Francois Voltaire once said that madness is to think of too many things in succession too fast or of one thing too exclusively. If that is the case, most people in the world are mad. How do you define 'too fast' or 'too exclusively'? Or is it that we have redefined madness? The latter seems more plausible as this is an era which promotes what Voltaire calls madness.
Recently, I had a chance to get acquainted with a mother and a daughter, both of whom are considered to be 'a bit mad' by the society in general. No, they have both never been to a psychiatrist and do not take any medicine for their 'ailment'. I found that their 'diagnosis' was based on three observations:
1. They were pathologically curious about the things normal people tend to ignore in their normal lives.
2. They usually have an abnormal fear of the disasters that might strike them and have a habit of telling others about them in a quite descriptive manner.
3. They ask uncomfortable questions quite persistently.
Though both of them have been non-violent through their entire lives (except for the time when they pick up fights with each other), I live in the fear of meeting either or both of them.
'Am I mad?' is a question I asked myself after meeting them. To be honest, I have been pathologically curious many a time and I do have a fear that things may go wrong but I do not ask uncomfortable questions. So is it just the third factor that distinguishes me from madmen? Deep down, I know that I am insane - neither my actions nor my thoughts conform wholly to the standards of rationality set by the society. That brings us to some other questions - is the society sane?
How are rationality and sanity related? I have seen perfectly rational people being called 'insane' and vice versa. So we can conclude that rationality and sanity are almost independent of each other. The society is not rational, and in the absence of rational standards, it cannot unambiguously define sanity. There will always be an amount of vagueness when it declares a person sane or insane.
The sanity of a person is a position-dependent, time-dependent variable. For example, if the three characteristics I have described above, were to be exhibited by a highly respected social or natural scientist, he will still be considered normal. Hence sanity depends on social position. The higher you are in the social strata, the more it takes to be declared mad. Again, excessive inquisitiveness will be more readily forgiven in a traditional, rural society than in a modern society. So sanity depends on the social milieu in which you live. The definition of insanity also varies with time. A person who renounces all that he has and roams around in the streets in rags has a greater chance of being locked up in a lunatic asylum in India today than say, about four or five hundred years ago.
Given that insanity depends on too many factors, is it fair to declare a person sane or insane? Our sanity today may be sheer insanity tomorrow. Just as we find 'sati' an insane act today, following a religion may become a sign of insanity tomorrow. What is sanity, after all? Isn't it finally, another barrier erected to separate man from man, to keep away the people who threaten the order in our lives, who upset our comfort levels by asking us uncomfortable questions and articulating their fears, which, though irrational to us, may be perfectly rational for them? Who are we to decide rationality and sanity, given that throughout the history, these concepts have changed, sometimes overnight, sometimes through centuries? Who am I to call a fellow human being insane?
Saturday 27 November 2010
Sunday 21 November 2010
Power corrupts
So Raja has been sacked, PM finds himself in a tight spot and so does the Karnataka Chief Minister. The CWG scam has begun to take its toll as the heads begin to roll. Welcome to the latest season of corruption scams. The 2G scam of 1.77 lakh crore rupees (INR 1770 billion) is the biggest one the country has seen. And the poor Prime Minister finds his hands tied because of 'political compulsions'.
Unlike the Nehruvian era, the post-1990 period has seen only coalition governments at the centre. National parties do not have enough influence over all the states. So in order to form government at the centre, these parties are forced to enter into agreements with the regional parties. These agreements are virtually deals with the devil, leaving little or no room for it to carry out its agenda. While these alliances had a moderating effect on the pro-Hindutva BJP government, for the current UPA government, most of these are burdens that slow down the growth of the economy with their corrupt practices and/or populist policies.
Regional parties are not inherently evil. Most of them were founded with the noble cause of integrating the neglected sections of the society into the political mainstream. However, to compete with the might and the strength of the established national parties, they had no option other than to rely on the financial support from 'dubious sources'. And this is not the story of regional parties alone. National parties too are split into various factions in all states. These factions too behave in a manner similar to that of the regional parties to sustain themselves. So the parties are corrupt at the grass-root level. And the national leaders are the ones who win the rat-race at the local level in such a fantastic manner so as to attract the attention of the 'high-command'.
The cost of contesting in elections has increased manifold. So the leaders who can 'arrange for' sufficient funds emerge as either kings or king-makers in the states. They also get to have a say on who gets which ministry at the centre, especially if they belong to the regional parties. These ministers then have to give concessions or 'make adjustments' to please their 'financiers'. What happened in the 2G scam is only a more obvious instance of this widespread phenomenon. Again, the ministers also make hay while the sun shines. The cases of the current Karnataka CM is an example. He 'gifted' valuable real estate at throwaway prices to his relatives. The interesting point is that, the Congress is using this scam as a shield to counter the opposition attacks. There is a general feeling that the parties, national and regional, ruling as well as opposition, are using these scams as mere tools to capture power. They have no serious intention to root out this menace from the society. 'We are like this only' is their silent refrain. 'Why blame us alone? The others too are as corrupt as we are' is another one. Sometimes it seems as if India survives in spite of 'democracy', not because of it.
Politicians are not the only ones to be blamed for this. Bureaucracy too plays its part. The Weberian concept of its neutrality has been modified by many public servants in India to 'servility for the furtherance of personal interests'. The question is, when the dishonest public servants are colluding with the politicians to undermine the institution of democracy, should the honest ones be forced to maintain their silence in the name of anonymity? To what should the bureaucrats be more committed to - the political institutions which are being compromised almost on a daily basis or the Constitution which embodies the values which our founding fathers cherished?
Indian society does not support a whistle-blower until s/he either dies or becomes successful in spite of tremendous odds. Admit it - the common man is a coward, a creature more pre-occupied with his daily life rather than any national interest. It has been so for a long time and I see no reason why it will suddenly change for the better. So, if the country goes to the dogs, let it go. I will not raise my voice against anyone as long as I get my bread and butter, though it may be adulterated.
Unlike the Nehruvian era, the post-1990 period has seen only coalition governments at the centre. National parties do not have enough influence over all the states. So in order to form government at the centre, these parties are forced to enter into agreements with the regional parties. These agreements are virtually deals with the devil, leaving little or no room for it to carry out its agenda. While these alliances had a moderating effect on the pro-Hindutva BJP government, for the current UPA government, most of these are burdens that slow down the growth of the economy with their corrupt practices and/or populist policies.
Regional parties are not inherently evil. Most of them were founded with the noble cause of integrating the neglected sections of the society into the political mainstream. However, to compete with the might and the strength of the established national parties, they had no option other than to rely on the financial support from 'dubious sources'. And this is not the story of regional parties alone. National parties too are split into various factions in all states. These factions too behave in a manner similar to that of the regional parties to sustain themselves. So the parties are corrupt at the grass-root level. And the national leaders are the ones who win the rat-race at the local level in such a fantastic manner so as to attract the attention of the 'high-command'.
The cost of contesting in elections has increased manifold. So the leaders who can 'arrange for' sufficient funds emerge as either kings or king-makers in the states. They also get to have a say on who gets which ministry at the centre, especially if they belong to the regional parties. These ministers then have to give concessions or 'make adjustments' to please their 'financiers'. What happened in the 2G scam is only a more obvious instance of this widespread phenomenon. Again, the ministers also make hay while the sun shines. The cases of the current Karnataka CM is an example. He 'gifted' valuable real estate at throwaway prices to his relatives. The interesting point is that, the Congress is using this scam as a shield to counter the opposition attacks. There is a general feeling that the parties, national and regional, ruling as well as opposition, are using these scams as mere tools to capture power. They have no serious intention to root out this menace from the society. 'We are like this only' is their silent refrain. 'Why blame us alone? The others too are as corrupt as we are' is another one. Sometimes it seems as if India survives in spite of 'democracy', not because of it.
Politicians are not the only ones to be blamed for this. Bureaucracy too plays its part. The Weberian concept of its neutrality has been modified by many public servants in India to 'servility for the furtherance of personal interests'. The question is, when the dishonest public servants are colluding with the politicians to undermine the institution of democracy, should the honest ones be forced to maintain their silence in the name of anonymity? To what should the bureaucrats be more committed to - the political institutions which are being compromised almost on a daily basis or the Constitution which embodies the values which our founding fathers cherished?
Indian society does not support a whistle-blower until s/he either dies or becomes successful in spite of tremendous odds. Admit it - the common man is a coward, a creature more pre-occupied with his daily life rather than any national interest. It has been so for a long time and I see no reason why it will suddenly change for the better. So, if the country goes to the dogs, let it go. I will not raise my voice against anyone as long as I get my bread and butter, though it may be adulterated.
Tuesday 16 November 2010
The Right to A Plug-point
The Right to a Plug-point (RTAP)was a term coined by me while at the hostel. The hostel rooms did not have plug-points and you could charge your mobile phones and laptops only in the office room. The door of the office room could be opened only when nuns authorised to do so wished to visit it, which was only a few hours everyday. That meant that unless you had advanced surveillance equipment(read: a friend in the ground floor near the office room), you either had to forget about charging your phone from the office or risk having your phone trapped in the office room from morn till night. Most of the times, it was a touch-and-go affair.
My friends and I had heated debates on how to avoid such problems. The first solution was to use piezoelectric crystals or solar cells attached to the mobile phones for charging them. Then we found out that they were pretty much useless for smartphones. The next solution was wireless transmission of power from the electric cables to the phones. However, sensing that the idea, though workable, would not be feasible owing to huge wastage of power and also billing problems, we ditched that idea too. The only thing that remained was the good old 'wireful' transmission of power, whether we liked it or not. The Government had to declare RTAP as a fundamental right if it wanted the country to progress.
Later on, I read somewhere that Japanese were trying out the idea of wireless transmission. Also that many of our villages do not have access to power. Coming from two opposite ends of the spectrum, they amused me.
The Digital Divide in our country can be bridged only through mobile phones. No matter how cheap the laptops and PCs become, there is a huge section of people who will never be able to afford them. Also, they consume more power when compared to cellphones. They have 'fancy' software most people will have no use for. Plus, a computer without an internet connection is virtually useless today, unless it is used for billing in a grocery store. Also it requires an almost continuous supply of power. After all, how long can a laptop be run on its battery alone?
Compare that with a low-end smartphone. At about INR 3000-4000, you get a smartphone that helps you communicate with others, access internet at dirt-cheap rates, do not consume half as much power as an average laptop and allows you to draft documents, powerpoint presentations, watch movies and listen to songs. Plus, it is completely wireless.
The only thing that is missing now in those villages is the plug-point. People do not buy mobile phones in these villages as they know that they will not be able to recharge their batteries. That missing plug-point can save lives, help farmers earn more money, increase government efficiency, cut down corruption, bring in financial inclusion, promote education and what not. There is no limit to what that cellphone in your hand can do once you have a plug-point.
( When I hear of colleges banning cellphones, I can only marvel at the idiocy of such reckless orders. These are instances of dumb logic. E.g: 'Knives are used for killing people. So let's ban their use.' Instead of teaching the students how to use the devices in a responsible manner, the authorities instead opt for the easy way out - banning them. Banning something is never a solution. In fact, that itself is a problem greater than many others.)
So, dear citizens of the country, who want this nation to progress and actually become a superpower, who think that the dream of creating a 'knowledge economy' in this country can be realised, who know that Digital Divide is an artificial divide that denies a majority of our citizens the information that can change their lives for the better, I request you to chip in and spread the word about RTAP. The Right to Power ought to be a fundamental right in this digital era.
;)
P.S: Though this is a post written in jest, think about it sometime. And remember to do your bit when time comes.
My friends and I had heated debates on how to avoid such problems. The first solution was to use piezoelectric crystals or solar cells attached to the mobile phones for charging them. Then we found out that they were pretty much useless for smartphones. The next solution was wireless transmission of power from the electric cables to the phones. However, sensing that the idea, though workable, would not be feasible owing to huge wastage of power and also billing problems, we ditched that idea too. The only thing that remained was the good old 'wireful' transmission of power, whether we liked it or not. The Government had to declare RTAP as a fundamental right if it wanted the country to progress.
Later on, I read somewhere that Japanese were trying out the idea of wireless transmission. Also that many of our villages do not have access to power. Coming from two opposite ends of the spectrum, they amused me.
The Digital Divide in our country can be bridged only through mobile phones. No matter how cheap the laptops and PCs become, there is a huge section of people who will never be able to afford them. Also, they consume more power when compared to cellphones. They have 'fancy' software most people will have no use for. Plus, a computer without an internet connection is virtually useless today, unless it is used for billing in a grocery store. Also it requires an almost continuous supply of power. After all, how long can a laptop be run on its battery alone?
Compare that with a low-end smartphone. At about INR 3000-4000, you get a smartphone that helps you communicate with others, access internet at dirt-cheap rates, do not consume half as much power as an average laptop and allows you to draft documents, powerpoint presentations, watch movies and listen to songs. Plus, it is completely wireless.
The only thing that is missing now in those villages is the plug-point. People do not buy mobile phones in these villages as they know that they will not be able to recharge their batteries. That missing plug-point can save lives, help farmers earn more money, increase government efficiency, cut down corruption, bring in financial inclusion, promote education and what not. There is no limit to what that cellphone in your hand can do once you have a plug-point.
( When I hear of colleges banning cellphones, I can only marvel at the idiocy of such reckless orders. These are instances of dumb logic. E.g: 'Knives are used for killing people. So let's ban their use.' Instead of teaching the students how to use the devices in a responsible manner, the authorities instead opt for the easy way out - banning them. Banning something is never a solution. In fact, that itself is a problem greater than many others.)
So, dear citizens of the country, who want this nation to progress and actually become a superpower, who think that the dream of creating a 'knowledge economy' in this country can be realised, who know that Digital Divide is an artificial divide that denies a majority of our citizens the information that can change their lives for the better, I request you to chip in and spread the word about RTAP. The Right to Power ought to be a fundamental right in this digital era.
;)
P.S: Though this is a post written in jest, think about it sometime. And remember to do your bit when time comes.
Saturday 6 November 2010
Accountability? What's that?
The concept of accountability has become alien to this world. You just have to look around to see that.
Till yesterday, I wished to have a gun.
Today I want to become, somehow, Secretary to the Government of India in the Department of Telecom. I want to have the power to revoke the licenses of the companies that send me dumb advertisements, make telemarketing calls at the most inappropriate time and promise things that they cannot deliver.
I am feeling depressed as I can't access 3G! ;(
Where is TRAI when you need it?
Till yesterday, I wished to have a gun.
Today I want to become, somehow, Secretary to the Government of India in the Department of Telecom. I want to have the power to revoke the licenses of the companies that send me dumb advertisements, make telemarketing calls at the most inappropriate time and promise things that they cannot deliver.
I am feeling depressed as I can't access 3G! ;(
Where is TRAI when you need it?
Thursday 4 November 2010
The Idiot
I have always been a very remarkable person owing to my idiocy. I fumble when I shouldn't and appear smart when I should be acting like a fool. Knowing my behaviour well, my English teacher gifted me Dostoyevsky's 'The Idiot'. She had, in her beautiful handwriting, written 'To Anu Jose' above the book's title so that it read
'To Anu Jose The Idiot.' Seeing that a comma would not be out of place, I made suitable modifications so that it read 'To Anu Jose, The Idiot.' I have been an idiot ever since and slightly proud of it, too.
Knowingly or unknowingly, all through my life, I have been justifying the epithet that fate bestowed upon me. Today for instance:
Scene 1:
It was about 5:30 a.m. Anybody who knows me would know that I am a person who does not know what sunrise looks like. Anything before 7 looks midnight to me. So needless to say, I have, almost throughout my entire life, remained a staunch Sunday Christian, an ardent follower of the privatised religion and an owner of a heart with limitless sympathy for persons who couldn't enjoy the bliss of having a dream with the sun watching them from outside the window.
(My parents had, many a time, tried to find a cure for this peculiar malady of mine. Finally deciding that it was beyond their limits, they had given up.)
So where was I? Oh yes, in the bed, sleeping. Suddenly I thought I heard someone knocking at the door. Imagining that I was dreaming, I tried to ignore it. But the knock repeated itself, and I was forced to open the door. To my surprise, I found the Mother of the hostel, standing at my door, telling me, 'The Mass is at 5:45. ' She said something else too, but I could not concentrate on the rest as I was trying to imagine how it would be if I attend the mass at 5:45 in the MORNING! 'Unimaginable!', I said to myself, as I went back to sleep as soon as the Mother left the room. I mean, I can bear 6:30, but 5:45, according to me, amounts to human rights violation. Right to sleep is a more fundamental right for me than Right to Education or Right to Food.
The outcome of the episode was that the nuns in the hostel are now conspiring to reform me into a good Christian. Right now, the girl from the mess came to inform me that the Mass starts at 5:45 tomorrow too. I fear that my stay here is going to be a bit unpleasant for me from now on. :(
Scene 2:
After lunch, we were discussing about the political atmosphere in India, how hopeless the situation was, how the Constitution has become a joke, and so on. The nuns, in their orangish brown uniforms were walking past us as I was giving a talk on how politicians in Andhra were getting rid of EVMs by fielding more than 64 candidates in the constituencies where they wished to indulge in malpractices. (EVMs can be used for a max. 64 candidates. If the number is greater than 64, EC has to use paper ballot.) Then I had a vague idea that the nun standing in front of me looked 'kind of strange'. I was staring at the nun, trying to find out what was wrong. After a good five seconds, I realised that the nun had a long beard, a good moustache and something like a black kerchief tied to the head. I realised too, that the Mother was making gestures, asking me to greet the nun. Suddenly, realisation dawned: The nun was none else other than the Bishop of the Diocese and I had been staring at him in the most peculiar fashion for a whole and entire one minute! :(
When I was writing the GS paper of Mains, I was telling myself, 'Life can't get any worse than this!' But now, my life is telling me:
'Picture abhi baki hai mere yaar!' :(
'To Anu Jose The Idiot.' Seeing that a comma would not be out of place, I made suitable modifications so that it read 'To Anu Jose, The Idiot.' I have been an idiot ever since and slightly proud of it, too.
Knowingly or unknowingly, all through my life, I have been justifying the epithet that fate bestowed upon me. Today for instance:
Scene 1:
It was about 5:30 a.m. Anybody who knows me would know that I am a person who does not know what sunrise looks like. Anything before 7 looks midnight to me. So needless to say, I have, almost throughout my entire life, remained a staunch Sunday Christian, an ardent follower of the privatised religion and an owner of a heart with limitless sympathy for persons who couldn't enjoy the bliss of having a dream with the sun watching them from outside the window.
(My parents had, many a time, tried to find a cure for this peculiar malady of mine. Finally deciding that it was beyond their limits, they had given up.)
So where was I? Oh yes, in the bed, sleeping. Suddenly I thought I heard someone knocking at the door. Imagining that I was dreaming, I tried to ignore it. But the knock repeated itself, and I was forced to open the door. To my surprise, I found the Mother of the hostel, standing at my door, telling me, 'The Mass is at 5:45. ' She said something else too, but I could not concentrate on the rest as I was trying to imagine how it would be if I attend the mass at 5:45 in the MORNING! 'Unimaginable!', I said to myself, as I went back to sleep as soon as the Mother left the room. I mean, I can bear 6:30, but 5:45, according to me, amounts to human rights violation. Right to sleep is a more fundamental right for me than Right to Education or Right to Food.
The outcome of the episode was that the nuns in the hostel are now conspiring to reform me into a good Christian. Right now, the girl from the mess came to inform me that the Mass starts at 5:45 tomorrow too. I fear that my stay here is going to be a bit unpleasant for me from now on. :(
Scene 2:
After lunch, we were discussing about the political atmosphere in India, how hopeless the situation was, how the Constitution has become a joke, and so on. The nuns, in their orangish brown uniforms were walking past us as I was giving a talk on how politicians in Andhra were getting rid of EVMs by fielding more than 64 candidates in the constituencies where they wished to indulge in malpractices. (EVMs can be used for a max. 64 candidates. If the number is greater than 64, EC has to use paper ballot.) Then I had a vague idea that the nun standing in front of me looked 'kind of strange'. I was staring at the nun, trying to find out what was wrong. After a good five seconds, I realised that the nun had a long beard, a good moustache and something like a black kerchief tied to the head. I realised too, that the Mother was making gestures, asking me to greet the nun. Suddenly, realisation dawned: The nun was none else other than the Bishop of the Diocese and I had been staring at him in the most peculiar fashion for a whole and entire one minute! :(
When I was writing the GS paper of Mains, I was telling myself, 'Life can't get any worse than this!' But now, my life is telling me:
'Picture abhi baki hai mere yaar!' :(
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)