Strength Of a Woman

     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

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 !

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

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

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

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+

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.