Other Side of the Line

Trifurcation of Timeline

2011-09-10T14:32:00.000-04:00

History and time have been bifurcated for years but that seems to have changed ten years ago and a new timeline was unconsciously accepted by the world. I still distinctly remember the day like many others, when two giant steel birds brought the pride of a nation to the ground- the ground which we now know as ‘Ground Zero’. A lot has changed from that day onward and as I reflect back reminiscing the decade behind us , I question whether what happened happened for a constructive reason or was it a futile exhibition of fanaticism from one side and excessive prudence from the other.

The definition of terrorism was not inked after the September 11^th attacks but it took an indelible form from that day onwards. A society oblivious of the heinous acts of terrors plaguing the world around it was juddered so hard that it still tries to pick it self up from the rubbles. From September 12^th onwards, America and the rest of its cohorts in the western world broke away from their tenet and acknowledged that terrorism in countries like the former Soviet, Africa , South East Asia and the Subcontinent were not just confined within the borders of an exacerbated nation but were intertwined in a complex global society. From that moment onwards the United States took upon itself the responsibility to eradicate the world of religious fundamentalism with a phantasm which was idealists to many and repulsive to the Islamic world. But this phantasm, as prejudiced as it was did have positive ramification around the world. Intelligence sharing, which even after the cold war era was considered a taboo among many countries had become a protocol in the war against terrorism. Societies were clandestinely inundated with advance technologies to detect suspicious activities which have impeded terrorist activities around the world. So, before P911 (time line of post September 11^th) when defending a nation plagued and intimidated by terror was considered ones own obligation, today this obligation is shared by the international community ( even though participation is dictated by self-interest). This is why I question – what happened that day did it happen for a constructive reason?

The decade P911, the world not only changed in a way society jointly viewed terrorism but also itself. Was it all a futile exhibition of fanaticism ? I believe it was. The message which the terrorist stamped on the world was that of a few fundamentalist. They are minions working as mercenaries who carry the agenda of a handful of intelligent, nefarious and obdurate men who manipulate the thinking of vulnerable individuals by haranguing trenchant religion literature. With the assassination of Osama-Bin-Laden and the noose tightening on mother ship ( audaciously borrowing from a Sifi movie as a metaphor for Al-Qaeda), what is left are off-shoots/splinter cells who have demonstrated their atypical attributes but also their lack of sedulousness when it comes to execution. 2011 has been a revolutionary year, in literal terms, with many Arab countries in the middle east and North Africa ousting despots giving way to a democratic and free society. Ironically these are the very fundamentals upon which the free world was formed, which the religious radicalist want to abrogate. Its surprising how things at times come a full circle, the society for whom you think you are fighting for with a imperious tenet eventually repudiate it for what radicals consider as a prosaic and irreligious tenet. So, do you think it was a futile exhibition?

And, has the decade P911 been an exhibition of excessive prudence? The past decade has not only strengthened a societies emotional integrity but also diluted its cultural and religious identity. Racial profiling is unconsciously embedded into the minds of the people. The color of your skin, the length of your facial hair and the attire your wear which signified cultural and regional identity has been replaced by radical religious identity. Adding to the already arduous airport security a secondary screening done through racial profiling has left an indelible emotional trauma on a particular sections of the society. Security checkpoints at entertainment centers, museums, monuments, shopping malls etc have impeded the core ideal of our society – Freedom (of movement). Generations oblivious towards such rationale will slowly accept this societal behavior as a norm going ahead, which will shatter the foundation upon which our society prior to P911 was built upon- Freedom, Equality, Tolerance, Justice and Peace. All these precautionary measures, as salubrious as they might be, are in away doing exactly what the fundamental radicalist intended-‘Division of society amongst the line of race, religion and color’. So, do you think we being too prudent?

(I personally abhor the term Islamic terror since fanaticism is a chimera in every society and religion.I have tried my best to refrain myself from implying any religious propensity)

The World Around Us

2011-08-12T12:15:00.000-04:00

The right to Aarakshan

Prakash Jha is a celebrated director in the Indian film industry, who for years has canvassed the realities of social and political issues through his work. His recent project deals with the contentious issue of affirmative actions in educational institutes. As every political and social cinema in India, even Aarakshan was subjected to caste based politicking and censure. After 64 years of independence India still refuses to eradicated itself from the tenets of caste and caste based reservations. In a global world when the balance of power around the world is changing and every country seeks its rightful position in the world, India amongst the top countries competing for this position is bickering on a system which was installed more than half a century ago. Unfortunately the very people who are trying to drive this country to the top position in the world use the caste strategy to remain in power. My opinion has always been on eradication of caste based affirmative action and replace it with a financial based system so that people who really deserve alleviation and benevolence are not left behind because of their lineage to a so called higher caste. I do not intend to moot the incorporation of caste based affirmation into the early years of post independence Indian society . The system seems to have worked to its potential mothering many underprivileged citizens to economic and social stability. So why does this system still give preference to the offspring's of those very individuals to attained this stability through the system? Why would you need the same mothering when you do not belong to the same family anymore? Newton once said-“ Every action has an equal and opposite reaction” but the people who now exploit this system fail to see the opposite reaction of this action. Reduction in intakes through merit in educational institutes and public sector industries have reduced, pushing the once privileged society towards an impecunious and distressed sect. The Ramans, the Aryabhatta’s, the Narayanmurthy’s, the Amathasen’s from the upper sect of the society have been sidelined to groom the Ramans, the Aryabhatta’s, the Narayanmurthy’s, the Amathasen’s from the underprivileged sections of the society. I do not see the harm of having two of each? If India zeal's to be amongst the best in the world it will soon have to do away with the an affirmative action based on caste and replace it with one based on the economic stability of an individual. Only then will be be able to embraces the Ramans, … who cannot afford to pay their tuition fees, hence failing to give us another ‘Raman Effect’.

American Debt debacle

What America and the world saw and experienced over the past few weeks with reference to the rise of the debt limit can be construed as a sneer towards democracy. It is lamentable when a minority of individual representing only 10% of the country can hold the countries economic stability at ransom to fulfill ideological promises. As the government finally compromised by kicking the can down the road, the Presidents performance can be portrayed on two sides of a coin. The only positive I take from this theater was his ability to compromise and find a level ground when the country is so polarized and partisan. But on the other side of the coin, his lack of assertiveness and command over the situation, especially against the Tea Party has further reduced the shine on his armor. His compromise on spending cuts and entitlement reforms with no revenue increase has disconcerted not only his base but also many independents. Most economist around the world have theorized the damage spending cuts could induce into the fragile economy in the immediate future. Such a compromise will not only strangle investment into nation building projects on education, infrastructure and technology but also the political and economic influence the country holds in the world. Which in turn will further slow down the economic recovery of the country, which with no doubt will be used as a whipping tool against the President in next years election season. So, today President Obama might have saved the country and the world’s economic system but if he needs to save his job next year he will need to take a decisive stand on how he and only he cogitates and envisages the recovery of Brand USA.

BLEED BLUE

2011-04-01T14:54:00.002-04:00

As much as I am tempted to write about the high octane, enthralling and nerve wrecking India-Pakistan game, I am forced to reserve my excitement for the ultimate challenge. Wednesday’s game attracted more than a billion people onto their idiot boxes but expect every cricket fanatic from around the seven continents (assuming scientist in Antarctica love cricket) to be cemented to their couch or bar stools surrounded by family and friend (or penguins) on Saturday.

Source:espancricinfo.com

After nine World Cups, for the first time two Asian countries will face of to be called “Two Time World Champions”. But this game is just not about winning the match and lifting the 11kg gold and silver trophy. This time there is a sentimental twist to this story- A farewell party for two of the biggest icons of the game. The highest run getter in international cricket -Sachin (God) Tendulkar and the highest wicket taker in international -Muttiah (Spin King) Muralitharan. While Murali has official declared his desire to hang his boots after the World Cup, it is still uncertain if Sachin, at his homeground would bring to an end an illustrious ODI career. But one thing is for certain that this is will be the last World Cup both these icons will be seen in.

Saturday will be a contest between India’s phenomenal batting line up versus the balance of a talented Sri Lankan team. Two wicketkeeper-captains Sangakara and Dhoni will be taking the filed to create history which has eluded their team/country for more than a decade. Looking back, both these teams had made it to the finals of the previous two World Cups, with India in 2003 and Sri Lanka in 2007, before being literally trashed by the then mighty Australians. Both have got their opportunity to payback for the humiliating defeat, in this tournament with only India coming on top after defeating Australia during the quarterfinals. (Unfortunately for the Lankan’s the rain Gods played spoil sports)

Both these teams have traced a very different path to come to this stage. Sri Lanka on one hand has had relatively easy wins, especially in the crucial stages of the tournament against England (hurts to say this!) and New Zealand. On the other hand India had to toil through the group stages against teams like England, South Africa and then in the knock out stages against Australia and Pakistan. So in comparison to the Lankans, the Indians have been tested and they have come out successful. One more important factor to be noted is the home advantage Sri Lanka had enjoyed throughout the tournament. They have played every game at home and will be tested in Indian conditions for the final. India surely has an upper hand playing at home, in Sachin's backyard and with more than 30000 fanatic Indian supporters from every walks of life-government officials, celebrities and how can I forget… you and me at the stadium.

Tomorrow every India will pray for a repeat of history when Lord Ram’s army defeated Ravan’s Lankan army to claim back Seeta. Well, to the credit of Sangakara and his men, there is no way one can be compared to Ravan but heck(!!) who cares as long as India wins. And due to the absence of Seeta lets just associate her beauty and purity to that of the 60cm tall gold and silver trophy. As mythology claims, the fall of Ravan came only after a river of blood, shed by both sides, ran across Lanka. But keeping this battle bloodless, lets just hope to Bleed Blue on what will be the most eventful day of the year for every Indian and Sri Lankan. Now whether it is dark blue or light blue we will get to know very soon!!!

To Each His (own) Cup

2011-02-15T14:53:00.000-05:00

With three days in the countdown, we approach towards the most anticipated sporting event in 2011. World Cup Cricket is back to the sub-continent after 15 years. With 14 countries, 49 games and one and half months of cricket, this time its anyone's cup. After more than a decade of Australian dominance, with three consecutive world cup wins, 2011 is expected to reign in a new champion. Gone are the times when games involving Australia were considered one sided. And gone are the days when every team used to play for second place.

The departure of greats like Steve Waugh, Adam Gilchrist, Mat Hayden, Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Andrew Symonds from the Australian team has created a vacuum in the champion team which is being filled by nascent young blood who still are trying to make a mark and carry forward the Australian legacy forward. Their sole inspiration being their three time world cup champion and two time world cup winning captain Ricky Ponting. But even he seems vulnerable without the support he enjoyed for the last eleven years. After losing both their warm-up games to two competitive teams- India and South Africa, Australia has further illustrated their vulnerability.

“The chokers” South Africa and “The Unpredictable” India- the two teams which defeated the Australians in the warm up games have been pitted as the front runners to win the cup this year. Both team ooze experience, talent, and youth which were the attributes associated with the Australians in the last decade. The one attribute, unlike Australia, which is not generally associated with either of these teams is ‘Aggression’. Between the two who ever exhibits that aggression on the field might stand a good chance of going all the way at the Wankhade stadium. The closely fought one day series in South Africa between these two teams, which the host country won 3-2, showed the level of competitiveness we can expect by them during the tournament. The key to South Africa’s success will be their bowling attack with the likes of Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, who are backed by some aggressive batting by Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers. What they lack is a quality spin bowler who will play a key role in slow and turning tracks of the sub-continent.

For India, one name stands above all- Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. The ability to overcome his jinx in ICC tournaments will be the biggest factor. Even after more than 20 years in international cricket, Tendulkar possess the same passion and energy as a 16 year old when he first made his debut. Considering that winning a world cup is the only achievement which has eluded him, with this being the last attempt, in this illustrious career, we surely hope to see the little master light up the night skies of India with his bat. Apart from Tendulkar, India has an array of talented batsmen like the Sehwags, the Yuvrajs and the Pathans who on a given day can completely change the balance of the game and win it on their own. A proof being the recent India and New Zealand series where a quick fire century by Yusuf Pathan single handedly won the the game for India. The one concern which India has is, its pace bowling department. An injured Zaheer Khan is the key to India’s success in the initial and death overs. His pace and swing has rattled many opening batsmen and his reverse swings and yorkers have sealed the fate for many tail end batsmen in recent years. His swift recovery before the crucial games against South Africa and England hold the key to India’s success and entry into the final four. The one department which the Indians can be rest assured is with spin bowling. The experience of Harbajan Singh backed with the talent of youngsters like Ashwin and Chawala; along with part time support from Pathan and Yuvraj gives India’s charismatic and inspiring captain, (Mr Cool)M.S Dhoni the options he needs to take control of the game.

This is what the pundits say and I acknowledge that. But one team which I am rooting for and expect a lot from is England. Yes… to the surprise of many I am backing England along with my home team. After years of searching for the right combination and physically fit players, I believe England today has one of the most talented batch of players. Led by an experienced and attaching batsmen like Andrew Strauss, he has to his disposal players who rally around each other to build innings and partnerships. Their biggest assets being the brand name K.P (Kevin Pietersen) who with his power and aggression can change the shape of a cricket ball without running the yards. The top order support of Strauss, Trott and Bell with K.P and Collingwood in the middle order form a competitive batting order. In the bowling department, the pace of Tremlett and Anderson couple with the all round ability of Brensan can fluster and finish the innings of any competitive team in a given day. Their biggest plus in the bowling department, considering the sub-continental conditions would be Graeme Swann- considered as the best spin bowler in contemporary times. Their poor performance down under in ODI’s after winning the Ashes is always in the back of my mind. But considering their previous performance and team composition I would not hesitate to bet my money on them to make the last four. They might not be as strong as India or South Africa but they are no more push overs of the late 90’s and early 2000.

No one in their sane mind would rule out Australia and Sri Lanka from reaching the finish line but there is something in these two teams which says that they will need to play out of their skins to beat the top performers. Unfortunately New Zealand, a team which historically has performed well in ICC tournament , due to their recent performance in Bangladesh, India and even back home against Pakistan, will face trouble to regain the respect it once had in world cricket. I would rank Pakistan under the same category due to their highs and lows (very lows) in recent months, with allegation of spot fixing and infighting within the team. They no longer possess a leader like Imran Khan or Wasim Akram who can rally the team together in good and bad times, keeping the focus on cricket and winning. One team which, if any, can spring up an upset is Bangladesh. And this was made clear in a recent series against New Zealand where they won the series 7-0 against the likes of Vittori, Styris, Oram, McCullam and Taylor. Speaking as a patriot and a cricket lover, I hope this does not repeat against India and England in the tournament. But with no doubt in my mind, it will be a close fight between Bangladesh and West Indies (2 time champions) for the fourth place in Group-B.

Considering it would be premature to zero-in on who would stand on the podium in Mumbai on 2^nd April, I can be bold enough to only point out the top four. Call it prediction or wish, I put my vote for India, South Africa, England and a toss off between Australia and Sri Lanka. For now lets sit back and enjoy every ball flying over the ropes and every ball hitting the timber!

TAHRIR

2011-02-11T14:34:00.001-05:00

It's taken 30 years for people of Egypt to experience and celebrate the true meaning of the word Tahrir (Liberation). After being bound and trapped in a system which projected itself as the wish of the people, Egypt has ridden high on this wave of liberal revolution which has swept the Arab world at the turn of the new decade. Friday 11^th February will be marked as a red letter day in not only the Arab but also world history, as the day when Egypt was freed from its shackles. Horreyah! Horreyah ! (Freedom) is what we heard around Egypt, especially Tahrir Square, when Vice President Suleiman announced on national television the words which the protesters have been waiting to hear for 3 weeks. A paradigm shift in the order of business has taken place, where the people have been empowered to oppose the subjective treatment of the state and stand united for their freedom and liberty.

Protests which started on the 25th of January showed the world a side of Egyptians which has always been swept under the carpet by the Mubarak regime. After two weeks of intense protest which had both sides of a coin-nonviolent and violent; superficial reforms by the government and tactics of clinging to power by allowing the situation to fade away with time resulted in the protest almost losing its fizz. But the emotional televised interview of one man – Wael Ghonim, the Goggle executive- after his release from 14 days of captivity by the government ignited the dwindling spirit of the people driving thousands more into their little Egypt (Tahrir Square) which was the symbolism of their protest and ideals. After the crushing disappointment on 10^th February , when (ex)President Mubarak announced his determination to continue as president - the world predicted dark clouds ahead of the peaceful protests. Surprisingly, what we see now are fireworks in the clear skies over the pyramids. Visuals such as a women praying on the street with the Egyptian flag as her carpet, the giant Egyptian flag flowing over the head of thousands under the hot sun, human chains protecting the square etc. demonstrated the true nationalistic feeling which was emancipated in this revolution.

What started out in the virtual world through Facebook and Twitter has taken its shape at Liberation Square- ousting one of the most powerful autocrats in the world. As Wael Ghonim said- “I thank Facebook and would like to meet Mark Zukerberg to thank him personally.” Over these 18 days the Egyptians have demonstrated a character analogous to their last ‘Pharaoh’-one of determination and resilience. But as history will write it, the determination and voice of thousands is no match for even a Pharaoh.

After all the celebration and excitement in the night skies of Egypt, it will wake up tomorrow for a new day. A day with no association to the name “Mubarak”, a day which marks a new era in Egyptian history. But the Egyptians and the their supporters should not ignore the challenges they face ahead. The spirit of unity , freedom and liberation should not fade away with the smoke of the fireworks. Such an abeyance is a battle only half won, exposing the country and its people to another Mubarak. History has never been with the victorious for too long in this region and the fear of recidivism will cause anxiety not only in Egypt but rest of the world. So as we take a turn at this historical corner, one should not be surprised to see a domino effects in the rest of the Arab world; with the only lingering question being- Who is next?

The Social Network

2011-02-03T11:57:00.000-05:00

No, this blog is not about 2010s biggest movie or about its prospects at this year’s academy awards. It’s about a tool which has empowered people around the world. Facebook, Twitter and YouTube (If I can categorize it into a social media) have changed the way people communicate, express their opinion and as per the latest trend…. start a new revolution! Mighty autocrats have fallen to their knees, governments have been ousted and the world has been forced to take notice.

The inception of Facebook was on the premise of networking university students who share their personal bio, pictures, relationship status and college gossips. Now Facebook has more than 600 million active users of all ages- young and old who not only use this media for what it was created for but also for what we see in Tunisia and Egypt. Talking about Twitter, whose inception was to bring the mobile short messaging system onto the web, where multiple people can read(follow) messages and micro blogs posted by users. As per a recent survey- 40% of the messages on Twitter were found to be countless babble, 9% pass-along value and 4% news. But this 9% pass-along value messages have assembled thousands if not millions of angry and frustrated users on the streets of Tunisia and Egypt.

By now people around the world following the news will be aware of why I have been specifically citing these two counties. In Tunisia, the pictures and videos of the ill treatments inflicted by the police were flashed on these social networking sites. The brutal images of Muhammad ibn Bouazizi self-immolation, an act of protest against the security forces in Tunisia resulted in igniting the suppressed frustration and anger of the people of Tunisia against their government and autocratic leader Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. This single act of protest spread like a wild fire on social media to gather steam amongst the people resulting in what is now called “The Jasmine Revolution”. Uploaded pictures and videos on Facebook and YouTube brought the ugly truth of the government on every laptop and desktop in every home and office. Tweets from twitter were used to spread messages and organize protests and rallies. In combination with these tools and street protests the people of Tunisia were able to successfully oust their autocratic ruler in January. This was slated as the first successful contemporary revolution in any Arabic nation.

What the world saw in Tunisia, was expected to spread like a contagious disease in the neighboring Arabic countries. And within weeks another strong republic, Egypt had thousands of people on the streets demanding the resignation of the incumbent president- Hosni Mubarak. There are striking similarities in the process in which these protests were organized- no surprise – Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. Apart from galvanizing support for these protests, social networks have been utilized to request medical support to injured protesters, inform family out the country about their well being, release information and news which are restricted by the state run media in the country etc. With a motive to control the anger and unity which was engulfed the country through these medium, the Egyptian government ordered for the shutdown of the internet. Thus acknowledging the power and influence of these 21^st century accessible and convenient medium.

These social networking sites have surprisingly had a 66% success rate of driving a revolution to its goal from the decade they came to existence. But one should not forget Iran, where the concept of using social media to protest and galvanize support was first initiated., in spite of its failure. The question remains, are we witnessing an era where there is a shift from violent and bloodshed revolutions to a more quiet, bloodless and a socially networked revolution!!

An Eye for an Eye or A Bully for a Bully

2010-12-03T12:17:00.000-05:00

Nine years ago America faced its worst case of bullying when a tall, lean, bearded and brown skinned bully knocked down the pride of its financial capital. That is when for the first time the most powerful 'bully' in the world got a taste of its own medicine. And as any battered bully, it retaliated by hounding out the perpetrators.

As America continues to heal its ego by exerting its force over a resilient, irrational, radical and omnipresent adversary, it is faced with another bully. This time of a different sort- A medium height, clean shaved, white skinned educated journalist. Unlike nine years ago, this time America’s ego was hurt not by bring down a building but by bringing down (exposing) the entire military and foreign affair system of the country over the internet. This is what contemporary cyber law calls-“Cyber Bully”.

Ironically after more than a decade of being called the most wanted man in the world, the master perpetrator of 9/11 seems to have been dethroned by a tech savvy egoistic journalist who is now hiding in plush deep caves and mounts of London !

I wonder how the big bully will respond this time. It cannot bomb the cyberspace, it cannot send its military into the cyberworld, it can neither attack another web portal nor country under the false assumption that they might eventually bully them down. Under such a dilemma what can it do?

The worlds oldest democracy which is a staunch supporter of 'freedom of the press' has its hands tied. As much as it would be itching to order a shut down of the website which reported these sensitive and embarrassing cables, it is bound by its principles (for now). How can a country which goes around the world preaching the values of democracy, freedom of speech and press retract from its position, when it is at the receiving end? At one end it condemns the control of the press in China and Iran and at the other end it contemplates blacking out a media exposing government and corporate corruption.

At a time when America is debating means to tackle the problem of bullying in their educational institutes, it‘s an irony that the country itself is being bullied on land and in the cyberworld.

On reading this blog, I would like to point out to all those who reached till this point of the essay that I personally condemn the actions of Wikileaks. This is not to say I fully support the actions of the US also. The right to speech and free press is a corner stone of the First Amendment in the US constitution. But under a court ruling in 1931 and 1971 “No government can issue prior restraints against publication, except when there is an imminent threat to national security”. In this particular case exposing covert military actions and informants along with private foreign diplomatic conversations is a concern for national security. Under such circumstances the government of USA, within its capacity, has to press actions against the website. I do agree that certain information's on the website do throw light to the actual global situation but details of covert informants, military strategies, frivolous diplomatic conversations are not of public concern especially when they are contemporary and operational.

Wikileaks might have the right intentions but the means it has adopted (for this particular incident) to [mis]use the notions of “freedom of press and information” has projected itself as a Cyber Bull.

Imagine

2010-07-20T14:32:00.003-04:00

             As a side step from my usual blog topics, this blog was inspired by a book I am currently reading called “The Post American World” by the reputed journalist and television talk show host Fareed Zakaria. This book primarily talks about America living and working alongside, and may be even under the shadow of two giants of 21st century, which I like to call the Dragon and the Tiger- China and India. Living in America from the past four years has shown me the immense influence and blend of these two countries in American society and economics. I come from a generation which has a very different view of India than those who migrated to the land of dreams in the mid and late 20th century. The first fifty years of India as a free nation was plagued by the confusion and disfunctionality which any new nation would have faced, which slowly grew into public frustration, driving the countries subjects to a more promising land. But the last decade has been the game changer for India not only domestically but also internationally. India has made a mark on the world map on various platforms which had faded away during the British rule and early period of independent India. Today when I speak to the old school Indian who migrated in search of a better life might still complain about India and its methods but with time they have come to accept the tremendous power India hold to transform itself into what they dreamt as a “ land of opportunities”. It will be unjust on my part to take away any credit from these old school Indian immigrants who not only made a mark for themselves in their adopted home but also demonstrated the tremendous potential and intellect of an Indian. Today’s 21st century India which mothers a young and vibrant generation has taken this potential and intellect to the next level, not only in their own backyard but also several blocks away. When I look around me, living in a foreign land, I am not surprised to see another Indian but rather feel proud in an amusing way on our outreach at every turn, from the bustling call centers in Bangalore to the over populated American universities to the densely populated Indian dominated colonies in the suburbs to even the local Dunkin Donuts. Indians have exerted their influence and presence everywhere.

          So to evaluate the magnitude of the situation, I would like the reader to just imagine for a period of time if India and Indians around the world (here let’s stick to America since I qualify to talk about this region to an extent) shut themselves off from the world!!!! Imagine the chaos and arrest everywhere …..Lets dive deeper into this chaos and arrest; and have some fun imagining the influence we possess which Indians have used judiciously and responsibly.

          Imagine one day you get up and realize you have some problem with your laptop before a big presentation with all your files locked in or you realize someone’s hacked into your credit card account and are enjoying the fruits of your hard work. What do you do? As every individual in today’s world, you would call a 1-800 number expecting a quick online service to your laptop or a solution of your monetary issue. What if, to your surprise you either here a continuous phone ring or a message saying “we are sorry for the inconvenience but the customer service center you are trying to call is indefinitely on vacation”. Now that’s a bummer!!! Guess where the call went... not to California or New York but to Bangalore or Mumbai. What do we do now? India today houses the maximum number of American firm business processing outsourcing units compared to China or other emerging markets.

            Imagine driving to work and you decide to grab a quick coffee and donut for breakfast before reaching work. You decide to stop at your local Dunkin Donut, few blocks away from work and as you enter the drive-thru lane to place your order, you fail to hear a friendly greeting with a Gujarati English accent, realizing a board on your rear view mirror reading “all Dunkin Donut outlets closed indefinitely “The Gujarati community holds the maximum stake on franchises of Dunkin Donuts in America. It is not only Dunkin Donuts but also commodity mart like 7-eleven and highway Motels across Americans speedway system stretching its length and breathes.

          Every year thousands of students flock near the seven US consulates praying for a student visa to study in one of many American Universities. I was one of those who spent thousands of Rupees to just get to American to pursue my masters. I was fortunate enough to be awarded a scholarship and assistantship to work in one of the research laboratories in the university. As satisfying as feeling it may be to earn a scholarship and monthly stipend, you quickly realize you are not the only one! Enter the research center you will find a pool of international talent, dominated by Chinese’s and Indian’s. It won’t be surprising if you pick up a technical journal and find either the first or second author to be an Indian. Now imagine walking into a research center and finding it ghostly quiet and lacking the aroma of spicy Indian food when you pass by the common kitchen area of the building! Majority of laboratories around American universities have a healthy presence of Indian students, working late hours and even during weekends, balancing course work and a demanding professor who hold the key to your graduation. What most fail to realize is that the creative ideas, solutions to global issues from health to economics and innovative technologies, evidently have a strong Indian influence to it. So imagine the absence of Indians in American Universities!!!

         The contribution and influence of Indians doesn’t stop only at universities. The moment after being awarded a graduate degree from the prestigious university, the next task is to attain the coveted H1B visa for which student scramble every years before April 1st. The contributions of Indians in driving the American economy has been proven far and beyond. During the recent recession, the percentage was Indians and Chinese workers being given the pink slips were far less that Whites and African Americans. As an example of the Indian importance and dominance, my employer as leading Tier-1 automotive suppliers has a global presence with offices around the world, including two in India. The computer aided engineering group which validates design has a total strength of 20 in its US office. Out of which 17 are Indian immigrants and 3 Chinese immigrants. As a common joke which floats around the organization, if all the Indians in the group decide to visit their homes back in Indian, the company would come to a standstill. Stressing on the phrase of “Indian Influence”- another example being the information science sector, where thousands of Indians work their souls to develop the next operating system, the next text editor software for your PC’s and laptops and even our next game console at Microsoft; The hundreds more working in developing robust and secure software’s for companies like eBay and Amazon though which the world does its online shopping. The world today stays connected through the internet and mobile services for its conferences, interviews etc.., through hardware and software’s developed by hard working Indians around the world, in companies like Cisco and Juniper. Imagine a shut down by Indians in all these sectors…..the cars we drive to work, the laptop we use, the shopping we do online, the online meeting through which a company saves thousand through travel expense, the roads and bridges we use, all would feel the pinch of the absence of intellect, innovation, idea, troubleshooting etc which every Indian brings with his or her job.

          According to a recent survey I read in a leading weekly magazine, Indian origin doctors in America were rated as one of the top 3 most professional and reliable doctors. Today is every hospital around the country however big and small; there will be at least one Indian origin doctor. Specialist areas from neurology to cardiology to gynecology all have renowned and well established Indian origin doctors treating everyone irrespective for creed, faith and race. Imagine the scrambling in a hospital or an emergency ward due to the absence of specialist doctor; a doctor which most American in their survey tend to trust.

          The Indian contribution is widely influential and the today’s world is slowly but surely accepting these contributions. Nothing can be more evident than the breakthrough on American television, which has for years been much Americanized. In recent years shows like The Office, House, Heroes, 24 etc have had an Indian character, either playing a computer geek, a doctor, a scientist and even a politician. Americans and the world as a whole are coming to terms with accepting Indians being a pivotal part of their society. A renowned motion picture director James Cameron also acknowledged the intellect of Indians by casting an Indian origin actor to play the role of an Indian scientist working on developing what famously came to be known as “Avatar”. And most recently the influence of Indian BPO which have been criticized by even the President of America as stealing American jobs, is coming on the small screen this fall called “Outsourced” as a comical enactment of an American manager going to Indian to train young Indians in running and operating a customer service center. India and Indians might not be getting their due recognition in the western world but they surely hold the power to assert their authority and influence which I believe is being utilized in a responsible and civilized manner for the proper functioning of everything!!!

Obscurity to Prominence

2010-05-25T18:17:00.003-04:00

In the last six months the intellectual rebels fighting for the cause of poor farmers, downtrodden section of the society have attached a bus carrying CRPF jawans, set ablaze a market in Bihar, looted explosives from the police artillery storage, ambushed 70 CRPF jawans killing all and many such heinous acts. How do I know all this and much more? You are right! The television media, print media, virtual media; everywhere you go you will find in-depth analysis, discussion, polling, blogs (many like mine at times) condemning and sympathizing the offensive/defensive ( based on the situation) actions of these so called intellectuals – NAXALITES.

The continuous coverage and discussions over the past few weeks on the Indian civil war got me thinking- is this what naxalites really wanted to start off with? The constant media coverage, interviews with unnamed and named naxal commanders, a devil’s advocate sessions with the home minister, the home secretary , the opposition leaders, the chief ministers of affected states all seems to be working to some extent in favor of the naxals and their agenda. Over the last one year urban citizens have grown widely aware of the broad agenda and motive of the contemporary ROBIN HOOD. The only difference being that Robin Hood was a story we loved to read and enact as kids but I don’t think the same holds good for this version.

This awareness not only attracted negative sentiment towards them but also a large number of sympathizers both from the elite and political spectrum. This got me drawing analogy to a more famous and fruitful incident which occurred in 1929. When Bhaghat Singh, Sukhdev, Rajguru, Kishori Lal and Jai Gopal were incarcerated and produced in court for the assembly bombing of 1929 and the murder of J.P Saunders in 1928, the HSRA (Hindustan Socialist Republican Association) was trying to gain a support and awareness in an environment which preached Gandhian principals. The HSRA ideology was in armed struggle, terrorism and retaliatory strikes against the British Empire quite parallel to that of the Naxalities. Bhaghat Singh ingeniously turned the situation into his favor by using the court room and the media reporting in his trial as a medium to express HSRA’s views and ideology to the public. Every morning after the court hearing Hindustan Times reported the proceedings of the trial along with the strong views and motives of Bhaghat Singh and his comrades. He went to the extend of systematically spelling out the procedure of making homemade bombs through ingredients accessible easily by the general public. And as expected, homemade crude bombs were made at every corner and used violently against the British rule. The once obscure group of violent and aggressive individuals who followed the principals outside the spectrum of Gandhi was now the face of the youth revolutionaries who believed that violence was the only way India could achieve independence. His popularity not only influenced the young but also the old and powerful cadres of the Indian National Congress like Mohammad Ali Jinnah. Bhaghat Singh had clearly understood the importance and power of the media in his fight for freedom. Within months of the trial, he became a national hero and is still remembered as one of the most influential revolutionaries of the Indian freedom movement. One may wonder, if we would have studied and watched movies about Shaheed Bhagat Singh if at that time the media would not have covered his judicial trial or printed and distributed his ideologies?

Drawing parallel to the current situation, the constant and intensive coverage of the actions of naxalites has done exactly what the media did for Bhaghat Singh- they made them a common name and drew them to the center of the conversation. The media gives a platform to Naxal Cadre likes Kishanji to come on prime time television and express their views and justify their actions. The media intensely interviews government officials, at time forcing to them to concede to certain viewpoints which depicted a weak offensive system of the government. They went to an extent of squeezing details of national security in the name of informing the people the ‘real story’. As smart and cunning as our ministers and bureaucrats are, they too play their cards close to their chest. When the government speaks out against such acts and illustrates their intention and plans to curb such offensives, media parades naxal sympathizer and human right advocates on television and print, who frantically speak against the government and their so called unjust treatments towards the poor. People like Arundati Roy , Prashant Bhushan and our own Laloo Prasad Yadav sympathize the cause and instead of criticizing the acts of naxalites prefer to say : “ what did the government expect when they call fight against naxal as WAR” or “ naxalites do not kill common people”. Aren’t CRPF Janwans common people? Where did I hear and read all this? You guessed it, the media. We have instances where the media instigate a heated debate between oppositions on the naxal issue to get some news point for higher TRP and bragging rights of saying “ you heard it first on ……”. And as a result the once obscure yet dangerous revolutionary is now on every front page and every headline day in and day out. Again one may wonder, if the media does reduce the intensity of coverage, still managing to lay down the facts to its readers and listeners but abjuring indirect Naxal propagation through their media (as I would like to call it) then would the naxal’s inflict so much pain and destruction when they realize that no importance is given to their actions?

As an irony to the situation and comparison I laid down above between the Naxal’s and Bhagat Singh it is striking to know that both not only followed the principle of armed struggle, terrorism and retaliatory strikes against the government but theoretically believed in the principle of Marx and Lenin which influenced the concept of communism and anarchism. From Bhagath Singh to Kishanji, from the court house of Lahore to streets of Dantewada the media has played a crucial role in bridging the gap from obscurity to prominence as it walks a thin line between sensationalism and factual integrity.

Gods Own C(ricket)ountry

2010-04-14T18:24:00.000-04:00

While this year’s cricket extravaganza has not even reached its penultimate stage, we already have a controversy regarding next year’s tournament diverting all the attention from the fiesta. With gaining success every year, the IPL governing board decided to expand the tournament with the addition of two new teams. The selection of the final two teams which made the cut were Pune which is around 200 Km away from an existing IPL team-Mumbai and the underdog (if I may call them so) Kochi, Kerala, still puzzles me. Contrary to the rumors in the cricketing media which gave Ahmadabad and Nagpur the edge, Pune and Kochi appeared to bag the bragging rights of being part of an elite few in this entertaining, extravagant, money making fiesta which every Indian looks forward to every year for the love of the game. To justify the enormity of just owning a team was demonstrated this year when the teams were auctioned out for a total sum of $703 million which is more than the cost of all the current eight teams put together. A striking number which makes you wonder- where is the recession the world in talking about?

Over the last one week, the transition of team Kochi into the elite group seems to have hit bad weather with allegations of undisclosed owners, involvement of government officials and even bribery. I am not here to repeat what everyone is seeing on the media over the last one week. But what I would like to debate is the way this matter has been politicized not only by the team owners and the IPL commissioner but also by our dear political parties. So getting things into perspective:

1. Kochi team is purchased by collection of individuals and companies for a sum of $333 million

2. Bidders for the team involved a minister from the central government for guidance who also represents the region

3. Opposition asking involved minister to explain and resign on ethics

4. IPL commissioner is alleged to have vested interest in introducing another team by disqualifying Kochi based on administrative backgrounds

5. Minister alleges commissioner of manipulating system

Not getting into too much of the ruckus and allegations, what surprises me here is the voice of the opposition calling for the minister’s resignation for showing guidance and favoring a team from his constituency. Cricket and politics in India can never be separated knowing the public influence the game has across the country which comes along with a big bag of mullah! Just look at the heads of some of the state cricket boards in India; Delhi Cricket Association is headed by the charismatic Arun Jately- Leader of Opposition in the Upper House of parliament, which also involves politician/cricketer Kirti Azad , the Bihar Cricket Association is headed none other than Lalu Prasad Yadav (MP in the lower house) from times forgotten, the Rajasthan Cricket Association is headed by Dr. C.P Joshi, the current Panchayat Raj Minister in the central government. How about the Gujarat Cricket Association which is chaired by none other than the Chief Minister of the state itself. As a respect to his highness the Maharaja of the Mysore who is affiliated to the ruling party in India heads the Karnataka Cricket Association. Finally to substantiate my point the Minister for Agriculture was not only the President of BCCI but is also the current head of the Mumbai Cricket Association. Added to this he will be taking over the post of President of the International Cricket Council soon. These are just few examples of how cricket and politics have blended together for the better or the worse.

Let’s look at some instances where politicians have used their influence and power to mend situation in favor of the associations they are affiliated to. Earlier this year the Firosha Kotla was on the verge of being band from hosting international cricket by the ICC but was diverted away by the influence of DCA president and the future president of ICC ( by now you know who he is). When the commissioner of IPL ignored the assurances from the state government of Andhra Pradesh on hosting the IPL games for Deccan Chargers under the cloud of regional tension, which ironically was the opposition party to which the commissioner is said to be affiliated to. How about the influence used by the politically strong members of the governing body to host major matches in Mumbai instead of Kolkata which host the most famous cricketing ground in the world (opposition between the head of cricket in West Bengal and the BCCI president both politically opposite and add to this -head of Mumabi Cricket Association… join the dots!). The influence and pressure applied to nominate new IPL franchises Ahmadabad, Pune and Nagpur which have association to governing members - note two teams from the same state!! It could have been three teams from the same state if both Nagpur and Pune would have won. Why not nominate regions from the east which has only one representation in the last three seasons; are there no influential politicians from that side of the country in the governing body? Some may argue that the states in the east do not have the star power or big name players when it comes to cricket. My answer to this is looks at Rajasthan Royals. There is hardly anyone from Rajasthan playing in the team and I expect the same to happen to Kochi also, if it ever makes it to IPL4.

So when a minister lobbies and guides individuals or a collection of companies in securing a quid pro quo situation, where it comes down to ‘ If I help in getting the Kochi team , this will intern help my constituency”- what is so different from what has been happening till now. The allegations thrown at the minister also involve financial benefits from the franchises profits which have not been proved on record yet and have been refuted not only by the minister (as expected) but also by the franchise owners. As of now I do not stand in a position to comment on this issue. But what I can comment on is the similarity in which politicians use their muscles for direct or indirect financial gains. Look at the decision of moving IPL home games of Deccan Chargers to Mumbai and Nagpur instead of Bangalore or Chennai which are either closer or equally close to Hyderabad. A similar decision of splitting home games of Rajasthan Royals between Jaipur and Ahmadabad was taken in this season of IPL, when there are no regional tensions or threats similar to Hyderabad. Had the commissioner already made up his mind of having Ahmadabad and Nagpur as next year’s entrants to IPL and as a gesture of things to come awarded theses games? I am sure he must have had a rude shock when both the teams did not make it to the final two. Connecting the dots one may not be surprised know if this is the motive behind all the ruckus and mudslinging.

At the end, if the Minister did assist the owners of Kochi in a non-financial manner with no strings attached for the pure fact that he wanted to promote his constituency and brand Kerala-He does not stand guilty in anyway, knowing the history between cricket and politics. If the Minister does have financial stake in the team, he should give up his ministerial position and focus all his efforts in promoting Brand Kerala and Brand Kochi as any commercial aspirant. Unfortunately if the governing body of IPL are flexing their muscles to isolate Kochi from its rightful position for personal and commercial gain then it will be right to name the INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE to INDIAN PAISA LEAGUE tainting the purity of the spirit of the game which we all have grown to love and worship.

Strength Of a Woman

2010-03-10T18:22:00.000-05:00

March 9th in Indian history will be marked in red letters as the day when women in India were shown the path of equality and empowerment. That’s what most news papers in India have been highlighting after the Women’s reservation bill made its way through the Upper house of the parliament with a thumping majority- in spite of some initial hiccups. This bill ensures a reservation of one third of the total representation at the parliament and state legislator level for women. For those who love numbers, this means 180 seats out of the 544 seats will now be occupied by women. After initially being constituted by the Deva Gowda’s government in the mid-90’s , it finally found a ray of light at the end of a decade and a half long tunnel on March 9th ( yes that’s right, only a ray… the bill still needs to be passed in the lower house of the parliament). As every legislation or regulation in this world, this one also came with a bus full of opponents, not from opposition parties but ironically from coalition members. Leaving the mundane politics aside, I personally have a very strong view on how this legislation has been hailed. Before anyone reads ahead, I would like to make it clear that I am not against equality for women and their empowerment. What I am against here is the importance given to this bill, claiming it as the path to equality, justice and empowerment. I have my own views on how this bill might be (miss)used along with what I think are more grass root solutions.

As a brief on what this bill spells out which looks surprising to me:

1. 33% reservation for women in national and state representation

What it means: 181 seats will be now occupied by women

2. Constituencies will be reserved on a lottery system

What it means: In every election a certain number of constituencies will be picked arbitrarily through lottery and designated as women contestant only

3. Reservation of constituencies on rotation basis

What it means: On completion of a full term, the constituency which was reserved for a woman candidate will be made open for either gender

4. This reservation system will be active for 15 years from the year of implementation

What it means: The methodology will be implemented religiously for 15 years (minimum of 3 general elections) before it is evaluated

These are just few of the stricking point in the bill which caught my attention. I am sure people like my brother would have read deeper into the bill, but even they cannot deny not spotting these points.

My views on these point:

Point-1:

Apart from the 33% if we consider the already implemented 22.5% for ST and SC, it leaves only 45% for all other sections of society and gender, exposing the question on proper representation of the 1 billion people. Something I would like to call “forceful representation”

(note: this points holds false subjected to reservation in an reservation)

Point-2:

Has the constitution and electoral system of one of the world’s largest democracy become so frivolous that it is left to chance? What will happen if the constituency of an efficient MALE MP is converted under reservation and is forced to abstain from his position to a less popular or even an unknown entity to fulfill a party obligation? I am sure no other male candidate will forgo his constituency of this unfortunate MP, in spite of his prolific record. And what about all the work he has under taken and carried out during his previous term? Will be it carried forward with the same efficiency and determination. I won’t deny there is a possibility of a positive outcome also but again that’s a CHANCE.

Point-3:

Again, a joke when it comes to rotation system or to put it due to lack of word-“MUSICAL CHAIR”. Let’s say that during the first cycle the constituency is reserved for a women candidate and the next is kept open for either gender, during which the party decides to field a male candidate. Next, he wins the election and during his term gets to know that in the following general election, his constituency is reassigned for a women candidate. What incentive will he have to look forward (when he knows he will be asked to abstain his seat in the next term) to continuing his work or even get reelected based on his performance and popularity. The same will apply for a women candidate, who through the term is aware that the chopping block is hanging over her head.

Point-4:

Haven’t we seen from the time of implementation of the constitution to this date, that when reservation legislation is passed it is meant to stay, not on its merit but for the pity political games our system plays called “vote bank”. The initial reservations penned by Dr. Ambedkar were expected to terminate less than two decades after the constitution was implemented ( if I am not wrong on that number). Today after 60 years of India being republic, we still live by those reservations and by the looks of it won’t go for another 60 years. So when this bill states that it will be implemented for 15 years ( or a minimum of 3 general elections), I won’t be surprised if the then government decides to continue it for another 15. History speaks for itself!!

Now coming to the issue of women empowerment and equality starting from the grassroots to the most privileged in the society-

In the late 90’s we was a prime example of how this bill can be (miss)used. Remember Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi ? Puppet treatment or pseudo control of the Bihar government showed the loop holes in the system which has been exploited in true sense even in the last general election. So with this reservation bill, are we hoping that a woman from rural regions will be given an opportunity to contest elections from Lalu’s constituency? I am sure we will see his wife or daughter or even daughter-in-law contesting the election and reserving the seat till he is able to contest again under the rotation system. How about Mulayam Singh Yadav.... he fielded his daughter-in-law in last years bi-election and his son in the general election. Ironically, these two men have been strong opponents of this bill. But I won’t be surprised if they are the first to miss use this bill if the lottery system affects their candidacy. We are already known for our dynastic politics in the recent decade and this bill will further fuel this virus, impeding the growth of young, fresh and intellectual individuals into politics.

Contesting an election anywhere in the world is not a cheap affair. Contestants have to shell out a minimum of 5-6 figures. Under such circumstances, are we to expect a Kantabhain, a Munnibhain, a Laxmiamma, a Fatima Begam, a Kuljeet Kaur etc.. from remote regions of rural India to come up and contest elections, when they find it hard to met ends on a day to day bases? If they do manage, how do you expect them to recover that cost or loan? Hmmm… something to think about.. Corruption is a popular mean! (If not the last resort)

A we sure, that a women candidate will be not biased against her male counter parts and might focus only on women in the constituency ignoring the men ( bent up feminist anger!!!). What if this women candidate does not have the same competence and efficiency to work towards the concern of women compared to her male predecessor? Do you think that the women in the constituency will vote her back when she comes up for election in her rotation? Again we are playing with the word CHANCE.

Having a women doesn’t always mean that it will reciprocate in a positive response towards the women in the country. Look at Madam Mayavathi, called “Dalith ki Beti” has a questionable record of how much she has done to empower women in her state, forget about the daliths. How about Jaya Lalitha Amma, she spends all her term as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu undoing what the previous government did and by the time she realizes, it time for her to lose the election. How about the country’s most popular Chief Minister- Ms. Shiela Dixit, voted into power for 3 terms and still Delhi/NCR considered amongst the most unsafe places for women in the country. We might have had great female leaders like Sarojni Naidu and Indira Gandhi but neither of them came from the grass roots. Both have prolific backgrounds and affluent families- one a daughter of the first Prime Minister of India and the other the daughter of the founder of the Nizam College in Hyderabad and the first member of the INC for Hyderabad.

If we really want women representatives in the government then I propose couple of solutions from my side. Idealistic as they might sound they are surely debatable.

1. Form a system to have a junior MP position accompanying a senior MP…this give ample time for both the young male and the ladies to get accustomed to the busy corridors of power.

2. Have a system (which needs a lot of fine tuning) which has a women and male candidate fighting as a team and then based on consensus determine the junior and senior MP (popularity , votes , qualification etc can be suitable criteria)

In order to empower women, improve their quality of life and give equal opportunity, the government can implement many means starting from the grass root levels. I personally have few views which I believe will at least initiate the process;

When it comes to education… provide incentives to parents to send their daughters to school

1. Free and compulsory education

2. Tax incentive to households educating women

3. Low interest rate education loans

4. Government funded scholarships for women

When it comes to health care

1. Low cost health insurance

2. Maximum coverage of medical bills pertaining to pregnancy

When it comes to governance

1. Governing bodies only focusing on women development

2. These bodies linked to associated government departments eg… Finance, agriculture, HRD, labor, health etc.. to colaborate initiatives focusing on betterment of women in the country.

The governments over the years have implemented few of the strategies, but failed to oversee their efficient implementation through every spectrum of the society. That is why we see such disparity in the urban working middle class women to the rural home maker. In contemporary world, the words reservation, quota and affirmative action implies the acceptance of failure by the people and government to curb the difference between the able and the unable, the equal and the unequal and the privileged and the deprived. It’s not only this bill which will bring about the change we seek towards women for which we rejoice so much, but it’s the proper implementation of grass root strategies which will transform the weak foundation of the Indian women at par of that of a MAN or even the WORLD.

Aman Ki Nirasha

2010-01-23T13:20:00.002-05:00

Another year and another season, as the quiet and cold breeze across the empty stadiums wait to be filled with sound of drums, cheers of fanatic fans, horns andthe cry of "Sachin". Time passes swiftly to yet another season of the great India cricket extravaganza- IPL 2010. A time of the year when the young and old, men and women adjust their daily schedule from their mundane life just to wear the color of their team and cheer till the last ball is either hit for a six or strikes against the sticks!

Like every astronomical event, IPL has always had its share of controversies and hiccup’s, be it season ones criticism over the authenticity of the twenty-20 format , or season 2’s security issue which forced the tournament to be moved away from its home land to an alien country. This year is no less, with the only difference that it seems to have casted a dark cloud over two cricket playing countries.

This week’s auction of player for the franchises threw a “doosara” to all cricket fans. A fact hard to believe but not a single Pakistani player was given contract by any franchise. The members of the world champion team sat at the bench all day waiting for a chance to play with the big guys, but allas , had to face the harsh reality of being a spectator for yet another year.

Over the last two days, the government from the other side has cried out foul and accused to Indian government of diluting the concoct harmony being built between the two countries. What harmony are they talking about ? Over the last one year India has been demanding action , and at time even pleading to the Pakistani government to take action against the perpetrators of the Mumbai attack. What have we got till now .... nothing !! I personally do not disagree to what happened at the player auction few days back. Reports say the IPL administrators advised any team from bidding for a Pakistani players, some say the team owners were reluctant due to security issues and visa concerns; and few reports even suggest that the owners were fastidious, given the limited options they had. Personally, I love the Pakistani version - "We were snubbed" !

Well, they deserve to be after what they portray in front of us and intend to do behind us- a big kick in the rear. What has changed from last year to this year, that its snow balling into such a big issue? Why should India encourage any sort of friendship when Pakistan cannot comprehend the word reciprocate? They have always expected India to forget its differences and welcome them as with open arm ; to get stabbed in the back again and have their guts pulled out . Critics say, exhibition of such animosity will just draw the two countries further apart resulting in total breakdown of people to people communication. How many time does India have to encourage people to people communication? Allowing cricketer or entertainers will never stop the militants or the ISI from plotting against us. Will Shahid Afridi or Younis Khan or Kamran Akmal meet LeT chief's and talk them out of their heinous actions, once we allow them to play in India? Will they people of Pakistan watching the tournaments in the comfort of their living rooms get out to protest against the tactics and dallying of their government towards the Mumbai attacker? Why welcome a guest when it's evident the very same guest is going to bomb your behind after all the hospitality and love shown to them.

Pakistan intends to retaliate by blocking transmission of the games on it network, they are debating on whether to send its national hockey team for next month's World Cup in India, the government wants to ban Indian television and cinema and I am sure more BS will be added to the list with days to come. They dont want to come for hockey world cup-guess what we get a walk over in the very first game, inching us one game closer to the cup- now whose the looser? Want to ban bollywood films, at least during that period piracy will reduce- whose the looser again !!!

With all these activists and media program aimed to bring about harmony between the two countries makes me wonder if there is anyone in Pakistan with the same frame of mind? They keep complaining of facing similar issues of terrorism as India, but conveniently forget that the concept of terrorism is breeding in their own back yard. They shake hands with us with one hand and send a signal from the other to cut that very hand. I feel sick to my stomach when I see such hypocrisy and makes me feel even sicker when Indian themselves cry foul to incidents like the IPL. I think the action taken knowingly or unknowingly (which ever the media likes to portray) by the IPL team owners showed what the people of India really feel- a feeling of betrayal , vendetta, impatience and disgust. I approve of the actions taken by the team owners, calling it a verdict against the hypocritical, brutal, sadistic and insensitive behavior of our neighboring government and their militant associates.

A Year Later......He Lives Another Day !

2009-11-19T20:36:00.002-05:00

A regular midweek afternoon turns a 180 for me when I heard the news of a gang war in Mumbai last year. Even the most popular english news channel in India paid little importance to the gun shots, till after an hour the sounds became louder. It was not gang war but an uncalled for attack from infiltrators from across the border on the nations entertainment and financial capital- what is now remembered as 26/11 (analogous to the famous 9/11 attack on the twin towers in NY). 60 odd hours of gun battle,at six different locations- in one of Mumbai's affluent regions captured the worlds attention that entire Thanksgiving long weekend. That date has now etched a mark in the history books for many years to come. It’s been exactly a year since the deadly and simpleton terrorists, on the instruction of their cowardly leaders, sitting across the border, scared this great city. Many have written and debated about this horrifying incident over the past year. Bureaucrats have met, Presidents and Prime Ministers have discussed, even cricketers have interacted to reduce the tension, resolve the issue and bring the culprits to justice. But here we are, one year later sending dossiers and dossiers, answering one question after another thrown at us by our neighbors in the hope of winning their support to end this ordeal. Unfortunately the wound still remains fresh!!! I am not here to talk about those things once again and reiterate what’s going around in the media.

Out of the 10 simpletons who opened fired in Mumbai, nine met their fatal end for their so called proclaimed 40 virgins, unfortunately one 22-year old young man was seduced into the hands of the Mumbai Police and not the 40 virgins he had dreamt of ! Mohammad Ajam Kasab, the lone gun man captured, now fights for his life which was priced for a meager sum of few 100,000 rupees by his leaders, as a reward for this sinister act. Look where he is now, in a secure and highly guarded penitentiary, for a year. A YEAR? Is he still alive? Something doesn’t sound right!

I am not a lawyer or a politician and have no judgment on the processes of law; I am well aware that my brother who is on his way to be a very competitive and successful lawyer will refute my every view and logic- the difference you get by looking at it legally and emotionally. I'm sure by now most of us have seen the HBO documentary which aired legally at least in US last week. It was the entire narrative and transcript of the conversation between the terrorist and their henchmen (those who haven’t ,here is a glimpse of it http://indiaatwar.com/?p=4638). I base my judgment and anger on what I have seen and heard, very well aware of the rules of the land.

It’s been one complete year and this murderer still lives to breathe the free air of the land he colored in red. Going back in time, remember 2001, when America was introduced to the worst form of terror- it took them two month to give a reply back to the perpetrators’ literally wiping a nation from the world map. Even America didn’t possess enough proof as much as India did to take a stern action to express its anger. The link which shows this documentary has not yet been aired in India primarily due to the legal proceedings in Kasab’s case. A few years back , a similar situation occured with regards to the magnum opus- BLACK FRIDAY- based on the Mumbai blast, the case was dragged for more than a decade to come to some conclusion. An analogous fear lingers in the minds of the people thinking about 26/11. My question is why, why such a delay in bringing the accused and guilty to justice? In Kasab's case there is proof from surveillance cameras, interrogation reports and eye witnesses which buttress this case and clearly spell one judgment –GUILTY AS CHARGED. But in spite of all this, after 365 days , Ajmal Kasab lives another day. Unless India does not shed away its soft stands on terrorism, many such Kasabs will grow in our neighbor’s poor cities and villages, eventually haunting us to death.

In my view, and my view only, I would support the establishment of a special court at par with the privileges of the Supreme Court to tackle with only terrorism related cases. Such a court will hopefully expedite the cases at a faster rate than presiding at state level or apex courts. A verdict from such a court should lawfully prevents it from a mercy plea which will not stall the execution of terrorists like Afzal Guru who used this judiciary loop hole in the system to halt the execution of his sentence. Another issue which slowed the proceedings of Kasabs case was the appointment of a lawyer. Why do we need a defense lawyer? Who is he going to defend? A terrorist and murderer who the world has seen committing a heinous crime like 26/11? We put the lawyer life and career on the line, who is either obligated or forced to defend a case which he knows from day one is a lost cause. Remember the attack on the female lawyer by political party workers in Mumbai for agreeing to defend Kasab- not because she wanted to, but because that was the only way the case would begin. Some may even try to twist the case for sensationalism- remember the defense lawyers statement on Kasab being a minor! Well that one point almost got him off the hook. We should appoint such defendants (ironically choice of word) lawyers only to narrate the charge-sheet, explain the proceeding of the case and finally the last judgment of his life! One might refute at this junction clinging to the point – ‘innocent until proven guilty’. Don’t we already know what and who Kasab and Afzal Guru are? Haven’t they already confessed and proved themselves to the world with their actions?

The government of India can continue its diplomatic effort with its neighbors and international society to win support, but terrorism in a problem in our neighborhood which is spreading into our house if not dealt with aggression. India cannot fight the terror in the world alone, but it can show its determination and robustness by asserting its stand firmly on how it intends to deal with this problem and the creators of this problem.

Linguistic Supremacy

2009-11-10T13:43:00.007-05:00

After years of struggle from the British Raj which united a nation of diverse individuals, today this very diversity seems to be slowly poisoning the spirit of unity among Indians. India has seen internal conflicts on the bases on religion, culture, poverty etc. but overlooked the silent propaganda of linguistic prominence. After more than 60 years since Independence, in an era of technological and economic supremacy, we are being distracted by linguistic supremacy. One may ask, what is linguistic supremacy? And I would define it in view of the contemporary scenario as “An attempt to revive and preserve regionalism and cultural nexus in 21st century INDIA”.

Unfortunately this so called revolution is not similar to the freedom struggle carried out by scholars and patriots, but by power hungry and electoral vultures, who are singing the songs of linguistic patriotism to fulfill their personal and political ambition. Rise of regional politicians in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh etc, are currently driving this issue all the way to their warm seats either in the national parliament or state assembly.

India is a land of more than thousand languages with the Indian constitution recognizing HINDI as the official language ( acc to Official Language Act of 1965- corrected by my brother from my previous statement of calling HINDI as the national language) and 18 other regional state languages. The issue of what should be its national language was under debate post independence, which the then Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru settled the quandary between English and Hindi in a very contentious manner. This insulted many Dravidian leaders, provoking and instigating an Anti-Hindi agitation by the Tamils. Today many, like the Tamil DMK party, have grown with a sole agenda to propagate their regional language and culture- The MNS and Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, the SP in Uttar Pradesh, the Kannada Chalavali Vatal Paksha in Karnataka, to name a few.

The 2004 movement by the Karnataka Film Industry to delay release of Hindi Cinemas by 4 weeks to promote regional Kannada films, last year’s anti-North Indian movement by the nascent MNS in a multi-cultural metro like Mumbai against non-marati speaking migrants from UP and Bihar, the failed legislation of only licensing educational institutions which make Kannada the language of education, the conversion sign boards to regional scripts, forceful conversion of all official documents to only regional languages etc are just few of the most absurd actions taken to promote the spirit of linguistic patriotism. The most recent incident which caught my attention was the assault of a prominent regional leader taking oath to office in the national language by other political leaders who narrated the oath in the regional language. Have we stooped so low that we are forcefully trying to instill in people this so called regionalist / linguistic feeling?

I personally respect one’s personal preference of their own regional language. I am proud to be a Kannadiga and also take pride in speaking my language but do I have the right to force that pride into someone? The legislator who was assaulted hails from a state which has Hindi as its regional language. Was he wrong in speaking in a language he is comfortable in? Many of India’s national leaders from the south do not even speak Hindi, is that considered offensive towards national pride? For five years the nation’s first citizen, the President of India did not utter a word of Hindi in all his national addresses, why didn’t anyone create a ruckus then? But there are extremes also to this cause, such the Anti-Hindi MNS chief, who doesn’t talk any other language in ‘public’ except his mother tongue, in an attempt to show solidarity towards the language, when his children are studying in English medium schools learning French and German. How about the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, who holds the tag of being a true proponent of the Tamil cause; he has educated his children in reputed English medium universities. To add to this list are also Pro-Hindi and Anti English politicians from the northern state of India, Uttar Pradesh, who educated his children in international universities. Why such a hypocrisy when it comes to one's own kin?

In a country where inter-national migration is highest, how can linguistic dominance find any takers? When an aspiring software engineer from north moves to Bangalore or Hyderabad to fulfill his ambition, how will he or she feel welcomed when they are shoved with documents in either Kannada or Telugu? How will they commute when the number and destinations on intercity buses is in regional script? How will they read commercial boards when they are in a medium alien to them? If this continues to happens, migration will comes to a standstill, dramatically constraining not only India's but also the state's economical and social growth. Why is it that these linguistic politicians do not recognize this issues? Yes, I must assert myself here saying that “when in Rome be like a Roman”- one should learn the medium of language they are surrounded by in due course fo time but should have the freedom to communicate in the language they are comfortable in. I believe the acceptance of bilingual or even trilingual schemes which facilitates communication in regional, national and English should satisfy these linguistic patriots- or will it ?

In an age when India is competing with countries like China, Russia and Brazil for technological and economic significance, one factor which makes us stand out among the crowd is our linguistic abilities. Fluency in national and regional language along with English has enabled young India to migrate to various parts of the country and the world conquering new horizons. In such a rat race, we cannot afford to indulge ourselves in linguistic dominance ignoring nationalistic spirit of progress. Every Indian should be aware and proud of his culture and language; and also have the freedom to express himself by means comfortable and satisfactory to oneself without being radically forced by hypocritical and unconvincing principles.

Path to Revival

2009-10-07T14:22:00.021-04:00

Many have spoken about the cause of the downfall of this great city and many have foreseen it fasting moving along the path of oblivion but has anything been done to prevent it? Is there something which could be done to divert this path towards a new horizon? The essay referenced in my previous blog has illustrated clearly what went wrong with Detroit and what spelled its doom over the past four decades. The auto industries, the labor unions, the industrial and political lobbyist’s, corrupt politicians, disinterested sub-urbanites, and the black-white divide was summarized as the recipe of disaster for Detroit. As an idealist I have my concoction of steering this city towards a greener patch as every Detroiter might have. It is a quality of a champion to find opportunity under adversity and for this city facing its worst phase in decades has the opportunity to deviate from its traditional path and start fresh as a new, young and modern city. Not many cities get an opportunity like Detroit to press the restart button without being criticized about it-rather it will be applauded for doing so finally! The concoction which I have formulated is a blend of India and other big cities around the US.

One of the most visible disabilities of Detroit over the decades and now an area to exploit to its advantage is the local transportation. The automakers have sidelined the proponent’s of local transports for their commercial benefits overlooking the plight of those who cannot afford to own one of their gas guzzlers. Why not have eco-friendly taxi services, run by the three Detroit automakers? They can employee the drivers and run the service commercially for profit. There are two advantages on establishing such system. If each of the three auto makers has a fleet of 750 to 1000 eco-friendly taxis they not only can use this as a real time testing ground for their hybrids but also employee at least 3000 unemployed individuals. Another mode of transportation which can be revitalized in the city is the subway or metro system. It is a proven success in cities like New York, London and even Mumbai, where over 5 million people travel on the subways daily. In the age of suburban living, transportation to the major points in a city prove to be a boon to the citizens. If we dig deeper and look at the future prospect of this initiative, it gives way for the opportunity to develop commercial offices in and around downtown which have easy access to these satellite subway systems, drawing the crowd back to the city.

Continuing with the effort of restructuring, the rundown areas around downtown can be cleared to give way to solar fields. In this era of non-conventional energy, Detroit can take the opportunity to convert its barren and vacant real estate to encourage solar farms and stations. With most of the high rises towards the east side of the city, the solar panels have a clear path for sun light from the southwest. This will not only drive investments from outside but also reduce the energy cost of commercializing the city itself. The vacant real estate along Woodward Ave is an ideal location to erect charging station for the electric taxis and cars extracting power from the neighboring solar fields. The construction of a solar park on the beautiful island of Belle Isle on the Detroit River will not only serve to harvest energy but also utilize it to demonstrate its effectiveness and exploits.

Speaking about instituting solar parks and solar farms, the city can promote urban vegetation and green houses similar to the one in Bangalore and Hyderabad which are known for its botanical gardens. The products from this effort can be utilized to enhance the green market along Russell Street which houses Detroit’s own sabji mandi called Eastern Market. Maintenance of greenhouses, botanical gardens, solar farms etc boosts employment and investment by small bio tech labs and universities to harvest their products and conduct research.

In the prequel of this blog, I had highlighted the bright and colorful two block area of Greek Town and its populous streets and restaurants. Now imagine multiplying this two block area by five, for the Arabic populations which is the highest outside Saudi Arabia, for the Indians and Asians who are nowadays located everywhere and the African American who hold a majority in and around Detroit. This multi cultural setup will attract people of all race and creed to their shops, restaurants and cultural centers from all neighboring cities and even states. If anyone has to question the viability of such an outlook, they should look at the China Towns in New York and Chicago or even at Dearborn which houses the vastly populated Middle Eastern immigrants in Michigan. The fleet of cars, electric cabs, and metro railways passing by this multicultural center will not only bring revenue and employment to the city but also bring back its lost life.

Another mock up which can be capitalized by the city are piers similar to the one in San Francisco or Chicago which harbors tourist boats and ferries; and houses restaurants, roadside vendors, souvenir shops etc. The ideal location which comes to my mind for such a setup is Belle Isle and the River Front adjacent to the GM headquarters. Currently there is only one ferry- the ‘Detroit Queen’ operating 3 or 4 times a day between Belle Isle and the Ambassador Bridge. Connects the dots and the ride resembles the Maid of Mist without the glorious Niagara falls, with Canada on one side and the United States on the others, making it a perfect setting for tourist and the tourism industry.

As Idealist as these ideas might be, I do understand the practicality behind implementing these changes under the current scenario. The current city deficit, crime rate, city political corruption and to an extent social and racial divide are few of the demon’s which need to be fought along this path of revival. Suggestion like tax incentives, subsidies, financing, donations etc are option which can be explored to make such ideas and innovations viable, but not in this blog and not by an immigrants who wants to see his second home live its glory days once again. I reiterate my line that Detroit has to seize this opportunity before it’s too late to revive itself to a bold, dynamic, colorful, young and lucrative Utopian metropolitan.

Path to Oblivion

2009-10-06T17:04:00.019-04:00

This week I read an interesting cover story on the TIME magazine’s September issue. It spoke about a city once known as the power house of American Economy, the Nation’s Engine and the 4th largest city in the country. Yes, your understanding of these adjectives are right- I am talking about Motown-Detroit, Michigan. This essay “Detroit’s Future: Will Once Great America City Recover?” by Daniel Okrent threw light on the curve of once the cities dominance to its near oblivion. It was a subtle eulogy from a son to his home town, proudly flaunting its glorious days to making a sincere effort prescribing anecdotes to restore its fable life.

Detroit has been my house for the last three years in an alien country. Before leaving India, I was introduced to Detroit with adjective from dangerous to black to opportune. In these three years, I believe I have seen this city in all different lights and shades unlike my peers studying or working across the stretch of this country. I too came to this country like many other Indian students to live the American dream and to work for a prestigious company. Fortunately, under such dim circumstances I am living my dream but not Detroit or its residents. I cannot do justice by describing the city as Mr. Okrent but I can speak about my new home from an outsider’s view.

When you walk on the once famous Woodward Avenue from my university towards downtown, it’s hard to miss the towering skyscrapers growing taller and taller as if at every step a new level is added to these majestic architectural masterpieces. Detroit is one of the very few downtown's I have seen which still boost of its mid 20th century and masonic architectural designs. But by the years these building resemble the WWI veteran lost in time. As we enter downtown, we are greeted with the recently constructed Comerica Park, home of Detroit’s baseball time on one side and the bright and colorful Fox Theater on the other. I can compare this to a gate way decorated with lights along its length and two white tiger statues on a tall pillar representing the cities logo. Unfortunately this is as much light and color we would see on this road till we reach the banks of the river. The remaining stretch of the road is surrounded by towering rundown, empty buildings beseeching for occupants and life. The billboards are either colorless or unchanged from months and years. The only advertisements you see are of lofts, apartments, offices –FOR SALE/FOR LEASE. As every dark tunnels has a bright ending, so does this street ending on the banks of Detroit river bordering Canada ; hosting the famous General Motors Headquarters on the west side of the river and the Caesar’s Palace Casino on the east side. This is the state of the main artery of downtown Detroit. The picture painted here is similar or worse on the adjacent streets and avenues.

In most major cities, downtown is the central hub for all suburban dwellers for parties, celebrations, shopping, offices etc. But in Detroit, the downtown after 8 PM depicts a picture of a city under curfew with shops closed and a hand full of bars and casinos open late. The streets transform into a breeding ground for beggars, thieves, and muggers analogous to a Transylvania where vampires roam freely at night. Unlike Chicago, New York, Atlanta, which is known for its buzzing streets, road side vendors, glittering shops and loud honking vehicles, Detroit ironically home of the three biggest automakers reflects empty roads, quiet streets and dark corners in most parts of the city. Failed business and poor infrastructure have driven people away from downtown towards the suburbs, leaving a once fertile and lucrative real estate to dry like barren land for the cattle's to gaze , chewing away its residual life. Somewhere within this large city is a small place called Greek town which reflects the life of a colorful, noisy and busy downtown. A small region around two blocks, houses a five star casino and wall to wall restaurants serving delicious Chicago style pizza's to authentic Greek cuisines. The parking spaces are filled with expensive cars, the restaurants are buzzing with hungry customers, the small lanes are blocked by parked Hummers or Limousines and the music in the air is remixed with joyous gamblers sings the song of wealth and victory. Where did these people come from ? Aren't these affluent Michiganders, if not Detroiters dwelling from the quiet suburbs of Detroit ? Step out of this two block area and we are once again eclipsed by the grim, dark and lonely streets of downtown which seem endless on a cold winter night.

As many major cities in the developed and developing country demonstrate a progressive graph , Detroit seems to have started from the top and now is running downstream slowly hitting rock bottom. The economic situation over the past year has dipped the curve sharper than expected translating the cities worst fear into reality. Attributed with a very high percentage of unemployment , shutdown factories, closed offices etc drove people away from the once industrialised city , leaving behind few to savor whatever juice is left in the city. Festivities like the Detroit Art Festival and Dally in the Ally which show cased the creativity of its people generated revenue through sales and sponsors was either a no show this year or had been taken out of the yearly calender due to financial issues. Earlier this year due to the slump in the economy, an event like the Detroit Auto Show, rated as the best in the world saw its worst year in terms of products and participation, reducing the marketing quotient to minimum. There are many such event and festivities which used to bring this dead city to life, at least for a day, which are slowly withering out or moving their bases to lucrative suburbs. As the dark clouds overshadow the once bright sun over Detroit, is there an umbrella which can protect this city and sustain it through this bad weather to either live its glory for few more years or revive itself to start a new chapter?

Many have spoken about the cause of the downfall of this great city and many have foreseen it rapidly moving along the path of oblivion but has anything been done to prevent it? Is there something which could be done to divert this path towards a new horizon? The essay referenced above has illustrated clearly what went wrong with Detroit and what spelled its doom over the past four decades - the auto industries, the labor unions, the industrial and political lobbyist’s, corrupt politicians, disinterested sub-urbanites, and the black-white divide was summarized as the recipe of disaster for Detroit. As an idealist I have my concoction for steering this city towards a greener patch as every Detroiter might have..................................PATH TO REVIVAL

92% or A+

2009-08-31T14:10:00.011-04:00

A revolutionary change to the Indian education system has taken place with the elimination of the class Xth board exams for the central education system. It is being considered as a partial fulfillment by the HRD ministry under the first 100 day agenda set by the new government installed in India after its thumping victory earlier this year. The first question which arises in everyone’s mind is- how will students be evaluated ? and the answer is just 6 letters- A+,A,B,C,D or E. Yes, the life of a student now will be dictated not by percentage but by grades; grades which will be a representation of a student’s demeanor, knowledge and co-curricular activities- in short his/her overall development.

Over the years many attempts have been made to revamp the current education system, from compulsory primary education, to free education for the economically backward segment of the society to restructuring the education curriculum. As commendable as these efforts might be, somewhere down the lane they encountered speed breakers and road blocks which stalled the effort. It will be looked at anxiously next year, when this new effort by the government is implemented across India.

As a norm of physics, every action has a reaction and as much as the government tries to market this reform positively it will have its initial (hopefully) negative implications. Looking at the positives of this reform, it was intended to – ‘de-traumatize’ the current education system and reduce the pressure and stress on students. The thought of an examination bring shrills down the spines of many students and add to this the word BOARD, and imagine the state of the students. I am sure many of us can relate to this having been there a decade ago. Replacing the timely examinations with continuous evaluations of students during the course of the academic year is a step in the right direction. Students will be judged on their overall performance in course, sports and classroom interactions. This gives an opportunity for those reticent first bencher's to learn to express themselves and put aside their introvert characters. This measure also gives way for the athlete to gain credentials by excelling in an area he/her is comfortable with. A creatively gifted individual who previously had the opportunity to expressive his talents only during the stipulated 45 min of class period, can now utilize this creativity throughout the course of the academic year to gain extra credits. Overall, it does not matter anymore if you know complex chemical reactions or understand quantum physics or know all the countries capital, but more about how do you express and utilize the knowledge you pose to understand. Under the continuous evaluation criteria, students will be able to apply their learning’s thought practical assessments, which I personally believe is a better way of learning that sitting on a hard wooden bench for 6 hours listening to a monotonic lecture. This process of evaluation also allows the flexibility of setting up a progressive curriculum where every stage of evaluation is inter-connected. That is to say, a curriculum is split into 4 phases where the teaching of phase 1 will be required to understand and apply the concepts of phase 2 and an understanding of phase 1 and 2 is required to progressive into phase 3 and 4. With this process, a comprehensive evaluation at the end of the academic year is eliminated reducing the burden on students. At every phase of the evaluation a student will have a better understanding of his/her strong points, resulting in a comprehension of their interests and passion. Who knows, we might see a reluctant engineer become a journalist, a confused doctor become an actor etc. For every contemporary student the end result of an examination is getting a high percentage, whether it is by studying long hours before the exam, memorising every word in the text book or even spending time writing those illegal resources on transparent papers, or post-its etc. But now with the word examination eliminated till the 10th grade, students will spend more understanding concepts rather than mugging them and practicing rather than writing their 'secretive notes'. I have come across many, and at time also guilty of memorizing the contents of a book and outputting it on the answer sheet without an iota of reasoning to what was being written. As they used to call it in school- garbage in garbage out! Over all I see this reform bringing about many positive changes in the education system which not only involves the school board but also teachers, students and parents.

On the flip side, this reform measure has its dark patches which need to be addressed before active implementation. One big issue which I see is the disparity in grade allocation for respective score percentages. Under this new system the interval between minimum and maximum for a grade is considered irrational. A student scoring 90% and 99% are under the same grade bracket of A+. I believe that this disparity must be reduced to a small range introducing intermediate grades. In this day and age, every student knows the value of 1% and is ready to put that extra effort to earn that percentage, but with this grading system, the 1% is now changes to 10% which is inversely proportional to the effort and competitive spirit of a student. This concern also has a conjunctive relation to the admissions process where a decimal difference can make or break a student’s chances of admission into a reputed institution. Where will the institutions draw a line now? If there are 50 seats in an institution and the admission criteria is set to grades higher than A, what will the institution do if they get 150 A+ applicants? Where is the infrastructure for these 150 applicants? Digging deeper, if the institutions decide to take up an elimination process by conducting an examination, what’s the purpose of having the grading system? Something for the ministry and institutions to think about! Moving on to other concerns, consider a student who opts out of the 10th board but due to unforeseen circumstances has to relocate and to his misfortune the best institute in the region accepts only scores secured during a board exams for admission. Where will the student go now? The very fact that this reform has not been communized between different educational boards will hamper the flexibility we enjoyed of changing schools after our 10th grade. One factor which I fear the most is personal vendetta and favoritism between a teacher and a student or to put is subtly, discrepancy in evaluation. Internal assessment gives way for personal vendetta and favoritism towards a student to be settled during evaluation. The disparity of what a teachers thinks is worth a high grade may change between teachers from a neighboring class or even a neighboring school. A school in a small town might not have all the facilities to evaluate the performance of a student as par as a school in a big city. Where did reasoning for communizing the education system go now?

As much as we draw pros and cons on this reform, the silver lining lies on the fact that a step in the right direction was perceived and implemented. Parents, students and teachers are crying out loud for a change in the system, but I rather look at a revamp of the system. Today’s young India is competitive, dynamics and hungry for success which is recognised and appreciated all around the world. Now wonder President Obama compares the intellect of Indian students with those from his own back yard, while talking of a educational revamp in America. Any future reform intended should be perceived, with these qualities continuing to remain as an integral part of our education.

Disoriented

2009-08-10T20:52:00.009-04:00

A day will come when every social network will have the options: straight, bi-sexual, gay or lesbian! Or even the options male, female or transgender! In view of the current progressive global revolution for the LGBT's, many counties around the world are easing their law against same sex relationships. Recently 3 major states in United States legalised gay marriages, in India the Delhi high court decriminalised homosexuality. Many gay activist considered this as a move in the right direction. It is really a right move? Is this what some hand full of people in world were waiting for to throw the skeletons out of their closets?

These verdicts showed two sides of a coin in the global community. One who came out in the streets in jubilation and the other who came out in the streets pushing these skeletons back into the closet. Lets trying getting into their shoes and view each aspect from their side of the coin.

Lets talk about the jubilant group who finally can say it out loud that they are gay and gay. For years we have heard stories about LGBT's and their secret clan. The secretive gay clubs, the close door affairs etc were treated as taboo for many years. Once considered as a underground society has now risen to the surface and are walking 'hand in hand'. A society comprising of people like any one of us with a distinct difference of sexual preference. People who share similar emotions, experience similar pain, talk, walk, eat like any one of us, but still over the years have been considered as outcasts. Why the difference? just because they express their affection differently, just because a guy will look at a guy differently, a girl rubs the back of other girls. All species on the face of this earth have their own unique way to express their affection. We have fought many a times discrimination's against color, nations, caste and language, but somewhere, we not only overlooked but also continued the silent discrimination against LGBT's. Today in many countries they have been given the right to speak up, voice their opinion, start a family, and also participate in governing elections. We walk down the busy streets of New York, Chicago, London, Paris, Bangalore, Mumbai, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Sydney but are never able to distinguish people based on their sexual orientation. These people are not different in any ways from us, but we still treat them as outcasts, look at them in disgust and poke fun of them. We have voiced our concern when housing societies discriminate based on caste and religion, but continue to refuse leasing or selling houses to people of varied sexual preferences. Where did the voice against discrimination go now ? Religious and ethnic groups cry foul when they are depicted differently in feature films but these very people laugh till their stomach hurt on gays being depicted comically. Where did the sense of sensitivity go ? Governments and political parties carry out demonstrations and exhibit their physical strength to express their views on protectionism towards local citizens, but stay muted when a local is axed from his/her job purely based on sexual preference? Where did the objective of protectionism towards your own people fade away now ? Would we act the same if one of our own- a friend, a brother or a sister confessed of their orientation? Would we outcast them, would be make fun of them? For decades these people have lived silently in love and pain among us hoping that one day they to can walk arm in arm with their loved one without the fear of being a social outcast.

For many it it still very hard to understand the logic of being attracted to the same sex and this cognitive challenge has formed the second face of the coin. From the time homosexuality came to the forefront, many religious clans have considered it against the will of God. Their argument stand that, God made a man and a women for a particular reason, so going against Gods creation was considered a taboo and a sin. Today many Christian, Islamic, Hindu and other religious bodies in the world are fighting against this unnatural turn of events. Many are even calling this a plague effecting the balance of nature. On a religious point of view, God speaks of progression in living beings by the uniting a male and a female. This basic principle is destroyed among LGBT's who cannot carry forward their progression defying both science and religion by natural means. Socially, the relationship between a man and a women has always been considered as an accepted norm and an inherent part of life. Biologically a X and Y chromosome can pair with each other or with itself but when these chromosomes take the human form this simple concept does not jive with science or nature. So, what do these STRAIGHT people have a problem with, apart from causing imbalance in the course of nature? Can we be ever comfortable in the presence of a LGBT? Can be allow out children to school or college knowing that his teacher or instructor is a gay or lesbian, without the fear of them being an influence on the child? Can we be comfortable working with a colleague who confesses to be a homosexual and expresses his friendship physically with a pat on the back or a hug? Will we be comfortable when a gay or lesbian friend asks you for dinner or lunch purely with a platonic intention? Over all it creates a very awkward atmosphere for both sections of society where one tries to accept and the other tries to respect one's sentiments.

As we all try walk this tender line, balancing natures principle and modern practicality, I tried to flip the coin and analyze in my own way what all the ruckus is from both sides. At the end its how you and I perceive the debate between being straight and accepting homosexuality and being homosexual and living under the shadow of heterosexuals. We all live under one huge umbrella held by our creator and irrespective of our religion, caste, ethnicity, language and sexuality, we have to continue to live together to make this place called earth work.

"Reality" Bite : Part-2

2009-07-27T21:34:00.003-04:00

The affinity to reality shows was overshadowing the mundane daily soaps. This pandemic as I put it started from the prime time hit Kaun Banega Crorepathi an adaptation of the famous American shows Who Wants To Be a Millionaire. India found a new reason to be glued to the television Monday through Thursday, watching people being asked questions for thousands of dollars (lakhs of rupees) by none other than Amitab Bachchan. This initiated a deluge of game shows based on similar format.

Over the years, Indian television was flooded with channels and reality shows. Shows like MTV Roadies, Iss Jungle Se Mujhe Bachao (I am a celebrity.. get me out) where people and celebrities are asked to perform outrageous tasks for money and were challenged mentally and physically for monetary rewards catapulted the ratings. Shows like Indian Idol, Sa re ga ma, India’s Got Talent etc opened new doors for people like you and me to show our talent. Shows like Big Brother (originally also called Big Brother) and Khatharo Ke Khiladi ( Fear Factor) have given forgotten cinema and television personalities to come back on the small screen and stake a claim for revival.

Recently one more adaptation of a famous American reality shows called The Moment of Truth was introduced to the ever eager Indian audience called Sacch Ka Samana, where celebrities and the aam admi ( common people) come on the show and face a lie detector test. A scary thought for many but to my surprise this show has already spurred so many controversies. The most interesting one which provoked me to write this blog was a cry from the house of the parliament, which is being assembled for the Budget session and debate.... yes budget, but somewhere somehow our dear politicians wanted to debate on the acceptability of such a show on Indian television. Their allegations stand as mentioned: Anti-Indian, instigate infidelity and foul behavior, has sexual content, against Indian culture and unethical!!! Now, beat this, the government has accepted to debate on this topic and has slapped a show cause notice on the television channel broadcasting the show.

Are our politicians going to decide what we are and we are not supposed to watch? Where were these representatives when they aired shows like Big Brother and Khatharo Ke Khiladi where people are asked to eat insects and kill animals as part of their task, where contestants men and women were made to live under the same roof for months while the nations watches their every move. Where were the sentiments of ethics and culture when celebrities in Big Brother were physically bonding (if you know what I mean) and physically abusing others participants. What about the foul languages and derogatory statements made in such shows? Aren’t such acts against our culture and instigating foul behavior among the viewers? No one in the parliament said anything when one of their own, a popular Mahasrashtrian politician participated in one of these shows? They do not cry foul when a married man takes part in a televised swayamwara of t a controversial item girl? Isn’t that promoting infidelity? Why such hypocrisy when it comes to this new show?

Where did these politicians go when various english and regional channels were screening feature films containing sexual content, infidelity etc. Where did they go when fashion networks were broadcasting provocative shows with skinny pale skin models walking the ramp with minimal clothes? Where did these politicians go when American soap operas, which are based on deceit, infidelity and sex, were telecasted in the afternoon for the entertainment of home makers? Wasn’t that exposing the Indian nari (women) to anti-Indian culture? They speak about having regulated viewing and time table for certain shows based on their censor rating. I wasn’t aware that our notion of anti-culture and anti-Indian changes based on the hour of the day. Why now that our representatives want to bite into our pie?

I believe in this day and age you, me and all the parents are responsible enough to be aware of the contents in a television show. We are well prepared to face the realities of life and own responsibilities to our actions. I would rather have my parents tell me what to watch and what not to rather than the Babu’s in Delhi. What is wrong in people coming on television to tell the truth? What is wrong if they want to make some money in the bargain of may be being publicly humiliated? It was their personal choice to stand up in front of billions of people and wash their dirty linen.

Are we so scared to tell the truth, when one of the founding pillars of our nations is Sathya Mai Vijay. A nation which boosts of following Gandhi's principles is governed by politicians who are afraid to face the truth. I wonder if any politician will dare to sit on the hot seat and be under the lie detector and prove that we are not a nation of cowards and liars. We are not a nation with skeletons in the closest. We are not a nation who are afraid of facing the reality and own responsibilities for our mistakes.

"Reality" Bite : Part-1

2009-07-25T13:19:00.010-04:00

Post Ramayan and Hum Log era, Indian television has undergone transformations in leaps and bounces. In the early nineties, having channels DD1 and DD2 were considered a luxury. I remember my childhood days when every Saturday and Sunday I sat in front of the television to watch He-Man, Mahabharat, the afternoon regional movie and the evening Bollywood movie. The shrill sound from the rainbow colored screen on DD1 and the Hindustani music telecasted as a mark of respect for two days after the death of an eminent political leader were considered synonymous with Indian television. As I see it today, television was considered innocent. Limited and watchable programming lured us to the television screen every week slowly becoming a part of our mundane life.

The late nineties experienced the introduction of satellite television, opening the flood gates for more than a dozen channels. From an univision programming of news, soap operas, epic series and movies we moved to specific viewership format, where each category of programming had its own channel. With time the epic series and regional movies on weekends were taken over by daily soaps; the Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki and the Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. The innocence was being lost by shows depicting family feuds, vendetta, murder, horror, infidelity and excessive emotions. What's surprising is that the TRP's were at their highest during this period. Gone were the days of Nukkad, a simple and joyful tale dealing with the struggles of the youth to make a living in a harsh social and economically challenging environment. We related to characters of Kadar Bhai, Dhukia, Khopadi, Ganpath Hawaldar and many more, who played real life character, who had real life problem and expressed real life emotions.

The dawn of the 21st century again brought about a big transformation to television in India. It bought in the MTV culture, which captivated the youth of the nation and exposed it to the vast pool of music, fashion and celebrities. India as a whole was undergoing a revolutionary transformation in every field, from science, sports, commerce to fashion. People were slowly getting exposed to western culture through television and print media. Television show anchors underwent a lingual switch from Hindi to English. Daily soaps had moved from crowded society locations to villas. Actors and actresses were traveling in Mercedes and BMW’s with their cycles, bus passes and rickshaws stored in some far away abandoned warehouse. The traditional Indian attire was replaced with D&G, Armani and other famous Indian fashion houses. On a whole the colors of Indians television had shifted from black and white to high definition!

This high definition society was flaunting its new avatar (identity) to the world. International programs and news made us more aware of our surrounding. Kids spoke fluent English thanks to cartoon network, a young techi was accustomed to the British and American accent thanks to Friends and Yes Minister and a home maker decorated her shack into a palace thanks to teleshopping networks and home keeping programs. These are just few of the examples how the transformation of television in India changed the face of the country. All these changes were welcomed with open arms with few cries of hypocrisy. Until……………..

"What's In The Name"

2009-07-01T11:20:00.006-04:00

62 years after Independence we are still fixated to one parivar, the Gandhi parivar. India's obsession to this family has grown in recent year under the rule of the congress at the center and most states throughout India. The Gandhi parivar after independence has given many famous personalities from Jawaharlal Nehru to Sonia Gandhi. Admissibly these personalities have shaped India's future and are considered iconic figures of the Indian political system. But does this give their political party and family the right to consider themselves as the first family of India or to be even more caustic, the monarch of India's politics?

The obsession to name renowned institutions, roads, airports and structural landmarks on famous personalities has been abused by many political parties. Statues have been erected and roads have been renamed by every new government to symbolize their significance and dominance. A situation has come where such acts of dedications are no more a privilege but a symbol of pride.

Recently in Mumbai, the Bandra-Whorli seal link was inaugurated after being conceptualized in 1962 and tendered in 2000. Under the congress government in the state, the bridge was named .. guess what ? .... Rajiv Gandhi Sethu !! One more dedication to the late Rajiv Gandhi. Just a year back the ruling party in Andhra Pradesh had named the new international airport ... again .... Rajiv Gandhi International Airport. After some research , I found out that there are two airports under that same name. Added to this there are technical institutions, universities, a cancer research center under his name. Such similar examples can be found under the name of Jawahlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Sanjay Gandhi .

We cannot blame only one political party for abusing such a tribute. Recently, the queen of dalith has erected 7 statues of herself including a new 18 ft statue around 100ft pillars. The Marata-Hindu party in Maharashtra have also misused the name game for their benefits by changing development program names which reflect their contributions. Overnight change in roads names to their icons, the mighty Marata ruler Shivaji and the renowned freedom fighter Veer Savarkar shows examples of the importance given to name games to express ones prevalence and significance in the eyes of the citizens.

Today this very caucus cries foul for naming the Bandra-Whorli sea link after the late prime minister. What is their alternative ?.... Veer Savarkar sethu !! Can we ever look at the big picture ? Why cannot we just name it Bandra-Whorli Sea Link, Sea Necklace or Mumbai Bridge (suggested by a friend). We dont see famous monuments like the Golden Gate Bridge or the London Bridge named Clinton bridge or Princess Diana Bridge! If a dedications has to be made for this bridge in Mumbai, why not in the name of someone who relates and is acceptable to the nation.. why not to the mortars of Mumbai terror attack ? Why not the iconic Sachin Tendulkar who himself hails from Mumbai ? Why do we have to politicise everything ?

This structural monument is a dedication to the technological advancement of India in infrastructure development and politicizing such a monument will lose the essence of its purpose and importance. As Shakespeare had once said : " what's in a name?- Where Juliet tell Romeo that a name is an artificial and meaningless convention" This one line encapsulates the struggle and tragedy of the famous play which reflects the similar struggle to overcome India's fixation and political prejudice towards names.

British Raj (1947) - License Raj (1990) - Quota Raj (????)

2009-06-22T16:42:00.004-04:00

Over the years India has been successful in overcoming different raj’s , from the British to the license raj. But one which has damped India’s effort towards understanding the real meaning of equality is Quota Raj. A word which has been misused and misinterpreted over the years by all- people who derived it and deserved it. I am not here to argue on the system as a whole but what provoked me to put my views across was the misuse of this very word which has handicapped us today. Recently the Maharashtra government came out with a abominable law to reserve 90% of seats in junior colleges (11th & 12th Std) for its state run board and the remaining 10% for the common central boards.

We have already tampered with the government job sector and higher education system, plaguing them with various quotas and now we have set out to tamper with the lives of young boys and girls. The juvenile innocence are being fed with the concept of quota when they should be enlightened about the vast opportunities ahead of them.

The Indian education system is currently balancing three to four educational boards trying to avoid conflict among them. But this new rule has brought to attention the need to communize these education boards, such that we create a level playing ground. There exists a variation within states boards as we move from north to south and east to west adding to the confusion. Different evaluation systems, different question papers and at time different curriculum have made this system debatable. The marked difference I have seen across all the boards is the language options in a curriculum, with Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Orissa etc.. paying emphasis on regional language. I personally do not disapprove of this because it is important to know one’s own native language if given the opportunity (I personally do not know how to read or write my native language due to the different education boards I studied during my schooling). Apart from this I believe we teach identical concepts of mathematics, science, history, geography, english etc. Why have a difference in curriculum across the boards, of when and what to teach, on a concept which does not change from region to region. Why can’t we have a common curriculum spelling the same words, with native language as the only dividing line ?

It is very debatable to pronounce which board is superior. I have experienced the differences personally and through friends at school and college. Few boards pay emphasis on science and math’s as a whole while others also pay emphasis on specialized topics like economics and civics. Within a specific subject for example, mathematics, I have seen difference in emphasis being laid on applied, commercial and general mathematics. Shouldn't students have knowledge of all these subdivisions without being biased against the other? To further illustrate the difference, social studies in few boards have history, geography economics and civics as sections of a single book but others have them as separate subjects of examinations, paying equal emphasis. Should we all not be educated equally on all topics under the umbrella?

The examination system also shows distinctions across boards, with disparity in question paper patterns and evaluated scores. Consider this; When you might be hard-pressed in preparing for your board exams with twelve papers, your neighbors will be on the verge of completing his/her exams with only six! Why the difference ? When you neighbor knocks on your door to distribute sweets on achieving a high 90% on the exam, you will be anxiously waiting for your results knowing that the average score that can be attained in your board is around the mid 80’s ! Why the difference? When you get up early and log on the Internet, hoping to see your name in the admission list on the schools web page, you are taken aback to see your name in the waiting list when your scores were in the top bracket for your board but lacked the meat to compete with others. Why the difference ?

In the past few years complex methods such as indexing scores (which still evades the understanding of common people and lacks transparency) across different boards have helped solve the problem to an extent when it comes to admissions, but overall the system still continues to balance itself to attain stability.

With close to 10% of students in Maharashtra studying outside the state board , why did the government have to introduce such a discriminating law? A motive to encourage students to join state-board adopted institutions? A motive to further divide the cracked system? Such populist laws have been put forth from various governments but not a single successful attempt has been made to unify the system. In an attempt to give equal opportunity to all students they seem to have somewhere lost or overlooked to plot of the game.

We have plagued the young minds of India with the ancient caste system and now we are trying to infuse in them a discriminatory notion based on the type of education system they hail from!

$$$ v/s Brains

2009-06-20T15:08:00.006-04:00

A week back an interesting debate was sparked between me and a good friend on intelligence and money. The debate started with a single statement - " A degree in management (MBA) is all about money making but PhD is seeking intelligence." As surprised as I was on such a refutable comparison, it made me challenge my thoughts on how I can defend a profession I intend to pursue in the coming years. We bombed thoughts and views across like it was a battle field and the victorious will have the satisfaction of justifying once call on pursuing a particular career path.

Generationalizing from a family of well educated individuals with a PhD next to their name, I had to be careful not to undermine the achievements they have attained in their field, during the process of defending my reasons and views of how an MBA degree equally reflects your capabilities by challenging you intellectually in par of a post doctorate degree.

So, is pursuing a MBA only about money making and not about intelligence ? Is having a PhD one of the best ways to project your intellectual proclivity? Does, being qualified as a doctorate have an upper hand as apposed to having a business degree? Some might argue this comparison has no base because both can at times go hand in hand, for example- a PhD in Business management ! But what I am trying to point out here is a comparison of how intellectually challenging these two qualifications are.

Today an entrance into a leading B-School is matter of pride for many young students and professionals. The process of admissions have gotten tougher with time due to the increase in competition and talent around the globe. Globalization within campuses have increased the awareness among non-economic background aspirants. Collaborations with international universities have given students the opportunity to adventure away from their current profession. The staggering pay checks,reputation and power in Wall St. has enticed the world to take this profession seriously. Alumnus from reputed institutions from around the world took center stage either in global businesses for eg. Mukesh Ambani, Donald Trump, Ratan Tata, Anand Mahindra etc.. and in statesmanship for eg. P. Chidambaram, Michael Bloomberg, George Yeo etc...These people have shaped the the world in their own ways with intelligence, knowledge and innovation. None of the above have a doctorate degree but rank among the most influential people in the world. They have run successful business which have shaped the market for the world from the automotive sector to petroleum to real estate to running countries/cities finance and governing body successfully. We find their names and brands in every walk of life with many being role models and icon to aspiring businessmen. Does it mean they are in only in for the money and have no stimulating intellect? Doesn't it sound weird that they achieved so much and had little intellectual proclivity as compared to a doctorate who dedicates his/her life to research and intellectual supremacy (as the notion goes).

Does, having a MBA degree alone qualify you for influx of $$ in your bank account? With every passing year, business school have been mushrooming in every corner , but those who make it to the top are those who have worked for it and have the intelligence to apply, what I love calling a glorified personality development course. It matter from where and who edifies you that course. An admission into a Ivy league B-School requires a strong resume, a strong score, creativity and sound intellect. The combination of these traits and the tag of a prestigious school helps you propel further.

On the other hand, a doctorate might have worked for five to six years to attain his degree but during the course of this work there are many who lose track of reality and real world situations. There have been discoveries and researchs carried out which cannot be applied to real world and can only be added to text books as references. Can we claim such a doctorate intelligent, who has the knowledge and skills of research but cannot produce findings which is acceptable and practical in everyday life. There have been many great doctorates in the field of science and even business who have formulated strategies and techniques which have proven to be very useful to a MBA student, who then take that learning and knowledge, and applies it to the real world with a hint of self contributed intellect.

The contributions from renowned erudite scholars like John Forbes Nash, Jr whose work on Game Theory to the most recent Dr. Paul Krugman's "Analysis of trade patterns and location of economic activity" have helped business admin students understand and apply various strategies to run a successful and lucrative business, not only satisfying personal gains but also meeting the growing demands of the world. It is these MBA degree holders who have made these findings practical in the real world and tested their viability which intern has led to further studies and innovations both in the field of research and business.

At the end a doctorate degree or a business management degree, one will need intellect, creativity and presence of mind to make it to the top . A degree alone cannot say if you or me are intellectually or monetarily inclined.

Nation to a Corporate

2009-05-31T17:15:00.008-04:00

The global scene of dominance has changed over the last few decades. Economic power has taken precedence over military power. The American and the Soviet dominance has slowly dwindled away after the cold war era and in the 21st century the West has to compete with the BRIC countries, considered to be developing nations in the past. This new front has shifted gears and is in full speed to attain economic prominence in the world stage. Under these changing circumstances, the old and tested formulae of governance must make way to the more dynamic, contemporary and lucrative methodology. What I am trying to say is a nation cannot be treated as a geographical divide of culture and ideology but as a corporate having it business objective set at attaining economic sustainability and then supremacy. On saying this, it does not mean other governance sectors are of any little importance. But when you as a nation have set your goals to move forward progressively, the economic structure of the nation drives all its branches like agriculture, infrastructure, law, health and culture towards that common goal.

After all the tamasha of this years elections and a thumping verdict in favor of a ruling national party, it was time for governance to take center stage. We have a Prime Minister who has his visions clear on what he and his government wants to achieve in the next five years. The accidental Prime Minister had become the peoples choice to lead this country forward during its tough times. In the following days after the elections results, the elected party set its sight on establishing a formidable, experienced and transparent government. There were a lot of words flying in the air of who would be what minister. One thing which caught my attention and provoked me to write this essay was the nomination of Montek Singh Ahluwalia for the post of Finance Minister. A technocrat with an Oxford degree and also currently the deputy chair of the planning commission, he had the potential and experience to handle India's economic top job.

Is India as a nation ready to revamp its 62 year old system and adjust to a corporate governance formula? How affective is it to have technocrats running crucial sectors of the government? Won't technocrats have better understanding of the ground reality than politicians ? Will technocrats understand the political sensitivity of certain issues? And ,are elected representative ready to work with technocrats ? These are few of the questions which came in my mind as I visioned India as INDIA Inc. rather than REPUBLIC OF INDIA.

Imagine an India led by a technocrat politician and advised by other dynamic, visionary and efficient technocrats. Wont that structure make a cabinet meeting look like a board meeting....!! Sounds interesting doesn't it. A government in which a lawyer is heading the ministry of law, a economist heading the finance and commerce department, a educationist heading the HRD and education department, a veteran soldier heading the defense ministry etc.. Well versed with their area of expertise gives them the liberty to focus and implement regulations effectively. They relate more to the situation than someone who is bestowed the duty on compulsion or by political balancing. For example, imagine a comparative situation where a technocrat or a politician with no defense background has to take a decision on national security and threat from his enemies. A technocrat will have a better understanding on the military capabilities of the country and his countries capability to defend the nation. In lieu we have a politician who has never interacted with the defense forces and doesn't have an understanding of defense mechanism, is expected to take prompt and apt decision on national security. To state another example, a high school teachers turned politician who has no educational background or experience in finance is given the responsibility of handling the nations finance under such economic backdrops. Do we really have so much time in hand in such a fast and competitive global scenario of try our hand on such individuals?

On the flip side technocrats think from the brain and not from the heart, which the politicians do well ( I must say few of them think well from others pockets also!!). There is a very fine balancing act which today's politicians perform to maintain their vote bank and also prove their worthiness to the people. Issues regarding reservations to the backward classes in educational institutions and other public sectors is an old formula but in this contemporary world of internet based entrance exams, this method proves profitable to many politicians on voting day. Issues on free rice and flour to the poor, free electricity to the farmers etc are viable and test ways to lure public favoritism. What would a technocrat, treating these issues as business objectives over a period for 5 or 10 years do? He might aim at development of schools for the backward classes and encourage merit based selection to generate competent work force to run this very mechanism he has been thriving to develop. He would create jobs for the poor to earn their rice and flour and be more self-sufficient. He would encourage farmers to harvest renewable sources of energy for their cultivation having a vision of eradicating the dependency of conventional energy. All these ideas may look fascinating to us on the long run but can they really attract votes?

Summing up, I believe a fine blend between technocrats and educated politicians can help in the transition from a nation to a corporate. A shrewed politician acting along side an erudite technocrats who has his mission memorised is an appropriate way in this age to deal with a nation of varied economic, social and cultural backgrounds, marching towards its objective of global recognition or as they say in corporate world - GLOBALIZATION!

Underdog Millionaire

2009-05-24T15:45:00.012-04:00

Last two of season 1 prevail as top two of season 2 as the lights dim, music is turned off and spectators descend the stairs with a sense of satisfaction mixed with feelings of joy and sadness. In spite of being miles away from the fanaticism of Indian sport lovers, this seasons IPL continued to capture the world audience by its quick, colorful, loud and glamorous version of the old gentleman's game. In the backdrops of will it, won't it-the IPL stood its ground and with its chairman's determination we were able to experience a sporting extravaganza.

People expected a certain disconnect when the IPL was shifted to South Africa after constant failures in negotiations on security with the home ministry, which had the responsibility to conduct a safe and smooth general election. Reluctant at first to stage the home groomed event anywhere else apart from its own backyard, the organizers tried their best to work around the home ministries request, until a fortnight before D-day there was a sudden decision to play the tournament in the Proteus backyard. To look at it now the decision was worth the risk.

After all the shenanigans and ruckus, the spotlight was back on the players and the game. Experts had their money on Delhi Daredevils to carve their name on the trophy followed by Chennai and the defending champs Rajasthan. In all their discussions two teams were blind sighted as contenders, as a reflection of their previous performance. The Deccan Chargers which were pitched as front runner in season 1 on paper and Bangalore RC's who were always considered a test team from the start. In 2009 fortunes changes for BRC by a millions dollars increasing the hopes and expectations from Malleshwaram to Whitefiled to Jayanagar. The DC's drafted a change in their fortunes with new colors and a new leader to ignite a sense of regional patriotism spreading from Hitech city to Charminar.

With the call of "play ball", the two underdogs surprised the world audience by defeating the defending champions and a formidable side convincingly making a clear statement to its critics. This fortune was short lived for the BRC's as they got back to their old habits, but the DC's marched forward under an able and dynamic captain. As the tournament progressed, Bangalore lost their plot and slumped at the bottom half of the table until a change of guard from the flamboyant and rash Englishman to the more subdued, reliable and veteran Indian. Bangalore started to win not only matches but also the hope of thousands of Bangalorians, who had continued to cheers for their team in their hardest times. On the parallel the fortunes for the DC's derailed by overconfidence and complacency. It took flawed performances by other teams to open a path towards a semis birth. On the last round robin game, it was a contest between the two underdogs who had flirted with their fortunes throughout the series. A contest to determine who would play the mighty Delhi and the talented Chennai contingents in the semi-finals.

As the final four took shape, it was predicted to be a contest between north (Delhi) and south (Bangalore/Chennai), a divide invisible of its existence to the eye but deeply rooted in many Indians on either side of the geography. But what came out of those two days of fierce contest was pleasingly surprising and a reminder to critics to never count anyone off. A contest between the underdogs who were fighting for recognitions, acceptance and supremacy. A rivalry only seen for now to prove info tech and bio tech dominance had poured onto a cricket field miles away. What was for the winners?-A team set to prove they had the capabilities to win not only on papers but also on the field and the other set to remove a tag of a lazy test match side.

What came out of the finals had little significance to what was seen on that day. Two champions in their own respect ; a Aussie war horse and the Indian Jumbo had led teams down and out to the top two spot. Their recipe of hard work, determination, passion and a tea spoon of luck created the perfect blend to sum up the tournament. They managed to prove that age is temporary but class is permanent. Whoever said that T20 was meant for the young has to see what we saw in IPL2 and eat his own words to hail the brilliance and talent of these fine men.

At the close of season two, India has witnessed another famous rags to riches story in a different form to converse about for many coming weeks. Will SRK's KKR turn their fortune in season 3 inspiring me to write another blog is a thing we will have to wait for an year!!!

From Raddhi to Gaddhi Part-2

2009-05-04T22:35:00.000-04:00

In my previous blog I expressed my views on how we could be miss-governed by someone who keeps their interest and a handful of peoples interest over the others.

As many analyst put it the world is not bothered about the India elections and who would ride to 10 Janpath. Fortunately not because the world is not interested in India, but because they are confident of our system and the past track record of our leaders. But should the world show concern if a leader from a minority in India rises to the Gaddhi in Delhi? Should we hail that as the rising of a leader from raddhi to gaddhi (from dirt to thrown), some may say why shouldn't we? didn't the world do it when America elected its first African American president?

For many in India it will be a perfect script for a blockbuster bollywood movie another rags to riches movie, may be another Oscar winning movie! But what is there for India in this script......

Yes India is always proud of its diversity, be it a Sikh PM, a women President and a Muslim Vice President. A rise of a dalith or any lower section citizen to India's highest office is something to be proud of, but only for a deserving candidate, who not only recognizes the need for his people but also for all Indians. Being an Indian I am proud of our power structure and diversity it emits.

We do need leaders who work to uplift the needful segment of the nations. We have to rise as one India not a segregated India. We need a leader who may not be foreign educated but can take educated decisions to take India forward. We need a raddhi to gaddhi story of a individual who worked for it and who , we the people of India elevated to become our leader not someone who is an opportunist, someone who sneaks their way into the political mess we are held ransom to .

As I come to the end, I apologise if I have hurt the sentiments of anyone, but I want to voice my opinion and as an Indian I have the right to do so, keeping in mind not to hurt any ones sentiments. But to leave a mark on the stone , I would rather prefer an educated , intellectual, diplomatic and prosperity driven leader than an opportunist.

From Raddhi to Gaddhi Part-1

2009-05-04T20:54:00.000-04:00

How modern is India? How open minded is India? How ready is India?

These are the question which wonder in my mind as I make my second attempt to write a blog. Today on one of my favorite programs on an Indian English news channel, a group of elite panelist were thrown a question which goes something like this : Is India ready for a Dalith Prime Minister?" Are we ready? Is the world ready to see India governed by a non foreign educated, non-english speaking leader?

So I wondered about this and I had two sides of it; you decide which side I tilt.

Demographic segregation has been prevalent in India from ages and we as citizens have flirted with this concept over the years. We have taken this system as a cushion in creating and solving many if India's dilema. Politician use this a magnet to attract vote and even cause tensions between communities for their own political viability and few even to bloosom their political aspirations. Many have been successful and few have failed, that is the weightage this system carries in India.

So coming back to the question of is India prepared to be governed by a leader who believes to be lost and a victim of this segregation. One such leader is slowly climbing the ladder today and for many its a scary sight. A hindi teacher from a small town in one of northern India most demograpfically segregated state, she climbed the political ladder , potentially errupting as a king ( or should i say queen ) maker in the 2009 general elections. With India's two major parites scrambling for alliences to fulfill their own political aspiration, we shouldnt be surprised is she sneeks into the race.

Known for her dalith propaganda and total autocracy within her party, the Bhainji from northern India is also infamously know for corruption, bad governance and self propagation. So can this powerful figure emerge from the dirt and challenge likes of an economic genius or a hindhuthva hardliner, a gifted orator of both english and hindi language? Quite a fierce challenge isn't it, but in Indian politics anything can happen.

Over viewing the left and the right , where the left being a hard pro-dalith and hindi speaking powerhouse , the right being english speaking, foreign educated and elite symbols of Indian political system. After being governed for nearly a decade by two of India's biggest names not only is politics but also as international figures are we ready to accept a so called anti-obama (as one news magazine puts it)? One who doesn't speak english, one who keeps her interest first and her sect interest if needed ahead of the nations? I believe India has come a long way from the time Sri BR Ambedkar formulated a affirmative system for the lower segment of the Indian society. For many city educated and college educated young Indians, these social segregation's does not matter. Our politicians have enforced laws and regulations which keep reminding us of this awful break in our system for their own leverage. Today India has a PM whose resume can put any world leader in shame, and his grasp of the international scenario is immensely acknowledged by the citizens all over India. Now going from that to someone who doesn't even acknowledge India's growth in the international platform is a hard CHANGE to accept. We are know to the international community as a young, vibrant and educated country . These adjective have been added over the ,I agree, but they have reached their peak in the last decade. India's reflection are our leaders , even though we cant be fully proud of few our leaders but we have handful who we can look up to and who have given India a face value. From going to an international brand, a prosperous country focusing on competing with itself and the world , are we ready to focus on matters like which section of the society should be given privilege and free pass and which should be treated as a pseudo dalthi. All this on the expense of neglected economic growth, international relations and national harmony.

Envision India

2009-05-03T02:26:00.000-04:00

I know most of you reading this blog will predict what the theme of my blog will be about, but I wanted to start off this exercise by talking about something which stuck to my head, the current general elections taking place in India. As we know this week India voted in its third phase of its 5 phase election saga in states where issues from terrorism to development to demographic segregation ( or as we Indian love to call it CASTE) were important factors.

Days before this round of election, there were a lot of talks about one region in particular, Mumbai. After yet another deadly experience with growing global terrorism, Mumbaikars showed the apathy towards the government and our dear politicians in large numbers. Something which caught my eye in particular was, it was not the down trodden residents of Mumbai or the insipid party workers and supporters which were making the noise but the more affluent and vocal middle and upper middle class. One more interesting point was the percentage of youth driven protests and media exerts. This made me happy and saddened at the same time that me being an Indian was not able to do anything sitting two continents across, but there was a new wave of prospects to answer the traditional "chaltha hai" attitude.

A day after the voting day , I was eager to log on to my regular news network in India to listen to few of the analysis and post voting discussions. I was surprised, shocked and disappointed. India had seen the lowest percentage of voting this elections and the biggest question was where was Mumbai on voting day after 26/11. Some say long weekend drove them away, some say the heat drove them away and some say the politicians didn't not energize them sufficient enough to make them vote!! During India's display of democracy, somewhere in Bangalore and Delhi, two groups of young India with the help of some famous personalities of Indian cinema were taking out ad campaigns and literature's on our duty and right to vote. The responsibility to vote before we complain and the power to decide who runs OUR country. I personally believe this as one of the most effective initiatives I have seen in recent times after the OBC/SC/ST quota decision by the current government. I shower accolades to these two groups Janagraha and Jago Re India for putting all their efforts to make India vote. I believe a initiative driven by the youth, advertised displaying young India would have motivated many to step out from their comfortable A/C classrooms, cafes, meeting joints and also those glued to their LCD tv's, PlayStation's, laptops etc. I am pointing out the youth of India.

I have been fortunate enough to witness two contrasting government system elections. Here in the US which is mainly a Presidential System and India which adopted the British Parliamentary system. What I saw in the US was 2 years of hard fought elections right from the party nominations to the presidential elections on Nov 4th. I personally cannot comment much on the system as I am still learning the american political setup. But The reason I point out this 2008 Presidential elections is mainly because of two reasons. Firstly, Pres. Barack Obama and secondly the drive to pull college students and first time voters to express their views and vote.

Many of you who follow the news and read about last years elections will surely remember journalist talking about a tech savvy Obama team. Their methods to attract the youth and allowing them to express their views. Visits to universities, where most of the first time voters were initiating town hall style interactions with them. Setting up offices near universities, starting communities in popular social networks where the college crowd could voice their opinion and even reaching out to the mobile savvy crowd by texting their agenda. All this slowly transformed into a group of energized, enthusiastic, YES WE CAN voters. The day following Nov 4th, leading news papers showed a surge in youth voters between the age of 18-35. Most of them voted for their new young , dynamic president. I must confess, I am a Obama admirer also.

The reasons for pointing out the above section was to bring to light two factors which I believe are very important for India to emulate if it wants its voting records to improve and expect more participation from its citizens. The first part of this observation was the drive to reach out to the youth. As the current statistics project, India's national average age is between 28 to 35 years. This itself shows how vibrant , young and energetic India is and how we can make use of this energy to place India higher in the global platform. During the course of this election, I have never heard of any candidate reaching out to the youth in a method they relate to . Speaking in a language they can understand. I don't believe students and young working professionals will visit dusty grounds and crowded road shows to listen to politicians blame their rivals and blow the toot about their minimal achievements. We want to hear the the issues, issues which relate to progressive India, issues like employment, education infrastructure development, improving education standards, creation of jobs, reduction of corruption etc...and not communal derogation and maligning personalities. Visit colleges and universities, sit with students and acknowledge their concerns on education,infrastructure and job creation, make your case to us regarding our concerns. Go to companies and government offices, interact with people at the grass roots directly, understanding their concerns on job security, health care benefits,tax reforms etc. Mr. Politician , market yourself in a way where we can trust, you understand our requirements and will work towards developing a product which suits a broader frame work.

The second part of this observation, which I know is a hard bargain to make in the Indian political system is of a fixed/nominated PM candidate. There were in previous cases arguments made by communist parties in India to make elections based on fixed portfolios. I personally agree this would be a big leap, but starting of with knowing who our Prime Minister will be give citizen an idea what they are getting when they go press the bottom next to the symbol. Today under the current situation, we know Mr. L.K Advani is the leading PM candidate from the NDA and as the UPA(or Congress !) puts its across, Dr. Manmohan Singh will be given a second opportunity to lead this country forward. I have nothing but respect to both candidates, but the questions is, under the current multi-party government system India has embraced since mid 1990's, we really don't know who will finally take the oath to office from Ms. Prathiba Patil. Will it be the vetran hindutva leader or the acclaimed economist or will it be leaders from smaller parties who will decide the fate of the next formation. This uncertainty in our system doesnt drive enthusiasm to go vote of a particular personality. We have been seeing ads in India echoing "My vote is for congress - My vote is for Dr. Manmohan Singh", laid by the Congress party. Should we take that as a writing on a stone? Should we be sure that after May 14th, we will not be surprised by the UPA ( if it attains a majority) by announcing a second, third or even a forth candidate for India's top job, just because of political number balance? On Nov 4th , people in US voted for Barack Obama, they voted for him knowing he would be president and the democratic party will not ( and cannot ) change its nomination. They had confidence in him that we will pick a team which will work towards Americas problem. Should we as citizens of India ask or demand to know who would be the PM if their party came to power or should we just hope its a person who wont take Incredible India down!!

As we move to the last two stages of India's celebration towards democracy, we as Indians should think , do we want Change ( a word becoming very popular), do we want the system to be fixed? Do we want to be a part of this system? We should think, have I voted to be a part of this system? Have I done my duty which gives me the right to criticize my leader if he/she is not working towards change? Do I voice my opinion and make my feelings be heard?

I have not voted, I am not eligible to vote sitting in a different country. But I am an Indian and when given a chance I will VOTE , I will voice my opinion and dismay. Till then I use this as a source to put my views across and hope together we take one step at a time towards the right direction.