Monday, February 21, 2011

Not sound politics

This is the season of open letters and I thought I would write one to the BJP leadership. At the outset, let me point out that I do not have any empathy/sympathy for the outfit. In most cases I do not agree with their ideology and the radicalism that they preach from time to time makes me sick. Then you might wonder, why am I here writing to them. The main reason being, I don't want Congress to be an unchecked power and from time to time they need to be reminded that if they flounder, they will be voted out of power. From May 2004, the BJP has been doing everything possible to make themselves unelectable. Even though they rule 9 Indian states, somehow when it comes to New Delhi, BJP runs out of steam and sadly for them , you need to capture Delhi to rule.



Main aspect of winning an election is not your coalition strength or the amount of money you are willing to spend but your electability quotient. World over, when serious questions are raised on electability of a candidate, more often than not, he ends up on the losing side. Today, BJP is doing this disservice to themselves and proving to the electorate that they are unelectable. The problem with BJP is they are ill advised and badly managed. They somehow hope that sooner or later they will return to power and until then, they have to be in the news for various reasons. This is a ploy with diminishing returns and the problem with the BJP is they start too early and by the time the next elections are due, they run out of stream and novelty and the incumbent returns to power with bigger majority. This happened in 2009 and unless something major changes, this will happen again in 2014. The writing is on the wall. Every issue has to raised at appropriate levels and this is not understood by the BJP spin doctors. As I said, they are ill advised if not badly managed. From 2006 every small issue is being raised by the BJP to make pointed reference to the PM as a weak person and L.K. Advani as a strong man. They did it again when India was hit by terrorist attacks; they did it for Naxal threat; they did it for Nuclear deal and even for the black money trail. They used this "weak PM" card for so long that people rejected it and voted Dr. Singh back to power with bigger majority. If you go back 5 years to 2004, BJP did this with Sonia Gandhi and "India Shining". They went on for so long flogging her that people of India gave her a chance seeing her as an underdog who is being battered by Government machinery. The problem is perception and BJP fails terribly at creating the right one for themselves.



Corruption is a burning issue presently and after CWG fiasco and the 2G spectrum kickbacks mess, opposition parties are now, more than ever, smelling victory. Advani and Arun Jaitley have already started advance celebrations of coming back to power at the Centre in 2014 (Advani dreams of a return even earlier). The only problem is, they have again let a chance go by. Instead on putting the Government on the mat and keeping them there, they allowed the Government a breather by boycotting parliament. Then they went on questioning the honesty and integrity of Dr. Manmohan Singh as the PM, when every Indian knows personally, he is most honest and incorruptible politician and by questioning that, you are mocking at people's intelligence. They could have caught him for lack of governance, but instead went for lack of integrity. Wrong choice once again and only time will tell if this will rebound on them, considering that, a week is a long time in politics and the PM has 3+ years before his Government faces the voters, as it seeks a re-election. So far as I can guess, the PM will have a political ace up his sleeve by then to mould public opinion in his favour. After all, his heart is in the right place. So far, its R.I.P BJP. May your leaders and spin doctors learn political acumen from Sonia Gandhi.



So long...

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

"No comments, Your Honor, the matter is prejudiced"

Yet another spectrum scam being reported called "S-Band" scam. Indian Space Research Organization, yes the same organization that helped India send Chandrayaan-I to the moon is in the dock for "illegally leasing" the precious S-band spectrum to a private firm Devas for 20 years. The losses reported by the experts in the media (not accountants) and Nirmala Seetharaman (spokesperson, BJP) is a staggering Rs. 200,000 crores or $50 billion. In a couple of days the entire world would know about "yet another scam" in India this time in space research field and they would wonder, "Wow India is a rich country, their scams are more than their budget expenditures". BJP is gunning for the Prime Minister's scalp as Dept. of Space research comes under the PMO. Turns out, there is not much factual truth in this news item and maybe there was no scam in the first place. CAG, PMO, ISRO and M/s. Devas technology have all denied the presence of any such deal.



The constitution of India, provides even an Ajmal Kasab (convict, Mumbai 2008 attack, who shot people on camera) to plead "not-guilty" in the court. I intend to say, that people have a right to remain innocent until they are proven guilty in the court of law. Its an unalienable right that every individual enjoys and we are committing a travesty of justice if we prejudge matters even before they reach the courts. But we do it; every single day; sitting in comforts of our drawing rooms and watching the news channel. I am all for probity of public life and if people have committed crime (omission or commission) they should be dealt with the iron hand of law. All I ask for, is a little patience. Just don't pass blanket judgement on individuals because its a matter of great shame for a country if its Prime Minister has to furnish a "clean chit" for every other scam happening in the country. Lets keep the PM out of corruption politics until his complicity is proven beyond doubt in the court of law. We do not want our Prime Ministers always under shadow of suspicion and no matter how cynical we are about our political scheme of things, "let the PM, like Cesar's wife, be always above suspicion". Long gone are the days when people used to respect Union Ministers for the high morality and probity that they maintained in public life, today, people don't think twice before naming the Prime Minister as an accused. To an extent the current breed of politicians and the cynical behaviour of public at large is the main reason that we are facing this situation, but let us not discount the presence of a sound-bytes hungry media that loves soap-operas and a billion minds ready to lap it up. In fact we are so in tune with the drama of soap-operas that if our politicians are not involved in something sinister, we find it boring and vanilla. We look for a channel that is unearthing a latest sleazy racket of how political clout is used to subvert laws and we continue to act surprised about it like we are suffering from Alzheimer's disease.



Its a sad state of affairs. People are more angry if a Government is acquitted of wrongdoing than if it is convicted. We somehow want to nail our politicians and if they are proven innocent (in the court of law) we simply do not accept it because we have prejudged the matter and the person is pronounced guilty by us long ago. This kind of lynch mob mentality is not healthy because tomorrow (God forbid) if one of us is caught in a fabricated lawsuit, we would be wanting our rights of not being prejudged in the matter. "Do not, unto others, what you don't want for yourself", let us be equal in the eyes of law. More than being fair to the politicians (who do not need it), I want to see an end to the cynicism that we are feeding ourselves day in and day out. The kind of comments passed are like, "there is no hope" and "we are doomed", are factually incorrect and the media should be part of the change and not the problem. Gandhi used to say "be the change you want to see in the society" and yet somehow, we all want the society to change despite us not contributing in anyway to improve the situation. President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam once wrote to The Times of India to keep the front page dedicated to news which invoked positive response rather than sensationalism of crime and corruption. The point he wanted to make was, lets give out the positives as much as we harp on the negatives. Sadly, the media, in its new avatar of "social activism" has forgotten this golden rule.



Let us all be patient and allow the law to take its own course. If you feel justice is not delivered, petition the courts and ask for justice. If you are still not satisfied with verdicts, demonstrate against the Government and come the next election, vote it out, but for heaven's sake don't accept that "we are doomed" give up or take up lynch mob tactics and take up arms against the government. Our system provides us with many ways to show our displeasure. We have never even tried one and are already giving up. Like in the movie, The Shaw shank Redemption, "hope is a good thing.. perhaps the best of things.." and "I hope", one day the people will stand up for their rights and the politicians will be forced to be more accountable. "I hope", people will ensure that fair treatment is being provided to everyone and avoid lynch mob tactics for speedy justice. "I hope", that one day the court of law will be the only place where a person will face trial.



So long....

Monday, February 7, 2011

Happy-ness

"Every human being is born equal with unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness..." Most repeated line in the sovereign constitutions of nation-states worldwide. While we understand why life and liberty would be an unalienable right, happiness is a tricky thing. Basically, because of its subjective nature and what it means to different people. In India, basic necessity like food, clothing and shelter would mean happiness to a majority, at the same time, there will be others who would want a lot more and would be lesser and lesser content (happy). I was a lot more content when I first began working. I earned enough to enjoy my weekends with friends; good food, movies et al. plus a little saving. As my earnings grew I realised my feeling of content reduced and my cravings for possessions grew exponentially. So, one thing is sure, "money can't buy happiness"; because, as my bank balance increases, my feeling of content reduces by a few percentage points.



I was of the firm opinion that affection could be bought. Over a period of time, the more pricey gift I bought for my girlfriend(s), the more affectionate they would be. The more lavish party I threw, the more my friends would love me. Even my younger cousin(s) loved me because I took them for secret treats. In short, I figured that as long I have the money to buy affection, Ill be happy. The only problem was, I wasn't actually happy. I would see smiles around me and think I am the cause of that smile and be happy. Gradually, the girlfriend(s) were more interested in the lavish gifts than in me. I found my friends' love for me evaporate when there were long intervals in between the parties, even my cousins were longing for the treats than meeting me. I got what I was asking for, my buying power determined the affection I received. I often wondered, I did so many things for the people in my life and yet, there is no one by my side. I was always there for others, yet there is no one for me. What I did not realise was, people don't need your money, they need your time. Your time is the most precious gift you could give anyone and you should be wise in using it because you have limited time. So give your loved ones the most precious gift of all; your invaluable time and then you would realise that the love you receive is exponential of what you give.



The other day, I was standing outside a pub where I had spent quite a lot buying rounds for my mates. I was feeling empty and lost that I was this needy guy who always wanted attention. As I looked around, I saw a small girl walk up to this guy aged around 14-15 years and told him "Bhaiyya, I want to eat paani puri". And that boy immediately took his little sister to a nearby 'thela'. He started to feel inside his pocket and came up with Rs. 10 /- in loose change (enough to buy 1 plate of paani puri). I could see the confusion in his eyes. If he bought paani puri, he did not have any money left for his own dinner or snack or even a bread. After a momentary pause and a look at his sister, he went ahead and bought her paani puri with all he had. As the little girl sat on a small stone-platform and ate paani puri (not realising her brother would have to remain hungry that night), there was a glow of satisfaction and happy-ness on his face. At that moment I almost envied him. I felt an urge to offer him to buy another dish for himself, but I fought my urge. The guy had a chance to show magnanimity and maybe after a long time was able to get something for his sister. I did not want to be the person who spoils this moment of pride for him, which by the looks of it, were hard to come by. I realised two things that day. Firstly, it takes a special person to give up all you have for a person you love and find happy-ness in theirs. Secondly, I was such a small person that I wanted love and affection for merely buying few gifts and treats and was hard pressed to understand why they were not coming by. In reality, love (like respect) cannot be demanded, it has to be commanded by the person by his / her actions; willingness to put others before themselves and more importantly spare some time for the important people in life.



So long...

Thursday, February 3, 2011

You have to be absolutely honest... what about me?? hmmmm I am excused

"Holier than thou", seems to be the political theme currently and all are taking a role to preach "others". The pots are calling the kettles black and with such a straight face that it almost insults our intelligence. People are lapping up all the nonsense and taking sides, not knowing that none of the actors involved are on their side. Its a power grab of the highest order and the general public is nothing but a prop in this sham. If you need to take sides, take your own stance and do not let these individuals play "cheap" politics using you as a medium. We are all so much intelligent and smart when it comes to our field of work but are surprisingly naive when it comes to politics. I mean, come on. All of us know power grabbing politics, we all do it at our workplace to get ahead. Its a pattern of events and one simply can't cry ignorance. The only difference, our day to day politics at workplace does not harm as many people as this "sham" being played out in our power corridors.



Let me begin by saying that I am a Congress supporter so that there are no misgivings about where my loyalties lie. This is not about having a political viewpoint. This is about blindly following a party line without using your God-given brain. Using technicalities to defend the indefensible and using grey areas to tarnish images. Let me first begin with the party I support. I thought I voted for Congress so that I get good governance, what is happening currently is, the entire Government machinery is being used to fight corruption charges. The bureaucracy is not acting on the files with agility as they do not know if any decision signed by them could be fodder for another scam. In short, there is a total governance deficit. If you do not have the "balls" to take bold steps, then resign and allow others to rule the country. We Indians saw the "reformist" in Dr. Manmohan Singh and voted for Congress. If you can't deliver, move on. Perform or perish. We do not want to know your "problems" we have our own to worry about. Stop wasting our time by saying at least we acted on corruption, BJP does not act on it. I would say, we always knew that, that's why you are in the seat of power. Don't tell us obvious things and govern the country as it should be, cos if you don't, we have alternatives.



The opposition is even worse hypocrite. Dr. J. Jayalalitha (convicted in corruption case) is giving out sermons to A. Raja. Communist party (the CPM/CPI whatever) are not talking about brutal killings in West Bengal and lecturing on how Centre has to govern. Nitish Kumar (CM, Bihar) has the right to demand for JPC because he has followed a life of utmost probity as the CM but Sharad Yadav (who is ignorant of most things happening around him) should not be allowed to take a political high ground. That leaves us with the BJP. I thought Bangaru Laxman (ex BJP President) was caught taking bribe on camera and the then PM (A. B. Vajpayee) told the Parliament of India "the video reception isn't clear and it cannot be certain that the person involved is the party president". The then defense minister (George Fernandez) and Jaya Jaitley were shown by Tehelka.com making money on coffins made for soldiers slain at Kargil :'( ( may rest in peace). Narendra Modi (CM, Gujrat) allowed through omission the ethnic cleansing of minorities in Gujarat. He has since been indicted by none less than the Supreme Court as Nero of Gujarat. So many unlawful fake encounters in "Vibrant" Gujarat, co incidentally all muslim individuals and no politician arrested. B.S.Yeddyurappa (CM, Karnataka) is caught in so many corruption cases that his position is unteneable. Yet he continues to rule blaming the cases to "black magic". (Imagine all accused using acting under influence of "Black magic" as explanation for their crime in the court of law :P) Maybe Karnataka CM is a Harry Potter Fan. Now, with so many events and no action at all on any of these cases, BJP should be the last to talk on morality and public probity. I am not saying recovery of losses, none of them even resigned from their coveted posts and are currently overseeing enquiries about their own conduct. Public life probity eh. Not less than 300 crores were spent in Karnataka to get this government to power (Reddy Brothers) and the individuals are the apples' of Sushma Swaraj's eye (eventhough, every now and then they shake up their own CM). Arun Jaitley (eminent lawyer) purposely acts innocent on criminal procedures of the court of law. The kind of arguments he puts forward, I doubt he will get another case to fight in the courts if he is so ignorant about the law of the land (or acts ignorant on purpose).



Now these are the politicians who are saying the CVC should be of impeccable integrity. The bureaucracy must act in a honest and upright way. I would want to ask. How do these politicians know what it is to be of impeccable integrity. They have not tried living that life even for one day and expect all people around them to live their entire lives in that manner. If the present CVC made on error of judgement 20 years ago (allegedly) and that is why he is not qualified to be the CVC, then on that extrapolation, none of the present political lot are qualified to govern the country (which is a more serious job). My message here is to the "anti corruption activists", do not take us for granted for too long. Look at Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen... next could be India. Don't force the people to take up the arms against the very people who govern them. Stop this pathetic mudslinging match and get back to work. We know all of you are equally capable of looting us so don't furnish your resumes to us. You are bringing the country to disrepute and we have a brand name in the world, despite our political class. Let the PM work and don't hamstring his moves with your pathetic antics in media. If you have the balls, vote him out of power in the Parliament and then run your own show. Until then, wait for your turn.



PS: If only more people wrote about things like this and started a revolution like many countries are. Its time we make the politicians accountable to the people they represent.

So long.....