The Mindful Indian

Save our Cities II - Jaywalking

2012-06-03T17:23:00.000+05:30

Ahmedabad :D

Its holiday time and I am in Singapore with my family. Clean, neat and disciplined place. The first thing I noticed was the traffic discipline. There were clear signs on each cross-road and the zebra-crossings looked like they were freshly painted. Below are a few pictures of the same.

(Impressed by the amazing traffic discipline in Singapore. It was a pleasant surprise to see cars actually stop before the zebra crossing.)

What is Jaywalking?

So how did it start? Remember the time you were holding the hand of your mom on the road and when your mom said, “Chalo chalo beta” you crossed the road, right from the mziddle of it. That’s where things went wrong. You may ask that how a small offence (yes, its an offence) like Jaywalking should be even a topic of deliberation.

Pedestrian who crosses without regard to traffic regulations, who steps out anywhere other than a specified crossing, without a green light. 'Jay' was slang for a newcomer unfamiliar with city ways. - BBC article on Jaywalking

In simple words, Jaywalking is an offence of putting your own life in danger along with lives of other law abiding citizens in danger just because you are looking for a shorter route to cross the street.

Infact there are even instances where people deliberately ignore or fail to acknowledge the presence of a Zebra crossing or a pedestrian signal even if its just a 10-15 second walk from their position.

Jaywalking and Accidents

Grieving Mother Faces 36 Months In Jail For Jaywalking After Son Is Killed By Hit-And-Run Driver

via Huffington Post

Nelson had taken her children with her to shop for groceries and supplies for her upcoming birthday party. The working mother and college student regularly took public transportation, but she and her kids missed their intended bus that night, putting them an hour behind schedule. The bus they caught pulled up to their stop after nightfall, and Nelson stepped off, clutching her kids' hands through the shopping bags wrapped around her wrists. Nelson's apartment complex sits across the street from the bus stop, but the nearest crosswalk is three-tenths of a mile away. So Nelson did what everyone who uses that bus stop does, and what the other disembarking passengers all did that night: She crossed one side of the divided highway to the median, where she waited for a break in the traffic.

Several people then crossed the street before Nelson thought it was safe. She waited with her kids. But when others started to move towards the road, Nelson's son must taken it as a cue it was time to go. She felt his grip on her hand loosen and he darted out into the road. She followed. Guy's car struck Nelson, her son and her daughter, and the boy died.

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This problem maybe a small one but its important. Its specifically related to Indian cities because in many villages we don't have concrete roads and electricity, forget signals and zebra crossing.

Discipline out of choice or out of compulsion? We need to adopt a new civic culture in India.
Should legal compulsion be the way of inculcating civic sense in the public? Should strict laws and enforcement be the only way of reform or change in the people's thinking? Do I look for a dust-bin to throw a banana peel because I have the fear of being jailed or fined if I threw it else where? Or should it be because I want my city to look clean?

What are civic values? Where do they come from? Civic values are simply like water in a glass container. The water always exists in some form or another but without the container the water evaporates. Its there somewhere without any shape or usable form. So the container is what holds the water, gives it a shape and makes it usable i.e civic and public institutions in this case. These institutions are supposed to inculcate, promote and cherish civic values. In case of India, sadly that's not the case. The Parliament, the police, the schools, political parties and a few others are all institutions which need to nurture civic values.

It cannot be said for sure that even if we have infrastructure, and right system in place, jaywalking will stop. Take a look at the places near Mumbai stations; We have skywalks and overbridges but people still jump on the tracks to reach the other platform. The only way to solve this problem is -> 'start following these rules yourself'. Your actions will influence your family, community and the society in some way. In our quest of making our cities truly global, bringing such discipline will be a giant step forward.

A few comments I picked up from a forum:

I was in Aachen, Germany, for a conference and was returning to the station with 15 others to catch the last train of the evening back to our hotel. The road outside the station was being resurfaced, and there was no obvious place to cross. But, half way across the road, a whistle blew and two German policemen came running to stop us. They gave us an on-the-spot fine of 10 euros each and told us to walk 100m up the road and round the corner, while they watched, to the nearest crossing. We ran, and only just managed to catch the train.

Simon, Salford, UK

My wife and I were in Poland once and we crossed a totally empty road. The only vehicle in sight was a police van, which was not approaching us... until we crossed. The officers beckoned us over and began to give us a dressing down. However, as soon as they realised we were Johnny-foreigners, they eased off, explained that the rules were different and politely asked us to use designated crossing in future. Obviously the Polish police are more courteous than their US colleagues.

Tom, London, UK

The very same thing happened to me in LA in 2002. I was aware of the law but it was evening and unfortunately I didn't see that the car I had crossed in front of was a patrol car. I foolishly approached the car with my hands in my pockets, something one must never do in LA, and was commanded to stop immediately with my hands in the air. The cantankerous American officers were bamboozled by my foreign ID and whisked me off down to the station. I played the ignorant British teenager and was released back into downtown LA at 2am, unaware of my location and no means of getting home.

Ben Formela, Bristol

In Japan it is mandatory to follow the traffic regulations at the crossings, but there are levels of priority; a person walking is given a priority over the one using a bicycle, and a motorist usually stops for the walking person to cross.
Sobia Ahmed, Tokyo, Japan

Previous Post:

Save Our Cities

Sources:

BBC News
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/6251431.stm

Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/radley-balko/raquel-nelson-jail-for-jaywalking_b_905925.html

Food for Thought

2011-12-10T01:47:00.001+05:30

These are a few interesting paragraphs from books I read recently:

On Why Atheism is not parasitic on religion - Julian Baggini in 'A very short introduction to Atheism'

In Scotland there is a deep lake called as Loch Ness.

Many people in Scotland - almost certainly the majority - believe that the lake is like other lochs in the country. Their beliefs about the lake are what we might call normal. But that is not to say they do not have any particular beliefs!

Its just that the beliefs they have are so ordinary that they do not require elucidation. They believe that the lake is a natural phenomenon of a certain size, that certain fish live in it and so on.

However some people believe that the loch contains a strange creature, known as the Loch Ness Monster. Many claim to have seen it, although no firm evidence of its existence has ever been presented. So far our story is a simple face. Now imagine how the story could develop.

The number of believers in the monsters starts to grow. Soon a word is coined to describe them: They are part-mockingly called 'Nessies' (Many names of religions started as mocking nicknames).

However the number of nessies continues to increase and the name ceases to be a joke.

Despite the fact that the evidence for the monsters existence is still lacking, soon being a 'nessie' is the norm and it is the people previously thought of a normal who are in minority. They soon get their own name, 'Anessies' - those who don't believe in the monster.

Is it true that the views of anessies are parasitic on those of the nessies? That can't be true, because the Anessies beliefs pre-date those of the Nessies. The key point is not of chronology, however. The key is that Anessies would believe exactly the same as they do now even if Nessies never existed. What the rise of nessies did was give a name to a set of beliefs that had always existed but which was considered so unexceptional that it required no special label.

The moral of the story should be clear. Atheists subscribe to a certain world view that includes numerous beliefs about the world and what is in it. Theists say there is something else that also exists - God.

If theists did not exist, atheists still would, but perhaps there would be no special name for them.

I also want to stress that the atheist is not a crude denier of all that is not physical, if by 'physical' we mean a physical substance. Atheists too believe in minds, beauty, emotions, moral values - in short a full gamut of phenomena that gives richness to human life.

On developing and developed nations - Narayana Murthy

CK Prahalad once told me, 'Being a developed country is just a mindset.' I entirely agree with him. In fact, when I went to France in the early seventies, the mindset was the first difference I noticed between a developed nation and a developing one.

In France everybody acted as if it was their job to discuss, debate and quickly act on improving public facilities.

In India we discuss, debate and behave as if the improvement of any public facility is not our task and consequently, we do not act at all. We have to change this mindset to one of identifying with all public causes, and act quickly to resolve any problems in the public domain.

On Minorities - Narayana Murthy

It will be foolhardy not to enthuse our minority populations towards participating in India's well being, given the fact that they form about 15 to 20 percent of our population.

There are thousands of examples of high achievers from each Indian minority community. Dr.Abdul Kalam, M.K Pataudi, Ratan Tata, George Fernandes, and Dilip Kumar are only a few of them.

In fact we are all minorities in India given that our country is so vast and diverse. For example, I am a Kannada speaking man - a minority, a Brahmin - minority, educated - a minority, well to do - a minority and English speaking - a minority.

Hence we should collectively focus on commonality rather than dig deeper into divisive factors based on caste, race, class or economic status.

On doing the right thing - Arun Maira

The pedestrian traffic light at the busy mall crossing in Gurgaon is red. Yet people are rushing across, even as cars drive by. He is the only one standing, waiting for the light to turn green. Some look at him and laugh. They wonder why he won't go with the crowd. He is different. People who have the will to do the right thing in awkward circumstances are exceptional.

It's easy to go with the flow. To do the 'done' thing. To do what is convenient; even to break a rule because everybody is doing it. However, to pause, and to ask what is the right thing to do in the situation, and then to do it: that is the seed of greatness.

On the power to change lives - giveindia.org

A wise man who was traveling in the mountains found a precious stone in a stream. The next day he met another traveller who was hungry, the wise man opened his bag to share his food. The hungry traveller saw the precious stone and asked the man to give it to him. He did so without hesitation. The traveller left rejoicing his good fortune. He knew the stone was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime.

But a few days later, he came back to return the stone to the wise man.

“I have been thinking,” he said, “I know how valuable the stone is, but I give it back in the hope that you can give me something even more precious. Give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me the stone.”

Defining secularism, and a brief introduction

2011-10-19T01:18:00.000+05:30

What is Secularism?

Since long there has been a perception among Indians that Secularism means accommodation of all religions or freedom to practice any religious activity. This was something I found contradictory to what I read on a major European website. So a few weeks before I joined college, I was surfing the net, in search of a definition of Secularism. What I found out was this: A website said ‘Secularism is the state of being separate from religion’. The next one said Secularism is ‘A doctrine that rejects religion and religious considerations’. A dictionary defines Secularism as ‘State not connected with religious or spiritual matters.’ These definitions were quite the opposite of what is believed to be secularism in India; this is the reason why I choose to read more about Secularism and what it actually meant.

I started out with two basic questions:

Why are there two different views on what Secularism is?

Have Indians failed to understand the meaning of Secularism or have we conveniently changed the definition of Secularism to suit our politics?

I shall talk about these questions in the next article, while in this one I shall talk something about the different models of Secularism that exist today.

According to Rajeev Bhargava in some sense it is evident that The European understanding of Secularism is different from what can be called as the Indian form of Secularism.

According to the European i.e the main stream western Secularism, [1]Religion should not intrude into secular/worldly affairs, usually reflected in the desire to separate the Church from the State. The essence of Western secularism lies in the stress its lays on the private and public space. Religion should strictly remain in the private space.

Rajeev Bhargava further says that the dominant self-understanding of Western secularism is that it’s a universal doctrine requiring the strict separation of church/religion and the state for the sake of individualistically conceived moral or ethical values.

Similar is the America model of mutual exclusion. Neither the state nor the religion is meant to interfere in the domain of the other. This model ensures that that the state has neither a positive relationship nor negative one. For example there would be no granting of aid to religious institutions or state interference in religious activities. The idealized French model is based on separation that is one sided. The state and religion are separate but the state retains the power to interfere in religion.

Some kind of interference is expected and acceptable but where the state should draw the line is debatable. A positive engagement to promote freedom and equality is needed. To understand this, the concept of 'principled distance' is very important according to which the state engages positively/negatively in religion while maintaining a principled distance from all religions.

[2]Several western scholars claim that by enjoining believers to leave behind religious convictions when they step into public life, secularism shows hostility to believers, inhibits diversity and homogenizes the public domain.

Such a flaw prevents from flourishing, a pluralist political culture and also fails to accommodate reasonable community related demands since Secularism derives most of its principles from individualism and cherishes growth of individuals, rather than communities.

The situation demands that we look at various models and variants of Secularism. Does the Indian model of Secularism offer any solutions?

Secularism deserves a special place in Indian polity. Salman Rushdie rightly said, “Secularism in India, is not just a point of view, it is a question of survival”

State in independent India is officially secular as it is not allied with any particular religion, yet in practice it does not separate itself from religion but tries to give a picture of itself as a neutral country by publicly recognizing all religions and their major social practices.

While ideally Indian Secularism celebrates the cultural and religious diversity, it also insures that the State’s interference in Religion is not excess. For instance although Indian Secularism treats all religions equally, it does provide Haj subsidies to Muslim pilgrims. Thus the State in independent India is officially secular as it is not allied with any particular religion, yet in practice it does not separate itself from religion but tries to give a picture of itself as a neutral country by publicly recognizing all religions and their major social practices.

[3]The most important is the fact that Indian model of Secularism is committed to a different model of moral reasoning and opens up the possibility of different societies working out their own secularisms.

Ideally this model deserves appreciation but in reality, it appears to be skewed. There is a threat to Secularism in India and [4] ’the external threat to Secularism in India is a symptom of a deeper internal crisis, and that the conceptual and normative structure of secularism is itself terribly flawed.

Problems arising due to separate personal laws for religious groups, the intervention of state in religious institutions and practices and issues like reservation question the practicality of the model Indian secular state.

Religious political movements have emerged in every part of the world that challenge the existence of Secular states and their underlying ideology. Rajeev Bhargava believes that secularism was severly jolted with the establishment of the first modern theocracy in 1979 in Iran. There is also a view that the [5]target of Saffron Terror is not the Muslim community, but secular nationalism.

Thus, we need to keep evolving newer and more acceptable principles in Secularism which is able to deal with such opposition. Rajeev Bhargava suggests that rather than getting stuck on models developed by Europeans in some point in History, the West should look for better theoretical self-understanding. While concluding one of his article, he also suggests that West could also learn about Secularism from the original Indian variant that respects all religions but recognizes the need, at-least sometimes, for democratic state intervention in morally dubious religious practices.

Even if implementation and viability of Secularism is debatable, even if people disagree with the principles of Secularism, the common responsibility to ensure the greater good for human kind should be shared by one and all, irrespective of our individual religious views and notions of 'how an ideal state should be'.

[1] ‘Should Europe learn from Indian Secularism?’ – Article by Rajeev Bhargava

[2] Political Secularism – Rajeev Bhargava

[3] 6th feature of Indian Secularism in Rajeev Bhargava’s book ‘What is political theory and why we need it?’

[4] Political Secularism – Rajeev Bhargava

[5] ‘Saffron terror: Splinter or Symptom’ – Juli Gittinger in EPW
[6] The Contest Of Indian Secularism - Erja Marjut Hanninen, University of Helsinki, Master's Thesis

Save Our Cities

2011-06-18T22:06:00.003+05:30

Save Our Cities

We neglect our cities at our own peril. For, in neglecting them, we neglect the nation. –John F. Kennedy

I believe the key to unlocking India’s vast economic potential, and creating rapid, sustainable economic growth lies in our cities. –Narayan Murthy

City: Mumbai

Known as Bombay till 1996

A Conurbation –Network of Urban communities

Mumbai port handles 50% of India’s total foreign trade and generates 40% of India’s GNP

Mumbai has India’s largest and World’s third largest stock exchange.

Mumbai also is the home of the world’s largest motion picture industry.

As Mumbai is one of the five cities that are included in the Centre sponsored ‘Mega City Scheme’ launched in accordance with the Eighth 5 year plan by the Government of India. The nodal agency for implementation of this scheme is the ‘Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).

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Every other day our dumb witted politicians are debating who empowered or built Mumbai, who made it what it is today. What is Mumbai today? Mumbai is like a chewing gum, till it’s juicy everyone wants to suck on it and after they are done they are going to spit it out.

While Tokyo, New York, Hong Kong and scores of cities are already working towards becoming a sustainable city, Mumbai is seeing a rise in number of Lodhas and Kalpatarus. If more jobs, more towers and more moolah is development then what is deforestation? What is destruction of Mangroves along the Mumbai coast? What is increasing concentration of pollutants? What is pressure on infrastructure? When was the last time you saw a bird other than pigeons, crows or sparrows? Noise pollution is another increasing problem. Small hills have been dug out for soil and construction.

This is development? Have we ever heard anyone talking about food security and community food collection?

Highest revenue producer it is, also the highest loser in terms of its health.

Wonder when our politicians will stop bragging about the development of Mumbai which looks minuscule from many angles and understand that growth and development at the cost of tomorrow is a very bad idea.

A Railway Station in Singapore. We want World Class facilities in Mumbai too. The question is will we manage to keep it clean and efficient. Will we pick that piece of plastic or scold the co-passenger who spits outside the window?

Where does Mumbai stand?

We are nowhere. If you want to feel good about Mumbai, then you should visit Bangladesh. Even if you visit Sri Lanka or some African cities, you return here and feel disappointed.-Hafeez Contractor

The Shivaji Park ground in Mumbai. Sachin Tendulkar practiced here. I took this photograph after a religious ceremony. We Indians love to litter.

The quality of life in Mumbai has also worsened and the decline is quite steep. Slums have proliferated and congestion, pollution and water problems have sky-rocketed. The situation is likely to worsen over the next decade with an expected population increase of over 2 million.

All this is most unfortunate considering that Mumbai is Maharashtra’s and India’s growth engine and contributes about 40,000 crore in taxes to Maharashtra and Centre annually. Compared to that sum, what Mumbai gets in return from the State and Centre is a grossly inadequate Rs.1000 crore of capital expenditure every year.- McKinsey Report on Mumbai

Most of Mumbai’s population lives in slums and shanties which are almost always illegal. Even the normal non-slum areas lack the most basic amenities and essentials. Any disruption in the services and transport of food and other important commodities even for a short time will have very adverse consequences.

The sheer numbers of structures create a lot of problem for activities related to law enforcement, cleanliness, disaster management and transportation. Rather than creating large megacities, small sustainable cities and townships will go a long way in solving the Urban housing problem.

My expectations from Mr.Prithviraj Chavan:

· v Pass a law regarding Urban Cities declaring them ‘special zones’

· v Commercial buildings to compulsorily have Water Harvesting, Solar Heaters, Biogas Plants and other green measures

· v Improvement in infrastructure, Mumbai as epicentre of development, areas adjacent should be given importance

· v Strict punishments against water and electricity theft

· Workers which are brought in Mumbai by contractors stay on footpaths and shanties even after the work is complete. This should call for strict action against the contractor.

· v The government should buy land and provide sports infrastructure for the youth of Mumbai. Are there more Hookah bars or playgrounds in Mumbai? I think you know the answer.

· v Creating World Class Educational Institutes. What’s a world class city without best Educational Institutes?

· v Reading/Offering ‘Namaz’ on public roads and immersion of Ganesh idols made from ‘Plaster of Paris’ should be banned. Enjoying religious activities at the cost of environment or disrupting others life should not be allowed.

· v Many places in Mumbai are disgusting. It’s not always because BMC neglects it. It’s is filthy because the people love to litter. It’s not just those who live in slums or Railway platforms but also those who travel in a Mercedes. This calls for heavy penalty.

· v The only permanent solution to this problem is development of smaller townships. If a talented villager can get decent education, housing in his village, there is a high probability that he will want to stay there and help develop the village. In fact I am sure there are many people who wish to work for their village and the people. Also read ‘The NRI who donated $20 million to native village’ and ‘The teacher who taught village kids through Skype’

I am looking at how the city benefits and becomes more beautiful, and what the future generation gets.

If tomorrow I suggest we make a garden, and to maintain the garden will need a sweeper who will make money for his efforts. Now if we get jealous that the sweeper will make money and therefore refuse to build the garden... that is how the environmentalists are today, to be very frank. This is my view.

We need more housing for the 16 million people of the city, which will be 22 million by 2020. At present, 55 per cent of Mumbai lives in the slums. But the problem is we don't have infrastructure or the resources to accommodate them all.

–Hafeez Contractor, renowned architect

While we are talking about sustainable cities it’s necessary to mention the name of Asian Paints. Asian Paints is a leading example, as their Corporate Citizenship program is already implemented and they are able to save and recycle large quantities of water.

Lastly, it is very important to take into confidence the local hard working citizens before implementing the redevelopment. The very idea of creating trouble for locals and welcoming new people when there is no space and capacity to accommodate them is very foolish. The migrant problem is not just limited to language but its a 'real' problem which should be dealt with. There is a limit to the number of people Mumbai can cater to and the limit has already been crossed. A further continuous increase will result in a complete collapse of the city infrastructure. Its easy to talk about how anyone can travel to any part in this country, but the constant increase in the number of people and decreasing quality of life is not only injustice to the locals but also an unnatural development.

It is best to remember the words of geographer David Harvey that ‘cities are endowed with great character and with fascinating, ever changing personalities.’ It is the need of the hour to embrace intelligent, practical and effective policies for urban development and governance to transform our dynamic, fast changing urban centres into truly sustainable engines of growth. -NR Narayan Murthy

Resources:

1)As a city Mumbai ranks no-where – Chat with Hafeez Contractor

2)NR Narayan Murthy –A Better India, A Better World.

3)Transforming Mumbai into a World Class City- Report for Government of India

4)Report on Environment Status of Mumbai Region -MPCB

5)McKinsey Report –Vision Mumbai

This article is also published in The 'Scribido Magazine'

What are Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)?

2011-06-12T13:04:00.001+05:30

(This image for instance, is owned/clicked by me but its not related to the topic. I am using this image on my blog instead of a finding a relevant one on 'google images' because while reading about IPR I realized its really irresponsible to use an image without asking the owner. Its like taking your neighbour's car out for a ride and when asked for an explanation we would say, 'It was right out there!' The same way we copy-paste content from the Internet. I have decided to fix this right. At-least on my blog. I'll remove all images from my blog which are not clicked by me or are not from open source within a month.)

What is Intellectual Property?

Intellectual property refers to creations of the mind: inventions, literary and artistic works, and symbols, names, images, and designs used in commerce. - WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization)

Intellectual property is any innovation, commercial or artistic, or any unique name, symbol, logo or design used commercially. -Stopfakes.gov

Lets simply say, 'An Intellectual Property, is any idea or innovation, which is a outcome of human thinking and intelligence, in any tangible form, which has commercial importance.'
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Intellectual Property and Us

Our cell phone, laptops, textbooks, songs, paintings, books, research papers, software and almost everything around us is product of Human Intelligence and almost every such object can be treated as Intellectual Property.

The people behind most of these creations and inventions have invested their energy, time and money in creating them. The property thus created belongs to the owner and any commercial benefit that can be earned should be enjoyed by the owner/creator.
It may so happen sometime that a thug or a scamster may duplicate the product or steal the idea and make money out of it or simply call it his own! To avoid such act from happening Intellectual Property is protected by different laws and certain rights are given to the creators, which are known as 'Intellectual Property Rights'

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Different aspects of Intellectual Property Rights

In some way or the other, we are all guilty of copyright violation. Be it the latest movie you downloaded from torrenz.com or songs downloaded for free from websites that do not have the right to distribute it. Using an image we don't own too is a copy right violation. If you don't own it, you can't sell/use it. Just assuming that its not under any copyright because it is on google images or facebook.com is not a smart move.

Intellectual Property Disputes are not very common in India, though they do exist. Intellectual Property suits come mostly under the Civil Law, thus the burden of proof is not entirely on the appellant. The financial loss incurred by the real creator of the content, the type of work copied, the amount of work copied etc are factors the Court considers before awarding a punishment.

Quoting a paragraph or two, taking notes for academic purpose is allowed, while photocopying an entire book could land you in trouble. Although the basics of IPR are very straight forward, its becomes quite tricky in real life cases. Usually we assume that if we credit the source of text or image and use it on our blog or website its not a copyright violation. We also copy text from sources and post it on our friend's facebook wall. Both of these could be copyright violations.

Some parts of 'Intellectual Property Law'
Patents (Example - Cure to Cancer, protects inventions)
Trademarks (Example - PEPSI™, protects goodwill)
Geographical Indicators(Example - Alphonso Mangoes, protect geographical identity)
Copyright (Example - Song lyrics or movie script, protects originality)

Try this quiz when you are bored and find how much this article helped. I scored a 10/10. Go bust your myths.
http://www.squidoo.com/quiz-is-it-plagiarism

Additional Reading on Intellectual Property Rights:
1)More about patent disputes, 'here'. Commonly known as 'patent-wars'. I hear in some cases the only people to benefit from such disputes are the patent lawyers, they make a killing!
2)More on trademark disputes, 'here'
3)Interesting article on Patent Piracy, 'here'

What is a Shadow Cabinet?

2011-05-25T17:06:00.000+05:30

A Party is never a shadow cabinet. The party will select a few people from among themselves who will act as members of Shadow Cabinet.

Priceton’s Word-Web Dictionary defines a shadow cabinet as, ‘A group of senior members of the political party that is out of power; these members would probably assume corresponding positions as ministers in the Cabinet, if their party was elected.’

The member of the shadow cabinet is known as a Shadow Minister. In Canada, the term opposition critic is used.

Although just being a shadow minister does not mean that the minister will be given the cabinet position once his party is elected, but it does make him an obvious first choice.

A few parties like the ‘British labour party and the Australian Labour Party elect their shadow ministers in a party room ballot and the leader of opposition distributes the port folios to the shadow ministers. In Canada and United Kingdom, the shadow Cabinet is know as ‘His/Her Majesty’s shadow cabinet.

The two main objectives of having a shadow cabinet:

1) Assuring the public that we have a solution to the current government and the problems caused by it.

2) Our shadow ministers keep an eye on the activities of the incumbent ministers and criticize their actions. Thus, the attack of the opposition is more organized.

This will not happen in India in near future because:

A regional party like say TDP or AIADMK supporting you today, will oppose you in the future. The ‘Pune-pattern’ is an example, where the NCP decided to go with the BJP-Shiv Sena combine and form the Government, while Congress was the opposition. Inconsistent performance of the UPA and a lack of unity among the opposition ensure that none of the small parties are eager to take sides. This creates a head ache, since the largest party has to keep in mind the interests of small parties while making the shadow cabinet. Thus decision taking is avoided and almost all decisions for party posts, party tickets, cabinet berths and other designations are taken in a very short duration and go through a process of heavy lobbying

For more info, try these links:

1)Shadow Cabinet

2)Shadow Cabinet (UK)

3)Shadow Cabinet (Canada)

What's with the 'Reality' Shows?

2011-05-24T02:15:00.006+05:30

Reality, shows. It need not be shown.

Image credits: Abhishek Kasegaonkar

"Kya bakwaas hai na, ye reality shows?", said a friend of mine as he was changing the channels on his TV. He stopped at 'UTV Bindass' channel and started enjoying a reality show named 'Emotional Atyachar'. 10 minutes into the program and this guy is enjoying looking at some weird people almost as if he is meditating.

A reality show which came on Sony a few months ago was called 'Maa Exchange' where the mothers were swapped between two families and even after giving it a very deep thought I still don't get the point of such an exercise, forget the entertainment part.

Another favorite among Indian households is 'Roadies', which is aired on channel MTV. I saw barely a few minutes of an episode, curious to know what it was all about and I lost interest, obviously. A few stupid people swearing at each other and a Ranvijay telling people about their 'Aapka Agla Task'. Wow. What a thriller.

Dude: Tera favorite Roadie kaun hai?
Me: ..........
Dude: Mujhe to 'xyz' pasand hai
Me: ........

While there is no 'Indian Idol' or 'Roadies' on air, small timers like 'Is Jungle Se Mujhe Bachao' and 'India has got talent' enjoy their share of viewer-ship.

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Some people, mostly politicians and 'moral police' take a really stupid stance on this subject.

Captain Planet: Man, this 'XYZ ka Swayamwar should be banned!

Me: What is that?

Captain Planet: Its a reality show and they show vulgar stuff on television. Yesterday they almost showed.... (This continues for another 15 minutes, as he tells me the summary of the week.)

Me: Why do you bother? Why do you watch such stuff?

Captain Planet: Well, umm, its like....

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My take on the whole issue

I feel there is a certain section of the society that likes these shows. It becomes a worry when this 'section' increases. You cannot blame a particular show/channel. Every country has such shows. They get TRP so they exist. Many people want to see such shows. They find it interesting.

In this era of advertisements and money minded societies, the way we reach out to people has changed. As causes like Indian Against Corruption, Green Peace and PETA are attracting youth, such stupid shows are doing the same. As long as there is balance, its ok..

Such shows will never cease to exist, the more you try to stop them the more they will try to get such shows, we have to accept them as a part of this society. It should also be made sure that the guidelines on vulgar content are followed strictly. Reality shows having content not suitable for kids should be aired strictly after 11 pm.

Meanwhile, if you don't like such shows, watch ESPN or Star Sports instead...

Tale of the lone warrior

2011-05-02T12:58:00.001+05:30

Power is a politicians's ecstasy.....a rich man's toy/

Gives them a kick...innocent lives they destroy/

Whose lives are these with which they play? Much to the common man's dismay/

Honest voices are muted, empowering decisions are refuted/

From the ashes I pray a prince will rise...destroy, anihilate and fuck up evil lives! /

Is it a dream or just a tale full of lies?/

Its a lost battle I fight, as goals seem distant, success out of sight/

The subjects seem ignorant and ignorance is blind/

The only reasons I battle now are my ego and some bitter pride...

Two Hands Working, Or A Thousand In Prayer?

2011-01-03T02:39:00.001+05:30

(This is a piece of fiction i wrote after the Haiti Earthquake.)

A religious saint, who was called for a lecture in a seminar organized by a local body of well to do Businessmen in New York, started speaking about 'how prayers could heal any disease or sickness and that God had all the cures'. He gave an example of a man for whom prayers helped to heal his sick son who was dying of cancer. He stressed upon the fact that God was ever forgiving and very just. He also spoke how God always saved those who feared him, prayed for him.

While most of the men were busy discussing the latest market updates, others were busy munching at the starters served by the waiters.

The dull lecture was finally over and it was followed by a round of mild applause.

There are times in your life when you just don't care about what happens to people. This was definitely not one of those.

I stood up, much to everyone's surprise and went near the podium. I stood in front of the podium and looked around. Well I remember those days in School when I used to shy away at the very though of speaking in-front of a crowd. I had grown up. I cleared my throat and said,"I want to respond to what Father just spoke to us. Father, the newspaper that I hold in my hand has printed a story of a boy who has lost a leg in the disaster in Haiti. Father, I know your invisible friend cannot bring his leg back. I know he cannot cure cancer, or for that matter any disease or illness. I know if even his parents pray hard enough, he will not get his leg back. Father, he is a 4 year old and has obviously never lied or cheated anyone. His father works as a bus conductor and his mother washes clothes to make money. There is a one hospital in Cuba that does a particular operation with the help of which he can walk again. He could go to school again.

I remember what Epicurus had once said, Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?

I am taking the next flight to Haiti and I will make sure he gets operated. Not God. Man, helping another man. It had always been so. Amen."

I hate Shivaji!

2010-12-29T01:09:00.006+05:30

'I hate this Shivaji', said one of my well-to-do Gujarati friend and I looked at him with surprise. Before I could ask him what he meant by that, he explained his stand. 'I have heard he was a famous king and all that but why do normal people have to suffer? Like he was the past right? Every now and then we have people fighting over his name, his mother and the books that have his mention. Buses are torched, public property is destroyed and people are beaten up. Why so much noise over a figure of the past?', asked my furious friend.

'He was right, not wholly but partially', I thought. This is failure. This is disgrace. This is shame. A National hero has been reduced to a mere political tool.

Pradeep, in a song from the 1954 movie Jagriti rightfully sings,'Sher Shivaji ne rakhi thi laaj hamari shaan ki.' because he was undoubtedly the strongest opponent to the aggressive Islamic conversions and tortures which happened during the rule of most Mughal rulers, barring a few like Akbar.

The following poem by the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee reminds me of the triumphs of this great and just ruler.

दुनिया के वीराने पथ पर जब जब नर ने खाई ठोकर

दो आँसू शेष बचा पाया जब जब मानव सब कुछ खोकर

मै आया तभि द्रवित होकर मै आया ज्ञान दीप लेकर

भूला भटका मानव पथ पर चल निकला सोते से जगकर

पथ के आवर्तोंसे थककर जो बैठ गया आधे पथ पर

उस नर को राह दिखाना ही मेरा सदैव का दृढनिश्चय

हिन्दु तन मन हिन्दु जीवन रग रग हिन्दु मेरा परिचय

होकर स्वतन्त्र मैने कब चाहा है कर लूं सब को गुलाम
मैने तो सदा सिखाया है करना अपने मन को गुलाम
गोपाल राम के नामोंपर कब मैने अत्याचार किया
कब दुनिया को हिन्दु करने घर घर मे नरसंहार किया
कोई बतलाए काबुल मे जाकर कितनी मस्जिद तोडी
भूभाग नही शत शत मानव के हृदय जीतने का निश्चय
हिन्दु तन मन हिन्दु जीवन रग रग हिन्दु मेरा परिचय.

There is, obviously, a special place for Shivaji Maharaj in the hearts of patriots, because not only was Shivaji brave and patriotic but also just and noble. It was the emotional nature of the Mavlas or The Ghatis, which helped Shivaji induce a feeling of nationalism and self-respect. Shivaji never had the strongest men, nor the advanced weaponry, but he had some of the most spirited men. That made the difference.

Shivaji's genius is most evident in his military organisation, which lasted till the demise of the Maratha empire. He was one of the pioneers of commando actions.

A Maratha folklore tells of an event when Shivaji was presented a beautiful Muslim princess (daughter of amir of Kalyan, Maharashtra) as a trophy by one of his captains. Shivaji was reported to have told this lady that if his mother was as strikingly beautiful as she was, perhaps he would have been handsome as well. He wished her well and allowed her to return to her family unharmed and under his protection. In that instance, the true nobility of his character was plainly revealed to all that were present there. (Reference: Wikipedia)

Cosme da Guarda says in "Life of the Celebrated Sevaji":

“

Such was the good treatment Shivaji accorded to people and such was the honesty with which he observed the capitulations that none looked upon him without a feeling of love and confidence. He was so impartial that while he lived he made no exception for any person; no merit was left unrewarded, no offence went unpunished; and this he did with so much care and attention that he specially charged his governors to inform him in writing of the conduct of his soldiers, mentioning in particular those who had distinguished themselves, and he would at once order their promotion, either in rank or in pay, according to their merit. He was naturally loved by all men of valor and good conduct."

Emotions.

Unfortunately, when the Arabs left India, they left some of their sons behind, who can now be seen in the Maharashtra Parliament. Its a real shame to see the Marathas who had conquered lands as far as the Punjab, are now fighting for reservations. A few others are busy burning books and torching buses. The ones who were the most cunning now sit in the Parliament and are looting Maharashtra and its people.

His forts have collapsed. His men wear a different color now. His is a mere political tool. Some young Indians have a disregard towards him. What Shivaji built and nurtured with his blood, has been lost and destroyed by the politicians of Maharashtra. It will be totally right if I say, not many leaders born after him were real men. The people who celebrate the birth anniversary of Shivaji Maharaj by organizing random functions or shouting slogans will never understand his importance. Anyone who really puts in efforts like him will be able to understand his greatness.

Men create heroes. And destroy them too.

Jai Hind!

-Mihir Narvilkar

The UNSC Seat: A Losing Bargain?

2010-12-20T11:04:00.002+05:30

I am a very firm believer in India's future. You cannot belittle or ignore the aspirations of 1,190,083,000+ people. But its really disheartening to see Indian's negligent dominance in the World politics.
India is not yet in the position to influence international decisions or policies and is clearly not ready to accept a responsible role in settling International issues.

The World's largest democracy is yet to give a befitting reply to problems such as naxalism, corruption, poverty and unemployment. Kashmir and uneven and discriminative development are also proving to be major hurdles on India's path.

Although India has been a regular contributor in the UN's Peace-Keeping Operations, it has a long way to go when it comes to dealing with its internal turmoil and external or border issues. Talks with China and Pakistan have not produced the desired results. After every year and every talk it seems we are back to where we started.

This year has been very important in terms of International relations. It has been a decade since India has been vying for a seat in the UNSC. Most people already believe that the recent events have improved our chances of securing a permanent UNSC seat. The visits and assurances of US president Barack Obama, French President Nicholas Sarkozy and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev have surely boosted India's morale. But not much can be said as yet.
The US relations with Pakistan and our shaky relations with China can significantly undermine our chances.
Our leaders are claiming the India's demand is genuine, but so are leaders from Japan, Brazil, Germany, South Africa, Italy, Indonesia etc.

For a country to be accommodated as a permanent member of the UNSC, the UN Charter has to be amended which will require 2/3rd of the General i.e 128 votes followed by the ratification by the same number, plus the assent of the Permanent security members. Needless to say this process is time consuming.

(According to The Washington Post, India was offered a permanent seat on the council 55 years ago, in 1955. But that offer, made by the United States and the Soviet Union, was declined by India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. Nehru said the seat should be given to China instead.)

I would like to conclude that it will take more than just assurances and support from a handful of countries to secure a permanent seat in the UNSC. India can be truly powerful and dominant Nation on the World stage only if it manages to tackle at least most of its internal disputes and problems.

A few photos from 2010

2010-12-14T00:54:00.000+05:30

I have the opportunity

Once more to right some wrongs,

To pray for peace, to plant a tree,

And sing more joyful songs!”

Yes, looks like we will be entering a new year soon.
This has been by far the most exciting year of my life. Well actually I feel this every year. Life is getting more and more exciting! Took a drop, changed cities and also changed my stream.
One of the most important things that happened this year is that I started clicking pictures, and I am loving it!
Here are a few pictures I clicked this year:

Hope you have a wonderful New year!
Would love to here your comments!

People Of Indian Origin, should we celebrate the success?

2010-12-09T12:50:00.000+05:30

"Akhir beta kiska hai?" is one of the many dialogues which was overused by Indian directors and writers in the 80's and the 90's.
It was used to convey that their lad, irrespective of what the circumstances, because of his superior upbringing, he was bound to succeed.

Well looks like we are looking a newer version of this lately.

The craze this time is about 'People of Indian Origin' making breakthrough discoveries or maybe winning a prestigious election. The question I want to ask is, should we really celebrate the success of People of Indian origin?

Some people may say why not, we can offer them support, and afterall they had Indian parents right?

The thing that makes me wonder, is the though that had these people choosen to stay in India, would they have succeeded in doing what they have achieved? The answer is NO.

But if they had got the kind of infrastructure they wanted or expected in India, they would have contributed to India's success and we could have called them 'really successful Indians' and not Persons Of Indian origin, had they/their parents stayed here. Most of these people have parents who were Indians, and have no other connection with India.

They have taken advantage of the superior infrastructure and better opportunities found in other countries and are proud citizens of their own countries. I won't be surprised to see the American national flag in the house of some Jignesh Patel or a Laxman Apte or Suraj Nair.
Calling them 'People of Indian Origin' or something else does not even matter to them.

We should try and improve the infrastructure and faclilities in our own Country so that we will have our own Indian brethren from villages and cities making it big on the global level.

P.S: By this faulty logic, aren't most Americans, people of European origin? ;)

❝ A Point To Ponder ❞

2010-11-20T19:37:00.000+05:30

Point To Ponder- By Richard Bach

Remember the high board at the swimming pool? After days of looking up at it you finally climbed the wet steps to the platform. From there it was higher than ever. There were only two ways down: The steps to defeat or the dive to victory.

You stood on the edge, shivering in the hot sun, deathly afraid. At last you leaned too far forward, it was too late for retreat and you dived. The high board was conquered and you spent the rest of the day diving.

Climbing a thousand high boards, we demolish fear, and turn into human beings.

(From A Gift Of Wings- Delacorte)

Children want Peace

2010-11-15T00:27:00.002+05:30

Note: If you are easily hurt by criticism on your Religion or Beliefs, please do not read the article.

A few days ago I was talking with a friend called Mrunal on how Religion has affected our lives and why the Babri Masjid is still so important issue to 21st century Indians. This is my last reply to Mrunal, with which I concluded the conversation.

"People have lost the Ram in their hearts and are trying to find him outside themselves.
Ram is also my favorite lord. I am an atheist Hindu just like Savarkar or Vijay Tendulkar. I like what you have written and its what I believe too.
This is what I feel....

My religion is football, I play it everyday or as some may say RELIGIOUSLY.
My religion is helping out a stranger, I OFFER SERVICE to the needy.
My religion is patriotism, I am ready for SACRIFICES.
My religion is knowledge, I READ what I like to read and what is good.
My religion is about ABIDING to the law of the land.
My religion is respect, I RESPECT every religion, probably more than others.

Atheism + Humanism is the medicine we need.

90% Indians are lazy, interested in controversies, suckers for money and fame.
Go to any Ganesh aarti or namaz or church and you will see most of the people are looking around to see who all have come.
The other people who have closed their eyes are thinking of what they have to do after the prayer.
The ladies are looking at what kind of dresses the other females have worn.
The kids are simply wondering why they are there....

Atheism is a non-prophet organization. – George Carlin

What I am trying to say is that religion is becoming less effective and less important as time passes. Of-course its really sad that religions that have been around for ages are now losing out.
But,
Change is good
Change is necessary
Change is progress

If humans have brains to create religions, then they have the talent to create a new one based on modern beliefs and scientific attitude.
This new religion will be caste less, class less, beyond national boundaries, encouraging people to unite, jihad less, encouraging people to abide by the law, no quotas in education systems, no communal riots, to biased laws, and so much more!

A Doha by Kabir for example mocks the world which goes out to worship the rock outside while forgetting to venerate the grindstone at home which sustains their bodies and souls with flour:

Duniya Bari Hai Baavli

Paathar Pujan Jaaye,

Ghar Ki Chakki Koi Na Puje,

Jiska Pisa Khaye.

Rahul Dravid and Shivaji Maharaj are my Gods.

I would like to conclude with a few lines from John Lennon's song 'Imagine'

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one "

Celebrate a Mindful Diwali!

2010-10-30T17:48:00.001+05:30

The true essence of Diwali!

What is wrong if Indians burst just 2-3 crackers during Diwali?
The population of India is 1,139,964,932.
Excluding the disabled people and the people in mental asylums, even if 1000000000 people were bursting just 2 or 3 crackers, the number goes to 3000000000 crackers burst in just 2-3 days! Thats a hell lot more than what the earth can handle.
Thankfully so many people do not burst crackers.

The Diwali comes at the time when birds reproduce, due to the air pollution and noise, the offspring’s die in the shells itself or if born are born crippled.

Pets such as dogs and cats also suffer on account of firecrackers as animals have a more sensitive sense of hearing than humans. It is important for each one of us to act as responsible citizens and discourage the use of firecrackers.

Firecrackers can cause hearing loss, high blood pressure, sleeping disturbances and sudden exposure to loud noise can cause temporary or permanent deafness or even result in heart attack. Nausea and mental impairment are also some of the side effects of firecrackers.

Karuna Mehta an environmental activist says, “Firecrackers should be banned as they cause a number of health hazards. People come down with all sorts of respiratory problems such as asthma and bronchitis. Air and noise pollution are also the side effects of firecrackers that are responsible for various injuries. The smog that is created on Diwali is responsible for a number of accidents due to reduced visibility.”

Kanchan Chadha, a housewife says, “My family will be celebrating Diwali by having a get together. We will cook a special Diwali cuisine and distribute gifts. I want my children to learn to appreciate the beauty of the festival and not waste their time and money in bursting firecrackers. We will of course light diyas and candles on Diwali.”

Diwali is the biggest festival of India and its sanctity should not be blown away in smoke. This festival of goodwill can be celebrated in a number of ways other than bursting firecrackers.

How can I help?

I would suggest you plan your activity according to your surrounding and your locality.

Suppose you stay near a school, you could visit it and ask the principle to allow you to put some awareness posters in the premises. You could as well go in each class and tell the kids how Diwali can be celebrated in a better way.

You could also visit residential areas and start a signature campaign, you could gift each house a diya which costs about Rs.1-5 per diya. You could also post the poster in the society notice board.

Suppose you are really passionate about the environment then you could very well stage a demonstration on a busy road, about 10-15 people can keep the hoardings in hands in shifts for say 2-3 days. This can substantially reduce the use of crackers if done on a large scale. Don't feel disheartened if you are doing it on a small scale, it will help too.

Happy Diwali in advance! Have a great time!

Be a Mindful Indian!

2010-10-30T17:24:00.001+05:30

Why should I do it when no one else does?

When we talk about actually doing the stuff this question always crops up. Everyone hates to admit it but we are thinking about ‘why only me?’ or ‘what difference can my actions make?’

Well the answer is pretty simple.

If this world ever tears apart into pieces, all you will worry about is your life. Your survival. Your Existence. Your share of help is what the world expects from You. Your share, your contribution in keeping this Earth green.

So where do I start?

I have listed a few points below, some easy ones for the start. Later you can also add points which you think are important:

Trim paper usage – Cutting paper waste is vital. Each year, the amount of paper buried in the Mumbai could fill more than 100,000 double decker buses.

Control the air conditioning – Reducing the heating thermostat by one or two degrees can make a massive difference to the environment and your electricity bills.

Switch off computers – A single computer left on all day will produce 1,500 pounds of CO2 per year.

Turn off the lights – Switch off unnecessary lights to reduce the average bill by up to 19 percent, and switch to energy efficient bulbs.

Use Fans and Solar Screens to Save Energy - Using ceiling fans to circulate air makes everyone feel more comfortable. Be sure to turn fans off when no one is in the room, since a fan doesn’t actually cool down a room, just the people in it. Energy Star-rated ceiling fans move air more efficiently and can reduce your residential electric bill. Solar window screens block 70 percent of the sun’s heat and light, and can make a difference equivalent to up to a half-ton of air conditioning. Window film has an equal effect.

Stupid Myths - Screen savers may use more energy than not using one; it's better to have the screen just go dark. A large Australian company removed screen savers from 36,000 office computers, the equivalent of taking 140 cars off the road for a year.

Go Veggie - Eat less meat. A recent study by the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization estimates that meat production accounts for 19% of greenhouse gas emissions. The study recommends that everyone have at least one meat free day a week. A non-profit organization called Meatless Mondays encourages everyone to not eat on Mondays thus reducing overall consumption by 15%. Reducing meat consumption by 20% is equivalent to switching from an SUV to a hybrid. Besides producing enormous quantities of greenhouse gas, livestock also consumes 70% of global freshwater production. A reduction in meat intake also means a reduction in saturated fat. High levels of saturated fats are linked to heart disease, diabetes, stroke and cancer .

Walk, Bike, or Take Public Transportation - You can reduce your carbon footprint by getting a more fuel-efficient car, or you can reduce your carbon footprint even further by avoiding cars altogether. Once you get into the habit of walking, biking, or taking public transportation to work and around town, you’ll enjoy the exercise and appreciate the effect on your budget.

Showers out, Buckets in: Imagine you are really tired after a long and hot day. You’re sweating like a dog and you reach home after a long bus travel. The first thing you want to do is stand below the shower. But what about those other days? There are millions in India who don’t have showers in their homes. There are millions who do not have enough water to have a bath. Let showers be a luxury and please avoid their use. Water is very precious.

Lastly,

Be Willing to Take Personal Responsibility - The changes you need to make to your lifestyle in order to reduce your carbon footprint do involve some sacrifice. Having a large SUV is often more convenient than having a small hybrid, or taking the extra time it requires to use public transportation. But if the recent past is any indicator, the problem of global warming will not be stopped by governmental action alone. It will require individuals to educate themselves and take personal responsibility to do what they can to reduce their own carbon footprint.

Enjoy life and be mindful of your responsibilities. :)

Lagaan is in my blood!

2010-10-28T23:26:00.000+05:30

I know it sounds funny but Lagaan is in my blood.

It is seen very often than not that we undermine the greatness of a particular object, emotion, situation or effort. Like a handmade card and coffee may seem blunt to your wife or girl-friend when compared to a tailor-made candle light dinner across the river designed by your secretary, in a hotel of your choice. All you need to do is just swipe that card and done! The effort and emotion behind the handmade card and the coffee is stabbed in the heart and it never comes back. It’s gone.

I have met two very interesting people in my life. I asked both of them a question two years ago. “What do you want to do when you grow up?” The answers I got from these gentlemen are of very unique nature and came straight from the heart. Devendra Shintre said,” If I ever get into an IIT, I will come back to Pune after graduation and start a political party.” Shreyas Hapse said,”Mihir, many people talk really bad about the CBI, the media too calls it a corrupt organization in many shows. When I grow up I want to lead the CBI and make sure it’s the best organization in the world. Devendra is currently in IIT, Madras and Shreyas is in a reputed engineering college. What I want to say is that if these people are motivated and if the society learns to respect genuine causes we shall soon have many talented people Devendra debating our economic policies in the parliament and many passionate people like Shreyas heading organizations like the CBI.

All this and more if we start recognizing and encourage genuine stories, waiting to be told. Now I come back to the movie Lagaan. It’s an original beauty, a master piece. There is a story behind Lagaan. It’s a story of a man who believed in his dreams. It’s more than just a film, it’s a journey of the entire Lagaan crew. Sometimes the whole world seems to ridicule your idea, and that’s precisely the moment where your faith in yourself counts the most. Ashutosh believed in his story. The world didn’t. Period film. Film about cricket. Taxes waived because of a match. Hero in a dhoti. Avadhi, the language of the characters. Ashutosh’s script was a story apart. A story which had value of its own. After a year of struggle to find producers, Ashutosh had almost given up. That is when Amir came into the picture. Amir had finally decided to produce the movie. After 6 months of unbelievable effort and pain, we finally got Lagaan. The tremendous effort put by Ashutosh and his team can be seen here. Lagaan is a story which is so close to me, it seems almost as-if it’s in my blood.

I wish movies which release now-a-days had stories. Simple ones, but original stories.

Apart from Lagaan there is another story which I like a lot...

Power to Change Lives

A wise man who was traveling in the mountains found a precious stone in a stream. The next day he met another traveller who was hungry, the wise man opened his bag to share his food. The hungry traveller saw the precious stone and asked the man to give it to him. He did so without hesitation. The traveller left rejoicing his good fortune. He knew the stone was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime.

But a few days later, he came back to return the stone to the wise man.

“I have been thinking,” he said, “I know how valuable the stone is, but I give it back in the hope that you can give me something even more precious. Give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me the stone.”

Goodnight!

Globalization, Values and our Forgotten Past

2010-10-14T00:03:00.002+05:30

Mr.S.K.Chakraborty’s ‘The Management and Ethics Omnibus’ emphasizes on the importance of value driven management and importance of ethics and ideals in the field of Management.Although the entire book is a must read, there was something in the Introduction of the book that I found really interesting. The author wants to say that we have been undermining the importance and beauty of our traditional values, culture and upbringing and embracing what is completely foreign. Even though the book is on Management the paragraphs which I am sharing with you are relevant in many contexts. The paragraphs below are on pg. no 15 and 16 of the Introduction in that book.

“Subjectively complete human development being the ultimate purpose of the education, no educator should evade involvement in the values aspect of what is taught. Moreover there is no area of human learning where significant values – ethics elements are not inherent.
We further argue that the operative process of imbibing universal values has to be substantially Culture specific. The 1990’s, or probably the period since mid-80’s has witnessed some awakening to the need of indigenize the managerial mind. Of course mainstream management education has remained confined to imported American wisdom. It is some independent minded thinkers and scholars who have been able to evaluate the situation from outside the orbit as it were. It has been a curious irony for them to witness that those who tend to condemn summarily, received wisdom from the Indian tradition, readily endorse pseudo-wisdom from an entirely different culture. The mesmeric grip of surface glitter has been amazing. We do not argue that main-stream Yoga-Vedanta Indian tradition has been relevant in every detail in all epochs. But which tradition has been flawless? Have such flaws prevented the Japanese and other East Asian countries mentioned earlier from seeking solutions to their fundamental human development problems, at every major turn, from their own roots? Why has South Asia floundered?

We conjecture that this is due to the unabated intellectual colonization of the majority of the educated class in this region. The English language as the sole medium of Higher education has been of apparent help. But it has been a hindrance too at a very deep level. The educated elite of India suffer from subtle disease of rootless universalism. They forget that Gandhi, Tagore, Vivekananda, Aurobindo and several others were all towering universal personalities yet they had always stood firm on their indigenous ground.

I once met a senior, educated, respected former cabinet minister of India. During the course of our conversation I mentioned that I was working on an anthology on managing power in politics that would also contain contributions on lessons on managing power from the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and other old classics. His immediate reaction was to argue that he could just could not appreciate what such literature would offer in tackling contemporary problems. I tried for a few minutes to explain their relevance. But he appeared to be in no mood to listen. So there is no relevance of India’s past to India’s future! What a sad contrast to the rest of the world.
As an example of the latter, I recall a breakfast meeting with a senior philosophy-ethics professor in Amsterdam in April 2000. I had asked him a question about highly ranked leaders and literature on leadership in the Dutch corporate world. He responded, ’We are not too concerned about such rank orderings. We seek good leadership; but we have burnt our fingers twice in Europe in the last century. So leaders as such we are scared of. That seems to be an American hobby horse.’ And this distinctiveness was, on the comic side, carried over to a dish for which I asked if I could get some tomato sauce. After a couple of minutes the waitress came back empty-handed. The professor smiled and remarked, ’Dutch restaurants do not serve ketchup. That’s too American!’

I had a similar experience in Stockholm in 1995. The Labour Director of a public sector organization had asked me if I could run a two day programme on leadership and motivation for its senior officials. Surprised, I asked, What about US faculty? They are gurus in such areas.’ He answered, ‘we are tired of American ideas, they do not fit in with our culture.’

The biggest question facing India today is whether she will go in for development attained through the wholesale adoption of outward looking, objective cultures measured by number of PCs, mobile phones and cars per thousand population; or is she going to stick to the priorities arrived at by a sustainable, subjective culture? Will she submit meekly to the inevitable hypothesis? Will it be honourable for her to succumb to the childish ‘left behind’ psychosis? These are not easy questions but they are important. Any responsible attempt to decide policies about values-ethics has to start from such fundamentals. It is well known that converts tend to be much more dogmatic than believers born to a religion. In India we find this to be true of our globalizers, technologists and other professionals. They are concerned only with instant money and fame. Unlike the rishis, the past and future of India and the world, is none of their business.

Hope you enjoyed the passages as much as I did, would like to hear you comments.
thanks!

Society and Secularism - Part 2

2010-10-12T15:48:00.001+05:30

Has India Moved On? asks Santosh Desai's latest article. While some Pseudo-Secular media journalists call upon members of minority community on their channels and create an image of oppression and helplessness which is both exaggerated and hollow, Santosh in his article has asked some hard questions which are Mindful and original. Below are some extracts from that article which is about our evolving ideas about Secularism and Pseudo secularism.

It seems like India has moved on, is the general consensus. We have seen no violence either before or after the Ayodhya verdict and the truth be told, the various prescriptions by different stakeholders to maintain peace have seemed a little unnecessary given the general lack of interest in the subject today. The surprising High Court decision has created a sense of possibilities in where it seemed that nothing new was imaginable.

The truth is that secular minded people find it very difficult to acknowledge the legitimacy of any demand couched in terms of religion when it come to the Hindu view but extremely easy to do when it is framed to do through other faiths. Part of the reason is the responsibility of the majority community to go out of its way to protect the interests of the minority community and this is a noble instinct. But it does lead to many instances where the argument starts bordering on the intellectually dishonest and where we can see double standards being blatantly employed.

Take the example of Kashmiri Pandits, for instance. Here is another minority group that has been visibly uprooted from their home land, but the instinct to protect the minority seems lukewarm in this case. For that matter, can we imagine a secular championship of the cause of the Hindu minority in Pakistan? Anyone doing so would be instantly labelled a right wing extremist.

The inconsistencies are many; we rail at gender inequality issues but carefully skip those related to the Muslim community. The moral police too get differential reactions; few defended the lecturer who could not teach in Bengal without veil and Taslima Nasreen had found it difficult to find refuge even among the communist run government.

The disinterest of Indian media in the case where a professor in Kerala was threatened and his hand was cut-off by Muslim extremist does not come off as a surprise to some.

In the last paragraph he writes, By building both Mandir and Masjid we have the opportunity of recognizing that faith continues to be an important part of our lives and we cannot side-step it by building some other structure. Build one Masjid and Temple and then let us move on for all time to come.

The Part 1 of this topic can be read here

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Society and Secularism - Part 1

2010-10-12T15:35:00.001+05:30

A person 'A' wears a dargah dhaga, makes a cross sign before appearing for an exam, offers zakah or donations and breaks a coconut when he gets a new car. This should have been the result of the rich cultural diversity in India which we boast of. Sadly this does not take place and religious violence is one of the major cause of unrest, killings and violence in our society and I see this as one of the major reasons our country is backward.

I would solely blame this on religious heads, the two major political parties in India, our schools, law enforcing bodies and our inability to unlearn before we learn.
I support the French religion to ban on Headscarves, the Cross, the Hindu kada or dhaga in the "State Aided Schools" since they feel the insistence on schools as religion-free zones goes to the heart of the French idea of citizenship.
If a Rajput/Maratha stands up tomorrow and says he should be allowed to carry a sword because his beliefs and cultural upbringing suggest so then are we not wrong in stopping him? Why do we stick to some practices or symbols from the 17th or 16th century which were symbolic to religious beliefs then?

The day India/Indians will stop giving importance to non relevant rituals, stop caste based census, remove caste reservations, ban leaders who use words like"Hindu, Muslim, dalit, maratha, brahmin, Christian" in poll campaigns because they are a part of secular institution, stop writing caste and religion on birth certificates, evolve our religious beliefs, ban quotas in educational institutions and adhere strictly to the definition of Secularism(Media/Mythical/Congress/Indian/BJP definition: all religions equal, Oxford and Actual Definition: pert. to the world, worldly; not sacred; non-religious) we will not only outpace China but also USA by a great margin. Let hard work be our religion.

We are Indians first and Law of the Land should be treated with highest regard irrespective of personal beliefs. Let democracy for once mean sacrifice for the country and not sacrificing laws just because some popular religious leaders think so.
Kudos to the French Secular spirit!

What is Cyber Terrorism?

2010-09-24T22:32:00.008+05:30

Image: Maggie Smith / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

When Barry Collin first used the words ‘cyber terrorism’, millions had not even seen the Computer. Many years have passed since then and still some people are confused what the term actually means.

I would like to explain this with two common myths.

1)Before 9/11, the terrorist attack in America, the Arab suicide bombers used computers on beaches in Florida to make travel plans and purchase tickets, also public library computers were used. Since cyberspace or technology was used to help or assist a terrorist attack, this is an example of Cyber Terrorism.

The TRUTH: Kasab and the other terrorists from Pakistan used water ways to penetrate the Indian Territory. So will we call it Marine Terrorism? Similarly if Cyberspace is not used directly to attack or influence the attack, it cannot be called as Cyber terrorism.

2)Hacking of a computer system and then deleting the useful information and valuable business details of a rival competitor is a part and parcel of cyber terrorism.

The TRUTH: Terms like Financial Crime have to be used in such cases since Hacking was done purely for financial/private purpose and does not amount to Cyber Terrorism.

Similar to the term ‘Xerox’ which is used in place of ‘photocopy’, many websites online use the term Cyber Terrorism as per their convenience.

Since Cyber Space evolves every day, the terms related to it should also evolve as time passes or as the need arises.

For instance the word hacker was used very loosely a few years ago.

Hacker (2000): A programmer who breaks into computer systems in order to steal, change or destroy information as a part of cyber-crime.

Hacker (2010): A programmer, for whom computing is its own reward, may enjoy the challenge of breaking into other networks/ computers but does no harm and looks down upon crackers.

Interestingly the term Cyber Terrorism is also evolving.

So what exactly is Cyber Terrorism?

Cyber Terrorism = Cyber + Terrorism

Cyber = Relating to information technology, computers or the Internet.

Terrorism = The Federal Bureau Of Investigation defines terrorism as, “The unlawful use of force or violence, committed by a group of two or more individuals, against persons or property to intimidate or force a government, the civilian population or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objective.”

Hence Cyber Terrorism is the convergence of terrorism and cyber space. It is generally understood to mean unlawful attacks or threats of attack against computers, networks and the information stored therein, when done to intimidate or influence a government or its people in furtherance of political or social objectives.

Further to qualify as Cyber Terrorism, an attack should cause enough harm to generate fear, cause death or bodily injury, plane crashes, water contamination, power failure or cause severe loss to the national exchequer. Serious attacks against critical infrastructure could be acts of Cyber Terrorism, depending on their impact.

A classic example of Cyber Terrorism can be seen in the Die Hard 4 (Live Free or Die Hard).

When a criminal plot is in place to take down the entire computer and technological structure that supports the economy of the United States (and the world), it's up to a decidedly "old school" hero, police detective John McClane, to take down the conspiracy, aided by a young hacker.

As it turns out, a group of terrorists led by Thomas Gabriel are systematically shutting down the United States computer infrastructure. They crash the stock market, crippling America's economy.

I would like to conclude by saying that lets us keep up with the evolving cyberspace and question those people who use the term Cyber Terrorism to define or describe just any sort of threat or attack with the involvement of Computers at some stage.

For more on 'Cyber Terrorism', click "here"

Sell your cause!

2009-12-15T21:20:00.001+05:30

Everything in this world has a price. A value for everything you can touch, feel or interact with. Today we commonly hear about engineers selling themselves to IT multinationals, actors selling their innerwear to the public and people planning to buy land on the moon. These are examples, which suggest that if you know how to sell you “stuff”, no matter what it may be, you will always be able to sell it.Considering the above situation, I feel that it is necessary for Environmentalists and Human Rights groups to come forward and sell their stories and causes to his world in a more efficient and effective manner.

A line from a song in the movie Munnabhai MBBS asks us how we can smile when we know so many people are in tears (Kaise hanste jaayen jab koi rota hai?)
How do the rich so mindlessly spend their time and money on materialistic joys and pleasures and not spend even a single penny on people who cannot afford two meals?
Somewhere I see this as the failure of such organizations to promote and champion the cause of humanity. In this era of advertisements and money minded societies, the way we reach out to people need to be changed. The most effective mediums (through which you can sell your cause) of promoting your cause are advertisements, social websites, music and community, college and school level participation and not the conventional methods like newspapers, magazines and books.

Every corner of the public psyche is canvassed by some of the most talented citizens to see if the desire for some merchandise product can be cultivated- John Galbraith

The ways of selling your cause depends on your target audience. Religion, nationality and race are some of the factors we must consider before addressing such issues to the audience. I was thinking the other day how difficult would it be to learn a local language or probably write a verse of rap (hip-hop). So this is what I have come up with, it is not that good but I guess it is just because this my first time and I guess, I will improve:

Tis day we see the big names in copenhagen/ obamas nd sarkozy's gettin out ov volkswagen/ there the world's top pour some beer/ the thousand green cries they don't wanna hear/ afterall thats happening to the dying iguana, whales and polar bears/ bou't the mother nature they a'int concerned/

I would like to conclude here by saying if you think you can sell, if you know what to sell and if you know who to sell it to, then you have just made your life a lot easier!

Happy Selling!

Ideas and Opinions

2009-11-15T00:13:00.001+05:30

Unimportant. I am ordinary. My opinions do not matter. They never did. I just didn’t know. All the people who pretended to have listened to what I said were doing so because at some point of life when they spoke I was listening.

The security guard of my apartment has a very clear picture of local politics. Again, he is ordinary as I am. People will run to Amitabh for his opinions. His opinions though not very knowledgeable are more important than the security guard’s or mine. He is Amitabh; the guard is a common man, ordinary.

“Celina Jetley supports gay community” makes the headlines. Saint Chakradhar swami’s birth anniversary has stopped making news. He was ordinary after all. Common and average.

To compete in no man’s land, with no competitor, with no one following the competition, gets competingly boring. Somehow, it keeps me hooked, because I know outside the rink my opinions and ideas do not matter. However, in here it goes on as I say and I guess that is how life has to be lived.

Right?

Wrong!

My views and opinions are original and different. I have faith that the cause will always be greater than men. I care about a change.

Look at yourself. Today you want to be rich. The rich just want to be richer. More! More! Is what we shout.
Our awareness about social injustice and tyrannous political activities is negligible. We keep our children away from all this. Until we are personally affected, we are blissfully complacent about the plight of our fellow beings, however heart piercing it might be.
We dare to act only when politicians grab our land, our daughters are harassed, our son is ragged in college and our wife is robbed and stabbed in the national capital. Only then, we bother to do something.

Consider the Swine Flu:
We raised a hue and cry when 2800 people died of swine flu, because its effect was also felt by the rich sector of the economy. However, we do not raise our voice for the 200,000 people who die of tuberculosis every year and when half a million people suffer from diarrhoea every year.

Now when I think of such people in the society I realize that my opinions are special and thought provoking. Important and extraordinary. Life is all about people and their ideas. You may forget about this soon, but in my dreams, I nurture a future brighter than anything you can imagine.

The fights you fight today are the fights you fight until you die…!