Reflections

Cultural Backlash-3 : The Clash Of Civilizations

noreply@blogger.com (Vishal Kale) — Sat, 25 May 2013 20:03:00 +0000

This is the ninth article of the culture series

So far we have seen the linguistic aspect of culture - and how slowly the importance of local languages is being felt again in the rise of the regional news channels, newspapers and literature in the local tongue. In this article I shall look at the most contentious issue - the moral brigade and the clash of the East and the West in our own backyards.

But first, let us establish some percentages, and fix the scale of this entire east-west brouhaha. India has a population of 1.25 billion, or 125 Crores. Of these, it is known that 18.2% are in the age groups of 15-25 years as perIndia Demographics Profile 2013. Furthermore, the total population of the top 50 cities in India is around 8.68 Crores {List_of_most_populous_cities} - 6.8% of the total population of India. And the 18-25 generation comprises only 1.2% of the total national population in the top 50 cities of India. Even if you add the age groups upto 40 years, this only goes up to 2.57% of the total population. Add all the top 200 cities in India - and you still get a total of just 5.1% of total population

Who are these 2.57%? They are the 18-40 age group in the top 50 cities of India. We know 38.2% is the distribution for 18-40 years age group in India - which equal 3.29 crores youngsters in the top cities of India. This number is 2.57% of the total population. These are the people who are actually in the forefront of the adopt-westeern-values brigade. This trend is actually observable only in the top 20-30 cities of India. They are the young professionals in various cities of India who listen to western pop, jazz and rock bands; sport western clothes; date; jabber and chatter in pure desi English; and other such norms that tend to rile some sections of our society...

These numbers are important for us - for they enable us to visualise just how premature this entire clash of civilizations stuff is. 2.57% cannot cause a significant change in a culture that has shown resilience even under extreme persecution - you can take Goa Inquisition as an example. Despite 200+ years of relentless torture and forced conversion, Hindus still constituted 35% of Goa population in 1851. Thus, it is being foolish in the extreme to believe that a mere 2.57% of the population of India adopting western values will have a significant impact on what we can call Indian Values. Any worries we have on this score are premature; it is all in the future.

The point is, can we spot current trends that indicate a reversal in this increasing westernisation of our society? That will be the surest indicator of future change trends. We know that increasing westernisation is a clear and present trend in the cities of India. But, luckily, the reverse is also happening, as can be spotted from several contentious as well as welcome events that are happening around us.

First of all, we have the oft-repeated examples of the moral brigade that is evident in Mumbai and Delhi. The inroads made by western values have tended to disturb the more conservative among our society. This is not a surprise; it was only to be expected. The intense surprise and outrage being vocalised by the pro-west brigade is totally in the wrong is this - if you look at this from afar and dispassionately, without taking any sides. The reverse kickback of the fundamentalists in our society was only to be expected; remember we are a deeply conservative society. The behavioural trends mooted by the the young brigade in the metros was bound to cause a ripple in the pond. This is the first, and extreme example of a reverse trend - a backlash if you will. It is these interactions, repeated innumerable times, that set norms of behaviour in a society. The youngsters are heralding change; they are the ones bringing in change, And when you get change - resistance is inevitable. The need of the hour is a mature response - not shrill outrage.

Second, there is an increasing trend of Indianness in dressing as seen in current fashion in garments in both males and females alike. This may be a fad - time will tell. It is too early to call. There are examples youngsters taking to Indian Classical Music - and the rise of income is creating a market for them. The internet and Media are giving them exposure; will this create a new wave? This remains to be seen - but it is yet another reverse trend.

Third, rise in regional movies; more and more regional movies and television programmes are getting beamed into homes; as an example - the Marathi smash hit serial Eka Lagnaa Chi Dusri Goshte, and Uncha Mazaa Zokaa introduced people like to Marathi cinema and serials - bringing people like me closer to my culture.

Fourth, the continuing resilience of the family unit - which has endured the gut-wrenching challenges posed by modern life and the problems of providing for a family in addition to a far more liberal and confidant female half. Rather than get torn asunder, the institution of family and marriage has adapted wonderfully well; love marraiges are on the rise - with everything else proceeding like an arranged marriage with elders getting together and planning it out etc. A working wife has been, by and large, accepted in most urban homes, where the whole family has made adjustments. And quite a few working women still take time off from jobs to focus on kids... Aishwarya Rai is a classic and famous example of this.

There are other examples that we can spot on a daily basis - the office pooja before Diwali; the home and office cleaning on Diwali; restriction on Non-Veg in some offices and many, many more that we can see with observant eyes on a daily basis. Remember, it is these innumerable interchanges that establish cultural and societal norms

This it can be seen that a western takeover is anything but sure; a backlash that spans every range from the mature to the extreme is in evidence. And my bet is on Indian Values surviving - in a somewhat adapted form - which is what India does best. She absorbs and moulds influences from outside and integrates them into herself...

Book Review: Shoes Of The Dead: The Power Of One...

noreply@blogger.com (Vishal Kale) — Thu, 23 May 2013 06:15:00 +0000

FACT

http://www.macroscan.org/anl/mar08/pdf/farmers_suicides.pdf

In the ten year period between 1997 and 2006 as many as 166,304 farmers committed suicide in India. (See Table 1 below). If we consider the 12 year period from 1995 to 2006 the figure is close to 200,000: the exact figure (190,753) would be an underestimation since a couple of major states like Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan and a number of smaller states like Pondicherry did not report any farmers’ suicides for one or the other – or both - of these two years. Thus, going by the official data, on average nearly 16,000 farmers committed suicide every year over the last decade or so. It is also clear from the table that every seventh suicide in the country was a farm suicide.

http://www.igidr.ac.in/pdf/publication/WP-2012-014.pdf

"According to NSS 2003 data, the monthly consumption of marginal farmers was Rs.2482 and monthly income was Rs.1659 (Table 14 and Fig 4.1). It shows that they have dis-savings of Rs.823. As NCEUS (2008) says “consumption expenditure of marginal and small farmers exceeds their estimated income by a substantial margin and presumably the deficits have to be plugged by borrowing or other means” (p.12). NCEUS (2008) also indicates that the poverty for small holding farmers is much higher than other farmers. The need for increase in productivity and incomes of small holdings and promotion of non-farm activities for these farmers are obvious "

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/columns/sainath/farmers-suicide-rates-soar-above-the-rest/article4725101.ece

Nationwide, the farmers’ suicide rate (FSR) was 16.3 per 100,000 farmers in 2011. That’s a lot higher than 11.1, which is the rate for the rest of the population. And slightly higher than the FSR of 15.8 in 2001. At least 270,940 Indian farmers have taken their lives since 1995, NCRB records show. This occurred at an annual average of 14,462 in six years, from 1995 to 2000. And at a yearly average of 16,743 in 11 years between 2001 and 2011. That is around 46 farmers’ suicides each day, on average. Or nearly one every half-hour since 2001.

BOOK REVIEW: SHOES OF THE DEAD

Not everyone is moved with facts and figures; if so, this is the book for you - a stunning fictional story that is based on farmer suicides. The facts quoted above should be enough to convince anyone of the reality on which this fiction novel is based. It has been authored by Kota Neelima, who works as political editor with The Sunday Guardian, and is a research fellow for South Asia studies at the Paul H Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, John Hopkins University, Washington DC.

The foreword states “The stories of the farmers of Vidarbha region of Maharashtra are the soul of this book”, establishing the authors’ experience in this field. That resume also puts authority into the tome; which is one of the best books I have read in any genre for a long, long time. This is a book that will shake you to the core of your being – I can recall only one other – Churchill’s Secret War – that affected me as much.

THE PLOT

The plot plays out in New Delhi, in the corridors of power, and in the village of Mityalay in “South Central India”. The suicide of a farmer in Mityalay due to farm debts gets his younger brother seriously riled. This younger brother is educated, a city dweller with an established and settled job as a teacher.. His anger leads him to quit teaching and return to the village for a novel revenge – fighting to ensure that no other farmer quits life like his brother did. The non-functioning of support systems like loan terms re-negotiation, widow compensation in case of debt-related suicide, which form the core reason for his brother’s death – are identified by him as the core reasons.

Problem is that this system of non-deliverance of aid has an economy of its own, with unscrupulous money-lenders, local big farmers with agenda of their own, bank managers with targets to meet – and the local MP with an assembly election to manage. And this is how interests collide, as the enterprising young man almost single-handedly delivers justice to the widows of the farmers in an superbly plotted, entirely believable & flawless strategy. The personal cost borne by this young man make his achievement even more powerful, and at the end of the book, you are forced to realize “The Power Of One”

He is assisted by a doughty Journalist, who, alongside this young farmer forms the core of the book. Ranged against them are a big think-tank, an MP and his powerful father, a moneylender, the powerful farmer, the District Collector, Bank Manager and Agricultural Officer.

The book takes you into the dirty intrigues that play out in the corridors of power, where everything and everyone is subjugted to electoral victory and nothing else matters. The interplay between various political figures is enthralling, and the entire Political-Media circuit has also been brought out with elan in the story. This is the secondary theme, which has been blended into the main theme effortlessly as the author skillfully merges the two with alternating chapters, letting us see the story unfold on both sides simultaneously.

The charectarisation has stunned me; I was left absolutely awestruck by the sacrifice of pace for the sake of building each character. This actually adds to the story, which becomes an intriguing and absorbing tale that slowly captivates you. The detailed buildup helps us gel with each character, since we can now see the motives and the reasons for the behavior of each character, and makes for a very convincing narrative. This is a relatively slow-paced book – but is unputdownable nonetheless. Each character comes across as forceful and real-life; such is the tremendous power of the charactarisation and the attendant narrative.

The story is virtually flawless, and instantly gels with you. It is a tragic tale, but has been put forth in a very factual and minimalist style, with little dramatization. It will tug at your heart, and make you think with its deep observations, stated simply is a line or two – observations that are spread across the book. These are the icing on the cake, as they start your mind thinking of the tragedy that is unfolding, as referred to in the facts section above. “I know I could not have won without the votes that these 2 got me by force and funds. But I would have chosen farmers to be my allies, or the labourers on farms, the tenants or any of the underpriviledged.” – lines which take you deep into a young MPs mind as his ideals collide with the ugly reality of politics. In this byplay between the 2 - the MP and the farmer, one can see how one compromises and becomes part of the system, and the other doesn’t- and brings about change. This is the power of one, the power we all ignore.

And that is what this book is ultimately about: The Power Of One. How one man, one honest man, can bring lasting change… and about our society – which does not value this power – The Power Of One…

This review is a part of the biggest Book Reviews Program. for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!

Bharat Ki Kahani India Ki Zubani...

noreply@blogger.com (Vishal Kale) — Wed, 22 May 2013 20:27:00 +0000

“There is no one out there reading your story. There is no one who will take a step because of your story. It is just a numb, self-absorbed world that is slowly consuming itself, from light to darkness, from darkness to darkness” – Kota Neelima in Shoes of the Dead

Although these words are from a fiction novel on farmer suicides, they could well be a factual statement of India today, of the uncaring and comatose educated classes that comprise the cities and towns of India. This is not just about farmer suicides – but about everything. Just about everything. Our sickening carelessness and chalta hai attitude, our selfish I-Me-Myself approach, our total disregard for our duties as citizens… our total inaction, and indeed collusion, in corruption is a case in point.

Words fail me… I am searching for words for perhaps the first time in my life at this uncaring attitude of Indian Citizens. The total disregard for the massive challenges that face India today- corruption, energy, agricultural problems is shocking. No one seems to care. It is considered a matter of pride if you have bribed someone to get something done; the honest people are termed “chutiyaas”. This is itself a scathing indictment of our society, and the failures that we have become. Any society that regards the honest man as a fool needs a serious correction of its moral compass. It amazes me that people regard giving a bribe as a given, and pull up people to stay adamant on not bribing. Instead of holding such people as examples to be emulated, they are termed fools! And for the educated from India to do this is a travesty of the word educated - education gives a person the ability to think; jobs give a person the power to say no; and yet - we see India stripped naked every day.

It further amazes me that we are so caught up in our own lives that we fail to see the abject poverty in our villages and even the urban poor. We have become so hard-hearted, so uncaring that the difficulties being faced by the poor sections of our society do not even register in our landscape and world-view. We have a massive mal-nutrition problem; we have some of the poorest people on the planet living in India. The very mechanisms that are designed to alleviate the lives of these people have been conclusively proven to be ineffectual and full of holes – and yet, we, the urban elite, do not see anything beyond our traffic congestion, our GDP growth numbers, Inflation, etcetera.

There is little genuine pressure on anyone in the system to bring about genuine change. No one is being questioned on the failed PDS, no one is being questioned on the plight of marginal farmers. There is little genuine honest effort being made to eradicate corruption… it is as if these problems just do not exist for the educated elite. It is almost as if there exist 2 Indias – India and Bharat. Neither can see what the other is hankering about. A sad state of affairs indeed – when India does not even bother to read about the problems of Bharat in the news – as evidenced by the lack of a national dialogue and serious pressure on the government through the Media. The silence is profound… India cannot see what Bharat is going through, India is blind, deaf and dumb on any issue that does not effect India. It is almost as if Bharat is populated not by humans, but by some alien species…

The reality of Bharat is too brutal to contemplate; but you wouldn’t know it from an Indian. After all, the Indian is not Bharatiya. He / She is only an Indian… India and Bharat… the two will have to meet if we are to make our nation what it once was: Aryavarta, The Golden Land. But without India waking upto Bharat, and re-aligning its seriously distorted internal moral compass, there can be no hope of that happening…

As I always say,

Jaago Sonewaalon!

Cultural Backlash - 2: The Written Word

noreply@blogger.com (Vishal Kale) — Tue, 21 May 2013 11:22:00 +0000

This is the seventh article in the culture series

In the previous article: http://reflectionsvvk.blogspot.in/2013/04/cultural-backlash-1-language-issue.html we had looked at the language aspect of the backlash - and how the vernacular is making a strong comeback. This article carries on from there and examines the backlash in literature and culture. This article has been penned largely because of a facebook chat between Manreet Sodhi Someshwar {Author - The Taj Conspiracy} and myself; it was her idea that enabled me to take this series forward...

When I refer to literature here, I am referring to the reading habits of the common man as I have observed in book stores across India - what books are purchased or browsed, and what is the range available. Being a bookaholic, a book store is among the first places I visit in any new city. And, considering that online stores contribute only 12% of book sales, this can be taken as representative.

Circa 1982 - 84, when I used to visit book-stalls in Gwalior with my elder sister and Dad every month, the books on display would be almosr exclusively English titles by western authors. This is the general trend that continued for much of the 80 and 90s decade; I was a regular in book stores, and such local literature as I observed would be either almost a second-grade finish; or absent. It was not in vogue. Indian English literature was also nearly non-existent, with the large number of Indian books being either on esoteric topics, or way too highly priced. Indian English Fiction was non-existent; Vernacular language fiction and books were frankly off poor print quality. The Non-Fiction category was practically absent, at least in terms of visibility.

There was a clear trend to regard the vernacular thrillers as second-grade; the Urban educated youth - including me and my friends - would read Enid Blyton, Nancy Drew, Robert Ludlum, Alistair Maclean , Archies etc. The only exception would be Champak or Panchatantra - in English. This was the scenario as it existed even upto the early part of the previous decade. Hindi or Marathi or Vernacular poets, literature etc would not even cross our minds. And let me be frank: there was a persistent impression among all of us that our local literature was not upto the mark - in any language.

A PAUSE...

Let us take a pause at this point and ask ourselves a few questions. We have a rich heritage from our past, starting with The Vedas, The Upanishads, The Purans, The Ramayana, The Mahabharata from our ancient ages. In the Middle Ages we had superb well-known poets like Kabir, Tulsidas, Amir Khusrow etc. In the modern ages, we have had an awesome lineup of poets and writers in each of our local languages - people will remember the name of Rabindranath Tagore. But there were plenty of others who were present - Shivmangal Singh Suman, Harivansha Rai "Bachhan" etc. And yet, when asked about our literary heritage, we can recall only The Ramayana and The Mahabharata (principally due to their religious links); some of us might recall a few lines of Kabirdas, some might even recall Abhigyaan Shaakuntalam; but little else. Most of us have heard of Madhushaala of Shri Harivansha Rai "Bachchan", but how many have a copy, or have read it?

On the other hand, if you talk of English playwrights and poets, we can rattle off their titles and plays and poems like parrots. Shakespeare's Macbeth can be recalled play-by-play and scene-by-scene by any number of people; art schools and dramatists still revel in holding any number of plays of Macbeth and other Shakespearean dramas. Why not Abhigyaan Shaakuntalam? Why not any of the other Indian plays? We still - as on date 2013 - dont want to read about Madhushala, or any of Rabindranath Tagore's poems, or even the iconic Khoob Ladi Mardaani by Subhadra Kumari. And yet, we can rattle of the names of Yeats, Kipling etc almost at the speed of light!

This is the colonial mindset; the impact of colonialism. It is sad to see the degradation that the vernacular languages have been subjected to. The modern Urban Indian attaches a disproportionate importance to English; this is an established fact. So much so that the market for Indian Language products lacks depth, and is severely under-represented. Talking of Share-Of-Mind, English has captivated us all in the Urban Markets - especially the convent and/or Public School educated people. The reading skills in the local tongue are, quite simply, abysmal.

If it was only about Language, it would not be so bad; unfortunately, this spans the entire cultural spectrum. I will look at the other aspects of this fawning over the west in a later article; here my focus is on the written word. As we have seen above, Indian Writings on Indian topics were also almost non-existent. After our Epics, all was blank. We read only about the World Wars, European Renaissance, Kipling, Wodehouse, Yeats, Somerset Maugham, Barbara Cartland etc.

MOVING ON...

Happily, this is what is changing - and changing quite rapidly. How did this transform to the scene we now see today? The reasons for this are manifold - the increasing per capita income brought about by economic liberalisation would have been one important factor that cannot be overlooked. Increasing educational levels, widening markets, greater visibility and penetration of TV, internet all would have been powerful motivators to bring about this change. Whatever may the reason be, Indian Literature is now on a discernible upswing with contributors like Shashi Tharoor, Devadutta Pattanaik, Pavan K Verma, Manreet Sodhi Someshwar, Ravi Subramanian, Ashwin Sanghi, Mukul Deva (to name but a few) in both the fiction as well as the non-fiction genres. I call this the start of the cultural backlash in Literature: as this time, they are finding a market. The topics covered by these writers is also widening in scope; while earlier we had to rely on William Dalrymple for our dosage of historical / fiction (as an example), we now have Manreet Sodhi Someshwar and Ashwin Sanghi producing books on this genre in India in the fiction genre- and renowned authors like Jaswant Singh, Pankaj Mishra and Shashi Tharoor in the Non-Fiction genre. Happily, the books are now main-stream - unlike earlier. To take another example, Mukul Deva is now the first thriller writer from India; while Naveen Jagannathan's first book of short stories was extremely well received.

The Urban Indian is fast taking to Indian Writing in droves, that we can see above. The reason behind this is simple economics; an English - Speaking population with cash to spend is a powerful incentive. This caused a few talented people to come in and create a market where none existed. Their books are now finding equal space in book-shelves across India - all of which now sport exclusive Indian Fiction and Non-Fiction shelves. Since we still disregard the Vernacular in Urban India - I am terming it as the start of the cultural backlash. A true cultural backlash would require equal space to the vernacular- which, as of today, seems some way off. Having said that, the current trend of translations of best-sellers to local languages - authorised versions in quality product form - is a good start, as it is indicative of the presence of a market for such products in the vernacular. From here, it is only a short step to the first ever Local Language Best-Seller... and that will be the true Cultural Backlash in Literature. There are other indications of this happening - the deepening penetration of regional channels, the increasing awareness and success of regional movies and television serial for example. But that is another story, to be taken up later on in this series... for now, let us enjoy this resurgence in Indian Literature. Even if it is in English! In closing, let us read the icnonic hindi poem referred above, just to remind ourselves of the power of Indian Poets..

सिंहासन हिल उठे राजवंशों ने भृकुटी तानी थी,

बूढ़े भारत में आई फिर से नयी जवानी थी,

गुमी हुई आज़ादी की कीमत सबने पहचानी थी,

दूर फिरंगी को करने की सबने मन में ठानी थी।

चमक उठी सन सत्तावन में, वह तलवार पुरानी थी,

बुंदेले हरबोलों के मुँह हमने सुनी कहानी थी,

खूब लड़ी मर्दानी वह तो झाँसी वाली रानी थी।।

कानपूर के नाना की, मुँहबोली बहन छबीली थी,

लक्ष्मीबाई नाम, पिता की वह संतान अकेली थी,

नाना के सँग पढ़ती थी वह, नाना के सँग खेली थी,

बरछी ढाल, कृपाण, कटारी उसकी यही सहेली थी।

वीर शिवाजी की गाथायें उसकी याद ज़बानी थी,

बुंदेले हरबोलों के मुँह हमने सुनी कहानी थी,

खूब लड़ी मर्दानी वह तो झाँसी वाली रानी थी।।

लक्ष्मी थी या दुर्गा थी वह स्वयं वीरता की अवतार,

देख मराठे पुलकित होते उसकी तलवारों के वार,

नकली युद्ध-व्यूह की रचना और खेलना खूब शिकार,

सैन्य घेरना, दुर्ग तोड़ना ये थे उसके प्रिय खिलवार।

महाराष्टर-कुल-देवी उसकी भी आराध्य भवानी थी,

बुंदेले हरबोलों के मुँह हमने सुनी कहानी थी,

खूब लड़ी मर्दानी वह तो झाँसी वाली रानी थी।।

हुई वीरता की वैभव के साथ सगाई झाँसी में,

ब्याह हुआ रानी बन आई लक्ष्मीबाई झाँसी में,

राजमहल में बजी बधाई खुशियाँ छाई झाँसी में,

चित्रा ने अर्जुन को पाया, शिव से मिली भवानी थी,

बुंदेले हरबोलों के मुँह हमने सुनी कहानी थी,

खूब लड़ी मर्दानी वह तो झाँसी वाली रानी थी।।

उदित हुआ सौभाग्य, मुदित महलों में उजियाली छाई,

किंतु कालगति चुपके-चुपके काली घटा घेर लाई,

तीर चलाने वाले कर में उसे चूड़ियाँ कब भाई,

रानी विधवा हुई, हाय! विधि को भी नहीं दया आई।

निसंतान मरे राजाजी रानी शोक-समानी थी,

बुंदेले हरबोलों के मुँह हमने सुनी कहानी थी,

खूब लड़ी मर्दानी वह तो झाँसी वाली रानी थी।।

बुझा दीप झाँसी का तब डलहौज़ी मन में हरषाया,

राज्य हड़प करने का उसने यह अच्छा अवसर पाया,

फ़ौरन फौजें भेज दुर्ग पर अपना झंडा फहराया,

लावारिस का वारिस बनकर ब्रिटिश राज्य झाँसी आया।

अश्रुपूर्णा रानी ने देखा झाँसी हुई बिरानी थी,

बुंदेले हरबोलों के मुँह हमने सुनी कहानी थी,

खूब लड़ी मर्दानी वह तो झाँसी वाली रानी थी।।

अनुनय विनय नहीं सुनती है, विकट शासकों की माया,

व्यापारी बन दया चाहता था जब यह भारत आया,

डलहौज़ी ने पैर पसारे, अब तो पलट गई काया,

राजाओं नव्वाबों को भी उसने पैरों ठुकराया।

रानी दासी बनी, बनी यह दासी अब महरानी थी,

बुंदेले हरबोलों के मुँह हमने सुनी कहानी थी,

खूब लड़ी मर्दानी वह तो झाँसी वाली रानी थी।।

छिनी राजधानी दिल्ली की, लखनऊ छीना बातों-बात,

कैद पेशवा था बिठुर में, हुआ नागपुर का भी घात,

उदैपुर, तंजौर, सतारा, करनाटक की कौन बिसात?

जबकि सिंध, पंजाब ब्रह्म पर अभी हुआ था वज्र-निपात।

बंगाले, मद्रास आदि की भी तो वही कहानी थी,

बुंदेले हरबोलों के मुँह हमने सुनी कहानी थी,

खूब लड़ी मर्दानी वह तो झाँसी वाली रानी थी।।

रानी रोयीं रिनवासों में, बेगम ग़म से थीं बेज़ार,

उनके गहने कपड़े बिकते थे कलकत्ते के बाज़ार,

सरे आम नीलाम छापते थे अंग्रेज़ों के अखबार,

'नागपूर के ज़ेवर ले लो लखनऊ के लो नौलख हार'।

यों परदे की इज़्ज़त परदेशी के हाथ बिकानी थी,

बुंदेले हरबोलों के मुँह हमने सुनी कहानी थी,

खूब लड़ी मर्दानी वह तो झाँसी वाली रानी थी।।

कुटियों में भी विषम वेदना, महलों में आहत अपमान,

वीर सैनिकों के मन में था अपने पुरखों का अभिमान,

नाना धुंधूपंत पेशवा जुटा रहा था सब सामान,

बहिन छबीली ने रण-चण्डी का कर दिया प्रकट आहवान।

हुआ यज्ञ प्रारम्भ उन्हें तो सोई ज्योति जगानी थी,

बुंदेले हरबोलों के मुँह हमने सुनी कहानी थी,

खूब लड़ी मर्दानी वह तो झाँसी वाली रानी थी।।

महलों ने दी आग, झोंपड़ी ने ज्वाला सुलगाई थी,

यह स्वतंत्रता की चिनगारी अंतरतम से आई थी,

झाँसी चेती, दिल्ली चेती, लखनऊ लपटें छाई थी,

मेरठ, कानपूर, पटना ने भारी धूम मचाई थी,

जबलपूर, कोल्हापूर में भी कुछ हलचल उकसानी थी,

बुंदेले हरबोलों के मुँह हमने सुनी कहानी थी,

खूब लड़ी मर्दानी वह तो झाँसी वाली रानी थी।।

इस स्वतंत्रता महायज्ञ में कई वीरवर आए काम,

नाना धुंधूपंत, ताँतिया, चतुर अज़ीमुल्ला सरनाम,

अहमदशाह मौलवी, ठाकुर कुँवरसिंह सैनिक अभिराम,

भारत के इतिहास गगन में अमर रहेंगे जिनके नाम।

लेकिन आज जुर्म कहलाती उनकी जो कुरबानी थी,

बुंदेले हरबोलों के मुँह हमने सुनी कहानी थी,

खूब लड़ी मर्दानी वह तो झाँसी वाली रानी थी।।

इनकी गाथा छोड़, चले हम झाँसी के मैदानों में,

जहाँ खड़ी है लक्ष्मीबाई मर्द बनी मर्दानों में,

लेफ्टिनेंट वाकर आ पहुँचा, आगे बड़ा जवानों में,

रानी ने तलवार खींच ली, हुया द्वन्द्ध असमानों में।

ज़ख्मी होकर वाकर भागा, उसे अजब हैरानी थी,

बुंदेले हरबोलों के मुँह हमने सुनी कहानी थी,

खूब लड़ी मर्दानी वह तो झाँसी वाली रानी थी।।

रानी बढ़ी कालपी आई, कर सौ मील निरंतर पार,

घोड़ा थक कर गिरा भूमि पर गया स्वर्ग तत्काल सिधार,

यमुना तट पर अंग्रेज़ों ने फिर खाई रानी से हार,

विजयी रानी आगे चल दी, किया ग्वालियर पर अधिकार।

अंग्रेज़ों के मित्र सिंधिया ने छोड़ी रजधानी थी,

बुंदेले हरबोलों के मुँह हमने सुनी कहानी थी,

खूब लड़ी मर्दानी वह तो झाँसी वाली रानी थी।।

विजय मिली, पर अंग्रेज़ों की फिर सेना घिर आई थी,

अबके जनरल स्मिथ सम्मुख था, उसने मुहँ की खाई थी,

काना और मंदरा सखियाँ रानी के संग आई थी,

युद्ध श्रेत्र में उन दोनों ने भारी मार मचाई थी।

पर पीछे ह्यूरोज़ आ गया, हाय! घिरी अब रानी थी,

बुंदेले हरबोलों के मुँह हमने सुनी कहानी थी,

खूब लड़ी मर्दानी वह तो झाँसी वाली रानी थी।।

तो भी रानी मार काट कर चलती बनी सैन्य के पार,

किन्तु सामने नाला आया, था वह संकट विषम अपार,

घोड़ा अड़ा, नया घोड़ा था, इतने में आ गये अवार,

रानी एक, शत्रु बहुतेरे, होने लगे वार-पर-वार।

घायल होकर गिरी सिंहनी उसे वीर गति पानी थी,

बुंदेले हरबोलों के मुँह हमने सुनी कहानी थी,

खूब लड़ी मर्दानी वह तो झाँसी वाली रानी थी।।

रानी गई सिधार चिता अब उसकी दिव्य सवारी थी,

मिला तेज से तेज, तेज की वह सच्ची अधिकारी थी,

अभी उम्र कुल तेइस की थी, मनुज नहीं अवतारी थी,

हमको जीवित करने आयी बन स्वतंत्रता-नारी थी,

दिखा गई पथ, सिखा गई हमको जो सीख सिखानी थी,

बुंदेले हरबोलों के मुँह हमने सुनी कहानी थी,

खूब लड़ी मर्दानी वह तो झाँसी वाली रानी थी।।

जाओ रानी याद रखेंगे ये कृतज्ञ भारतवासी,

यह तेरा बलिदान जगावेगा स्वतंत्रता अविनासी,

होवे चुप इतिहास, लगे सच्चाई को चाहे फाँसी,

हो मदमाती विजय, मिटा दे गोलों से चाहे झाँसी।

तेरा स्मारक तू ही होगी, तू खुद अमिट निशानी थी,

बुंदेले हरबोलों के मुँह हमने सुनी कहानी थी,

खूब लड़ी मर्दानी वह तो झाँसी वाली रानी थी।।

By: सुभद्रा कुमारी चौहान

Book Review: Inferno by Dan Brown

noreply@blogger.com (Vishal Kale) — Sun, 19 May 2013 05:38:00 +0000

The latest from the pen of Dan Brown – Inferno - is, in my opinion, his best work – including The Da Vinci Code. While The Da Vinci Code used a combination of religion and fast-paced narrative, the book under review manages to hold its own without the additional support from our core beliefs, or our curiosity. This one does not incite controversy, and is yet a superbly fast-paced thriller.

THE PLOT

It is very, very different from The Da Vinci Code or The Lost Symbol in just about every way imaginable. There are no dead bodies in the first 10 pages from where the story picks up. Robert Langdon wakes up in a hospital with retrograde amnesia. He remembers his name, his entire life, remembers having nightmares of hell, and people being tortured in hell – but can recall nothing from the past few days. He has been shot in the head – and the assassin traces him to the hospital, forcing him to flee, aided by a young lady Doctor Sienna Brooks. His only hint is an artifact which guide him eventually to the The Inferno – an epic masterpiece of Dante Alighieri. Adding to his confusion is the fact that this artifact had been in his pocket in a bio-hazard container. On a parallel storyline, the World Health Organisation’s Director gets into a tussle with a famed and world famous (later infamous) biomedical specialist, and is then kidnapped. The story progresses rapidly through several cities in Europe, taking the reader of a tour of its famous art masterpieces, with Langdon and Brooks being chased both by the good as well as the bad guys – till the final confrontation. Is this a biological weapon threat? If so, how did a Symbologist like Robert Langdon get involved? And how is the WHO and its director concerned with it? Why did Robert Langdon state Very Sorry, Very Sorry to the hospital staff in his delirium? Why are the good guys chasing him? Read the book to answer these questions…

THE ANALYSIS

First, the charectarisation. Robert Langdon is the same that we have know him to be through Angels and Demons and The Da Vinci Code – expertise par excellence in his chosen field, slightly slow to adjust, dependent on help initially for the escape routines, not a man of action, but a dynamo once started. This is in line with what we have come to understand and visualize of Robert Langdon. The other characters have not been as well developed; but Sienna Brooks and Dr Elizabeth Sinskey, the WHO Director, stand out among these. They are the other 2 central characters In the book. The character of Bertran Zobrist has been beautifully handled and developed; he is introduced and developed in bits and pieces – and despite having only 2-3 actual pages in the book - almost takes over the book

Next, the plot. This is fast-paced : in fact, faster than The Da Vinci Code. You have page after relentless page of pursuit, interspersed with a few pages of revelation and intrigue, as one layer of the mystery is surprising; not only that, the twists in the plot also establish the authors’ ability to create an independent scenario in each book. Saying any more will be a dead give-away, so this hint is all I can give. This is a totally different book – as you quickly realize – and yet is in his distinctive form. This ability to vary his style, while simultaneously adhering to it is worthy of special mention. Dan Brown’s book – as this one establishes – do not follow an identical pattern. This keeps you glued to the book – which is a page-turner. Dan Brown has mastered this style, which all of his fans have come to love. In this, he is in his element; add to this the usual pursuit over several European cities which is another staple of his books – and you have a vintage Dan Brown thriller in your hands.

The vivid descriptive narrative of the art pieces that feature in the book make for fascinating reading – and don’t take anything away from the pace of the narrative. They are spread throughout the book – and are so vivid in their detailing, that you can almost picture them. The writing is very simple and easy too comprehend – no technicalities or long words. Simplicity is the name of the game! And, of course, in typical Dan Brown style, they are an intrinsic and inseparable part of the core plot. And, to reiterate – he has steered clear of any controversies as far as I can see. That is the icing on the cake

Dan Brown is back with a bang: and it is a tremendous bang. I was very doubtful as to whether I should buy this book – not having liked The Lost Symbol as much, but this one has surpassed all expectations. I rate this book as his best – better than The Da Vinci Code, and as good as Angels and Demons. Overall, in my assessment this book rates 4.5 stars out of 5. I have taken half a star away as I had deduced one aspect of the plot early-on – but that did nothing to lessen my enjoyment…

Corporate India, work stress and employee dissatisfaction

noreply@blogger.com (Vishal Kale) — Thu, 16 May 2013 04:05:00 +0000

Image courtesy: The Economic TImes

Now add one or two other little tit-bits of information that make the picture complete... first, the rising incidence of stress and mental ill-health, as was brought out on a recent report on the IT industry - and second, the rising family tensions and divorce rates. Add the two - and you have the makings of a shakespearean tragedy. I am making an extremely bold move in this article - openly criticizing these matters while being a member of corporate India. But something will have to be done; I dont know whether this small contribution will help or not...

Look at the data: this is the company perspective presented. Employees are facing excessive work pressure and longer hours - and 36-38% of companies accept this. If you ask the employees - especially in private- this number is likely to double - or more. This is also far higher in India than elsewhere. Thus, this is a local phenomenon. Most critically, look at the most damning comparison of all: the employee perspective clearly mentions that they value job security; this is totally absent from the employer perspective

Rising stress levels, lower job security, ever-tighter deadlines and targets are now a business reality. This is borne out of the competitive environment we find ourselves in - at least the first and the third parameters. The second - job-security is simply a function of internal priorities, processes, checks and balances. Quite a few corporates in India still do not value the employee as much as the numbers. The effect on the employee and his family is totally ignored - and - as I shall delve upon in a follow-up article - the effect on norms, best practices, law and ethics is also a victim of this.

Let me take telecom, for example. Where there were 6 competitors, now there are 12 in the mobile services space. Where there were only Nokia, Sony and Motorola, now there are Samsung, Micromax, Karbonn, Lava, Spice, IBall, Xolo to name but a few. Competition has risen exponentially; this is a business reality and cannot be wished away. This has placed tremendous pressure on the existing players to maintain and grow their toplines and bottomlines. Similarly, the hold on the market of the market leaders has placed equally heavy pressure on the new players to make a mark and win themselves a niche. The other source of pressure is the increasing focus on profitability and revenue growth. This seemingly straightforward focus - eminently sensible- is fine in a system with defined humane processes, humane systems, proper procedures and acceptable ethics. But when even one of the three is missing - it leads to what you see above. And if more than one is missing, then...

This is not a factor of the recessionary market phase we are in; in my 14 years experience, this has always been present. Yes, this has risen in levels off late; but it would be wrong to state that this is a phenomenon born out of the larger economic problems facing the world economy. And this is probably present even in the older industries (it has been 9 years since I moved into telecom). The data above seems to indicate that. In those industries, some of the reasons are different.

My point is that this is not going away. Competition is rising and will continue to rise, and focus on topline and bottomline is the way to conduct business. We are, after all, in a business - not philanthropy. It is the way we go about tackling the competition and the daily grind of conducting the business that is the issue. And in that, we are found wanting - as the numbers above, as well as the stress surveys and mental and physical health issues, divorces etc show.

This is indicative of a deeper systemic malaise: the internal systems and processes are not coping up with the changed business reality that is confronting the corporate scenario. And that, to my mind, is the core reason for what we have seen above. HR systems, fist of all, need to be strengthened to cope with the new reality. This has to go hand-in-hand with a more humane treatment to employees, with a receptive ear to their manifest and genuine concerns. The employee is primarily concerned with Job Security as can be seen above; corporates would do well to move away from the stupid and self-defeating hire-and-fire systems currently in vogue for a start. An assurance of stability would go a long way in tackling attrition, as well as make the employee a happier person.

The current impression of managers that the employee is driven by fear needs to change; employees are driven more by desire than by fear. Fear incapacitates a person and erodes his competitiveness. The key is to find a set of drivers and focus on them; job security need not mean a drop in performance. Quite the reverse, in fact: performance will shoot up over the short term; and it is the task of the manager to engage with and drive his team to derive performance over the mid to long term.

Performance measurement, retention policies, promotion and increment policies, office times - in fact - all employee centric policies need to be overhauled. The manager needs to ensure that the emplyee is not spending 6 days a week late at office. Yes, at times staying may be mandated - but this should not be the norm. Make the work-space comfortable for the employee - and spot the difference. KRA do not mean only the end-result; measure the process as well as the end-result. I understand that performance has to be maintained: but what I cannot understand is the assumption that performance can only happen by placing the employee under stress. The key should be to finding the motivators for each employee, and driving him or her accordingly. That is why we have managers: to engage with and drive employees. If the employee has failed, somewhere along the line even the manager has failed. Simple truth. Do current systems reflect this?

No, they dont. Also simple truth.

The Forgotten Heroes...

noreply@blogger.com (Vishal Kale) — Fri, 10 May 2013 19:51:00 +0000

Quite a few of my readers will have visited Juhu Beach and Chowpati in Mumbai. It is a lovely location, and it is a fun beach. You can relax with your family or friends - or indeed just take a nice calm stroll on the beach all by your lonesome. Everyone will recall the beach, the chowpati and the stall - even the 5-star hotels that ring the beach. But how many of you can recall the police station that is built on the edge of the beach? And how many of those who recall the police station, recall seeing 2 statues of policemen in front of the said police station? And further, how many of you who can recall the statues have actually taken the trouble to read what is written on them, and who were these policemen?

How long does it take to read a small 4-line placard, and pay your respects to the dead policeman who has sacrificed his life so that you can enjoy yours? It took me less than 2 minutes of my life to do so. Just 2 minutes. And what I saw on the beach made me wonder at how much we take for granted, and how little we care. Our long list of heroes from the Indian Police and the Indian Army, Air Force and Indian Navy lies forgotten - even by the very people for whom they gave their lives.

To me, personally, it was a shocking sight : revellers, families, friend groups - all of the milling around, enjoying, and yet... and yet not a single person has the inclination to take just 2 worthless minutes from his or her life and read about the men who gave their all! It doesnt cost us anything - but it shows our careless chalta hai attitude, and total disdain for our forgotten heroes. It doesnt cost us much; it takes only 2 minutes - or less. And yet...

I wanted to snap a photograph, but desisted from doing so, as I was frankly too disgusted for words. This is a sight I have seen everywhere - and not just with regard to statues. We Indians habitually forget our dead heroes and move on far too fast; it is as if nothing happened. During the event itself, everyone is glued and pays accolades; the moment it becomes history - the heroes who laid their lives lie forgotten.

Please remember: these people laid their precious lives for your safety. They left behind grieving families, sad memories, and a life that was full - for you people. Taking 2 minutes from your lives will not hurt you: but it will certainly send a powerful signal to our protectors that we care. 2 Minutes; that is all it takes. It is the least that you can do... aur toh kuchh kar nahi sakte; kam se kam poorna shraddhaa se unhe yaad toh kar liyaa karo, yaar...

Book Review: The Da Vinci Code: Courting Controversy????

noreply@blogger.com (Vishal Kale) — Fri, 10 May 2013 04:37:00 +0000

THE DA VINCI CODE by Dan Brown... The book that generated worldwide discussion only to be rivalled by The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie... The book that was only outsold by The Harry Potter Series... The book that captivated all who came in its wake...

This is not a review about the much - publicised flaws or its religious implications, but rather a critical look at the book as well as the author...

THE BOOK

A lot has been said about the storyline... so let me present just a short precis of the story here. My review is not about the story per se...

The book starts with the murder of the curator of the Louvre in Paris. Apparently, the victim has scribbled in French and Mathematics upon the floor in his own blood. Below the french and numbers is written "PS: Find Robert Langdon" in pure english {Note that point: more later}

The book moves on from that point with revelation after controversial revelation based upon historical artefacts {some pretty famous ones at that!}, that leave the reader gasping for breath. The beauty is in the way the clues connect to each other, and in the pace at which they are revealed. However, the real pull is the facts upon which these clues are based {note that point: more later}

The clues lead the protagonists from one artefact to another, starting with the stunning revelation that the curator was a member of the priory of sion, a famous secret body. It is a trail that leads across nations, interspersed with episodes of altercations with the police breathtakingly unfolded in the pages that follow - in a chase that forces the protagonists as well as {albeit for a very short time} the readers to re-think the very basis of religion... A truly stunning use of peoples’ imaginations combined with writing skills to produce an effect that is guaranteed to leave the reader spell - bound!

The pace at which the book is written is truly excellent, as well as the writing style. The brain is naturally attracted by secret societies and such, and Brown has used them well. No arguments on that score. The book flows through from the first page to the last quite effortlessly, with nary a slack period in between. It is unputdownable from the first page to the last. The characterisation is good, but not quite of the calibre that is expected from a class author. This is particularly evident in the way the characters of Langdon and Bezu fache {note that point: more later}

But the real differrence is felt when you read Angels and Demons... {note that point: more later}

The book is certainly worth a read- but my advice to readers would be to read it again after a gap of a few days. It is only then that the flaws begin to hit you with telling force... Those who have not read it, please do not read beyond this point. The story has not been revealed, but I do not want to prejudice you...

THE ARGUMENT

I have said earlier that the book will leave you spell - bound. Well, it did me too. I read it once, then a second time and then a third... and started questioning. So much so that I read Holy Blood, Holy Grail as well as The Templar Revelation. The one good thing was that I learnt one hell of a lot regarding European history as a result! I have singled out a few points above, and let me elucidate upon my hints further:

1) The major flaw in the story that few people have noticed is this one. The pace of the book rests on the fact that the protagonists have to run from the good as well as the bad guys. But, why should the good guys suspect Robert / Sophie? Just because of the line "find Robert Langdon?" If Sauniere had to write the name of the murderer, why coudn’t he have just penned Robert Langdon Killed Me??? The very fact that he had written a cryptic message {the Vitruvian Man clue} in french + art should have guided the police towards some much deeper facts!

2) The basis of the book is upon 2 fundamentals : the hunt for the holy grail / The Lord Jesus Christ, and the use of world - famous art objects {The Vitruvian Man, The Last Supper, The Mona Lisa, The Madonna of the Rocks etc} and the famous name of Leonardo de Vinci. the combination of the 2 was a guarantee for commercial success. Such is the implication on the brain when 2 long-held and deep beliefs are questioned in a sensational manner, that the flaws remain hidden; the flaws dont register on the mind.

Is the author justified in using our beliefs to his own advantage? I do not think so, although I sure that the opinion on this one will 50 - 50. We are talking about a venerated historical figure The Son of God here,; someone who gave his life for his people. Call me old-fashioned, but somehow I dont quite like the idea. (Yes, despite that I did read the book... human nature???? Or...????) My only thought: what would be our reaction if someone came out with a similar sensational fictional work on our cultural past? (Amish Tripathi? I did not read him... I had this experience behind me; I made the judgement call on that...)

3) The character of Robert Langdon in this book comes across as different than the one in Angels and Demons. It is almost as if we are dealing with 2 different people. Logically, a person who has had a similar experience would adjust faster to circumstances. Secondly, the basic nature of a person does not change. You cant have the same person showing radically different behaviour under a similar set of circumstances. This is a tenet that has been laid out in many an psychological theory. He is constantly amazed by the revelations in the code- and he is a world - renowned scientist! The two facts do not gel together

Overall, the book comes across as only a work of sensationalism of an average quality. The saviour of the book is the pace - relentless and fast. The plot, despite its many shortcomings, full of twists and turns. However, the net feeling is that the theme was not as well developed as well as it could have been done...

All in all, read the book by all means - but keep in mind that it is only fiction

Disclaimer: This review first appeared on http://www.mouthshut.com/review/Da-Vinci-Code-The-Dan-Brown-review-ppmtpoupom; It was written by myself some 4-5 years ago.

Book Review: The Paris Option

noreply@blogger.com (Vishal Kale) — Thu, 09 May 2013 05:26:00 +0000

http://www.gaylelynds.com/parisoption.html

“The Paris Option” is the third book of the Covert-One series created by Robert Ludlum featuring Colonel Jon Smith, Randi Russell, Peter Howell and Marty Zellerbach. It has been written by Gayle Lynds. While officially it is the third book, in reality it is the first book with a full Covert-One mission; The Hades Factor had Smith operating on his own – aided by friends; The Cassandra Compact had Smith operating in an official capacity – but essentially on his own. In the third book, we get to see the entire team that featured in the first book – The Hades Factor. That is the key point in this book; and this makes it tremendously enjoyable.

THE PLOT

The plot is unique, multi-layered, with several well-disguised twists and turns – and is not clichéd in any way. It is refreshing to read a western novelist steer away from the stereotypical portrayal of Iraq or Iran or Middle Eastern Muslim Terrorists or even Russia as the bad guys, and use imagination to arrive at a contrived, involved and entrancing plot – one that is far more believable than the ones we usually read about, and have gotten used to. The plot is the mainstay of the book: deep, well-thought-out, free from stereotypes and clichés of any kind, free from cultural or political assumptions and very, very clean.

The concept is simple: A DNA computer – a powerful new computing technology that is far, far more powerful than the silicon-based systems in vogue – is in the process of being created by a French scientist. This scientists’ Lab gets blown apart in a bomb explosion, and all his notes etc get stolen. The Americans get a good-morning-how-are-you call from an uninvited guest just hours afterwards. This guest shuts down entire swathes of networks with consummate ease – and that includes shutting communications with the Fighter Jets of The US of A. Lt Colonel Jon Smith – also a scientist, is aware of DNA computing technology, as he is cooperating in a US project on the same – gets assigned the task of saying Hi-How-are-you to the uninvited caller.

The plot unfolds from here, and takes twists every few pages that leave your head in a spin; I cannot tell more without being a spoil-sport, so leave it at that. Jon Smith first has to identify the perpetrator, for which he traipses across France, North Africa, Spain in a classic chase, trying to find the answer to why would anyone just switch off entire networks, Radar Systems, Missile Defences – and then very kindly switch them back on again.

Is it a prelude to blackmail – either give us a zillion dollars or we shut you off? Or is it something else? Along the way, he unites with Peter Howell and Randi Russell who alongwith Marty Zellerbach combine and get together, ultimately managing to say Hi-How-Are-You to the friends who waltzed into the American Security System, and learn his motives as well prod him not to say Hi-How-Are-You in quite so dramatic a fashion to the US of A again…

THE ANALYSIS

The charectarisation is true to the series character plot, and there are no discernible deviations. Furthermore, each character has been further developed, allowing you to form a firmer mental image of each of the central characters. This is spread throughout the book; you can see and understand the development. The bitterness and animosity that Randi holds has been shown to ebb, for example. And this has been achieved not through paragraphs of prose, but rather through a selective choice of words; minimalist, but effective. It showcases an author in control of the plot and the characters.

I personally regard this book to be the best in the Covert-One Series. This book is in a class of its own, with its unique plot, and as I stated above, free from stereotypes and clichés of any kind, free from cultural or political assumptions. That makes it a great read. The pace is relentless; it is one of the fastest paced novels I have read, a page turner and pretty much unputdownable. The story is riveting, and will keep you glued; even the action scenes have been choreographed with great skill. The several layers that comprise the plot make for a very contrived and involved story with lots of twists – far more than most other novels of the Covert-One Series. It is this which sets it apart; and elevates it into the category of all-time-great books. Truly, a one of a kind book that deserves a place in your collection.

Book Review: Breakout Nations By Ruchir Sharma

noreply@blogger.com (Vishal Kale) — Wed, 08 May 2013 04:57:00 +0000

RUCHIR SHARMA is head of Emerging Markets and Global Macro at Morgan Stanley Investment Management. He generally spends one week per month in a developing country. He has been a contributing editor with Newsweek and has penned essays for publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, New York Times, Foreign Affairs, and Economic Times. (source: http://breakoutnations.com/)

We live in a connected and interlinked world, with the emphasis currently being on open markets. This has facilitated easy flow of money from one market to another; with countries with a better economy being able to tap into this reservoir of global surplus investments to further their own development. These surplus funds flow (normally) from the developed to the emerging markets. And among these emerging markets, it is thought that the so-called BRICS are head and shoulders ahead of the rest – and are the nations to invest in, the nations that will deliver better returns and have greater potential. These are the nations that delivered great GDP growth in the past few years..

And then along comes a book that challenges this very notion; that examines the entire emerging market nations along both interesting as well as established parameters to arrive at frankly surprising conclusions. Surprising not because they are inaccurate –they aren’t – but because they go against the conventional wisdom that is prevalent. The book also meets the excellent growth notion head-on, and quotes hard numbers to provide an entirely different picture of the GDP growth of the recent past. The simple proof of the fact that nearly all emerging markets delivered superior performance in the period 2003-2007, buttressed with numbers provides a captivating start to the book; and sets the pace for the remainder of the book…

“Between 2003 and 2007, the average GDP growth in these countries {emerging markets} almost doubled from 2.6 percent in the prior 2 decades to 7.2 percent, and almost no developing nation was left behind. In the peak year of 2007, the economies of all but 3 of the world’s 183 countries grew, and they expanded at better than 5 percent in 114 countries, up from an average of about 50 countries in the prior 2 decades”

This analysis at the very start of the book stuns the reader, who is now glued to the book. The analysis of the emerging markets, and the world economic forces that shape these markets in the first chapter sets the pace of the book, and throws up a multitude of questions in the readers’ minds. The book asks some pertinent questions and examines the GDP numbers to set the mind thinking. A case in point being the $-4000 barrier section, which looks at the difficulty of nations approaching mid-income levels, and makes the perfectly simple point that growing at 8% on a base of $1500 is going to be fundamentally different to growing at 8% from a base of $4000. A simple observation stops you in your tracks: all boom economies slowed from 9-10% growth to 5-6% growth when their economies reached middle income levels.

After this, you are hooked, and the books takes on a life of its own as it delves in depth into each country and its economic drivers. China, India, Brazil, Mexico, Russia, Europe, Turkey, South Korea etc all find a mention and an analysis. This section is both an eye-opener, as well as a treasure trove of information and ideas. Again, long-held country specific notions are challenged and disproved – like in the section on the consumer demand scenario in China; Country specific problems that can hold it back are analysed in short but power packed sections - like welfare spending & investments of Indian businesses abroad in a time when the home country is in urgent need of capital.

Each nations’ problems as well as enablers find adequate mention, giving a nice balance and flow to the analysis, as well depth and convincing power. Economic, political as well as other problems find adequate coverage – like the problem of crony capitalism in India, or the welfare state in Brazil, or the political situation in Russia, or the olipolistic nature of Mexico, or – coming back to India – the rising inflationary trend in India. Each factor that can impact growth has been looked at.

The author’s objective is to identify breakout nations – the nations most likely to succeed. Thus, the approach given above, which looks at both conventional as well as unconventional factors, seems intuitively right. For example, the analysis of number of billionaires in a nation is an eye-opener. The section on Africa is stunning, with an entirely new look at the dark continent. All in all, this is a book that first of all, teaches you how to properly analyse a market or a nation; second, it is a handbook of the emerging markets. It gives you a perspective of the entire emerging markets in a short, 258-page analysis.

A word on the writing style: it is simple and easy to understand. You don’t need to be a professional economist in order to understand the book. This is perhaps its most powerful plus point. It makes its entire pitch in very simple, easy to understand and comprehend prose. It avoids needless details and voluminous analysis; the analysis is short, sweet and to-the-point. This makes for a fast read; it also makes for easy absorption of the material presented in the book.

As to the breakout nations identified, be prepared for a surprise… read the book to learn more, and open your mind to new ideas and thoughts!

India and China... what's up?

noreply@blogger.com (Vishal Kale) — Mon, 06 May 2013 17:08:00 +0000

This post first appeared in the following questions on Quora, wherein I had supported the diplomatic initiative and tried to analyse the same; and had suspected a peaceful resolution for now...

Why Is China Entering India?

Is China Trying To Impose A War?

MILITARY SITUATION
This has to be seen in the larger Indo-China relationship. China has been systematically encircling India militarily all around it for quite some time now. These developments have been noted with some disquiet in India - especially in Military circles. On the political level, there is near-total consensus on China: it is a major threat; only political expediency prevents India from officially designating China as a principal threat. George Fernandes stands as the only Defence Minister to have openly stated that China is the threat number one for India.

China potential threat number one: George Fernandes

India's New Defense Chief Sees Chinese Military Threat

India realised that in preparing for Pakistan, it had left the Chinese border practically open - wide open. And thus started India's China Programme. Indian planners realised that first of all, they have to build up the warfare logistics all along the Chinese Border - Roads, Airstrips etc. Plan - 2 was to develop missile strike capabilities against China; Plan - 3 was to develop Naval Strength; Plan 4 was to develop new divisions etc. All these have been gaining momentum in recent years; all were severely criticised in China - and even belittled. However, the fact remains that India has been beefing up its defences all along the Chinese Border for at least 5 - 8 years now. On top of this was our ICBM success: with the development of a missile that brought all of China in its range.

This is the military backdrop to the situation. China is aware of these developments; the news articles and the decrying of all such military moves by India is constantly derided in newspapers in China. Furthermore, as the below link states, there is the possibility that this is linked to Gwadar port near Karachi - which, apparently - as per the article - needs a link to China from Ladakh region...

Xtreme theory on China

The point is that this could be another cog in the military encirclement of India - or it could be just a case of China proving India's vulnerability. In either case, it is a medieval misadventure - and has only served to isolate China even further

POLITICAL SITUATION
Politically, India has never trusted China since 1962. From that day onwards, we have always been wary. The fact of Chinese assistance to Pakistan in everything Military as well as diplomacy has been noted with some disquiet in India. This distance has been further exacerbated by Chinese claims - ridiculous claims - on Arunachal Pradesh; Visa Stapling for Arunachal Pradesh and Kashmir; Blue Water Navy developments; military encirclement of India; open declaration by Chinese Premier that issues with India will take time etc etc. The icing on the cake was the most dangerous of them all - the Brahmaputra Dispute. All in all, this has all but driven a deep chasm in a relationship that was never healthy to start with.

Rest Assured; India - at least unofficially - designates China as the number one threat to its security. The only full scale war that can happen for India is with China;this too has been accepted (I tihnk) by Indian Policy makers. There can be no other reason for the Defence Minister's Statement above. Pakistan does not have the wherewithal to wage a war. China, however - does. It is also far more powerful than India both militarily as well as economically. It has the ability, the veto power in the UN (no small factor, this one), the attitude and the reason to wage a war. This is also a fact. And as of now, we do not have the firepower in place in Ladakh - or anywhere on the Macmohan Line - to pull of any retaliatory moves. For that, we need time. And that is what explains the political reaction.

THE HISTORY
Sumdorong Chu incident - Arunachal Pradesh, 1986; Demchok during Kargil war 1999; Trig Heights 1999; Pangong Tso, 1999; Chantze 1999

The last 4 were all during the Kargil War. This fact alone is enough the raise the hackles for India. These intrusions are neither a new affair, nor will it be the last. They are extremely serious developments when seen in the backdrop given above. It is also established fact that PLA's director of Armaments visited Islamabad during Kargil; Musharraf and Sharif both visited Beijing just before Kargil. These are all noteworthy incidents, and cannot be forgotten or ignored. Trust me, The Indian Armed Forces and the Political Establishment have not forgotten them either. General V. P. Malik has openly quoted in his book "We need a credible dissuasive posture in Ladakh till the LOC and Siachen dispute with Pakistan and the boundary question with China are fully resolved"

He has further noted - quite correctly - " b) China's aggressive and assertive policies in the Middle Kingdom, and even after attaining independence in 1949 c) Regular sale of military equipment to India's immediate neighbourhood d) Close relations with Pakistan e) Rapid changes in international power equilibrium seldom take place without concomitant conflict and turbulence"

ADD ALL THE ABOVE
Add all of the above, and a picture begins to emerge. And that picture does not speak peace. China wants to dominate - and India will not be dominated; not even by the USA. China wants Indian land; and Indian waters..,. it is encircling India from all sides militarily.

This may not lead to war; in fact - it certainly wont. But war is increasingly becoming inevitable - unless good sense prevails on the Chinese side... which does not seem likely, basis the above.

To quote Shashi Tharoor: “Keeps India guessing about Chinese intentions; exposes the giant democracy’s vulnerabilities, and cuts a potential rival to size"

THE CURRENT SCENARIO
China is simply testing the waters;; pushing India hard. Just like the Visa row; it is wanting to keep the issue burning and volatile; keep India off-balance - and perhaps provoke a response. It could be seeing just how much pressure will India bear before retaliating. Will this lead to war? I dont think so. But how long will peace win out? Difficult to state.

Except...

If what the experts and the newspapers say on the Brahmaputra is anywhere near accurate- the I see big trouble... meaning War. I hope I am wrong...That one factor - coming on top of all of this - might just be the last straw on the camel's back. Short of this, I dont see War. Not yet, anyway - not unless China attacks. On that, I am not hopeful; China, in my opinion - will attack someday. The facts above do not speak peace; China seems to be preparing for War with India. You do not militarily encircle a nation for peaceable reasons; you do not build up forces all along the border- massive buildup, by the way - for peace.

If there is War - it will be started by China. Not India - that is certain. At least, till the Brahmputra problem rears its head; short of that - India wont attack. As things stand today, War is inevitable. It is only a question of when. It will not happen from India - except as a response to a existential or equally serious invasive threat. My analysis predicts the War between 2015 - 2020. There will come a time when we will be ready on the MacMohan Line - as we have already begun preparing for the eventuality since the past few years. And at that time - if a disagreement crops up , as we have shown in Kargil - we will respond. That is assured. It may only be a Kargil style limited War - but a military stand-off is now assured.

I do not see good sense prevailing in China...

I hope I am wrong on this last paragraph,, and that peace prevails; that the experts who deny any war chances are right...

Kashmir - The Genesis Of The Problem

noreply@blogger.com (Vishal Kale) — Mon, 06 May 2013 00:06:00 +0000

Kashmir… the mere mention of the word is enough to draw strong emotions in almost all Indians. Kashmir… the mere mention of the word evokes, unfortunately, the sounds of gunfire, the ugly reality of terrorism, the incalculable loss of life and the heart-rending scenes of families crying over their dead. Kashmir… the mere mention of the word reminds one of Pakistan, and the attendant enmity that 2 nations have been condemned to. Kashmir… the mere mention of the word reminds us of 1948, 1965, 1971 and the most recent Kargil conflict in 1999. Kashmir… the great tragedy of Kashmir, which reminds the Indian of all these sad scenes – in place of the scenic location and lovely state it is supposed to be. Kashmir… the most enduring tragedy and result of Partition!

It has become fashionable - especially among the internet generation – to question India’s stance on Kashmir. The penchant of the younger lot to question this entire dispute is disturbing. Happily, there are few such instances – but reading of them on Quora has brought home the reality of how little we know about the dispute. I am not an expert on Kashmir – but I have read on Indian Independence quite extensively, and have learnt not to question India’s stance. This post is an effort to try to put across the genesis of the problem – how it all started way back in 1947.

This problem is further exacerbated by the total lack of material on this crisis. All material and books I have read – save one – have glossed over the details, and shortening it to Pakistan invades; Hari Singh accedes to India, First Indo Pak War, India goes to UN… and that is it. From this data, young Indians tend to make several inferences; that first of all, why should Kashmir go to India if it was a Muslim State? That India had no right etc etc.

Let us examine this in some detail. First – Muslim State. In 1947, being a Muslim State itself was no guarantee of accession to Pakistan. Till the very end, NWFP was pro-India; Baluchistan was against Pakistan. In the Kashmir Valley, The Sheikh Abdullah led National Conference had to upper hand over the Muslim League led Muslim Conference. According to the British Resident of the time, WP Webb, Agha Shaukat Ali of the Muslim Conference had threatened Direct Action – but had failed. All attempts to stoke communal tensions failed in the state. Kashmir remained free form communal tensions all through – this is confirmed from reports of the British officers. Thus, there is every chance that a referendum would have worked to advantage!

Next, why should Kashmir go to India? For this, let me start with 2 passages which are self-explanatory:

1. In India, in the absence of any homogeneity, a penetration in any direction can result in … separation of different units geographically as well as morally because there is no basic unity among the Shudras, Brahmins, Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims who will follow their own different interests. At present, and for a long time to come, India is in the same position as she was centuries ago, exposed to disintegration in emergencies – Major General Akbar Khan, Pakistan Army, 14 November 1947

2. Personally , when I recommended to the Government of India the acceptance of accession of the Maharaja of Kashmir, I had in mind one consideration and one consideration alone, viz., that the invasion of Kashmir by the raiders was a great threat to the integrity of India. Ever since the time of Mahmud Ghazni, that is to say, for nearly 8 centuries… India had been subjected to periodical invasions from the North-West… and within less than 10 weeks of the establishment of the new state of Pakistan, its very first act was to let loose a tribal invasion through the North-West. Srinagar today, Delhi tomorrow – VP Menon

Whenever one is trying to understand history, one should first attempt to understand the backdrop as it existed in those days. Unless you understand what atmosphere was prevalent in 1947, any conclusions you draw from the current scenario are bound to be erroneous. It is not my objective to teach the reader exactly what happened; this I cannot do in a blog post. This is the subject of an entire book! I just want to instill some basic questions in the readers’ mind, as well as explain the ground scenario as it existed in those days.

Every hand was drawn against India. The British and the Americans were concerned with a possible invasion by Russia, and wanted a sphere of influence in West India – including military bases. Independent India was crystal clear: we will not be a part of any such shenanigans. This was clear to the westerner right from the start, as the views of the leading freedom fighters were well known. They were also deeply skeptical of the chances of the continued existence of India itself as a united entity for very long. The Pakistani attitude becomes clear from the statement above. It is also a fact that Jinnah had approached many, many other princes for accession. It is no secret that the Muslim League wanted a much larger Pakistan. It is on record – “you have given us a moth-eaten Pakistan”.

India was a new nation; to people outside India – it was an experiment. The money was on the survival of Pakistan – not India. No one understood the cultural unity of India outside India in those days. These are not peripheral matters; these are central to our quest to understand the entire Kashmir imbroglio. As can be seen by VP Menon’s statement – this was seen as an existential threat by Indians. This visceral and primeval fear cannot be ignored; this was central to the problem. What we need to question is, was this fear real? Or was it imagined? Keep in mind that there were abundant statements by enemies that India will break up, that we can absorb break-away parts, that Junagarh, Bhopal etc were approached by Jinnah and Pakistan. Also remember this was just 2 years after a massive war. Most critically, while we may think the fear was imagined – these fears were real to the Government of India in those days. This is brought out very clearly in VP Menon’s words from those days.

Next, independent states was not an option; allowing one state to go independent would open a Pandora's box – as unleash a string of other such demands. That is why there were only 2 options in front of the princely states – India and Pakistan. Also, Attlee’s demand that India send troops to defend Kashmir without accepting accession does not hold water; it in fact strengthens the fears outlined above. Also, with Kashmir still independent, the danger given above remained. Not only that, it would have left Pakistan with a free hand to have another go. Hence, there was no option but to have Kashmir accede to India in order that troops could be sent in.

And thus it is that we come to the matter of the referendum… but that is another story. The referendum was first offered by Mountbatten in Lahore – not Nehru. Jinnah was reluctant to hold a referendum – and kept referring to the accession as a fraud. That it was not a fraud had been accepted by every nation in those days. Pakistan knew very well indeed that a referendum would likely go India’s way; at the very least, they were not certain of winning. The terms were specific- Pakistan had to withdraw its troops and irregulars. This they have not done till date; hence the question of UN intervention does not arise. As a mater of fact, as shown in the below paragraph from the book, the entire war was almost stage-managed; the Pakistanis and the British together had reached a state when they had no intention of withdrawing.

"Bucher admitted to Gracey, the Pakistan C-in-C, that he had no control over Cariappa but hit upon an intriguing scheme to now stop the advance of his own army. Graffety Smith, British high commissioner in Karachi, reported to London the arrangements reached privately between the commander-in-chiefs of the 2 dominions. General Bucher indicated to General Gracey that he had no wish to pursue an offensive into what is effectively Azad-Kashmir controlled territory i.e. to Mirpur and Poonch sector... the object of these arrangements is to reach a situation in which each side will remain in undisputed military occupation of what are roughly their present positions... An essential part of the process... is that 3 battalions of the Pakistan Army should be deployed opposite the Indian forces at Jhangar, in or around Poonch and at Uri..." India and Pakistan are fighting a war... and the head of the Indian army is actually advising the head of the Pakistan army on what to do....

The problem of Kashmir is not a new one; it is 66 years old. It has to be understood in the context in which it arose. Rather than blame India, Young Indians should rather try and understand the reality as it happened. This is a complex and involved scenario; you have to look at it in the backdrop of the freedom struggle, the matter of the princely states, partition as well as the atmosphere that was prevalent in those days. There are many layers to this matter; the role of the British, for one. I have just peeled off one or two layers… In conclusion, have some pride in our handling of this matter – which, considering the overall constraints we operated under, is truly commendable! Jai Hind!

Reference: The Shadow Of The Great Game- Narendra Singh Sarila

Book Review: Is New York Burning

noreply@blogger.com (Vishal Kale) — Sat, 04 May 2013 04:21:00 +0000

The World Famous Dynamic Duo of the Non-Fiction genre – Lapierre and Collins – writing a thriller? And a terror-plot based thriller to boot? Sounds like a nightmarish concept at first. Well, think again. While it is obvious that this is not their cup of tea, the book is excellent and reasonably enthralling. I was surprised that they managed to keep my attention right till the last page. Yes, there are weaknesses in the novel, but there is enough good material in it for it to qualify as a class effort.

THE PLOT

Hackneyed is the word that first comes to mind as it starts with the same old Iraq angle again; but with a interesting twist. This time, it is not the Iraqis as the bad boys – but the Palestinians, and the Israel conflict has been used as the backdrop. Some - “Gentlemen” – want to pressurize Israel into submission which is not a task to be taken lightly. I for one cannot imagine anyone or anything pressuring Israel into anything! Happily, the novel takes note of this, and the gentlemen in question hatch an ingenious plan to use USA to achieve their objective. The brilliant plan nearly succeeds, as the Americans are forced to take note – serious note – of the Palestinian problem.

The plot is straightforward – plop a bomb in New York, and ask the Americans to pressurize the Israelis to vacate the post-1967 settlements. Simple. Very simple. Except for one tiny detail – you don’t tell the Isrealis what to do; especially not on the rather sensitive matter of the Gaza Strip. The Israelis refuse to cooperate; leaving the Americans with a most inconvenient problem. Simultaneously, the police and FBI start their investigation and try to trace the the whereabouts of the bomb. These twin story-lines intertwine, with the question being what will save the day – realpolitic, or policework?

THE ANALYSIS

The charectarisation is non-existent. That is not surprising; the thriller is not the forte of this Dynamic Duo. They are famous for their historical novels – where there is no need for imagery and character development. This shows in the novel. No character is strong enough (in the fictional set) to deserve a mention here. The problem is at 2 levels; one being stated above. The other problem is that the fictional characters have not been given any space in the novel. The novel is taken up almost entirely by the real-world figures of Bush, Rice, Sharon, Powell etc. This does not leave much space for the fictional characters’ background and character development.

The pace is reasonably fast; the book – while not being a page-turner – holds attention throughout till the last page, and is decently paced. This is in keeping with the narrative style and the story flow – which alternates between the political and the investigative scenarios. And this is where, in my humble opinion, the authors have gone slightly wrong; the investigative scenario – while extremely lifelike and convincing, comes across as slightly contrived. The political scenario appears to be overdone, with an inordinate emphasis being placed on it – especially considering that the investigative team solves the imbroglio, while the politicians do nothing except talk, talk and talk – which, of course, is par for the course for politicians. The net result of this is a simplistic investigation – as there is just no space for the investigation in the novel. The other unconvincing part is the ease with which the bomb is found; overall the plot seems to weaken here.

Overall, the book makes for a fascinating blend of the real with the fictional. This is probably the first of its kind; and is very likely the first in its genre. The usage of real world characters fleshes out the book and makes for interesting reading. The authors’ signature style of eulogizing one character over and above all else is evident even here with the portrayal of Condoleeza Rice. Furthermore, it was also refreshing to read a positive portrayal of George Bush. All the real world characters are true to their largely understood roles – yes, even Bush. We must not forget that an idiot does not get a degree from Yale and Harvard and the go on to become the President. And it was fun reading the Israeli responses – which were entirely along expected lines

All in all, it is a highly interesting book that is on a completely different tangent. It is unique in the world of thrillers with its combination of the real world with the fictional. The treatment is powerful – so much so, that you are left wondering if this actually a novel as is claimed by the book cover – or is it a report on something that has actually happened in the USA during the Bush presidency? It feels eerily real; and that is the biggest achievement of this book…

Book Review: Pax Indica by Shashi Tharoor

noreply@blogger.com (Vishal Kale) — Thu, 02 May 2013 04:33:00 +0000

As usual, I start with excerpts from the book that will make the Indian reader sit up… “India was much more open to the west than hindsight suggests… it was driven away by western condescension… and the western leanings towards Pakistan… The US congress once passed a resolution refusing to help India construct a steel plant since it was not the US business to help build socialism in India… The west was noticeably sympathetic to Pakistan over Kashmir… The Soviet Union frequently vetoed anti-India resolutions”… “And yet, if there is another Mumbai – another horror perpetrated on a scale comparable to 26/11 with similar proof of Pakistani complicity - comparable restraint may be impossible, and all bets will be off”

A book on foreign policy sounds a pretty boring affair – one does not keep high expectations from a book that deals with such an esoteric topic. And to compound matters further, if this book is written by someone like Shashi Tharoor – who is known for his rapier-like wit and penchant to introduce a quip or a witticism – or outright humour in the most unlikely of paragraphs in a book. This raises expectations of 2 types – one that this book might be boring; and for those who have read Tharoor, there will be the expectation of a witty exercise. The book is neither heavy, nor is it witty.

This book has introduced a side of Tharoor that has not been apparent; on reading this one can understand how this person rose to such mercurial heights in the United Nations. It is a surprisingly mature and balanced look at the Indian Foreign Policy Scenario, and has taken a look at both sides of every coin. We also get to see one side of his writing that all of us are used to: bluntness and straightforward to-the-point statement of intent, or realities. The combination of these 2 factors elevate this book from a mundane one; it is a high-quality and power-packed book. In typical Tharoor fashion, he has not held his punches; the punches flow thick and fast – but are grounded in a superb factual, mature analysis. The western reader will be able to understand Indian approach to foreign policy much better – although some passages might be highly disconcerting; for the Indian reader, the book offers a wholesome fact-based understanding of our policy imperatives and direction.

Shashi Tharoor has placed the Indian defence to allegations it has faced over the years very lucidly, if in a somewhat blunt fashion. His analysis of why and how we drifted away from the West just after independence is enthralling; high time we Indians made a strong defence – and place the blame where it lies- USA and to some extent UK. His blunt defence of our Non-Alignment and our rabid independence; our unwillingness to heel to any “bloc” has been based not on rhetoric but on solid logic.

The book examines our relations with each neighbour in chapters – Pakistan, South East Asia (SAARC Region) China, USA, EU, Africa, Middle East. The best part of the analysis is not just strategic, but business realities, balance of trade, business imperatives, defence and strategic imperatives are all looked at – which give a complete and balanced view of each relationship. Furthermore, the author has not just paraded the Indian viewpoint and expectations from our partners; the other nations’ expectations from us have been given and analysed. Faults are bluntly put forward – be they Indian mistakes, or be they the other nations mistakes. No one has been spared; there is no diplomatic-speak anywhere (except in the chapter on China, where I could detect a reigned-in and controlled response).

The book underscores India’s strategic independence – and our total unwillingness to march to any other piper, to any other tune. The foreign reader will be let in no doubt that India is one nation that will always march to its own tune – whatever be the consequences. Furthermore, it also underscores where India has been jilted, or harmed; where Indian security priorities lie - but the emphasis is on building a relationship and trade; on a forward push in the right direction. It only talks tough on the USA – and is uncompromisingly tough on Pakistan. Even on these 2 – the beauty is the balanced and mature analysis – presenting internal realities of both these countries. The Indian reader will be able to better understand the steps taken by these 2 nations much better. The Indo-USA fractured relationship and its analysis is in a class of its own – giving US expectations as well as its underpinnings, while underscoring where it has gone wrong – and panning it for its penchant for transactional treatments, while keeping the substance for China and Pakistan.

The book is worth a read for the section on Pakistan, and the lucid analysis of why we need to continue to talk peace with Pakistan; its internal realities, and the way forward. You are left in no doubt as to the merits of the peace approach with Pakistan - and the best part of this is, this has been done without any compromise. It also leaves a clear and straight warning to Pakistan that this is contingent on no teror attacks.. This section makes it a must read for every educated Indian. But far and above all this, the book identifies India’s biggest failure – its failure at building a positive relationship with its immediate neighourhood – including with the nation it helped to win independence – Bangladesh. It is these 2 chapters that form the biggest takeaways for the Indian reader… as I said, a must read for every educated Indian!

Book Review: Business Sutra

noreply@blogger.com (Vishal Kale) — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 13:36:00 +0000

This is one of the most difficult books to pen a review on, a book that is almost limitless in its reservoir of knowledge and wisdom, a book that provides a veritable treasure trove of fables and learnings, a book that is to be treasured, a path of discovery to be undertaken, an experience to be savoured... a book that will leave you richer for the experience, and wiser for the titbits of knowledge; a book that will stay with you for a very long time... a book that will provide each reader with at least one powerful takeaway

For this review, I am adopting a different style altogether; the reason is that the book is so wide and comprehensive, that I freely sumbit that I cannot do justice to the entire content in a review - at least, not in a fashion that will hold the readers'' interest. That would require in-depth knowledge - and I have only read the book one-and-a-half times. Further, it is also a fact that this is a book that is experience-based, so let me quote practical real world examples based on some of the concepts the book mentions... that should convince the reader to procure a copy.

Hence, while I usually try to start my book reviews with lines or paragraphs from the book that draw in the reader and make him or her yearn for the book; however, I am starting this review with a youtube video of a Marathi song sung by Salil Kulkarni and composed by Sandeep Khare and Salil Kulkarni. This song features the lament of a young father who is unable to give his daughter any time, is unable to be a part of her daily life, due to work pressures...

Damalelya Babachi hi Kahani

komejun nijaleli ek pari rani,

utaralele tond dola sutalele pani ||2||

rojchech aahe sare kahi aaj nahi

mafi kashi magu pori mala tond nahi

zopetach gheto tula aaj mi kushita

nijatach tari pan yeshila khushita

sangayachi aahe majha sanulya phula

damalelya babachi hi kahani tula …

Translation: A sweet sleeping child, face strewn with tears, lies sleeping on the bed; this is a daily affair - how do I say sorry to you, my daughter? This is not something new, it is a daily affair... I always see you sleeping, and take you in my arms in with you in your slumber... how do I explain to you, my child, the story of your overworked and dog-tired Dad?

Offisat ushira mi asato basun

bhandavale doke gele kamat budun

taas taas jato khaal mane ne nighun

ek ek diva jato haluch vijun

ashaveli kai sangu kai kai vate

athava sobat pani dolyatun date

Translation: Whenever I stay late in the office, my head swimming with the pressure of my daily chores, the hours passing by at a terrifying speed - with me unable to ever raise my head from my desk... how do I explain to you, my daughter, that at such times, tears clog up my eyes whenever the memory of your tearful face swims before my eyes?

The above is the hard reality of life; with its work pressures, disturbed work-life balance and lack of quality time for family. The modern work-place, the professional work-place, with its KRA-driven work ethics, and the penchant to regard human beings as resources, leaves little scope for the emotional and personal side of employees. "Emotions dont play a role in business" is a commonly stated sentence (phrase?) in business. Sounds fine, when viewed impersonally. But consider that the "resource" involved is a human being - and human beings have emotions, feelings, desires and tolerance levels. By dehumanising the entire process, the focus on the KRAs has been achieved is the common business approach in all organisations. But do take a look at the song above; just how productive an asset is the above employee going to be? His mind is at home, with his child, who complains " I never see you, I never play with you etc etc?" If you think this a far-fetched, read this article below:

http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2013-04-25/news/38817258_1_depressed-workers-nimhans-mental-health

The scenario of the employee as a human being and not as a resource is one of the first chapters in the book - and most of us, with business or professional experience has either experienced this first-hand - or have seen it up close and personal. Job performance is a function as much of KRAs and targets and goals as it is a function of the individual human being who is responsible for setting the strategies and executing the tactical plans. The moment you look at it from this perspective, a whole new business paradigm unfurls in front of view. And at least a few of the top successful people do realise the virtues hidden in this approach.

II)

I recall an interchange with my boss a few months ago. He called me up to set up a team meeting. Then he said - dont worry. No plans - just an open discussion. I just wanted to check how much your teams believes in our product, how much they themselves trust and like our product. This is another concept that the book introduces - one that is not touched by contemporary western management science - but it works wonders in the field - simply because an employee who believes in the value and quality of the product of his company will be far more convincing in his customer (whether internal or external) meetings, will more readily recall details and will be more effective as a result.

III)

The book talks about to vision and mission statements of the organisation... and makes the solid point through a powerful diagram which features an employee hard at work, focussing on his KRAs... but in the thought balloon, he is shown as thinking "whose vision? Whose targets?". So true, and so spot-on. Vision statements are in reality just phrases adorning corporate - and at the most - hub offices; on-ground reality has little relation to, or at best little focus on the vision statements, company goals, targets, etc. It is all about my vision, my targets etc... little effort is made to communicate and align the employees with the organisational objectives, to understand individual needs and motivators and align them towards a greater common goal. The net result is that frequently, the larger loftier vision or organisational goal gets lost in the race to achieve personal targets - which is quite often at the cost of long-term sustainability for the organisation.

IV)

One of the most powerful parts of the book is the one which concentrates on the individual, and how to understand each employee, and the need for getting to know the drivers of each employee. In my own team, I have three people who are poles apart; their motivators are varied. One is driven by money and the will to succeed after a fall; another is just biding time as he is assured of a good job in the government. I cannot drive both by the same logic; as a leader, I need to understand the person - not the resource; the human, not the object on an excel sheet that contributes to my own excel sheet of performance!

I could go on and on ; but this is a review - not a sermon. My objective above is to kindle the thought processes of the readers of this review. The above practical learnings and examples should make the content approach of the book clear. The most interesting aspect is that this is not done in the form of a boring classroom lecture, but through learnings from our scriptures - The Vedas, The Upanishads, The Ramayan, The Mahabharat etc. Allegorical stories and the teaching method adopted; each story is short, fun to read and highly interesting - encapsulated at the end is the short business lesson in the form of diagrams and business examples. The writing is simple, the language is very easy to understand and the pace is almost frenetic; it is a page-turner, It looks at the individual, as I have shown above; it looks at decision making skills, It looks at change - both calm change as well as sudden violent change; It looks at the organisation as an organism - in short, it looks at the entire spectrum of business activities. The book moves smoothly from the broad vision statement of the company to its internal organisation and to the individual in a smooth flow.

All along, it leaves insights and deep thought provoking germinating ideas in your mind; for example, the segment on the leadership styles and qualities is worth a book unto itself, so powerfully phrased is the presentation. But most importantly, the key message is the importance of the individual as a human being - not as a resource; understanding him / her - drivers, motivators and how these interplay with the larger corporate scenario; how his/her decisions impact the scene; how differing roles are played by various players in the world - the person who makes decisions, the follower, the leader etc. Read this book for this alone; to me, this has been the most powerful learning.

In closing, I would like to quote from the above song again, which will serve to highlight that the employee is a human being, and not a machine...

asa kasa baba dev lekarala deto

lavakar jato ani ushirani yeto

balpan gele tujhe guj nisatun

ure kai tujha majha onjhali madhun

jari yete othi tujha majhasathi hase

najaret tujha kahi anolkhi dise

tujha jagatun baba harvel ka ga?

mothepani baba tula athavel ka ga? ||2||

sasurala jata jata umbarathya madhe

babasathi yeil ka pani dolyamadhe?….

Translation: What kind of a father has God given you? Goes early, comes late? Your childhood passed without Dad being a part of it; Will Dad be a part of your later life? Will you remember me when I am old? Will you cry for your Dad, for missing him as a part of your life when you stand at the threshold of our house on your wedding day, as you leave forever to your Husband's house?

Human Beings arent resources on an excel sheet - they have feelings, pressures, stresses, memories, ties, relations, fears, desires... something western management concepts totally ignore...

This review is a part of the biggest Book Reviews Program. for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!

US - Pakistan Secret Deal...

noreply@blogger.com (Vishal Kale) — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 06:18:00 +0000

Thank you Uncle Sam... thank you for confirming that our blood is different in colour. I dont think Indian blood is red... perhaps I should nick myself with a needle just to check whether my blood is yellow or perhaps green in colour...

Surprised at my anger? If you are an Indian, you should be angry, too... read the following articles:

New York Times: Origins of C.I.A.’s Not-So-Secret Drone War in Pakistan

Indian Express: US made secret deal with Pak on drone strikes: report

Times Of India: US made secret deal with Pak on drone strikes: Report

Economic Times: US made secret deal with Pakistan on drone strikes: Report

One India: US made secret deal with Pak on drone strikes: report

The Voice Of Russia: Pakistan allowed US drone attacks in a secret deal with CIA

There is realisation in the West that Pakistan is using its ISI to undermine the Afghan situation; this is an open admission. Even the BBC has openly stated in an article (I dont agree with the contents stated therein in many instances, which is why I say "even the BBC has acknowledged the Pakistani hand") on militancy: Kashmir militants give up fight and head home. Yet, no one seems to have done anything concrete about it. We have lost over 20,000 lives in 47000+ incidents, and no one in the West cared enough to do anything about it. And yet, the moment the ugly reality of terrorism touched Western - and especially US - shores, we see a sudden interest in the corridors of power. Why, may I ask? Is the colour my countrymen's blood any different than yours? Is it that I am Homo Neanderthalensis, and you are Homo Sapiens? Am I not Human? We have lived for 66 years (as a nation) with - quite literally - a knife to our throat. And for the past 25 years, that knife has been drawing blood from our neck. And yet, nothing. No acceptance in concrete terms of this reality.

And, wonder of wonders, the moment the threat comes home to Uncle Sam and the West, the perpetrator - Pakistan - becomes the state at the forefront of the fight against terror; more funds and arms pour into Pakistan; it is eulogised by one and all for its "sacrifices"... while my India continues to bleed. Thank you, Uncle Sam. What a great friend you are. India is indebted to you. Did it not occur to any of the gentlemen over there that all they had to do was to pressurise the Pakistanis into closing down the Kashmiri militant training camps? But no. Why should they? Indians arent human beings. We dont belong to the species Homo Sapiens, now do we?

Yes, yes, yes, yes, and another yes - I am aware that all those Pakistani geniuses (and they are geniuses - smarter that those US greats, at any rate; look at how they have been fooling the USA for all of 25 years) - as I was saying, all those Pakistani geniuses had to do was to shift the location of the camps. But, my very dear american friends, it would have driven an even further wedge into the Militant - Pakistani relationship, as well as brought India closer to you than ever before. But then, why should you? It isnt your blood, it is ours. You might say that the above step would only serve to drive the monster against its creator Pakistan. To that, my take is: Ya, Right. A dead Indian is anyday better than a dead Pakistani, isnt it? Well - not from where I stand. Sorry, but cant see it that way... Indians prefer to live, thank you very much.

And then what do you do, to top this all? This: "In secret negotiations, the terms of the bargain were set. Pakistani intelligence officials insisted that they be allowed to approve each drone strike, giving them tight control over the list of targets. And they insisted that drones fly only in narrow parts of the tribal areas — ensuring that they would not venture where Islamabad did not want the Americans going: Pakistan’s nuclear facilities, and the mountain camps where Kashmiri militants were trained for attacks in India." Note how carefully this has been worded, interesting, isnt it? It is called plausible deniability... which is also, by the way, a term of CIA origin. Kudos to the NY Times for highlighting this! Heartfelt appreciation from an Indian Citizen!

Thank you, Uncle Sam. Thanks a whole bunch. When will my political leaders wake up? Is this the behaviour of a friend? Of a friendly nation? I dont think so. Strategic Partnership????? Look up its definition, will you, Uncle Sam? I had honestly thought that with US pressure, perhaps Pakistani support to terrorism will decrease. How stupid of me!

EDIT: Thanks, Tushar A. Katira

There are no friends; only interests, That is why I have been stressing strategic partnership in all my US posts. On the one hand, we have USA waxing eloquent on our strategic partnership; on the other hand we have what I have given above.

The problem is that the current situation is actually emboldening Pakistan to continue its Kashmir interference. Inaction on that score - calling it to task on its training camps - is actually acting as a catalyst to its activities. There is probably a feeling that no one will do anything against us.

I intend to question my political leaders as well: I have just hinted at it in this post, as can be seen in the conclusion. The whole India-USA relationship is cockeyed and topsy-turvy and needs a serious re-think. We need to examine what - if anything - we are getting in tangible terms, aside from rhetoric and FDI. Nothing concrete seems to have emerged as of yet... I shall try to attempt what we have got from our USA relations in a later post.

Admittedly, Nuclear Deal, our inclusion in NSG would not have happened without USA - but the rest would happen with or without USA. We are not getting technology, we are not getting clout... nothing. It is a strange, even funny relationship. That is what I am questioning. I am ok if we are using the USA to get what we want; that is smart diplomacy - and given that USA has actually suppplied arms to Pakistan in a clandestine fashion for Afghanistan as well as set up the ISI's skills - it is acceptable. But I draw the line at a strategic partnership with a nation that has been against us all these years, has been aware of the ISI's deeds, has introduced ISI to such tactics through its Afghan misadventure and done nothing about it.

We have a nation that is aware of our bleeding and doing nothing about it. That doesn't sound right. If we are gaining something tangible, then it would be ok; but aside from trade - I dont see what benefit we are getting out of the USA. In fact, when the economy is in a better shape, I dont think it a bad idea to give an ultimatum of sorts to the USA - either stop supporting Pakistan in every way, or no deal. On anything.

The Curse Of Poverty - 2

noreply@blogger.com (Vishal Kale) — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 06:16:00 +0000

Poverty is a reality that continues to haunt our India, and is showing only very slow signs of alleviation.This is not a question of economics - whether capitalist or socialist; or of systems - whether open or authoritarian. The question is one of morality - and the answer to that is, regardless of economic realities and governmental systems - no, it is not morally conscionable for us to allow over 200 - 300 Million people to live in extreme poverty.

It is easy to shrug it off and say "we worked hard for growth, we deserve it". It is equally easy for the detractors to say "what growth? this growth has come from exploitation". Neither view is in itself a problem; the problem is, now that you have been made aware of it, what do you intend to do about it? I am not talking socialism; I am not stating capitalism. I am talking about being human.

Put up or shut up is what I say. What can you as a person do about it? What can your society do about it comes much, much later... it starts with the individual. This applies to me as well... even I have not gone beyond writing about this : http://reflectionsvvk.blogspot.in/2013/03/the-curse-of-poverty.html. And please dont tell me an individual does not count. Need I remind everyone here of Albert Einstein, Mahatama Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Sachin Tendulkar, VIshwanathan Anand, Isaac Newton and many, many more? Each name an individual from a different field, each made a difference to his field as an individual,. Even Anand, whose success drove the chess revolution in india. Or Tendulkar, who has the power to bring a nation of a standstill.

I think we should all stop for just a moment and look inward. There is a lot that we can do as individuals. Within our own society. Like sponsoring the education of a poor child. There can be many, many such initiatives that can be taken, that can lead to good results.

Main criticism to this is that this will require time to implement, as getting everyone into this mode will take a generation. And that criticism is, unfortunately, well grounded in fact. But what alternative is there? Anyone have any answers? Capitalism? Dont make me laugh. Capitalism is not a mechanism that is designed to alleviate poverty; it is a ruthless survival of the fittest game. It can deliver excellent market performers; it is the most capable system in terms of efficiency and productivity. But that is about it, On being confronted with a scenario of this scale of poverty, the lowermost sections are always going to lose, Always.

The reason for this is simple: capitalism implies certain levels of basic skills; those not in the said skill sets dont make the cut, and get left out. It is simple truth. We are talking about the lowermost sections of society; these people are too busy arranging the next meal to worry about such niceties as education. And even if they manage an education, family circumstances force them out early, so that they can provide for family. Result? These people miss the bus, The capitalistic systems have provided for them - these people are now able to afford 2 meals a day - but little else. Their existence remains hand-to-mouth.

And western policies like this one http://reflectionsvvk.blogspot.in/2013/04/disclaimer-i-am-almost-layman-i-have.html dont help much either.

"In simple terms, the USA is not agreeing to allow the smaller farmers access to subsidy in the form of administered purchase prices. If USA has its way, all such subsidies shall be a part of the Aggregate Measurement of Support (AMS). It may be noted that Indian agriculture is the home of small and marginal farmers (80%). Therefore, the future of sustainable agriculture growth and food security in India depends on the performance of small and marginal farmers. Agricultural Census data shows that there were about 121 million agricultural holdings in India in 2000-01. Around 99 million were small and marginal farmers. Average size has declined from 2.3 ha. In 1970-71 to 1.37 ha. In 2000-01. Small and marginal farmers account for more than 80% of total farm hhs. But their share in operated area is around 44%.So, the hard data above shows the absolute necessity of support for these farmers. The impact on their earnings, and the productivity levels will be disastrous."

This leaves India with 2 choices: acquiesce, or deny, We have chosen to deny. Had we acquiesced, the impact on our economy would have been worrisome, as over the short term, the reduction in subsidies would have hurt the farmers, their families and the food security of the nation hard.

Is this so difficult to understand? Why the western insistence on this stiff pre-condition?My point is that such policies further enhance the problem, rather than solve it.

I am speaking with proof:

The per capita income of the bottom 20% of India's population has not changed (as a percentage share) since 1978. That means, the bottom 20% of our population has not benefited at all from our economic boom. This is also confirmed by consumption patterns: with the consumption by the bottom 20% of the population being static @ between 0 - 1 growth%, in complete variance with the 3% growth registered by the top layers. While in the 1990s, India's Gini Coefficient was 0.32, it has now gone up to 0.38. The top 10% now make 12 time the bottom 10% - as opposed to 6 times in the 1990s.

Simply put, while capitalism has brought tremendous benefits to the top 20%; as well as sizeable pluses to the next 40-60% of the people, the bottom levels remain unaffected. In other words, the capitalistic model has failed to deliver the needed results.

I am not making a case for socialism; it is undeniable that capitalism has brought benefits to one and all in absolute terms. But those absolute terms have proven insufficient for providing a decent life to the bottom of the pyramid. In simple terms, the trickle down effect is way too slow. While it takes complete impact, how many more billions will our society condemn?

That is why I say, put up or shut up. I dont have an answer to this problem; in the meantime, I will do all I can - at my own level - to alleviate this,.Given the world economic system today, and given the established fact of socialism's failure, we are operating the optimal system. But that does not mean that the current system is human. Its established failure to deliver justice to the downtrodden is a matter of documented record... as is the fact of the richer nations doing their best to keep rich - at times denying basic rights to the poorer nations as can be seen in the example above. These things will not change; hence I say - do what you can at an individual level.

Poor Farmers Have Some Rights, Mr Sam...

noreply@blogger.com (Vishal Kale) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 03:41:00 +0000

Disclaimer: I am almost a layman; I have not been delving too deeply into the trade negotiations; just reading the news. The views are my personal views, and readers are free to give a decent comment if I am wrong...

"Acquisition of stocks of foodstuffs by developing country members with the objective of supporting low-income or resource-poor producers shall not be required to be accounted for in the AMS (Aggregate Measurement of Support)."

In simple terms, the USA is not agreeing to allow the smaller farmers access to subsidy in the form of administered purchase prices. If USA has its way, all such subsidies shall be a part of the Aggregate Measurement of Support (AMS).

AMS explained here: Agriculture - explanation of the agreement - domestic support

And the reason is a real classic, and I quote: "The US feels any agreement on this issue will give unprecedented flexibilities to China, which gives much more subsidies as compared to India in numbers; their procurement levels are also much higher."

Lets take a look at Indian realities... "Small holdings agriculture which is the focus of this paper is important for raising agriculture growth, food security and livelihoods in India. It may be noted that Indian agriculture is the home of small and marginal farmers (80%). Therefore, the future of sustainable agriculture growth and food security in India depends on the performance of small and marginal farmers. Agricultural Census data shows that there were about 121 million agricultural holdings in India in 2000-01. Around 99 million were small and marginal farmers. Average size has declined from 2.3 ha. In 1970-71 to 1.37 ha. In 2000-01. Small and marginal farmers account for more than 80% of total farm hhs. But their share in operated area is around 44%. Thus, there are significant land inequalities in India."

From : Page on Igidr

From the same research : "According to NSS 2003 data, the monthly consumption of marginal farmers was Rs.2482 and monthly income was Rs.1659 (Table 14 and Fig 4.1). It shows that they have dis-savings of Rs.823. As NCEUS (2008) says “consumption expenditure of marginal and small farmers exceeds their estimated income by a substantial margin and presumably the deficits have to be plugged by borrowing or other means” (p.12). NCEUS (2008) also indicates that the poverty for small holding farmers is much higher than other farmers. The need for increase in productivity and incomes of small holdings and promotion of non-farm activities for these farmers are obvious. "

So, the hard data above shows the absolute necessity of support for these farmers. The impact on their earnings, and the productivity levels will be disastrous. Being an agriculture graduate with nearly 5 years rural sales experience, I am also aware first-hand of the status of these poor farmers. But no, the great Mr Sam (Also known as Uncle Sam and The USA) can only see that China might gain. It is the same cold war and the middle east problem in another form - Indian interests do not feature in our - aah - strategic partner - at all. They didnt in 1947, and they dont now. That is the only logical conclusion I can draw from this. If this is a strategic partner, then God save me from my enemies!

Some Indian NRI should educate the US Government on a Hindi Word: Insaaniyat. You wouldnt believe it, but it has an exact English word as well : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ins.... Look it up, USA - and update your vocabulary, please. I find it disgusting that the interests of 80% farmers of India - 99 Million of them - can be subjugated to international politics. Disgusting! These are people who need the support very badly, and counting them in AMS would seriously hamper our national interests. The average holding is 1.37 Hectares - and as per WTO, and I quote : "Any farmer holding less than 10 acres was considered small and marginal at the WTO but this was lately brought down to less than four acres." Look at the numbers, and their lack of profitability. Regardless of the reasons for the lack of productivity, it is incumbent upon any society to ensure the protection of their interests. Even the Europeans have agreed to negotiate, and I quote: "European countries are ready to discuss the issue and find a solution, officials said". (By the way, that is 99 Million Farmers - meaning approximately 400 Million People, taking average family size of 4. Let us take things in the proper perspective here.)

Thank you, Uncle Sam. But frankly, I am disgusted... and today, you stand alone on this. This proves conclusively to me that Indian Interests do not feature on US' list. And they talk about a strategic partnership! God save me from my Strategic Partners! It is the same as it has always been - USA focussing on China and Pakistan today, and on Pakistan and Russia yesterday. We have nothing to give the USA except a market. Fine, USA has expectation from us... but remember, we have expectations too. It cannot be a one-sided affair, Mr Sam!

Frankly, this episode has left a bitter taste in my mouth... pusillanimous! Disgusting!

India & Russia - and the US connection

noreply@blogger.com (Vishal Kale) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 04:37:00 +0000

It is an oft repeated complaint of the USA that we were from the Russian block, which is the reason for the distance in our relationship. I had not thought that this issue will still hold relevance in the modern day; but an interaction on my previous post http://reflectionsvvk.blogspot.in/2013/03/the-eternal-love-triangle-india.html has caused me to pause for a moment, and think... if the common man on the ground in the USA still blames India for the block in Indo-US relations, then it is a sad comment on us - and our ability to put forth our point of view. It is not the fault of this person, or indeed the US citizens - this is what they have been taught: it is in part our fault for not putting forth our point of view. Hence, I am attempting to analyse why we went to the Russians in the first place...

"I thought India was pretty jammed with poor people and cows round streets, witch doctors and people sitting on hot coals and bathing in the Ganges... but I did not think anybody thought it was important" - Harry S Truman, 33rd President of the USA, around 1951.

The above was stated when Chester Bowles requested a posting to India as Ambassador. The comment itself speaks volumes for the US attitudes towards India in those days - please remembiner that in 1951, we were not in the Russian cirde of influence. That started after 1960, and gained momentum only from 1971. The question is why did this come about? Why did the 2 democracies - India and the USA - not get together earlier? For this, we have to go back to where it all started: before independence.

It is true that Nehru was attracted by Russian ideals. But can we blame Nehru, who was a slave to a brutal exploitative regime? Would it not be only natural for a slave to be attracted towards a regime which promised equality for all - especially when that slave was reading signs like Indians and Dogs not allowed practically everyday? Nehru;s affliction was only natural. It needs to be noted that despite this natural proclivity towards and attraction for socialism, Nehru et al chose a mixed economy, with emphasis on private enterprise, with the core sectors needed for development being led by Public Enterprises. This is a sign that no one notes - that shows that our leaders were thinking men who were moulding known systems, and trying to arrive at a best fit.

Then the Atlantic Charter - when Indian rights to freedom - were denied also played an important in the overall scheme of things. The backtracking by the USA stunned the Indian leaders, and drove a negative image of the USA into their minds. This was a brutal and massive setback of Indian aspirations, and one that cannot be understated.

The end of the Second World War brought world to a point where forces were aligned in 2 - USA and Russia. And that is where the the real story starts to unfold. According to US archives, the first message Nehru sent as Acting Prime Minister was on 20 September 1946: "In view of the very serious food situation in India which is being aggravated by shipping strikes in America, would earnestly request you and throiugh you the labour leaders to permit and arrange for earlier dispatch of food ships to India". . At this juncture, (or few years afterwards), there was no approach to Russia. Indeed, the first Indian Ambassador to Russia was not even granted a meeting with Stalin, whereas there were diplomatic ties with US right from 1946. The first approach was made by India to the USA.

"The concern the British Military felt about future Soviet intentions emerges clearly from a top-secret report on The Security of India and the Indian Ocean, prepared by Post-Hostilities Planning Staff of the War Cabinet on Churchill's orders. This report states 'The USSR is the only major power that would be capable of seriously threatening our interests in India and the Indian Ocean by 1955-1960'. The report also points out 'It is of paramount importance that India should not secede from the Empire or remain neutral in War'. 'We must ensure that whatever constitutional changes occur, we retain the right to station Military Reserves in India... There might be political objections to stationing the strategic reserve in India proper after she has been granted Dominion Status... Central Headquarters India have suggested Baluchistan as an alternative to India proper, on the grounds that it may be relatively easy to exclude this territory from the Dominion of India". "In the event of Soviet Aggression, early support from the US is essential to the security of our interests"

The above paragraph proves quite conclusively that the western affliction with Russia far predates our alliance with Russia. It stands to reason that the British, having alluded to US support against Russia, would have discussed this with them. The western preoccupation with Russia is what started pushing India towards the Russians, slowly but surely. As proof, Pakistan joined the alliance in 1955. The Russians, initially cool towards India, also naturally followed the developments, and took advantage. Then came the chance to provide technology to India: in the form of steel plants. This technology was refused - but was given by the Russians, who were quick to spot an opportunity. Further, knowing the pride aspect of Indians, they offered technology transfer as well. The first Military deal was signed in 1962 - with full technology transfer - something the USA is yet to do as of 2013. It also needs to be noted that Indian and Russian interests did not clash in any segment - a fact which holds true to this day.

As regards the Russian angle, we were never part of the Russian block. We were just allies. Further, please note that Russia offered technology transfer right from the start; and actually helped us whenever we were in dire need - whereas the USA always denied help - right from the 1930s and 1940s. Documented fact. US denial of help to India right from the Atlantic Charter predated the Indo - Russian alliance. Atlantic Charter, Refusal to give steel technology for steel plants, Military help to Pakistan from 1955 etc etc all predate India's alliance with the Russians. I dont think the West has any right to object, given that they had refused us help consistently, right from 1947. An American president is even on record stating "I didnt think it (India) was important (as shown above)". This statement also predates India's so-called alliance with the Russians. If we went to Russia, it is the west which is responsible for it, with their refusal of help on innumerable occasions as well as building up Pakistan militarily. We had no option; we had to ally with Russia for self-defence. The West had better examine its own actions before preaching to India.

The record shows we approached USA first - and were spurned on each and every occasion. The reason is that USA was not interested in altruism or friendship; they needed a means to control the middle east and Russia - and Pakistan met the requirement.

References:

1) The Shadow Of The Great Game - The Untold Story Of India's Partition by Narendra Singh Sarila
2) Pax Indica by Shashi Tharoor

Cultural Backlash 1: The Language Issue

noreply@blogger.com (Vishal Kale) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 04:40:00 +0000

This is the sixth article in the culture series

The penetration of the English Language is undoubtedly increasing with each passing day; this is driven by the fact that English is the language of international of commerce & science. It is also the language with the widest spread; and is thus the link language between cultures. That is undisputed, and this will only increase at least in our lifetime.

The spread of languages is governed by culture and politics both; consider Latin - which was in its heyday enjoying a vast following till socio-politico-cultural changes in the European continent changed that, Or Sanskrut - which was the link language for the entire Indian Subcontinent and some areas in the immediate east: the rise of various politico-cultural changes made first Prakrut, (in simple terms, a spoken version of Sanskrut) and then its various offshoots (the modern Indian languages - esp Hindi predominant). Similar is the case of English; it enjoys the status of the primary link language. It has massive momentum behind it in the form of science and commercial communication, its brand of movies, the lure of the economic might of the west and a vast body of literature to sustain its continued dominance over world affairs at least for the foreseeable future.

But every coin has a second side. In the case of English - there are 2 other sides. First is the interaction with other languages, which is showing signs giving rise to what are already being called dialects. At the extreme is the case of the interaction with Hindi, which is giving rise to what some people are already referring to as Hinglish - a mix of the 2 tongues Hindi and English. This is the way languages evolve: Sanskrut led to Prakrut (disputed by many linguists who state they are parallel in emergence), Prakrut in turn, gave rise to Maharashtri Prakrut (among others) - which, by AD 300 - 800, came to be known in its modern form as my mother tongue - Marathi. Similar is the case with all other languages; Hindi emerged out of several languages. Languages evolve - and we can see this happening already, as British, American and Indian English are already known to be quite different. As to in which direction they will evolve is anyone's guess.

Secondly, this change is further enhanced by the sceptre of cultural backlash, as the increasing dominance of an essentially alien tongue gives a push to a backlash, which has massive socio-politico-cultural shoots. The purists go on a speak-mother-tongue binge, and quite a few people can and do get converted. There are 2 modern examples of a backlash leading to to political upheavals - Bangladesh, where imposition of Urdu gave a massive popular push to existing resentment against Pakistani excesses. The second - Tamil Nadu (and other southern Indian states), which, in 1967, saw a massive political movement against Hindi when India tried to make it the national language in 1967. Till date. Hindi is still not the national language. Cultural backlash is also in evidence, for example the pro-marathi campaign in Maharashtra during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Mumbai people still praise the Thackerays for re-instilling pride in Marathi - which, they say, is now again the primary spoken tongue in Mumbai. There is an increasing push towards sustaining the mother tongue almost everywhere; this is a natural evolutionary development. India even has a central body that is preparing a scientific and normal vocabulary in Indian tongues; quite a few top IT guys are involved in this initiative, as another example

The point is that English is not killing any language; that said, there are various evolutionary forces on it that is causing it to change This is normal, and on par for the course of any language's development. Will the changes lead - eventually - to another language - is anyone's guess - and is decades - perhaps centuries in the future

The survival of languages is a function of the number of native speakers of the language; the smaller numericals do tend to get subsumed into the larger numbers. Not talking about English here; the absorption is typically into allied related tongues- for example, Bhojpuri into Hindi. Tamil will never be subsumed by Hindi - or HIndi / Bhojpuri into English. The vast difference between the 2 tongues would preclude such a possibility. It is easier to adopt a relatively familiar tongue - and it also gives rise to less friction. The friction and the cultural backlash when a language begins to threaten another is a reality when the subsuming tongue is perceived as alien. I would love to know if there is any evidence of the reasons of the depletion of languages being due to English. It seems to my untrained (but hobbyist) eyes that the real threat to minority languages is from the related tongues.

The only caveat is the political factor. That would seem to kill languages, that seems true, But, if you consider Persian - which was the political tongue in India for nearly 5 centuries - that complicates matters. The moment it lost patronage, it vanished within the space of a generation.

Thus, while the political factor is important, it seems to me that the presence of indigenous literature, art and culture in the said language is the real factor behind the sustenance of languages. Example - Sanskrut, While there are no native speakers anymore, the vast body of literature in it ensures that it is still a live language - at least in the realms of religion and higher studies. Or Marathi - the constant stream of class literature has ensured its continued survival for 1500 years now... The moment literature dies, the language has started to die... literature seems to give a language life; it keeps its adherents glued to it; as does art and cultural traditions.

I am sceptical about the effects of globalisation, and the ability of English to overhaul our indigenous linguistic heritage. It is more of a colonial hangover, and is limited in scope to only the top 3-5% of native speakers; the rest still use their respective vernacular tongues as a matter of course. With only a penetration of a few percentage points, we are already seeing a massive cultural backlash in India at least, targeting western customs that are seen as non-Indian in nature; as well as promoting Indianness and Indian languages. On the positive side, more and more youngsters are going the culture way, and consciously creating an Indian identity for themselves in both tongue as well as appearance and behaviour. Vernacular literature is showing signs of a robust revival, with translations of famed English books into Hindi and other local tongues being available everywhere; the next logical step is a revival of original literature... of which there are signs available. Vernacular literature is still alive in India and vibrant; what is required is popular mass following. The first step has been taken - popular Indian writers like Chetan Bhagat have now started releasing their works in Indian languages. This should go a long way towards bringing in popularity and numbers to the literary landscape.

That is why I dont think that language depletion will happen - not in a 100 years, and not in a 1000 even. In India alone, there are 29 languages with over a million speakers, 57 with more than 100000 speakers. And the number is not depleting as per information available to me;.

The reason is the cultural backlash that is now raising its head, with more and more people returning to their roots. In this day and age of easy bonding, IT, Social networks, and unhindered information flow - it is easy for people with similar thoughts to come together and for views to find receptive eyes and ears. No people would like to lose their language: when this threat passes acceptable levels, visceral forces are unfortunately unleashed; which is why this cultural backlash is welcome - it is a safe outlet for pent-up emotions. A safety valve, if you will. At least in democratic political systems, I perceive little threat. And in unfriendly systems (with forcible suppression) , the backlash will unleash visceral forces that will be to the detriment of everyone - as we have seen earlier.

That leaves the smaller tongues: and I am of the opinion that these will also show revival; maybe not all - but most will. As an example - you can now spot Bhojpuri film DVDs at DVD parlours in North India. Yes, there is a chance that some of the smaller tongues will get susumed; but not too many in my opinion...

Honour for ISI Founder : In India! Beat that!

noreply@blogger.com (Vishal Kale) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 02:34:00 +0000

http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/CBI-honour-for-Pak-ISI-s-founder-member/Article1-1036365.aspx

CBI honour for Pak ISI’s founder-member - Hindustan Times

The CBI - an Indian body -will bestow an honour on its ex-director. Lovely, and thoughtful. Except that the same gentleman was also the founder member of the ISI after independence. Great, isnt it?

Secondly, the CBI is honouring the british-era ex-director; 66 years after independence. Why, may I ask? Where was the need to do so? Or is it that the colonial hangover still exists? Or is there some deeper reason? Ok, you want to honour your ex-directors; you can decide to honour all directors since independence. Where is the need to honour British era officials?

And where is the guarantee that the British era officials did not target and hunt freedom fighters? The article glibly states that the CBI was set up to investigate wartime crimes in the War and Supply Department. But can anyone guarantee that it was not used to hunt freedom fighters? It was an official police set-up, after all. It is only a small step from here to honouring other British Era officials who might have wholeheartedly participated in quelling the freedom fighters! You might as well honour Britishers who exploited Indians before 1947!

We - in the 66th year of our independence, have still not gotten over our colonial hangover it seems; Lutyens' Delhi, renaming of connaught place after the person who gave evidence against Bhagat Singh etc etc... have we run out of names of pure Indians to honour? People who gave their all so that we may see the light of freedom? Or even those who laid their lives in the fight against crime? Why not do something for them, in place of such frankly insensitive steps that incite ill-feelings?

Even a cursory perusal will give tons of people who deserve an honour. But no, for some reason, the powers that be have decided that they must honour the man who set up the ISI. Why? Because he was the director in the British Era. Even supposing he made a wonderful contribution, this has been more than nullified by setting up the ISI - which is responsible for the majority of the bloodshed in India. This guy you are honouring decided to leave India for Pakistan - unlike the millions of Muslims who stayed back, and contributed to national development. And the CBI is honouring such a person who spurned India!

Disgusting!

Culture: This is progress?

noreply@blogger.com (Vishal Kale) — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 13:54:00 +0000

This is the fifth article on the cutlure series

Video 1:

Video 2:

I have nothing against either performer in the above videos. The above is used as just an example to drive home my point; I could have used any other 2 performers.

My point is simple:

In 30 or 40 years, we have moved from side-heroines or professional exotic dancers performing item numbers, showing skin by wearing hot dresses or 2-pieces in suggestive hot dances - to frontline heroines doing the precise same roles... remember, the performers above do it as people watch it and accept it - and appreciate it. The above is a mirror of society... like it or not.

This is progress?

THIS is progress? Your decision, your call.

The Silence of the Media, leading from the silence of the people...

noreply@blogger.com (Vishal Kale) — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 13:30:00 +0000

Kejriwal's fast against inflated bills enters second day - Hindustan Times

This little tit-bit of news is tellingly absent from any other news website as at 6:38 pm today. It can be seen only on Hindustan Times... link above.

For the rest, I had to do a search...

DNA: Arvind Kejriwal's fast against increased power, water bills enters second day

TOI: Kejriwal's indefinite fast in Delhi

More importantly, India has moved on...

Corruption? Chaltaa hai.

Bribe? Ok. No problem

This precise same attitude can be seen in each and every case that has happened in living memory... AMRI file case. Remember that? What happened afterwards? Were the guilty punished? What steps have been implemented by various state governments and the central government to ensure mandatory fire-safety equipment and procedures in buildings? There has been at least 1 major incidence of fire after this that I can recall... but no. How many of us have checked whether our offices and flats have the mandatory clearances and procedures / equipments in place? Our Media is silent; and our people are uncaring...

Remember the Nirbhay case? Silence... absolute silence. Just about everybody and his uncle was voicing an opinion on social media and mainstream media just 3 months ago. And today? She lies forgotten; steps taken by Delhi to improve its roadways and auto-drivers largely ignored by everyone. And as regards the juvenile, his punishment is now a thing of forgotten memory. There is no pressure from any side on this matter. Perhaps a small Media comment somewhere, and no reaction from the public. Once again, our Media is silent, our people uncaring...

We have moved on...

Jo raah chuni toone, ussi raah pe raahi chalte jaanaa re....

(Please dont sing the second line of this song; it doesnt fit our society...)

Well done, India. Our freedom fighters must be so proud at the state of the nation... well done, indeed...

How many more Nirbhays' how many more Kejriwals and how many more AMRI-like fires do we require to wake up? Astounding! Astonishing! I for one, am speechless... despite the above rant!

Jaago, Sonewaalon!

Indian Culture and Incipient Westernism: The Other Side...

noreply@blogger.com (Vishal Kale) — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 16:17:00 +0000

This is the fourth article in the culture series

Disclaimer: I have used Hindu examples, as I am a Hindu myself; I have observed similar nuances in friends from other religions as well. This is in no way meant to hurt anyone's religious feelings

I have been vehemently arguing that western mores are making inroads into our society; that the impact of "westernism" (to coin a new term in the Indian context), is a felt and real impact. That much is unfortunately true. But, as always, there are 2 sides to every coin. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction, something which applies to just about everything in life. In this article, I take a look at some heartening trends from Modern India that belie the hopeless tone of my previous articles. The objective is to give a balanced view of the Indian cultural scenario.

There is an increasing prevalence and impact of Hollywood movies, western dresses, English complex, Western art, Television, Food, Lifetsyle both in terms of consumerism as well as societal changes etc. Not all of these are negative; we have seen in my previous article on Culture that culture is constantly adapting and changing. There is a positive effect to this interaction with the west; the pain is in the areas of negative influence - and in the area of ignorance of & condescension for what we can call Indian Culture. This is at pretty serious levels in the Metros, that also I grant. I further concede that the advent of television has brought these changes into practically every household.

But, acting on the premise that we haven't lasted practically unchanged for 7 millennia without a reason (more than that, actually: it is 10 millennia; but I am assuming the cultural norms took 3 millennia to develop), I started looking around for signs that we aren't changing, after all. We Indians must realise one thing: we are the oldest surviving and unchanged civilization in the history of Planet Earth. We were there during Babylon; we saw the rise and fall of Greece; we saw the rise, rise and fall of Rome; we saw off the Huns; We saw the renaissance in the west; we saw the brutal and amoral rise of the west; and we saw the destruction that it got them into... and we are still here in the present, unchanged, living, thriving, struggling , succeeding and growing... this is an achievement that cannot be laughed off; we still follow the same cultural mores and norms that were present 5000+ years ago - perhaps 7000 years; we eat nearly the same food, and say the same prayers. That is a colossal achievement - any which way you look at it. No one else has been able to achieve that!

And, once you change your point of view... you begin to spot the small things and nuances that indicate that our culture is already showing signs of adapting and absorbing the new influence, taking it in stride - indeed assimilating it within ourselves, and leaving us better suited to face the challenges of life. You can see it all around you; all it requires is an open mind!

For all the brouhaha about ladies in western dress that we read in the news - it so happens that I know 2 ladies who can comfortably carry a western outfit with panache. These 2 are trained not in western music - but in our very own indigenous Indian Classical Music; one of them is a rising exponent of the same on the national scene, while the other is a corporate manager! I can offhand think of several ladies and gentlemen who are in the same mould. Just wearing a western dress does not change the mind! You wouldn't know it from seeing these people: but they are truly Indian. So much for "western" dress...

Observe both the sexes in a Mandir someday. Even ultra-mod people will revert to their culture; gone is the condescension and the disdain. Also observe the adherence to rituals and norms. And spot the rush in the temple which has increased exponentially over time. You will like as not spot a kaleidoscope of people from all walks of life - from the jeans-and-t-shirt clad girls and boys, to the corporate hotshot; from the conservative saree-clad lady to the western suited professional lady; from the staid middle class gentleman to the utlra-mod torn jeans and spiked hairdo-ed businessmen and teens.
Observe the simple practice of hiding cigarette in front of known elders and teachers that is still commonplace today
Observe a simple nuance of just brushing your chest in respect and silent prayer on passing a temple, or a church - or any other place of worship, depending on your religion. Hindus even do that to all places of worship. And observe the person who does this; these people will defy all attempts at stereotyping
Observe the habit of respectfully touching the body of a person whom you have inadvertently touched with your feet
Observe Indian Classical music festivals - and note the increasing number of modern youngsters who are taking to it - both as fans as well as artists
Observe how even the most obdurate of non-vegetarians will observe a vegetarian day - as per their individual beliefs
Observe the adherence to familial hierarchies: how the elder brother is always the elder; how the elder always marries first, how elderly people are shown respect
Observe the increasing equality of women in our society; and observe how we are learning to take it in our stride. Yes, problems remain - but my point is that ladies are increasingly equal, and that this has not impacted any other parameter. Observe how the familial unit has re-structured to this new reality. Observe the increasing support some males give to their working spouses
Observe the continued preference for arranged marriage; also observe how, in case of love marriages - everything else proceeds as though in an arranged marriage - parents of the kids meet, decide everything and so on
Observe the continued strength and resilience of the family unit, and the close relations between cousins, uncles and aunts from both sides of the family
Or take a look at the top-rated shows as per trps...

This does not mean that the identified areas of worry need not be attended to: namely, the fawning over the west, the threat to our languages, our art and our culture. We ignore these threats at our own peril. But the above does mean that some among us are already adapting, that the pull of our culture is significantly stronger than we had thought possible. We can already see the first and second waves of a cultural backlash - the first being the "moral police" that has been seen in New Delhi and Mumbai. With 97% of the population not in tune with what these "oh-so-modern" (????!) 3% were doing, it beats me how anyone can expect anything else to happen. The second cultural backlash is more balanced - and decidedly more welcome. The slow but steady emphasis on being Indian, on our culture as is evident in the examples shown above.

The above points further underscore the theory lesson I told in my article The Culture Conundrum. The outward manifestation of culture does not change the internal make-up so very easily. The core values are still strong; the core norms of our culture are still unchanged. As I said, this does not mean that they are not under challenge: but they have been challenged before, and have overcome. This reduces the problem from that of a cultural threat, to the level of a cultural - and more particularly - nation building challenge...

What needs to be kept in mind is that, perhaps for the first time in 7 millennia, the scale of the challenge is massive; for the first time, the entry of extra-cultural norms is into each and every home; for the first time, the challenge is coming at a time when India is not the top nation in the world; for the first time, our children are fawning over an alien culture with totally different norms... while there is no reason for panic; there is every reason to pull up our socks, and think of our direction...

noreply@blogger.com (Vishal Kale) — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 03:56:00 +0000

Becoming Indian: The Unfinished Revolution of Culture and Identity

Pavan K Varma

The author is a member of the Indian Foreign Service, and has served in Moscow, New York, United Nations, London, Cypress. He is at present India's Ambassador to Bhutan

As usual, I will start the review with an excerpt, which should make at least the more discerning reader sit up and take notice; an excerpt that accurately diagnoses the rising tide of fundamentalism that is raising its head even in Hinduism...

Excerpt:

Even as the complex and deeply problematic legacies of colonialism continue to shape our world, we are faced with the equally complex effects of globalisation which now appears irreversible. It is imperative, therefore, that those at the receiving end of the often imperceptible project of co-option preserve and reassert their cultural identity. Nations and peoples that do not will be relentlessly homogenised. However, this very process will unleash huge tensions: societies may be unable to resist homogenisation, but there is always a remembered past, which creates deep resentments against the homogenising powers. Such resentment will eventually express itself in religious extremism or atavistic and fanatical nationalism that strengthens fundamentalist leaders. The clash of civilizations is then inevitable...

It was after a gap of some 18 years that I was seeing a drama. Once a drama enthusiast myself who came close to going serious on it, I was now divorced from it in every way. So, it was a welcome relief to be doing something I enjoyed. The play (Macbeth), to be honest, was superb. There can be no doubt as to that; it was of a high quality. I even remember congratulating the team after the play.

But my mind mind went back to 1993, when I watched a Marathi play. I cannot now remember much of it, but I do recall that I enjoyed that much more. I do not even recall the theme, or the story. But the recollection is still vivid in my mind; much more than the more recent play in 2012 - after 20 years. Why should this be so? This is precisely what the current book explains, while raising some very pertinent questions along the way. This book is a recommended read for anyone who is beginning to question the distance from our culture - in fact, I would go so far as to state that this is a recommended read for every college student.

The book delves deep into both our psyche and our history, hunting for the answers that I asked in the post Urban India: The English Republic... or Macaulay's Children. It starts from colonial rule, and the introduction of English education. It traces how jobs became dependent on knowledge of English; how cultural imperialism imposed its ugly head on our ancient land, and the attendant inferiority complex that became associated with being "Indian". Hence the apt title of the book: Becoming Indian. The book very successfully traces how the ugly combination of livelihood dependency on English, and constant debasement of everything Indian by the British became associated in the minds of the people with western superiority. This is a link that still holds powerful sway over India - especially over the teens, the 20 and 30 -- something generation - such is the ferocious power of the cultural imperialism that the British let loose on us. That this has been exacerbated in recent years by western television, movie and economic might does nothing to exculpate either us Indians or the British.

The book into the modern times and tackles head-on the avowed elitist viewpoint of English superiority, and the habit of educated Indians to regard anyone who is not fluent in English with utter disdain; as though it is not possible to succeed without being as fluent in English as an Englishman. It forcefully makes the point that while knowledge of English is indeed a needed asset, it cannot be an Indian language. It is indeed a fact there are innumerable nations that are succeeding economically without sacrificing their heritage. And the best way to earn the respect of the world is to respect your own heritage and culture, rather than ape an alien culture.

The hallmark of the book is the study of the cultural degradation and destruction wrought by the British, resulting in the interruption of the natural development of our art and culture, and its transposition into a reactionary phase. This can even be spotted in modern times, with the reactionary anti-valentine's day protests that happen every year. By the way, we Indians have never needed a Valentine's day to tell someone we love them; strange that such a step back can be regarded as a development by our youngsters! (My personal opinion - not in the book).

Then there are 2 eye-opening chapters - one being a painful look at the NRI diaspora, and their detachment and isolation. Since this has been buttressed with personal interviews and practical observations, the conclusions are not open to question. Further, the author himself has stayed as an NRI in the course of his job for a long time. The at times ludicrous efforts of the NRI diaspora to fit in, and their attendant discomfort is brought out with tremendous feeling, as is the powerful observation that even the 2nd and 3rd generation Indians have not forgotten their culture, or have a yearning for it. This is supported by examination of Indians abroad - and their pesonal habits as well as thoughts.

The most brutal chapter is the ruthless stripping of Indians' fauning over western symbols and icons to the exclusion of everything Indian. The euphoria over Lutyen's Delhi is used as one example: in the backdrop of the euphoria over the function to commemorate Lutyens in 2003, the author has exposed the utter disdain, racial views and reprehensible condescension and hate of everything Indian in the man we commemorate: Edwin Lutyens. The excessive fauning over what is an imperial edifice, and the total ignorance of our own rich past and its monuments - ranging from the Iron Pillar to the magnificent forts is a brutal indictment of our continuing inferiority complex. This can be readily seen in other examples - the Oscars and our fauning over them, the western icons and the belittling of our own (Excuse me, anyone followed by a billion-plus people is in no way small! Learn to respect our size and our history both! We dont need to faun over anyone, we are big enough to culturally hold our own. Look at China!), Valentine's Day, disdain for Indian dressing etc etc. This is evident everywhere...

This is one book that I would recommend as a complusory one in senior school or perhaps college. As I observed in the opening paragraph, regardless of how good the Macbeth performance was, the sight and sound of Indians speaking Shakesperean English is incongruous at best - and ludicrous at worst. I can only recall Indian plays- decades after seeing them - while I am already forgetting Macbeth, which I had seen barely 18 months ago. It just did not touch a chord; while the Marathi and Hindi plays linger on in my mind years afterward.

This can also be seen in our Music and Movies - for all the brouhaha associated with modern Hindi Cinema and Music, S. D. Burman, Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar, Yesudas, Mohd Rafi, R. D. Burman, Mukesh, Pradeep still hold sway even over our youngsters. Cinema from the 60s and 70s are still watched at every opportunity, while the western themed pictures come and go. It is only the rate 3 Idiots, or Taare Zameen Par, or Lagaan, or similar purely Indian canvasses that survive the test of time...

The clash of civilizations will inevitably lead to unrest,as is evident in a changing India today. You cannot expect 100% of the population to be co-opted into westernism; this will lead to reactionary steps, as are evident now. This deepening chasm will further harden positions of both sides; hence it is essential for us to respect our culture, for our own sakes. Even in the modern trend to western cultural imperialism, the impact has not gone beyond the top 3% of the population. And it is being foolish in the extreme to expect the 97% to not react. They will; just as they are reacting. The need of the hour is for the anglicized urban India to do a deep introspection...

For, as the author says, the flashpoints of the future may appear to be political, but the real causes are rooted in the unresolved issues of culture and identity... a reality that can be easily spotted in the real world of modern times. India needs to understand that it is not cool to ape anyone - you are not a westerner. Like it or not - you are an Indian. That can never change...