Untitled

नेताओं से आशा है की बिल पास करेंगे

कभी तो लोग रिश्वत लेने से डरेंगे

कब तक लोग बाबुओं से लड़ेंगे

कब हमारे बिग्ढ़े काम बनेंगे

कब तक ढूंढते रहेंगे लोग कोई सिफारिश

कब ख़तम होगी घूस की यह बारीश

और नहीं सही जाती यह खालिश

अब यही है हमारी छोटी सी गुजारिश

क्या फरक पढता है; RSS हो या अन्ना

यह काम तो तुम्हे अब है करना
अपने पुराने कर्मों से तुम मत डरना

कभी तो तुम्हे भी अपना क़र्ज़ है भरना

Damned If You Do; Damned If You Don't

Tariq Ahmad Bhat; a local shopkeeper assaulted on December 3rd died a couple of days back; succumbing to injuries incurred during yet another protest in Kashmir. He was not attacked by the cops, the army, or by  terrorists; but by protesters who had called for a bandh. That is not even really the point here; but it definitely does highlight the dilemma an average Kashmiri lives with.

Since the Kashmir issue has become...well an issue ; it has been mostly treated as a political problem. Its has either been viewed as either a Govt. of India v/s the separatists/terrorists or azadi or pro-India/Pak concern. With the governments of two very influential (nuisance value in case of Pak) states directly involved in the region; the Kashmiri people have more often than not seen their concerns being put on the back-burner. And as long as these two countries continue to behave like egoistic school bullies; sadly the situation will continue to remain the same. With highly polarised positions assumed by the two countries it has not been easy for the people of the state to not align themselves with one or the other. It is in such atmosphere that an average citizen of the state finds her/himself in a dilemma. Imagine the plight of the person who just does not want to assume any position. Contrary to what most political people might quickly term as being passive or ignorant behavior I believe it requires much more courage not to go along with any position.

Tariq Ahmad Bhat on December the 3rd made a choice that cost him his life. He chose to live like a normal person, to open his shop, to make money and that in the eyes of the protesters was nothing short of treason. Tariq was hit with cricket bats and the stones he refused to pick up.

It does not matter what stands everyone involved has assumed, it does not matter what happened in the past, it does not matter who the land belongs to. If we cannot guarantee the right to live, the right to earn one's livelihood; everyone is doing something wrong.

100 Days...And Counting

While the whole country has been distracted with one thing or the other, Manipur has been reeling under the affect of the indifference of the central government and the bullying tactics of influential regional goondas. The north-eastern states seem to be caught in a time warp, struggling to shake off their past legacies. In this day and age of advanced communications and other technological improvements it is a shame that the adage "out of sight; out of mind' still applies to the region.

The lack of any meaningful communication from our government is not only baffling but absolutely inexcusable. The media too did not pick this story until the landmark 100 day milestone was attained. Sachin's 100 landmark apparently is much more important. People in the 'mainland' are oblivious to the going-ons in the north-east; we cannot even begin to understand the gravity of the situation over there. Imagine living in Delhi, Bombay wherever, for more than 3 months, without regular fuel supply, without access to cooking gas and other essentials. War time supplies are less regulated! And here is a state, within our boundaries, alienated from the rest of the nation.

That we have always ignored the seven sisters is not a secret, but when we sit idly by, watching a whole state being cut off from the rest of the country, it reflects our lack of respect for human life. The fact that we grade human life in this country according religion, location, caste etc etc is being manifested by the blockade in Manipur. Government after government at the center; has indulged in a systematic isolation of the people living in the north-east. Why then does it come as a surprise to many, that there are so many separatist movements in the region? Why wouldn't they want to leave?

For long now our political parties have been satisfied with conducting periodic elections and not much else. Their idea of integration has been limited to appointing district collectors and other useless bevy of government officials. As democracy has worked (or not) in the rest of the country, the north-eastern states have also witnessed corrupt and greedy leaders come to power. The constant struggle for power has provided ample room for separatists to claim legitimacy. The Government of India acts only when a few bombs go off and there are noises made regarding autonomy or independence. What it wishes to do by retaining these people, other than having to avoid reprinting a large number of maps is beyond me. There is a lack of will to integrate people from the region.

There might be racist undertones in the way government representatives operate in the region but I believe it is the lack of number which guides the govt's out of sight out of mind outlook. I suggest we double the number of MPs coming from the north-east, just so that they count for more. It has been a long, bloody path for the region and its people. They deserve much better. If we don't even want to try, if we don't even care, then why resist their wish to lead their lives on their own terms. Forget the politics, the history; they are human beings, citizens of this country. Surely they deserve much better?

What A Fucking Shame

Eleven years after the Delhi Police broke the match-fixing scandal, three players have been jailed for a more modern nano version of the same. It is a fucking shame that the ICC, the police, the various boards let things get so bad; that these things still happen. And thank god for the British media and the justice system, else god knows what else might have continued to happen. But I will come to that later.

The sheer stupidity, and that is all it took, displayed the by the three idiots is astounding. All the convicted players were phenomenal practitioners of the game. Asif and Amer were being touted as potential leading bowlers of the future. Salman Butt was probably on his way to become one of Pakistan’s best opening batsmen. It was their stupidity which led them on the path of greed.

I must admit that I initially had mixed feelings when the verdict came out. I genuinely felt bad for the three idiots, being imprisoned for what is essentially cheating. But that did not last long. The way these people have let down their country, their sport, the fraternity of fans worldwide, quickly made me angry again. This is colossal. For any cricket fan, for any sports’ fan; with a conscience.

Cheating it was. But sadly for them it was also bloody illegal. It is about time that the law catches up with sportspersons too. They are as much a part of society as the people who pay to watch them. There have been some sympathetic noises being made about Salman Butt having a son and Mohammed Amer being an 18 year old village boy. Bullshit. While it is easy to sympathize, it requires courage to do the right thing. They have only themselves to blame.

The only reason why this case has proceeded to trial and punishment is because it was exposed outside of the sub-continent. Compare the proceedings in UK with what has happened in India since 2000. One of the banned players is a Member of Parliament, another one is a celebrated commentator with equally shady fixers posing as news people at NDTV and the others; well they have moved on, helped along the way with their ill-gotten wealth. When the richest board in the world is run by someone like Pawar there is much more that goes on than your harmless hood-hood-wink-wink act. There is no doubt in my mind that there was a deliberate effort to not convict Indian players suspected of fixing matches. What the fuck is a ban? Is it not admitting that the players were guilty and if so why aren’t their asses in jail? Why does Azhar get to escape prison and get elected to the highest representative public body in the country? Why does a leading news channel have a former suspect on its expert panel?

These questions have only one answer. Because we do it too. Atleast we have in the past. We are just too strong an entity to let things affect us like normal folk. When politicians fill cricket boards with their musclemen and errand boys (such as Mr. Srinavasan), the system essentially invites match-fixers, bookies and all the other scum that moves across our stadia and pavilions. The only reason Butt & Co. got jailed is because the PCB is as fragile as the country they represent. There is no way in hell that an Indian player would have even faced trial, forget actually serving time.

But the times are changing. Transparency is the new buzz word. Sensibilities are improving amongst the administrative folk. But a lot more needs to be done. There has to be an earnest effort in finding out who else is involved in this sick evil scam. Past and present. The Akmal brothers and Wahab Riaz have been named during the course of the trial. They need to be investigated. A few Indian names too have cropped up. We need to go after these morons with all the might and vengeance that we can muster. Does not matter if we are faced with uncomfortable situations, with big names coming out. Go after those buggers too.

The ICC too needs to shake things up a bit. Life bans would be in order for those found guilty. What the hell does a 5 year ban with 2 suspended even mean? It is absurd to imagine that a player can come back after being punished for crimes of this magnitude. Players who sell their souls, deserve no sympathy. If Salman Butt was worried about his to-be-born kid, he should have just played better. He was a young captain, with the support of the board, what more could he have asked for? Apparently a lot. Well the cricket field is not the place for it. I can give him the address of a person who knows a thing or two about making money on the side. He stays at Clifton Street, Karachi.

Closer home the BCCI needs to address the many burning issues threatning the very essence of the sport. They somehow swapped match-fixing with the IPL,  but the players stay the same. The unholy nexus of politicians and corporates needs to be undone on the administrative side. Let the ex-players manage the show. If we go on the way we have since 2000, it wont be too long before one of ours is caught in a situation similar to that of the Pakistanis. And that would be the end of it. Screw the IPL, screw test cricket, screw the big names. Fans would just stop loving the game as they always have.

1,000 to 1

These are not odds for lasting peace to be achieved in the Middle East. It is the ratio of the number of prisoners being released by Israel to get one off their back from Hamas. 1 : 1,027 to be exact. At first look it seems naive that a government would enter into a deal with known enemies, releasing people who have been involved in many cases of killings and bombings. Even if a small percentage of the 1,000 go back to their struggle (and they will) there would be a price to pay in the not so distant future. Yet the Israelis chose to get the one man that got left behind, while he is still alive rather than get bogged down by what might happen in the future.

But concepts like these are difficult to grapple if you live in a country like ours. Where individual lives do not mean as much, where we respect people according to  lineage, profession, economic class and every other conceivable point of differentiation. No matter how much one may disagree with the policies adopted by the Israeli government, their steadfast, unwavering support of every single citizen is commendable. What the Israelis understand is that each person in their country matters. No matter what their contribution to the greater good is.

A nation is built collectively by the people, by a people respected individually. It is this idea that we need to appreciate in this country. We however, function under the pressures of different regional or religious interests. It is the sheer absence of respect for the individual that we need to address. In our country, if a person is not aligned with a political party or even smaller powerful sub-groups like civil servants, judiciary, police, local corporators, doctors or whatever classification strong enough to have influence, things can get very difficult. It is not only corruption that is rotting our core, we as a country have no patience for individuals.

It is time we place the Indian Citizen ahead of every other classification, and god knows we have enough of those! Our much touted diversity makes it all the more important that we dont give in to appeasing any one class. If each person could feel important, could feel that they can contribute; things will be much different. It is time we ‘ask what our country can do for me’ instead of the other way around.

Of Chest Pains and Uneasiness

The provident coincidence with which our politicians suffer from chest pains is legendary. Almost always immediately after a politician is arrested s/he is taken to a hospital post complaints of chest pain and uneasiness. I too would be uneasy if I were facing possible jail time, even if it was for a day. It is the ‘chest pains’ which gets my goat.

We really need a deeper look into this. Is it something all politicians eat, is it the ultra-white clothing, are the ambassadors they ride in ejecting fumes inducing chest pains or maybe it is that a politician’s body reacts to being out of work by an unbearable pain in the upper body area. Whatever it is we need to arrest this problem immediately. Not arrest maybe, just diagnose it. In a government hospital with friendly doctors.

People should not be surprised that our politicians suffer from endemic chest problems. In some cases a few politicians are handicapped by their lineage. Most politicians are either sons/daughters or in-laws of existing politicians. It is hard to escape the chest pain disease for these poor souls. Predisposed to similar working environs and moral fibre there is a very low statistical chance of escaping the common path a politician’s predecessors have been on. A few smart ones though, have found ways around the chest pain disease. They have managed to rise to positions where arrests and court cases mean nothing. Indeed, a select few do not even have to face such trivial procedures a democracy so uselessly subjects normal folk to.

A solution has to be found nonetheless. Politicians claiming to be suffering at the time of arrests should be made to undergo emergency medical procedures, like an open heart surgery or a brain transplant or something. The results will be fantastic! Not only would we have cured the illness that affects the existing lot vegetating in hospitals, the outcome of such procedures would deter others from feigning illness.  After all it is the duty of the nation to take care of the truly sick (minded).

Come to think of it, the earnestness with which we take care of our sick politicians might provide an answer to our health care problems. People who do not enjoy access to medical facilities should take to petty crime. All they have to do is wait to get arrested and then complain of chest pains. Voila! And they will be admitted to a hospital right away! I kid of course; but it is time we got serious about delivering justice and not looking like fools when it comes to investigating and prosecuting the high and mighty.

Losing the Plot

The recent decisions taken by the opposition and the civil society to undertake a yatra and to oppose the Congress in the Hisar by-elections are evidence of the fact that the concerned parties have lost the plot. It does not take much to see through the BJP and Advani’s real intentions behind undertaking the so called journey against corruption; they should have started the journey from Bellary if they were really sincere!

However, India Against Corruption’s (IAC) decision to oppose the Congress in a by-election is baffling to say the least. Even if one does not doubt their intentions. I believe that Kejriwal and Co. have got it wrong this time with their ill-advised move to affect political change. Their ignorance of how electoral politics works and the isolation of a political party from the larger system is going back on the principal understanding of why corruption thrives in this country. By asking people to vote against a particular party is to mistakenly believe that they (the congress) are different from the others. A look at the opposition candidates in this by-election easily reinforces their inherent similarities. The main opposition candidates are sons of earlier chief ministers, neither of whom have a clean track record. So what is it the IAC is trying to achieve here? By aligning itself against the Congress the movement is ignoring the very things that are wrong with the system that they claim to be fighting.

There is so much that is wrong with the stand taken by the IAC movement that one cannot help but wonder what the hell were they thinking? Firstly, to assume that the congress alone is responsible for bringing the bill to the parliament is as stupid as saying that politicians alone can change the way we function as a country. Though the congress is the ruling party of the day, the IAC also needs to understand the essential similarities of how the government works, irrespective of which party (ies) occupies the ruling benches. It has to be an inclusive process, with all the opposition parties working with the government towards a serious well-meaning bill. To forcibly put the onus on the ruling party is to absolve everyone else off their duties.

Secondly, what does a by-election in Hisar have to do with the Jan Lokpal Bill? Some might argue that it has a lot to do with everyone in this country. But what about the local issues that the electorate might want to address? Does the Lokpal Bill take precedence over those; are local issues not important anymore? Why does Hisar get to bear the burden of an issue which is of national importance, is it only because Mr. Kejriwal hails from the city? Don’t the people of Hisar deserve a fair chance to discuss and decide on issues that affect them and them alone; without an ex-inhabitant hijacking their right to decide for their own good?

Thirdly, the PM, uncharacteristically may I add, has been in regular touch with Anna Hazare over the Lokpal issue. Why is there a sudden panicked rush to deliver ultimatums and threats to the ruling party? Why can’t they just wait till the damn winter session? I share their cynicism about how things get caught up in our legendary bureaucratic processes but there are other ways to keep the pressure up than resorting to such childish immature ploys.

Lastly, the almost militant manner in which the IAC is behaving is bound to make people think twice about their intentions and the means adopted. To achieve what they have set out to do, they will need constant public support. Shenanigans like these will alienate people, for most people politics is a disease you keep away from. With the IAC taking an open stand against one particular party, they are eroding their own support base. People who came together for a common cause, against the political system; not the congress or Kapil Sibal or Khurshid, will feel confused about the new strategies being adopted. This latest ploy will only serve as a distraction and the goodwill and momentum that the IAC had managed to gain will be dented.

When this election is over, no matter what the result is; everybody except the politicians would have lost something. The people of Hisar - a fair chance to affect change on their own will, the IAC - a lot of goodwill, the Jan Lokpal Movement – time.

Ab Tak Battis?! A Poor Idea

The Planning Commission of India has recently revised its estimates for income levels for the poor in our country. The revised figures have been increased from Rs. 20 & 15 to Rs. 32 and 26 for the urban and rural poor respectively. That is a stupendous upward revision of 60% and 73% respectively. Those are impressive numbers. If you are living in 1987 (well, that is an arbitrary number, but you get the point).

The planning commission is as relevant today as socialism was 30 years back, i.e. not very much. The defunct thinking of the commission has once again indicated our ruling elite's grasp on reality. Our leaders and bureaucrats have drifted so far away from reality that they have forgotten what a rupee is worth in today's time. Understandable if you always deal in unaccounted cash. More so if you have a white ambassador with a tony house in posh locations, with electricity, water and your telephone paid for! It is actually possible for our politicians and bureaucrats to live on 32 rupees a day, because they do not pay for shit. With the normal folk picking up the tab for every comfort they have it is obvious that they would forget the worth of hard earned money.

But we must rectify the situation immediately. I suggest that we pack up the members of the commission and send them to Jhabua or Barmer with 32 rupees a day for a period of one month. No orderlies, no cars, no sarkari perks. Let us see if that changes their definition of being above the poverty line. Any economist or human being for that matter who thinks we can bind the definition of poverty around an income line needs to get their heads checked. When apparently eminent economists such as Montek Singh Ahluwalia make such mistakes they should be booted out with their much above-the-poverty-line incomes repatriated to people who need it much more. In an economic environment so dynamic, so complex, we need a group of people who are still in touch with reality. We need people who understand what poverty is before they attempt to define it. If this bunch of highly qualified, over paid morons cannot even identify the problem; how the heck are they supposed to provide solutions for them?

It is time we employ some above-the-brain dead-line economists to work in the planning commission. People with compassion, people who know what it means to struggle for every meal, people who know how difficult it is for the poor to just survive in our lopsided, 8% growing economy. Our economy exhibits properties of physics assumed to work in black holes. Not only is the gap increasing between the rich and the poor, it is also increasing between the lower sections of the divide; the urban and the rural poor. Devoid of any sense of how our recent growth has been concentrated only across a section of the society, measures such as the above are absolutely futile. In a country where the Prime Minister is an eminent economist (ha!) these medival standards of well being should be thrown into the dust bin (which by the way costs around rupees 50 now days).

Rest in Peace: Troy Davis

Far away in Georgia USA, yesterday a man was executed by lethal injection for a murder that was committed in 1989. That man was Troy Davis. Though I found out about the case 2 hours prior to his execution, I felt a sense of panic and anxiety given the background and history of the case.

Here are the essential facts. Troy was arrested, convicted and sentenced to death; for the murder of an off-duty cop in 1989. Since then serious doubts have been raised about the basic facts of the case; keeping Troy Davis' life hanging in balance for almost 20 years. The hollywoodesque manner in which the case has swung dramatically; his execution had been stayed at three earlier occasions, has finally ended in the death of the convicted man, shattering the hopes for a miracle.

The case had caught the imagination of a lot of people, with the Pope, Desmond Tutu, ex US president Jimmy Carter and many other thousands, coming out in support of a reinvestigation. Even the US Supreme Court had inquired about finding new evidence in the case to make sure justice was being done, both to the victim's and convict's families. At one occasion the court stayed the decision to execute Troy two hours prior to the procedure. There were no such reprieves this time around.

The reason I felt compelled to write about this case is primarily because of the unease I felt about watching a man die when so much doubt existed regarding his guilt/innocence. A lot of people might argue that with the case having gone through all the legal motions, it was the right thing to do. I cannot disagree more. How can any legal system condemn a person's life when substantial doubt exists on either innocence or guilt. The courts in the case put the onus of proving innocence on Troy Davis; substantiating their lack of conviction about his guilt. The merits of the case can and will be discussed endlessly, the truth of the matter is that a person has been robbed of his life.

God forbid, if ever Troy Davis is proved to be innocent, everybody who was convinced that he committed the murder will have blood on their hands. And it will too damn late to even talk about justice.

2 Fast 2 Spurious

Salman Khurshid's declaration to the press that the government is considering reservation for muslims in central govt. jobs has kick started the congress' campaign for the 2014 elections. There is no doubt that this ill advised move is in direct response to Narendra Modi's sham of a fast. In a bid to outdo each other, the Congress and the BJP have plummeted to new levels of mindlessness. As always, the loser will be the Indian public, again forced to choose the lesser of the two evils.

It is sad that while we as a people seem to be maturing our politicians seem stuck in a different era altogether. Resorting to such opportunistic and attention seeking tactics not only points to the insatiable greed for even more power but also a general lack of grasp on the new realities and needs of Indian politics. Mr. Modi's and Mr. Khurshid's plans make it clear that no matter what happens, our political parties are intent on not only ignoring but actively subverting the will of the people. Civil society, the middle class, the poor can keep talking about economic empowerment, greater rights, education and other flimsy things, our political parties will either continue talking about creating an environment of sadbhavna (goodwill) or carry on with their exploitative policies. There is no real tangible action to address the concerns that they claim to be at the heart of such initiatives.

The disconnect with public sentiment that our politicians display is scary to say the least. With the two biggest parties pre-launching their campaigns for the next general elections this week, one would have expected much more effective ploys to catch the attention of the people. While leaders in the BJP like Modi and Advani have chosen to dive into the fray on the back of shameless self-promotion, the Congress does not seem to have any new ideas. One was hoping that the BJP would have built on the popular mood against corruption but the party has chosen to indulge in an elaborate media backed tamasha. Both the fast and Advani's proposed rath yatra are essentially marketing exercises. There is no intent on addressing the real issues. To affect change, to reduce corruption, to improve how we live. All they want is to come to power one way or the other. Unfortunately, our political class does not seem to have evolved at all. They go back to the strategies which have no doubt worked in the past but are far from relevant in today's scenario.

Mr. Khurshid's recent statement on even more reservations needs to be seen in this light. The Congress is uneasy with the Modi's fast and his attempts at rebuilding bridges with the muslim community. The congress' insecurity is hard to comprehend especially because it is fairly easy to see Modi's lack of intent to actually do so. Not to mention that many other citizens have not forgiven him for 2002, let alone the muslim community. Such short-sighted knee jerk reactions are not expected from a mature political party looking to lead the nation. If they really wanted to mitigate the reaction to the fast all they had to do was ask their leaders to join it. Mr. Vaghela held his own fast at the same time. They had a wonderful opportunity to call Modi's bluff. After all he claimed that the fast was for sadbhavna; what better to achieve it than to reach out to your opposition.

Coming up with 'innovative' ideas is not that difficult. If you are looking to solve problems. Our politicians across the board seek one and only one thing: power. They will continue to do so and indulge in activities which take their personal cause further. We the people will continue to suffer; we will be subjected to mindless policies, fasts and other tamashas. Democracy and governance will have to wait.

A Modicum of Options

Narendra Modi (NM) is seeing victory in the recent SC decison to direct the Gulbarg Society massacre cases to the trial court and has asked the court to examine the findings of Special Investigation Team. It is quite shameful that Mr. Modi has chosen to treat a mere postponement in the hearing as vindication of his stand. His and BJP's flawed & premature interpretation of the order is also extremely worrying, as the verdict is being seen as sufficient cause to clear the way for Mr. Modi to be projected as the party's next prime ministerial candidate. The fact that somebody like NM can get away with the most horrendous of crimes and even consider running for the PM post should make us rethink of how our country works.

Bolstered by the verdict, there are few people within the BJP who will find it difficult to oppose NM's grand intentions. After all, what can you pin on him, now? The BJP should have acted much before and removed him as the CM. Now as the notoriously sluggish judicial process drags on, victories are being pulled out of thin air, there is little ammunition to stall NM's rise in the party.  People outside the party are helpless and will have to just watch from the sidelines as NM continues to consolidate his stock in the biggest opposition party the country has. The only way to stop him will be at the next general elections and in this country nobody can ever predict what might happen, even after the results are declared. We can sit idly by and hope that he does not become the PM. Just like we did when Sonia Gandhi, Laloo and Mayawati were within sniffing distance of the big red chair. This helplessness that our democracy imposes on the electorate is dangerous to say the least. 

Mr. Modi unfortunately has a lot going for him too. Gujarat is performing exceedingly well on the economic front, NM is the darling of the corporates, Indian and foreign alike. Massive investment has been infused across manufacturing, infrastructure & the education sectors, generating employment opportunities for the 6 crore strong state. The state contributes handsomely to the national growth, in spite of the prevailing recessionary environment. The brilliant performance of the state has established him as an able and willing administrator.

On the political front too his stock has been rising; he is about to complete 10 years in power. There is little sign of any real leader emerging within the BJP in the next few years. His image as a non-corruptible leader is a big asset considering the number of chief ministers who are embroiled in some scam or the other, across party lines. As a testament to his increasing influence, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) a research wing of the US Congress has recently published a report citing him as a strong candidate for prime ministership in the 2014 elections. In the few business conferences I have attended, international corporate leaders have showered lavish praise on NM and his efforts in bringing about efficient governance in the state of Gujarat. They are amazed at his and the state government's un-India like business acumen and the sheer ease of doing business. Not very surprising, that profit driven corporates are ignoring the small insignificant details that are of no concern to them!

The Gujarat scenario highlights the uncomfortable contradiction that we live with today. A country yearning for growth and prosperity, yet ignoring the ugly realities of our politics. While almost everyone will agree that the state of Gujarat has done exceptionally well on the economic front, it is in stark contrast to the developments on the social front. Many argue that the Muslim community too has grown with the rest of the state (including leading Muslim leaders such as Mr. Vastanvi), and the economic growth has been all encompassing. Agreed...maybe. But that is shying away from the truth. While I think, we do not need to deny his capabilities as an able administrator, we should definitely not ignore his massive failure as one in 2002. He is not fit to be the CM of the state, let alone the country! Regardless of how the judicial system eventually assess him, history has proven him to be a person not fit for governance. The sad thing here is that we are at a point of time in this country, where we could have voted the incumbent out based on real issues like governance, performance, corruption, etc. Unfortunately the next election too seems to be moving in a direction where it will again be all about politics. The BJP will leave many voters with no option but to tolerate more of the same, if they continue to be defensive and are unable to provide honorable alternatives to NM.

It is a sad reality of our country, where the people are willing to not only overlook but defend leaders like NM. Even if he had not led the economic growth in the state, he still would have been the CM. Now that he has managed to perform well in that role, a case is being made to portray him as a probable PM candidate. As a maturing democracy one would hope we will not be subjected to that possibility. It is really up to the people now. There are instances in history of able administrators with murderous tendencies rising to power riding on the indifference and sense of well-being  prevailing among the masses. Germany is yet to shake off its notorious legacy completely because of one man, despite being an economic power for most part of the last century.

Is this how we want our country to be judged, are we willing to pay any price for growth? We should all ask ourselves these questions.

Sitting Ducks

Yet another blast, yet another statistic of the dead and the injured. The same routine shamelessly repeated, Rahul Gandhi visiting the hospital to meet the injured; as if that is exactly what they need right now, the government announcing muavza, the PM making another unconvincing pledge to deal with terrorism.

The fact that the Delhi High Court was bombed in May at almost the exact spot has not occurred to our politicians. We got lucky that time, this time 10 people (and counting) have paid for our government's lethargy. We never seem to learn or even want to learn from past incidents and mistakes. No cameras were installed since the May blast, the home minister has stated in parliament that intelligence was shared with Delhi Police, yet things like these happen with alarmingly high frequency. Government apathy has achieved such levels whereby the people of this country are suffering in every aspect of their lives. This is exactly why the bombers could visit the same spot again and give it another try. And they will continue to succeed if real, tangible changes are  not made to the security infrastructure in this country.

The way we deal with security issues is excruciatingly slow and outdated, we are content with a system that was effective dealing with domestic disturbances decades ago. Thuggish looking fellows in khaki uniforms holding lathis is not going to stop technologically savvy, determined terrorists. We have for long used our forces as a deterrent rather than an effective way of seeking out and stopping such terror attacks. Our agencies have for long been content with setting up pickets and posting cops around important locations. We shun technology like plague, in fact we do not even possess the necessary skills to work with any technical equipment. Just days after the Diwali blasts in Delhi, most metal detectors were not working, not to mention the fact that these would not be able to detect the improvised technologies that have been utilized to prepare modern bombs. CCTVs installed around various locations in Delhi either do not work or are not monitored. In a recent study more than 40% of cameras at the international airport were not even operational! (read here).

At the risk of sounding repetitive and perennially cynical, our security agencies are mainly ineffective because of the corruption and lack of professionalism of our politicians. Their overriding selfishness and general lack of knowledge and will to govern has only added to the dangers we face as a country. One has to only look at the number of cops that are employed to guard our politicians to understand the reasons behind our inability to deal with terror. Today most of our private offices and establishments are guarded by private security firms. There is clearly no lack of manpower in this country, yet we find it difficult to build a police force which can be effective. Like everything else in this country (airports, roads, other infrastructure, power generation, education, hospitals) the government is content leaving essential duties to the private sector. They cannot and should not be allowed to wash their hands of off our security needs.

Post the 26/11 attacks there have been numerous reports of delays in procuring necessary equipment for our forces. Where any acquisitions have been made they lie unused and rot away for lack of skills and manpower. Such lethargy in dealing with issues like national security has subjected the people of this country to frequent senseless killings. Being a large country with a population of a billion further adds to the ignorant attitude of our governments. Terror attacks have become a way of life, we all just wait to hear about the next one and move on.

Making the right noises is not doing enough, strict implementable actions need to be taken. Our govt. machinery needs to wake the fuck up and start protecting the people. While politicians move around in armored vehicles with a security cover payed for by OUR taxes, ordinary people are being killed in the streets. In a country where living in itself is such a painful process, living without fear of being killed should at least be guaranteed by the governments we elect.

Waiting to Die...

The sheer laziness of our politicians has again created another unnecessary problem. The whole debate on whether to hang the killers of Rajiv Gandhi has risen only because the government and the judiciary alike have dragged their feet on the issue for so long now. The three people on death row have been in jail now for 20 years. The President of India has taken a little over 11 years to decide on the clemency petition filed by the convicted assassins. It is absolutely shameful that we treat matters of life and death with such disdain and lack of compassion. Our governments and judiciary are notoriously slow. They take forever to decide on issues of grave importance.

The three convicted men were sentenced to be hanged on September 9th, 2011. They filed a petition in the Madras High Court and the decision to hang them has been postponed by another 8 weeks. Now these three men wait for another two months not knowing whether they are to live or not. We should be ashamed of ourselves as a country; treating human life so cheaply. It does not matter what their crime is, this is absolutely shameful on our part, to make these people and their families go through such agony for so long. Somebody tweeted a question yesterday, asking whether we would consider not hanging Kasab (26/11 terrorist) in case such delays were to be repeated during his hearing. The answer should be unequivocally YES. If the government and judiciary fail in their duties, we have no right to impose our inhuman medieval justice system on anybody. To further answer the query with another question, what if an ordinary citizen on death row was to be hanged after 20 years, would we not sympathize with him/her?

While we are faced with moral dilemmas, our politicians in true fashion have gone ahead trying to maximize their self-serving goals. People like Mr. Vaiko and Karunanidhi (once a suspect in the assassination of Mr. Gandhi) have sided with the convicts driven purely by their narrow animal like regionalistic view. Some of these people have gone to the extent of calling the investigation a sham and claiming innocence on behalf of the convicted people. They need to be reminded that these people have been convicted by various courts, they have had their mercy petitions rejected by the President of the country. Indulging in such anti-national activities and in a clear case of contempt of the courts' orders is downright criminal. If they are truly concerned about the well being of these three men, they need to show more sympathy and not create a tamasha of the whole situation.

Once the law and the punishment have been decided the process should be the same for every convict. However, in light of the breakdown of our judicial system, as is in the case Rajiv Gandhi's killers, the convicts need to be sympathized with. If the Kasab case takes 20 years or any amount of time on account of delays because of our rotten systems, the punishment awarded should take that delay into account.

Such is the rot in our system that we potentially face convicted terrorists, rapists, murderers walk free on account of the delays in established processes.We need to earnestly & urgently fix our judicial processes. It is equally important not to value human life with such disrespect. Especially in cases where there are lives at stake. We need to show more compassion as a country, as a people, for convicts on death row, for convicts who have out-served their sentences while still waiting for a hearing.

We should commute the sentences of the three convicted men. They have been waiting to die for the last 20 years. We should save them any more agony. And apologise to them.

42 years v/s 300 hours....the lethargy of democracy!

What 42 years of parliamentary democracy could not do; 300 hours of fasting did. And yet politicians rise together to point out that parliament is supreme. One they are not. The people are. We elect them to be there. Two, even if granted by the constitution the parliament might be the highest authority, the level of lethargy displayed by it has rendered it ineffective. If the parliament is serious about establishing its supremacy, it has to seem to be wanting to do something about it.

There might be a million excuses for not passing the legislation. The irrefutable fact is that they did not. Until now. A lot of people are calling yesterday's parliament session a victory for the campaign; and there are some who are restrained, even circumspect of the happenings. We need perspective before we begin analyzing yesterday's session.

After a long time, we witnessed a proper debate in parliament. The last 10 years or more all we have see on a daily basis are walkouts and both the houses being adjourned. There have been numerous reports in the media on the number of hours wasted, the amount of tax payers' money which goes down the drain every time the house is adjourned. Attendance of our MPs in Parliament has been abysmally low, important issues sidelined, laws not passed, generally the MPs not doing the job they have been elected and paid to do. It is the same as any one of us showing up at our offices, giving a big 'fuck you' to our bosses, collect our paychecks and going home. If the parliament is really supreme, should they not adhere to the most supreme standards of efficiency?

What happened yesterday was that our legislators were pushed into doing their jobs. IT has been either the Supreme Court or various other agencies (CAG, CVC) in the last few years who have gone about goading parliament to function. But there is only so much these agencies can do. Left alone, our MPs are happy bunking sessions and not going about their jobs. Arun Jaitley pointed out yesterday that the bill was originally tabled in 1968, passed by the Lok Sabha in 1969 and ever since they have just sat on it. The parliament was dissolved in 1969 and nothing happened since.

The fact that a man had to fast for more than 12 days is a sad statement of how things have been in this country. The fact that lakhs of people turned up to support him is reflective of the immense anger and disappointment the public feels towards the sheer apathy of our elected representatives. Who, may I point out, have acted ONLY because of the fast and the support it gained. There was no intention of the government to table the bill until AH fasted for the first time in April. They have been in power for seven years and have not introduced the bill even once. This monsoon session would have undoubtedly been about the various scams unearthed in the past few years, with the opposition walking out.

That we, the people managed to make them stay put and discuss the bill is nothing short of a victory. The means employed might  not be correct in the view of some people, but there was nothing else that could have made this happen. Where were Aruna Roy, Arundhati, Vinod Mehta, NDTV all the people now opposing the 'blackmail"? They could not have been bothered less about the bill. They might not have even known about it until now. Our politicians have been forced to take action not because of such people's articles, discussions or activism. It has never been enough to get things done. They needed a rude awakening, which in my opinion has come too late even now. Why are these naysayers content with the govt. sitting on a bill for 42 years, but have a problem if they are forced to discuss it now? Only because it was not their issue to begin with, in fact not an issue at all.

Protests in the past have been about staging dharnas and employing other means to achieve goals not less important but logistically easier for the agencies to implement. To get our parliament to come together as one, to discuss a long delayed legislation, to indulge in an earnest discourse, nothing short of the last few days' events would have worked. One hopes that this won't have to be repeated. One hopes that the government will at least show more earnestness in engaging the people of this country and solving their problems. Because what a lot of people overlook is that if the govt. does not, the next protest will be nothing short of a revolution. 

Dictators on the Run!

Muammar Gaddafi might soon be dethroned from his more than 40 years' rule of Libya. With the rebel forces storming Tripoli it is just a matter of time that country will be freed completely of decades of misrule and tyranny. Close enough, in Syria we are witnessing another struggle which may see the same path as the one in Libya.

These are interesting times we are living in. Since December last year we have seen large uprisings and protests across the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region. It is almost as if there has been a simultaneous collective awakening of people across that part of the world. The public has had enough and is rising to claim their rightful; much delayed place as participants in their and their country's destinies. Activism of this scale and nature has never been witnessed in these parts of the world. It is an extremely significant trend that leaders and politicians across the world need to acknowledge and understand. This coupled with what is happening in our country is signal that people want things to improve.

There might be a hierarchical difference in  terms of maturing of a country and its systems, and in what the people are striving for across the two regions, but it is driven by a shared angst against how things have been for the last few decades. The rulers in these nations are outdated and out of touch with their subjects' aspirations. While, the Middle East is one of the few regions to have embraced democracy, we have a deeply flawed model in place. Though we might be better off, the desperation and despair that we feel is the same as that of people in the MENA region.

In my mind there is barely any difference between dictators and incompetent elected leaders. Some might argue that we might be better off, because we can vote and change governments, but the political class as a collective category behaves exactly like the tyrants who rule nations for years on end. Our politicians treat their positions as a right and the country as their fiefdom. The Gandhi Family, the Marans, the Pawars, Mayawati, Laloo Prasad, the list goes on. All of these people collectively are the same as a Gaddafi or an Assad or a Mubarak. There is nothing to distinguish these two sets of people. They are all driven by greed for power and money. Of creating wealth for their own and a complete, absolute lack of concern or duty towards the people they think they lead. Dictators claim that right by force, our politicians by way of elections. The elected people might change every 5 years in some cases, but the rape and plunder of this country goes on unaffected.

Long brewing desperation and seething anger in the people have forced them to take desperate measures. While people have taken to arms in the MENA region, people here have taken to the streets. A lot of commentators have reacted with skepticism; saying that such protests where the consequences are not clear do not make much sense. Political commentators are quick to point out that in absence of credible alternatives to government formation in countries like Egypt, Libya, Syria, Yemen, etc. might lead to further turmoil and uncertainty. What they ignore is the people's will to affect change, any change. Things have stayed the same for way too long now without any indication of the smallest change happening. The people's frustration with stagnating systems has crossed all limits. They do not care about the consequences at this stage. All they need is to change the way things have been for decades. For people who have suffered, consequences can follow. While it may not appeal to the intelligentsia and vested interests in respective countries (including ours), real people do not care. That is the thing about the public anger. When it comes to the surface, it is because the people have had enough. It might not manifest in a correct or an ideal way but it is serious enough for the leaders to take notice and start doing something about it. Intelligentsia be damned, they just sit on the sidelines and feel compelled to comment on events in an 'objective' manner. What they need to do is be a part of change, contribute constructively to the movements. The snobbery coupled with the need to appear detached serves no purpose. Take the plunge dammit!

Naysayers can keep commenting and making observations, the undeniable truth of the matter is that the people are affecting change on their own will. They are the ones making dictators run for their lives. Whatever happens next will happen only because they chose to stand up and be counted.

Bored of Cricket Control in India (BCCI)

Amid the whole cacophony currently engulfing the country concerning the Jan Lokpal Bill, the Indian cricket team has achieved new depths in the sport's history, prompting some to joke that the team will not win until the bill is passed. From being world no. 1 in April to losing in a such a convincing manner; that fans have begun doubting whether we were ever good enough to be the best team in the sport.

The way this sport is run is not very different from the way our governments function. We had a good thing and we milked it as much as we could for commercial gains. The result of this greed driven madness is for everybody to see. Indeed, the very people who are responsible for the mis-management in our political systems are the same people who run and influence the BCCI. It is not a coincidence that the country much like the sport has achieved, whatever it has, because of the efforts of very determined individuals, in spite of the system in place. The moment politicians step in, things begin to go awry. Maybe we should have a cricket specific Jan Lok-ball Bill!

In line with the sickness that plagues our politicians that renders them blind to realities of life, the reasons behind our cricket team's dismal performance are being overlooked too. The BCCI through its selectors and paid commentators has been trying to paint a picture very different from what journos and fans see and acknowledge. The current team IS an overworked lot. They have been playing way too much cricket without any significant rest period between international tours. Ravi Shastri in his article yesterday has said that anyone with foresight will be able to see that the amount of cricket played is only going to increase (seriously, how can he expect us to believe he is not a stooge?).  But that is the exact opposite of what needs to be done.

Such defensive reactions are nothing but an excuse to mask their failure as administrators and a dangerous lack of concern for the sport. It is time we root out such elements from the BCCI; which would include 99% of all of them. What business do people like Sharad Pawar, Rajiv Shukla, N. Srinavasan, Mr. Amin, Arun Jaitley have in running the sport? They do not have Rahul Dravid or Sachin on the boards of their political parties advising them on election strategies or governance. Why the double standards? Why cannot we have MBAs from IIMs or the many able retired cricketers manage the sport, as common sense points to such a setup? Our politicians have an insatiable hunger for power and influence and it is time that they are cut to size and shunted out of all sports' administrations.

A sport like cricket, where we have a team capable of performing well at the international level, has been run to the ground. How are we ever going to ever improve our skills across other not-so-rich sports? It is time. The BCCI needs to be dissolved. We need a fresh start. Otherwise this country's favorite sport will become a source of its biggest disappointment.

Living In The Past, Wasting Today

I dread reading the newspaper every 20th August. Every August I uncomfortably watch as the day gets closer. 20th August happens to be our late PM, Mr. Rajiv Gandhi's birthday. It might seem petty and quirky but this day always triggers anger and despair in me. Let me give a little background here.

Every year on this date, depending on whether the Congress party is in power or alternatively the various ministries of the Government of India unleash a disgustingly disproportionate onslaught of print ads commemorating Mr. Gandhi. Today's edition of Times of India has no less than 18 ads! These take more than 9 full pages, from a total of 32 pages in today's edition. That is more than 25% of the space in the 'news'paper. This has been the trend for the last few years. If my estimates from 5 years back are right, at 12 lakhs a page, the total spend is more than a crore. And that is one newspaper in one state.

Now why do ministries need to spend that kind of money, money collected from our taxes, on remembering a departed leader is beyond explanation, That figure in today's time would be much higher by conservative estimates. Lets also not forget that Mr. Gandhi is not the only leader to be remembered so profusely by our forever-stuck-in-the-past government. A poor country (we contribute maximum to the world's poor population and have close to half our population below the poverty line) like ours is already low on resources. Such mindless waste of national resources is criminal.

Our political respresentatives live in a self-congratulating, self-sufficient world. The need to keep invoking memories of leaders, ignoring their shortcomings and the blind idol worship points towards their absolute disconnect with the electorate of this country. Such misguided loyalty benefits no one else but the people who prostrate in front of powerful politicians.This distasteful trend extends itself to doomed government schemes, road names, sarkari buildings and so on.

When our system has so many leaks as it is, such mindless sycophancy should be outlawed if not discouraged.

Now, To Get It Right

Now that all media and the India Against Corruption (IAC) campaign have claimed victory we should look at more important things ahead and not rest on achievements of the last two days. But before we do, an observation. It is a sad statement on the state of our democracy when gaining the right to protest is hailed as a victory. We are not China for Mao's sake!

Today, the fast will continue from Ramlila Maidan. The fast to ensure implementation of key clauses in the proposed Jan Lokpal Bill (JLB). However, the IAC should tread very carefully and with responsibility. The agitation of the past few days should not be assumed to be a logical support for all their recommendations. It is not a mandate to try to force the government to agree to all their demands. There has to be genuine debate over the issue they are fighting for. Not that they already haven't, but since they are making a renewed effort, it is important to keep their emotions in check. We also need to remember that the government has not agreed to discuss the draft bill yet, they have only given permission to protest. It is however safe to assume that at some point they will give in.

It is also important, more now than ever, when IAC has the attention of the nation and the government, to be magnanimous and flexible. A lot of people are concerned about the seemingly blackmail-ish methods being adopted by the movement. The IAC also has a responsibility to allay such concerns. Though some might understand the desperation, they still do not agree with methods adopted. Since the IAC has assumed representation on behalf of the people of the country, it is important they be whatever they say the government is not. While it is commendable that they have prepared a draft bill on their own, it is inevitable that anybody with some knowledge of it will not have their two cents to put in. The movement has become bigger than the IAC campaign and they will need to be receptive to many more new ideas than before.

This movement has a lot going for it. The people have pledged their almost blind support to the collective wisdom of the IAC leaders. Now is the time for them to differentiate themselves from the leaders we elect. The burden of responsibility is huge. People's expectations have gone beyond the JLB. They sense, want real sustainable change. Having started a good thing, the IAC campaign will  need to play an important role in the coming months, JLB or no JLB. The IAC leaders need to look at the bigger picture here. Even if some of their demands are not met (and that will be the case eventually), they have been provided with an unprecedented opportunity to effect real change. The JLB is just an instrument to implement the bigger, far reaching goals. Though it is a good start, it should definitely not be the end.

As Uncle Ben said it, "with great power comes great responsibility".

There Is Hope For Us Still

This is not a political post. This is not about the movement or about Anna Hazare (AH). This is about the people. The mass of people who turned up yesterday at India Gate and scores of other cities across India, UK and the US. In a brilliant display of spontaneous civil awakening, some 20,000 people turned up at India Gate yesterday afternoon through the night. It is about people who are fed up with the going ons, the way we have to live our lives everyday.

For once, everybody seems united by a common concern. A concern that for so long has affected all sections of society for so long. Yesterday it became a cause. It was amazing to see people from all walks of life, men & women, the elderly, people with their families. Yet there was a commonality which transcended every distinction which we learn to live with in this country.

Anna Hazare may be the face and voice of this movement, but the people supporting it are its body. These are people who have made an effort to be seen, to be heard, to stand up and be counted. The urgency to set things right is contagious and much needed. People have had enough of living their lives facing corruption every day. It is this frustration that has spurred these people into action. To say it loud and clear, we will not take this lying down. What many people, intellectuals, analysts, politicians, the media (NDTV especially) do not get is that this is not about the Jan Lokpal Bill. People are piggybacking on that one issue to be vent their anger about corruption at large. The anger and frustration is not going to subside even if the bill is amended to incorporate changes suggested by the team led by AH. The people feel there is a real chance for change now. A change in how we deal with the administration every day.

The other notable thing yesterday was how the march from India Gate to Jantar Mantar and back was conducted. Unlike what some congressmen (Mr. Rashid Alvi) have suggested it was not organized by the US govt. It was a deluge of people, people who got up from their homes & offices just to be there. Yet there was this overriding sense of responsibility, that no confrontation takes place. It was incredible to see how a group of thousands of people were so well behaved. Volunteers were managing traffic, passing out food and water, cleaning the roads off leftovers. It is rare to see such a display of collective civil behaviour in India. Even cricket matches where the whole crowd is backing the same team are witness to incidents which shame us. Here it was something else.

The marchers were told to stick to one side of the road, and unbelievably not one person crossed the yellow median. People waited at regular intervals to let traffic through. The reaction from the people waiting in traffic was also incredibly encouraging. People got out of their cars to cheer the marchers on, heads sticking out of bus windows joined in the various slogans being raised, bikers giving thumbs up to marchers passing them by, boy was it wonderful! Compare all of this to how political rallies are held in Delhi. All traffic is blocked, public property is damaged, commuters heckled, the police usually has to resort to using water cannons and mild lathi charge. Here there was not a single incident reported, no scuffles, no eyeball to eyeball confrontations. Both the marchers and the commuters shared a genuine concern for each other's problems. There was no us v/s them. I romanticize, but it is hard not to.

It is also commendable if we start comparing yesterday's events with what has been happening around the world. It is easy to whip up mass frenzy when a cause is shared by numbers as large as yesterday. Yet the restraint we displayed shows us that we are maturing as a people. Sensibilities have changed, public anger is no more about beating up people on the road, tearing apart barricades, damaging buses, burning effigies. It is about being heard. Loud and fucking clear.

I sincerely hope it stays like this in the days to come. We should build on the momentum of this movement. We should stay civil, be the change we wish to see. Yesterday, we saw a glimpse of what we can be. It is time we start being that, everyday.