the poverty line demarcator was taken as another opportunity to bash the political class but never little attempt made to understand the rationale or economics behind it. In case of the Anna Hazare campaign, some news channels were taking sides with the outraged middle class instead of an objective news analysis. 

 Always going soft on corporates 

 Of all talk of corruption in India, the media is deliberately soft on corporates because one negative report on the house of Tatas or a Reliance will result in massive drop in advertising revenues. Secondly to make the middle class comfortable that paying bribes is because of the system and off load own guilt by blaming only the netas and bureaucrats. 

 

 Is it a delibrate denial ?

Clearly the news and media channels are not naïve or blundering idiots to not having to pick up real issues and deleve deeper (expect CNN-IBN's Karan Tharpar show The Last Word and some shows on NDTV) rest of the News channels just want to indulge the Indian middle class fixation with institutions of higher education, the fantasy of India taking on China and fueling the need become a more materialistic consumerism driven society.

There is a clear whitewashing of the stories of the poor India, health care and rising inflation. For the new middle class paying 1000 Rs to a domestic help is much costly than spending the same at a spa or a pub is not a problem. The increasing hedonistic mindset of the affluent class whilst lack of sensitivity towards the less fortunate is indeed disturbing. The media shows us what we want to see rose tinted picture hiding all details 

that which can make us uncomfortable.

The role of news media has changed from enlightening and educating the viewers to engaging and entertaining but in the race for TRPs and showing quarterly profits, can we blame the media or do we as a society need to evolve as well.

Personal Branding in Public Life

All of us in India and the NRI diaspora witnessed the Anna Hazare phenomenon and in spite of a few detractors but Anna has gathered a cult following and a credibility not shared by his contemporaries in activism Do names like T.N Seshan (Former Chief Election Commissioner )  or G.R Khairnar ( Former Mumbai Municipal Commissioner)  even ring a bell now. 

If you think about it what differentiates an Abdul Kalam from K. Kasturiragan (ISRO), Nehru from Sadar Patel, Manmohan Singh from Pranab Mukerjee or an Atal Bihari Vajpayee from Narsimha Rao. It is the role of personal branding, showcasing an unique eccentricity or quality which differentiates an individual from the other.

Single Status

A person who chooses to stay un-married in political life always seems to have an upper hand in public life and greater acceptability may it be Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Narendra Modi, Anna Hazare or the lady brigade of Jaya, Mamta and Maya.

A distinct Look/Accessory

Be it Manmohan Singh's blue turban, Gandhi's Dhoti, Anna's Topi or Dr APJ Abdul Kalam's funky hair-do or Hilter's Chaplinesqe moustache, having a distinct look creates a lasting image in the minds of the people.

An Armed forces Background

I am sure in all the forwards which glorified Anna Hazare all of them began with the line “Anna Hazare was a solider in the Indian Army ( he was a driver but that's besides the point). George Bush also had a military background which he leveraged well in political campaigns. 

The notion of sacrificing one's life for the country instantly improves the personal brand quotient.

Catchy Slogans/Simple Messaging

The problem with intellectuals like P.V Narsimha Rao, T.N Seshan they speak too long and don't simplify  the message. People do not like to be burdened with the complexity of life, they want a quick fix which is easily understandable. 

• Anna Hazare – Jan lok pal, Anti Corruption
• Obama – Yes we can
• Sonia Gandhi – Aam Aadmi
• Narendra Modi – Gujrat Astima, Vibrant Gujrat

Every one loves an underdog - “Not so priveleged background”

People who come from a tough / poverty stricken or a socially disadvantaged background gain a lot from the sympathy. Any message from a leader from this category automatically gains more credibility vis-a-vis a candidate from a more affluent background.

The debate is already skewed toward the street smart vis-a-vis the Ivy League or the IITian from a middle or upper middle class background. 

Inheritance of a grand legacy

It is also helpful if you can lay claim to an illustrious legacy, the easiest way is off course being born into one like Rahul Gandhi or Omar Abdullah. But the smarter individuals are those who can appropriate them directly from another individual. 

• Jayalalitha – MGR legacy
• Anna Hazare – The Gandhian Way
• Mayawati – The Kanchi Ram/Lower Caste Mobilization
• Abdul Kalam – Success of the Pokhran Nuclear Tests

Intellectuals lose out because they look too much like PLU ( people like us)

Inherently people of India or people in general appreciate a mystical quality and a persona which is not common, so speaking slowly or dressing up in suits / formal clothing will never make the cut. 

Although we may not admit it but its all about the branding. 

Do not let Ajmal Kasab Win !

I swore to myself after the 13/7 bomb blasts in Mumbai, I would not write a post on this topic. People including myself experienced the deja vu feelings after 26/11 and I went on a rant on whats going wrong , there has been little progress but not good enough to prevent such an unfortunate incident.

People are enraged and even more cynical than ever, that is understandable. We want our government and police to do much more, we have all the rights to demand action. 

But instead of addressing the key issues of better policing, improving intelligence networks and how to isolate Pakistan in the international community and people are taking increasingly alarmist positions. 

Subramanium Swamy's Xenophobic views

Dr. Subramanium Swamy who claims to be the one who exposed the 2G scam and speaks of several credentials and a known Sonia Gandhi hater wrote on a piece in DNA  and suggested steps like declaring India as Hindu Rashtra and demolishing mosques as possible solutions to solving the problem.

This bigoted appoarch will create further cracks in our society and push India towards a horrific future.

Kasab and Madani enjoying in Jail

Another mischievous track which began in news papers and blogs is how Indians ( particularly Hindus) are suffering while elements like Kasab, Madani and Afzal Guru are having a great time in jail. Another carnard, sure there has been some delays some justified and some unjustified but instead of seeing Muslims in India as part of our own nation, isolating them is so unfair.

Migrants are the problem

Raj Thackeray playing to the gallery and trying to isolate Mumbai from the rest of the country, also the limited point that we need more policing and focus, there are enough criminal elements who have been born and bred in Maharashtra itself, there is no need to point fingers at northern states.

All Indians who attended Ghulam Nabi Fai's conferences are traitors

It has emerged recented that Mr. Ghulam Nabi Fai a lobbyist in Washington DC who organized conferences on Kashmir issue was on the pay roll of ISI to propogate Pakistan's agenda. Many number of Indian journalists and illuminaries attended such conferences, now an attempt is being made all of them colluded and hence guilty by association they are all traitors.

Shocking indeed, people are ready to buy into the Islamphobia and start dividing the country on religious lines again. No country which is ready to buy into an xenophobic theory cannot be going on the right path, as tommorrow people will even condole rights and ethitic cleansing/geocides.

I dont know when Ajmal Kasab will be even hanged, but I know the terrorists will win if we get divided and fall into the spiral of hate and fear. 

Dont let Ajmal Kasab win and dont let the multi cultural plurality of India get destroyed by the lunatic fringe elements. 

P.S: I recently read that the AIMPLB ( Muslim Body) is planning to protest the Indian Govt. proposal to make right to education a compulsory right and several Madrassas could get de-recognized as they dont have minimum facilities. I hope the government of India does not give into the pressure of vote bank politics. The standards how we judge religious intolerance must be the same for all. 

Who mourns for the little people ?

Few weeks back saw a 1962 B- movie Tarzan goes to India on HBO. It is set in 1920's and how the British Raj is building a dam which is going to destroy villages and destroy the natural habitat of 300 elephants and how Tarzan saves the day. With Feroz Khan and Simi Grewal playing the roles of loyal engineer and princess all the India stereotypes were firmly in place. But 2 points stood out for me in this movie,

• the villain says in large projects like these human life is the cheapest commodity.

• In the end Tarzan saves the elephants and also ensures the dam project is completed to ensure people doesn't suffer from famines in future.

Remarkable nothing has changed, the colonial power now has a corporate face in 2011.

Displacement is not easy; Imagine you have to vacate your home, your locality where you been lived for decades and made to push off to a new place, find new means of employment and resettle your children. The government will compensate you pittance (3-5 Lakhs) and the same place your house once stood will become a real estate gold mine because some automobile or IT company is going to set up shop there will make crores. your sleepy taluka becomes a noisy, bustling place with restaurants and discos to cater to young brats who will spend 5000 rupees for a new year's eve party and that is your monthly income after toiling in the sun in farms.

Economists and business journalists sit n judgment to say its easier to do business in China than in India. The fact is in China people are displaced discreetly without any bad press coverage. But India being the rambunctious democracy has its own unique challenges. Once trouble starts to brew NGOs and politicians who will make noise and draw mileage to themselves. Countless examples from Adarsh, Bangalore land grab by Yedurappa and sons and Narayan Rane clearly shows the connivance of the political class. As tribal rights are violated by mining and steel companies in states like Orissa and Jharkhand Naxalism will continue to rise its vicious head. Suddenly the government is at war against its own people and its a blame game between corporates and local political leaders.

This is battle between 2 Indias, one described by President Obama which are already 'emerged' and the other India which is still 'submerged' to get access to basics like clean water, education and medical care. Its is a battle of greed versus survival with corruption and political patronage suppressing the discordant voices. The difference is getting even starker with each big project may it be a new airport, nuclear power project or campus for new IT company.

There must stronger laws to protect the poor, as land grabbing has become an instrument for illegal wealth creation and politician patronage. While forced displacements for development and progress is inevitable but business houses and governments must eschew greed and arrive at an equitable solution which can take both Indias ahead.

Hoping in the years to come words like sustainability and corporate social responsibilities does not remain just embellished phrases on annual reports and translates into real action. Hoping for a geniune change in 2011.

White Knights in Peril !

On January 14^th 2010, a RTI Activist Satish Shetty was murdered on the streets on Pune when he was out on a morning walk. The reason, he dared to take on the Land Mafia and he exposed these scams by using the Right to Information Act. When I thought about this incident, I felt a sense of déjà-vu when previous honest and upright officials were killed like Satyendra Dubey and Manjunath were killed by groups whose interests lie in a corrupt rotting system. The cinematic parallel which I can draw to these incidents is from the Dark Knight, the district attorney Harvey Dent who is the White Knight, the revolutionary change agent who operates within the system is targeted and finally driven insane by the evil Joker even as Batman the dark knight outlawed vigilante is helpless to save Dent and his fiancé.

With death of such honest and upright activists and with little or no help coming forward for these brave men and women, when and how can we even hope that justice will be served one day and guilty will be punished for their crimes. People have selective memories and don’t really want to confront the ugly truth, all is not well but as long as it is not hitting me in the face it is fine, it is someone else’s problem not mine.

4 Reasons why it is so perilous to be a White Knight in today’s world.

Rotten Police System – Indian Police department must be one of the most inapproachable police forces in the world, there is so much fear in each reaction, for simple tasks for pass-port verification you have to grease their palms. My personal experience with a police sub-inspector when I wanted to report the pick-pocketing of my mobile phone, he forced me to report it as misplaced and saying does the pick-pocket have personal grudge to steal your phone, ( I mean which pick-pockets has personal grudges, ridiculous policing it is embarrassing to even think such a department functions )

Paralyzed Judiciary – The judiciary is considered to be one of more fair and robust legal systems, but look at the inordinate delays in getting justice, cases drag on for decades, the recent Ruchika molestation case took 19 years to conclude and the convict getting 6 months imprisonment. There are cases which have been benefited from the media coverage there are tonnes of cases which have been buried in paper work and delays.

Fickle Media Coverage – The media which claims be independent is today firmly focused on covering stories which will generate TRPs and responses on the websites, and smses alone. Although media honchos will lament on twitter about farmer suicides, on prime time he wants Saif and Kareena on air to make up the numbers. The way Satish Shetty murder case has received in main stream media is testament of how media works. Satish does not fit the urban profile of IIT/IIM grad or a glamorous movie-star, he was a brave man who used RTI to fight against Land Mafia, he is swept away like the stories of atrocities in the North-East or farmer issues, non glamorous and not-relatable to urban, elite upper middle class and so does not fit in.

Bureaucrats/Politicians – Less said the better, they are part of the problem not part of the solution.

The Cliché – Be the change you want to see

This is a quotation used in every situation and used to push a person down by putting the onus squarely on the shoulders of the individual, but in any kind of a change revolution you need a strong symbol of hope, that symbol must be strong and able to face the pressures, Mahatma Gandhi a leader whose personality was so towering that even the British were scared for him to come to harm. I believe this symbol can emerge only from either the elite class or the poor class. The elite class has enough power to defend what is theirs, and the poor classes have nothing to lose. The Indian middle class will always lament and indulgence in arm-chair criticisms (case in point this blog-post). It is not easy to stand up and be counted when you have lot to lose and little hope to win.

Hope and Faith

Faith is very critical for man to go on, once the faith in the system is lost, it is very difficult to motivate self to try to bring a change in the system. I agree it takes great courage to be a White Knight in this world. I salute the few brave who stand up in-spite of grave danger to property and self. Until, a powerful leader who can galvanize the system for a radical change the White Knights will be in peril.

From the fourth estate to becoming fourth rate !

Last year after the 26/11 attack, I had written a post on the 5 vultures which hound our nation today including politicians, bureaucrats, unfriendly neighbouring countries, media and the finally us the common public who have become apathetic to its surrounding environment.

The year 2009 has particularly one of the above mentioned to falling further from grace that is the media. The Indian media grappling with the new needs of a 24X7 news channel coverage has come to its wits end. The commercialization is so rampant that, they are forced to run feeds of reality shows at non prime time, run interviews of Saif and Kareena on prime time television and also talk about Ashwariya Rai bumping into her ex Salman and Vivek in great gusto.

Ridiculous programming

Apart from this, wild insane programming which talks about the end of the world by the CERN “Maha yantra” (India TV is convinced once the CERN Particle Accelerator is operational, KABOOM end of the world) and other ridiculous stories like Rakhi Sawant par Janta ki mukadama. If you ask the channel people they will say, we give what the people want and that’s what we are giving it to them. Especially the Hindi news channels are more guilty in selling out to cater to the lowest common denominator, but even the English media cannot be claim to be covering themselves in glory. The distinction between a general entertainment channel and a news channel is very little these days.

Anniversary Obsessions

The English media is now obsessed with date and anniversaries; it is an easy method of lazy news coverage, a 26/11, 7/11, 9/11, pull out archive footage, add some dramatic music and ta da … 3 hours of prime time coverage is ready. There is no real introspection of the event, just call politicians names, reopen old scars by asking a husband how he feels about his lost wife and recreate the fearful gloomy atmosphere for all. The coverage is getting elitist; Taj and Trident deaths get more coverage than the deaths at Cama Hospital or CST station. Where were the candle light processions when the July train blasts occurred? Surely some terrorist attacks are not more equal than others.

Crime shows

Crime is another favorite exploited genre which is milked for prime-time viewing; today we are talking about a police commissioner molesting a young tennis player, while the Arushi murder case was dissected to the maximum making the private lives of Dr Talwar n his wife a public mockery. I still remember the remorseless headline of television channel; “Daddy killed Arushi” which they retracted after some hours. This is the kind of irresponsible sensational media coverage we are subjected to these days. Crime coverage is voyeuristic, typical police bashing and case is only followed as long as the public memory lasts and then it becomes another footnote in the television history.

All the same

The argument which you shall get from the news channels is that, if you don’t like then don’t watch, you can surf ahead and watch something else, but then if the catch is its 10.30 all channels air sports content, on a weekend it will be Auto and Gadget shows at the same slot, so you hardly get an option to watch something else anyway. The airing of same content ensures the viewer has no choice but to either suffer through the same programming or switch off the TV.

Inadvertently promoting fringe violent groups

The fringe groups like Sri Ram Sena led by Promod Muthalik and MNS get undue coverage in the media which in fact incites them to take to violence as a weapon which gives them a larger audience using the media as a platform. These anti-social elements should be condemned for the law breaking not eulogized by getting “exclusive interviews”.

Abdication of Neutrality

Another recent blot on the media emerged in the current general elections, where the sections of print media were accused of selling the interview space to candidates for bribes. Apart from this we also see incidents of biased reporting, look at any US media reports on the Copenhagen climate summit, they paint India and China as villains, while the Indian media sees it a moral victory for our side. We cannot see to get an objective view which is honest and the truth.

Conclusion

I don’t paint the entire media in black but the fact is, as a watch-dog which passes sweeping judgments on the other estates such as politicians, bureaucrats, police; it must introspect more closely. The Fourth Estate has actually become a fourth-rate enterprise seeking TRPs alone as measure of success.

Lessons from Iaccocca one of America's most respected business professional

After a long time, I decided to read Iaccoca’s autobiography again as several years ago when I was an aspirant to do my MBA, somebody told me this book was a good start. It did make some sense back then but it had even more sense now. Clearly reading the book the second time, you do realize the man has a very large ego and most of the book is written in first person, it takes pot shots at opponents and glosses over personal failures. Although it is an engaging book, it is not very objective and projects as Iaccoca as a superman. In my mind, the most objective business book written by a corporate manager must be ‘Who says Elephants cannot Dance?’ by Louis Gernster the CEO of IBM who oversaw the reinvention of the IBM business strategy in the late 90’s.

Who is Lee Iaccoca

Iaccoca was the son of an Italian migrant who went on to become the president at the Ford motor company, he was subsequently fired from his job at the age of 54 as a result of differences with the CEO and owner Henry Ford Jr. Instead of going home and enjoying retirement, he took over the reins of a financially struggling company Chrysler by taking a loan bailout from the US government and made it up and running again. This bailout package which has become so common in today’s economic scenario was extremely controversial in the early 80’s. One ironic fact, when Iaccoca testified before congress for a bailout, one of the staunch opponents was then chief executive of Lehman Brothers on the basis that a bailout was against the principles of free market economy. It is amazing indeed how times change so quickly.

Lessons for Professionals

Need for a good boss – It is very important to have a good boss to look up to. A good boss not only helps you to get the best of your professional capabilities and also helps the organization to be more profitable and sharper to handle competition.

Data is important but avoid analysis paralysis - Iaccoca is a believer in having good data and research work but it is not a great idea to wait endlessly for some small piece of data when you have more than 80% facts already.

Need for strong corporate governance - During his Ford days, Iaccoca talks about how the management regularly misused the company resources for personal use. The directors on the board often have collusions with the company executives which lead them to ignore excesses in financial planning. The problems faced by Chrysler highlights this fact. This point is pertinent as Iaccoca pointed this out in 1984 long before the Enron and Arthur Andersen scandals which shocked the world.

Lessons for Politicians and Economists

America is investing too much in paper money – Iaccoca in his closing remarks mentions that America is slowly moving away from a manufacturing and export driven nation to an import driven economy in many key sectors. An obsession with paper money was creating assets on paper instead on direct investment in the American economy. This point is well made as America has plunged into the subprime crisis and secondly the FIIs have been fuelling the economies of developing countries like India, China, and Brazil instead of strengthening the job market in the US. (Not that I am complaining about it, the IT industry boom has helped several professionals including myself to make a living and put India on the global map)

The debate about capitalism versus communism is dead- In the 80’s when Chrysler Corporation, the third largest American automobile company went to the government for a bailout package; it was severely criticized in the media and financial circles that it is a bad precedent. Now after the failure of the USSR in the later 80’s and the American economy meltdown in 2008 now question of taking extreme stands on capitalism versus communism is futile. You need free markets and competition but it has to be coupled with checks and balances in form of an industry regulator.

End Note

In the book it is mentioned, in 1980 when Chrysler was undergoing the financial crisis and was in line for a government bailout, the stand-up comedian Bill Cosby made a joke on the company's financial condition. "A guy was so mean... so mean that he called up Chrysler and asked them how is business?”

Two days back, Conan O Brien on the tonight show said“You know why Chrysler’s cars are the safest in the world, because most of them don’t leave the dealer’s store anyway”

The greatest lesson from history is that it repeats itself because men do not learn lessons from it.

Why Gene Roddenberry the creator of Star Trek deserves a Nobel Peace Prize.

The recent news of President Obama being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize was greeted with first with suprise and then derision. The best comment I saw on this topic which was the one which said by this award, two of the great brands the Nobel Prize and President Obama have both being devalued as both have taken a beating in terms of credibility.

Considering the Nobel Peace Prize committee is judging people on intent and vision rather than actual execution of the ideas, I just wondered why Gene Roddenberry who was an ex policeman who went on to produce a science fiction series in the 1960s which was cancelled after 3 seasons but became such a classic on re-runs and spawn so several sequels and dedicated fans across the world, cannot be considered for this honour.

Top reasons why Gene deserved a Nobel

Belief in the triumph of humanity

Unlike all science fiction like Martix, Terminator series which always show the bleak future belonging to the machines, Gene saw humanity being the master in the future, being united as one planet and taking to space exploration boldly.

Shunned Racism

During the 60s, Asians and Afro-Americans were never given leading roles, in fact they were discriminated against, Gene has the courage to cast an Afro-American actress and a Japenese actor in the main cast. The show also showed the first inter-racial kiss on American television media, surely a bold step where no man had gone before. His belief of a future free of bigotry and racias bias was surely admirable.

Such was the influence of the series when Nichelle Nichols the Afro-American actress wanted to withdraw from the series, Martin Luther King personally intervented and asked her to stay on the show as she was a role model for many black woman to emulate.

Having a Russian on the Show during middle of the Cold War

US and the USSR were locked in a bitter cold war and the arms and the space race was on full swing. In spite of this animosity which existed between the 2 nations, Gene introduced a new Russian character Chekov in season 2 after he was chided in a Russian newspaper that inspite of Russians being the first in space by launching the Spuntik, there were no Russians on the show. Even before the cold war ended, Gene saw an united effort from people of all nationalities coming together for common good.

Economy of the Future – No Money

Gene imagined in the future there would be no money, no poverty or disease. The basic needs of people would be taken care of and the primary goal of a person would not acquistion of wealth but at betterment of season. If you consider Maslow's hierarchy of needs, people would exist at the level of self actualization – wherein people work for betterment and achieving their personal talents and goals.

Logic versus Emotion

The character of Mr. Spock who is from an alien race who believes in pure logic was always in clash with the human characters in the ship, the best takeaway from this debate of logic and emotions served up interesting insights on how should humanity evolve, and finally the take on the show was that you need a bit of both a cool head and a warm heart.

Technology

The influence on science and technology is immense, Martin Cooper inventor of the mobile phone was inspired the communicators shown in the series. The show also showcased voice recognition and user friendly personal computers in the 1960's which it was beyond imagination of scientists and techies. In the honour of the influence Star Trek held on the American scientific community, the first space shuttle of NASA was named Enterprise after the fictional ship on which the adventures were based.

Gene Roddenberry might have actually changed the world much more in his own small way as compared to the current American President Obama. Gene might not have explored space in reality but he did convey a message of courage, peace and collaboration from all nationalities, gender and race which lives on after his death in 1991.

The illusion of reality ….

Surf any channel you shall find reality shows for every possible genre song, dance,comedy,eating insects and worms,staying locked for 90 days, romance and even swayambar of Rakhi Sawant an item girl turned adarsh bahu. The latest to add to that list is the controversial Sach ka Saamna which even sent the Parliament in a tizzy.

When the saas bahu K serials ruled the roost, slient prayers by youth across the country yearned for something new and something refreshing. The channel owners hit upon the magic formula of Reality television,

There are people who are increasing finding the shows becoming more voyeuristic and making a bad impact on young children watching these shows. There is a group of member who believe in the freedom of expression and abhor any kind of censorship.

Song/dance Shows Indian Idol/ Sa re Ga ma

The first few shows were the simple harmless song and dance shows, people sing and you the audience can decide the faith of these contestants. Slowly this genre degenerated into asking for votes from the people of your region. Slowly the North East began to assert their presence in India by en mass voting. Then the hosts themselves would mention Bengal ke Debojit needs your votes, Punjab ke Sandeep needs your support etc. If that wasnt enough people started doing melodrama, crying fighting in order to create an impression, talent is not a prerequiste, it is the likeability of a contestant that matters.

So you have hearts of talents crushed and talentless singers getting their 2 minutes of fame and then fading away faster than they even ascended to the stars.

Roadies / Spiltsvilla/Big Boss

Nothing can be more infruitating that a show which says it potrays the youth of the nation, so you have a classic stereotype, a delhite fake english accent, lots of gaalis, tantrums and flirting on the show. You have a bald man, who thinks he is god's gift to humanity and the only thing he loves is run people down. Put people in situations, people fight and say hurtful things with a lot of beeps. Put the show at 7 pm prime time and repeat shows throughout the clock. The host/makers say that they respect women but the tasks and contestants reduce women to mere sex objects. These shows can impact the thought of entire tween generation, the pre teens who are trying to grow up too fast.

The myth called free will....

When there are any calls for regulation on these reality shows, the simple answer the show makers tell us is you can switch off the television. Easier said than done. The same shows run at different times, similar shows exist across different channels. Children cannot be supervised all the time, and temptation and curosity to explore some new stimulus often gets the better of common sense. The kids today are growing up too fast and infact the information fed to them isnt objective. The vices are packaged as style statements, being rude/crass is shown to be cool attitude. The loss of innocene in the future generation is what disturbs me a lot.

I am afraid that choice has already been made for the next generation by the consistent bombardment of voyereutic, consumeristic lifestyle choices. I know I may seem a tad old fashioned in this post but when I look back in the days of Doordarshan, I watched Fun Time an one hour cartoon serial slot from 12.00 to 1.00 in the afternoon during summer vacations and went teary eyed when the show wound up with the end of summer vacations. Now, we have maybe 10 dedicated cartoon channels but the kids today watch Roadies/big Boss or Spiltsvilla.

The truth is complex and rarely simple – Oscar Wilde I think battle between regulation and freedom of expression is far from over !!

The Order in Chaos … that is India !!

I must admit, I have been a bit out of touch from posting on my blog due to certain other commitments in life, feeling a bit rusty so forgive the lazy writing to follow.

India the world's largest democracy, one the world's oldest civilization and second largest populous nation with a huge youth population does look forward to a very great and vibrant future. But many historians, economists and many citizens see it as a chronic under-performer and condemn it as though it is close to a failed state. Let us look at a few common criticisms India has faced in the past 60 odd years of independence.

Extended Socialism Tryst and Anti Business Attitude

To be honest, India had the scars of being victim of imperialism and being taken over by a very large corporation , remember The East India Company, all our leaders were in jail and faced oppression from the British Raj, so there was strong urge to break free from all Western. It was more a misdirected anger towards all things Western and capitalists who exploited India as a colony.

So I would say India behaved like an angry emotional adolescent who did not want to talked down anymore and wants to break from the past completely. A case of throwing the baby out with the water.

The Pro Russia Stance and Non Allied Movement setbacks

It is a fact, India still does not enjoy the best of relations of US in spite of being a democracy, the US with its regional interests still views Pakistan as a key ally and does not want to provoke China. In the 70's during Bangladesh war, the Americans were pro Pakistanis.

India was like Karan from Mahabharata, when faced isolation in the South Asia with the twin threats of Pakistan and China with US taking the opposite side, India chose to side with the Russians. India which had strong socialist leanings naturally sided with the Russians who eventually went on to lose the Cold War.

Caste based Reservations and politics

The only issue which is very close to my heart, that merit does not get its due in this nation due to a large proportion of reservations in college/government. In this case, I have two points of views to be objective, the scheduled castes and tribes did suffer extreme atrocities in the past. They needed some economic benefits to find their feet. The Congress party which had the mandate from the people from 1947 to 1977 – 30 years could not give a coherent solution to the masses. The 1975 Emergency was the last straw for the people of India and Congress party lost its first Lok Sabha elections. In 1978, the Mandal Commission was set up by the Janta Party Govt. which paved the way for wide spread reservations and the rise of the caste based parties.

My conclusion, I agree Caste based politics is detrimental to the nation, but it was the mistake of founding fathers of Independent India that they could not address this issue in the first 3 decades and finally it became an emotive issue for exploitation. The funny part is there are poor people in the villages who face the Maoists and rich people driving in cars who have a OBC certificate who keep get the benefits of the reservation schemes. It is flawed but even nations like the US have suffered from apartheid, India is not unique in its problems.

Conclusion

India has its flaws, but the fact is India is a vibrant economy which gives people the right choose its government, you have a free press which reports events as it happens, not like our neighbouring China which is ruled with an iron glove with extreme censorship, The crack down on Tiebetans and now against the Muslim Uyghurs is one such example. The world is silent about these events but I am happier India has made slower progress than China, at least we have an open free society. India is finally on the way to realize its dreams with an economy which is robust and has great potential. Indian entrepreneurs, Tatas, Ambanis, Mittals ( Sunil and Laxmi), Premji and Murthy taking India to center stage.

I would like to end with two points, US got its independence in 1776 and is 233 year old democracy and the UK gave women the right to vote only in the year 1928 after long and bitter struggle for equal rights. India despite a large illiterate population and a large diversity in religion, language barriers and regional aspirations has remarkably succeeded as a democracy.

There have been blemishes on occasions but I think for a 62 year nation it has done pretty well considering the constraints and the environment. Let us consider the first 50 years like birth pangs and adolescence phase during which our nation learned the ropes. The new India is mature and raring to go. India was founded on a noble ideas freedom, social justice and religious tolerance.

Nothing can stop an idea whose time has come !! That Idea is India. There is a method to this madness and an inherent order in this chaos.

Being a second class citizen in a first world country !

Oscar Wilde aptly put it “Patriotism is the virtue of the vicious”, although one can be proud of one's nation but the strong sense of identity should not extend so much that one hates other nationals. It is fairly ridiculous for me to believe just because I am born in a particular country, that nation becomes the greatest nation in the world and the rest are somehow inferior. The focus on racism has emerged in view of the recent attacks on Indians in Australia and some murders of Andhra students in the US couple of years back.

This kind of identity based ideology has always lead to ugly civil wars and genocides, may it be against the Jews, the Lankan Tamils conflict and the racism discrimination in South Africa of Blacks and Asians including Indians. Although these were really horrendous crimes against humanity, the current crisis in Australia is more a result of fear and mistrust rather than a deep seated racial bias.

I would like to raise a question if it is really racism or other factors at play. I believe it is more a case of xenophobia – a dislike/fear of some one different from oneself which is a subtle difference owning to one cultural differences and secondly the increasing economic recession which makes them hostile towards India, arguably the largest back office of the world.

It is indeed surprising in a first world country in the 21st century, where education levels are so high and countries which have better human rights records, why do such citizens of this civilized society demonstrate such base violent emotions. For a moment here I would like to play Devil's advocate, to understand why would people from the first world countries hate Indians.


Racial profiling post Sept 11 - Let us face it, post Sept 11 any Asian person in a public place who acts a little weird sends shivers down the spines of our Caucasian friends. The fear leads to anger and anger leads to hate which finally takes more violent proportions


Cultural Differences – Indians hang out in groups, dont really want to mingle in a bar and speak their own native language that is a criticism often laid on students here. I guess it must also be a result of discomfort they feel in a new country they kind of bond with their own to get adjusted intially. But my friends in the States, seem to have only desi friends not even good foreign acquaintances. ( I may be wrong here, people can correct me) This could be a factor why the two cultures do not assimilate comfortably.
But then Indians have always bad at inclusiveness, a group of Tamilians or Bengalis can isolate Indians from other part of the same country, where does an Australian or American have a chance to mingle in :)


Where does you loyalty lie Mate ? - It is ironic, when you watch a India- England match at Lords, all our NRIs come in smart blue Sahara India cricket shirts and cheer India beat England in their own country, they celebrate Rajini kant movies and the Pakistanis scream Pakistan zindabad in a must win match for England in the T-20 World Cup match. I am sure this kind of disloyalty is not going to win hearts in the home country.


Its about the money honey – No one really cares if immigrants live here, only when the sinking feeling beings to start that, we are getting marginalized in our own backyard leads to instant hatred towards the outsiders, The fact that the Australian GDP growth has dropped to 0.3% and people cheering Obama on when he imposes work permit restrictions while advocating free market economy for all other goods ( talk about double standards, perhaps better left for another blogpost )


These are perhaps a few reasons, why Indians aboard are hated, although any form of violence cannot be justified and it is condemnable in all forms. However, There is introspection needed on both sides to see how in this era of globalization, this sort of nation based identity can be diluted and we see each other as just as human beings. The world economy has moved irrecoverably wherein the boundaries between nations have been breached, so people need to break those boundaries in their hearts as well.

Although I do feel sympathy for Indians abroad, I do also believe we need to get our act together at home as well, wherein students from Bihar UP are beaten in Mumbai for wanting to appear in Railway Examinations, a shame considering we being villians at home and calling foul abroad. Kind of ironic isnt it ?

Take a Bow the Aam Aadmi !

At the outset of this post, I shall state that I have been a supporter of the ruling party partially due to the fact that my family have been traditional supporters of the Gandhi family but over the years I have found my own reasons to support the UPA. But this post is my attempt to objectively analyze the results and lessons for the various parties.

The Left

The biggest losers in this elections has to be the Left Front considering both the bastions of Kerala and West Bengal falling to the Congress. The loss in Kerala was on the cards considering the infighting and corruption charges, but West Bengal was the big surprise. The consistent high pitch attack on Manmohan Singh on the nuclear deal and the threat of not supporting Cong in the post poll scenario cost them big time.

The reasons which cost the Left the elections complacency in taking Mamta Banerjee and Cong lightly, secondly demonstrating rigidity in policy issues e.g. the nuclear deal and other economic reforms. Prakash Karat and company need to evaluate their political relevance and adjustments to their rather rigid political outlook.

Lalu, Jaya, Maya, Paswan, Pawar, Mulayam and all alleged king makers

The glorious dream for the regional parties that a hung parliament was smashed. The members of the third and the fourth front wanted to capitalize on instability and derive maximum power for self. None of these parties had a plan for the nation in terms of strategy or a clarity in addressing the key issues in the area of economy, foreign affairs or handling terrorism.

The nation has rejected these brand of politics, although regional parties retain relevance in the state politics as in Nitesh having a strong presence in Bihar and Naveen Patnaik in Orissa. The regional parties will keep the national parties in check.

BJP

The BJP made several tactical blunders, in an electorate which no long identifies with religion as a factor for determining self worth, condoning Varun Gandhi's hate speech was a big mistake. The second blunder L.K Advani targeting Manmohan Singh who has a clean image and consistently labeling him as a weak PM, ( it is tough to justify that when the PM risked his government and had a face off with the Left for the nuclear deal, a PM who removed the Home Minister post 26/11 ) and thirdly projecting Narendra Modi as the next PM candidate which was political harakiri. He may be the undisputed leader in Gujarat but his actions in the post Godhra riots, his venomous tongue in talking about his political opponents was not appreciated in most circles.

BJP is in great disarray with no fresh agenda to offer to the Indian people, no charismatic leader who can lead the BJP and NDA coalition to present a credible alternative to the Cong led UPA in the coming years. If they fall back on Narendra Modi as the next leader they will only alienate potential allies and the electorate in general.

Congress

The Cong should not fall in the trap of sycophancy of trying to elevate Rahul Gandhi to the top seat yet. The role Manmohan Singh played in builidng the credibility of the UPA is as significant to the victory as Sonia Gandhi's charisma. The Gandhi family taking a back seat, to let Manmohan Singh take the top job showed the maturity with which Congress is having a long term view to restore the party to its former glory. If the party wants to really shut out the competition for the future, they should give youth a chance, put in qualified ministers in place and ensure the connect with the electorate is in place.

Indian Voter

The rural voter is generally derided for being influenced by money/alcohol, or the urban voter is accused of not even exercising his/her franchise. The voter has sent a clear signal that he/she does not believe in hate politics or put his trust on small regional parties. A key note to reflect upon UPA has a mandate which is 10 seats below the majority mark, which is a warning to them that do not be too complacent, the Indian voter is watching you ….

Take a bow aam aadmi you showed the netas who is the boss !!