On a Cold, Rainy, Windy Morning....

Cuddled under my quilt, fast asleep and perhaps snoring, I felt a sudden discomfort. It was 3 a.m. I tried ignoring it, which is usually the first reaction to such middle-of-the-night phenomenons, but was not successful. When nature calls, you have to answer !  As I left the cozy confines of my bed, I could hear the wind banging forcefully against my windows. I went out in the balcony to get a feel of the lovely breeze but with the amount of clothing that I was in, the romance with the early morning breeze turned out to be rather short-lived. I  finished off unfinished business and returned to my kingdom of dreams.

The next morning was no surprise. Strong winds had intermittent rains for company! I unfurled my umbrella as I ventured out on what now seemed like an expedition to the office. I put on my ear phones to savor some classical music for company. But nature had other plans. The wind, untamed since late last evening and perhaps miffed at my early morning rebuff, was now behaving like a disgruntled wife, vying for my complete attention. It would not let someone playing flute, sitar or tabla walk away with the credit of creating a fabulous morning experience for me when in fact, it was the wind which had actually done all the hard work. The harder I tried to keep my earphones plugged to my ears, the stronger the wind would try to dislodge them. It took me a couple of attempts more to realize my folly of trying to oppose nature. The earphones found their way in the side pocket of my overcoat.

A few more paces into my voyage and I found myself in midst of an ensuing battle between two valiant forces of nature. The icy-cold winds, blowing at 35-40 kph and crisscrossing my hair and face were engaged in a battle of supremacy against the unscrupulous drizzle - which varied both in strength and in rhythm. It seemed as if the winds had taken an oath to protect me against the arrows of Zeus. The fiercer the forces of the rain God attacked, the more mercilessly the winds retaliated. I realized the futility of an umbrella and it was back in my bag. The winds could proclaim victory. Even without an umbrella, I was practically dry. But like every war, this too had its casualties. A pink and a rainbow-colored umbrella were amongst the first ones to be sacrificed at the altar of this fierce battle.

Amidst all this, I reached the metro station. I saw a blind man trying to cross the road. In an instant I found my hands stretched out to help him but then a sudden thought held me back. Will my gesture make him feel weak?  If I offered him help will it dent his confidence? Afterall, he had managed to reach the metro station on his own. I decided only to oversee that he crossed over safely to the other side but did not offer any tangible help further. But there was this strange unrest brewing inside me. Was I trying to shrug away from my responsibility to help him board the correct metro under the garb of being genuinely concerned about denting his confidence? Was it that the icy-cold winds had momentarily numbed my sense and sensibilities or Is let-them-be-independent the new sensibility? Or more simply was it just about getting late for work?

Puzzled in these thoughts, I boarded the metro. It was obviously less crowded than usual. But the number of people cozying up and snuggling up to each other was more than usual. Not all battles are bad, I thought. The one that I witnessed today, must surely have created a random spike in the histogram of kiss-and-make-up remedies per day for distraught couples.

As the LED on 'La Defense' station on the metro route display started glowing, I knew I had arrived at my destination.  I recollected my bunch of thoughts, deboarded and walked towards my office unaware of the other escapades that were in store for me on that cold, rainy, windy morning....

Comfortably Numb.

Sometimes there's a news item that you glance upon once, think of reading it, but then just as you are about to start reading it, just give up on it. One such item was "Chidambaram to visit 'blocked' Manipur today" a few days back. Given the fact that strikes are commonplace in strife torn north-east, I casually ignored the news item; until yesterday, when again I saw a news item concerning the remote state of Manipur but only too grim to be ignored this time. It read, "Nagas end Manipur blockade after 121 days." And my first reaction was "121 Days? When did that happen?". It was time to dig some dirt!

The bone of contention is the Sadar Hills region (which is Kuki dominated) of the otherwise Naga dominated Senapati district in Manipur. To press forward their demand of a separate district for Sadar Hills, Kukis started a blockade of National Highways 53 and 39 on 1 Aug. The Nagas, who have been fighting for a greater Nagalim (Nagaland along with Naga dominated parts of Arunachal and Manipur) with greater 'autonomy' were opposed to any redrawing of  administrative regions when talks were in progress with GoI. So they responded with a blockade of their own on Aug 21. The state government's assurance to Kukis only worsened ethnic tensions. Nagas, who felt short changed, intensified their blockade.

But it's not just Nagas and Kukis who are fighting in North-east. There are Mizos, Bodos, insurgents in Tripura; Khasis, Garos, Jaintias in Meghalya (though relatively peaceful) who are fighting for 'autonomy' and it's been decades now. Ethnic nationalism runs deep in these tribes of the North-east and over the years has been bolstered by government apathy, cross-border havens and forced conversions. The north-east is sitting on a hot bed of feelings of ethno-nationalism and that is reminiscent of a situation not so long ago in the Balkans. There are uncanny parallels between erstwhile Yugoslavia - its ethnic Serbs, Croats, Slovenes, Bosniaks and India's North-east - its ethnic Nagas, Mizos, Kukis, Bodos and the like. With the fact that the North-east is connected to the Indian mainland by just a 21-40 kms stretch of Chicken's Neck but has a far greater border with China, Bangladesh and Burma - which are either hostile or at best non-friendly territories, the idea of a Yugoslavian deja-vu, though may seem difficult but is not improbable. 

But there is something more disheartening in this whole episode. The whole idea that someone can dare block for 4 months, the only national highways that link a state to the rest of the country, with such impunity, leading to sky-rocketing prices and acute shortage of essential commodities, fuel, medicines, is just too uncomfortable. The pillars of democracy - Legislature, Executive, Press failed miserably in their duties. It did not generate as much uproar in the opposition benches as it should have. The Home minister took cognizance of the situation only on 94th day of the blockade. The PM is scheduled to visit on Dec 3 - but only because the state is supposed to go elections in Feb. Even the usually active print and digital media did not consider the issue worth a decent cover story. The twitterati, the facebookers, the bloggers all chose to ignore it - There was an ominous silence all around. All chose to be so Comfortably Numb. And that rankles !

P.S: As per an article in The Hindustan Times, Nagaland would be given a special state status which will have its own flag, Naga nomenclature would be given in administrative posts in Nagaland. Insurgents seem to have dropped demand for Nagalim as well as sovereignty, in return for Naga councils in Naga-inhabited areas in Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh. Restricted Area Permit ( RAP) will also be introduced in Nagaland. Thankfully, Indian govt. seems to have refused the insurgents' demand that the head of state of Nagaland should be known as Prime Minister. 

Heard of Article 370 anyone?

The Phenomena...that weren't meant to be !

The economic contours of the 20th century and to an extent social and political as well, were perhaps shaped by 3 phenomena: Capitalism, Consumerism and Globalization. An eventful beginning to the 21st century, especially the last three years, makes sure that the triad remains relevant, albeit with one rider. While the  current economic order has its roots in the universal glorification of the ideas behind the triad, the recent skepticism and disdain for the triad, is perhaps turning out to be a pre-cursor for a new economic order that will be synonymous with the 21st century.


Capitalism - The oldest of the troika, conceptualized perhaps in second half of the 19th century, gained prominence in early 20th century, broadly signifies that means of production are privately owned and the investments are made with sole aim of deriving maximum profits out of them. Despite its fallacies and being challenged by Communism, it thrived. It was the Great recession of 2008-09 which finally shook the very foundations of Capitalism - the concept of a free market economy and that of Laissez Faire. In the world's foremost free economy, where prices were supposedly determined by supply and demand and on rational behavior of market participants - it led to creation of asset bubbles which when burst, brought the whole economy to a standstill. Similarly, laissez-faire - the concept of minimal government intervention in the markets - was conveniently and blatantly forgotten when businesses facing pressing needs for capital were bailed out by the sovereign by pumping in trillions of dollars through stimulus packages. But the story does not end here. 'Occupy' campaigns and 'The Indignants' have gained momentum and are a reflection of a popular public discontent brewing against Capitalism and are turning out to be the greatest  build up ever against Capitalism.

All this surely suggests one thing - Capitalism in its current form can't continue or rather won't be allowed to continue. The glory days of yore when capitalists were untamed beasts will soon give way to days of suspicion, supervision and social responsibility - all so uncharacteristic of Capitalism !

Consumerism - The genesis of Consumerism lay somewhere in Capitalism. Capitalism needed public consumption to sustain the vulgar profits and Consumerism - which thrives on ever increasing desire for buying more goods and services - was a perfect ally! As a result, Consumerism was born sometime during middle of 20th century and very soon it engulfed the whole world.  The flood of options available in super markets and the hype of artificial low prices created though 'Sales', fomented the desire to buy more and led to patterns of irrational buying. People started to live beyond their means. All was seemingly well when Alas ! one day, the great recession struck. Governments tried their best to boost the economies but when the stimulus did not achieve the desired resuts, govts. had to resort to severe austerity measures. The severe austerity measures effectively translated into lower wages, lower pensions, lower health care and other benefits but more taxes. The 'Consumers' suddenly realized that in their quest for endless consumption, they had not saved enough for the rainy day! In some other parts where the stimulus did work (India & China), sudden downpour of money (and other factors) led to unprecedented inflation levels (not as those experienced by Zimbabwe but historically higher).

As people all over the world start redesigning their budgets to suit their wallets, the consumer in them will no longer be the same - profligacy will give way to frugality;  irrationality will be replaced by cautiousness.

Globalization - The phenomenon of Globalization seems a logical evolution to Capitalism and Consumerism. Focus on profits; to sustain them - enable voracious consumption and when markets in your country are saturated, just spread the malaise - globalize it !  Defined as an integration of economic, political and cultural systems across the globe, globalization - the youngest of the triad, took centre-stage by the end of the 20th century. Advancements in communications and ease of travel fueled it. Free trade zones, various economic and monetary unions, relaxed immigration policies diminished national boundaries further. An example of globalization often quoted was that a person in India, uses equipments made in China, to communicate with an American, helping him how to boot his laptop, which was assembled in Malaysia and was shipped to him in a box, which has some elements of the Brazilian Amazon forests in it. But soon, it was realized that this integration has left the world economies susceptible as never before. Now, the bitter fruits nurtured due to the misadventures of one or a few (US earlier and PIIGS lately), have to be tasted by all. The example of globalization that can now be given is perhaps how the inability of an American to pay his mortgage made an Indian textile mill worker unemployed! As a corollary, it also brought Greece dangerously close to being ousted from Eurozone and has kindled a million mutinies in the form of OWS and The Indignants.

Thus, lately we see people in monetary unions questioning why they should be paying for someone else's folly; concept of open borders giving way to increased protectionism; stalemate in WTO (the organization which was at fore front of promoting globalization by reducing trade barriers) meetings as no one is prepared to recede ground. Some scholars even argue that globalization is actually promoting neocolonialism!

Lord Krishna says in Bhagvad Gita," Parivartan sansaar ka niyam hai". Everything that is created must be destroyed. Without destruction there would be no creation. Capitalism, Consumerism and Globalization - the phenomena that shaped most of the 20th century are currently in a state of flux as the happenings world over threaten to destroy the foundations they were based upon. What, however remains to be seen is that whether the destruction this time, will take us back in history and the concept of nation states with strong economic, cultural and social identity regains prominence. Or is this destruction, actually a creative destruction, which will lead to better, evolved and more open and matured philosophies? 

Either way, it's time for Change ! Time for a RESET!

The curious case of the Indian Grand Prix and the Bangalore Metro !

Two events captured nation's imagination this month - The launch of Bengaluru's 'Namma' metro and the successful completion of first ever Indian Grand Prix at Buddh International Circuit(BIC) in Noida. 

Both events had evident similarities. Both marked a watershed moment for the respective cities. Bangalore will finally get much needed respite from it's traffic snarls. Noida, on the other hand, will finally come out of New Delhi's shadow and bask in its own international glory. Both boast of a tremendous fan following. While officials claimed that 10 million people used metro within 3 days of its launch, the global viewership for Indian Grand Prix could anywhere be near 30 million levels. Both generated a frenzied excitement around them and were widely discussed in the media and in social networks. 

Add one more to the list - There was an insurmountable importance given to both of them. Both were projected as symbols of a resurgent India and supposedly herald the dawn of a new India - an India which is agile, contemporary and spirited.

I believe the last similarity, the hype generated around Bangalore metro and the of-utmost-national-pride thing, attached to Indian Grand Prix, was hugely unfounded, unwarranted and unreasonable. And here's why:

The Case of the Bangalore Metro: Bangalore metro missed it's launch deadline five times. 4 times the delays were because of customary land acquisition, labor and regulatory issues. The reason of the fifth delay was however absurd - the scheduled inauguration date couldn't fit in PM's tight schedule. Eventually also, after a delay of about a month, it was not inaugurated by the PM which brings me to the question as to why was the PM required to inaugurate such a Basic-Public-Utility? It was not even a first or one of a kind. Even most of the technology that goes into is not indigenous, it's borrowed. Add the financial angle and things get even more perplexing. With each day of delay, the metro authorities lost 5 million INR. And to add to that you end up coughing 25 million INR for the inauguration ceremony. All this when the whole world is talking about austerity measures and fears of another slowdown loom large?

Something which was supposed to be inaugurated in March 2010, missed 5 deadlines to be inaugurated 18 months later, to cover a stretch of 6.7 kms and which was marked by a blatant disregard for fiscal intelligence and common sense, I refuse to regard it as a symbol of new resurgent India.


The Case of the Indian Grand Prix:  Indian F1 viewership is estimated to be around 30 million annually and BIC could manage only 75% (95000 spectators) attendance at the circuit for the inaugural race. Even if BIC were to run full house, it will still incur an annual operational loss of 35 million USD. And then there's 200 million USD of capital costs spent on building the track that is to be recovered. A few other Asian GPs - those at Seoul, Shanghai and Sepang (Malaysia) which started with much fanfare are now running in losses. So what really was the need for hosting this extravaganza? The it-will-generate-tourism argument also does not cut ice. The number of tourists attracted by the GP would perhaps pale in front of those repelled by a host of other factors. Even if the idea was to promote a sports culture, perhaps a world-class soccer stadium would have done much better to help the cause of sports in India.

875 acres of precious farm land acquired by state govt., for a highly non-viable and suspect business model, by giving inadequate compensation  to farmers, so that in a country of a 1.2 billion, a few thousand adrenaline junkies can hear the roar of world's most powerful engines , is perhaps symbolic of misplaced priorities, indifference and of the accentuating social inequity.
And I refuse to regard it either as a symbol of new resurgent India. 

Those li'l acts of kindness, li'l words of luv !

Life never ceases to surprise and yesterday, I was caught unawares again!

On my way back from office, I exchanged glances with an elderly woman at the bend outside my house. Listening and humming along my favorite songs as I moved ahead, my rhythm was interrupted by a gentle tap on the back. I turned around only to find the same elderly woman. She pointed towards my untied shoe laces. I thanked her but instead of tying them I just tucked it in my shoes as I had almost reached my apartment. As I was about to move on, I realized that my act of laziness had not escaped the scrutinizing gaze of the old lady. She looked at my shoes and then at me as if asking, " What's wrong with you son? Why don't you tie your laces?". I told her that it was fine but she insisted that I tie them. So I did. But the tough task master that she was - she was still not happy and asked me to apply a double knot to the laces. In absolutely no mood to bend again a third time, I just thanked her again and reassured her that it was fine. Before I could utter my next sentence, I was surprised by her sudden gesture.

Before I could utter my next sentence, she bent and started tying my laces herself.

Standing there at the pavement, in crimson twilight, right in front of my apartment, with a septuagenarian tying my laces - I was dumbstruck. Afterall, it's been 2 decades since someone else tied my shoelaces. It was one of those moments when suddenly your mind is inundated with a flood of conflicting emotions and your sensory receptors just stop responding. I didn't know if I should apologize to her or thank her; if I should ponder over my callousness or admire her for her kindness and humility; if we really were strangers or had met someday, somewhere before...

As we moved along, she told me quite animatedly that tucking the laces in shoes might effect their elasticity. She also explained that a single knot may open again and I may fall and hurt myself;so the double knot. She asked me to be careful while walking on road with untied shoelaces. By that time, I had reached my apartment. I sincerely thanked her and bade her good bye. The whole experience lasted just 5 minutes. But it was very pleasant, very humbling. For next couple of hours or so, I was engulfed by an inexplicable sense of satisfaction and happiness.

Sometimes, we set ourselves on a journey to achieve long-term goals or wait for some big events to happen that we think, will make things better in our lives and in the world around us. More often than not, the wait for such events stretches to an eternity or the goals just keep on evolving. In pursuit of those goals , in wait of those events, we often forget to savour the random, the smaller delights that either we can offer to others or what life has to offer to us. But actually it's these little acts of kindness, these little words of luv, in unknown lands by unknown people that really have the potential to overwhelm us and can make the world a better place to live in !

PS: The fact that we didn't even have a common medium of communication (She was speaking French the whole time while I spoke English) made the episode even more special.
And secondly, the twilight was not really crimson. The color was used just for special effects !

An Obituary. In loving memory of...

 ~In fond memory of my Nokia 1200~

Switched on: May 2008 

Laid to Rest: Aug 27, 2011

The summer of May'08 would indeed have been fortuitous - for it was then that I bought you and in the process made you a part of my life - rather a part of me. Who knew at that time that the rendezvous will mark the beginning of an association that will be a witness to love and to hatred, to success and to failures, to chivalry and to flattery and to naivety and to shrewdness alike.

My N1200: During it's prime !

Baptized in the heat and crowded buses of Hyderabad, like a true soldier, you proved your mettle even in the rainy Mumbai, the sweltering Delhi, the temperate Bangalore, the tropical Goa and you survived ! You were subjected to the jibes of my colleagues, my friends, my girl friend, my family...but boy u were stubborn! You continued to serve me without a glitch and I persisted with you even in the face of these odds. You were put to intense tests in the dense coffee estates of Coorg, yet like a ruthless crusader, you proved your grit by managing a single tower, of intermittent signal though, when models better (so they claim!) than you, with the same service providers were rendered useless. You were a victim of my recklessness so many times and yet like a true friend, were at my service, the next moment itself. You were privy to all my conversations,all my thoughts; yet like a true confidant kept it all to yourself. Even though I kept getting lost; like a true guide, your  guiding (torch) light always help me find a way through many a stormy weathers.

Resting in sublime peace !

Even now, as you are laid to rest, believe me, it's not that you have outlived your utility; it's just that I was not strong enough to resist the charms of 'smart-phone(y)ism.'

Few years back I heard the term 'value for money'. Three years of our camaraderie and I can proudly proclaim that I have experienced it being epitomized to perfection.

... then nothing else matters !

We first met on the eve of my first job - way back in the summer of 2006, 24th May to be precise. I still have the imprint of those memories in my mind - fresh, as if it were yesterday. Needless to say, it was love at first sight. For 3 months, our romance blossomed, before it was cut short due to my transfer. For the next 3 years, I was in the company of others, but none was as captivating as her. But as fate would have it, we were destined to meet again!

I was both excited and apprehensive at the prospect of seeing her again. Excited - at the idea of being enthralled again and Apprehensive - at the thought of the changes that might have taken place in three long years.

There were cosmetic changes but characteristically - nothing had changed much. And Yes ! she had changed her name(which was thrust upon her). She was called 'Bangalore' when we first met, was 'Bengaluru' in the second innings, but that barely made any difference. She remains a sweetheart...no matter what !

No matter, it's bosom, which once abounded with the green cover is now a labyrinthine maze of under-construction roads amidst a rapidly rising concrete jungle; No matter, "India's Beer Capital" sleeps by 10-10.30 p.m; No matter, the auto-wallahs charge  insane rates; No matter, driving on the perennially dug up roads is woefully difficult and the whole city is brought to a standstill even at a slight drizzle; No matter, you don't dare venture out alone at night, not for the fear of being hounded by rowdies, but for the fear of being hounded by a pack of dogs who are looking for their daily dose of entertainment; No matter, the 'Majestic' bus terminal is such a misnomer and that you end up hurling tons of curses everytime you have to visit it; No matter...(and I can go on and on and on)

But when you close your eyes and 'experience' the gentle breeze (which is so very characteristic of Bengaluru only) that blows in day in and day out, gushing through your face and body; it's as if the spirit of Bengaluru, masquerading as wind, is trying to give you a desperate hug, trying to take away your worries, your fatigue, your confusions with it; it's as if each and every pore of your skin is oozing with springs of freshness; it's as if you are experiencing a divine rejuvenation of soul and senses that peps you up for yet another day. It's then, that you realize that no matter what, nothing else really matters...nothing whatsoever!

Bengaluru never fails to mesmerize me with her charms. And I believe it's just not me. Anyone, who has ever met her, felt her, can't deny falling in love with her !

'Oh ! Bengaluru' - you'll be missed !

P.S: Bengaluru wouldn't have been the same, but for a fair share of contribution by my roomies - the one who always argued, the deadly duo of the psycho and the philosopher, and the one who always ended being beaten up :-) 

Once upon a time in India...

Okay, so Anna Inc. has got massive support, almost unprecedented to any cause since Emergency. I'm not sure about the quantum of change that it can bring to the current version of the Lokpal bill or speaking in broader terms, the consequences this whole movement's gonna have on the future politics of this country. But there are some things that have changed...definitely.

Once upon a time in India, there used to be someone who always thought that he can never stand for anything. He is good only at verbal bashing - on public forums, in newsrooms, blogs etc but when the time comes for real karma to match his words, he just backs off. Not anymore ! That someone has finally stood up for his conviction.

Once upon a time in India, there was a breed of cynics, who when asked why do they condone or indulge in corruption, used to reply, "Sab karte hain". Now, when asked as to why they are not supporting anti-graft movement, when finally "sab nahi karenge" (atleast they are saying so) their stance has changed to," Because I am corrupt myself, I can't participate in anti-corruption movement". Now that seems like someone is taking a moral high ground, whose reason for not supporting a noble cause is that he has been systematically immoral in the past. Sorry Mr & Ms Cynics, but that' s what I call Perfect Hypocrisy ! 

Once upon a time in India, people believed that an economist would make the best PM ever. Wrong decisions, pathetic advisors, inaction on scams and people started calling him Not-so-man-Mohan. He got another chance of redemption but Sammohan-formerly-Singh got it all wrong as usual. Gossip-mongers say he earned the sobriquet due to the poker face and monotonous tone with which he'll say anything asked of him, absolutely anything, even if it means ridiculously blaming US for the current unrest. Rumor mills are also running that an NGO named Sikh-Pride has filed a petition with SGPC to issue a fatwa against Sammohan, refraining him to use 'Singh'. Alas ! Nobody thought of the poor animal whose dignity is in mortal danger.

Rich, Educated, yet Primitive !

The census 2011 results had many highs. 2001-11 was the decade that saw the lowest population growth, improved sex-ratio to 940, increased literacy levels to 74% etc. But there was one dampener. It did ruffle a few feathers in me but I somehow ignored it. Barely a few days had passed and I was rattled by a report published in a financial daily which highlighted some damning statistics. I chose to ignore it again - thinking someone was playing around with numbers. But then, a few days back,  I read another story. It would have been too naive to ignore this time again. It was perhaps for the third time now in less than 2 months that I had come across reports/statistics which, if looked at individually, looked like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, but when looked at collectively, presented an all together different view. Only difference being that instead of getting a beautiful picture in the end, I rather got an ugly one.

The First Piece: Census 01-11 reported that the child (0-6 years) sex-ratio in 2011 is 914 - the lowest since independence and has declined from 927 in 2001. I checked the census figures and found that prominent laggards were - Punjab - 846, Chandigarh - 867, Haryana - 830, NCR - 866, Gujarat - 866, Maharashta - 883. Some of the better looking numbers from other major states are from AP & Karnataka - 943 each, Tamil Nadu - 946. However these numbers may also not present a healthy trend given the fact that numbers in AP and Karnataka have actually declined from 961 and 946 in 2001 respectively. In Tamil Nadu, the number pales in comparison to the adult sex-ratio of 1000.


The Second Piece: A news item appeared in 'Mint' (from where the title of the blog has also been derived) which was based on a study published in "The Lancet",  world's leading general medical journal. It pointed out the inconsistencies in sex-ratio of the second-born child. While the number was a healthy 980 where the first-born is a boy, it was a dismal 840 when the first-born is a girl.  When reported by Household wealth index, the difference is far more appalling. While the sex-ratio for the second-born where first-born is a girl was as high as 1080 for poorest 20% of the households, it dropped miraculously to 740 for richest 20% of the households.  


The Third Piece: The third article published in 'Mint' discussed the findings (based on Census '11 data) of one of the country's foremost demographers on the heinous practice of Sex-Selective Abortion(SSA). The top 5 states leading the pack in terms of SSA abortions as a % of female births were Haryana - 13.1%, Punjab  - 11.5%, Maharashtra - 7.6%, Rajasthan - 7% and Gujarat - 6.8%, when compared to a national average of 3.6%. Put simply,  out of 100 girls born in Punjab and Haryana, there are more than 10 which were not allowed to be born and so on for other states.


The three pieces are so complementary to each other - The selective abortion of the female child, more so in case when its a second girl child has led to the worst child sex-ratio numbers since independence. It's not hard to imagine the ugly picture that I was talking about - That of increasing obsession with the male child.  But that's just not it. 


Combine these pieces with the fact that states reporting the dismal numbers have a higher literacy rate than the national average (barring AP), have a higher per capita income than most of the country, are among the fastest growing states (barring Rajasthan) and you unveil one of the darkest secrets hidden in India's underbelly - the aversion for the girl child is more prominent where it was least expected - among India's  Urban, Rich and the Educated. Or as concluded by researchers at The Lancet  - Higher education and income levels among families correspond paradoxically to greater female infant deaths, attributable, only to pre-natal diagnostic technologies.

And this disclosure couldn't have come at a more 'opportune' time - just coinciding with 2 decades of economic reforms. The last decade has truly been a spectacular one in terms of economic growth, ushering in a new era of urbanization, consumerism (thanks to swollen per capita) and knowledge economy (thanks to increased literacy levels). But the bitter truth is that although we are urbanized, we are not suave; although we are rich - we are not benevolent; although we are educated, we are not enlightened. 

Rich.Educated.Primitive.

Such a shame!

That Girl by the Roadside...

The girl by the roadside !

Walking in the bylanes of Delhi's Kamla Nagar market, adjacent to Delhi University's North campus, right opposite Hans Raj college, I saw something that evoked in me profound feelings of ambivalence. 

Sitting on the footpath by the road side was a girl, about 10-12 years old, with a weighing machine beside her, earnestly taking down notes from her Hindi text book. There were three things about this girl which impressed me:  1) This girl was unruffled by the passing crowd. I observed her for about 5 minutes. During the peak evening hours, when you inadvertently bump into one another, this girl was taking down her notes with utmost sincerity. 2) She was not begging or pestering anyone to get their weight measured, unlike several other street kids of the same age, who follow you with their knick knacks and whom you find hard to get rid off. Here was a girl teeming with a sense of self-respect, which could perhaps be owed to her education. 3) Lastly, there was no sign of discomfort as she was discharging her twin duties - that of studying and doing justice to the faith reposed by her parents and secondly that of supporting her family. It was as if adversity had brought out the best in her.

So amused I was at seeing this girl that I went to her,  got my weight measured, gave her about 5 times what she asked for, requested for a click and asked her to study and do well. While the right hemisphere of my brain was rejoicing in a deep sense of satisfaction that I had done my bit, the left hemisphere had started posing some uneasy questions. I tried not to think about them and looked at the girl again, only to be greeted by an innocent smile.

But somehow I felt there were a lot of feelings behind that smile that she wanted to convey; feelings which I could not find hard to imagine:-

" Hi Passerby ! You were generous. But do you really think it was your money that I was looking for? A simple glance at your past and you would realize that all this while it has always been about money. You took pride in donating generously to organisations that claim to educate a child on your behalf, without even caring to bother whether a soul actually benefitted ! You won't even remember that  whenever given a chance to donate either 'money' or 'efforts', you always preferred the former. It was always so difficult for you to get out of your slumber. You won't even remember the gleam of hope in my eyes when you did visit our slum once, never to return again. But sure, what you do remember is that false sense of satisfaction that you derived out of your perceived acts of charity all this while, don't u?"

"Today, I'm not accusing you of being lazy or being irresponsible. 

Today, I'm accusing you of being indifferent (which you will so vehemently deny) !"

"All this while you never realized that monetary support was perhaps the least I needed from you as an individual - provisions and initiatives of far more humongous proportions are being taken at sovereign and corporate levels (RTE has an estimated outlay of 1.71 lakh crore in next 5 years and Premji uncle and Shiv Nadar uncle have generously donated billions towards education). You berate India on its illiteracy in your coterie, you give all big talks about CSR and you sympathize. You never realized that I never wanted your sympathy. Your acts of sympathy, like those of today, only make me feel weak and marginalized. You never realized that what I did actually want was your Time so that the shortage of nearly five lakh teachers at primary level and about three lakh untrained teachers at elementary school level could be overcome for me and my friends. What I did actually want was your awareness - so that you can question how effectively RTE and RTI (to check actual spends on education) are being implemented and used. What I did actually want was just 'YOU'."

"But all this talk - is it going to make any difference to you? You will be as indifferent tomorrow as you were yesterday. You'll probably think about me for may be a little over 5 minutes, may be share your feelings on a blog or facebook and perhaps forget all about it, just as it happens every time."

"Is it going to change this time or am I asking too much?"

I still don't have an answer. Do you have one?

Old is Gold...Indeed !!!

Personally I hate comparisons, be it - North India vs South India, Oriental vs Occidental, Maruti vs Santro, Levis vs Pepe, Amitabh Vs Rajnikanth, Hollywood Vs Bollywood, Man U Vs Barca, Rafa Vs Fedex, Times of India Vs The Hindu, Colgate Vs Pepsodent or for that matter be it Blonde vs Redhead vs Brunette vs Black. I always feel that each person/place/thing is unique in some way or the other, so comparing is an exercise in futility.

But this post is not about not-to-compare. It's exactly the opposite. Yeah ! I have started comparing. But it's not by choice that I drew parallels between two things. I was literally forced into it.

Recently Bollywood has been flooded with all kinds of flimsy and frivolous songs that compelled me to explore what our elders always said about how songs in their times were much better. And sure happy I am to have done that. What actually maketh listening to a song a memorable experience? My take is - Brilliant Lyrics, Soulful Rendition and Catchy Musical Score, Artistic Expressions and Picturesque Settings - almost always in that order. If all four are present we get a melody - that strikes right at the core of your heart.

Sadly, nowadays, there are too many songs but hardly any melodies. Lyrics is permanently paralyzed, though it might get an occasional reprieve of life from Javed Akhtar or Gulzar. It's quite astonishing that this is an industry that is associated with Arts - which has creativity at its core - and this is what best we can muster- "Unche se unche banda, potty pe baithe nanga", "Sheela ki jawani....i know you want it but you never gonna get it", "Munni badnam huyi...jhandubalm huyi", "Kutta ban gya mei kutta ban gya", "shalu ke thumke", "shakira se bhi zaada tera hile lakk ni", "character dheela hai", "DK Bose" etc. The lyricists have gone intellectually bankrupt and are shamelessly ripping apart catchy phrases from yester years hits, mixing with some pathetic lyrics of theirs and in the process ending up with something that is so distasteful.

The less I talk about the protagonists the better. The audience admires everything else other than their acting skills. Rather than making the whole experience a sensual one, they instead end up making it an erotic one. This new breed arrogantly flaunts its mind numbing aesthetic (in)sensibilities. As a result, we see expression less romantic gestures replacing the romantic mysticism that was once epitomized by Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar; Salman-esque lewdness uprooting the chivalry that was so gracefully carried by Ashok Kumar; bizarre hitting-the-balls, gay-fart-sex jokes in the garb of comedy which used to be so tastefully depicted by Kishore Kumar and Dev Anand. The female leads think they can shake a leg or two to the tunes of item numbers? In fact, they should be thanking their stars that don't have Helen as a contemporary. They spend on all sorts of cosmetic enhancements and nose/chin jobs but they forget that a women's beauty is incomplete without the subtlety of Rekha, the sublimity of Meena Kumari, the demeanor of Nargis, the infiniteness of Madhu Bala and the elegance of Nutan.

Today songs have been reduced to a visual extravaganza rather than being a personal, innocent, low-key affair between the male and female leads. The songs are packed with all kinds of exotic locations, 'n' number of junior artists dressed in gaudy clothes with all sorts of props, jumping in joy, that certainly set our feet tapping but are unable to stir the soul in a way that a 'aapki ki nazron ne samjha pyaar ke kabil mujhe' or a 'Lag ja gale ki phir yeh haseen raat ho na ho' or a 'Ajeeb Dastan hai yeh' would do.

On a closer introspection, why am I concerned? Isn't change the only constant? My only concern is that the sellers ultimately sell what the buyers demand. If the runaway success and critical acclaim of  movies like Dabangg, Ready, Delhi Belly, Shaitan, is to be taken as a pointer, there is a dangerous trend that is emerging - that of changing sensibilities. Suddenly, vice is the new virtue; obscenity is the new decency; profanity is the new veneration. The depth of thoughts has lost ground to the abyss of depravity.

The biggest take away from India has always been its values like the emotional connect, the intellect, the philosophy towards life. Somewhere the danger lurks that these values might be lost in the vast swarm of social and cultural revolution that is sweeping India. If we don't preserve them, perhaps no one else would ! 

Evolve, but retain Values !

P.S: During my last visit back home, I saw my nephews and nieces singing "Sheela ki Jawani" in their cacophonous unison. And these kids that am talking about - the eldest one among them is hardly 10 years old and the youngest one just completed a year in school. I stood there speechless wondering whether I have been caught in a time warp or are these kids catching up too fast? Perhaps, it's time we think what we are leaving our younger generation with.

Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely !

Lord Acton remarked in 1887 "Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely !". Looking from heavens above, at the leela that transpired at the Ramlila Grounds in the wee hours of 5th June, he would be proud man..err soul! On the other corner would be Gandhi (the original one!) wearing a dejected look, murmuring 'Hey Ram' time and time again and thanking his stars that we was not born in such times. Poor guy would have landed up in hospital every alternate day for his peaceful Satyagrahs. There would be another worried soul - that of Abe Lincoln - for his widely accepted definition of democracy - of the people, by the people, for the people, would now perhaps not be used anymore.

I was just wondering on what could have been the conversations in the board room where the legitimate action was finalized. I could think of this -

Date: 4th June
Time: Late evening
Venue: 10 Jan Path
Participants : MMS, Madam ji, Sibal, Pranab Babu, PC, D(P)igvijay, AK Antony
Agenda : How to stop Ramdev ??

Needless to say, Pranab Da was asked to steer the committee, like so many others which he does. At one time I read the number was 22, I just stopped keeping a track after that. (My heart goes out for the old man - how hard he's made to work at this age. I feel ashamed when I complain about my workload now.)

Pranab Da (PD): " So now that we have failed in Airport and Claridges hotel diplomacy measures, we need to think of some other solution to tackle Ramdev before the situation goes out of hand".
Sibal (KS)(with his usual haughtiness): " Sochna kya hai, Maaro saalon ko".
PD: "What are you saying?"
KS: "Are you hard of hearing oldie? I said lets go out and kick some ass"
PD: "I don't expect any kind words from a Dilli waala but still you could've done better. And we can't just go out and kick some ass. It can have wide ramifications."
KS: "I'll take care of that. Mujhpe chodd do. "
PD (who's now really worried):" ManMohan ji, please say something."
Man-Mohan(MMS) (spotting his trademark calm demeanor): "I don't know anything."
PD: "This is what happens when you over practice. This answer was supposed to be given for questions on 2G scam, not in a cabinet meeting. So please say something."
MMS: "I still don't know anything."
PD: " Oho..it can't be like this. you are the PM. You have to take some decision"
MMS: "I am not responsible for this."
PD: "You are not on TV now. Stop giving me these one-liners."
MMS(Silence):
It took a while for PD to realize that MMS only deals in one-liners and that MMS had taken PD's last line literally.
PD: "Madam ji - What's your view on this?"
Madam ji (SG): "Oh..Am I supposed to have one? But first can you please translate in English whatever Baba is saying in the media. Only then can I have a counter view"
D(P)igvijay (Pig) (who is till now licking SG's sandals suddenly springs in action): "Madam ji...I'll happily do that for you. Give me a moment."
PD: "I want some opinions. Antony, you got some ideas?"
Antony (AK)(takes a while..checking his mobile): "Sorry, I've been a bit busy with the Americans these days. Ever since they lost out on the $10 bn MMRCA deal, I've been on look out for an equally lucrative deal for them. So can you just explain the context of discussion here".
PD: "I can understand. I don't mind explaining again. See, the whole thing is that..."
Suddenly AK's phone rings.
AK: " Sorry, its an urgent call, from US. Have to take it..please excuse me(walks out of the room)".
PD: "Sibal, we got any legal options?"
KS: "Now that's like asking a lion whether he knows how to hunt. Have you forgotten that am a liar by profession and that too of the Supreme degree. We can say the permission was for yoga not for demonstration. We can use his written note, which I so cleverly got, against him. We'll make him look like a person who doesn't keep his promises. But I want to teach him a lesson. After these many arguments, I could've won a court in Supreme court but this half-naked man will not budge.  Maaron saalon ko"


Meanwhile the Pig gets the translation done and hands over to Madam ji. Madam ji starts screening through immediately.
PD: " Even if you use police force, how will you justify it?"
PC jumps in.
PC: "We can say we had credible info from IB and CBI of a possible terrorist attack. We were late, as usual, as we were collating data from different agencies. Police thought its best if Ramdev is moved out to avoid a law and order breakdown."
KS(with a chuckle in his voice): "Good one Chiddu. Any one else has to say anything? Any more questions oldie?"
KS is getting impatient now and is pacing up and down the room.
PD: "Only if Madamji can give her expert opinion on this !"
SG: "I think its a decision to be taken by the govt. My opinion will depend on the outcome of the action - I'll allign it accordingly so as to always look with the will of the aam aadmi."


Suddenly there's a commotion outside the room. And lo ! Parachutes the crown prince Rahul 'Baba' Gandhi.
Rahul Gandhi(RG): "Mummy ! Why was I not invited to the meeting?"
PD: " Rahul Baba..you are our future PM. If this decision goes awry, we have the not-so-Man-mohan Singh to blame for. If it works fine, we can always say, that it was a master stroke by you and of course D(P)igvijay will shout at the top of his voice to announce it."
All the people look admiringly at D(P)igvijay only to find him licking Baba's slippers to make them look shining new.
RG:"Thank you Pranab uncle ! you are such a fatherly figure to me"
PD blushes thinking at the prospect of what being a "fatherly" figure to Baba would mean and looks lovingly towards Madamji who gives him a royal snub. PD adjusts his specs and regains his senses.
PC: " I have one point. If you want to finish the charisma of the man, finish his credentials first. To this effect, I can unleash the CBI, IT etc on Ramdev's assets and they'll dig the dirt. Even if its not there, they can perhaps dump someone else's dirt in his compound. But before that, the seed of suspicion should be planted in people's minds. This should be done by someone, who gets publicity also and has almost nil credibility so that in case we need to distance ourselves from his comments we can easily do so."
KS: "Abbe joote chaatne band kar. Namak ka hak ada kar."
Pig: " Of course I will. I'll shower all kind of preposterous charges on Ramdev the next morning itself.  For Madamji and Baba, I can do anything. I know my kids are gonna hate me even more and tell  me how they are booed at school for being my kids and my wife ain't letting me near her after I make all these charges, but the welfare of the Gandhi family is well beyond my family. I will do it"
The gathering barely manage to hide their laughter. But D(P)igvijay's eyes are gleaming with the pride only visible in the eyes of a soldier who is willing to be martyred for his country.
KS:"I guess that's the end - lets get ready for the action then. Any closing comments?"
PD: "Man-Mohan ji, anything you'd like to add to the discussion?
MMS: " I don't have much to say except that..."
KS (interuppting in between):"Okay, we got it..you are fine with it. The court is adjourned..sorry, the meeting's over. Ab aayega mazaa"
All get up to leave, when Antony joins in.
AK:" Oh, the meeting's over. Anyways, I've full confidence in what Man-Mohan ji has decided. By the way, I got great news. We've agreed to a $4bn deal with the US for Boeing C-17 airlifters. The modalities of the deal are being worked out (and winks at KS). Ain't it great man-Mohan ji?"
MMS: "But I don't know anything."

Everyone just heaves a loud sigh, nod their heads and leave.

PS: The characters are not entirely fictional and any resemblance to anyone living or dead is purely intentional.

Why hate the CBI?

Last weekend when I switched on the news channels, I was quite disappointed to see all news channels thrashing our very own CBI, black and blue. And their fault - poor fellows had just failed to provide an updated list of the most wanted criminals to Pakistan. It so happened that after handing over the list (for umpteenth time now), it was found that one of the fugitives was in India attending trials and another one was already languishing in jail. A lot of hue and cry was being raised as to how it's such an embarrassment to India and for the CBI. I failed to understand that and decided that I will come up in full support for our premier investigating agency - the CBI.

CBI has far greater (mis)achievements to its credit, rather than these petty acts,  that need to be discussed and appreciated! Failure to update a list is merely a speck in the ocean of its glorious past. Did you forget how judiciously it brought to book the perpetrators of 1984 Anti-Sikh riots or how effectively it cut all the escape routes for Warren Anderson to stop him for escaping after the Bhopal Gas leak? You definitely can't forget how the Bofors scam was exposed - poor Win Chaddha couldn't just withstand the ignominy and died eventually. The other Italian accused, Quattorochi, can roam freely anywhere in the world except India. CBI has shown perseverance and has left no stone unturned to question the suspects in Babri Masjid demolition case over and over again and again and again so that it can come out with the true story on how exactly the events unfolded on that fateful day. Take more recent ones - Mayawati almost lost her mental balance due to the expose in the Taj Corridor land scam. Poor lady had to scout for another alternative to politics - last heard, she was busy sculpting statues of elephants and herself in parks across UP. CBI sleuths can be maverick at times like how they went to Denmark to arrest Purulia arms drop case main suspect with a warrant that was expired - just to check how sharp-witted Danish people are and how well they know law! They have played their role in social awakening also - like the way they acted in 2G and CWG scams. It was a conscious effort to proceed slowly so that people in India also awaken and contribute their bit in the fight against corruption. Now they have another task at hand - to improve the efficiency of other investigation agencies also. Why else do you think that important files are missing from the Adarsh Society case? The lapse in the Most wanted list was also intentional else how would Maharashtra Police and IB (along with whom the most wanted list was prepared) come to know that they already have arrested couple of the most wanted fugitives and that they can easily spare their resources and efforts elsewhere, catching the actual fugitives !

If you look at it objectively, everyone is baking his own bread while CBI's bum is on fire! The opposition, which already had enough ammunition in this season of scandals, has come out all guns blazing at our Home minister, asking for explanations. They conveniently and so innocently forget that the CBI was as inefficient in their times as it is today. No high-profile case was closed earlier and nor will it be closed in near future. The news channels which so vehemently questioned CBI's capability of performing its duty should first question themselves - Were they doing their duty when they were busy telecasting the Royal Wedding, discussing Kate's dresses, the Royal kiss, William's ex-girl friends, the clothes people were wearing at the wedding et al? Were they doing their duty when for one full day they shamelessly telecasted just the IPL auction process? Were these incidents in any way of any significance to the social, economic, political or environmental order of the world, which is actually what they should be discussing? 

At the end, everybody's just doing their job, which is to try to remain relevant in changing times. The opposition which itself is neck deep in corruption is opposing - just to be relevant. The media houses will focus on anything that brings in revenues. The bigger the media house, bigger the clout and greater is its  relevance. So what's it that CBI does to remain relevant - It does nothing !  'Coz by only doing nothing, will it serve its master - which is the govt at the centre. Remember CBI stands for Central Bureau of Investigation? 

So, for God's sake, please spare the CBI and let it do its good(f) job !

Friday, the 13th and the Assembly Election results

Friday, the 13th has ominous connotations associated with it and indeed, ominous it was this year in more than one ways.

It was particularly hard for the Communists whose last bastion was finally breached. Thanks to Mamta who had vehemently upped the ante against the Communist mis-governance all these years. Congress managed to scrape through in Kerala but fared poorly (in % terms) when compared to its allies - While Congress managed a hit rate was 38/82, its other regional allies fared much better with 20/24 and 10/15. Though Assam went to Congress' kitty again, the surprise package was the rise of a regional player - AIUDF which will be the main opposition party in the assembly now, displacing AGP and BJP. People are known to vote cyclically in TN and bring in the opposition, AIADMK in this case (in the previous assembly), with a thumping majority. In Puducherry, another regional player AINRC upset the Congress' prospects. 

There are basically two observations here. Firstly, regional parties still call the shots in many states. Second one, which comes as a corollary to the first is that national parties have still failed to make any significant inroads in some states. While Congress fares marginally better, BJP was unable to open its account in Kerala, TN and Bengal. 

Should this be a cause of concern? 

Most of the regional parties are family owned or owe their existence to one or two charismatic leaders. Take for example, National Conference - the Abdullahs, SP - Mulayam Singh, BSP - Mayawati, TMC - Mamta Bannerjee, DMK - Karunanidhi's clan, AIADMK - Jaya, Shiv Sena - The Thackereys, NCP - Sharad Pawar, INLD - Ajit Singh, RJD - Laloo etc. Barring the names I've mentioned, there's not even a second name worth recalling in these parties. These parties have grown by exploiting the issues related to a particular section of the society (Yadavs, Dalits, OBCs, Jats, farmers) or by creating an identity-crisis (Marathi manoos, anti-North, Kashmiriyat) hoopla. Their sectarian thinking always take priority over issues of greater national interest. No wonder then, that when these leaders or when members from these parties get inducted in the Cabinet they do a fairly pathetic job as they have their own petty interests to cater to. As a result any policy that needs to be implemented for greater good is stalled as it adversely impacts one or the other party's interests (read vote-bank), thereby preventing the Central govt from taking stern and rational decisions.

As the regional players get stronger and get more share of the seats in Centre, politics in India will reach its abyss. The way the regional parties successfully manage to whip up regional and ideological frenzies amongst masses, it will be foolishness to hope to see a wind of change in Indian politics soon. We sure do have quite a sizable youth population, but most of them are uninterested in the political system and can be goaded like a flock of sheep. We sure do have a very active media but they are busy making profits through paid news. We sure do have some of the best education institutes but education has still not reached the section of the society that actually exercises its right to vote and is easily manipulated.. 

Only if the collective power of all these agents of change - aware youth, honest media and education for all -  is harnessed in a constructive way, can we witness a better political establishment in India.

Long live the democracy !

The Real Cost of Development !

My association with NH-15 (connecting Kandla in Gujarat to Pathankot in Punjab) goes back to more than 20 years as I have to traverse through this highway to reach my native place - Pathankot. Nothing had changed much in the past 15-20 years - be it the potholes, the erratic lorry drivers or the dilapidated road side dhabas and shops . I always thought that the pace of development was really slow in this part of India. 

Last week again, I found myself on the same road. But this time, to my astonishment, things were changing finally. The highway was being widened. I thanked heavens for bestowing much needed wisdom on the authorities. But that relief was short lived as I realized that the widening had come at the cost of 100 years old (or may be more) mango trees which had so gracefully lined the boulevard all these decades.

Trees flattened to make the highway

Tree trunks lying by the roadside

As we zipped along the highway, I realized that it would have taken hundreds of trees to make way for the highway. I am no tree-hugging social activist but as we moved on and on I could feel a deep sense of sadness gripping my heart. Over the years, I had somehow developed a bonding with the trees. I could remember peeping out of the bus/car windows to get a cool breeze along the highway. Even in scorching summers (and non-AC car !), the trees with their shade would make a drive on this highway a lot easier. Not to forget the ease with which we could bear the traffic snarl caused due to closed railway-crossings. As I was engrossed in my own memories, my father was engulfed in his own poignant memoirs. He told me how he remembered playing under the shade of the trees with his friends, how they used to pluck mangoes from the trees and then go to the nearby canal to savour them and have a hearty bath later on ! 

That day, I realized that other than the apparent cost of development which may extend up to a few hundred-thousand crores, there is also an undisclosed cost associated with it - the cost of the memories. And no matter what, you can't put a value to the memories !

For the next an hour or so, I did not speak much - was just looking out of the window to enjoy the last few moments of the view that would be completely transformed on my next visit. That was also my last homage to my companions all these years on NH15. 

Life goes on ! 

The night India bled Blue !!!

2nd April 2011 - The day will be etched in memories of at least a billion people for rest of their lifetimes. Team India played like champions and ultimately emerged as one, breaking the host-country never-won jinx in the process.

While the Men in Blue did not shy away from showing their emotions on the ground, the fans went berserk on the streets. I'm really at loss of words to describe the frenzy that followed the victory. To say that the atmosphere was merely ecstatic would be gross injustice to the spirit exhibited by the people of India. There was jubilation all around, a sense of triumph had overwhelmed people. The atmosphere was electric - the charge being passed from one to another and refusing to die down - the celebrations extending upto wee hours the next day. The crowds were driven by sheer madness !!! And I feel lucky to be a witness to all that.

As soon as Dhoni had hit the final six, the first thing one could hear was screams - loud, sharp pitched screams from all over the neighborhood. I had never shouted like that in my lifetime and am sure so would have most of the people. Soon crackers started bursting, giving the illusion of another Diwali. Every main road/square was inundated with people- hundreds / thousands of them. Huge traffic jams followed as people took to streets on their bikes, cars, jeeps, tractors to celebrate - wrapping tri-color on their chests. And when I say cars - it was not just small cars(synonymous with middle income groups), but Audis, BMWs, Mercs, SUVs and what not. Hardly any section of society that was left out. There were rich and poor, youth,children and aged (I saw an 65-70 year old uncle ji dancing at a street corner), the abled and the disabled (I saw a physically handicapped person waving India's flag), the drunkards(who were behaving very gracefully) and the teetotalers, the clothed and the naked. People were literally stopping every passer-by and hugging them, congratulating them. I myself hi-five'd with innumerable people while on the bike itself. My friend was travelling to his home town that very evening (What a loser !). He said that the moment the bus crossed any village / city, people of that village/city would stop the bus, greet and congratulate everyone and then let it go. I was amazed ! The cries of 'Jai Ho' and 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' - which were till now only considered a prerogative of the armed forces- reverberated the atmosphere.

I always thought that cricket as a religion in India was always over-rated. Not anymore (Just like I thought Dhoni to be a pathetic batsman !) - now that I have witnessed it all with my eyes! If there is one passion that Indians hold dear to their hearts- its cricket; If there's one sport that is madly followed -its cricket (how legitimate that is,is a matter of another debate another day !); If there's one thing that cuts across all religions and seeps through each strata of the society - its cricket; if there's one thing that arouses patriotism (though momentary bursts !) - its cricket; If there's one event that can cause voluntary closure of shops and empty streets, even on weekends - its cricket. And If there is one great unifier for the diversity of India -its cricket. (And if there's one thing that can make Sonia Gandhi loose her poise and grace (saw her exulting in joy with raised arms after India's victory over Pak), even though for few minutes, its cricket !)

P.S: I got an SMS that day which said " Facebook clogged, roads in India filled, phone lines jammed, liquor shops out of stock. Chill guys. Its not the Armageddon. India just won the World Cup". I can't help pitying the originator for saying that "India just won the World Cup". Perhaps this post would help him/her understand better what it means to Indians when India just wins the World Cup.

What do you foresee if Oil touches $200 a barrel..??

Just glanced through an interesting article today. ".... some facts highlighted in a recent report by investment bank Nomura. Fact 1: Oil prices were up 128% in Arab-Israel war. Fact 2: Iranian revolution of 1979 sent oil prices up by 77%. Fact 3: 1989 Gulf war saw oil prices jump by 109% in two months of actual infighting. What this means is a trouble in oil rich regions could mean a doubling of crude oil prices....analysts at Nomura have said that crude oil prices could touch $220 a barrel".....

Just a second...did they just say 220..? Well, I don't have the credentials to challenge their findings and credentials. But given the current political scenario in Arab countries (6 out of 12 OPEC countries - Algeria, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya & Saudi Arabia are witnessing unrest which could soon be translated to instability. and OPEC members collectively hold 79% of world crude oil reserves and 44% of the world’s crude oil production !), it seems pretty much of a possibility....

If  I recall correctly, even during the worst times of the sub-prime crisis, oil touched a peak of $150, may be a tad more or less and too for a very brief period. Imagine what 200-220 numbers could do and this will be much more sustained - may be 6 months to a year. Just sends shivers down the spine. But as the say, lets be optimistic. I thought of 10 positives that we could derive from such a situation, if ever it arises.

1. Witness to History: We would be the only ones to have witnessed at least 2 of the 3 events in history that would change the course of economics for generations to come - The Greatest Depression of the 2010s (post oil surge), The Great Depression of the 1930s and the near-Great Depression of the 2008-09...few fortunate ones would have witnessed all 3 and still survived - Bravehearts !

2. Human Development index: This one's dark...We will finally achieve our millennium development goals. How?..Inflation would send the food prices rocketing to such heights that it will be out of bounds for the BPL families. Govt, which would already be running under heavy deficit, couldn't provide subsidies anymore. With BPL famished, the rest of the population would be well ahead of the goals !

3. Countering Social Evils: It could help us end social evils like drug abuse. In remote areas, where high-class drugs like heroine and cocaine are out of bounds, people use relatively cheap and readily available stuff like petrol. Obviously petrol now being in the elite category, people will have no alternative!

4. Environment: The best effect would be on environment - people will perhaps shun their personal transport and use more of public transport even if it means travelling in crowded buses, rubbing sweaty shoulders, getting late for work etc. This could well spell doom for automotive sector but lets be optimistic. They'll perhaps increase the pace of their research and the size of their investments and come with cheaper hybrid versions sooner than envisaged before.

5. New Traditions :We could witness a paradigm change in traditions - Imagine people exchanging cannisters of petrol rather than clothes, jewellery at marriages !

6. More Gods to Worship - Perhaps temples dedicated to Petrol devta- the only devta to be worshipped without dhoop, aggarbatti, for these items would invite His wrath and the temple would be gutted to flames.

7. Education Reforms: Perhaps new courses like MBA in Petrol mgmt ! - as petrol would determine how you spend your finances, market your goods, carry out your operations or even strategise !

8. New Incentives: Buy 1 toothpaste and get 50 ml petrol free ! Employees would rather ask HRs for some litres petrol rather than pay hike (as high inflation would have rendered 15-20% increment useless).

9. Less Car Thefts: Due to high inflation, thieves will prefer to steal petrol than the car itself (as the running costs would be too high).

10. World's Richest Person : And last but not the least world's richest person might well be an Indian finally ! Ambani might as well buy the Buckingham Palace as his holiday home !

Who said rising crude always spells doom? I just figured out 10 reasons to say 'It Doesn't'. 

The case of Tri-Valley University - Chauvinism as Nationalism?

For the past 15-20 days now, I have been keenly following the Tri-Valley university case - thanks to the terrific media coverage - interviews of radio-tagged students and their parents, panel discussions exhorting  the govt. to come to the rescue of students, ridiculing the American govt official who called the radio tags a fashion accessory and finally taking the credit when radio collars were removed from some. What was however intriguing was the way media's depiction of this whole episode as a 'national' cause, thereby trying to stir nationalism to garner support for the students and that because 'Indian' students were involved we should not take things lying down.

I do not disapprove of Indian govt trying to protect its citizens who are falsely implicated or subject to harsh punishments for minor crimes. The question is should it also vehemently pursue the case of someone who it seems were willingly and knowingly trying to take advantage of the loop holes in the education & work policy in another country and when caught were subject to mere deportation from that country? It was not that their head or hands were chopped off or that they were subject to rigorous imprisonment. Maximum what that punishment meant was that they would be barred from education and entry in that country. And it was not that they were really brilliant students studying in Ivy league universities. For God's sake ! They were just taking online lectures at Tri-Valley.

I will not declare the students guilty before trial. But were these students who claim that they were 'duped' really that innocent to be taken for a ride.

If you are planning to pursue your graduation/ under-grad/Ph.D from a university which is relatively new, far less known and spending some 15-20 lacs, may be more on education, would you not care to browse through the net to find at least some information? At least I would and I did just that; I googled Tri-Valley university and on the first page itself found results which were quite interesting. After the initial 7 links which were primarily focused on the fiasco, the eighth link said in bold letters" TRI VALLEY UNIVERSITY is a BIG FRAUD" - the topic being discussed on a forum catering to Andhraites (since perhaps they have the biggest craze for US). I found similar stories on a forum on immigration. I just glanced at the university reviews on some site and got this observation" TRI VALLEY UNIVERSITY is a BIG FRAUD and all students are also a part of the fraud. If USCIS takes this into consideration all students are subject to deportation.....". The reviewers gave a pathetic 1/10 for most parameters. And these reviews dated much before the fiasco actually happened. What was clearly evident was that it was a sham. No wonder such reviews caught the fancy of ICE officials finally. All it took me was just 15 minuted to know it was a fraud going on there. 


Its impossible to believe those who are caught didn't know all this. All this while the 'Jugaad' at Tri-Valley was working fine. And then suddenly the tables turned. Its not like India where you can even have a Jugaad-on-Jugaad to get your work done. If you can easily manipulate or break the laws of your land, that does not mean that laws everywhere are meant to be broken. Sometimes you might end up paying heavily.


But oblivious of all these facts, the matter is being pursued at foreign minister level with  their Secretary of State and that too to seek immunity for those who have willfully committed fraud - which brings me to the dilemma if we are promoting chauvinism as nationalism?