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?
Wednesday, 18 May 2011
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.
Thursday, 21 April 2011
Finally
Finally I will be having a real job two weeks from now. Sounds wonderful though I have no idea what the job is about. The place is one I have no idea about. A different language, a different culture. So I'm a bit apprehensive.
After two years of staying at home, leaving your family seems quite difficult. I believe I wouldn't have felt so bad if I had got out immediately after passing out of college. Still, that was not to be.
In two years, I have learnt many things. I believe I am a bit more sensible and humble than I was. I still can't believe how foolish I was during those days. Life takes us through paths we find difficult, to make us better persons. That is the summary of my two years' experience.
Now, I have no regrets. I admit that I have made mistakes, gross errors of judgement and almost ruined my career. Still, life wouldn't have seemed as sweet as it is now but for those mistakes. Sure, the pain is unbearable when you are going through a difficult phase. But once you are through, nothing gives you a greater satisfaction than the memories of how you survived with your integrity and conscience intact.
In retrospect, I would admit that all the mistakes I had committed were good ones to make. I wouldn't have been as contented as I am today had I chosen any other path. My parents seem a bit upset that I'm going away. I'm upset too but none of it changes the fact that I'm happy with my decisions and wouldn't exchange my life for anything else.
Some time ago, I hated my life. Now I call myself stupid for shedding those unwanted tears. Then I hated the conspiracies of the universe. Life was not fair. Well, now I love the conspiracies and life is still not fair, but now it is tilted in my favour.
Strange is man, for a moment of pain can wipe out his memories of a lifetime of happiness but then again, a moment of happiness can erase the pains of a lifetime of desperation, too.
After two years of staying at home, leaving your family seems quite difficult. I believe I wouldn't have felt so bad if I had got out immediately after passing out of college. Still, that was not to be.
In two years, I have learnt many things. I believe I am a bit more sensible and humble than I was. I still can't believe how foolish I was during those days. Life takes us through paths we find difficult, to make us better persons. That is the summary of my two years' experience.
Now, I have no regrets. I admit that I have made mistakes, gross errors of judgement and almost ruined my career. Still, life wouldn't have seemed as sweet as it is now but for those mistakes. Sure, the pain is unbearable when you are going through a difficult phase. But once you are through, nothing gives you a greater satisfaction than the memories of how you survived with your integrity and conscience intact.
In retrospect, I would admit that all the mistakes I had committed were good ones to make. I wouldn't have been as contented as I am today had I chosen any other path. My parents seem a bit upset that I'm going away. I'm upset too but none of it changes the fact that I'm happy with my decisions and wouldn't exchange my life for anything else.
Some time ago, I hated my life. Now I call myself stupid for shedding those unwanted tears. Then I hated the conspiracies of the universe. Life was not fair. Well, now I love the conspiracies and life is still not fair, but now it is tilted in my favour.
Strange is man, for a moment of pain can wipe out his memories of a lifetime of happiness but then again, a moment of happiness can erase the pains of a lifetime of desperation, too.
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