“Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.'”
- Isaaac Asimov
Showing posts with label indian polity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label indian polity. Show all posts
Thought Of The Day
We have come to a stage where the aesthetics of the newly acquired book shelf engages more conversation than the type of books that are on the bookshelf. The content of the message has been lost in hubris or our so called busy-ness or plain nonchalance, but the messenger still evokes frantic sentiments on all sides of the spectrum. Since when did we became so partisan and hacks for someone's agenda. No one reads the story these days, people go straight to the comments section to check out the abuse happening around or promote their own bias. Any sane debate or view point is lost in this theater of the absurd. And now this theater pervades all around from art to politics to media to everyday lives, covering the real.
The Bitter Harvest Of Inaction
For the last couple of months the biggest narrative in India has been the near precipitous fall of currency and the dark clouds gathering over the economy. And this is when there are ample experienced hands at the deck. So many captains and yet no glories to speak of. Leave aside glories, the ship looks as if it has hit its underside on the rocks and is rapidly filling water. How could we have come undone so fast? See no further for what went wrong. It was not any action that caused it, it was years of inaction. It is just plain complacency. The spectacular growth mostly export fueled during the UPA-I years gave them enough reason that all is a-ok and growth will continue like this with any impetus. You know what, any captain can sail on a favorable wind. Even if you don't do anything, the winds pushes the ship forward. This is what actually happened. As long as global economy was strong, we were going mighty fast.
Then 2008 came and the bubble burst and our ship hit rough waters. But the so called Jack Sparrows of our economy kept repeating that all is well and we will soon return to 8%+ growth rates. No course correction was ever done. I always believe the Government is not their to take decisions that please the people. Who does not want subsidized LPG? Who does not want freebies? But can a country with very limited resources work like that. Can Government take decisions based on populist pressures? Or do nothing and hope things mend themselves. And all this has led us to where we are. Inflation is not really under control, growth rates that is sputtering, currency in free fall, foreign capital fleeing the shores and no new investment being done.
The problem is not global economy now for US despite of such a massive base grows decently while we manage measly growth on such abysmal economic standards. The problem is not even falling currency for that is a symptom of the malaise not the actual disease. The fever tells you that probably you have a bigger problem somewhere. What we have here is a perfect case of a self-afflicted wound. Policy inaction, multiple power centers, fiscal profligacy and just plain over-confidence. I don't pity the captains of this ship. They probably don't need it anyways. They will still manage well in their Lutyen's bungalows. We would also manage well. Probably one or two less movies or eating out in a month. But it won't be a easy ride for the countless millions joining the workforce every year or those at the margins of society. Couple of percentage of less growth will ensure millions will be left jobless. This minuscule growth will be a jobless growth for the industry will not hire unless they see momentum picking up. The powers that be will still fiddle over the definition of poverty line and how they moved millions of unwashed masses to so called "middle class". And there will be no easy way out of this troubled waters. No warm winds to help us come unstuck. It is going to be many years of discontent.
Then 2008 came and the bubble burst and our ship hit rough waters. But the so called Jack Sparrows of our economy kept repeating that all is well and we will soon return to 8%+ growth rates. No course correction was ever done. I always believe the Government is not their to take decisions that please the people. Who does not want subsidized LPG? Who does not want freebies? But can a country with very limited resources work like that. Can Government take decisions based on populist pressures? Or do nothing and hope things mend themselves. And all this has led us to where we are. Inflation is not really under control, growth rates that is sputtering, currency in free fall, foreign capital fleeing the shores and no new investment being done.
The problem is not global economy now for US despite of such a massive base grows decently while we manage measly growth on such abysmal economic standards. The problem is not even falling currency for that is a symptom of the malaise not the actual disease. The fever tells you that probably you have a bigger problem somewhere. What we have here is a perfect case of a self-afflicted wound. Policy inaction, multiple power centers, fiscal profligacy and just plain over-confidence. I don't pity the captains of this ship. They probably don't need it anyways. They will still manage well in their Lutyen's bungalows. We would also manage well. Probably one or two less movies or eating out in a month. But it won't be a easy ride for the countless millions joining the workforce every year or those at the margins of society. Couple of percentage of less growth will ensure millions will be left jobless. This minuscule growth will be a jobless growth for the industry will not hire unless they see momentum picking up. The powers that be will still fiddle over the definition of poverty line and how they moved millions of unwashed masses to so called "middle class". And there will be no easy way out of this troubled waters. No warm winds to help us come unstuck. It is going to be many years of discontent.
Thought Of The Day
It's been long since I have written on Indian polity, not because of there being any dearth of issues but because I believe that in the current set up the more things change the more they remain the same. What we are seeing today is a circus, a self serving act, self-deluding mockery that is being played with the tax payers money and common citizen's life. And I include opposition (of all shades and hues) in this charade. The problem are fundamental and yet fixable, yet no one is willing to fix them and it's not that they require some gigantic effort or big fiscal spend, they just require some imaginative thinking and resolve. But then creative imagination is not our strong point. Is it? I won't talk on it today, maybe some other day. Maybe not even on the other day.
Below the big headlines on any newspaper or news portal filled with some supposedly earth shattering news or gossip, below there lies a slow and steady stream of ruthless banality, of some miserable small death somewhere in the expanse of this big country. Accidents, suicide, human exploitation, mysterious diseases and criminal acts like murder/rape ect. These little read snippets of some gruesome incident often not stressed over in its singularity, yet when you look at how they are numbing the society, how they are killing people (and especially young people) you just shudder. 3000 people die on Mumbai trains yearly, a rape every 22 minutes. Over 150K killed mostly young people in road accidents in an year. Similar numbers for suicide. Every year the same story repeats for dengue, encephalitis ect. There are countless cruel stats like these. I can go on for ever. Yet, whats the point. Such miserable urban planning, no social nets for people who are clutching on to practically no hope. No rule of law to deter crime. No justice for the wronged. No adequate physical and social infrastructure. No proper health care for many who just give up. And on the top of it as if this was not enough, we ourselves do not seem to have commonsense to make the correct decision.
I think it is too much to ask. We are hoping for too much. For people of my age, (early thirties) who have seen both the old Bharat and the new India, we have already lived half of our lives where materially things may have gone comfortable (for some) yet the overall social indicators are still depressing. And I don't think things are going to get much better soon. We are or soon will be entering a demographic bulge where a whole generation will move from teens to employable age group and consumers The country and its infrastructure (both social and physical) is hopelessly short to handle this. Be it roads, be it housing, be it health care, be it courts or police. These mindless and numbing stats will just grow bigger and be still lost somewhere in this media circus or some chest-thumping rhetoric. They just didn't deserve that much respect, either living or either dying.
I just hope our children see a much better country. Something to think about!
Below the big headlines on any newspaper or news portal filled with some supposedly earth shattering news or gossip, below there lies a slow and steady stream of ruthless banality, of some miserable small death somewhere in the expanse of this big country. Accidents, suicide, human exploitation, mysterious diseases and criminal acts like murder/rape ect. These little read snippets of some gruesome incident often not stressed over in its singularity, yet when you look at how they are numbing the society, how they are killing people (and especially young people) you just shudder. 3000 people die on Mumbai trains yearly, a rape every 22 minutes. Over 150K killed mostly young people in road accidents in an year. Similar numbers for suicide. Every year the same story repeats for dengue, encephalitis ect. There are countless cruel stats like these. I can go on for ever. Yet, whats the point. Such miserable urban planning, no social nets for people who are clutching on to practically no hope. No rule of law to deter crime. No justice for the wronged. No adequate physical and social infrastructure. No proper health care for many who just give up. And on the top of it as if this was not enough, we ourselves do not seem to have commonsense to make the correct decision.
I think it is too much to ask. We are hoping for too much. For people of my age, (early thirties) who have seen both the old Bharat and the new India, we have already lived half of our lives where materially things may have gone comfortable (for some) yet the overall social indicators are still depressing. And I don't think things are going to get much better soon. We are or soon will be entering a demographic bulge where a whole generation will move from teens to employable age group and consumers The country and its infrastructure (both social and physical) is hopelessly short to handle this. Be it roads, be it housing, be it health care, be it courts or police. These mindless and numbing stats will just grow bigger and be still lost somewhere in this media circus or some chest-thumping rhetoric. They just didn't deserve that much respect, either living or either dying.
I just hope our children see a much better country. Something to think about!
Thought Of The Day
A mere customary glance of any Indian news portal makes a depressing read about the nation's state. It makes a sad reading. It really does. It's like Nero playing the fiddle while Rome burned. I read one apt couplet somewhere and want to quote it on the predicament this nation is facing. Maybe things will turn for good. Maybe, but i don't fancy the chances.
"jo shakhs tum se pehle yahan takht nasheen tha
usko bhi khuda hone pe itna hi yaqeen tha"
The person occupying the throne before you, was equally convinced of his divinity.
"jo shakhs tum se pehle yahan takht nasheen tha
usko bhi khuda hone pe itna hi yaqeen tha"
The person occupying the throne before you, was equally convinced of his divinity.
Story Of The Day
This is a story that I heard in the TV today about the state of polity there(Pakistan). Not even changing an iota of fact from the same story the story rings so true for India as well.
In a certain city in India (it could be any city in India or village for that matter) in not so old times (again the time can be any for that matter), a project was approved to construct a building for the common folk to be used as a school and medical center. An engineer constructed the building and in couple of years later he was transferred to a different location(as part of regular job rotation). Another engineer came to fill in his place and said that before he could take charge, he would like to see the building. When the two engineers went to building location, there was no trace of the building or it being ever constructed. The new engineer says that how can he take charge when there is no such building. The old engineer with glitter in his eyes says that he constructed the building, you just keep maintaining the building. The new engineer being old in the trade understood what it meant, signed the papers and took the official charge. He kept maintaining it for some years before he was also transferred to a new posting. A third engineer comes to replace him and in a similar fashion, contended that he will take charge only after inspecting the building. Both went to the building site and like last time, there was no trace of the building. The freshly arrived engineer accusing the existing in-charge for corruption, says that he will report this wrongdoing to his superiors that no such building was ever constructed and whole funds were misappropriated. The existing engineer with a whiff of confidence coolly places his hand on mildly angry new engineer and says that some previous engineer constructed the building, i was maintaining it and now if you want you can demolish it. There will be no need for inquiry and everything will be according to the rule of the land.
power corrupts...absolute power... corrupts absolutely
In a certain city in India (it could be any city in India or village for that matter) in not so old times (again the time can be any for that matter), a project was approved to construct a building for the common folk to be used as a school and medical center. An engineer constructed the building and in couple of years later he was transferred to a different location(as part of regular job rotation). Another engineer came to fill in his place and said that before he could take charge, he would like to see the building. When the two engineers went to building location, there was no trace of the building or it being ever constructed. The new engineer says that how can he take charge when there is no such building. The old engineer with glitter in his eyes says that he constructed the building, you just keep maintaining the building. The new engineer being old in the trade understood what it meant, signed the papers and took the official charge. He kept maintaining it for some years before he was also transferred to a new posting. A third engineer comes to replace him and in a similar fashion, contended that he will take charge only after inspecting the building. Both went to the building site and like last time, there was no trace of the building. The freshly arrived engineer accusing the existing in-charge for corruption, says that he will report this wrongdoing to his superiors that no such building was ever constructed and whole funds were misappropriated. The existing engineer with a whiff of confidence coolly places his hand on mildly angry new engineer and says that some previous engineer constructed the building, i was maintaining it and now if you want you can demolish it. There will be no need for inquiry and everything will be according to the rule of the land.
power corrupts...absolute power... corrupts absolutely
Thought Of The Day
On the IGP Rathore case and the victim party's decision to close the case against the alleged due to lack of hope in the "system". The "system" has its strange ways certainly. I just wonder what happens to those cultures where justice is not delivered and the rule of law is actually law of the mighty. What will come out of those societies. Would those society be worth living in. I know that the "system"can not give one 24 hour electricity in this sweltering heat or a decent job or healthcare for the millions on the lowest rung of the ladder. But respect is something we all deserve even if you don't give us anything else. And it doesn't cost a fortune to do that. To make sure that law of the land prevails. To make sure justice is delivered. To make sure, the weakest does not slip through this impersonal vast conundrum that we call "system". This much respect I think we all are worthy of as a citizen, as a human being with dignity and self-worth. I hope we are not asking to much. Something to ponder about. Something to wish for.
The Gathering Storm
The Indian govt. came out with a 'white' paper on the 'black' money. Anybody who ever works in Indian IT knows what a white paper is. In most cases, it's a charade. It's a mishmash of weekend google-ing and some lazy re-phrasing. Same has been the case with the govt.'s white paper. A white paper for the sake of white paper. This government has become an epitome of ineptitude and 'one step forward and two step back'. This is not the time to shake this off as pangs of coalition and fractured polity. If you can't perform there is no compulsion to stay put. They can very well move out. It is this self-serving and meek behavior that is causing such a policy logjam that is detrimental to modern capitalistic environment. India is no more a dangling juicy piece of meat for which investors are willing to wait on the sidelines. Today's money is 'hot money'. It just does not wait. It flows somewhere else. Besides the new dynamics of investment, today fiscal scenario is nothing short of precarious. The balance of payment is acute, trade deficit is nearly 140$ billion annually. Gold & crude imports is bleeding India fiscal situation. Rupee is not finding a bottom. Inflation is showing no signs of abating. The euro crises does not sound as remote as Europe. The high interest rate is making private companies cut short on capacity expansion. Policy paralysis on reforms, environmental litigation, subsidy and fiscal rationalization is grinding the wheels of economy to halt. On top of this, scams and bureaucratic safe play is burning the candle on the other side. This is when huge segments of youth joining the workforce. Somebody needs to show spine and put the regional satraps to size and break this logjam. If a white paper needs to come, then it needs to come on how many jobs will not be created if the economy slips couple of percentage. How many people will not be pulled out of poverty if critical reforms remain stuck. This is what is the need of the times is.
WTF Picture Of The Day
Come to think of it, this is all tax payers money. my money, your money and our money. and recall ten days ago, the same people said that they don't have money in government coffers to pay for the victims of the stampede in the temple. now you get the picture, where that all money went. what to say, it's all sad.
[...]
Each ring of this garland has 45 notes of 1000 denomination, i.e 45,000 rupees. Each centimetre has got five such rings. 5 x 45,000 is Rs 2,25,000. This garland is 10 meters long i.e. 1000 cm. So 2,25,000 x 1000 becomes Rs 22,50,00000.
[...]
That is hell lot of money, i am sure they will have this dismantled before the enforcement authority get a hand on it. even if the numbers are inflated by a factor of 10, it is still a lot of dough. what is sickening is couple of things, in fact three things.
firstly, why is taxpayers money being used for such utter and shameless self-fulfilment. secondly, why this government can't even do even little bit for hapless citizens even after say it spends eighty percent on itself. It still can spend twenty percent on those great unwashed masses, is it too much to ask. and thirdly why does this government always have to hark back on injustices done to her community in the past to justify their shamelessness. isn't what they are doing now injustice to millions. I am filled with disgust.
Indian Polity And Hypocrisy
Who needs foes when the political class is so bent on destroying the very idea of India, the latest outrage being that of Tata being forced out of West Bengal by the Mamta Banerjee and her antics. If she wants to go back to the stone age, then she can but why is she taking everybody along, why should rest of us be prisoner to her whims and fancies. It can very well be that those 400 acres in question are very very fertile, and maybe there is an outside chance that appropriate compensation was not given (though I doubt if Tata would ever do that), but any reason doesn't warrant what happened there. Either you can have a 1000 small farmers tilling that small patch of land and maybe just scraping through or you have a world class car plant that could easily employ thousands in direct and maybe tens of thousands in indirect jobs, besides the taxes it would generate for the government. Is it that hard to fathom or is that hard to sell to the masses. I agree that the whole SEZ policy is a one big hogwash, but then this so called "dance of democracy" is a more bigger hogwash.
Another phony out their is Arundhati Roy (the fairer sex is on my cross hairs today, believe me they had it coming long time..), okay so she want freedom for Kashmir, aha.. I agree that we haven't been doing our best in Kashmir but independence, lets see, we grant everyone what they want we start from top, then Punjab, then maybe Maharastra, then Tamils, the North East and more. Okay, so we have fulfilled everybody wishes, but hold on, have me ? So now people want countries the size of districts, then maybe city-nations and then maybe what if I want my home to be my sovereign fiefdom. They say that man is a social animal but it is anything but social, it appears social and homogeneous as long as it sees a bigger motive and when the motive is no longer there, internal fractures occur. Be it a country or be it a big family. It is not order that gives something a shape (maybe a water in a vase), it is the shape that gives a semblance of order. And if you have internal crooks like our ruling elite & bedfellows like our neighbours, it makes two to tango. If Arundhati is so interested in freedom, maybe she can go to Wazirstan or Dafur, and see if she can speak like this there .See what's happening in Kashmir lately, some acres of land is being given to have better tourist facilities, what's the hidden agenda in it, what are the so called nefarious designs. You know, we have pandered some people so badly that anything being requested from them, seems to be an existential injustice to them. But if some people have a special weakness for someone else agenda, then maybe God help them. One interesting part in all this maze is how come Pakistan has this much brand equity, that still people are willing to join them. Even after what is happening in Waziristan, Swat and Baluchistan. Is the bonds of religion so strong that it refuses to see that black is black & white is white! I also want to be these jholla-wala civil society members intellectual types. Love the shoot and scoot lifestyle and the easy money that comes with it. Such statements gives you lot of footage on the guest speaker circuit. Can I say something about the injustices that were done in say Tibet or maybe Red Indians in US just to begin with.
Another phony out their is Arundhati Roy (the fairer sex is on my cross hairs today, believe me they had it coming long time..), okay so she want freedom for Kashmir, aha.. I agree that we haven't been doing our best in Kashmir but independence, lets see, we grant everyone what they want we start from top, then Punjab, then maybe Maharastra, then Tamils, the North East and more. Okay, so we have fulfilled everybody wishes, but hold on, have me ? So now people want countries the size of districts, then maybe city-nations and then maybe what if I want my home to be my sovereign fiefdom. They say that man is a social animal but it is anything but social, it appears social and homogeneous as long as it sees a bigger motive and when the motive is no longer there, internal fractures occur. Be it a country or be it a big family. It is not order that gives something a shape (maybe a water in a vase), it is the shape that gives a semblance of order. And if you have internal crooks like our ruling elite & bedfellows like our neighbours, it makes two to tango. If Arundhati is so interested in freedom, maybe she can go to Wazirstan or Dafur, and see if she can speak like this there .See what's happening in Kashmir lately, some acres of land is being given to have better tourist facilities, what's the hidden agenda in it, what are the so called nefarious designs. You know, we have pandered some people so badly that anything being requested from them, seems to be an existential injustice to them. But if some people have a special weakness for someone else agenda, then maybe God help them. One interesting part in all this maze is how come Pakistan has this much brand equity, that still people are willing to join them. Even after what is happening in Waziristan, Swat and Baluchistan. Is the bonds of religion so strong that it refuses to see that black is black & white is white! I also want to be these jholla-wala civil society members intellectual types. Love the shoot and scoot lifestyle and the easy money that comes with it. Such statements gives you lot of footage on the guest speaker circuit. Can I say something about the injustices that were done in say Tibet or maybe Red Indians in US just to begin with.
The Values Debate
We had this little water cooler debate yesterday as to what amounts to values & ethics & culture. What exactly do these words mean in today's consumerist society. I guess it's all ugly & muddy out there. I am adding this as a place holder to initiate a nice & sane debate as to what you feel about them.
Do add in your comments :)
Do add in your comments :)
India V/s America debate
One often gets down into the debate here (apart from the helpless arguments on Indian cricket team) as to why India is so backwards vis-a-vis America, why it is the quality of life in India is so modest compared to here. And the usual argument ends up blaming it to the huge population or that India is a recent democracy when compared with the America.
I don't believe that being young has contributed to the ills that our country faces, neither is population that big a millstone around India's neck. I believe it all boils to the institutions one country inherits or builds. Those are pillars around which a modern society revolves and functions. A group of people is just a crowd or a mob unless there are rules to make it orderly. What we have in India are weak institutions or establishments just overwhelmed with the internal contradictions that we inherited from British or because of our polity and society. I say it contradictions because of the various strands and seams of culture and ideas and future dreams that has engrossed the young multi-plural nation and its people. Add 60 years to it and the consensus was that we must had figured it right by now. But the reality is far far distant. We still are facing with critical if not existential issues, and there is still no urgency to get the institutions working. The usual refrain is that we are moving in right directions slowly and steadily, but do the people have that patience. The next wave of employment seeking youth are just arriving, young and restless and be rest assured they will not take things lying down.
I don't believe that being young has contributed to the ills that our country faces, neither is population that big a millstone around India's neck. I believe it all boils to the institutions one country inherits or builds. Those are pillars around which a modern society revolves and functions. A group of people is just a crowd or a mob unless there are rules to make it orderly. What we have in India are weak institutions or establishments just overwhelmed with the internal contradictions that we inherited from British or because of our polity and society. I say it contradictions because of the various strands and seams of culture and ideas and future dreams that has engrossed the young multi-plural nation and its people. Add 60 years to it and the consensus was that we must had figured it right by now. But the reality is far far distant. We still are facing with critical if not existential issues, and there is still no urgency to get the institutions working. The usual refrain is that we are moving in right directions slowly and steadily, but do the people have that patience. The next wave of employment seeking youth are just arriving, young and restless and be rest assured they will not take things lying down.
Children Of Lesser Gods
As if the politics was not sickening enough.. the government (...whose government is it anyway ...) shot itself in the foot again...it passed a notification to introduce 27% reservation for OBCs in 20 central universities, IITs and IIMs ...that makes it 50% reserved... full fifty percent ..one half of prized seats will be filled not on the basis of merit, but on the basis of other considerations...where does this leave us.. the 'unfortunates' ..the 'Children Of Lesser Gods'..if the anomaly lies somewhere else (....lack of proper education in these backward classes ) why apply the solution some place other (...reservations) ..the government of the day ...and why only current government ..every government we have seen in distant memory has been making decisions based on considerations that were anything but people-centric... vote being the sole driving factor and self-fulfillment being the only prerogative... as i have said it before 'a piecemeal-by-piecemeal approach always gives a piecemeal solution'.. The solution lies not in caste or religion based quotas but by making sure every student irrespective of his caste or religious affiliations gets the best of education possible and a quota for people who are economically deprived ..Nobody ..Nobody ..wants to re-live the ghosts of those tumultuous 'mandal' days...those bright young lives lost in the senseless 'mandal' fire ...do we need another 'Rajeev Goswami' to make the deaf hear ...hope we have some sane people sitting in Supreme Court ..or God save 'India Rising'..
~V for Vendetta~
"PEOPLE SHOULD NOT FEAR THEIR GOVERNMENT, GOVERNMENT'S SHOULD FEAR THEIR PEOPLE"
~V for Vendetta~
"PEOPLE SHOULD NOT FEAR THEIR GOVERNMENT, GOVERNMENT'S SHOULD FEAR THEIR PEOPLE"
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