Respect Women!

We (Indians) think we are progressing...............but are we? Really? Can a society that disrespects and abhors its women (i.e. 50% of the society) be considered as civilized at all? The growing cases of intolerance and violence against women pose serious questions about India as a civilized country. Where is our rich culture and tradition? Or, the so-called culture and traditions themselves are the impediments?

The religious organizations like RSS/VHP and their Muslim and Christian (and others) counterparts have never been in favor of giving the women their freedom. They obviously are inspired only by their own holy books! Take for example: Shri Ram asks Devi Sita to go through “Agnee Pariksha” (Test of fire)! Why? After all that she had to endure, she still had to prove herself? Take another example: if the ‘sin’ had to be undertaken, it was the woman who had to eat the apple first, and thus, is made responsible for all the ‘sin’ in the world! Why do Muslims consider women should be behind the ‘burqa’ and not a man? How many women do you find as head of a Church? Religious people can give thousands of explanations; but the truth is that the thought process has always been to blame the women for all the evil in the world. So, the world is totally stuck up with these ideas!!!

Just see what is happening around us!  

The heinous cases of rape/murder are on the rise....from across the country, not just from the north; and they don’t spare the children and the elderly! Female feticide is always on the rising trend; unfortunately it’s higher among the so-called educated and rich class!

Today the Head of Aligarh Muslim University orders that women should not be allowed in the library. An education institution is supposed to promote liberal thoughts and values....instead they are going back centuries!

A Congress leader (Mohd. Yousuf Bhat) from J&K so brazenly declares his daughter as a burden and shows in his papers as a liability. This is a man who can become a Law-maker in a matter of months! A few months back Mulayam Singh, referring to action against rapists had publicly spoken that “boys will be boys; they will make mistake!” RSS chief Mohan Bhagawat says women are meant for household chores and not for earning their bread. Choice of a Hindu girl falling in love with a Muslim boy is labeled as “Love Jihad” by BJP.

The police and the leadership repeatedly blame women’s attire as causes for the violence against women (when data shows clearly that there is no correlation between the two). What kind of attire should a child or an old woman wear so as not to attract the vultures around them?

As long as the rules of the game are written by the men, this will continue. The ray of hope is that women are now seen taking part in all kinds of socio-economic and political activities. Things will change faster with better reach of education and opportunities to women.

As long as we cannot respect our women and give them their rightful place under the sun, we cannot call ourselves as civilized. Perhaps the process of evolution will take another thousand years before we become truly civilized!!!

The other world!

At the risk of sounding pessimistic, I would like to share this story.

It was 10 PM in the night at a private bus stand in Ahmedabad, one of the biggest cities in India and definitely one of the most prosperous. These are two small children (brothers, actually), lying on the pavement of the bus stand....half naked....barely fed (a small packet of biscuit, half consumed was lying beside)....surrounded by mosquitoes and all other insects you would shiver to even look at!

While I was talking to myself, a big bulky man came looking for these boys and found them sleeping there. Such angry was he with these children that he woke them up at once and beat them up before the little ones could even realize what was happening with them. On observing I understood that these brothers worked in his restaurant and had fled work before the scheduled closing time (apparently because they were too hungry or too tired).

They are not alone.....thousands of such children cross over to Ahmedabad from the neighboring Rajasthan to work and earn. The so-called generous employers give them an employment opportunity and in turn gain maximum profits (as child labour is a lot cheaper than the adult ones). This exploitation goes on every day...uninterrupted....in spite of a ban on child labour!

Not that it's anything new in India; but I was waiting for my bus to come...and thus noticed this and had time to think. I was angry at myself that I was (am) not doing enough; I was (am) not doing my bit. I thought of talking to others through forums like this.

India, today, is one of the fastest growing economies in the world....wealth is being created at the speed of knots. But is everyone included? Is really India shining? Empathy apart, we chose to ignore this reality at our own cost!

Poverty and inequality are the fundamental cause of all the major problems in India today. 'Naxalism' and 'social unrest' (like that of the recent violence in Mumbai against the North Indians) (and more) are the direct result of large scale inequality.

The government, the civil society (read NGOs) and the public at large have to act and not before it is too late! It's a shame if we cannot eradicate poverty from the surface of earth with all this technology and wealth! 

Gandhi was true when he said- "There is enough on the earth for everyone's need, not for everyone's greed"

“Empowerment” must replace “Subsidies”

According to a World Bank Report (2008), the poorest 20% of world population consume only 1.5% of resources, middle 60% consume 22% while the richest 20% consume more than 76% of resources. This is the pathetic state of affairs we live in.

Inequality is a fact of life; society being an extension of individuals/ families, there would always be inequality in the society. As famously put by Karl Marx, there would always be two classes in the society- the Bourgeoisie (owners of resources) and Proletariat (workers). The control of resources makes the Bourgeoisie powerful and prosperous and the workers weak. The solution as suggested by Marx was a class-less society without private ownership of properties.

However, as evident from the history of the world, this kind of a system based on socialism has failed. The principal reason is that such a system kills the human motivation to excel and thus results in inefficiency. On the other hand, we have also seen the perils of capitalism. The same motivation that makes people efficient, is also responsible for the greed and the unmindful exploitation of people and the planet, which today challenges the very existence of humanity.

So, what is the way out?

The possible middle way can be achieved through a two-prong strategy that balances good things of both the capitalist and socialist systems, i.e. creating an equitable structure within the capitalist system.

(1)    The Government needs to be highly proactive in empowering the poor (proletariat) and making them efficient by enhancing their skills and expertise, i.e. their intellectual resources need to be strengthened as the way to physical and financial resources is through the intellectual resources. Appropriate institutions need to be created to work for the education and training of the sections of the society with very little physical and financial resources.These institutions include educational/training institutions, financial institutions, community based institutions, primary producers’ institutions and support institutions; the legal structure of the institutions does not matter much, they can function either under the government or private or civil society domains. Another important factor is the creation of infrastructure that works for the poor. So, the points emphasized by Amartya Sen hold huge significance: invest in education, health and other social overheads. The points have been appreciated by very few of the countries of the world. This partially explains why there is so much poverty and inequality in the world today.

(2)    The initiatives for the proletariat has to be funded through the taxes raised from the Bourgeoisie class; so they cannot be discouraged in their endeavor in any way. Appropriate policies those make their work easy have to be in place. Monetary grants for this class have to be discouraged; in its place, economic infrastructure needs to be created (like roads, communication network, etc) 

Moreover, an enabling environment needs to be created for both the classes of the society. “Empowerment” has to replace “Subsidies”. Empowering people means making them go up the income ladder forever. On the other hand, subsidies make people complacent. The beneficiaries of subsidies believe that there is a Government which will always give them low-priced grain and they need not work hard to earn them. The capitalist system is efficient because it motivates people to excel; the same spirit is lost when the government extends mindless subsidies. Subsidies result in large scale wastage too. There is nothing worse than a situation where people are complacent and inefficient in a capitalist system.

But the political parties everywhere would waste the hard earned money of its citizens on unnecessary subsidies for their political benefits. It has been proved beyond doubt that giving two pieces of bread to a poor man never solves their problem; they have to be enabled to earn their bread. A strong and wise leader can see the flaw in the socialist system and amend it by using the capitalist means.It requires a vision and high political will.

End of an Era!

This man Manmohan Singh is one of my heroes of early young days. Today, when he leaves office as the 13th PM of India, I feel compelled to pay him my tributes.

India is going to have its new PM in a few days' time; but this man deserves a good farewell. I appreciate the fact that BJP leader Arun Jaitley found time to write a piece on him; pretty good assessment of his contribution to India.

I started studying Economics in 1993, just after he became the Finance Minister for the first time in 1991, a watershed year in India's economic history. The path-breaking step of 'liberalization' launched India into a trajectory from which we never came down. The same year I won an award for writing a seminar paper on 'liberalization of Indian economy' and MMS became my inspiration, my HERO.

Looking back at his career, one can see what a brilliant and outstanding career he has had....few in the world can boast of such accomplishments; that's why it's no wonder why the world listens to him when he speaks. Just a few highlights to make the point:

• Education: Cambridge
• Served at United Nations
• Chief Economic Advisor (GoI)
• Governor, Reserve Bank of India
• D.Chairperson, Planning Commission
• Finance Minister, GoI
• Leader of opposition Rajya Sabha
• Prime Minister, India

(Wow.....Man! You have done everything in a career spanning almost 50 years!!! Along the way, you also have shown incredible personal integrity in public life; a lot of our political leaders of today can learn from you.)

It's only for the last few years that he has been much criticized. The last few years have been really bad for him; he could have taken much more proactive stance on crucial occasions rather than being mute spectator to the misdeeds.

I am of the opinion that no Technocrat without a mass support of the people should be the PM of India. But we can not fault him for taking up the challenge! We must remember that it was he who was the PM of UPA-1 and was re-elected to the office! So, he must have done something good as PM. The last few years can be excused in a long illustrious career and his contributions to the India growth story.

We wish you the best for the rest of your life, Sir!

Modi’s time has come

The writing is on the wall- Narendra Modi is going to be the next Prime Minister of India. He has proved to be a leader who can galvanize popular support quite quickly. He has led the aspirations of the majority in Gujarat for some time now and a large number of people (at least the middle class) elsewhere in the country have shown faith in him. In a country doing badly on economic front at the moment, he represents ‘hope’ of millions. Congress will come down to two-digits and AAP is not quite there; third front, as always will just be in the ‘also ran’ category. So, Modi’s time has truly come. However, there lies my concerns.

1. Modi has all the traits of Indira Gandhi (if not a Hitler), who subverted democratic systems and undermined individual freedom. He is authoritarian and deals with aggression any dissenting voice. He can be even dangerous than Indira. I hope my fears will be proven wrong in the long run.

2.  Modi’s developmental propaganda is only a rhetoric. He has been able to maintain Gujarat as a developed state, but Gujarat has not moved ahead among the top performing states in his time. Gujarat has always been a developed state, since time immemorial. Once upon a time Ahmedabad was called the ‘Manchester’ of the east. So, Gujarat’s development is because of its entrepreneurial people, not the political leaders- not in the past, not now. I hope he can set a development agenda for the country and deliver too.

3. Modi's record of governance in terms of corruption is not bad- but if 'governance' also includes living up to the expectations of the minority communities, he fails miserably. The Supreme Court's acquittal in the riots case not-withstanding, the minorities still feel insecure under him. Somehow, he and BJP have to reach out to the minorities and make them feel safe and cared for. The idea of India is not based on a 'one faith' model; India is pluralistic and Mr. Modi has to uphold that. If he can do this, it would be good enough as there is hardly any other major difference between BJP and Congress. Let's hope Modi will be a leader for all, and not just the majority community.

Gujarat- a land of entrepreneurs

Ever since I started studying Economics, I have always wondered why some societies/communities are more developed than others even while existing within similar constitutional and legal boundaries. The conventional factors of 'poverty' or 'development' given by text books and professors are like 'endowment', 'opportunities', 'saving/ investment', 'skills', 'infrastructure', etc. But none satisfied me. 

My understanding changed completely when I started living in Gujarat. It was in late 2005 I came to Gujarat for the first time. I saw relative development everywhere, even in villages in tribal areas. The tribal villages of my state Odisha and those in Gujarat are completely different- income levels, livelihood options, roads, electricity, water....everything. Why? I wondered.

Then I saw the law and order situation. On the very first morning, I saw motor cycles and cars parked outside houses all night, a thing that is unthinkable in Odisha and many other states. 'Theft' and 'murders' are rare events; in my 8 years in Gujarat I have hardly come across a street fight or fight in the public. Girls and women can roam around in the cities late in the evening all alone without fear. 

So, why are people prosperous and peaceful in Gujarat?

I think I have got the answer- 'entrepreneurship'; it is in their genes, in their culture, in their tradition; entrepreneurship is a way of life in Gujarat. A common farmer, a carpenter irrespective of the occupation, the Gujarati knows how to start a business and flourish. It is this spirit that makes the Gujaratis apart from others. They neither have the need nor time for criminal activities. When one can create wealth, one would hardly be interested in illegal ways of income. 

In Odisha, parents would marry their daughter to a low-earning government servant rather than a high-earning business man (exacly opposite in Gujarat). I have seen pretty salary earners in Gujarat come home in the evening and open a petty shop in the evening (a phenomenon unthinkable in Odisha). There is virtually no Gujarati family with only one source of earning. Once I met an auto-rickshaw driver who told me that he had just retired as a class-I officer in the Government!!! (huh....!) Another important thing is that they are aware of their wealth and invest their money very intelligently. One would be surprised to see the large number of housewives investing in the stock market. The people hardly think any work is small as long as the returns are positive and their time is productively utilized. 

As a development professional, I do not have to push people into any business; I just have to show them that it is a positive-worth business and he/she has the skill to do the same. Then the rest is taken care of by him/her. This explains why government projects are relatively more successful in Gujarat rather than in other states.

Gujaratis understand the value of money like no one else. I had read 'Reach dad poor dad', but I learnt the value of money more by living in Gujarat. Once I was travelling with a Gujarati friend; I paid one rupee for him to the auto-rickshaw driver as he did not have the change. I was amazed to see him return the rupee to me the next day. Though I resisted accepting it, I had to take it back in the end as he insisted on the same.

Though the factors of development mentioned in the first paragraph are important, the most important factor is the 'entrepreneur'. In the absence of this, all other factors are useless; on the other hand, 'entrepreneurship' can develop all other factors. The biggest positive in Gujarat is that the whole society is entrepreneur. The politicians and leaders are just an extension of this society; so most of them have always been progressive and development oriented. 

Since pre-independence time Gujarat has been developed- both economically and politically. Two of the most important leaders of the freedom struggle- Gandhi and Sardar were Gujaratis. Ahmedabad and Surat were known all over the world as a major industrial destinations. So, it is but natural that in the post-independence period the same continued, both under the Congress and BJP Governments. One of the few successful industrialists of the pre-1991 era, Dhirubhai Ambani was a Gujarati. Most of Mumbai's (and India's) business is controlled by Gujaratis. They are everywhere on the earth; a prosperous and peaceful community. I am lucky to have come here to study,work, live and marry! 

The AAP phenomenon

Two years back,when the Anna movement against corruption started, I was a little sceptical about the whole thing. Though as everyone else, I wanted to see some concrete action against corruption, I thought there was enough institutional mechanism in place and the need was to make them work. However, Anna and Arvind thought differently. Even after two years, when the act has come to life, I think the idea of of Lokpal will succeed only if there is enough political will and for that the political leadership needed to change. 

This is why when Arvind and co. formed this new entity (Aam Admi Party), I thought it was a good idea. The system can be changed and made to work from within; the scope of doing so from outside is very limited (though the pressure groups can work to some extent, there role is very limited by their nature). However, a political entity in power has tremendous power and authority to make the system work. Forming a party is one thing and winning elections is another. The first challenge before AAP was the Delhi elections; the passed the examination in flying colours. A wind of hope is blowing in India like never before. A political party within its first year of formation would form a government, is unprecedented. 

 What does the AAP symbolize?
- AAP represents the aspirations of the common man
- They have shown that elections can be won without muscle and money power
- They have changed the VIP culture in the country
- They have shown good intentions can stop corruption in this country Their success has led to a huge churning in the political system in India already.

These are all good news.
- The traditional national parties
- Congress and BJP have started to look inwards and change themselves.
- The vast numbers who wanted a good alternative to Congress and BJP have got one; Congress is corrupt and arrogant; BJP is majoritarian and authoritarian (not in the rigid sense). India deserves better
- The youth of the country who wanted to join politics but had big entry barrier to cross (money and power), now see a good opportunity
- Democracy is all about options; for the first time, people will not be voting for a 'lesser evil', they can vote for a 'better one'

However, AAP's success is not guaranteed. Their inexperience at governance is already showing. Subsidies and freebies have never solved any problem. Saying no to decent accommodation and offices, etc is not required; you can live decently and govern well. So, AAP needs to focus on governance rather than silly changes here and there. Facilities have to be institutionalized; populist measures are not going to help. If AAP can not deliver, the good revolution will fail. people will lose faith in revolutions. 

The challenges in front of them are very big; but with good intention and efficient people in their ranks, they can succeed in course of time. We can give time to this new and novel phenomenon; it is worth an experiment.

Renewing the interest in blogging...

The last time I posted a blog article was in may, 2010. I don't know why I discontinued the practice...but some of the possible reasons may lie in a few questions in my mind: - Is blogging really useful? - Can a not-so-famous person reach out to the public at large through blogs? - Is the time and energy put into writing a blog worth it? (in my initial times of blogging, I had very limited success) I do not have the concrete answers even now. However, I do realize that it may help in the long run; there is a strong possibility; let me explore. Thus, this year I have renewed the interest and have decided to write regularly.

Naxals cannot be allowed to dictate terms

The recent carnage at Dantewada that saw more than 30 innocent people lose their lives exposes the Naxals. I always sympathized with the Naxals to certain extent for their cause, even though I did never approve of their violence. I thought these are people who have been left out of the India growth story. When India is growing to become one of the most influential nations of the world, both economically and politically, a huge number of these people languish in abject poverty throughout India. Hence I thought their anger against the state is a natural outcome of their desperation. But the latest mayhem has left me asking me two questions:

- Do these Naxals really care for the people they say they are fighting for? If so, how come they can kill the same people!
- Have their political ambitions got bigger than their so-called fight against injustice?

It seems that the Naxals have lost sight of their vision. They need to quit the path of violence and fight for their cause peacefully. There are a lot of people and organizations who support their cause.

Development is a slow process; whatever the Government is doing would take some time to reflect on the field. Besides, 'Development' is a complex process; even with best of endeavours, one finds it difficult to achieve it. The Government is trying to push forward the ‘Development’ agenda in the Naxal affected regions. But the Naxals seem to be non-cooperative and desperate.

The Government must now adopt a two prong strategy: (i) Establish the rule of law in these places; the Naxals can not be allowed to dictate terms to the state. It is one of the primary duties of the state to protect its citizens (ii) Accelerate the development process.The efforts of development must be immediate and on a war footing. Better education, health facilities, public distribution system, employment opportunities, etc will go a long way in solving the problem.

Behind the veil of honour and culture !

A few days back, I got an sms from a friend which read like this: "Once upon a time, there was an island where all the feelings lived together. One day, there was a storm in the sea and the island was about to drown. All the feelings were scared; but 'love' built a boat to escape. All the feelings boarded the boat except 'ego'. 'Love' tried and tried, but 'ego' did not move. Everyone asked 'love' to leave him back and move. But 'love' was meant to 'love'; she remained with 'ego' and drowned! 'Love' died because of 'Ego'".

I remembered this message when I heard the incident of Manoj and Babli being ordered to be killed by the 'Khap Panchayat' for same 'gotra' marriage in Haryana.

It is disgraceful that in a democratic country like India this can happen. This is barbaric and ruthless killing in the name of honour. There is no honour in killing innocent people just because they loved each other and wanted to marry. The civil society must condemn this act in the strictest terms and not allow this medieval practice to continue.

It questions strength of our liberal values as a nation and as a society. India has emerged from one of the oldest civilizations of the world. Gandhi is revered the world over for his teachings of nonviolence. Buddha was born this very land. Today, we boast ourselves as one of the very few liberal democratic countries! We must carry on the tradition.

We should respect people's and community's wisdom and culture, but things which are not acceptable in a civilized society must go. Traditions like 'Sati' and 'child marriage' were in vogue at a point of time, but people like Raja Rammohan Roy fought against these crusades and they are no more accepted. The same way, this must go now.

It is shameful that some of the leaders are sympathizing with the Khap's cause. This politics of vote banks is disgusting, to say the least. The leaders are supposed to lead the people in the forward direction and not backwards. They must not bow down to the pressures from some sections of the society. The same holds true for the judges who decide these matters. Recently, after deciding against the 'Khap Panchayat', the judge got a threat call and requested a transfer. It only encourages the perpetrators of such heinous crime. The judges too should not show their fear in public like this. We must resist these forces at any cost. The Chief Justice of India was right when he appealed for the need for showing greater tolerance and acceptance for lovers (He actually said that one do not check out the other's 'gotra' before falling in love).

Thousands of young people become victims of honour killing every year through out the world; India is among the top countries in this list. In India, it is not anything new. It's very much prevalent in different parts of the country, mostly in Bihar, U.P., Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan. What is more perplexing is that it's prevalent among the middle class and so-called educated section too. In 2001, a middle class family from Punjab settled in Canada did the same to their daughter for falling in love with a Kabaddi player from Punjab and marrying. In this case, the mother herself ordered the killing of her daughter!!!

It's beyond comprehension how can a mother murder her daughter! The big 'EGO' of false honour and prestige does it. It's high time the society realizes this.

The Kasab story: A lot remains to be answered

It was an important day for India as millions of people awaited the judgement of the special court on the Mumbai terror attack accused. There were three accused: Ajmal Amir Kasab- 86 charges including murder of 72 people, Faheem Ansari- Mapped targets, and Sabauddin Shaikh- delivered Ansari’s maps to the LeT men in Nepal.

The court has finally given its judgement that the terrorist Kasab was found guilty on all accounts. But the other two were acquitted of the charges of criminal conspiracy because of lack of sufficient evidence.
It is a matter of happiness that (1) the terrorist has been found guilty and will be punished accordingly (decision pending), (2) it proves the independence of Indian judicial system (no one is punished until credible evidence beyond doubt is produced).

However, it has created new questions: How did the two conspirators escape scot free? Why the investigators could not produce enough evidence for a case running for more than a year? Is this the efficiency of our premiere investigating agency? Has the investigating agency deliberately hidden evidence against the two to clear Indian hand in the event and push the ball to Pakistan’s court squarely (as the Pakistanis allege now)? Is there going to be another round of legal battle? When is the saga going to end?

OVER-CONSUMPTION IS THE MOTHER OF GLOBAL WARMING

There are numerous reasons of Global Warming; all emanate from the use of energy, however. Why is energy used? It is for producing something. Why is something produced? Because, it is consumed by someone. So, consumption is the fundamental cause of all carbon emissions, and ultimately, Global Warming. When the earth was less populated, it never mattered how much we consumed. But with population going ballistic, and the very nature of modern lifestyle being high energy consuming, it is time we reviewed our consumption pattern.
Have we noticed how much we consume? Some examples:
• Some people pack their cupboards with so many clothes that a garment shop can be opened; accessories are no less; most of these are not used more than once a year
• When we travel, we consume 100% more packed food than what we actually need, mainly as a habit; it is neither healthy nor eco-friendly
• We would not walk even 100 meters to buy our vegetable (rather we would start a vehicle)
• Is it really necessary to go down the stairs in a lift all the time?
• We would buy invariably a lot more than what we need at a time, giving space to the producer to store his produce in our houses
The list can go on.
If we can observe how we consume, and how we waste, we can really bring down the carbon emission considerably.
Don’t wait for others. Start from you, set an example and others will follow, for sure.

Understanding the context

At present I am reading a book- "If Cricket is a religion, Sachin is God" by Vijay Santhanam and Shyam Balasubramanian. This is a wonderful book for me, not only because I am a great admirer of Sachin, but also because the book has taught me a lesson in life.

The book does not provide one a great literature experience per se; it is more of a defence of a great Champion against unworthy critics. The book is not laden with emotional arguments, rather it presents a scientific analysis with appropriate doses of philosophy. The book presents a case for Sachin by appealing the readers to understand the context and the whole thing rather than a part of it.

I have grown up appreciating the Genius and have been mesmerized and thrilled by his performances over the years. He has given me the kind of joy no one else has. Over the years my idols in different field have changed... from Shah Rukh to Aamir, from Kishore to Rafi (and many other). But three of them have stood the test of time - Gandhi, Amitabh and Sachin. But like any mere mortal I had also started questioning the maestro's genius because of several criticisms by myopic critics.

As I am nearing the end of the book, I realize how important it is to understand Sachin in the context of Indian cricket rather than in isolation. It is vital not to judge him (or anyone else) on the basis of the few failures during a particular small period.

The lesson for life is the same too. We often get frustrated that we are not fortunate based upon things happened in the recent past, forgetting the innumerable ways in which we are blessed. We often fail to understand the context in which something happened and ruin our best of relationships.

This is perhaps the reason why the judges in the courts of law are given the power to punish culprits differently for the same crime committed.

This book has taught me a great lesson in life and restored confidence in my Hero and a few near and dear ones. I owe a deep sense of gratitude towards the authors.

Why I love Gandhi

Yesterday was the 140th birth anniversary of Gandhi, the man of the twentieth century. In course of time, he has become an institution..... he has inspired whole generations and modern nation states altogether.

My love of Gandhi statrted some time when I was in college and I read his autobiography- "The Story of My Experiments with Truth". Over the years on many an occasion, his words have helped me take good decisions and make my life better. It's not that I do not disagree with his ideas ever; on many points I have different opinions, especially regarding his views on Economics. But I am sure even those are based on strong propositions.

Indeed, it's impossible to capture him in an article (or even in a book), but when I think of him, five distinct points come to my mind:

1. He was the symbol of freedom and fight against injustice
2. His compassion and love for the humanity
3. His strength of conviction and how he followed it up with devotion
4. He pioneered the use of 'non-violence' and 'truth' as political weapons
5. His belief of primacy of 'means' over 'ends'

Gandhi represented humanity and not only India/Indians. He led a very simple life, but always stood by what he said or believed.

Albert Einstein was right when he said: "Generations to come, it may be, will scarce believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth."

Religion stops the growth of knowledge

It is difficult to define 'Religion' universally; so, I go by the oxford dictionary.
The oxford dictionary defines 'Religion' in the following words:

1) the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods 2) a particular system of faith and worship 3) a pursuit or interest followed with devotion.

The first two definitions are particularly true for all kinds of organized / institutionalized religions. The characteristics of such religions are more or less similar in some aspects: i)they have well defined boundaries, ii) they prescribe rigid practices, iii) they will not allow one to question and any deviation from the norm is considered unacceptable.

It can be seen in the evolution of different religions that new religions had been established when some one questioned the established belief of one religion. So, if one follows a particular religion, he/she has no freedom to think for himself and question the prevailing practices/beliefs. This implies that there is very little scope for new knowledge or growth of knowledge in an organized religion.

When one messiah starts a religion (actually the messiah doesn't necessarily start, but the followers start by following him/her), he/she brings in a new set of knowledge. However, as soon as he/she passess away, his/her followers again stop the growth or evolution of knowledge just because they also start following him/her and define the limits and boundaries. One dare not think in another direction, lest he/she be ousted from the religion/society.

This is why it is always good not to encourage people to follow one particular belief/system/faith........ rather people should be encouraged to pursue knowledge as put forth by different individuals from time to time, understand and develop their one faith systems, and take rational decisions. Because knowledge is a flow and not a stock; it has to keep flowing like a river and not stock (and be polluted) like a pond.

In history, we can see one set of knowledge is based on some other in the past; every original/new thinking/knowledge of a time is relative in nature. If a set of knowledge started with Copernicus, it travelled through Galileo, Newton, Einstein and others and is still travelling. This is how knowledge flows/travels through time. It must be allowed to flow this way. This is what makes human race better and better by the time.

How austere is this austerity?

The big storm over the austerity measures adopted by Mrs. Sonia Gandhi and the PM is cooling down. I have been going through views expressed by several intellectuals over the issue, ranging from full hearted support to total rejection. I think the truth lies somewhere in between.

May be this is a eye-washing measure by the congress leadership (as suggested by some), but if it really adds up to something, nothing to feel bad about it. As Mr M. J. Akbar rightly opines in the Times of India, the money raised/saved during the process should be ensured to go to the people for whome it all started- the farmers who suffer from the bad monsoon.

Dear Mrs. Gandhi, the austerity measure should not be a one time exercise, rather, it should be made part of the Government's (and every other public body's) everyday norms for all time.

Mr Chetan Bhagat suggests that it is alright if the politicians live a life of a king; he argues that to attract good and efficient people into politics, politicians have to be paid handsomely. I don't quite buy this argument. Politics is not just any other profession; politicians are leaders of people, society and nation. They have to lead by example. If a politician has money, no need to flaunder it at a time when a large section of the farmers is in distress. They have to have sensitivity. How can a leader of people pay Rs.50,000 for a night's sleep and a breakfast? There is need to provide our leaders with good security cover; but, it goes out of comprehension that why would they be provided with out-of-the-world mansions!

If someone needs a luxurious life, there are always other options, honest and dignified; other fields too need good people. We may be disstaisfied with our present leadership and there is need for good, young people to enter politics; but, money is not the best way to motivate them to take to politics. Because, leadership is beyond money/remuneration/rewards.

Austerity has to be a way of life.

It's Navratri time in Gujarat again

It's Navratri/Garba time again in Gujarat :) This is the one thing I really love about Gujarat. This is called Dussera elsewhere in India.

The ten days starting the month of 'sharad' (Hindu calander; around sep-oct) upto the tenth day is regarded highly auspicious in Hindu religion and celebrated in different forms all over India, especially in Bengal & Orissa, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka and Gujarat.

The festival in Gujarat is very different from that in other states; it's like a carnival, unique in all aspects, perhaps comparable only to the carnival in Brazil in magnitude.

Though during day time it's work usual, nights catch a fever pitch with boys and girls, men and women- young, old alike just get mad in celebration...... dancing to the traditional garba tunes with wonderful rythm and enjoying their heart out. It's a feast for eyes to see beautiful ladies dance with gay abandon! Even the small children know all the steps......it's in their blood!

However, what I like the most about the festivities during this season in Gujarat is the freedom women enjoy. It's unparallel elsewhere in India. Women plan, manage, celebrate and enjoy........ it's only here that women dance in public in such huge numbers with people they know and they don't. WONDERFUL!

Silver lining

India is yet to shine; but things like this (in the picture) do make us hopeful and assure us that we are on the ascent.

This picture was taken in one of the most backward areas of Madhya Pradesh (so, apparently, one of the most backward in India). The man doesn't have any land; but he owns a petty shop. He has made himself a promise that one day he wants his children to be educated in the best of institutions in India. As can be seen in the picture, the child is engrossed in his studies inside the shop itself. The child is indeed very bright and intelligent. May God give the family enough resources and strength to fulfill its dreams!

India is taking off....at last :) Our time is coming!

Spirit and Flavour of Democracy

There is no other form of governance that is as interesting and empowering as DEMOCRACY is. In spite of all its weaknesses, it provides a platform for people to express themselves and fight for their rights. It provides a level playing field for everyone. Irrespective of the class and caste, it gives everyone the freedom to represent and be represented.

Universal adult franchise or elections are reflections of the dynamism and the spirit of democracy. Especially in India, the 'Election' is time for people to show their power and feel their power....the hysteria, the drama, the frenzy, the excitement, the energy and the enthusiasm on part of the common people during this time is unparalleled in the world. Perhaps this is the time when the common man and the lower sections of the society feel most empowered; this is reflected in the higher voter turn out on part of this section in comparison to the upper section of the society.

During a recent tour to a village near Sanchi in Madhya Pradesh, I came across this man (in a red sweater) in the picture above.

He is contesting in the elections from a party floated by him; he is the only one in his party, he does his own campaigns, goes from door to door and reaches out to people. He spends out of his own pocket in spite of the fact that he is struggling to feed his family.

In a candid discussion, he revealed that perhaps he knew that he was not going to win that time, but for him, 'winning' or 'losing' did not matter as much as 'standing up for himself and his fellowmen' did. He was convinced that he was standing for a great cause and that was what gave him courage, motivation and energy.

This is the true spirit of democracy.

Politics of Identity is never sustainable

India has decided and has decided in favour of a stable government. At a time when the world economy is reeling under recession and growth of Indian economy has slowed down considerably, people want Manmohan and co to be in charge as they were the ones who had started the economic turn around in 1991. Public memory has not failed, it seems, in this case. They have recognized Manmohan for his efficiency and honesty.

At the same time, it's a verdict against the fundamentalists. Though in the short run the politics of 'hatred', 'division' and 'identity' does appeal to the masses, in the long run however, people realize that true peace and prosperity can not be achieved with such a policy. The policies need to focus on development, channelizing resources to productive activities and addressing issues of inequality.