interim thoughts...

An ISI wish list

2012-05-25T22:11:00.001+05:30

Dear God, Here is a list of wishes that we, as ISI, have for our neighbouring country -India. If there is someway you can help fulfil some (all would be great) of these, that will be really nice for us.

The Indian Army should have a shortage of ammunition
The Indian Government and the Indian Army should fight, publicly, thereby bringing down the status of the Indian army in the eyes of the people.
Sell defective or substandard or old equipment to the Indian army
Somehow get an foothold on that blistering cold Siachen place and then screw Indias happiness.
Gain an ear into the Indian telecom sector through some dubious entity so they can conveniently eavesdrop into the conversations of India.
Get some foothold into selling dubious telecom equipment to India while we are at it.
Get a few useful idiots to mouth our wishes on Kashmir by getting them on free foreign trips and some good accommodation.
Somehow, get these few useful idiots to advise the government on Kashmir in an official capacity.
Somehow, a nice public report advising the government to effectively give up Kashmir should find its way into the public domain with the active blessings of the government. And use that as a starting point in future negotiations.
Somehow get India to build an asset in our territory, so Indias neck can be choked without having to move an inch out of our own country. Preferably, like a gas/oil pipeline that can wreck Indias energy security would be nice, eh?
As part of death by a thousand cuts, have some other terror movement that is not directly connected to the religiously motivated one that we support. Preferably this terror movement should have its origins in backward areas so that useful idiots will write blaming the gross inequality in India for such movements.
Have a few media outlets talk about making peace with us, under the cover of arts, literature and some such shit. And then use this to get some railway locos, oil, electricity and other freebies. While we are at it, a liberal visa regime would be nice too.
Get fantastic media coverage each time our puppet visits India on a personal visit and makes some vapourware loose change as donation.
Outsource the religious terror movement completely to an Indian entity that then goes about doing its own thing - like the proverbial cats paw.
Get someone (as good as Teesta) to advise the HRD ministry on education so that the new generation grows up admiring us, rather than ignoring us.

As you can see, our government has fulfilled most of these wishes...What else could be on this wish list?

Dont demonise the Indian army in Kashmir

2012-05-17T20:51:00.000+05:30

Much outrage is being expressed over a new book, The Meadow, authored by Adrian Levy and Cathy Scott-Clark which puts the blame on a high profile kidnapping and killing of 5 foreign tourists in Kashmir in the late 90s on the Indian Army and security agencies. The first assumption of course, is that this is indeed true, since as an eminent journalist pointed out in his piece, this has never been spoken about at all - which is a rarity in a world that is notoriously known for "open secrets".

Let us leave that assumption aside and look at the realities.

The fact that Kashmir has been in the throes of a covert and many a time overt war funded and sponsored by Islamic interests abroad (notably our neighbour) is indisputable. This is a reality since the first attempt in 1947 and the last attempt at Kargil in 1999. (Read, India Pakistan and the Secret Jihad by Praveen Swami.) The nature of this overt war has kept pace with the realities of the world. It was open terror in the late 80s and early 90s which resulted in the brutal forced exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits – a sordid episode unprecedented in independent India. Over time thanks to the patience and persistence of Indian authorities, the relative decline of the neighbour into the abyss of a terrorist state and its occupation with its other border, the worldwide recognition of the terror threat have contributed to the decline of the violent movement. The movement has sought to sustain itself on the basis of other means of outrage as seen in the stone throwing episodes couple of years back, which were proved to have been funded by interests inimical to India. A significant part of this is how with the Fai episode, we have seen how the ISI has cultivated the high and mighty in Indian society for the throwaway price of a few junkets and sought to keep the so called freedom movement alive in the media by saying the right things.

What is clear is this. That the part of the entire J&K state afflicted by this Islamic insurgency is a very small one and is largely reflective of an Islamic movement than a movement based on real democratic freedom (where all religions thrive and all people are equal etc. - which is my definition of freedom). The driving out of the Pandits has made this clear to everybody. This movement seeks to destroy (whatever little is left of it) Kashmiriyat and replace it with some version of "Islamiyat". The fact that is one is conflated for the other is a failure of our discourse. The fact is also that there is a significant part of the erstwhile state that is under Pakistan and Chinas control where civil liberties practically do not exist.

There is a long story to be told on this, which many other notable people have pointed out better, but the fact of the matter is this. Counter terrorism is not pretty. Wars have to be fought. As we have seen from Indias own experience – in Punjab or in the Naxal movement earlier – we have had to use all tactics in order to win this war. (After all, the terrorists and their funders do much worse and it is in the governments interest to protect its citizens by whatever means.)

And the Narasimha Rao Government in a way did many things that irreversibly changed the direction of India. And this is perhaps one of them. I don’t know – books typically sensationalize stories a lot for a variety of reasons. But, here is the point, if it were true, it is a feather in the cap of Indian authorities to have carried it out with such precision.

However let us not use the book as an excuse to flog Indian agencies for the atrocities in Kashmir. Or believe that everything that happens there happens at the behest of Indian agencies. The truth is otherwise.

Do remember that until terrorism began, there were no soldiers in the state or the valley. And it would be just another of the many states in India that happen to have an international border.

(Published as an oped in The Pioneer Today with some edits)

Online India

2012-05-12T07:35:00.000+05:30

Look around you in the major cities of India when you are stuck in a traffic jam. Especially in Bangalore. You will see bike riders with huge bags behind them with names of companies - which may not immediately ring a bell. Indeed the names you will see wont be the usual names you have been used. The names you will see most commonly see are Flipkart, Jabong or Myntra (Atleast these are the few that I have seen here).

Familiar names? Or not? Depending on that, you are clued into or not clued into Indias second e-commerce revolution.

Yes, India did have a first e-commerce revolution. That was at about the same time that the e-commerce area was catching up in US. And then you had these dot coms, portals and a few online shopping and other services as well. The one I remember most was this site called Indiamart (if I am not mistaken) and on the road connecting Bangalore to Electronic City, they had a physical warehouse kind of space. The first time I saw it, I was amazed to see something like that. But over time, I realized that perhaps nothing much happened there.

My second experience was with a friend who ordered something from a portal and he had to go collect it from a post office (and this was in Hyderabad) and after all the trouble, the object he got was broken. And this experience kind of made me wary about online shopping. And I did not have to worry. Online shopping never did take off in India – though Amul and others did try something on these lines even in the late 90s. Like them, there are many others who tried to offer some kind of online shopping. Online revolution in India did take its time.

And when the dust settled what survived was really, online Banking, online Trading and wonder of wonders – online railway booking. Which is funny, because they are more complex than shopping. But online in India really took off with these services. Indeed IRCTC remains till date perhaps Indias biggest e-comm vendor and works across age groups. Around this time APSRTC had a reasonably wide South India network on the Business side servicing agents and the like. And KSRTC was nowhere. Soon, KSRTC went online, perhaps learning from Indian Railways. And soon took a lead over APSRTC, but both remain first movers in the online bus ticket booking space . Deccan Airlines was very big online and even sold tickets at petrol bunks. But online shopping, never really took off. Along this time, I ordered a legal windows disc and it took me one entire season to reach me. So, two strikes for Indian e-commerce, though the railway and the bus ticketing worked better than the actual railways.

Small portals like Myntra (it was small then), Dilsebol and others appeared and seemed to do well for themselves. I ordered at these places and was wowed by the customer service. But it wasn’t until Flipkart arrived (atleast for me) that the shopping revolution really began. I gingerly ordered a book (having had an earlier forgettable experience from another portal) from Flipkart and I was flipped and hooked. The speed, the price and the service levels were amazing. And over time, I spend quite a bit of money on FP and finally even ordered my phone from them. It arrived without a scratch. And Flipkart has moved to selling a lot more than just books.

And then there are online classifieds and second sales like on Quikr (response times are really good), ebay.

And now there are others. Jabong, Myntra, cbazar, zovi, yebhi, indiaplaza, infibeam, babyoye. And perhaps many others more. And now, slowly, online grocers, online toys are getting into this space. Watch this space as the Indian shopper warms up to the second online revolution!

The new Don Quixotes

2012-05-08T20:57:00.002+05:30

The story of Don Quixote needs no repetition, famous as it is for bringing out the eccentricities of a man who has lost touch with the times and lives in a delusionary world. There are many such Don Quixotes around in India who hang to certain theories a little too much and at some point it goes to their heads.

The latest is the Don Quixotes of India media and public life versus the windmills of social media.

Very recently, an influential journo-tycoon mentioned on twitter, no less, that “Social media is power without responsibility”. The irony of this couldn’t be missed. The TV channels who I assume the journo tycoon think profess power with responsibility have themselves been guilty of callousness of the highest order. And yet, the pot called the media has the gall to call the social media kettle black.

In their kangaroo courts each night, where screaming hacks pronounce various people guilty as per the channels convenience is the first exhibit of power sans responsibility. Then when those cameras are thrust into the faces of those who have suffered immense tragedy, surely, we see responsible coverage.

Apart from this, in their coverage of events, there is a distinct bias towards the ruling party (which is apart from the leftist bias).

Two highlights would suffice. The first, as part of the recent Uttar Pradesh elections, most viewers would have been pardoned for believing that it was only Rahul Gandhi who was fighting the election against an unknown ruling party. The second and more blatant case where a Congress spokesperson was caught with his pants down, quite literally, in his Supreme court chamber no less. This entire episode was treated with almost amnesiac ignorance by TV channels. Contrast this with the coverage on the Karnataka MLA porn viewing episode and the Gujarat non porn episode or the case of Swami Nithyananda where media threw caution to the winds and had no qualms showing suspect footage and theories and accusations without either verification or caution.

Social media (twitter, for lack of a better word) took the media apart for this double standard.

It is question worth bearing in mind, whether the resignation of the spokesperson would have happened were it not for social media? It is also a question worth asking, whether the recent exposes based on RTI queries on the highest office in the country would have received such widespread coverage had it not been for social media?

I am not saying that social media is goodness personified, but the conflict of interest that is ever present in media is actually absent with social media. This is a very important point, which people tend to miss.

Most tweeters have a day job and news and politics is their passion. Quite unlike the television channels who make money out of news. Journalists of various ideologies have been found taped in calls, pictured in various parties with politicians and some of them are wedded to them as well. Many politicians own TV channels as well – which all in all points to a nice cosy relationship. Social media is the thorn in this relationship. The relationship between media and politics in this country is an old one – and sadly for TV tycoons, social media is slowly exposing these. This point bears repeating that and might sound counter intuitive, but social media actually has no conflict of interest, unlike media.

The big difference between social media and TV is interactivity. When was the last time you asked a question to the journo tycoon on your TV screen and they answered it? In social media, it is not only possible, it is also desirable. Social medias ability to make TV (or people) answerable is unimaginable, for those who grew up in the days that TV and media had unlimited powers to question people or to shoot and scoot. Today, you cannot. There is a band of netizens who are watching every move, ever ready to question.

Finally, and most importantly social media is rapidly changing the world. The world is networked. And so are people. This is the future. And it is now. Trying to wish it away won’t work. And the days when audiences awaited TV Prime Time news is gone as well. As Seth Godin says, the TV industrial complex has gone. So too for India, the media-politics complex has to end. Sooner or later. And the internet is here – with the power to individual people – and it cannot be gagged.

The sooner governments and people and media personalities realize this, the better, unless of course, they want to be tilting at windmills.

The TV metaphor

2012-05-08T06:55:00.001+05:30

I still remember the first time a television set came in our building (yes, in those that’s what we called apartments) to Mr. Shankarnarayan's house. Mr. Shankarnarayan had to keep his door open so that practically the entire building could sit - starting from the front row for kids to chairs for seniors and up until the stairwell for the rest of the folks. For most of the folks, it was indeed "Door"darshan. And all this was for those old days of Doordarshan and black and white propaganda. Now, Mr. Shankarnarayanan had no choice but to keep the TV in his main room. There were two reasons. One, houses in Bombay were small and second, his main room was the only place where the TV could be kept in a way that this audience could be accommodated.

As time progressed, more and more people began to acquire televisions, so the crowd thinned out. But the TV retained the place of pride in most middle class households. It was meant to be in the drawing room where it was exhibited. It was, also, incredibly like a banyan tree. Conversations flowed and around television – regardless of whether it was a cricket match or a television soap opera. Except, in the heydays of Ramayana and Mahabharata, when conversation stopped, but then atleast in India those were the days.

Over the years, the monopoly of Doordarshan broke, mainly due to their far sightedness (or lack of it) and a thousand channels came in addressing the so called needs of various audiences. There are today childrens channels, movie channels, cookery channels, sports channels, spirituality channels and some news channels as well. What it also did was it created clashes, between the sports lover and the news addict and the serial watcher and the cartoon maniac. The number of channels necessitated (even in middle class households) many families to go for 2 television sets. And obviously, the TV moved into bedrooms. The big plasma display still occupies space in many a drawing room (especially for those family type events like a cricket match), but other than that, it is only in corporate lobbies that one finds a television at the entrance.

So, over the years, the televisions place in the house is reflective of the status of electronic media. From being in the hall, it has since been relegated to the bedrooms where people watch a few things while they channel surf - and mostly when they don’t have better things to do. In the newer generation, audiences are slowly moving from one sided entertainment to contributed participation via social media and the internet.

And in these days of divided attention spans, you can at best get a bit of fragmented attention from the person sitting at the other end of the idiot box. So, all you television channel owners out there, we are talking of some heavy fragmentation which means that many a time, the audience you want is already being fought for by three other channels.

And also, by the way, on TV in general people want entertainment, not too much of gyaan. (More on this later – I have a theory which I will expound when the time comes.)

BJP must get its act together

2012-04-21T10:51:00.001+05:30

The BJP is the Principal Opposition Party to the Congress and the ruling alliance in power in India - the UPA. In name atleast.

The current government is reeling under a series of scandals - ranging from the distribution of 2G licences, the construction of infrastructure for the CommonWealth Games and most recently, related to Defence Procurement. Atleast of two of its ministers have spent time in jail and atleast one continues to be in prison with others at different levels of investigation. The Prime Minister of the ruling dispensation is a silent man - he speaks but rarely. But even he is a garrulous man as compared to his bosses - Congress Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi - who are mostly seen in photos and rarely in person. In their photos they usually wave to crowds (perhaps, of photographers) and are not known to give any interviews. The leaders of the Congress party are never seen on TV defending the many faces of corruption – they are allowed to get away with platitudes like “Action will be taken” or “We are against corruption” or just silence.

If corruption is a big issue, the governance part has been abysmal as well. The BRICs that the India story was part of is coming apart. The India part of the BRICs for sure. Governance has been uninspiring, ruddlerless and mostly reactive. There are barely any positive messages coming out. Handwringing seems to the flavor of the day when it comes to leadership. Foreign policy has been abysmal. India has been doing all the wrong things in the past few years – wandering aimlessly in the diplomacy space instead of using its clout to settle issues, mediate and generally remain a force to reckon with. Instead what we have is a capitulation to vote against Sri Lanka, a denial of the Chinese threat and ability and a clueless approach to Pakistan.

In the midst of all this, you would think that the principal opposition party would have positioned itself as the champion of bringing the government down. And yet that is not the case. The anti corruption cases are being fought in courts by Subramaniam Swamy a politician of repute but not in any of the houses at present. He and Prashant Bhushan - an advocate who fights various things, but also has distinctly anti-national views on Kashmir are together on some cases. The anti corruption movement is spearheaded by Anna Hazare and his team - a rather motley set of people comprising mostly of ex-bureaucrats of one form or another. Baba Ramdev - a yoga guru with tremendous business interest and influence in "Middle India" - is another.

Where is the opposition party in all this? The election in Indias largest state happened recently and the principal ran a lackluster campaign that brought out more infighting than inspiration. The result of it was clear. The party emerged as an also ran in a state which it ruled less than a decade or so back. One theory could be that the BJP is waiting for the UPA to unravel itself layer by layer. But they have seen that the UPA is like a Phoenix. It has its own lives and manages to attract allies with a combination of posts and promises and a chance to make money. Quite unlike the BJP, they handle the media very well – which in turn pays it back in terms of positive coverage.

No battle was ever won with the opposition doing nothing. True, the BJP leaders give speeches, press conferences and newsbytes every now and then. Yet, where is their alternate vision of governing India? Why is that vision not being articulated? The leaders of the party are seen on TV regularly but mostly in defensive positions – where they are asked to comment on goings on within their own party.

Over all these years, where every politician worth his salt seems to own or run a TV channel (some politicians have two channels), the BJP has none. The BJP has been providing good governance in the states that it rules. Gujarat, MP, Karnataka and newly elected Goa to name a few. If you add the NDA – Bihar has been doing rather well on national parameters. Yet, the BJP/NDA finds it difficult to articulate this position in the media or in front of its voters. There is no niche in the media space that brings out the BJP position on anything of national importance. What is there are maverick writers or social media or some good curated websites who are frustrated with this lack of vision.

In this whole mess the BJPs message (if any) to its voters is lost. They still have another year to go before elections are announced. Now is the time to up the ante and get the people on their side.

(Published as an oped in Pioneer with some edits)

After 2G, no lessons learnt

2012-04-16T08:54:00.001+05:30

When the 2G scam broke, only the Pioneer reported it. Most media houses were silent about the existence of such a scam. I remember putting a link to the Pioneer story somewhere in 2008. Finally media began to report it only when there was no choice but to report it.

Now the defence scam has broken. Pioneer and Gopi report that the person in the thick of it, Rajiv Rishi has a lions share in the governments expo hub. Do read this article. When it becomes part of MSM you can see for yourself. The Tatra scam has been covered since 2009 though, in DNA if I am not mistaken - but this connection is a new one ferreted out by Pioneer.

"According to statements submitted to SEBI by Rishi’s Global Vectra Helicorp, the India Exposition Mart Limited, where Rishi’s Vectra Investments has a 20-per cent share, is the biggest share holder in India Expo Centre & Mart. The Government, through Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) under Textile Ministry, subscribed to 9.02 per cent share in this Rishi-controlled project, which operates across the world, dealing with handicrafts sale, export and import." [link]

Now you will see that this a nice cozy ecosystem - when you read the article and see some of the names and positions (or ex-positions) of the people. Surely, the chap knows a lot of people with passwords to the high and mighty or else to swing a deal like this wont be easy.

In both 2G and Defence scams, there are these two so called honest gatekeepers who stand guard while the looting happens in the background. (see here) This seems to be a pattern. A scammer, a honest guard and a scapegoat for every scam. The scammer takes the money and is never found out, the scapegoat goes to jail and is promised a great life when he comes out of gaol, the guard faces the media and tells them, "but I am honest"!

Also think for a moment when you think exports, handicrafts, Moradabad what or who comes to your mind? Now let us see how many of our fearless media channels run with this story.

Bangalore public transport

2012-04-14T20:18:00.000+05:30

About 10 years back, we were somewhere near MG Road wanting to come back home at the unearthly hour of 730 pm. And in what would seem a familiar story, there was no other way to come back than take a rickshaw - whose ideas of fares would make airlines want to commit suicide. Rickshaws never offer a discount, while airlines often do. Take that, KFA.

The same story was repeated near ISKCON, Jayanagar and quite a few other places after which all us either depended on our own bikes or stayed put at home.

As a one time Mumbaikar, the comparison was hard to miss. Mumbai trains ran packed till 1 am. The buses were equally reliable. Autos charged you the exact fare and offered you the exact change back regardless of the hour of the day. Bangalore public transport sucked big time. There were no trains. Autos were a rip off.

Earlier this year, I travelled by BEST in Mumbai. The buses were shaking and rattling. The frequency was good, but hardly an improvement in 10 years. I got into an airconditioned service from Bandra to Navi Mumbai - the fares were cheap, but the service was quite a slow one. And not too frequent either. Most of my friends had given up using the bus over the past few years. BEST seemed to be fighting a losing battle in keeping up with the wishes of its customers.

Contrast with Bangalore. The Volvos - a familiar sight across Bangalore are as comfortable as a car, even if crowded. The number of people who use them (especially on the high density IT corridors) is a sight to watch. If all these people used their own transport, Bangalores chaotic roads would be so much worse. They have done another thing - perhaps unnoticed unless one is a user. Bangalore had a large number of private rattletraps registered as buses. These transported people in high decibels inside and outside with significant danger to both those inside and outside. Many of these are banished to the periphery (and theres no reason they even need to run, but some lobby ensures that dangers things still run).

Today, BMTC gives BEST a run for its money - across multiple parameters. Much has been written about it. But here is a user perspective.

So how did Bangalore BMTC win this?

Some years back, BMTC introduced the Volvo - now a familiar sight on Bangalore roads. In the initial days, there were a few Volvos running here and there and somehow, BMTC took a plunge by buying a whole lot of them. In my view, this is the crucial difference, between Mumbai and Bangalore. In Mumbai you will have to wait for an AC bus. Not a great thing when you have to reach office on time. Bangalore cracked this by flooding the road with buses - especially in the high density corridors. A bus nearly every few minutes - which is as good as perhaps Western Railway of Mumbai at peak time. So, at peak hours, you reach the stop and theres a bus before you can catch your breath.

The result? People dumped their cars and bikes and preferred to leave the driving to BMTC. It is pretty cool even if you are stuck in a traffic jam. The car drivers are busy crawling at 1st gear while you are hearing your own music in a cool bus. If you are on a bike, there is no comparison. And then, given Bangalores mad parking situation, imagine that you dont have to think of parking at all.

It also helps that auto fares are 20 rupees minimum and auto drivers haggle enough to increase the blood pressure of a monk. This has helped BMTC price its premium bus services in a way that they can make money off it as well - yet affordable and keeps enough buses on the road without having to transport people like cabbages. BMTC prices are more expensive than Mumbais and that is reflective of its target audience who dont mind paying for comfort. Monthly and daily passes (again, not dirt cheap, but competitively priced) make it more usable.

BMTC also has opened routes to many of the IT complexes and from many of the bigger housing societies - unthinkable anywhere in India. They have initiatives like Bus Day which are smart ideas. And then of course, their airport service perhaps has no parallel in India.

It is not all utopia, there are still enough people who think buses are a traffic obstacle and drive to work and back each day, but it is a great place to be from about say, 10 years back. BMTC has managed to attract an entirely new population to public transport and that is commendable. A large part of this credit to the transport minister, R. Ashok.

And if you think this is a one off story, make no mistake.

10 years ago, you would be hard pressed to find a KSRTC booking counter in most parts of Bangalore. APSRTC (AP, of course, was ruled by Chandrababu Naidu), on the other hand, had a counter in almost every block. Today, KSRTC is making more money and running better services than any of its neighbours. Some of them have woken up now, but KSRTC and its Airavats have left them far behind. Indeed, the KSRTC Airavat races to Mumbai from Bangalore in about 18 hours (with scope to cut it further) while the Indian railways train continues to take 24 hours - the same as perhaps when the train service started 50 odd years ago.

That is, in a nutshell a success story of both KSRTC and BMTC.

Inside job

2012-04-14T12:45:00.002+05:30

Recently, due to a set of unavoidable circumstances, I found myself watching Agent Vinod and sitting through it as well. The movie was not a comedy, but we were laughing throughout at the absurdities being thrown at us. Well, Agent Vinod does assume that the audience is an extremely dumb and stupid one, very mildly put.

The second movie, that I watched (and because I wanted to wanted to watch) is Kahaani. Agent Vidya is leagues ahead of Agent Vinod. She is a treat to watch, she is.

But in both these movies there is a small issue that I think is a very dangerous trend. Bollywood as a whole is a cowardly industry, rarely making hard hitting movies on powerful themes. I remember that they took a pledge that they would not make a movie on Indias most dastardly terrorist act, though of late there's news that a movie is being made on it. If at all there is any hardhitting movie they are made by independent producers and almost all of them toe to the left border of the page.

But coming back, the trouble with both the movies mentioned above is that it portrays terrorism as an inside job. In the latter movie, it focuses on one agent and one incident which is stated to be an inside job with help from the Indian establishment. The former, however, surpasses all absurdity. It passes on the crap that the entire military-jihadi complex and jihad funded and sponsored by the easterly neighbour is an inside job of an "Indian" businessman with quite an obvious name. This, in my mind, is a dangerous trend. As dangerous as politicians ascribing terrorist attacks to RSS to cover their aRSeS.

The terrorism problem in India has a long history for those to care to see beyond their nose. Starting from 1947, when the first "non-war" between India and Pakistans irregulars was fought. The eastery neighbour has openly promoted a "holy war" on India through various guises. It varies from support for Indian fugitives turned businessmen, support for terror fronts, gun running, training camps, funding activists through shopping trips and business class trips, currency printing and of course serving as a launch pad for terrorists and bombers among other things. And we have lost many a soldiers life and many an innocent civilians life to terrorism.

To portray that terrorism is an inside job is to negate all the sacrifices made by our soldiers and innocent civilians and gives a clean chit to violent ideologies. The result is about as genuine as a Roys articles. And the trouble with mainstreaming such views is that "worthies" will tag this as "genuine" and certain sections of our press will give them space to express such views. Exhibit A.

India's New Superhero

2012-04-01T13:35:00.003+05:30

This is an age of confusion. There are so many things happening in this world, especially in this country of ours. The country is being divided into two - I have heard this too often, there are two Indias. And then there is the problem of the country going to the dogs and the presence of too many oranges. This could be an unrelated problem, but there is no saying that someone needs to step in, preferably by helicopter, become a sipahi for the nation and unite the country into one. And thereafter the world. The time is ripe, in other words, for, Rahulman.

Unlike the other superheroes who have walked the earth and have extraterrestrial origins, Rahulman, is from this earth only, indeed your very country. He is not from any other planet, though at times, you might easily find yourself asking, what planet is he from? But that's just you, an ordinary human being condemned to your lowly existence. Believe in the legend, you ignoramus.

Unlike other superheroes, he does not have a secret identity. The secret is that there is no secret at all with his identify. What you see is all there is to Rahulman. And this is what keeps people guessing as to who is the superhero and where he is? Indeed, it is the whole question of the existence of the secret identity that makes him a real superhero - a superhero of the times. Don't confuse him with your aunty's superhero who had a secret identity. These days, the superheroes have no secret or identity or they rely on the media to create it for them.

Unlike other superheroes, he grows a beard. Especially during election time. Why does a superhero need to be elected? If you cannot understand this, please stop reading this right away.

Unlike other superheroes, he even has dimples - two of them. And they are put to good use. Those dashing good looks can make up for many an anomaly. In an age of superficiality, he is the definition. How many superheroes can claim to be superficial as well? After all superficiality has to be a superpower no? Even our country is a super power, and we sometimes have a super power cut as well, right?

And how could I forget. He eats. Like ordinary mortals. How many superheroes do you know actually eat? Have you seen Superman savour a meal? There! I got you, did I not. Rahulman eats, often at other peoples houses. And especially those poor ones, who struggle for a meal. He shares a meal with them. At other times, he has been spotted partaking many other rich Indian delicacies. And no, this is not fiction, there is proof of it everywhere.

Unlike other superheroes. He can read. Give speeches. Lots of them. Prepared ones. Usually to illiterate audiences, but from what I have heard, even illiterates learn about deep economics in a 30 minute speech after waiting for about 3 hours. Like the fact that there are two Indias while all along we have been led up the garden path believing there is just one.

Unlike other superheroes, he makes things happen, not directly, but by his presence. Come on, real work is done by those 20th century superheroes. In the age of telepresence, who needs reality? Reality is for TV's. His mere presence is enough to ignite the confidence of millions, as a catalyst. Just a smile, a wave is enough. Imagine, a smile that lights up a million, a wave that is noticed by a billion. Direct work takes way too much time and it just too inefficient.

Unlike other superheroes, he has the ability to retrospect. No, thats not a typo of introspect. He can retrospectively fit himself into an event and ensure that his countrymen succeed. Like the world cup for instance. How many superheroes inspire an entire team into winning a world cup after they won the cup? And that is just the beginning. Many events have his unseen, invisible hand.

Unlike other superheroes, he attracts successes. Only. Go on, search for it. There is no failure that is registered in his name. There are a million others who fail for him, so that he and he alone succeeds, sometimes with retrospective effect.

He travels. Like other people. Sometimes by helicopter. Sometimes by hitching a ride on a bike. Or travels ticketless on a train. Just like you and me. There are pictures sir. Not too many superheroes linger around for a photograph once they have done their deed. Thats for those superheroes. Not this one. Life is but a series of photo opportunities for Rahulman. Unlike other superheroes who are content to do the deed and vanish into anonymity, he poses near every deed of his waving his hands till all photographers take the best pictures. Often he takes pictures even before the deed is done and his team does the remaining doctoring. Just see all those pictures on the net of the good deeds in anticipation and good deeds in assumption of Rahulman.

He has a mentor. And a media wing. And security. Remember, I told you, he is no ordinary superhero? He is not. Unlike those other superheroes, he is neither too young or too old. Who wants them? Rahulman defines youth, not the other way round.

Unfortunately the last battle he faced, he was kind of pummeled by someone upstart. But he will be back. Like all good superheroes. There will be a comeback, just when you think he is vanquished.

(Any resemblance to anybody you know is not my fault - it is, as they say, pure coincidence. I personally dont know any such person.)

Brand Rahul

2012-03-31T09:54:00.000+05:30

There is no doubt that behind the creation of the building that is the brand Rahul Gandhi is a huge superstructure. Curious, I googled around on the brand that is Rahul Gandhi to see if there are different phases in the way media has projected the man over the years.

How I did this. The methodology (if you can call it that) is very simple. I went to Google and typed Rahul Gandhi. Then I went to the news section and saw how many articles showed in particular date ranges. And I read through some of them. That’s it. Not rocket science, but a closer look at my assumptions.

The Google news date range starts off in 2006-2008. But this is not the period when the Rahul Gandhi brand machine has started off. So I started off in 2004.

The Lost Phase: The brand machine took off closer to the 2004 date range when Congress won the first of two successive general elections. Google news gives about 932 results for those two years 2004-06. The first steps are small. Stories like “Indias first family rises again”. There are news with Rahul Gandhi, up close and personal. He had started “mingling with tribals”, “breaking the security cordon”, “Thousands of hysterical supporters cheered and showered Rahul Gandhi with rose petals and pink powder…” starts a piece. Jagadamba Prasad, quoted in this piece, sounds prescient. And since at that time the marketing machine was not really running, newspapers were not shy of sharing personal details as well like his companion then.

In this phase of Brand Rahul, there is no real brand building. A few people have reported what they are wont to. This phase of shorn of hype. But as you can see, there is absolutely no dissent anywhere. Nobody has yet questioned the legitimacy of the dynasty and he is seen more of an elite scion somewhere. There also does not seem to be too much hope of returning to power either among the family or the media.

From 2004 onwards when the Congress coalition won the elections and formed the government, the brand machine takes a leap. From comparing Rahul to Rajiv, there is news of the impending coronation as Party President atleast. There are notes of Musharrafs son meeting Sonias Son (whyever?).

The Launch Phase:From 2005 to 2006, Google throws up about 681 results. In 2006, a piece asks, “Has Rahul Gandhis time come?” Some people had decided then itself that he had it in him. Another piece informs us why Rahul Gandhi is not like Rajiv. “Rahul steps closer to Gandhi throne” informs another piece.

Did you know that Rahul loves Go karting? Even in this phase, the brand machine has not quite sharpened. “Sources close to the family say that the shy Rahul is unlikely to respond”. A private guard quoted in this piece I suppose sums it up well “Aam aadmi idhar allowed nahi hota hai”. So much for seeing the future. Wonder those who heard his speeches in the future where he talks about interacting with beggars et al have to say about this. Rahuls adventures in Mayaland had begun then itself. This piece informs us that after much coaxing and cajoling, Rahul is willing to campaign in UP in 2006. “The story emerging out of Amethi is that while Rahul is still the toast of his constituency, he is nowhere near as popular as his mother and sister. In the eyes of the adoring constituency, Sonia Gandhi is warm, affectionate, heroic, and worthy of the highest respect post her rejection of prime ministerial office, while Priyanka Vadra is dashing, Indira Gandhi-like and a natural in politics. (I still wonder which genius came up with the idea of equating Priyanka Vadra with Indira Gandhi – instead of helping her carve out her own brand of leadership.) Yet the same Amethi had exploded in a paroxysm of joy, when the Congress fielded Rahul from the constituency. The people had poured into the streets, spilled out of terraces, and climbed atop trees for a glimpse of the Gandhi heir who was their ticket to name, fame, and prosperity.” Too long to quote, the above piece is lovely piece of writing for those interested in “how to write about emerging scions of political families”. A Kabul trip is written about as “international exposure” to the budding scion who is now about 36. The piece starts off with a, by now, predictable “Rahul Gandhi is, for all intents and purposes, being groomed for high office.”

This part is the real emergence of Brand Rahul. It focuses on his shyness, reticence, diffidence and also by and large portrays him as a normal human being. Keyword of this phase: Grooming. The shy boy is being groomed for a throne is assumed to be his, but he does not aspire for it, he is reluctant. He is not greedy, just a normal human being who is being offered the throne, but who, like other average human being offered a throne, would vacillate. The first thread of connecting with the common folks, I suppose. Whether it is a Congress throne or a national one. Again, nobody has questioned anything about it yet. Well, why would anybody?

Dynastic succession in India is as normal as an apple falling off a tree.

Merit? That’s a misspelt brand of sewing machine.

The common factor through this phase is also about hope and no dissent whatsoever. And surely not in the India media – where there is little chance of mainstream dissent. And since the government is in the hands of a “competent” PM, it is hoped that the government will perform and the shine will rub onto the shy scion who is being groomed into the job.

The Hype Phase I:Now we go to 2006-07. That’s about 1590 results now. Hmmm, quantum leap? No? Exponential coverage then? Perhaps the brand machine has started whirring.

Perhaps watching the lackluster performance of the government, In this period, he is slowly pushed as a “pro poor mascot” a great irony in itself. But the story that came out was that he was the man behind the push for NREGA to be rolled out countrywide. This phase is the grooming phase at the next level where the branding goes into his roles as a catalyst that makes things happen when they would not otherwise. Considering the government has not really performed, this seems to be another attempt at a mini makeover. Fawning praise is almost normal. His image as a “pro poor” is now clear. Keywords: Future, pro poor, catalyst, history, grooming. So, from being a shy, reticent boy who is reluctant to rule over us, waiting for the golden era, he is now the catalyst. The catalyst who makes things happen in the background. The catalyst is a recurring theme from here onwards where everything that can happen is attributed to the catalyst. Not unlike cults which ascribe everything to the “magic” of one and only cult head.

In 2008, the brand machine has switched gears. 1670 results on google. The icon of Indian politics continues his love with the media. The star campaigner for many an election. The star campaigner has announced that “we will defeat terrorism”, crowds love the gen-next hero.

The Rahul for PM starts making itself heard slowly in this year. Karnataka (the election year), Punjab were all stops on his itinerary. Of course, he has also taken on Mayawati in what can be seen as early attempts to build an audience in UP. He has also spoken in favour of the nuclear deal.

He has also been launched as the party mascot or so this piece says which makes for instructive reading.

The word “Yuvaraj” slowly moves out of the lexicon-since he has expressed his displeasure. The Dalit reaching out has begun. He has also turned down a MoS position in PMO. Congress sources, ever helpful in these matters have helped spread the word around about the “young” man’s contentment.

And a new brand of wannabe aspirants in his team. And the dalit tours have begun in right earnest. "Rahul was doing a Rajiv Gandhi, who used to be as carefree and open with his constituents and was known to make unscheduled halts at houses of the poorest of the poor and share a bite with them…” In between a spot of paragliding, support for Kolkata Knightriders is all building the image of the charming youth icon. Charm is the keyword. No dissent whatsoever. Media everywhere reports Congress sources dutifully, but rarely asks a question.

The fact that the Gujarat polls were a dampener barely finds a mention. The brand juggernaut rolls on building imaginary landscapes of charm and awe. All photos show him waving and smiling or smiling and waving or smiling or waving. There is no bad news associated with the man, at all. Notice that? Over all these years?

The Hype Phase II: In 2009, the UPA comes back into power comfortably. Meanwhile, his sister gives him a certificate. And of course, his much hyped “poverty tour” with Britain foreign secretary David Milliband.

Lots of hopes that the man would be a minister in his second term, but he is content with his party post and leaves all the governance and ministry in the hands of someone else. So, in Manmohans second term also the country misses the man at its helm. Indeed he gives a “Certificate” to MMS as well. And there is talk of a Rahul Gandhi layer in the Congress leadership in Karnataka.

Those photo opportunities are coming thick and fast. The heir apparent is ready to become PM one day, not PM the other day, but it is all his to choose. As the country waits, the brand machine rolls into our heads, smiling, waving and a blow by blow account of all those farcical tourism. All this while he is building the party while refusing a cabinet berth, he has come of age, visiting the poor for a meal, a quiet revolutionary, lead campaigner.

By the way, how long did that austerity drive last? AS long as the photo opportunity, I suppose.

The sources always give the right news, observe. No source will ever say anything wrong. As you can see thus far, the man has made no mistake, he is like the proverbial Midas touch – with retrospective effect. Everything he touches has turned to gold and whatever has turned to gold already is because he has touched it. Never mind that which did not turn to gold – that is their problem. The case of sour grapes is slowly showing up, but only for those who care to see it. The media juggernaut, otherwise rolls on.

But this part of the brand campaign shows a certain tiredness. How long can he be groomed? Or be a catalyst, behind the scenes? Not that anybody asks a question, but it is worth a thought that it is becoming a tad repetitive with all those photo opportunities and prepared campaign speeches.

Thus ended 2009.

The Reality Check Phase: Searching for news in 2010 gives us about 3520 results. Phew. That’s a lot. Through the brand building phase, this year is where the brand began to show its first cracks. Remarkable, considering that most of the cracks came not from Indias media, but from wikileaks. As far as local media was concerned, it was the photo opportunities.

The year is all about reaching out to people, whether in Bihar, slum dwellers in Mumbai, warning US about Hindu terror while they were busy attacking the wrong religion for terrorism. And of course, wikileaks told us this, not Rahul.

The world of photo opportunities unlimited continues its momentous tour. And of course, he snubbed the Shiv Sena by taking a Mumbai Local train (did he take a ticket, I don’t know). And that made front page news almost everywhere.

He has told us that Bihar was not shining while not ruled by his allies (while the similar case of why India remains in dire straits despite 50 odd years of one family ruling us was never asked nor told) and of course he kept answering to us as why he was still not obliging to rule us.

Meanwhile, his mentor in chief has appeared magically and taken to making dubious statements, which count as news (surprise, surprise) in an apparent bid to drive votes to his mentee, but not too many have bit the bullet.

By now discussion of his breakfast menu, lunch menu were par for the course for every photo opportunity. And then of course after his patbhreaking meeting with students in Gujarat, he did not meet students ever again, preferring to meet just the illiterate.

Slowly, the reality checks started coming in. For one, 2010 was the year of the “There are two Indias” speech. Interestingly, perhaps for the first time in a mainstream journal (or was it in a blog), the Economist asks a question of Rahul Gandhi. The piece whose byline says “Though no spring chicken, Rahul Gandhi has a lot to prove before he takes over the family business” is worth a read because no Indian media outlet has till this date carried anything remotely similarly worded.

2011 was no different from 2010, but with more questions being asked, though with velvet gloves in general. 2012 saw a huge take off followed by a fizzle – which in reality completes the reality check phase. Watch out for the next steps.

What I want you to think about is the nature of coverage over all these years.

Now look at this. Our so called prime minister in waiting has yet to give a simple coherent interview to the media. A simple press conference where he answers our questions. A simple conference where we know what is there, if anything, on his mind. All we get to see are photo opportunities, whats on his menu and all his campaign speeches.

And see through these nearly 6 odd years of media coverage. All vapourware. Not a single article of substance. And yet, every fawning media outlet worth its Padmasri has speculated when he will lead us. And he cannot answer a simple question from college students credibly.

Ask yourself, why does the media treat him with kid gloves (or mittens)? Why is he never ever asked a tough question? Why this obsequiousness media? Fearless Indian media, pick up that mike and hold a conference that is broadcast live. We want to know what the prime minister in waiting really thinks about us without having to go through the fog that is his mentoring and campaigning team.

Can we see that? Soon?

(X Posted in CRI)

A fable on corruption

2012-03-29T07:31:00.000+05:30

There is an old saying, taken from the title of this book, "The Fox in the Chicken Coop".

The traditional approach for corruption is putting the fox in charge of the chicken coop. Usually the fox himself somehow gains this position and helps himself to the chicken. Putting the corrupt in charge is an old way to make money in the process. But over the years, this has become obvious. And in general people who indulge in corruption are not looked upon very kindly by commoners who have to slog for their daily meal and then some.

There is however a contrarian approach as we have seen lately.

Imagine that there is a treasury with a lot of wealth. And there is suspected looting from the treasury. The queen places a head guard who is seen to be honest. And assuage the unwashed masses that "we have placed this guard with unimpeachable integrity" and therefore there is no corruption.

So, there is guard standing in the front, ceremonial headgear and all that, while there is suspicion that looting happens from the back door, side door and many other entrances and exits. Over time it is proved that despite putting a honest guard in there to guard the treasury, looting happens and there is no respite whatsoever. Each time a commoner complains to the queen, she tells him that there is a great head guard there, and he is doing his best. And besides what better sign do you want than an honest head guard that we are serious about tackling the looting?

Can you spot loopholes in this theory?

Did I hear you say, but if the guard is of high integrity, why will be allow the loot to take place? The theory goes that he makes no personal money in the process. Hmmm, but isnt that dereliction of duty? As a guard of so called unimpeachable integrity, isn't looking the other way also a sign of his rather pliable integrity?

And is it enough if he makes noises that he hears noises in the night? And that there are people who seem to get into the treasury without his approvals?

And if his integrity was being used a cloak to loot, would he not have the balls to stand up and say dont use my integrity as a cloak to loot?

And if all this is true, would you really call the head guard a person of unimpeachable integrity?

Books browsing

2012-03-18T10:07:00.000+05:30

I used to be a books browser once upon a time – picking up and reading books at random. But as time progressed, I figured that all that serendipity was not really leading anywhere and I changed the way I purchase books. Instead of my own serendipity, I depend on the serendipity of others. Second, I joined a library to explore my serendipity.

The first part first. Instead of browsing through books and reading a bit to pick up a book, I ask my friends for recommendations. Secondly, there are recommendations at work coming in as well. And then there is the internet - and quite a few very good blogs out there. I use a combination of these to zero in on what I want to buy and order it online. My thought on this is that mostly the good books find their way to the top of this pile. Triangulating between these three streams of choice gives me a good reading list to pick from.

The second part – why buy books which I don’t enjoy reading? Why read books which I wont finish and just skim through? And why not preserve and buy those books into my collection – which I would really like to read? And there is my use of the library - of which many new business models have sprung up in Bangalore - which is nice. I have signed up with one of them. And through them, I have browsed through books which I would not invest money in otherwise. (Of course, books are an investment, except that the returns are in kind, not cash.) But the best part of the library has been that it has made me add a lot of books to my collection. Some those serendipitous reads become interesting and then I find a need to add them to my collection – as a book I would like to go back and refer and I build a far more robust collection of books. Something that I will keep going back to again and again.

So, in this entire experience, I would rather shop online – browsing through a few blogs, reading reviews rather than be distracted by quite a few “junk” and “celebrity” books that are not selling. So, it is online book shopping for me!

Hello Bookstore

2012-03-17T20:29:00.000+05:30

I went to a bookstore after a longish while. Though once upon a time if you asked me where I would like to spend my time - the answer was inevitably, book store. But these days, especially after Flipkart, I dont visit book stores too often. First you to to drive, then find parking and all in all it becomes quite a carbon intensive book. Even if take a book, it is just not worth it to go all the way for a book. But this time, I had a gift voucher to use so I thought, this would be a good time to catch up on some books.

I had to go away from my house – nearly a 40 minute trip to reach the place and while the place had a lot of books, it did not have what I was looking for. Being different and Breaking India both by Rajiv Malhotra. I have read the former and thought it will be nice to add it to my collection. Having read it, I wanted to read the latter, but it was out of stock. My trip seemed to be a waste. So I mindlessly browsed through the space and my way of buying books is a little different. That made it all the more difficult to for me enjoy the process.

But I finally found one book which I thought I might be interested and then walked around a little more searching for some music and some other things. A good hour later, I saw my shopping basket and it looked I had curated a bunch of items (except for the book) which I really did not need. Sigh.

Finally, I got something which I had wanted for a long time – a nice toy which I thought me and the little one would enjoy building. So much for serendipity.

So, what can a store do, really?

Well, lots if you ask me.

For one, almost all books on sale were sad books which no one would read.

Second, there was no search function. If I had to search, I had to walk up the helpdesk and converse with some disinterested assistants who were happier in their own conversations. And the machine that hosted the search was running at a glacial pace.

The staff were barely knowledgeable – this I understand – to staff book stores with people passionate about books is not easy – perhaps they think costs would go through the roof. But why not hire college interns or retirees – who are knowledgeable and pay them in books – atleast for the stores busy season – which I presume is weekends.

Why not hold up other bestsellers list than their own? Why not a bestsellers list for teens, women, boys, kids and what not? Why should the stores be themed by section? Why not in some other way? Why not have a corner where people pick books they thought they liked and did not buy – I think this will be really interesting corner. Create a small reading section? With coffee?

Well, I know…book stores wont survive in the current milieu for long but they can be reinvented for sure! Ask me!

The Difficulty of Being Good

2012-03-16T20:25:00.001+05:30

I picked up "The Difficulty of Being Good" on the recommendation of a colleague. And I had no idea what the book was about. But two people recommended it in two days and coincidentally, I found it in my library – all of which was too much of a universal coincidence for me to ignore. So, I picked it up.

The book is a take on the Mahabharata.

What impressed me first was the scholarly levels that Gurcharan Das has gone to before writing this book. I was really impressed that he took early retirement, learnt Sanskrit at a US university and went through the Mahabharata and different versions of it and wrote this book. *Respect*

Gurcharan does a fantastic job of the book. The book goes character by character rather than by chapter. Each of these chapters has gems in them – gems of both what the Mahabharata says and what the author interprets it as. Minor quibble, I wish the Sanskrit original were there as well – but that’s minor, really.

At the end of each character, one needs to pause and reflect as to whether they were good and bad. Turns out, it is not that simple. Was Duryodhana was really bad and was Yudhisthira really good? Was Krishna all good in his goodness and Arjuna was great through and through? Karna, well, is one of the better loved characters as the underdog, but he has his shades of grey as well, as does the venerable Bheeshma.

Few words that will ring in my mind. “Dharma is subtle”. “Action is better than Inaction”. Also coming close on the heels of "Being Differe nt", this book also has some of the Dharmic traditions and differences that "Being Different" spoke about. Gurcharan lays out similar arguments - though not expounded at length as in Rajivs book. Thats a win too.

Also, I personally thought that the comparison of the past to the present broke the line of thought in the book.

The title ultimately also seems to be the answer of the book – which is that “It is difficult to be good”. In my interpretation, it is more “It is impossible to be perfect”, but even with those imperfections there is a path to right and ethics and dharma is my take on it.

I like the fact that books like these are being written - I had recently read Being Different as well. Both of these fall in the category of writing of making our dharmic traditions more accessible to people like us.And in turn inspire us to do better as well...

Being Different

2012-03-04T11:22:00.000+05:30

Being Different is a book by Rajiv Malhotra. This book is truly different - I would go so far as saying in contemporary literature, it is one of its kind.

Until now, there have been books on Hinduism or the Indic civilization written by Indian authors or Western Authors (from an Indian or a Western lens and it is not necessary that this flows from the nationality of the author). There are many books like that - written by authors across centuries. This book is one of its kind - that throws light on Western civilization from an Indic lens. About time that such a book was published - and it is amazing to think that such a book was neither conceived nor published at any point in time (that I am aware of atleast).

Also, the book avoids the familiar trap of the greatness of Indian civilization by hiding in rhetoric - and this is where Rajiv Malhotra scores - he uses hard data points to throw light on the Western civilization - the appendix is voluminous in itself for those interested in further research.

A couple of sentences and lines of thought that really made me stand and think...

One that, western civilization is rooted in history - they need a historical start date before which everything that happened is negated - whereas in Indic tradition, there is a difference between Itihaasa and Puraana and none of them can really be relegated to either history or mythology - the closest words in English as it were. And Indic traditions are comfortable with multiple versions of Itihasa - as is mostly the case - so by nature we are instinctively pluralistic.

Second, that Indic traditions believe that self realization can come from within - in the Abrahamic religions, it is usually external - by an afterlife in heaven - which results from obedience to a particular code. And which is again why mystics are part and parcel of Indic traditions and not in the others (or even if they are, they are not particularly encouraged by the hardliners).

Third, and I quote this sentence "Hindus intrinsic belief in pluralism means that many of them are blissfully unaware that their sentiments are not at all reciprocated by the Abrahamic religions, which not only reject every other deity, but also consign Hinduism to paganism and the worship of false gods".

Fourth, take the example of Satyam-Shivam-Sundaram - which is the trilogy of Truth-Good-Beauty where it is that Truth is above good and good is above beauty and each of them can exist without the other. There are many such concepts in the Indic traditions that give a fuller explanation of the cosmic connection of which we are all ultimately, but a small part of.

These are just a few teasers out of the book, but if you have any interest in Indic civilization this book is a must read.

Being Different, by Rajiv Malhotra.

The absurdity of paid tweeters

2012-02-24T18:43:00.000+05:30

Over the past few weeks, we have seen a slew of allegations related to paid tweeters. Ironically, they come from those who make a living out of “delivering news”. And they accuse tweeters for whom twitter is at best a hobby. The accusers are usually journo-tycoons and worth more than the average tweeter, by an exponential margin. So, coming from journo-tycoons who make their crores out of delivering news to some random tweeters who dont agree with their views, this is a bit too much.

But let us try and examine this in a little more detail. Check out the Alexa ranking for the top sites visited out of India. Meanwhile, the list of the top 100 tweeters from India is here.

In general if you see, media sites corner a bulk of the page views on the net (well, they should, they have all the news) apart from the usual junk on the net. And on twitter, some of their leading lights have a huge number of followers - much more than the average hobbyist tweeter.

A few years ago, one of the biggest media houses in India came up with an idea known as Private Treaty – where they took a stake in a company and paid for that by news and advertisements. Now that was a unique idea in itself – we wont go into the good and bad aspects of it – we leave it for you, intelligent reader to decide. But the fact that they saw a market there and were able to tap into it is a testament to the fact that people are willing to pay for positive coverage.

So, if you are a politician or a business house or somebody who wants a nice mention in the media – who would you go to? Tweeters or the big swinging dick media guys? Obviously, the latter. And with good reason. Thats where you get more bang for your buck. And do remember Page 3 – a "feature" in most newspapers and surely there is an equivalent on TV as well.

If you go to an individual tweeter – how many followers will he or she have? About a handful? A few hundreds, a few thousands? And why are these guys tweeting? Because they make money tweeting? Or because they tweet what they are passionate about? Collectively, they are a force, but individually not worth too much.

Therefore, the so called “paymaster” of tweeter is fighting a losing battle by "paying" tweeters and how much will they pay? Influential tweeters wont accept money and non influential tweeters wont be paid. Yes, please, do a sting operation by asking some of them if they will tweet for money. If they don’t expose you on twitter the very same minute, consider yourself lucky. (Last heard a prominent media baron did ask a prominent senior Bollywood star to tweet about their programs and the star blogged their exchange- so much for paid tweeter abuses from journo tycoons.)

So, why are journo tycoons pissed off with tweeters? Because they ask questions and our mike pointing, finger wagging journo tycoons aint used to that! They are not used to being questioned at all. Over the last 40 odd years, media has been feeding us, the viewers their view. Tweeters stand in their way by putting their pov which may be diametrically opposite to what the media wants to tell you and twitter being an open platform, the celebrity is equal to the man on the street with a twitter connection. Tweeters point out the hypocrisy of our media that changes colours faster than a disco chameleon. Tweeters have also made media apologise (while media threatens to sue in return) for faking tweets and being abusive or ignorant among other things. They also, at times, point to the hand in glove association that is the liberal leftist politician-media complex in India which make our media barons very insecure on the internet - which threatens to end their dominance of news and influence. Hence this latest attempt to malign tweeters. But then, like other social media and the internet in general, twitter is something that cannot be controlled - unless there is a censor board kind of thing (which our dear uncorrupt angelic government is planning, btw).

The next time you hear about paid tweeters and paid media do ask them who takes sponsorships and ads and who does not and there might lie your answer on who is "paid" and who is not.

(A truncated version of this was X-posted on CRI)

Prime Time

2012-02-17T07:58:00.002+05:30

I recently read Daniel Kahnemanns excellent book, Thinking, Fast and Slow. I highly recommend the book to everyone. And one word from that book has stuck in my mind. The word is Priming. Any wonder that it is called, Prime Time? Those screaming headlines, those rushing tickers, those screeching anchors, those breaking news callouts all work with a single purpose – your mind. They are priming your mind. Let us try this simple exercise!

Think about it. Which politician would you associate these words with? Youthful, charisma, hardworking, charming, friendly, hope, change? I can see your brain cells running to the right answer.

The man in question has done no wrong. He has submerged himself into the crowds, done a lot of hardwork and even today is Indias best chance for a Prime Minister (they tell you), despite not having governed anything more than ones own dinner plate. No questions about merit, no questions about suitability, nothing is ever asked of him. I don’t even remember if he ever gave an interview to any TV channel. But that’s not required. Watch those words above, those adjectives. The adjectives that neatly associate his name with "dripping goodness". His images are plastered with a lot of Indias successes. Some TV channels put him up nicely when India won the world cup. Images of his are always where he waves to crowds, smiles. That way, they have, softly, subtly associated those successes in your mind with him.

And the answer to my question. I leave you to guess. It is unlikely that you will get it wrong. If you got that right, you have been primed, rather beautifully.

Let us try this one more time. Which party would you associate the word “communal” with? And which specific young leader in that party had delivered a "communal" speech last year? You will do very well to remember this - in fact it is unlikely that you would have fortotten. But the fact that Congress (and senior leaders) has got away with "communal" utterances throughout the run up to the UP elections is carefully masked and not given a great amount of "prime time". And a senior leader of the party has indulged in scurrilous allegations throughout is forgotten. And this includes the gentleman far above above who has promised a religious quota in the country. And visited madrasas asking for votes. But, no, none of these acts are communal. Only the BJP is communal, right? And of course, one (or two) particular gentleman remains the fall guy. Of course, you may also remember that a certain Swamy wrote a communal article, right? Of course you do. Because these are highlighted. You my dear friend, have been primed to believe in what the friendly media wants you to believe. Whether you like it or not, this is happening.

Let us see this once again. Which political party would you associate the word “Scam” with? Answer: All political parties. Yes, despite the fact the most corrupt government ever in the history of India is presently ruling us. It has a clutch of its ministers in jail or just released with a few others under trial for various scams. And the party which heads the current government is the Congress. But it is highly unlikely that those words will ever be associated with the Congress. Hence, scams are always associated with UPA or “politicians” in general or to the sundry tails that wag the dog that is the UPA, but the goodness only belongs to Congress. And of course, you would surely know that Karnataka is among the most scammed of states, right? Despite the fact that atleast one Congress Chief Minister has been indicted by her own Lokayukta and they have conveniently rejected that report. Yes, yes, I can see names ringing in your head. But that last chief minister? Who is that? You wont know, right. But the first one, of course, everybody knows him.

That in a nutshell is priming, for you.

Be careful and wary of those adjectives that are associated with a name. Let us try this. When I say, integrity, who comes to your mind? Surely, you remember Manmohan Singh. But does the name LK Advani (who is spotless clean and integrity rolled into one) come to mind immediately? And why does it not? And why is that you have not yet thought of Narendra Modi as the cleanest politician running the cleanest, most progressive government in Independent India? And that is a story that Atanu Dey tells so beautifully.

Priming, ladies and gentlemen is what your media does to you every single day. Missed prime time? Dont worry, your mind just missed a dose of the strong medicine.

(X Posted on CRI)

Of instituitions and inspiration

2012-02-14T09:20:00.000+05:30

APJ Abdul Kalam was perhaps the most inspirational Presidential appointment of this country in this generation. From someone who was faraway, Kalam brought the Presidential chair closer to the people, he showed them the human element. He met people, he inspired them, he wrote books, he spoke well and most of all maintained and exponentially increased the dignity of the chair he occupied. For the first time ever a President shared is vision in such a simple manner so as to light up the eyes and mind of those who heard him. His books continue to be best sellers and many people I met, children I knew all loved the erudite “missile-man” President who was at home with people.

And then the Congress had a glorious chance to go a step better. And what they did after that need not be said; you got my hint I suppose. They transformed the chair into a chair for loyalists of the party – in the one chance they had. And the next chance, going by the grapevine, does not seem to be going in a radically different direction.

Their record of appointment of the CEC also is not a record worth noting – the least of them being the appointment of Navin Chawla. The said person’s only meritorious accomplishment is finding a mention in the Shah Commission report, ““unfit to hold any public office which demands an attitude of fair play and consideration for others”. The outgoing CEC had sent in a note of dissent on his appointment and that was conveniently ignored by the government. Post Chawla, the current incumbent has, like all Congress appointees, stuck to the Congress interest firmly. The most recent decision was the ruckus regarding covering pachyderm statues in Noida, ostensibly because it harms voters to see elephant statues and the statues of their Chief Ministers.

And then we move onto the CVC - The Central Vigilance Commissioner, where the least ask was to appoint an upright officer. The government chose PJ Thomas (despite a dissenting note from the Leader of the Opposition) and had egg on its face since the case went all the way upto the Supreme Court. The SC ruled that his appointment itself was illegal.

The Congress record of appointing governors has also been less than exemplary – and they have used loyalty over merit every single time. Karnataka’s current governor was a law minister and has always been more than eager to interfere in what can be called matters of governance. One Andhra Pradesh governor, an ageing Congress politician was also booted out after being seen on live on TV in a not so uncompromising position.

The CBI and the IT Department are long been handmaidens of the ruling party. Their current use is restricted to conducting raids on opposition supporters. Either the raids begin when the person moves out of Congress or is about to and miraculously the raids stop when the person switches allegiances back. Just a few days ago, there were raids on a Mr. Ponty Chadda supposedly close to BSP Chief Mayawati, who suddenly became an outlaw and invited the ire of these departments. A few months ago, it was the turn of Jagan Reddy, son of Congress favourite chief minister YSR of Andhra Pradesh. The CM was the blue eyed boy and the moment his son shifted allegiances, he invited the wrath of the CBI. Not to forget the government’s top law officer asking the CBI to close the case on ally Mulayam Singh’s disproportionate assets case.

And that brings us to the Army. The latest controversy regarding the army chiefs age was needless. And we are not done yet.

The curious case of Madhavan Nair ex-chairman of ISRO who finds himself a scapegoat alongwith 3 scientists is too recent to be forgotten. The Antrix-Devas deal in question in which government finds itself in a soup was carried out as per procedure keeping the government in the loop as per Madhavan Nair. And yet, he is the fall guy. He has demanded that the reports of committees on the deal be made public. Given the record of the government, I am inclined to believe Madhavan Nair more than anybody in the government.

And thus continues the Congress saga of denigrating institutions. These institutions which were created to keep the government in check are slowly but surely being checkmated with political appointments. A final word on the Lokpal – whose fate is in limbo currently. What is the guarantee that this government will make a mockery of a position like this as well? Given that the CEC is also a constitutional body but nicely malleable to the whims and fancies of you know who?

Pyaar ge...

2012-02-13T05:53:00.000+05:30

Pretty cool song - catchy, tuneful and very well picturised! Song from Govindaaya Namaha. Had heard it in a bus for the first time and had no idea what it was - was a cool song I thought. Much later, surfing around, I found that at least one "popular" blog has put out a post stating, it thinks it is "offensive", but perhaps wants others to view it as "offensive". The youtube video has garnered a huge number of views though!

A Vision for Bangalore

2012-02-11T18:59:00.000+05:30

Bangalore, a city like no other in India. A city of gardens, of lakes, of pleasant weather, of morning mist in winter, of bearable summers, of tender rain. At a height of 949 metres above sea level is a great city to be in. I have a vision for Bangalore. And part of the thought came from here.

Bangalore is a smallish city. And almost circular. It is surely smaller than gigantic Delhi and shorter than linear Mumbai. It is not as crowded as Kolkata or Hyderabad nor as hot as Chennai. The weather here is amazingly conducive to walking and cycling. My Bangalore should take advantage of all the good things that the city has...

Give us a Bangalore with a city center or many city centers free of vehicles. Give us a Bangalore where we can sit on a bench and just enjoy the weather. Give us a Bangalore that slows down time. Give us a Bangalore where we can enjoy the famous Bangalore kaapi sitting out in the warm sun. Where we can set our easels and paint a picture of the city!

Give us a Bangalore where we can walk freely. Walk under the shades of numerous trees. Walk in parks. Walk alongside lakes. Walk to work and walk back. Give us a Bangalore that is pedestrian friendly. Where there are skywalks alongside or above the underpasses. Skywalks that let us get off the Metro and walk where we want to. Give us skywalks covered with creepers and let us all walk – without a care that the next car coming down the lane will run over us. Give us skywalks and pedestrian paths where children can walk freely and enjoy their city –a city blessed by nature.

Give us a Bangalore where I can hear the sparrows. Give us a Bangalore where we can feel the rain on my face. Give us a Bangalore which harvests its water and lets clear water flow into its lakes. Give us a Bangalore that recycles its waste and leads the way in sustainable living.

Give us a green Bangalore – green with trees above and a sustainable city. Give us a Bangalore that has cycle paths all around the city. Much of the commute today is well within 10-12 kilometers – easily bicyclable for the average Venkatesh. Bangalore does not need these many cars. Not in this city. Give us bicycle parks around the city.

And yes, while you are at it, take away the dust, the pollution and the traffic jams…(and much of what is written above, will incidentally result in that as well)

BBMP, are you listening?

PS: Note that I am not against development or road widening project or the Metro, nor do I aspire to take Bangalore to the stone ages. I would like the city to have more skywalks while the development continues. I would like cycle lanes to be built alongside the roads while we are at it. I would like the city to take into account pedestrians as well while planning for the excessive number of motor vehicles in the city. Anyway...

So, why open a store

2012-02-08T09:23:00.000+05:30

The internet is perhaps the best way to tap into the long tail of the worlds consumer necessities, then why bother with a store? Well, yes, for sure, there is enough life in stores to run another 25-30 years, but having said that, there is perhaps a better way to doing things - as I wrote in my previous post. But are there reasons why someone might want to open a store?

For one, if you want to connect with some of the buyers or create a brand by locating yourself in a specific area of the city - it might be worth it.

And then again, if you have a better sourcing strategy, it is a great idea to have a store – where customers can come and browse through your collection. (For example, the well known Sanskriti stores in Ahmedabad is a great example of a need for a store). This is true for anything. Whether it is toys, clothes, handicrafts – anything. If you are selling what the guy next door is selling, why bother? Sure, you offer a differential service, but then I would rather walk into a faceless mall and buy what I want without even having to interact! So, service as a differential is a short term strategy, in my view, unless it goes beyond that into something else (what - I cant imagine for now).

Another example, if you are into selling an experience – not just a product – like perhaps games – then it is a great idea to have a store where people come in and play the game and like the experience and want to take it home. Play games, play Lego, play games in Multiplayer mode for example, see others play etc.

Therefore, the differentiator has to be a combination of service, product and experience!

Unless you are offering any of the above, there is no real reason to open yet another new store. And even as I see it, there are so many opportunities in India (or Bangalore or Mumbai or anywhere) itself to open and close many stores!

Old leader, old ideas

2012-02-07T09:37:00.004+05:30

One of the things that defines a leader is his or her ability to create and convey a vision. First, the vision has to be pathbreaking and second, it has to be simple at the same time. Next comes an uncanny ability to articulate it. They keep their focus on those one or two key messages every single time. And when they talk about it, you know it is theirs, straight from the heart.

Rahul Gandhi has been marketed to the minions as the "new leader" for a few elections now. He is the choice just around the corner for his cheerleaders in the party and the media and the invisible hand for many of the good things that happen in the government.

Depending on when you read articles of his likely ascendancy, there are paeans sung to the organizational change he is trying to bring into Congress. At other times we are offered shades of hope. Sincerity is highlighted at other times. He is supposed to be the glue that keeps many arms of the Congress together. He is really supposed to be the change we (and possibly he) are waiting for.

His speeches though offer very little insight, beyond the bromide of "two Indias" and "I am your sipahi in Delhi" (whatever that means). His interactions have been rare and frankly, quite, unimpressive.

But the definitive test of a new leader is their ideation and articulation. What are the fresh ideas a leader brings onto the table? Or talks about? Or promises? Or has delivered upon?

And then we see Rahul (and his sibling Priyanka) campaign in UP. What do they do? First they talk of creating divisions after divisions in the form of quotas. They attack the existing government without having anything to show at the centre where his party is heading a government for the better part of the last 10 years. He has no answers for the large scale corruption which is a feature of this government. They talk of doles and subsidies. Rahul visits Madrasas as part of his campaign instead of outlining to the electorate his vision for the country or state. Where is the leadership in this? His leadership team as part of the campaign makes vicious promises and all he has to offer for such faux pas (if they were indeed) is a weak, "personal view".

And his sibling, curls her hair, wears a sari ostensibly to look like her grandmother and a former Prime Minister of India - Indira Gandhi. And when the Congress mouths slogans of Garibi Hatao (Indiras famous slogan in the 70s), the media sings praises of her looks and the voters are expected to vote en masse to herald the return of Indira Gandhi.

One of the fundamental tenets of leadership is to “be yourself”, however raw, however naive. If you cant think for yourself, surely never imitate someone else. Thats a basic rule of leadership - except if you are in a communist country like North Korea where apparently the incumbent Kim Jong Un underwent plastic surgery to resemble Kim Jong Il.

And while you there proving to be a leader - do pause to remember that anybody who has risen to leadership has always risen to leadership unifying people for a cause. Think any leader, and you will find this to be true.

Mr. Rahul Gandhi, you are supposed to be a young, educated, politician. And apparently many people look up to you. And when they do look up, what do they see? No vision, no inspiration, but a singular mission to convert certain people to vote for you on the basis of vacuous promises. What, exactly is your stand on corruption? What exactly is your stand on governance?

Is that what leadership is all about? Pitting community against community? Pitting religion against religion? If so, the English were doing very well. Sure the others are doing that, but you are supposed to be our next big hope? Surely, you can do better?

And a final note, when Rajiv Gandhi became Prime Minister, nobody can argue that his mind was not in the right place. While he did make a few missteps, his vision for India was very clear. He wanted India to be technologically advanced. He employed technocrats (famously Sam Pitroda) to help put his vision into action. Things did not really pan out as he had planned, but atleast we knew he was trying from his heart.

And as it happens with dynastic politics, change is always a generation or a sibling away and it is a pretty easy way to market it to ignoramuses.

Once upon an industrial economy

2012-02-07T09:19:00.002+05:30

Yet another new store has opened in the neighbourhood. It has been crafted with a lot of love. However, the thought of Swami Aiyars recent article stuck in my mind. Are retail stores really the hangovers of the industrial economy?

When you think of it, it does seem to be so. The whole idea of having physical stores is that they are the intermediary from the factory to the consumer. And with the internet, a fair amount of the non-grocery shopping (even in India) can be done off the net. So, as a company, the need to invest in physical retail space where all the customer does is walk in, browse, stand in a queue to buy stuff seems as unreal as having to walk into an airport, check off the flights, pick which flight to fly from and then get your ticket.

When was the last time most of us booked a ticket at a counter? Any ticket? Air, Rail or Bus? Indeed, most movie tickets are also booked online.

So, why grocery? Or books or toys?

In the past couple of years, I have switched to Flipkart. Initially, I thought I would save money by not having to go all the way to a store, end up buying coffee and a book at full MRP. But that has not happened – not because of Flipkart prices – they are great – but because, I have ended up buying more books than I would have if not for flipkart! Be that as it may, do I miss a bookstore? Not one bit. I have specific categories of books I read and many a time, they are not always available – but on a website, there is no such problem – they source it for you and deliver it free of cost. So, book stores, IMO are passé.

Ditto, reservation counters for any mode of transport.

Think about toys now. Most stores give you the same toys, sourced from the same manufacturer – so why go to one store over another – if all you are going to do is buy the same damn thing. Of course, service. But then, if I order off a website that gives me fabulous service without ever having to step out of the house (like Flipkart) – any other promise of service wont make me budge. And whats more I use that time to do other things with the kids. Yes, there will be times, when I wont have a gift at hand to give to the kids friends birthday party – I might need a store. But then, I would always give them vouchers and give them the power of choice. As it is, most birthday parties are a needless exchange of junk (this is filed for a future post). Sure, the kids loses the experience of browsing through and picking what she wants. Oh, well, I can get pretty much the same experience off the net.

Think about clothes. If you know your size, why bother going to a store? Why not buy it online? Indeed, I wish someone sold fabric on the net as well, but that’s a business opportunity I guess.

So, coming back to retail, why open a store? I think there are reasons – if you really really want to open a store, but a generation from now, we may wonder and laugh at the need for stores in the previous generation.

Rich Farmers

2012-02-02T19:51:00.001+05:30

Our country has a myriad set of laws that are ostensibly designed to protect the small farmer - who at one point was supposed to be the backbone of our economy. Thus there are laws that prevent farmland from being bought by "non farmers". The part which prevents easy conversion of agricultural land to residences is a good one IMO. We will come to that in a moment.

Around me, in the past couple of years, there are quite a few people who have bought agricultural land (wherever the law allows them etc.) and started farming. Now these are not the kind of farmers newspapers report will glorify or our youthful politician scion will visit. These are fairly well to do people who are passionate about horticulture, agriculture and grow exotic stuff or organic food or just like to grow something. They are not your so called subsidy seeking farmers, nor are they poor. They are into farming as a sabbatical from corporate life or as a hobby or business.

Yet, a lot of people even if they wish to cannot go ahead and do so - because of the rules that make it tough for them to do so.

My view is that such interests should be encouraged - even if they have sign an undertaking that they will use the land only for agricultural purposes etc. This does two things. One, the land stays as farmland. Second and more importantly, it puts people who want to pursue farming as a hobby or a business and pushes out those who want to do as a form of subsistence. In my view, this is a good thing - because the government can focus less on subsidising agriculture and giving out job schemes like REG schemes and focus on the real things that matter. (Anyway with the current government all this talk is useless, but whatever.)

Wishful thinking, but well...why not?