Casading effects of goodness in Politics

The change in perception makes a big difference, which may not be quantified in the near future, but provides a great macro picture of a prominent change. The nature of politics before the IAC movement and post IAC moment, has certainly changed the political games. Though such impact is less visible in the rural landscape, it has a huge impact in urban areas.

Delhi as a case study: there has been a land slide change in the nature of campaign and innovation being pursued for canvasing. Further, the candidate selections. Entry of one good candidate into the opposition party brings enough change across different party lines that want a real fight. For instance, last election, BJP changed its chief ministerial candidate at the last moment bring a more cleaner persona. And this year, just before the election, when BJP feared of losing some good ground, compelled to bring another great candidate to counter the seemingly unstoppable leader.

Isn’t it a cascading effect of entry of good candidates into politics that we have better numbers of able leaders contesting the top spot – a change in the status-quo?

Kiran Bedi’s entry into politics – a welcome sign for Indian politics

Indian political scenario is getting warmer due to upcoming Delhi elections. Last week’s major media activities were revolved around Kiran Bedi’s entry into BJP, and the speculation of her possible candidature for CM post. I am glad, that Kiran Bedi joined politics, and her excellent track record generates hope that she may bring some positive  change into politics as well. Frankly, I am not surprised at her decision, given her public comments over last two years. Every Individual has the constitutional right to choose a political party of her choice, however, there are questions being raised of some U-turns see took and the time she had chosen to join into politics. It looks to be opportunistic. However, she will have enough time to dispel these speculations or perceptions, and proving her critics wrong.

I read an Article long back  by Ms. Bedi. In her application to Civil service examination, she mentioned “mankind” as her religion. That was a great stand she took at a young age. Given the saffron agenda being carried out in recent days, I will be curious to see her perspectives on such issues, and how can she bring that spirit and ethos to a political party gradually getting side tracked to make India a Hindu Rastra. I wish Ms Bedi, a great political career ahead, and keep inspiring the new age India towards a better tomorrow with her actions and virtue in her new career.

I wish, entries of such personalities improve our current political system, ridden with caste, religion, regionalism and favoritism. Let the visions, skills, actions and leadership qualities of the leader be judged before voting rather their caste or social position.

Remembering stalwarts of the history!

I am not a historian to analyze, and had I been one, I won't dare to put different leaders in a scale who shaped the country. I think it's difficult to put them in a scale, for there are so many different dimensions of their contributions. Be it Gandhi with his non-violence, or Bose with his azad-hing-fauz, my deepest gratitude to both of them, for they were genuine in one cause, and lived a life with a single goal - let alone their approaches be different. There are galaxy of leaders who played their role, whom we recognize, and read in history, and there were so many who are lost in the oblivion, without whose support and active sacrifice, we may not have such a life today.

Let's respect the fore fathers, for their intent, action, sacrifice and glory, no matter which ideology they belonged to. Let's be a constructive critic of their principles and philosophies if that did not help the nation, and lets' do better, with a genuine attempt to do better.

Badaun - Beyond the political rhetoric.

I did a news.google.in yesterday, and the first news was “Horrific rape and murder in UP/India”. It had more than 1000 articles published in all most all the online media across the globe. Every major news websites had an article on this topic. They highlighted “the regular” issues in India and how India failed to stop such horrific crimes. If you had watched any news channel in last couple of days, the shift was palpable. Every channel was showcasing the remote hamlets of India; those are deprived of basic human amenities. Helpless faces all around, and yet there were political rhetoric, and squabbling in every television debate. The UP government spokesperson simply said, accused are arrested and there will be speedy justice. UP Govt has done everything possible. The opposition said, chief minister was callous in his reply and attitude, and others reminded, it also happens even in Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and other states, why the highlight is only on UP! But no one was ready to find and address the root cause except some activists.

Google any of these names “Badaun”, “Etawah”, “Azamgarh”, you will get enough material on internet, that should shame any self-conscious Indian. After that horrific incident in Delhi, once in a while, another horrific incidence happens, which scales up the gravity of inhumanity to such a height that arouses the mass consciousness, thousands come out on the streets, and the government wakes up from its deep slumber! The political blame game kicks up to another tune. And, like a gush of wind, it comes and goes, and the situation at ground just remains the same.

Beyond the issue of security alone, if one looks deeper, the problem lies elsewhere. It is not just a case of crime, but an issue of social justice, caste divided society, inequality of economic distribution, lack of basic facilities at remote rural areas, and socio-economic chaos. Take the case of Badaun; two teen aged girls went to the fields for open defecation after sun set, as their house lacked a bathroom. There are thousands of such villages across India, where this problem is acute. The women go either in the early morning or in the late evening, when men would not be around. And, the situation becomes grave during the rainy season. Any human development indicator in the world will rate these realities the lowest across the world. But it exists in India even after 67 years of the independence, and that’s our swaraj. Every major political party in India had ruled a state or the country, yet they don’t own any of these failures. They just pass the baton to others, and the justification they give - others also didn’t do anything.

Same applies to caste and religion divided society, where people do such crimes to teach a lesson to the other community. How many genuine political voices or governmental authority attempted to bring innovative solutions and implement in such rural areas where the situation is acute. Though lack of education can be one factor, but economic freedom and inequality of opportunities in rural India are other factors why it is shackled in a vicious cycle of social injustice and poverty. I have hardly read an inspiring story where a political leader has rose to the challenge and change the fortunes of the people of his constituency. Though once in a while, we read about few social activists or NGOs.

There may not be a magic wand or one magician, who comes and solves the problem. No doubt, it needs a strong political will and governmental support. A consistent effort beyond the political rhetoric and a sense of ownership and responsibility is needed to address these issues comprehensively. Such inclusive approaches may foster the country towards development rather based on the indicators like GDP growth alone. In addition, it must be supported by the social responsibility of every educated Indian, and non-governmental organizations that must play their role to improve the situations. In the hindsight, if I can question the political establishment and Government over their role for societal development, as a citizen, I am also responsible to certain extent. It is also my responsibility to contribute at a personal level. When I join others, these small contributions can grow to make our society better.

Competitive examination and Marathon

When I was in the examination hall, I was competing with myself. There were no one around me, unlike a hundred miters race, but I was competing with 2 hours of time, I was competing with what I learned in the last one year….after reading 1000s of pages, 100s of hours, days after days, and months after months. And, now it’s just a two hours ordeal that decides how much I had scaled…

I don’t see the lakhs of competitors then and there. It was all me, my pencil and a question paper. Every passing minute and every warning bell creates a flutter of nervousness, as there are still miles to go - few more pages in the question paper, and some numbers of question unanswered.

Unless, one scores all the questions, one doesn’t know if he topped, as the result takes time unlike a hundred meter race or a marathon. It becomes speculative, where one’s success is built upon others failure!

In a race or sports, at least everyone knows where they stand, and that never makes it easy to win though!

Marathons are equally painful, and now I don’t know which one is difficult!!!! Winning a marathon or topping a competitive exam J

An encounter with dichotomy of India and Bharat

It was yet another afternoon, when we started off on an office sponsored tour. It was lazy Hyderabad Friday afternoon, which saved us from the hectic traffic from Hi-tech city to Birla Planetarium. The occasion was to take Ashirvad (A bridge school) kids to the planetarium and the science museum. When we landed near the planetarium, we met around 150 kids, all lined up in lines. At the first glance, it was a reminiscence of past. Most of the kids were not-so-luck to get into a proper education or schooling. CHORD (an NGO) had set up this school, and QUALCOMM engaged in some volunteering activities with them.

During those 3-4 hours of interaction with the kids, it opened up few Pandora’s Box in my thought process. It’s not that I didn’t know about those realities, but again and again, facing them, and reminding of the present scenario, was an awakening from the temporary slumber under “India rising”. Among all these 7-14 year kids, few were bright. But many of them may not posses the standard of their schooling academic credentials. I had requested my colleague, who organized the quiz, to ask the kids to speak on any topic for a minute/half in English or Telugu, to win a prize. To my friend’s delight, who thought they mat not be able to, none of them could talk on Gandhi or any other topic. Also, some of the answers to “Who is the President of India” were “Jagan, Rosaiah, YSR etc.”

Same day, when we were returning, saw a bunch of affluent family members, guiding other kids, a similar purpose. Who might be studying in the “international schools” with A/C class room, and horse riding being a part of the syllabus. Nothing unfair indeed, however, it just brings the idea of Bharat and India!

The so called Bhart Vs India, might be a creation of the few journalist or intelligence (may be), yet they create a perceivable barrier, to read this line and create a whole set of pictures that depict them. As that TOI “Lead India” campaign once said, India was a resurgent force, and Bharat a laid back, half slept behemoth! And a poem from Gulzar, the great Hindi poet, rightly penned those perceptions.

I think all the progress we see is off course real, however, feel saddened, how far have we gone from the time, when Vivekananda once pronounced, “If millions live in hunger and ignorance, I hold everymen a traitor, who has been educated by their own means, gives not heed to them”. After more than a century, from that moment, it feels, we had not proceed further!

These urban and middle class comments were there a century back, few decades back, and these will be there centuries later. But how can we change these, newly formed concept of Bharat and India – a ever significant question mark. Time may change, if I can take few classes, in my off hours for these kids, the gap may reduce if 100s of my friends do something else in their off hours, if our actions will speak for the sadness we feel, and more Bharatiya will abandon Indain-ness to serve Bharat, I hope, my next generation may see a better Bharat, and a more resurgent India!

An unequal India

Recently I read watched this video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrrwysWypJ8

I have been reading him for quite sometimes in The Hindu. For the first time, I got to hear a lecture from him today. He has been the crusader against the contemporary hypocrisy. He extensively writes about the rural India that often many forget, or glamorize in the name of “voluntary efforts”. For that matter, I believe, what he works is to bare the facts before the public. He has been critical of the contemporary journalism as well.

I feel ashamed, and resolute on a different dimension. I read once when I was in college, “if million live in hunger and ignorance, I hold everymen a traitor, who has been educated by their own means, gives not a heed to them”, by Swami Vivekananda. Today, I feel, I will be a traitor, if I don’t do my two cents towards it.

I deeply feel sad to read these figures, which otherwise never comes to the lime light under the “India Rising” slogan. India’s rank in global reports or lists:

Human Development Index – 119/169

Global Hunder Index – 67/84

TI - Global Corruption Index – 87/180

I too feel proud of our recent achievement, but a long way to go, before we feel satisfied. Recently I was travelling in a local train in Odissa  (DMU) to PURI from BERHAMPUR. I got into the train where there was no space to stand, forget getting a seat. I saw real India there (Off course it’s ubiquitous in India). There was a discussion going on corruption and politics, and finally someone has asserted “India’s current supremacy and how India is moving ahead China – India is the next super power”. I feel the sorry state of our information, as to compare with China with those numbers. The miss-information for self assigned brouhaha!

And, over all these criticality, I don’t have a solution. Neither did read or heard of one magic formula. But yes, it’s been said, “I must be the change that I want to see around” – I believe and trying to follow it in action to propagate the same.