'Accountability' is one of the most commonly used words in relation to government and governance all over the world today. From the U.S. to Afghanistan, citizens are not satisfied with their governments on account of this one factor: an apparent lack of accountability among persons in power.
With the state assuming more responsibilities replacing the traditional agencies, it has assumed more power too, in order to 'increase efficiency'. All projects are projected to be more or less efficient in the beginning. Then, slowly, they either become inefficient or the problems that were swept under the carpet in the earlier phases slowly come out. In the first case, the people in charge are to be punished. But what happens in the latter case? The current office-holders are held to be accountable for the actions of their predecessors. And the real mischief-makers continue to enjoy their 'efficient' status. The double standards in the treatment meted out to their contemporary officers tend to silence the honest people who want to blow the whistle about their departments.
They are left in a dilemma: to whom are they accountable? To their organisation, to their profession, to the taxpayer or to their conscience. Mind you, in real life, all may have different requirements. And the taxpayer is invisible and has no apparent means of checking what is happening. Blowing the whistle may disrupt the functioning of the organisation which may be trying to return to accountability after a long time of 'making up the stats'. And acting according to your conscience may force one to quit his/her job at a time when s/he desperately needs it. The problem that seems to haunt one person may appear silly to others.
It is very much like the case of a single working mother. By her very nature, she would like to spend her time with the child. But to ensure its survival and future prospects, she has to work. One part of her dies everyday.
The same is the case with an honest worker. The conflict between the various accountabilities may make them look unaccountable. But, in truth, they are as honest as everyone else.
Still, it would be better to make the taxpayer your first priority. Look at what happened in Japan. Someone in the government might have surely known about the danger of having the plant on the fault. But hey, 'an earthquake of 9.0 magnitude is improbable' and it was so till it occurred. Even the smallest mistakes we commit today, knowingly or unknowingly, might have wider ramifications in the future. The only safeguard we can have is to keep the information as open as possible and fix the accountability precisely where it should be.
We cannot and we should not blame people totally innocent of a crime their predecessors had committed. That takes initiative out of the system. And we need to make the invisible taxpayer more visible. Right to information, citizens' charter and social audits are welcome steps but the objective will be achieved only when the organisations themselves provide the information to the public rather than waiting for formal requests.
In this case, the objective and the means to achieve it are the same.
Friday 27 May 2011
Monday 23 May 2011
Osama's Death and Indian Silence
A significant majority of the people all around the world rejoiced as the U.S. SEALs killed Osama at his secret residence in Abbottabad in Pakistan. Indians were especially relieved as the episode led to a confirmation of the Indian stand that Pakistan can never be a trusted ally in the 'war against terror' as elements in the Pakistani security establishment continue to support terror groups of varied shades in order to further their interests in Afghanistan and Kashmir.
Their continued support of the Haqqani group in Afghanistan and LeT and other related groups in Pakistan defies the Bushian logic of 'You're with us or you're with them'. The fact is, the identification of these terror groups with Islam and the overwhelming spread of anti-U.S. and anti-India sentiments in Pakistan makes it difficult for any government to do anything against the terrorists even if its leaders genuinely want to do something. Given the close ties between the defence forces and the terror groups which were formed, nurtured and strengthened over the past decades, winning the war against terror in Pakistan seems impossible. That a good number of Pakistanis consider Osama to be a martyr and a that a majority felt sad about the killing came as no surprise to the people of India.
Still, Osama's death creates more threats to India. The increased incidence of terror attacks on Pakistani military installations show that the terror groups see the Pak defence forces as 'betrayers' who sold Osama to the U.S. in return for aid. The ease with which these terrorist groups entered and attacked these installations raises the question of the safety of the nuclear weapons in that country. In the current scenario, it is almost difficult to believe that Pakistan will be able to prevent the terrorists from gaining access to its nuclear arsenal if the latter make a determined attempt to do so.
The attacks also show that the grip of the ISI and Pak army on these terror groups is loosening. The pattern in which targets have been selcted and the manner in which the attacks have been carried out seem to proclaim a growing animosity towards the 'remote control owners' in the Pak defence forces. This is a dangerous trend as mad dogs on a leash are 'safer' than the ones which do not have a leash. Pak army used to control these groups to further their interests and nothing much else. Now that the control is almost gone, the future seems more terrifying than the past.
With the death of Osama and the seemingly unending attacks on the security apparatus, the rank and file of the army must be feeling heavily demoralised. The regard for the army in the country too might now be at an all-time-low. This might lead its leaders to opt for an easy way to boost morale - attack India. The subdued reactions of Indian leaders to the events in Pakistan are not due to lack of patriotism - they have been carefully worded so as not to push the Pak leadership over the brink. Pakistan does not have much to lose now - its economy is in tatters, the credibility of its defence forces is diminished and its claim to territorial sovereignity is nothing more than a joke now thanks to the publicity given to the drone attacks and the Swat valley incident. That a government would, even if temporarily, allow an extremist group with no credible popular mandate to govern its territory is frightening. It showed how weak the Pakistani government is. The time it took to finally decide to strike back makes us wonder how prepared Pakistan is to counter an extremist takeover of the entire country or even a strategic portion of it.
Now that Osama's death has prompted the terrorist groups in Pakistan to strike back against their masters, India needs to be more worried than ever. Grand statements against the official rulers of Pakistan, which our opposition parties demand, may satisfy the home audience. But the price we may have to pay for them makes it an easy decision to take.
Their continued support of the Haqqani group in Afghanistan and LeT and other related groups in Pakistan defies the Bushian logic of 'You're with us or you're with them'. The fact is, the identification of these terror groups with Islam and the overwhelming spread of anti-U.S. and anti-India sentiments in Pakistan makes it difficult for any government to do anything against the terrorists even if its leaders genuinely want to do something. Given the close ties between the defence forces and the terror groups which were formed, nurtured and strengthened over the past decades, winning the war against terror in Pakistan seems impossible. That a good number of Pakistanis consider Osama to be a martyr and a that a majority felt sad about the killing came as no surprise to the people of India.
Still, Osama's death creates more threats to India. The increased incidence of terror attacks on Pakistani military installations show that the terror groups see the Pak defence forces as 'betrayers' who sold Osama to the U.S. in return for aid. The ease with which these terrorist groups entered and attacked these installations raises the question of the safety of the nuclear weapons in that country. In the current scenario, it is almost difficult to believe that Pakistan will be able to prevent the terrorists from gaining access to its nuclear arsenal if the latter make a determined attempt to do so.
The attacks also show that the grip of the ISI and Pak army on these terror groups is loosening. The pattern in which targets have been selcted and the manner in which the attacks have been carried out seem to proclaim a growing animosity towards the 'remote control owners' in the Pak defence forces. This is a dangerous trend as mad dogs on a leash are 'safer' than the ones which do not have a leash. Pak army used to control these groups to further their interests and nothing much else. Now that the control is almost gone, the future seems more terrifying than the past.
With the death of Osama and the seemingly unending attacks on the security apparatus, the rank and file of the army must be feeling heavily demoralised. The regard for the army in the country too might now be at an all-time-low. This might lead its leaders to opt for an easy way to boost morale - attack India. The subdued reactions of Indian leaders to the events in Pakistan are not due to lack of patriotism - they have been carefully worded so as not to push the Pak leadership over the brink. Pakistan does not have much to lose now - its economy is in tatters, the credibility of its defence forces is diminished and its claim to territorial sovereignity is nothing more than a joke now thanks to the publicity given to the drone attacks and the Swat valley incident. That a government would, even if temporarily, allow an extremist group with no credible popular mandate to govern its territory is frightening. It showed how weak the Pakistani government is. The time it took to finally decide to strike back makes us wonder how prepared Pakistan is to counter an extremist takeover of the entire country or even a strategic portion of it.
Now that Osama's death has prompted the terrorist groups in Pakistan to strike back against their masters, India needs to be more worried than ever. Grand statements against the official rulers of Pakistan, which our opposition parties demand, may satisfy the home audience. But the price we may have to pay for them makes it an easy decision to take.
Sunday 22 May 2011
A Malabar Monkey in a Military Mess
I have always hated spoons and forks and knives - even when not eating with them. Even when I try to cook, I try not to use them. Anything with a handle repels me. In restaurants, when the waiters would place spoons alongside dishes for eating, I would move them as far from my dish as possible. I was addicted to eating with fingers - the traditional Indian way of eating. The only thing I ate with a spoon was the ice cream.
All that has changed since I reached Poone. The mess here encourages eating with forks, knives and spoons. And the word 'encourages' means the same thing as in 'China 'encourages' the single child policy.' At first I resisted, continuing to eat with my fingers as long as dad was around. But as soon as dad went back, my courage ditched me and I started to eat with those steel contraptions.
I have to thank the internet for saving me from starvation. I did not have a clue about the rules governing these 'weapons of destruction'. So sought refuge in Google and lo and behold! I was turning into a master of the theoretical aspects of both the continental and the American style.
But theory is a bit different from practice. Fork and spoon are used here more often than fork and knife. And cutting the roti with a spoon can lead to awkward situations. So improvisation became necessary. Ditto with chicken curry. Thus, eating, for me, has become a 'learning exercise' than a process to enjoy the food!
I would not say that I have reached the 'expert' level in the game of these contraptions. I still keep making mistakes. But I hope I have moved into 'Medium' from 'Easy'.
The biggest achievement would be to eat puttu made of punja rice with a fork and a knife. That would be the 'expert' level.
All that has changed since I reached Poone. The mess here encourages eating with forks, knives and spoons. And the word 'encourages' means the same thing as in 'China 'encourages' the single child policy.' At first I resisted, continuing to eat with my fingers as long as dad was around. But as soon as dad went back, my courage ditched me and I started to eat with those steel contraptions.
I have to thank the internet for saving me from starvation. I did not have a clue about the rules governing these 'weapons of destruction'. So sought refuge in Google and lo and behold! I was turning into a master of the theoretical aspects of both the continental and the American style.
But theory is a bit different from practice. Fork and spoon are used here more often than fork and knife. And cutting the roti with a spoon can lead to awkward situations. So improvisation became necessary. Ditto with chicken curry. Thus, eating, for me, has become a 'learning exercise' than a process to enjoy the food!
I would not say that I have reached the 'expert' level in the game of these contraptions. I still keep making mistakes. But I hope I have moved into 'Medium' from 'Easy'.
The biggest achievement would be to eat puttu made of punja rice with a fork and a knife. That would be the 'expert' level.
Friday 20 May 2011
An Apology
What I really want to write now is a scathing article on the ineptness of the government which did not even bother to double-check the names in the 'Most wanted' list given to Pakistan, which hoped to arrest Kim Davy in Denmark with an expired warrant and other innumerable sins of omission and commission - some celebrated by the media and others buried deep in the files which will never be opened again.
The thing is, it is pointless to complain. Indian government is hopelessly inept these days in many areas that citizens expect it to be efficient. The government on the other hand, consider these to be the areas that require least attention.
Everyone knows what Pakistan will do with our 'Most wanted' list, even if it was correct - they will have a good laugh over the Indian government which 'expects' it to hand over Dawood Ibrahim and punish the 26/11 perpetrators. So both the GoI and the GoP know that the handing over of the list is a mere exercise to reassure the Indian citizens that the government exists. It does not matter which names are on the list. Nobody from the government on either side bothers to read it. But only this time the media played the spoilsport.
About Kim Davy. What happens after India arrests him? We will house him in a five-star jail, conduct a long trial, then watch as he appeals to the HC and then to the SC with 'breaking news' about the 'shocking revelations' about 'those in power'. And the great Indian middle class will add a few extra layers of skin and become more dumb and more deaf as the tamasha progresses. Which leads me to believe that CBI's intention might habe been more altruistic than we give it credit for. After all, the government is trying to reduce deficit by committing even the suicidal act of increasing petrol prices by unheard-of amounts though MPs who do not even attend the Parliament regularly get paid obscene amounts just because they are 'HMSs' (his/her master's servants). So the CBI was actually doing the taxpayer a favour by not creating another 'Kasabish' situation. But, what were these idiots in the media thinking of? Don't they think that we have to make up for the loss of two lakh crore rupees?
The GoI is not inept, nor is it stupid. In a world where economists are given a free hand, you can always expect rotting foodgrains and malnourished people because that makes 'economic sense', obscenely low limit for the poverty line because a government that can spend lakhs on a few rolls of toilet paper cannot 'afford' to acknowledge the actual level of poverty in the country if it has to control its deficit. When fiscal deficit becomes more important than government deficit, and now, even moral deficit, what hope can the citizens have?
India's tryst with destiny began at midnight and unfortunately, a majority have still not had a glimpse of the sun that is now surely rising. Confined to the darkness by insurmountable barriers of corruption, illiteracy, nepotism and misgovernance, the majority still find life to be a struggle for existence.
And I am a hippocrat too,blogging about the struggling millions from an aiconditioned room from a gadget those people may never even dream of owning.
The thing is, it is pointless to complain. Indian government is hopelessly inept these days in many areas that citizens expect it to be efficient. The government on the other hand, consider these to be the areas that require least attention.
Everyone knows what Pakistan will do with our 'Most wanted' list, even if it was correct - they will have a good laugh over the Indian government which 'expects' it to hand over Dawood Ibrahim and punish the 26/11 perpetrators. So both the GoI and the GoP know that the handing over of the list is a mere exercise to reassure the Indian citizens that the government exists. It does not matter which names are on the list. Nobody from the government on either side bothers to read it. But only this time the media played the spoilsport.
About Kim Davy. What happens after India arrests him? We will house him in a five-star jail, conduct a long trial, then watch as he appeals to the HC and then to the SC with 'breaking news' about the 'shocking revelations' about 'those in power'. And the great Indian middle class will add a few extra layers of skin and become more dumb and more deaf as the tamasha progresses. Which leads me to believe that CBI's intention might habe been more altruistic than we give it credit for. After all, the government is trying to reduce deficit by committing even the suicidal act of increasing petrol prices by unheard-of amounts though MPs who do not even attend the Parliament regularly get paid obscene amounts just because they are 'HMSs' (his/her master's servants). So the CBI was actually doing the taxpayer a favour by not creating another 'Kasabish' situation. But, what were these idiots in the media thinking of? Don't they think that we have to make up for the loss of two lakh crore rupees?
The GoI is not inept, nor is it stupid. In a world where economists are given a free hand, you can always expect rotting foodgrains and malnourished people because that makes 'economic sense', obscenely low limit for the poverty line because a government that can spend lakhs on a few rolls of toilet paper cannot 'afford' to acknowledge the actual level of poverty in the country if it has to control its deficit. When fiscal deficit becomes more important than government deficit, and now, even moral deficit, what hope can the citizens have?
India's tryst with destiny began at midnight and unfortunately, a majority have still not had a glimpse of the sun that is now surely rising. Confined to the darkness by insurmountable barriers of corruption, illiteracy, nepotism and misgovernance, the majority still find life to be a struggle for existence.
And I am a hippocrat too,blogging about the struggling millions from an aiconditioned room from a gadget those people may never even dream of owning.
Wednesday 18 May 2011
Notes
Pakistan and China are celebrating 60 years of friendship in 2011. After the Abottabad fiasco, when the Pakistani establishment found itself cornered and our Army chief went about making 'insensitive' remarks, China was the only country that stood by it. And China probably is the only country that finds support both among the general populace as well as the corridors of power -political and military - in Pakistan.
It is a match made in heaven - a common rival (India), heavy arms trade and investment ties - and free, unrestrained rhetoric whenever the other one is in trouble. India - Russia, Pakistan - China : these countries have ties which are remnants of the era of Cold War, not much trade to support them except for arms trade and are still going strong more due to nostalgia and time-tested trust rather than the money-denominated, economy-and-resource-dominated relationships of today. Which is good, for it is difficult to find such strong relationships between countries without a common ethnic origin or language or religion. In fact, in Asia, common origin (India-Pakistan), language or religion(some countries in the Middle East) never seem to be factors that foster unity. It is the rule of the attraction of the opposite poles that seem to work in the largest continent of planet earth. Look at it - Pakistan, an Islamic republic with an Urdu-speaking population and a free, capitalist economy has its strongest ally in China, a Communist nation of Mandarin speaking 'kafirs'. Geography decides your destiny and allies in Asia. Palmistry in humans gets scaled to boundary-line reading for nations. And unsurprisingly, the latter is more scientific and accurate.
Allies of China make an interesting study. Of course, all countries make allies to maximise their interests - strategic or economic, but China stands out because its most trustworthy allies are 'failed states' or boundary-line cases. China does not have an ally stronger than itself or even one that comes close to matching it. The psychology behind the idea of the 'celestial kingdom' still seems to be alive in the land of the dragons.
Pakistan is a country that could have become a developed country by now if its military-political-executive leadership were not so preoccupied with Kashmir and India. A nation of fertile fields and beautiful valleys, home to ancient universities and breathtaking mountains . But, alas, that was not to be! This is the fate of the nations who put their military in command. Granted, armymen may be more patriotic, but borrowing from Pareto, the ruling elite ought to have both foxes and lions in it. Running a country is more than putting up a show as the politicians in Pakistan are doing now. Pasha may speak of rehearsals, but a country which cannot protect its own military establishments from being attacked by militants, doesn't sound like a foe to be scared of. In fact, I bet that the Indian security agencies are more worried about the militant groups over which ISI has no control and the rogue elements in the Pakistani army than the actual strength of its real defence forces.
While dealing with Pakistan, India always faces a dilemma. Everyone knows that it is the army which calls the shots in Pakistan. Yet our civilian leaders can only to the civilan leaders there. Which really is a futile exercise in a country where coups are as common as regular monsoon is in India - you cannot be sure it will come but there is always a probabilty that it will.
The only way that Pakistan can redeem itself is by curbing the reach of its army and electing to power a strong, clean, responsive and responsible democratic government. Which seems improbable at the moment. Still, we can hope. Bihar did it. Will Pakistan follow?
It is a match made in heaven - a common rival (India), heavy arms trade and investment ties - and free, unrestrained rhetoric whenever the other one is in trouble. India - Russia, Pakistan - China : these countries have ties which are remnants of the era of Cold War, not much trade to support them except for arms trade and are still going strong more due to nostalgia and time-tested trust rather than the money-denominated, economy-and-resource-dominated relationships of today. Which is good, for it is difficult to find such strong relationships between countries without a common ethnic origin or language or religion. In fact, in Asia, common origin (India-Pakistan), language or religion(some countries in the Middle East) never seem to be factors that foster unity. It is the rule of the attraction of the opposite poles that seem to work in the largest continent of planet earth. Look at it - Pakistan, an Islamic republic with an Urdu-speaking population and a free, capitalist economy has its strongest ally in China, a Communist nation of Mandarin speaking 'kafirs'. Geography decides your destiny and allies in Asia. Palmistry in humans gets scaled to boundary-line reading for nations. And unsurprisingly, the latter is more scientific and accurate.
Allies of China make an interesting study. Of course, all countries make allies to maximise their interests - strategic or economic, but China stands out because its most trustworthy allies are 'failed states' or boundary-line cases. China does not have an ally stronger than itself or even one that comes close to matching it. The psychology behind the idea of the 'celestial kingdom' still seems to be alive in the land of the dragons.
Pakistan is a country that could have become a developed country by now if its military-political-executive leadership were not so preoccupied with Kashmir and India. A nation of fertile fields and beautiful valleys, home to ancient universities and breathtaking mountains . But, alas, that was not to be! This is the fate of the nations who put their military in command. Granted, armymen may be more patriotic, but borrowing from Pareto, the ruling elite ought to have both foxes and lions in it. Running a country is more than putting up a show as the politicians in Pakistan are doing now. Pasha may speak of rehearsals, but a country which cannot protect its own military establishments from being attacked by militants, doesn't sound like a foe to be scared of. In fact, I bet that the Indian security agencies are more worried about the militant groups over which ISI has no control and the rogue elements in the Pakistani army than the actual strength of its real defence forces.
While dealing with Pakistan, India always faces a dilemma. Everyone knows that it is the army which calls the shots in Pakistan. Yet our civilian leaders can only to the civilan leaders there. Which really is a futile exercise in a country where coups are as common as regular monsoon is in India - you cannot be sure it will come but there is always a probabilty that it will.
The only way that Pakistan can redeem itself is by curbing the reach of its army and electing to power a strong, clean, responsive and responsible democratic government. Which seems improbable at the moment. Still, we can hope. Bihar did it. Will Pakistan follow?
Friday 13 May 2011
Election results in Kerala
Today the Kerala election results came out. The whole state is stunned at the 'photo finish' result, with the latest update being a 72-68 split of the 140-member state legislative assembly. The other three states have given solid mandates to the winners but Kerala seems to be in two minds.
The thing is, the Left rule was not as bad as the UDF made it out to be. The past rule was an out-and-out welfare regime, bordering on Fabian socialism. In a society as unequal as Kerala(I know this is a surprising fact, but our Gini index is among the highest in India.), only a welfare state can help people belonging to the lower sections in meeting their expenses on basic needs like food, education and healthcare. The Left has had this solid base which has stood with it for the past many decaded even as a good number of its members moved on to join the upper sections of the society. The loyalty to the Left front ensures it of a certain number of votes come what may.
Similarly, the UDF has a good following among the so-called general category sections - Nairs, Christians and thanks to the IUML, among Muslims too. Though the Kunjalikkutty issue that rose to prominence in the month just before the elction alienated many of the pro-UDF voters from it, the whole manner in which the media portrayed it consolidated the Muslim vote in north Kerala. This 'sympathy vote' led to a marked but expected improvement in the performance of IUML though the remaining allies in the UDF had to pay the price for what a good number of voters believed to be a case of 'protecting the powerful wrongdoer'. So the anti-incumbency factor did not work much in favour of the UDF. The very thought of having a person facing such serious allegations as a minister may have repelled a good number of voters who might have voted against the Left.
The manner in which the leadership of the UDF handled the two rupee per kilogram of rice scheme left much to be desired. The petty squabbles among the allies for seats, the corruption scandals at the Centre and the excessive attention bestowed on religious and communal leadership by the UDF leave much to be desired. It ought to revamp its PR machinery and understand that Kerala is in the process of moving on from the trend of voting on caste/communal lines to a more individualistic and instrumentalist voting pattern.
The LDF could have easily won this election if it had borne a semblance to a coherent government. It seemed in quite a number of instances that he left hand did not know what the right hand was doing. It was like a performance of Kathakali with a background of hiphop Bollywood music - a reign marred by easily avoidable confusion. Its welfare schemes were good and helped people survive in spite of the soaring levels of inflation but it would have been better if it had done a bit for the most populous and the most powerful class of Kerala - the middle class. A bit of support for setting up of new private industries in the state and at least a show of willingness to start the SmartCity project would have stood it in good stead. Alas, that was not to be.
BJP again failed to open its account in Kerala. This failure was very predictable too. Thanks to the riots in Gujrat and in Orissa, it is going to be very difficult for the BJP to get the minority vote - which accounts for 43 per cent of the total population of the state. Add the ballpark figure of the minimum 30 percent staunch Left supporters. So, about three-fourths of the population automatically exclude the party when it comes to the elections. And in a state where elections are traditionally neck-and-neck races, the party has virtually no chance of winning an election. Add factionalism and ego clashes to that and you will find that the lotus may never bloom in Kerala.
The society in Kerala is divided on caste, class and party lines, sometimes overlapping, sometimes conflicting. This is reflected in the elections too. The role played by factors like political polarisation, group loyalties and media activism make Kerala elections both predictably unpredictable and unpredictably predictable. That is the essence of politics in Kerala.
The thing is, the Left rule was not as bad as the UDF made it out to be. The past rule was an out-and-out welfare regime, bordering on Fabian socialism. In a society as unequal as Kerala(I know this is a surprising fact, but our Gini index is among the highest in India.), only a welfare state can help people belonging to the lower sections in meeting their expenses on basic needs like food, education and healthcare. The Left has had this solid base which has stood with it for the past many decaded even as a good number of its members moved on to join the upper sections of the society. The loyalty to the Left front ensures it of a certain number of votes come what may.
Similarly, the UDF has a good following among the so-called general category sections - Nairs, Christians and thanks to the IUML, among Muslims too. Though the Kunjalikkutty issue that rose to prominence in the month just before the elction alienated many of the pro-UDF voters from it, the whole manner in which the media portrayed it consolidated the Muslim vote in north Kerala. This 'sympathy vote' led to a marked but expected improvement in the performance of IUML though the remaining allies in the UDF had to pay the price for what a good number of voters believed to be a case of 'protecting the powerful wrongdoer'. So the anti-incumbency factor did not work much in favour of the UDF. The very thought of having a person facing such serious allegations as a minister may have repelled a good number of voters who might have voted against the Left.
The manner in which the leadership of the UDF handled the two rupee per kilogram of rice scheme left much to be desired. The petty squabbles among the allies for seats, the corruption scandals at the Centre and the excessive attention bestowed on religious and communal leadership by the UDF leave much to be desired. It ought to revamp its PR machinery and understand that Kerala is in the process of moving on from the trend of voting on caste/communal lines to a more individualistic and instrumentalist voting pattern.
The LDF could have easily won this election if it had borne a semblance to a coherent government. It seemed in quite a number of instances that he left hand did not know what the right hand was doing. It was like a performance of Kathakali with a background of hiphop Bollywood music - a reign marred by easily avoidable confusion. Its welfare schemes were good and helped people survive in spite of the soaring levels of inflation but it would have been better if it had done a bit for the most populous and the most powerful class of Kerala - the middle class. A bit of support for setting up of new private industries in the state and at least a show of willingness to start the SmartCity project would have stood it in good stead. Alas, that was not to be.
BJP again failed to open its account in Kerala. This failure was very predictable too. Thanks to the riots in Gujrat and in Orissa, it is going to be very difficult for the BJP to get the minority vote - which accounts for 43 per cent of the total population of the state. Add the ballpark figure of the minimum 30 percent staunch Left supporters. So, about three-fourths of the population automatically exclude the party when it comes to the elections. And in a state where elections are traditionally neck-and-neck races, the party has virtually no chance of winning an election. Add factionalism and ego clashes to that and you will find that the lotus may never bloom in Kerala.
The society in Kerala is divided on caste, class and party lines, sometimes overlapping, sometimes conflicting. This is reflected in the elections too. The role played by factors like political polarisation, group loyalties and media activism make Kerala elections both predictably unpredictable and unpredictably predictable. That is the essence of politics in Kerala.
Thursday 12 May 2011
Life is a play of fools
Life is a play of fools. And it is becoming more so. Our emotions and characters are increasingly being limited to what the FB and the Gmail allow us to type using the characters. Only one single standard happy smiley. No variations. Wouldn't this affect our normal interactions too? Man is an animal with an infinite number of emotions and states of mind. And the computers are making our expressions 'limited'.
How do you express the emotion when the first raindrops after a long hot summer land on you as you are going to an important meeting? Annoyed but still enjoying the sweet smell of earth as it regains its ability to breathe life back into the dormant, forgotten seeds hidden in its womb?
Or when you hear a sweet slow melody quite accidentally when you were tired beyond imagination? A melody so sweet that you leave the work for the report to be submitted to your boss the next day and just lie down, listening to it, savouring every note?
The joy when you read a beautiful poem, the happiness when the first dish you cook alone comes out fine, the taste of fresh mango juice - can we express these in words? If you can, you are either a genius or a total moron.
Why let characters limit our emotions? Life is much more than symbols. It is more about the memories, the mistakes, the little joys and the laughs, the cries and the blushes than about colons, semicolons and brackets. So, instead of reading this, go out and get a life!
How do you express the emotion when the first raindrops after a long hot summer land on you as you are going to an important meeting? Annoyed but still enjoying the sweet smell of earth as it regains its ability to breathe life back into the dormant, forgotten seeds hidden in its womb?
Or when you hear a sweet slow melody quite accidentally when you were tired beyond imagination? A melody so sweet that you leave the work for the report to be submitted to your boss the next day and just lie down, listening to it, savouring every note?
The joy when you read a beautiful poem, the happiness when the first dish you cook alone comes out fine, the taste of fresh mango juice - can we express these in words? If you can, you are either a genius or a total moron.
Why let characters limit our emotions? Life is much more than symbols. It is more about the memories, the mistakes, the little joys and the laughs, the cries and the blushes than about colons, semicolons and brackets. So, instead of reading this, go out and get a life!
Sunday 8 May 2011
Mind, Language and Ideas
'I think, therefore I am.', said Descartes, proving the existence of his mind to himself. How do we know that others have minds too? That their minds are as 'good' as ours? Do the animals have minds too? Does a newborn baby have a mind?
Descartes could prove to himself that he existed as he was aware of the concepts of 'thought' and 'existence'. He had a language to express it. We infer that animals have no mind as they are unaware of abstract concepts and have, at best, very limited linguistic skills. In fact, the progress the human race has made till date is solely based on its ability to grasp abstract concepts and communicate them to others. A newborn baby, with no concepts and no language, has no mind. Its mind develops after it is born. It is indeed bewildering to think of the fact that the progress of a society can be retarded, limited or accelerated by the nature of the language it uses. The freer a language is to incorporate new words and new expressions, the more exposed will its speakers be to new ideas. And it is these ideas that take us forward or backward. The colloquial language at any point of time reflects the past and the present of a society and determines its future to a great extent.
It is said that Homo sapiens is the only species that is aware of the fact that the individual members have to die. As Keynes so aptly put it, 'In the long run, we are all dead.' What happens to the mind after death? Is the religious concept of soul different from the concept of mind? If so, why do religions seek to punish the soul for the acts directed by the mind?
If the existence of mind depends on the brain being alive, mind is reduced firstly to a collection of thoughts and memories and finally to currents of electrons making and breaking chemical bonds on the way. How weird it is to think of the grand ideas of liberty, justice and equality as the result of the circulation of sodium and potassium ions in a specific manner!
Descartes could prove to himself that he existed as he was aware of the concepts of 'thought' and 'existence'. He had a language to express it. We infer that animals have no mind as they are unaware of abstract concepts and have, at best, very limited linguistic skills. In fact, the progress the human race has made till date is solely based on its ability to grasp abstract concepts and communicate them to others. A newborn baby, with no concepts and no language, has no mind. Its mind develops after it is born. It is indeed bewildering to think of the fact that the progress of a society can be retarded, limited or accelerated by the nature of the language it uses. The freer a language is to incorporate new words and new expressions, the more exposed will its speakers be to new ideas. And it is these ideas that take us forward or backward. The colloquial language at any point of time reflects the past and the present of a society and determines its future to a great extent.
It is said that Homo sapiens is the only species that is aware of the fact that the individual members have to die. As Keynes so aptly put it, 'In the long run, we are all dead.' What happens to the mind after death? Is the religious concept of soul different from the concept of mind? If so, why do religions seek to punish the soul for the acts directed by the mind?
If the existence of mind depends on the brain being alive, mind is reduced firstly to a collection of thoughts and memories and finally to currents of electrons making and breaking chemical bonds on the way. How weird it is to think of the grand ideas of liberty, justice and equality as the result of the circulation of sodium and potassium ions in a specific manner!
Sunday 1 May 2011
A return journey
And so began the journey back from Delhi. After a short wait at the Nizamuddin railway station, the Rajdhani gently chugged into the station. We got in.
It was the first time I was travelling by a train in north India. Other than what I have read in the textbooks and seen on the TV, north India is as much a mystery to me as Kerala must be to someone in Haryana. I will never understand the logic of the infinity of the colourful bangles in their women's hands, of the ghoonghat, of the karva chauth and their belief that everyone from the south of Maharashtra is a Madrasi.
After some time, the scene outside the window of the train becomes boring due to its sheer monotony. In May, the land looks so parched that you feel thirsty on looking at it. Roads are very few in number. And I saw more goats and buffaloes on the way than specimen belonging to the Homo sapiens.
Yet, all the land, or at least most of it was under cultivation. Long stretches of land lay before me, empty after harvesting, ready to give life to the next set of crops only if their thirst was quenched. Houses were found in clusters, not isolated and a bit far from each other as we have in Kerala.
My father made an interesting observation as we were passing through Rajasthan. The north Indians tend to cover themselves up whether in summer or winter whereas the Malayalis preferred the 'minimalist' style in summer. After some brainstorming, we blamed it on our high humidity.
Nobody seemed interested in looking at the landscape outside after the lunch. Dad went to sleep too, leaving me alone to look at how this part of the country shapes up.
I am now both proud and ashamed to say that I am from Kerala. If these states had received half as much rain as we were receiving, nobody in the world would go to sleep hungry. Yet, in the case of the spirit of equality and fraternity, we do fare better.
I saw bullock carts and tractors running side by side. Huts and palaces doted the country of the cultivated lands. Still a glimmer of the untameability of the earth was seen in the patches where bushes ruled over the land. Groups of nomadic artisans living in tents made of plastic sheets lay sleeping in the scorching sun even as this air-conditioned train carrying their brethren whizzed by. Some May day!
Money decides the temperature you live in, the clothes you wear and even the quality of the air and water you consume.
There is no wildness of nature in these parts. No wonder the women are expected to be submissive here. The reins of both of them are firmly held by the men here. Orderly but cruel. Productive but parched, broken, deformed. Not a sign of life that was not deigned and decreed by the lords. How loathsomely neat!
Yet signs of change are seen. A lone woman driving an SUV on a narrow road parallel to the train, patches of wild bushes and trees not grown under 'social forestry' give hope. Let this hope never die.
It was the first time I was travelling by a train in north India. Other than what I have read in the textbooks and seen on the TV, north India is as much a mystery to me as Kerala must be to someone in Haryana. I will never understand the logic of the infinity of the colourful bangles in their women's hands, of the ghoonghat, of the karva chauth and their belief that everyone from the south of Maharashtra is a Madrasi.
After some time, the scene outside the window of the train becomes boring due to its sheer monotony. In May, the land looks so parched that you feel thirsty on looking at it. Roads are very few in number. And I saw more goats and buffaloes on the way than specimen belonging to the Homo sapiens.
Yet, all the land, or at least most of it was under cultivation. Long stretches of land lay before me, empty after harvesting, ready to give life to the next set of crops only if their thirst was quenched. Houses were found in clusters, not isolated and a bit far from each other as we have in Kerala.
My father made an interesting observation as we were passing through Rajasthan. The north Indians tend to cover themselves up whether in summer or winter whereas the Malayalis preferred the 'minimalist' style in summer. After some brainstorming, we blamed it on our high humidity.
Nobody seemed interested in looking at the landscape outside after the lunch. Dad went to sleep too, leaving me alone to look at how this part of the country shapes up.
I am now both proud and ashamed to say that I am from Kerala. If these states had received half as much rain as we were receiving, nobody in the world would go to sleep hungry. Yet, in the case of the spirit of equality and fraternity, we do fare better.
I saw bullock carts and tractors running side by side. Huts and palaces doted the country of the cultivated lands. Still a glimmer of the untameability of the earth was seen in the patches where bushes ruled over the land. Groups of nomadic artisans living in tents made of plastic sheets lay sleeping in the scorching sun even as this air-conditioned train carrying their brethren whizzed by. Some May day!
Money decides the temperature you live in, the clothes you wear and even the quality of the air and water you consume.
There is no wildness of nature in these parts. No wonder the women are expected to be submissive here. The reins of both of them are firmly held by the men here. Orderly but cruel. Productive but parched, broken, deformed. Not a sign of life that was not deigned and decreed by the lords. How loathsomely neat!
Yet signs of change are seen. A lone woman driving an SUV on a narrow road parallel to the train, patches of wild bushes and trees not grown under 'social forestry' give hope. Let this hope never die.
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