The Dark Knight

America, Congratulations on your new (and shall we say totally awesome) President-elect.

Let me not go into the rhetoric like how this is a historic moment, or what this means in terms of change. However, let me point out the story of a 114 year old black woman, daughter of former slaves, who happened to vote this time. The interesting point, in her long life, and ever since blacks and women have been allowed to vote, she has voted just once before. Care to guess for whom?? Leave a comment, with your answer..

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The Nuances of Democracy

For the past few weeks, trouble has been brewing in Orissa, where some miscreants have attacked churches, killed and beaten up Christians. I fully and unequivocally condemn these attacks, and for that matter any sort of violence.

But what I say here today is not about the violence, but the politics of violence. No doubt it is in the interest of some groups to stoke communal passions, but what shocks me is that the Central government is supposedly considering imposing article 356 and dismissing a duly elected government. The home ministry has also sent various advisories to the state, to reign in the rowdies. I agree that the state has been lax, and that it needs to pull up its socks to provide a sense of security to all the people. The state has obviously failed to do its duty, to prevent flare-ups and to prevent loss of 'sense of security' among the minorities.

Now, look at the case of West Bengal, through all of 2007. Nandigram burned for most part of the year, and there were reports of police atrocities. Villagers were driven out of their homes, tens killed in police firing, and media was barred from going anywhere close, possibly to prevent the true state of affairs from ever coming to light. Such was the extent of the breakdown, that bloody gun battles were fought for control of villages, and the victory of the ruling party over the opposition in one such battle led the CM to comment "paying them back in their own coin" , effectively approving violence sponsored by his party. The state intelligentsia was up in arms against the Chief Minister, and there were protests nation-wide.

Now one may say, was West Bengal in 2007 not a fit case for the dismissal of the state government, which had, for the sake of development, forgotten the human factor involved, and where, the party cadres ran amok, killing, looting and burning. The only difference that I see between Orissa now, and WB then : now the violence is targeted against a particular community. Back then, anybody who stood by the villagers was attacked. The other very convenient fact: Then, the ruling party of WB was a major partner in the Central government, whereas the Orissa ruling party today is a steadfast opposition house.

So, I humbly ask, just because the present crisis has a communal shade to it, it is OK to impose President's rule, but last year, when the state itself terrorized its people, was it OK, because people of all religions were being targeted equally..

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The Curious Incident of the Stranger on the bus

Its been a long time since I posted anything, and the whole world has gone topsy-turvy since then.. More about all that later, but for now, I describe the curious incident that happened to me on a BMTC bus :

On a nice sunny Bangalore morning, I got ready to get to work, and took the usual 0830bus from my home. Initially it was all crowded because of all the school kids, but that soon cleared out, and the bus was empty. Then, standing close to the rear door, I saw that a man sitting in the rear seat was eying me quite curiously. I was surprised, but then I deduced that he seemed a rather rustic fellow, little less on bus etiquette.. Not minding him, I continued to enjoy the show on the radio, apparently meant for the 'fatafat generation'. Am not sure if I qualify for the same.

At the next stop, literally half the bus got down, and I found a place to sit on the last row.. This curious guy, finding an empty place next to me, came and perched himself there, and then, I felt a nudge on my right arm. I take out the ear-phone from my ear, and look at him, and he asks me, brimming with innocence :

Stranger : Are you a north Indian?

Me : [Very surprised, since no body in this city has been so blatantly regionalistic with me ever] Yes.

Stranger : From where are you?

Me :[Eyeing him with a great deal of suspicion] Delhi.

Stranger :[ His eyes light up in a weird kind of way] Oh.. Beautiful City. Can I ask you a question?

[Wondering as to what he has been doing all along anyway, I nod]

Stranger : Are the people in Delhi nice.

Me : [To cut him off, I answer rather sternly] Yes.

Stranger : [With a rather childlike curiosity] But I have heard people in Delhi are not nice to strangers.

Me : [Trying to a give a clean diplomatic answer] They are as nice as people in Bangalore.

Stranger : [Still not very convinced, but taking my argument at face value] Oh ok.

After this, I go to listening my music, and he starts ruminating, trying to assimilate all that I have told him, and debating with himself as to how much my words can be trusted.. A few minutes later, another nudge. I take out my ear-phones again, and look at him.

Stranger : Is it true that North Indians do not make friends with South Indians.

Me :[ With a look of consternation] No. It is not true.

Stranger : But I have heard so..

Me : North Indians are friendly people.

Stranger :[Still doubting me] Do you have friends who are south Indians?

Me : [Without thinking] Yes.

Then, I turn away, and start listening to the music. As my stop comes, I get up from my seat, and head to the door. He tugs at me, and asks

Stranger : Are you sure you have South Indians as friends?

Me : [emphatically] Yes, many of them. [The bus comes to a stop, and I get down, and look back, at the curious face of the guy in his mid twenties, trying to comprehend data fed to him by a complete stranger, seemingly against the indoctrination that he has had all his life.]

As I walked to work from the bus stand, out of sight of that strange man, I must confess, I am guilty of profiling my friend list based on regionalistic considerations : The only consolation, most of my friends turned out to be South Indians.

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News from Mile High City

This image tells us that the conspiracy theorists can come up with just about anything. Lord bless them.



But then, don't you think it is really too much of a coincidence!!!




Further Comments :

** If it were not the 22nd amendment, Bill Clinton would have won, hands down, another few terms at the White House. The crowd support, and the standing three minute long ovation at the start of his speech tell a lot about his standing among the American citizens.

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Fear Factor

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high;
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Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.

It is this creation of Thakur Rabindranath Tagore that comes to my mind, when I hear the reactions of my fellow countrymen to the terror attacks on the nation. Chain e-mails advising caution, the advice of family and friends and well-wishers to not go out 'too much' or to crowded places, to the point where travel itineraries are being changed, all follow as a consequence.

I cannot put into words how I feel, when I hear such reactions. The purpose of the terrorist’s attacks is not so much to kill (considering that they kill less than a thousand countrymen a year), but to ‘terrorize’. And this, they seem to be carrying out to perfection. Although the serial blasts in B’lore killed just two people, it scared enough number of them to warrant an increase of security at the IT-BT companies, even at the hands of CISF. This was followed by e-mails from security officers to the employees of their respective companies, asking them to follow a strict regimen, without which they will not be allowed inside. Ironical, since most employees are shareholders of the company. The best case precipitate of this is that the people end up being treated without respect, worst case: they are seen as suspects.

It is this fear psychosis that Alan Greenspan talks about, that the Americans experienced in the backdrop of the September 2001 attacks. Such fear, mostly unfounded, gives the terrorists their sense of victory. It is for this precise reason that I salute Mumbai, where the locals are just as crowded and the markets bustling, on the morning after. Bangalore may not be known to have such a spirit, but the malls on the day after were the usual, with people looking for best bargains. Yours truly was one of them, not particularly because I wanted to buy anything, but to prove that we are not scared.

I would be happiest if all my countrymen show spirit and mettle, to fight terror, where it matters most: in the mind.

PS : I fully condemn terrorist attacks, and they represent the worst possible face of humanity. My condolences with the bereaved, and sympathies with the injured.

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The Order of the Phoenix

When the history of contemporary India is written, Man Mohan Singh will find a special place in the pages of history.. Never before has an Indian leader gone on to the extent of sacrificing his government for the sake of a policy issue, one that he believes will take India beyond the shackles of energy slavery, and foreign dependence. His image of an efficient and focused man is enhanced, and India looks to him for redemption.

The debate over the vote of confidence in parliament raged for over twelve hours, some nice, some not so nice moments passed, though only very few speakers managed to make an impact. The he speech by Omar Abdullah told India that its gen-next leaders were here, and that they were willing to put national interest before petty politics. Another leader who made an impact was Union minister, Lalu Yadav, who left the house pealing with roars of laughter, while putting across the point. Difficult to imagine someone like Lalu talk about the nuances of a complicated nuclear deal, but then Lalu is no ordinary politician. Am sure he will sell the deal to the rural populace back in his home state.. Amidst all this, there were the usual charges of horse-trading that accompany a trust-vote, and some evidence of the same..

While taking things into perspective, we must note that while the Leader of the Opposition attacked the government in general, and also the ruling alliance, he refrained from making any specific attacks on the deal in itself, indicating that the deal, as such has an in-principle support from them, leave aside the rhetoric.. The biggest winner is without doubt the Prime Minister, he stands tall, and now is his chance to take up the reforms agenda with a renewed vigour.. Experience shows that mid-way through their term, governments lose the will to 'govern' and then, anti-incumbency build up.. While Man Mohan Singh can be accused of the same, now, he has a chance to redeem himself, and prove his worth, not just to his party, and the nation, but the world as a whole.. He has risen like a phoenix, and the signals that crucial reforms will be put on the fast track is a sign of the same.

No brownie points for guessing the biggest loser, it has been proven beyond doubt that to do politics in India, your policies must have grass-root support and be connected to the people, unlike certain 'leaders' who still talk about text-book philosophies, and draw their power from a mysterious source, not linked in any way to the electorate. Lasting impressions of this debate will be the impartial stance of the speaker, and the fact that despite the potshots taken at each other during the debate on the motion of confidence, here they are, the PM and the Leader of the Opposition, greeting, and smiling at each other, less than 24 hours after the acrimonious debate. This I think represents the pivot on which Indian democracy is based upon.


With this vote, the parliament has voted to give us access to the cleanest source of energy available, and examples from world leaders in nuclear technology show that not only is it efficient, it is also much cheaper than conventional sources.. I know we are not known for carpe diem, and it may take us much more than a decade to reap the benefits of this deal, but so it the case with any major policy.. Remember Rajiv Gandhi, and the computer revolution. The real fruits came at the turn of the millennium, almost a decade after he was no more.. But still, I have my hopes based on the fact that India has a good PM, and he is doing something right..

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A Good riddance

Finally, the Leftists are out of the government. I am of the opinion that this is probably the best thing that could have happened to Manmohan Singh. For too long have the Left held his policies at ransom, for too long have the reforms been stalled by the lousy agenda of the Left. In short, for too long have they had power without responsibility.

The time has come to show the world what Manmohan Singh is capable of. And now, it is not too difficult to go ahead with the reforms, since government has more than six months at hand, and none of the allies will make too much noise, since they will have extracted their pound of flesh. Experience shows, 100 days are sufficient for full-fledged reforms, and our PM thankfully has much more than that. Plus none of the allies have ideological commitments like the communists. So let the government get its act right for once, and start on the reforms in earnest.

It is a known fact that most development schemes like the NREG and the JNURM haven't really shown results, while there has been no tangible progress on major infrastructural projects like the DFCs. Whether by a political master-stroke by our PM, or a blunder by Mr Karat, or by plain coincidence, here is a chance, for the Congress, for the PM, for Sonia, and for India. We should not let it go.

PS : I am also of the opinion that the communists would have deserted the government anyway before the elections, to beat off anti-incumbency. The N-deal was just an excuse, price rise could also have served the same purpose, only that parties like SP would not have come forward to support a government rendered minority by inflation. So again, if at all, the Left got its calculations wrong.

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Mid-summer crisis-II

Our esteemed economist turned Prime Minister, and his competent team consisting of FM P. Chidambaram and Planning Commission Dy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia among others are sitting pretty on a barrel of oil, and a small spark could throw the whole Indian economy into disarray.

They have taken months to react to the rising crude oil prices, and their actions seem at best half-hearted. What they need to wake up to is that the oil subsidy costs the 'aam aadmi' more than if he were directly paying for it at international prices. I will explain this in a bit, but firstly, the government sees petroleum as a huge source of revenue in the form of taxation, thus while the under-recovery on a litre of petrol after the increase is around Rs 15 per litre, the tax on it is almost the same amount. This is blasphemy. You collect revenues from it for your coffers, and then say that the oil companies are bleeding..

In any case, at the outset, we must ask, who is benefiting from the subsidy?? Just so you know, it is not the poor in the country. It is the rich, who drive fuel guzzling vehicles, and it is the oil producing nations who are laughing all the way to the bank. Now lets see the consequences of raising the domestic prices to market levels. The first effect would be reduced oil consumption, since people would be more conservative if they had to pay more. This is good for everyone, the world, since this leads to reduced carbon footprint, and for the people, well, its better than you think it is. The government will now have a lot more moolah in the treasury to spend on actual development schemes, like the JNURM or the NREG scheme among others (We know that the NREG implementation is anything but successful, but still, more poor people would benefit out of it than oil subsidy). In any case, with the oil subsidy in place, the government is just giving fabulous discounts on oil to the rich, the ones who use it to go on long drives after an exotic dinner(most of which is wated, by the way). Thus, the need of the hour is to progressively abolish the subsidy.

The thing that the Indian public doesn't seem to understand very well, is that what the government giveth with one hand, it taketh with the other. They don't realize that it would be a lot better if the fuel subsidy money was instead spent in building better infrastructure, like mass-rapid transit systems for the urban areas, and better road/rail connectivity for the rural areas, and freight corridors for the inter-country transportation.. If this is how the cash would be used, we would reduce our dependence on oil, also reducing our national imports considerably.. By the way, all these infrastructure solutions could use electricity, which, if the N-deal goes through, we should plan to have a surplus of. So effectively, we are giving up good infrastructure for cheap oil. I guess the choice is for the people to make.

Anyway, I guess it is time for the government to make some hard decisions, and move away from what I can only describe as oil-harakiri. The concrete plan of action should involve a 5 year structure, where the oil-prices would be gradually brought to the international level, and parallely, a rapid action infrastructure development force, which would build enough infrastructure so as to not hurt the people from lack of personal vehicles for transportation. In the mean-time, the N-plants should be set up asap, sice they will provide us with the energy security to our country. This is the road to sustained energy security, and growth, with the least carbon foor-print.


PS : And whoever said that N-deal in a non-issue in elections is unaware of the fact that this issue is directly related to the BSP(Bijli, Sadak, Paani), something close to the Indian public's heart. With the right kind of publicity, I see no reason why this will not garner votes. Even as I write this, the government has begun poll preparations in earnest, and that seems a step in the right direction. Also, people who think the nuclear power would not ensure energy security, but only dependence on NSG, note that India plans to have all its second generation N-plants based on Thorium, which India has plenty of. So, it is a matter of around three decades. Anyway, oil isn't going to last forever, is it???

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Quote Unquote

Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.

One of the most memorable movie quotes of all times, i would say. Definitely my personal favorite. This movie taught me how to believe, in oneself, even in the face of adversity.. And I confess, I cried in the scene where Andy "crawled through a river of shit and came out clean on the other side". Such is the the power of hope, I guess.

My second favorite quote of all times is undoubtedly from the movie series Spiderman, and it goes : "Whatever comes our way, whatever battle we have raging inside us, we always have a choice. It's the choices that make us who we are, and we can always choose to do what's right". This one taught me how to make choices in life, after all life is all about choices(at least in India anyway!!). Then of course there is the LOTR trilogies, which I must have seen some umpteen times, almost to the point that I remember some of the quotes. Actually, most of them.. Geek, I know!!!

So, tell me which movies have influenced you the most?? And the one movie quote that you can remember on the top of your head :)


PS : I have another confession. I know that for most people, movies are more like watch and forget, but I get quite influenced by movies, although only by the ones that carry a message. Doesn't mean I don't like laugh-riot movies, but that is left for another day :)

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Yes, Prime Minister!!!

Our PM is emulating his predecessor in his threat to resign if the government is not allowed to have its way.. Well, history goes on to say that Vajpayee emerged stronger with that threat, but Manmohan Singh looks even weaker, going and complaining to Mama Sonia, rather than putting it across to the Congress Parliamentary Party or the Congress Working Comittee. And then, all the NDA constituents had fallen meekly in line, but this is seven years later, and the comrades are no ordinary allies.

Only time will tell what the fate of the N-deal will be, but for once, I feel that India is not bothered by the prospect of mid-term elections. Our democracy has considerably matured with all the coalition governments of the past decade, and the humble citizens know that whatever be the outcome, the prospects are bright. While this may seem overtly optimistic, I am considerably pleased by this, because, this to me is an implicit trust in the foundations of democracy.

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Mid-summer crisis

A premier cellular service provider says "Barriers break when people talk".. And this is so true, now more than ever before.. With the Gurjars at the negotiating table, the trouble at ground zero seems to be ebbing. The main fall-out of this : trains have started plying again, and mind you, this is very important to keep the economy on track..

But the point I make here is entirely different.. What is it that will finally solve this impasse.. The Gurjar leaders have gone on record and said "ya to ST status de do, ya goli maar do".. With such being the ferocity of their demand, an obvious solution seems unlikely.. What is it that the Raje government can offer to help restore peace and normality.. I do not know how this impasse will end, but as long as the two sides keep talking, I am sure some solution will be found.. It has to be a compromise for both sides, but the state government must act fast and swift, to ensure the common public is not inconvenienced..

A question to all the intellectuals who are reading this.. What would you do if you were heading the government, while a particular section of the society resorted to similar voilence and economic shutdown.. I personally believe that if calls for negotiations fail, and the violence continues unabated, a complete blockade of that area might be the way to break up the agitators.. No power, no water, phone networks down, and then restrict supplies into the region. This should continue till the agitators walk the extra mile to the negotiating table.. What is important here is to let the people know that while they have a fundamental right to a peaceful gathering to put forth their demands, holding the State ransom and restoring to violence will not get them anywhere..

I am sure some of you will disagree with my methods here, but this is a last resort, to make sure a solution is found through dialog, not through the lathis.. In any case, please do leave a comment what is it that you would have done, if you were to find yourself at the helm of affairs when such trouble broke out..

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Sense and Sensibility

The nation is at war.. A silent war.. An economic war.. The prices of food are rising, since the agriculture output has been stagnant for years.. The oil prices have doubled in less than a year, and the government cant do much about it.. Inflation in general is rising, and again, the powers to be seem helpless.. Unfortunately, having a seasoned economist at the helm of affairs hasn't helped our nation much..

It is in the midst of a situation like this that our PM called for energy conservation by all Indians. This may seem like a desperate measure, may be it is, but the fact of the matter is, Indian public lacks basic common sense, and nothing much seems to be happening about correcting this.. The more educated the people, the more they waste.. Yes, its true, countrymen, the educated class seems to care a hoot about the general scenario.. The poor even today save resources, for their personal economic gains, but the rich it seems can afford to waste... A TV channel did a quick check on a successful 26 year old guy in Pune, who believes in splurging, and he says : After I work hard, I deserve to enjoy. Perfectly alright. You deserve to enjoy, but not waste Sir!!

There are umpteen examples, starting from the most myriad of things : leaving ACs and fans on unnecessarily, using a light at 3 in the afternoon on a sunny day in a brightly sunlit room, geysers on 24x7, keeping ignition on at 180 second traffic lights, keeping the refrigerator door open for minutes at a stretch, half of the dinner wasted every night, keeping the tap open while brushing etc, I could just go on and on.. These are minuscule things, I must say, but the collective cost of all these on our nation, and planet in general is huge.. But not many care : "I am paying for it, so"..

In crisis stricken times, our government deserves our support, and we need to chip in to make sure our next generation has a better future.. Well, my brethren, countrymen, let us join hands together to do our bit, not just for the nation, but for the planet at large. Every little bit counts, make sure you do yours.

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Baadal bijli chandan pani

It is a hot summer evening, and am out for a walk. It was not a busy day, and I have all the time in the world. I had come home leisurely, showered, and then strolled around in the summer breeze.. And am lost in my thoughts, when, all of a sudden, the skies open up, and let out the pent up showers of the past few weeks : big blobs of rain drops come thundering down on the parched earth. I continue my walk, and smell the trees and the earth as I saunter around, and it brings to my mind memories from summer vacations long long ago, in a tiny hamlet, when rain meant just one thing : playtime. Bless those times, when we were without a care in the world, and lives were simpler!!

Today, as I continue walking in the rain, I am filled with a feeling of contentment.. Am at peace with the universe..

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Hail the free people

The world is changing.
I feel it in the water.
I feel it in the earth.
I smell it in the air.

For how else do you explain these phenomenon.. Whether it is the nascent democracies of Nepal and Bhutan, or countries like USA or India, seasoned democracies, the will of the people reigns supreme.. There is no other way to explain an action like this in Bihar, India. Or, the election victories of former insurgent Maoists in Nepal. Or the rise of one who represents change, and hope..

To me, all of these mean just one thing : That the world is maturing as a democracy.. The time of the people has come..

PS : The only thing is wish for is that the communist regime will take a more open view to the autonomy talks, and that protesters will not be run down with tanks..

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Long live the quotas

Whether we like it or not, the quotas are here to stay, for a very very long time, probably longer than our lifetimes.. But then, the Supreme Court did a good thing, by laying clearly the ground rules for the quota based admissions..

The problem, however, lies in implementation of these policies. The SC clearly says that anyone who has completed UG education cannot be considered backward, and thus PG courses should not have quota. But that doesn't deter Arjun Singh, does it.. Tell me, someone who got into an IIT because of the quota, will also get into an IIM right after that because of the same quota policy.. Now this is downright unfair, Right to equality be damned!! Also, we all know the outcomes of the pereodic re-considerations of the reservation policy.. Every decade the government dutifully extends the SC/ST reservation by ten more years, and the same will also be done for OBCs from now on..

And then, some things which were not totally expected happened. Our very own beloved sleepy head, opportunist ex-PM said : The creamy layer must be kept out of SC/ST reservations too.. Bingo, the man I least expected to hear this from has spoken, and sensibly for a change.. Politics indeed makes strange bed-fellows : logic and Deve Gowda!!!

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Mother of inventions

Bill Watterson was so wrong when he said Mothers are the necessity of invention.. As these school kids really proved, indeed it is the school authorities that have been the catalyst behind the invention..

Well done, I salute your sense of creativity!! I think there may exist a huge market for this product, but what happens when these girls go out on a date in the evening ;)

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Good Ad, Bad Ad

Some of the recent advertisements have left me wondering where has all the creativity gone!!! The likes of the Hero Honda Hunk ad with the bulls and the latest Amul macho with a bunch of primates are in extremely bad taste, and I wonder why would anyone with even an iota of self-respect ever consider buying those products after seeing the ads.. At best, these ads insult the intelligence of the customers..

But all is not bad on the creative side, with the Idea Cellular ads starring Small B being my personal favorite.. The concept itself.. What an Idea!! Another great ad in my opinion was the T20 World Cup ad by Reliance Communications which said "Chote Match, Bade Sapne".. The Fevicol ads are also a delight to watch, whenever and wherever.. Kudos to the team that came up with these.. However, the most popular one of recent times is definitely the original Hutch ad with the pug.. An instant success..

The icing on the cake though is the Amul series of ads, ever since 1976, with the thumb sized moppet that "everyone loves to love".. I have literally grown up seeing these ads, and will cherish memories of them for a long long time.. Other memories from a childhood long long ago are the eternal "mile sur mera tumhara" and "ek chidiya, anek chidiya".. Classics, rather, Sholay of advertising.. Long live the creative brigade..

PS: I know I will have missed out a whole bunch of good (and bad) ads.. Please feel free to comment about your favorite ones..

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We have the power

The summer is here, and the heat can already be felt.. Met department says it will be one of the hottest, and given the planning and execution of our government, be prepared to face uninterrupted power cuts all along.. The country faces an acute shortage of electricity, so much so that many a times, the grids are in danger of tripping owing to excess demand..

It is in this back-ground that the Indo-US nuclear deal becomes all the more important.. I know even if the deal goes through without hiccups, and the government moves at a fast-pace on the execution, it is still a long ten years before we can see power from the reactors.. But then, atleast ten years later, we will have power... Going by the current rate of capacity addition of conventional sources, I do not see a major change in scenario anytime soon..

But then, everyone has gotten their priorities wrong.. The left thinks it will be able to win votes thanks to its anti-US stands.. West Bengal, will take time to forget the Nandigram episode, and Kerala will give left the incumbency heat.. Another major minus for the left, the delimitation will reduce the number of rural seats, a traditional vote-bank of the left.. On the other hand, the Congress has made its peace, and is infact promoting darkness in the villages.. This only makes me laugh, because instead of saying we helped electrify so many villages, they are saying, we failed in rural electrification, and now we give them cheap kerosene for their lamps.. The saffron brigade, now opposing the deal, will operationalize the same, if it comes to power the next time. This way, it can take credit for the deal...

The Left's concerns about the US are certainly more of a mental roadblock than anything else.. Anything to do with Uncle Sam (Aunty Sam???) is taboo.. And the Prime Minister's assurance is enough for me to know that our strategic interests are not jeopardized..

I write this, not because I advocate the deal since I am not aware of the nitty-gritties of the same, but because I think that energy security is very important for a growing economy.. And not just in terms of oil.. We need to do every bit that we can to make sure that India's growth story does not hit a road-bump due to energy shortage.. If it takes a nuclear deal, so be it..

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Sachin finds the answer, finally!!!

After a very very long wait of more than a year, Sachin finally finds the answer to life, the universe and everything.. With his 42nd ODI century coming up, he looks better than ever, and is still capable of sending the world champions running for covers..

And last Sunday, the 2nd March gave us a second good news, the U-19 WC win.. This clearly means the age of the Aussies is over.. The time of Indians has begun!!

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Chugging along the slow lane

Lalu managed to do what I had expected him to do.. Live up to my expectations of not being able to deliver.. As he read out the railway budget for the year 2008-09, I could only stare at the TV in disbelief.. Does this guy know what he is talking about??

I strongly believe that for the country to continue its growth story, the railway infrastructure in the country must grow atleast 2-3% faster.. However, the railways plan to lay only 3500kms of new lines in the coming year.. This comes to me as too little, too late. There is no plans for real capacity augmentation on the country's most busiest sectors. Just changing the signaling systems is not enough. With plenty of railway land on both sides of existing track, laying of new tracks should be done much faster. I would love to see IR build new lines even at half the rate of its Chinese counterpart.

The reduction in passenger fares is a sham that most people fail to see through. The capacity of the existing coaches is being increased by 15-25%. This means more people cramped up in the same space. After such an increase in the carrying capacity per coach, how difficult is it to cut the fares by 3-7%, that too in the non-peak season. What a gimmick!!!

The introduction of the 63 new trains seems like a good move, but without the required infrastructure growth, would it be possible to ensure timely running of trains.. Or the cleanliness of toilets on board?? This apart, I see Bihar, and to some extent Tamil Nadu gobbling up a lions share of these new trains. Regionalism?? Nah, they are just taking the divisive politics to a new level..

What Lalu has effectively done over the last 5 years is disastrous, and his successor will inherit a overloaded, over fatigued network of rail lines, not to mention the sixth pay commission recommendations , which could topple the boat.. I have a feeling even if the UPA manages to win in 2009, Lalu may not want to be the railway minister again!!!

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Enchanted

107 minutes of this left me completely enchanted!! It was a fantasy meets reality movie, and although it requires one to completely suspend disbelief, it guarantees entertainment. I actually came out of the theater humming, smiling, and generally feeling good about everything..

But entertainment apart, it asked me why we are not able to listen to our heart, and follow our dreams. And why dreams don't come true. Why there is no happily ever after in reality.. However, there are no easy answers coming.

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Sharma and Sharma

The find of the season. Cricket in India has found its latest heroes, the kind who are putting the world champions into a tight spot, again and again..

One has only to watch Ishant bowl to Ponting to believe the talent that this young man has. So much so that Ponting has gone on record praising the young gun.. On the other hand, Rohit Sharma's contribution may not be well hyped, but his stands in the recent games with the skipper have saved India from batting collapse many a times.

It is on these young men that I pin my hopes of restoring the pride in 2011, after the mauling in the Caribbean last year.

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Hail the leader

In leadership, as in the martial arts, your stance is critical to your success.
If you have a weak stance, then every way you lead will be fundamentally flawed.

A small discussion in a casual gathering prompted me to do some deep thinking. And then, the above saying came to my mind.. And I realized how important it is to take a stance. Not taking a stance and waiting for things to resolve themselves is the worst possible thing. A good leader is one who has ears on the ground, and hands full..

Unfortunately, there seems to be a dearth of such leaders, everywhere I look. Not just in the government, but everywhere.. So called leaders are disconnected from their subjects, and refuse to take action till rumblings precipitate into a crisis.. In such circumstances, we can only be the change we want to be. And then, show others the way, and change the world, such that the people say, We did it ourselves, for it is rightly said, "Leadership is action, not position".

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Grounded

Bangaloreans can take heart, they will not be the only ones suffering from the connectivity issues on the new airport.. It seems even in Hyderabad, where the new airport opens in about a month, there is no proper road connectivity.. How have things come to such a turn?? Not one but two instances.. An airport takes atleast four-five years to plan, and another three to construct, and a connecting road may take, in the worst case, a couple of years.. But still, the airports are ready, but the roads are not.. Wonder where we went wrong?? And what should we do to prevent another infrastructure disaster??

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Kicking Ass

Thats what the Democrats plan to do later this year.. Media reports suggests that this year is going to be the year of the donkey.. What remains to be seen is whether it will be a female donkey, or whether it will be an African-American one.. Either way, it will be a first.. Any change will be for the better, for it will be tough to be worse than Bush ;)

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A Rotten Apple

Have been contemplating for a while to write a post about the ongoing controversy on the Bharat Ratna, and how our leaders have devalued it by using it as a tool to show personal gratitude to their fellows rather than highlighting the nation's pride in the awardees actions.. And I was also thinking about how the State Awards have become a matter of oneupmanship, where each one is trying to get his/her protege/mentor the award.. And I said to myself : Look what they have done.. What a rotten thing..

And then, events in quick succession sent me thinking : Is it just the country's political leaders who are doing this.. And the answer that I came up with was a stunning NO.. I went over the events of the past few months, and realized that this attitude is deep rooted into all of us, and with regard to every award possible.. There is no point in blaming our politicians for this : after all they come from the society, and represent the society at large.. This apple is rotten to the very core.

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By the people, of the people, for the people!!!

This infrastructure project is meant for the people, belongs to the people(coming from their tax money), and built by the people(NHAI- a PSU). And then, why should the people wait for the VVIPs to tell them to use something that is essentially their own.. They should rightfully take what is meant for them. Exactly what Delhi did, and the public did what can only be defined as commendable. In this act, they took cue from India's supercop, who had, in her times, thrown open the Zuari bridge, after people were tired of waiting for the PM to inaugrate it. Legend goes it was to be named after the PM, but then, the small act by one Traffic SP of removing the barricades by hand, changed all that.. Long live the people.

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Khel Khel mein

There is every reason for India to withdraw from the ongoing Border-Gavaskar trophy.. The series has been clearly undone for India by extremely poor umpiring, not to mention the uncorroborated racial abuse slur against the team..

What is known as a gentle-man's game is not so anymore : the Australians displayed scant respect for the rules of the game.. Symonds was given not out in the first innings on 30, and he went on to score 162.. And after that, he went off to tell the press he was indeed out on 30.. Why did he not walk off the field?? Where was his conscience.. This dismissal appeal apart, there were a dozen other umpiring errors, that went mostly against India. Whats the point in playing when you know you cant get a fair deal anyway..

India has been at the receiving end of umpiring errors for quite some time, in particular from Steve Bucknor, and its time the board that generates most of crickets money puts it foot down to ask for a fair share..

And next comes the racial slur against Symonds.. Apparently, Bhajji called him a monkey, and that constitutes an abuse based on descent, I suppose.. Well, there is no proof except for the word of his team, whose integrity is anyway in question..

The one man, who maintained his composure throughout all this ruckus, and managed to come clean is the Indian skipper. Fabulous performances with both the bat and the ball, he went on to say "Its just a game after all".

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Hindi hain hum, watan hai, hindustan hamara

This report left me stunned.. I don't know if I should be feeling happy or sad. When China can have a national language that is spoken by just about half of the country, why cant Hindi be our National Language.. Why did people undergo self-immolation, buses have to be torched, and students killed in police firing..

And I must admit, all this, it turned out, was not entirely bad for the country. We all learned English, and were able to become a global force in the services sector. But who knows, just like Japan or Germany, we could have become a global hub even with a national language apart from English. But the greatest fallout of this violent agitation is that we will, as a country, never have the national integration as envisioned by our freedom fighter forefathers. For a lot of people I know, the state still comes before the nation. And from my personal experiences, I can say this feeling exists mostly in the non-Hindi speaking states.


And to all who think I oppose local languages, please note, I dont. I favor the classical status to Tamil, and the government support for regional literature. But this does not mean that everyone is taught their mother tounge as the first language under the education system. We should be teaching English as a first language, Hindi as second language, and the native language as the third language. This is only fair to communicate with the world, the nation, and your neighbor. Unfortunately, these priorities are applied in reverse today.

The sentiments of 1965 linger today, and anyone speaking Hindi or for that matter any language apart from Tamil is given stares, and occasionally wrong directions in the land of Periyar.. I just hope we have another Iron-Man, who will perform the thankless task of national integration, just like Sardar Patel did the job of political integration. Or may be I could do it.

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