Reality Bites Hard VI ... The negative effect of Media

A couple of days ago the National Capital Region of India realised with full force of the extent of affect that the media is having in forming and distorting the minds of young Indians. All the news channels were airing an incident that took place in a school in Gurgaon where a 13 year old kid turned his gun on another school fellow - who also happened to be 13 years of age - just because he claimed that the victim was an un-bearable bully. The victim died on the spot. Thus a budding life was snuffed out before it had a chance to survive and contribute to the society.

When I heard the news then there were a couple of initial reactions that I had:

1. The perpetrators of the crime are unaware of the consequences of the deed.
2. There is a certain degree of lack of respect for the law which probably is inculcated by the environment that the boy lives in.
3. Somehow the level of tolerance and forgiveness is low among today's generation.
4. In today's society there is easy access to weapons - which might have been procured for protection of one's dignity but somehow the perception of dignity has become distorted and out of shape.

As had been pointed out in earlier articles written in this blog, the media has a very strong hand these days in shaping the minds of today's generation and their reach is very high. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the media as to what kind of message are they conveying. Turn on an entertainment channel and there are daily soaps that potray coming back alive from the dead, bending of the law, escaping the law, commiting acts of crime skillfully to avoid detection, shows of egoism, inflicting mental anguish, low tolerance and vendetta. Turn on any news channel and there are evidences of money and power being used to escape the law.

Today's high paced life style also gives parents little time to pay attention to their children. They substitute money for time and values and escape the guilt of giving young India today the citizens that it has. Home is the best place to learn..... both good things and bad. Aren't we all failing to build a strong, responsible, tolerant and law abiding younger generation?

Isn't it time we changed a few neccessary facts of life and be proud of having mentored a child to have good, strong, forgiving, tolerant character?

Reality Bites Hard V....Old Tradiitons... Old Curses

Yes in some ways India is really going places these days. But along with the new generations point of view, there are the old curses that we have been forced to put up with and with politics making it a more ugly and grim picture...... casteism in India..... and the fallout is still felt loud and clear even today..... it is being promoted by young minds... a section of which are being applauded as they are instrumental in bringing India to where she is right now.
I was completely dumfounded to read this article (Caste wars in AIIMS):

http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20070026330&ch=9/16/2007%2011:22:00%20PM

And another raging example which is currently grabbing the headlines is that of Ram Setu which underline the ugly nexus between religion and politics... hampering the highlighting of the real issues like ecological damage in case the setu is modified and dampening the growth of trade.

http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/videopod/default.aspx?id=17125 (Video on We, the people episode aired on September 16, 2007)

Ray of Hope - Another One

Hi Guys. I am back from a prolonged illness and feeling like I have been away for ages. I just about managed to keep my head up professionally and concentrated on getting well.

After some depressing days, I found the following article on the BBC which lifted up my spirits. I wonder why such articles are not found in any of the Indian news sites.... probably because it entails positive journalism instead of the negative one...... here it is..... and it will be difficult to digest that it is the state of Bihar which has won the accolades....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6263984.stm

Mera Bharat ban raha hai mahaan.... :-P

Blogging... Is it worth it?

Found this very interesting article on blogging as compared to journalism and the viability of blogging. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did....

http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/web2.0story.asp?id=ARTEN20070009520

Happy Blogging :P

Reality Bites Hard - IV - Isn't it in-evitable?

For how long should we keep the tinted glasses on and pretend that India is well on its way to becoming a super-power and is poised to become a force to reckon with in world economy. In various articles in this blog I have clearly and concisely discussed why this is a fallacy... a dream that would require major re-organization and restructuring for it to work as it should. And there are miles to go before we acheive the dream that we claim is already fulfilled.

It is to be noted that news channels like the BBC have started questioning the claim that India is making.... isn't it time that someone did so? In an article where it discussed the booming retail market in India and the mushrooming of elite stores selling fresh vegetables and fruits for the growing Indian middle class, it also highlighted the plight of the un-educated marginal road-side fruit vendor who got directly hit by the opening of such stores. To read the complete analysis click here.

So, India's maladies might as well become the reason for its failure to becoming a super-power in the near future. The great divide between the middle and upper classes and the lower classes is very significant. The lack of education has been poined out as the major cause of this divide. So inspite of being such a populous country there is serious lack of skilled labor to support the mushrooming of MNC's who are ready to put up base in the Indian sub-continent. Click here to read a very well written article on the subject.

The BBC is talking about it. Some of the most knowledgeable people are also talking about it. How long would it take the whole world to talk about the fact that Indians had been grossly over-rated and that the state of the infrastructure in India does not warrant such huge expansion?

Isn't it time we really start doing something to save our dream????

Dor.... The story of two women

Since I have started this blog, we have laregley written about social concerns and have written about some of the good authors of India today. This is the first instance of discussing our views on a movie. We are fortunate enough to have the oppurtunity to discuss one of the best movies that I have had the pleasure to view in recent times.... Dor.

Dor is a film directed by Nagesh Kukunoor who has carved a unique niche for himself in the Indian film industry. His films are therefore enjoyed and viewed only by a unique section of Indian society. Like all his films this film also does not boast of any big stars or actors. It is a very sensitively directed film which highlights the relationship between two women coming from diverse backgrounds. The sub heading on the movie pack says 'How far would you go to save soemone you love?' The entire film revolves around this theme but what makes an impact is how sensitively the director has handled the relationship between city bred, independent woman living in Himachal Pradesh and a simple, young widow living in a village in Rajasthan steeped in tradition and completely dependent on her family.

As the film progresses, the two woman are bound together by mutual need which develops into an unusual friendship. The city bred woman is played by Gul Panag who is dependent upon the village widow to save her husband from capital punishment. The village widow is played by Ayesha Takia who knows only how to be dependent on her family which would ultimately betray her and sell her to the highest bidder. The director sensitively handled the coming of age of the young widow which motivates her in escaping the iron bands of wrong and sinful 'traditions'. She draws her strength from the city bred friend.

The quaint mutual dependence is highlighted very well in the movie. The sensitivity of the director is seen by the fact that he potrays neither woman to be stronger than the other. The gradual acceptance of a new set of values by the young village widow is very well potrayed when she answers back her father-in-law in soft but firm tones; dances a furitive jig on a well loved song and has the guts to leave her in-laws' house to make a life of her own. Certain other sensitively potrayed facts are the budding of romance between a villager and the city bred woman and the acceptance of the fact that there is nothing to the relationship.

Overall a very sensitive film devoid of any songs, thrills and completely negative characters. In short... a must watch film. We have completely loved other movies by Nagesh Kukunoor - Hyderabad Blues, Teen Deewarien, Iqbal, Dor.

************** Deepa and Shikha ******************

News Media – Do we deserve the kind of News we are getting?

Recent times have seen the progressive degradation of the kind of news that is published every morning, noon and night. The headlines in the major papers in the city have become the various escapades of Shilpa Shetty, the Abhi-Ash wedding, the performance of Indian cricket team, the sensational news like Nithari case, the Jessica Lall case, and the Nitish Katara case and so on. This is not to minimize the contribution of the media to bringing justice to the deserving. But the questions is that is this the only kind of news that a common Indian is interested in?

The media has gone the bollywood way. Most of the news is more becoming more and more sensational and promoting fantasy. One of the most common justifications heard is that the ‘we give the people what they want’. I would like to counteract this by saying that we would ‘start’ wanting whatever is fed to us. Yes, we have the option of changing the channel but almost all the news channels are showing the same kind of news again and again and all over again.

The Indian masses and classes have demonstrated that we are very easily impressed by bollywood and the television entertainment media. The impressive impact of this media needs no mention. It’s very apparent. The parents take pride in their children imitating the ‘superstars’. The ‘watching movie in the theatre’ is back with the bang, the quality of cinema has changed. We are not only impressed by what goes on the screen but we also show active interest in the lives of the ‘superstars’ but we like them as only Page 3 or the entertainment section. Is it really healthy news to impinge into the privacy of the rich and famous? Does it not promote actions on the part of the superstars like the one at Tirupati where the devotees made to stand for hours because the Bacchan family was media is much appreciated not only in India but they are also made good impact on abroad too. Serials like the Laughter Challenge, Antakshri, Indian Idol, Boogie Woogie are platforms for the common man to show their talent and are much appreciated too.

The masses and the classes have grown and the Media should wake up to the fact that the news that is being published will finally govern the entire thinking patterns of the classes and more so the masses. The education of the masses of India is more important in a country like India which is growing and developing. The ‘superstars’ are the creation of the print media. Take the Sunday Times of May 13, 2007 for example. Today being the mother's day all you can find are the faces of celebrity mothers staring out at you. There is an entire column on how celebrity mom's think is the best way to inculcate Indian value in children. Aren’t we just promoting the fact those celebrities know the best? Wouldn't it have been better to have printed the views of a child psychologist, taken the views of a mother who has dealt with situations like death of their husbands in the prime of their lives and their trials and triumphs and the success of motherhood?

In the more recent times the media has applied the right kind of pressure to bring justice to the now famous judicial cases. It is commonly believed that Rang De Basanti prompted the first public outcry in the Jessica Lall case. And the print media took over from there and the masses and classes moved in step. Despite the fact that the print media is a very strong media, perhaps what is lacking is perhaps a proper direction, a lack of drawing lines and adhering to those lines. Channels like NDTV have discusses these issues very effectively. So hopefully the print media would recognize their strength and make true the saying – ‘Padhega India, Badhega India’. Can we hope that the Print Media will take over the reigns over from The Entertainment Media to shape the thought patterns of the Young India?

Here I would like to pose a question to the common man whether it can prompt the print media to deliver news which they want to see and hear? Are we also not responsible for the kind of turn that the print media has taken?

Are the citizens of Delhi an un-concerned lot?

Delhi, the capital city of India with a population of a few crores which is a mixture of cross-cultures and cross-ethnicity. One can witness the extremes in Delhi…. From the very poor to the very rich. The economic disparity is perhaps more marked in metropolitan cities than anywhere else today.

A trip around the city of Delhi would bring forth the fact very strongly that there are major developments going around in the entire city in order to accommodate for the thousands of foreign nationals who will come for the international games that India hopes to host. And there is evidence that the un-authorized shops and complexes are coming under the MCD hammer. The middle class has also risen to enforce some action on long pending issues like the pending trials in court of justice. But despite the developments there are points of concerns that still exist.

One of the major points of concern is that Delhi-ites are no longer motivated enough to exercise their power to vote their own representative. Given the state of politics in India as a whole, the citizens of Delhi quietly protest by showing their lack of support simply by not going to the polling stations to vote. But is it the right way to go about doing so? Shouldn’t it be a better idea to make use of the ‘Right not to vote’ to show their protest? But how many citizens of Delhi are actually aware of this right? Shouldn’t the people demand to know the financial, criminal backgrounds of the candidates that they chose not to vote for? ADR is an organization which could help them do exactly that. But are the people aware?..... More importantly do they want to make themselves aware?

There are thousands of maids working in the household of the lakhs of people in the city. How many upper class Delhi-ites actually take interest in the upbringing of their own maids’ children. It is very easy to discuss the need for literacy among the lower class people to bring their status up. But how many of us actually take the first small step and ensure that our own maids’ children gain literacy? …. Not many. Recently, an act has been enforced banning child labor in certain sections of professions. But how many of us actually report the use of child labor when we see it… not many of us I am sure. Ever seen a child beg on traffic signals? Ever seen them selling their meager wares to earn a few rupees on the same traffic signals? Have you reported the existence of child labor to the concerned authorities? If the answer is NO, then are you really concerned about the welfare of the citizens of Delhi and want to make Delhi a successful city?

All of us groan at the filth in and around the city. And at the filth of the government offices. But aren’t we also responsible for contributing to the same? Yesterday, while I was traveling towards Karol Bagh, I read a quote on the wall….’Ek Gadha Yahan Pe Moot Raha Hai’. Do you think it deterred the offenders from doing exactly that? Nooooooo…… Some perverted fellows take ‘pride’ in doing exactly what they are not supposed to do. They willingly do not use the public toilets that have been erected around the city in order to same the city from this kind of filth. Apart from that the roads are littered with a lot of other things too. It makes fun of the dustbins that some thoughtful shop keepers have kept outside their shops. And this is one thing that the MCD has done…. Placed dustbins all around the city. But do we use them….. Mostly not.

Delhi-ites have to battle with peak hour traffic every day. The easiest way to cause a traffic jam is to park a bus or a tempo on the road-side. And within an hour one will have miles and miles of traffic jam. Everyone wants to act smart with the vehicles that they are driving and to demonstrate their skills of driving they cheerfully make fun of the traffic rules that they need to follow. I wonder who is it that they are trying to impress? Or is there a race going on…. The first one who is out of the traffic jam wins a prize? Due to the ‘smart’ driving of a few handful of drivers the others have to suffer too. How about following the traffic rules to make life a little easier?

There are lot of other things that I can enumerate and write about to question the concern factor of Delhi-ites….like feeling a sense of pride in fooling a cop to escape being challaned by paying him less bribe than the cops was asking for. What is not realized that a bribe is a bribe ir-respective of the amount and it is illegal. But are we concerned about the legality of our own actions? I could go on. But somewhere I need to stop and ask…… are we concerned enough and giving back enough to the society… is it wise always to criticize the government and other officials…. Aren’t we guilty too? Shouldn’t we change too? Time to give it a long hard thought… isn’t it? Its OVERDUE.

Author I Admire - III - Satyajit Ray

It is impossible to write anything new about a man who is not merely an author of in-numerable adventure stories and other stories but also a noted film-maker whose work has won him international acclaim and awards. His in-imitable character of Jatayu in his adventure stories about Feluda is one of the most colorful characters that I have ever read about. And Feluda, a detective by profession, is so un-like the superheroes and superman category characters that are so popular today. Feluda is a down-to-earth, almost real potrayal of a common man whose profession leads him to travel far and wide and overcome obstacles to bring back harmony to the lives of his clients. The potrayal of the character is so strong and well defined that it is no wonder that he was recognised, identified and connected to by the common man. This led to the popularity of not only the charcter but also the man who created the character. His stories about Feluda became so popular that some of them have been made into equally memorable movies directed both by him and his son - Sandip Ray.

I have had the pleasure of reading his work in both English and Bengali. The turn of phrase that characterises his work in Bengali is missing in the translated work. But I have enjoyed both the versions - English and Bengali.

His work today brings some fresh air, peace of mind and simple joys into this complex and busy lifestyle of today. His work will always remain im-mortal. To know more about him click here.

Reality Bites Hard - III - Indian IT Hotspots - Are we really ready?

India has been one of the major hotspots for multi-nationals to setup base for their back-office work. Bangalore has been a favorite destination for these multi-nationals. But these days the there is a very grim picture coming to out where in Bangalore's lack of infrastructure is making multi-nationals looking further into other cities within India. This article published on the BBC tells a very grim story.

IT companies are looking towards Hyderabad and Kolkatta for spreading their wings further. And in the process of attracting more MNCs to India, the Government of India has identified Special Economic Zones (SEZ) in the entire length and breadth of the country. These SEZ are a point of concern since they eat into quite a bit of fertile agricultural land of the farmers. Some farmers are protesting like the ones in Nandigram, West Bengal. But other farmers are simply making huge amounts of money by selling their lands. Suddenly all farmers in the outskirts of all major cities like Hyderabad, Noida, Ghaziabad, Faridabad have struck it very rich. Land prices in these areas have escalated beyond imagination. You can spy a couple of brand new vechicles like scorpio, tata inidica etc on roads that are not wide enough to hold these vehicles and are majorily kuccha in nature. Posh houses, cars and luxuries have made in-roads in areas lacking in basic nfrastructure like 24 hour water and electricity supply. If the basic infrastructure is not taken care of then each of these 'cities' including Chandigarh will head in the same direction that Bangalore is heading towards.

Wont the MNC's over a period of time simply become fed up with all the red tapism and beurocracy that exists in the Indian sub-continent and simply go elsewhere????? (Just to point out a simple example....India is closer to some countries that it bids for to export foodgrains to. But it looses the bid everytime.... to Chile... all the way around the world.... and the reason... that despite the huge difference in distance to be covered while exporting the total cost of exporting from Chile is much cheaper than exporting from India......)

So should we not really think about improving the basic infrastructure of the cities before trying to attract more multi-national organisations to setup their base here. Water, electricity, roads, hotels, telephones, internet connectivity..... the list of infrastructural improvements that has to be done to justify and encash on foreign investement seems to be endless. Correspondingly, India has to increase its base of skilled labor force too to cater to the demands and requirements of the multi-national companies.

Time to think hard and act faster... dont you think? Can we really afford to miss the oppurtunity to give useful employment to the un-employed millions in India?

Another Ray of Hope!!!!!!!!!!!

A lot has been said about the political condition of the country. And as Indian citizens we have accepted the political condition of our country. But some people are strving towards making a difference and improving governance in India. A group of 11 highly motivated professors from IIM, Ahemedabad formed an organisation called ADR - Association of Democratic Reforms in the year 1999. Since then this organisation which is headquartered at Ahemedabad, Gujarat have made attempts to improve the governance in India simply by ensuring that they screen the backgrounds of the political candidates and by ensuring the accuracy of the voter's list in the state of Gujarat.

As was expected they met with quite a bit of resistance from almost all political parties apart from Congress. Congress was the only party which gave ADR its full support.

ADR won two landmark judgment from the Supreme Court mandating disclosure of criminal, financial and educational background of candidates contesting elections. They made good use of the Right to Information act for getting this one passed. It worked with the Election Commission to ensure that ordinary citizens have a right to access the information declared by candidates. It also worked with the media since October 2002 and has played a significant role in bringing this issue to light. It has built up a network of partner NGOs in different states and has been actively involved with them in doing Citizen Election Watch work exposing the criminal and financial background of candidates. So far, this has been done on Gujarat, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chattisgarh. Click here to see the kind of work that ADR had done for the General Elections in Delhi in 2004. They have stated clearly the candidates who have criminal cases pending against them and the assets that they have and the tax that they pay. These are things that every Indian Citizen should know in order to choose a deserving candidate. Unfortunately, in many parts of India, citizens still do not have access to this kind of information.

But the right steps are being taken. The progress is slow and dismal but progress is there. I, as a normal Indian citizen hope to see some good changes being brought about in the process of electing the leaders of our country. It's a small start but a start nonetheless.

In the meantime, the Indian constitution has also empowered the Indian citizens with the power of deciding not to vote. It is a matter of debate as to how many Indian citizens are actually aware of this kind of a provision that has been made for them.

It is a gentle breeze right now... but a breeze nonetheless... hoping that it will soon turn into a major force which will re-shape Indian politics forever. So, definitely.... I can say that ADR is another ray of hope..... in the jungle of politics...

Child Abuse in India

This is hot off the press. In a ground breaking effort, Save the Children and Ministry of Women and Child Developement in India have for the first time conducted a study of child abuse across 13 Indian States covering 12,500 children and 4800 young adults. The findings of the report are shocking.

Some of the key findings are (Excerpts from Reuters Alertnet):

1. Boys, as compared to girls, are equally at risk of abuse.
   
2. Persons in trust and authority are major abusers.
   
3. 5-12 year old children are in the high risk category: across the forms of abuse, the percentage of abuse among them is the highest.
   
4. 70% of the children have not reported abuse to anyone.
   
5. Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar and Delhi almost consistently report high rates of abuse in all forms as compared to other States.
   
6. 2 out of every 3 children have been physically abused.
   Two out of every three school going children are victims of corporal punishment. Half of these incidents are in government run schools.
   
7. More than half of the child respondents reported facing one or more forms of sexual abuse.
   
8. Every second child reported facing emotional abuse. In more than 80% of the cases parents were the abusers.

At the inauguration of the Study, Renuka Choudhary, Minister of State, Ministry of Women and Child Development, said "This is a landmark study that paves the way for new initiatives for protection of children in India." The Ministry on its part has taken measures such as enabling legislation to establish the National and State Commissions for Protection of Rights of the Child, the Integrated Child Protection Scheme and the draft Offences against Children Bill.

To read the complete article click here.

Supreme Court 's Decision - No Roadside Cooking

In my previous blog I had talked about the impact of the same. My views are shared to a certain extent....

Hot Debate on NDTV:


http://www.ndtv.com/debate/showdebate.asp?show=1&story_id=246&template=&category=National

Reality Bites Hard - II - Uttar Pradesh...... Is it really Uttam Pradesh?

In a previous blog I had mentioned that what an irony it actually is that Uttar Pradesh claims to be Uttam Pradesh.

They even convinced Amitabh Bachhan to endorse the fact.... the irony being that he claims that UP is Uttam since ...'jurm yahan kam hai'. The UP government has published a 112 page document that claims why Uttar Pradesh as a Uttam Pradesh.The following links are not 112 page long and therefore for many it will not hold the same weightage... but can they be denied?????

a) UP against it

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/SUNDAY_SPECIALS/Special_Report/Up_against_it/articleshow/1872296.cms

b) Hopes runs dry in fields

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/SUNDAY_SPECIALS/Special_Report/Hope_runs_dry_in_fields/articleshow/1872279.cms

After reading these can you deny it????

Author I Admire - II – Jhumpa Lahiri

Another author whose books I love to read is Jhumpa Lahiri. Having been born and brought up in a convent school I was pretty familiar with the names of the writers in the western world. Love for books and variety had compelled me to explore the works of Indian authors in the English medium. Jhumpa Lahiri’s book ‘The Interpreter of Maladies’ was one of the first book I read in this category. The books she wrote gave me the motivation to read books by other Indian authors too.

Interpreter of Maladies is a compilation of several short stories revolving around average Indians and their lives which are complicated both by internal and external factors. She has the art of putting a simple thing of everyday life in a manner which makes reading it a joy. With her writing style she invites you to read further about topics that we face in our everyday lives. Instead of being boring and mundane she makes small things in her writings interesting enough for an enjoyable read. She has the art of presenting a very common, down-to-earth situation in a manner which is uniquely hers.

Her book ‘The Namesake’ has been made into a motion picture by Mira Nair. The book leaves a definite mark on the reader’s mind about the lives of Indians struggling to make a living in the USA. It strips away all flowery and idealistic notions about the kind of lives that an average Indian has in the land of dreams. And she does it in her own in-imitable style. Having read the rave reviews that the motion picture has received from the public and the industry I am very enthusiastic about watching the movie myself and indulge in another favorite pass time that I have – of comparing the book and the movie and judging whether the movie adaptation did justice to the book…..

Ray of Hope

Despite the multitude of maladies that are deep-rooted in the subcontinent of India there are a lot of things that Indians have reasons to cheer about. May it be simple, small efforts put in by individual families to provide help to their maid’s children or the collective effort of the neighborhood to keep the surrounding areas clean, healthy and hygienic; or the silent campaign run by the urban middle class in support of justice for Jessica Lall, Priyadarshini Matttoo and Nitish Katara; or the Supreme Court taking a tough stand on the illegal premises of businessmen occupying opposite ends of the economic spectrum. These are very small steps which have been taken over a period of time. Steps which have a long term impact on things that are important for India to fulfill the dream of becoming a super-power. These small steps convey the importance of perseverance, discipline and belief and trust in their dreams and silently say ….. ‘Hum Hongey Kaamyaab’ (‘we will succeed’).

And ‘kaamyaab’ (successful) we are in some areas. In recent years two institutes have become the case study for the IIMs and IITs in India and many non-indian universities as well. One is a small city level business powered by thousands of un-skilled labor. Its ingenuity lies in the complete lack of technology for delivering lunch boxes to lakhs of hungry office-goers by using simple color coding schemes to achieve the desired results. And the two things that they emphasize on are the value of time and the value of customers. They have become famous as the Dabbawallas of Mumbai. A lot has been written about them and they have been studied by the some of the bright brains in the Indian subcontinent and abroad to learn a few lessons in management… the Dabbawallas put into practice what is taught in the management training classrooms. And the startling fact that stands out is that most of the workforce of this institute is un-educated. They just have a high literacy rate about their own trade….. and that is to collect the lunch boxes from the residence of lakhs of office goers all over the city and deliver them to respective offices before lunchtime and without making a mistake. They ensure that their company has an annual turnover of Rs. 10 million. To read a study on them click here.

The other is an organization of a National level – Indian Railways. One of the oldest organizations run at the national level it gives employment to the highest number of people (1.5 million)… both skilled and un-skilled. It had been run as a social institute for a long time and was always in the red financially despite the annual fare hikes that the railway minister introduced in each railway budget. Indian Railways saw a complete turn-around in its fortunes when the highly tainted Chief Minister of Bihar, Lalu Prasad Yadav took over its reigns. Under his leadership the Indian Railways has grown beyond everyone’s expectations and financially the Indian Railways is now firmly in the green. All Indians and the rest of the world has taken nptice of this fact. Washington Times found it worth mentioning it. Lalu’s ingenious methods on achieving the impossible have been included as a case study in IIM and have been studied by many abroad. The first one to highlight the fact was IIM, Ahmedabad. It had grabbed media attention. This year in his opening speech about the railway budget Mr. Lalu Prasad Yadav said:

“Presenting my fourth consecutive Railway Budget, I have a tremendous sense of pride and gratitude. Pride in the fact that without imposing undue burden on the common man, the Railways are poised to create history by generating a cash surplus before Dividend of Rs 20,000 cr as against Rs 14,700 cr in the previous year. This is the same Railway that defaulted on payment of Dividend and whose fund balances dipped to Rs 359 cr in 2001. I express heartfelt gratitude towards 14 lakh railway employees who in the face of stiff competition have conquered all odds with an indomitable spirit displaying matchless zeal, vigour and teamwork.”

Mr. Yadav has declared this year as the ‘Year of Cleanliness’.

For all those who are interested click here for the highlights of the Railway Budget (2007-2008).

As Indians we feel like standing up and giving Lalu Prasad Yadav a standing ovation and be proud that a minister who had been labeled as corrupt and im-moral has been the reason for so much of pride. He has given us the reason to say ‘Mera Bharat Mahaan’ a little loudly… definitely higher than a whisper. Hard work, perseverance and discipline certainly pays and how…
And after a long hard days work, this group of Gujratis show how to de-stress and retain the motivation to give one’s best to their jobs and life as a whole. Nicknamed the “8:52 Group” they show the importance of little things in life go a long way in leading a better life. The group also contributes towards national causes like they donated Rs 11000/- for the victims of the earthquake that had rocked Bhuj. To read more about this super-cool group click here.

I will finish this blog with a lot of sense of euphoria and feel-good. They come from the fact that we are teaching the values that made an organization successful so that the future bright minds of India can build a successful nation. Though the claims that we are making about being a super-power are still very tall, we are taking important and significant steps in the right direction to make that tall claim a true one.

Author I Admire - I - Shobha De

I have been expressing my views on various social concerns over a period of so many months. There was so much happening in and around me that it was more than tempting to write about them. It sidelined the other thing that I am passionate about… books. I love to read a wide variety of books and like to try out books written by various authors. So I thought that I will start off today by discussing about books and authors and hope to follow up with more of the same.

For some reason I am compelled to write my first thoughts on this subject not about a book but about a lekhika ….. a writer …. whose books and articles I read with avid interest. She started her career in the field of film journalism and till date has authored many books and articles. Her views on varied subjects and her candid way of putting things across has made her one of my favorite authors. And she is …… Shobha De.

To be very honest I did not think much about what she wrote and how she wrote it. For a very long time I had the perception that all her writings would have the color of films since she came from that background. But one day I read an article penned by her in the Times of India. The content of that article stayed with me for sometime and that was the beginning of my change in perception about her writings and I read other articles written by her too. And the journey continued…….

I find her to be a very lucid writer … and a writer with a bite… and whenever possible likes to call a spade a spade. She puts forward her views and thoughts on a subject very emphatically, honestly and boldly. The two facts which I find very endearing are her boldness and honesty….. a deadly combination I must say…. but then as a writer I think she does practice the art of diplomacy where-ever required. Her style of writing and putting things across has grown on me gradually and I am a very appreciative reader of her books and articles….. which may be on anything….. like the biting article she wrote about the fact that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie wanted to adopt an Indian child and name him/her India … or her book titled Spouse where she takes a very practical, honest though softer look at a husband-wife relationship. She was bold enough not to hide her experiences in her relationship…. and although she restricted her pointers to the marital relationship only, I find most of her pointers to hold good for any relationship.

Honest, bold and a beautiful woman with a bite… that is Shobha De for you. And in me she has a staunch fan.

Reality Bites Hard - I - When will we acknowledge the reality?

Every one loves to dream... dream to acheive big things in life and make a considerable impact on things that matter to them most. And we hope to acheive the dream. But is it not necessary that for the dream to be acheivable one needs to be aware of certain hard facts and also be willing to deal with them? In other words, don't you think that dreams which have their feet planted on firmly on the ground are more acheivable?

Indians have also dreamt a dream. A dream to be one of the super-powers of the world. We claim to have nearly acheived the dream. We have witnessed that India is claiming to have arrived on the global scene with a huge bang. But have we really? Most of the articles published on this blog previously has pointed out this very fact.

Recently, I had a chance to read an article by Pankaj Mishra. He writes literary and political essays for the New York Times, the New Statesman etc etc. Although the article penned by him - The Myth of New India - is dated July 6, 2006, I feel that it still holds good. Here are some excerpts from this article that I think hold significantly true even today:

"Since the early 1990's, when the Indian economy was liberalized, India has emerged as the world leader in information technology and business outsourcing, with an average growth of about 6 percent a year. Growing foreign investment and easy credit have fueled a consumer revolution in urban areas ................. "

"................. the alleged rise of India barely mention the fact that the country's $728 per capita gross domestic product is just slightly higher than that of sub-Saharan Africa ..... even if it sustains its current high growth rates, India will not catch up with high-income countries until 2106."

"Nor is India rising very fast on the report's Human Development index, where it ranks 127, just two rungs above Myanmar and more than 70 below Cuba and Mexico. Despite a recent reduction in poverty levels, nearly 380 million Indians still live on less than a dollar a day. "

"Malnutrition affects half of all children in India, and there is little sign that they are being helped by the country's market reforms, which have focused on creating private wealth rather than expanding access to health care and education. ..... and facilities for primary education have collapsed in large parts of the country ........."

"The potential for conflict — among castes as well as classes — also grows in urban areas, where India's cruel social and economic disparities are as evident as its new prosperity. The main reason for this is that India's economic growth has been largely jobless. Only 1.3 million out of a working population of 400 million are employed in the information technology and business processing industries that make up the so-called new economy. "

"No labor-intensive manufacturing boom of the kind that powered the economic growth of almost every developed and developing country in the world has yet occurred in India. Unlike China, India still imports more than it exports. ........"

Some very hard hitting facts... but can anyone of us refute them???? I agree that there have been some amount of progress that has been enforced by the urban middle class these days but is it enough? Is'nt this progress restricted to only a select few?

Is'nt it time to review our dreams and our claims to have acheived our dream???

Indian Antiques... Is it a shame?

While randomly going through my daily dose of news, views and analysis at various sites I stumbled upon the fact that there is an exhibition of Indian antiques in progress in a museum in China for the last two months. My immediate reaction to the news was that of pride. Efforts were being made on a serious note to promote Indian culture to be more than that of naked sadhus, snake charmers and black magic. The entire exhibition is very well done with touch screen technology used to display information about the antiques.

But the sense of pride was mixed with a sense of shame as well. As the writer of the article at ndtv.com has aptly pointed out that Indians sadly lack the knowledge of their own heritage and have no value for these artifacts. The number of people who have the knowledge of the same are few and rare. They might as well be termed as 'endangered species'.... ;-P. In a few years non-Indians will know more about our heritage and culture than we ourselves. On a serious note though I too support the view that it is now mandatory to begin a self education drive and become more proud of the country that we belong to.

Discrimination - What are we talking about?

India Poised campaign has explored many avenues and brought to the front some facts that make us justifiably proud that we are Indians. Not only we have a rich culture, heritage and past but the achievements of Young India is not to be scoffed at. The Indian Youth have taken India places to such an extent that News Channels like the NDTV and BBC are debating on position of India and its future.

Some not so savory details have been re-lived too. The most talked about unpleasantness of the very recent past is "Shilpa Shetty and the Big Brother Show". It has sprung open an International debate. Goody was invited to India for "soul cleansing". As a proud Indian, I am disgusted by all this. The disgust also made me think. If I want to put it simply I would say that Discrimination Begets Discrimination. The Caucasians do discriminate, but so do the Indians. This is prooved by not only the annals of history but the present too.

The discrimination practiced in India is against the fellow Indians. The caste system is the one of the greatest discriminators and it is still followed. The caste system was originally proposed as a way of ordering society but it grew into something malicious and all this in the name of religion. Today the caste system still exists albeit in a very modified form. The British Raj saw the formation of Classes. The castes and the classes mixed up to form curious combinations. I came across a new term in reference to this - claste. I leave it up to the interest of the reader to discover the whole caste, class and claste debate. We still have people being classified as along the broad lines of castism. It becomes more defined during rites of passage, opportunities etc.

The urban Indians talk about equality of gender and it is largely true in broader visions. Discrimination against women is still rampant in Urban as well as rural India. The Rural statistics are there for us to see. There is a village in Rajasthan were they welcomed a "barat" after 100 years as they used to practice female feticide. A girl child in an MP village weighs only 3.5 kg as opposed to her younger brother who weighs 6.5 kgs - only severe threats of action against them made them feed the girl child. More recently, villages in Haryana have been in the news because of a barter system that they follow - trading of women - they bring women from West Bengal, Assam, Orissa, Bihar as their "wedded wives" and then trade them to settle loans, debts, etc. The sex ratio in some states in North India is 850:1000.

We don’t like being called colored people now do we? But is it not we practice ourselves too? Switch on any TV channel and 1 out of 5 advertisements would be endorsing a fairness cream. We are not ashamed to propagate the erroneous fact that white skin lends confidence, boosts ego, etc. The Caucasians have fascinated us in almost every aspect and we do tend to follow them, imitate them. For most of us, our likes and dislikes are also dictated by their likes and dislikes. Some things like yoga, meditation, ayurveda, saw a natural phasing out in India and came back only when the Western world turned India-ward for good living fundamentals and religion.

What are we actually talking about when we discuss just what happened to us when we go out of India? No matter what, Indians still prefer going abroad and settling down even if it means that they would have to clean toilets. The reverse brain drain and discriminating factors have not lessoned our zeal for going abroad. We desperately want the world to view us in a different light and gain acceptance in their foreign society. We cheerfully contribute the discrimination to the fact that we were slaves at one period. A voice like Shipa Shetty's does ring out but how often. She is not the only person who is discriminated against and she has gained from it. A commoner usually never does. Have we raised our voices enough to fight the discrimination? Have we molded our thought processes to avoid the discrimination practiced in our own society? Let us join hands and abolish the internal divisions that we ourselves practice before looking outwards for equality…. As they say, don’t expect anyone to follow your advice and ignore the example that you set.

India Rising - My Journey of discovery

In the past few blogs I have been writing quite a bit about Mera Bharat Mahaan and what makes it so. I have been in the process of doing a SWOT analysis of the social concerns which prevented humara bharat from being mahaan and came up with quite a few surprising and confused answers.

Instead of torturing you with my complex SWOT analysis, I thought it wise to just share some of the articles that have forced me to think, analyse and evaluate. I am not posting anything concrete here since most of these articles are open to very wide interpretations and I would like to give you the chance to draw your own interpretations on India Rising according to your own perceptions.

Lets start off with the Profile of India... and where else would you get such a comprehensive one ....

The BBC focussed its attention on a special feature they called as 'India Rising' for an entire week in February 2007. Of all the articles that were published, the ones that are notable are:

a) Will India make a breakthrough
b) Key facts: India Rising
c) India's vision of a digital biliion
d) Science can lift India's poor

And not to mention:

a) Rise of India's middle class
b) India Poised campaign by the TOI.

Happy reading.....

No Roadside Cooking by Vendors - Its Impact

In the week that TOI is celebrating the soul and essence of Delhi as a part of the India Poised campaign with a series of spicy food festivals, music concerts, dance and drama; the Supreme Court has decided to pull out another rabbit from its hat and announced the ban on street side food vendors who cook on the spot and sell their wares hot to the hungry Delhites. They are the essence of the culture as it exists in Delhi today and all Delhites irrespective of their social status have enjoyed exercising their social networking skills over a plate of hot samosas and tea. From office gossip to dating to de-stressing everything happens over a plate of street side hot and spicy fast food. So, enjoying a plate of hot choley bathurey with your friends while enjoying the sun-shine in a bitterly cold day will not be as common a site in the future as it is today. So, Delhites will face a cultural shock. Imagine the North Delhi University devoid of its sumptuous food stalls and Paranthey-wala gali without its paranthas and jalebis. The impact of the shock is something that only time will tell.

The reason for the decision is easy to see. With its decision to seal the un-authorised and illegal business establishments it had started the process of cleaning Delhi of its various maladies. With the high profile people being hit by the now in-famous sealing drive it comes as no surprise that the hawkers who have their business establishments on a wooden table or a wooden cart will be the next target. Looking at the sequence of events that have taken place the Supreme Court has very neatly robbed the people in the lower economic group to raise their voices in protest. They have seen that the higher economic group had been hit before they had been hit and therefore that argument of partiality becomes null and void. They have also witnessed the un-relenting stance that the SC has taken with respect to the sealing drive and therefore are forewarned that there is a very high possibility their protests will also fall on deaf ears. This would force them probably to tackle the new ruling in a positive manner than a negative one.

The impact on cleanliness and health will be a very positive one. Gone would street corners piled with used dishes, plates, cups which more often than not attract a multitude of pests and prove to be a death knell for the drainage system contributing towards the high levels of pollution. The entire populations of rats, flies, cockroaches have to give up the luxury of going to their brand of 5-star hotels. Health concerns arising out of eating in greasy plates, eating food cooked in oil of dubious quality, eating food cooked and served with un-clean hands, eating food which is made tastier by the dust of the road settling on it would be reduced. This would also ensure that the general health factors governing the overall health of the Delhites will also improve since these delicacies would prove to a little more difficult to purchase and hence see a decline in the consumption frequency. So the early morning walks will suddenly start having a better impact on the health and the fat around the bellies will start melting with a little less effort than what it requires currently.

Amidst all the good that is being done because of the decision, there are a lot of concerns too. Suddenly, a man who makes a decent, honest living by cooking and selling his wares in a road-side cart will be without a job. He has to spend quite some money to re-establish himself in the alternative places that would be allocated to them by MCD/NDMC provided they do keep their promise of doing so. The time required to do it and the additional cost of bribing the officials for having the right to earn a living might as well prove to be a death knell for his intentions of earning a living by honest means. It might as well prove to be a major factor in deciding whether the man is able to continue sending his children to school or does he have to pull them out of school and put them to work; whether he is able to pay the doctors' fees for illness of a family member. So a family that might be just on the margin that defines poverty in India might be pushed below that line. So the whole vicious circle of maladies like poverty, lack of child education and lack of proper health care for the family will be fuelled further. And the gap between the rich and the poor will widen a little more.

So, the fine balancing act that has was being done between the wellness of a citizen vs. the wellness of the state as a whole gains a more sensitive dimension. The businessmen in the higher strata of the society were able to withstand the toughness of the Supreme Court albeit with a lot of loud protests. It remains to be seen what the impact of this decision will have on the lives of the people who have been at the helm of defining the 'Delhi Culture'. Only time will tell.

Read the viewpoints of a BBC correspondent here.

PS: This article is in response to an article published in the TOI. To read the article in TOI click here.

India Poised....

In my previous article I had made a sarcastic comment on what is India Poised considered as by its originators.

I read an article on the BBC which outlines the achievements of 3 children in a village in Andhra Pradesh. This is what I would term as India Poised and wanted to share this with everyone. Here is the link to the article on the site. Wont you too call it the same?

Soft Power: What message are we conveying????

Despite the myriad problems that India is facing in the current times it is as un-deniable fact that India is well on its way to consolidate it’s position in the world map as a powerful country. The super powers are sitting up and taking notice of the power of India.

Shashi Tharoor, Under Secretary General of United Nations has been writing a lot about two interlinked concepts of Brand India and Soft Power in the Times of India since the beginning of January 2007. Tharoor has acknowledged the strides that India is making in making its presence felt across the globe and has underlined the fact that India needs to consolidate its position and promote Brand India only through the use of Soft Power.

The term Brand India is self explanatory. The term Soft Power needs to be defined a little more for this article to be understood. Wikipedia lists the following definition of Soft Power:

“Soft power is a term used in international relations theory to describe the ability of a political body, such as a state, to indirectly influence the behavior or interests of other political bodies through cultural or ideological means. The term was first coined by Harvard University professor Joseph Nye. Soft power has since entered popular political discourse as a way of distinguishing the subtle effects of culture, values and ideas on others' behavior from more direct coercive measures, such as military action (hard power) or economic incentives. The resources from which soft power behavior is derived are culture (when it is attractive to others), values (when there is no hypocrisy in their application) and foreign policies (when they are seen as legitimate in the eyes of others). Unless these conditions are present, culture and ideas do not necessarily produce the attraction that is essential for soft power behavior. Popular culture and media is regularly identified as a source of soft power, as is the spread of a national language, or a particular set of normative structures; a nation with a large amount of soft power and the good will that engenders it inspire others to acculturate, avoiding the need for expensive hard power expenditures.”

Tharoor has given quite a few accolades to the Indian media for promoting the image of India as it is today. It is an acceptable fact that media plays an important role in shaping the psyche of not only the citizens of India but also that of the rest of the world. The term media encompasses not only the print media but also the small as well as the big screen, the internet etc.

As a very ordinary Indian citizen I am compelled to ask the kind of message that the media is passing to the world citizens. Does it show the true picture of Indians? In an article titled ‘Making the most of India’s Soft Power’ which was penned by Shashi Tharoor for the Sunday Times on January 28, 2007 there is a huge surprise in store. Kyunki Saas bhi Kabhie Bahu Thi has been lauded by him as one of the daily soaps which has grabbed the attention of many around the world. Two of the major resources of soft power are culture and values. So, does it mean that we are merrily conveying the fact that it is normal for Indians to get married 3-4 times in their lifetime; it is normal for Indians to deal with in-numerable look alike; it is normal for Indians to battle death for in-consequential reasons; it is normal for Indian married girls to wear only sarees; …… Are Tulsi and Parvati a true representation of mothers of India today? I guess the world thinks that all the above set of ‘culture and values’ are normal to Indians as Shashi Tharoor ends that particular article by saying ‘Tulsi Zindabad’. That is the kind of image that Balaji Telefilms has given about Indians to the world.

The print media does not lag too behind in promoting Brand India. For a newspaper that has launched the ‘India Poised’ campaign it is quite sad to note that the front page of the Sunday Newspaper dated January 28, 2007 is occupied by huge colored photographs of cine stars – one of whom is poised to marry the son of a film legend and another who is poised to win the controversial Big Brother show in UK. I guess that is what it means by saying ‘India Poised’. The good work done by Monojit Dutta in bringing the street kids back to school gets a mention only in the second page since I guess his contribution in shaping the lives of young Indians does not fit into the scheme of India Poised campaign. That is why probably media sites like BBC and NDTV are like a cool breeze.

Apart from this what the world perhaps would find attractive about India are probably high literacy rates, abolish of poverty, decrease in corruption in the politico-judicial systems etc etc. Once developed these will weild a considerable amount of soft power over the world citizens.

Irrespective of what the media is projecting and looking at the waves of change that are being generated by the Urban Indians I would like to say ‘Indians Zindabad’. Lets all toil together and be justified in saying ‘Mera Bharat Mahaan’.

Mera Bharat Mahaan?????

Mera Bharat…. Two words which are very emotive for all of us. And most of us proudly say Mera Bharat Mahaan. But is it really so….can we claim that distinction? Most of us would say a definite… YES. Looking at some of the urban cities in India there is no doubt that India has progressed quite a bit in the six decades after its independence. Take a look at the National Capital Region and one would be likely to agree with the statement and proudly so. Advancements – social, economic, political – are abounding. People here are flourishing. High rise buildings, multiplexes, flyovers, infra-structural developments can be seen and we can be justifiably be proud of it. The income of an average person has also risen and so has his spending power. Urban Indians came together and made themselves heard loud and clear as they demanded justice for Jessica Lall, Priyadarshini Matto and Nitish Katara.. and they did it successfully too. The urban Indian is having the time of his life. NCR is not the only region in India that is flourishing. Look at Hyderabad, Kolkatta, Mumbai, Chennai, Pune, ….all the metropolitan cities can boast of inflow of international companies wanting to set base there and give employment to the Indians. So we have a lot of grounds to say… Mera Bharat Mahaan.

But there is a reverse side of this coin and this side is not as rosy … in fact it is positively ugly. India woke up to a bright new year with the news of the morbid sexual harassment and killings of in-numerable children….. and some women too…. by a maniac called Pander and his Man Friday. And the place … NCR…….one of the parts of India that we are so justifiably proud of. The nation witnessed the callous attitude of the UP police. The comment of it being a ‘chota mota crime’ by the CM’s relative was as shocking as the crime itself. Is it a reflection of the in-human attitude that we are developing towards fellow human beings and their mis-fortunes? I would definitely say a YES to that. The serial killings have left people gasping and has been made murkier with the possibility of organ trade also being thrown in. We started comparing the reaction of the UP police – their reaction when the son of Adobe’s CEO was kidnapped vis-à-vis their reaction when the common man registered complaints with the police regarding their missing children… who had been killed by Pander. The police as well as the politicians have shown their callous side… and how!!!!!

The callous attitude of the politicians has also been highlighted recently by NDTV. NDTV is currently doing a campaign titled ROH (Republic of Hunger). In its article date January 23, 2007 and titled ‘India grapples with hunger pangs’ it has emphatically pointed out that the ICDS (Integrated Child Development Services) has failed in states like UP, Maharashtra, Orissa while Chattisgarh and Tamil Nadu have fared very well in providing food and health facilities to the under privileged children. And the blame has been laid squarely at the politicians door steps. NDTV has also published a separate article by Sutapa Deb titled ‘Rampant corruption in ICDS scheme in UP’ where it has been pointed out emphatically that the food for children are being used to feed the cattle – such is the corruption. So lakhs of children are mal-nourished since we have to keep the cattle healthy. How would you feel when you read a 112 page document titled ‘Hamara Uttar Pradesh Ban Raha Hai Adarsh Uttam Pradesh’ after you read the article by Sutapa Deb????.......

A similar contrast can be seen when I compare the spread of 1700 dishes on Annakut Diwas which was celebrated at the Akshardhaam Temple in Delhi to the beggar begging in front of the temple to fill his hungry stomach.

So in spite of the economic prosperity being witnessed by the Indians lakhs of people are denied the basic necessities of life like food, health care, security.

These are just tips of the iceberg. There are many more similar incidents that are taking place across the length and breadth of India. If I merely stated incidents which are closer home and are in sharp contrast to the rosy, prospering urban Indian. Do you still feel like saying Mera Bharat Mahaan??????