Harrowingly Human

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2010-07-22T10:15:00.000-07:00

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Who am I?

2009-08-20T15:25:00.000-07:00

Throughout my growing years, I remained extremely patriotic, although that has always been without any specific reason. I had never doubted why I should ever be patriotic. And now, though I do not believe one needs a reason to be patriotic about one’s own country, I am glad I have made a small attempt to know more about my country and its peoples. I have come to a conclusion that no matter what, if we do not love our country, history will repeat itself and take us back to the pre-1947 eon. By pre-1947 I mean, the whole of Indian history! The revelation, though, has not been without tumultuous emotions. At one point, I even doubted why I should ever be loyal to my motherland.

The last one year, and particularly the last three months period, has been very enriching for me. At least for this reason, I am happy I left my job and came back to academics. After I had joined my MBA here, I started working part time at the university call center, just to pay my bills. The work is just to sit in front of a computer with head phones on, and talk to our alumni. Since it is an automatic system, I do not have to dial manually; the computer does it for me. My work is only to talk when somebody picks up the phone. Every shift is for four hours.

For most of the time at the call center, I used to read some course related material when not talking. But during the second semester, I started reading a lot of articles on Wikipedia. I do not remember how it all started, but I started reading a lot of articles on various topics, and most importantly on the history of India and Hinduism. One particular thing about the history of India really struck me. The purported distinction between the Aryan and the Dravidian “races” really enthused me. I knew I am from a typical South Indian descent and to my knowledge none in my lineage is a non-Telugu. Though I hadn’t acquired much knowledge about the races, my mind started working much faster, and I started visualizing the differences between “Aryans” and “Dravidians”; how civilizations thrived only in the Indus valley and the Gangetic plain in ancient India, how only a few times have the Dravidians (Andhrakas tribe and et al) been mentioned in the Mahabharata epic, how even the Maurya’s who supposedly held ‘almost’ the whole of the Indian subcontinent together did not come all the way down south, and how the south has almost always remained distinct from the north – linguistically, culturally and politically. As I started reading about the Aryan Invasion theory[1], which still is popular, I could not help but imagine how the “Dravidians” must have been over powered by the more aggressive “Aryans” and how the Aryan “culture” has been imposed upon the “Dravidians”.[2] I even started wondering if the culture that I now follow is that of the “Aryans”, and if so, what about that of my own Dravidians? There have been a plethora of questions in my mind since then.

As I have already mentioned in my previous article, Mahabharata[3], the word “Hindu” did not exist until the arrival of the Persians, and “Hinduism” never existed until the arrival of the British. Probably until the British arrived in India, none in the Indian subcontinent ever gave a damn about who Aryans were and who Dravidians were. I wonder if the words themselves ever existed. Of course, I know it was in the 18th or 19th century researches that the Europeans discovered they belonged to the ‘superior’ Aryan race, and those Aryans only must have migrated to the Indian subcontinent to finally overpower the indigenous dasas or asuras (the Dravidians). In fact, the researchers also discovered that dasas or asuras only meant the Dravidians, and later these words came to mean ‘demons’ (Narakasura, Ravanasura, Mahishasura), because they were not as civilized as the Aryans were. The Britishers also apparently labeled a few communities as being ‘martial races’ owing to their loyalty to the British during the 1857 revolt. The British had since recruited more from those ‘martial races’ into the British army to quell any rebellions within the Indian subcontinent.[4] This, they did based purely on perception (or through deceit) since they never had any well developed genetic or archaeogenetic sciences back then. Their division of Indian peoples into various races worked well to their concept of ‘divide and rule’. And there has ever since been an uneasy divide between the “Aryans” and the “Dravidians”, both groups scorning at each other, giving birth to our own share of ‘racism’.

Their theories, of course, seemed so true that everybody believed them, and I too scorned at the aggressive and outgoing attitudes of the Aryans. At one point in time, I sympathized with the Tamil/Dravidian movement of the late 1960s as well. I thought the Aryans should not have imposed their free will on us, Dravidians. I also hated our obsession about gori chamdi, just because Dravidians are not naturally gora. This lead me to wonder, who does India actually belong to? The indigenous Dravidians, or the invading Aryans? Why should I ever show allegiance to a country that has been united by the British only two thousand years after Chandragupta Maurya had last done it? My patriotism slowly crumbled, thanks to my newly acquired “knowledge” and to a few fringe groups that have proclaimed their language or race superiority all the time (and also to a pathetically directed movie called ‘Gulaal’). I also thought about every Indian (including me) joking about ‘Gujjus’, ‘Bongs’, ‘Madrasis’, ‘Sardars’, ‘Gultis’, ‘Chinkis’ and what not. Do not even try to tell me those were jokes made in good humor. I do not know how many such pure souls are out there, but I am sure every such joke adds to the scorn-factor against the subjects. I even thought maybe it is better the country is torn down into 28 different countries, and Pakistan and China are anyway ever willing to help us on that front.

In this mayhem, I started reading about the latest revelations in the research on racial groups of India based on latest genetic and archaeogenetic discoveries[5]. These researches apparently show that almost all the linguistic and ‘racial’ groups in the Indian subcontinent seemed to belong to the same genetic pool, barring a few groups such as Balochis, Pakhtuns/Pathans, Sindhis, etc., most of whom now live in Pakistan. The recent discoveries have apparently cast a serious doubt to the claim that Dravidians and non-Dravidians are any different racially. While that gave a respite to my already struggling conscience, I started to think more deeply into the ‘Indian’ way of living. Whereas people from different states look different on the outside, and whereas people from specific states are known to be capable of doing a few specific things, we are innately very much ‘Indian’. By that I mean, our familial systems, our traditions, our mind set (read our greed specifically), our callousness (or lack thereof), our peevishness, and our passion (or fashion) for cricket and movies, bring us all together. Who cares if we became homogenous only after millennia of inter mingling and sharing? Who cares if better technologies come up to prove the Britishers’ theories right? We have still (violently) coexisted for at least two thousand years. We still fight with each other, scorn at each other and help ‘our own’ people (read linguistic-nepotism). So what if not many of the ‘Madraasi’ kids could aspire to become the prime minister of India, since the prerequisite is to know Hindi? Come on, we are still INDIAN, aren’t we?

If you think, my article is disturbing, if you think we all ought to be as one nation, YOU give me one good reason for us all to be together. YOU give me one good reason to settle our differences. After all, almost all of our languages and literatures have existed for over two thousand years.

I will tell you why we should be together in our differences and first love our country before anything else. For a thousand years and an equal number of times, it has been proved that foreign invaders took advantage of our diversity and plundered us ruthlessly. We have forsaken our cultural similarities that we have accumulated over a longer period of time, only to become more diverse and get introduced to newer and murkier theories and ideologies. Isn’t it greed that made us welcome western traders, befriend them, and use them against our own people? I believe that is all what got us into a mess for over two thousand years. And then the nascent Pakistan had also started dreaming about ‘re’capturing India post partition. It seems the war cry of the Pakistanis during the partition was ‘hak se liye Pakistan, cheen ke lenge Hindustan’, because they thought India rightfully belonged to them as they were the remnants of the Persian rulers of India. I just can not imagine how such small armies starting with the Persians, the Portuguese, the Dutch, the Danish, the French and the British conquered the whole of the Indian subcontinent! I guess that was diversity in unity! And the most important point is, we lost everything fighting with each other during this time, let alone achieving anything. Post colonial era has seen an entirely different world, but it is not that hard to imagine that being together has been and will be beneficial to us as a nation.

Now if that’s not good enough a reason, YOU give me a good reason why we should not fight, and why I should not fight for a separate country for Kothagudem. YOU tell me!

Opponents of Aryan Invasion Theory:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Out_of_India_theory
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous_Aryans

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indo-Aryan_migration
[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dravidian_people
[3] http://illindala2.blogspot.com/2009/06/mahabharata.html
[4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racial_groups_of_India
[5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetics_and_archaeogenetics_of_South_Asia

Hell Just Broke Loose...

2009-04-19T00:50:00.000-07:00

… on a fateful day, when Infosys wasn’t at its full strength, software engineers from the alien planet Cipro™ tried to steal Infy's secrets of success and then destroy the campus. Just as the evil forces deformed themselves into less recognizable forms and tried to barge into the campus from the direction where Infy's belligerent security personnel weren’t guarding, I caught them on my digirebel. And then…

Cometh the Saviors...
… I thought this was the end; it would be an all out war. Lives would be lost. I knelt and prayed, "Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen". The Gods heard my prayers. They have always pampered Infy. They sent rain-ships to cordon off the whole state of AP. The rain-ships fired on all CANONs, and though Cipro™ made relentless efforts to barge in, its attempts were being washed off in FLASH rains. Cipro™ suffered many casualties, but the bodies were unrecognizable since Ciproites already deformed themselves. Their souls were just flowing in the streams. Deprived of salvation. I was still kneeling, closing my eyes in prayer and holding fast to my camera.

... and the beholder awakens!!
… the whole area around me started reverberating with strange yet very familiar sounds. Someone was calling me. The voice was horrific. My heart started palpitating. I was sweating in the rain. A fear so familiar, but petrifying. I never wanted to loose this moment. I opened my eyes to stare a certain death right into its eyes. The sight was so horrible, I fainted. Sweat was still dripping. My heartbeat still racing, like a ball hit for a cover drive by Sachin. I became conscious again. I had to run. Away from this terrible death. I had to fight. To keep my self from drowning, in this ocean of marauders. Lucky me, I found a door. It was apparently closed. I ran towards it, still holding fast to my camera. BANG!! I opened the door… click!! Oh!! That was the real world!!

Oh… the sounds and sights… you know what!!

The Reality:
The bloody alarm was ringing. Reverberating. And my room mate was trying to wake me up. The voice sounds horrific in that hour of sleep. I woke up suddenly from this dream, and saw the alarm clock. The sight of the clock showing 5:00 in the morning was horrific. Pitch dark all around. I was truly confused, didn't know where I was. I then slept again and went back to the dream. Woke up after a half an hour, picked up my camera and raced past the door to click the Sun getting ready to greet us to yet another beautiful day of our lives!!

I must wake up to run. To keep pace with time. To keep myself ahead of my peers. To succeed. I have to dream while am broadly awake. 'Coz I have no time to sleep. All this, only to succeed. Only to realize those day-dreams. 'Coz I believe, No Dream... Too Big!!

My Inspiration:
Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. The moral:It doesn't matter if you are a lion or a gazelle. When the sun comes up, you better be running.

Paris... Paris!!

2009-04-06T02:28:00.000-07:00

I am not a globetrotter. But whichever place I have been to outside India, has immensely impressed me. Singapore, New York City, Las Vegas… all a league of their own. Clearly evident in these cities are prosperity, modern culture, and inherent visions of countless visionaries who have helped build such great cities. Paris unarguably tops the list. It is not a shame for anyone to go to Paris and not visit the Eiffel. Having been to Paris itself is something to cherish for a life time. I am fortunate enough to have visited Paris, not because I could go to Paris, but just because I went to Paris.

As a part of my MBA program, we studied global business in Europe's perspective. We visited Paris to get firsthand knowledge of the dynamics of the business there. Prof. Alain Dumont of HEC Paris made the trip worthwhile. His insights from his industry and academia experience were amazing. The list of speakers was indeed star studded as Prof. Dumont brought in the Vice President of Daily Motion, CMO of Alcatel-Lucent (including a visit to the company headquarters), CEO of Anovo, Director of Innovation from L’Oreal and all the top brass of the Colas Group. Listening to business leaders themselves talk about the strategies they adopted for their companies is definitely more motivating and stimulating than just reading a case and discussing it among ourselves. The learning was priceless.

I now realize how a want of good English vocabulary is impeding my expression. I have fallen short of adjectives for Paris. It is indeed an amazing city. Simply breathtaking! I just cannot imagine what the French had foreseen as they built the city. There is regality, romance, history, art, culture, and pride... in each and every building and sculpture in the city. There is an unmistakable authority in the way they planned and modeled the city. And more astonishingly, most of the present day Paris is at least one and a half centuries old. Every part of the city is majestic.

The French built the Eiffel tower. The French gifted the Statue of Liberty to America. The French built Paris. And the French have given to this world, everything that is French, including French windows and French wine. I cannot comment much about wine, for I am a teetotaler. And I did not find French wine particularly tasty. May be I will know better once I drink a full bottle of wine. But Paris has caused me as much inebriation as French wine could have possibly done. The French girls were as beautiful too! All elegantly dressed and hazel eyed. Their sense of fashion, their skin color and texture and their dark hair… deadly combination indeed!

It will not be hyperbolic to say that the French have indeed been forward looking. One can realize that fact if one takes a look at the history of Paris. History is everywhere in this world, but the way Paris has been preserved is what makes it amazing. With a history of over two millennia, Paris has been the center stage for many an empire, revolution and innovation. The Haussmannisation of Paris, a work commissioned by Napoleon III and led by the Seine prefect, Baron Georges-Eugène Haussmann between 1852 and 1870, laid the framework for the city’s planning and its future development.[1] The city’s architecture looks mostly standardized either by practice or by principle. Its wide avenues and boulevards, and meticulously maintained trees and gardens make the city more beautiful. And of course, the late eighteenth century French revolution and later the industrial revolution are hallmarks of France’s push toward modernity while still retaining its cultural identity and societal integrity.

Everything in France is written in French. Fortunately, due to its use of the Latin alphabet, tourists will usually be able to comprehend at least names of places. As such, language did not seem to be a major problem during my short stay. Very few locals speak English apart from French. To me, this reflects the attitude of the French towards everything that is French. They seem to be proud of everything that is French. They seem to deliberately try and restrict the seeping in of foreign culture. One can see protectionism in all aspects of the French people and policies. For example, Charles de Gaulle, the most influential leader in modern French history, promoted a pan-European foreign policy, seeking to diminish U.S. and British influence.[2]

My Paris trip was exhilarating, except for one unfortunate incident. I had to pay a €25 fine for not punching my ticket in the bus. Ticket collectors got into the bus with a couple of intimidating police men. I told them I didn’t know I had to do that even after purchasing the ticket from the driver himself. Their argument was that, if I hadn’t used the ticket, I might as well use it another time. I instantly realized it was a mistake and I genuinely did not intend to do that. As I tried to convince them, and as the locals helped me by translating whatever I said into French for them, one of the cops finally said “I am French, I will speak French. I don’t understand English”. He said that in his heavily accented English and spoke French throughout though he knew we didn’t understand French. Their behavior seemed particularly heavy-handed for whatever reason, but that perhaps explains how the French could conquer so much of the world. In fact, the integrity of the French and most other European countries cannot better be explained apart from the fact that the British, regardless of their geographical proximity to the European Union, could not induce cricket into much of Europe, although cricket is played elsewhere in the world!

A visit to Paris has given me new visions for life. I saw something in between the extremes of India and America. In India, most of the people live with modest means but we have several millennia old, rich cultural heritage and our societal values are deep rooted in it. In America, I saw how societal values emerged from America's rise as an economic super power. France has both culture and prosperity ingrained in its livelihood. One can see modern advancements interspersed with a rich heritage there. The combination of modernity and centuries old history, and to see how people deal with it, provide enough food for thought to answer the question: how to preserve heritage while keeping pace with time?

The amazing part about Europeans is their self belief, diplomacy, and their love for anything that is their own. Romance in Paris has to be experienced. Not to be just seen. History of Paris has to be learnt. Not just visited for pleasure. There is centuries of buildup involved in creating a spectacle called Paris. One should at least smell it before paying for just boasting of having been to Paris.

Probably India could have done equally well had the Moghals and the British not curtailed India’s progress by plundering the country. I do realize that, “Had it not been so…” does not belong to the current times. And the most important thing that the British could have possibly done to India is to help India in its reunification. Otherwise, the subcontinent could have been another European Union. I definitely believe that, because I feel language plays the most important role in any region’s integrity. The fact that India has 22 official languages (apart from English) being used in 28 states and 7 union territories, it is reasonable to assume that reconciling cultural differences between all these states will be incredibly laborious. One solution to that could be to blur the borders between states and restrict the states from using protectionist measures. Capitalism, should be the buzz word! Of course the so called ‘largest democracy’ will not be able to achieve that unless someone rules with an iron fist and with the vision of giving a glorious future to the country.

My trip to Paris will remain as one my most memorable experiences for a long time to come. I was certainly not well equipped this time. The next time I go to Paris, something that I promised for myself, I will definitely plan my trip properly and go with better equipment for photography and hopefully with a better half too!

Poetry flowed through my mind as I walked along history in Paris. I put down my thoughts about Paris in this way:

The Romans ruled me,
The Germans invaded me

The British conqured me
And the world envied me

People take my name.
Well, I am game.

In that they take pride,
Never has one decried.

Revolutions conceived in my womb
Emperors built many a tomb

People find me romantic
One and all, they say, "Wow! she's fantastic"

I am an epitome of culture and prosperity
I am a city, that embodies regality.

Come see me!

The Gods love me, They caress.
Bonjour, Je m'appelle... Paris!

Paris: http://www.flickr.com/photos/digirebel/sets/72157616264494943/

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haussmann%27s_renovation_of_Paris
[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_De_Gaulle

Love

2009-01-23T21:02:00.000-08:00

He fondly looked at her eyes in the hind view mirror while driving. Her hazel eyes glittered like stars when ever light from the head lamps of vehicles coming from opposite directions lit them bright. Her naturally pink lips did not need a lip gloss even at that penultimate hour of the day. The air conditioner in the car wasn’t working that day. He opened the glass window on her side to make her feel fresh. She tied up her silky soft dark brownish hair, and the flicks flew in waves occasionally kissing her face. Her skin so soft, her cheeks so pink. She would turn red when angry, pink as she blushes and pale when he is angry. She is so adorable. Not surprisingly, her name befits her personality. Apsara is as beautiful and gracious as an angel. And she was his. By all means!

Akash wondered why God was so kind and generous to him. She expects unconditional love from him, and returns the same to him, without an iota of camouflage. She waited disappointed all those nights he would be late from work. And whenever he was out of the town, she wept in her bed, longing for just his sight. So strong was the love between them.

Akash met Apsara not very long ago. And fell in love with her right from day one. He would lavishly celebrate that day of every year as a festival. He is so grateful to God for her. He always prays for her well being. And she thinks of him in all her prayers. Apsara always talks about Akash to her family and friends. They too are very fond of Akash. Apsara is a precious jewel in Akash’s life. He treasures her. He has ambitious plans for their futures. He named every investment after her. So that she would never have to worry about her life after him. He shudders to think of life without her. Protects her in everything she does. She felt so safe under his protection.

The drive was very long. But time flew by as he thought of her. She looked pensive particularly that day. He precisely knew the reason for that. The big day was not very far. And he had plans for that. He had some work to do for that over the next couple of days. A few people to meet and a few arrangements to be made. He assured her mother, everything would go well. Shakuntala trusted Akash. For her daughter’s life. She is very happy for Apsara. She is a relieved woman.

The long journey was almost over. They were reaching home. Apsara did not say a word during that journey. She seemed to grow a little restless as the drive came to an end. And Akash was busy mentally revisiting some of his plans for the big day. Just as he announced, “Already, we are about home…”, Apsara blurted out, “did you buy me a gift, daddy?”. She turned eleven on 20th November 2000.

Yes I am a Coward!!

2008-12-02T14:29:00.000-08:00

Yes I am a coward
I left India to escape the competition
Instead of taking up the challenge head-on
Said in the American system I had admiration

Yes I am a coward
I wanted a secure future
So selfishly cared about my own comforts

Yes I am a coward
I did not go into the army
And said that wasn't for me

Yes I am a coward
I left that job disgusted
And it will never change, I said

Yes I am a coward
I said I want change
But never ventured to be one my self, how strange

Yes I am a coward
I did what all others did
And never followed my heart
As if there was a universal flow chart

Yes I am a coward
I never helped the unprivileged and the needy
Thought I had not enough money; sick and greedy

Yes I am a coward
I have never lived for myself
Said what might others think of thyself?

Yes I am a coward
I never stood up for truth
Said, in India, doing that causes ruth

And now, when my country is burning
Here I am on the opposite side of the earth
Involved in a soliloquy and fighting dearth
What an irony...
Yes, I AM A COWARD!!

The day I will follow my conscience
And do what I feel is true
I will look up to the skies and say
Thank you God, I just felt your presence.

Take a Deep Breath In...

2008-11-28T16:29:00.000-08:00

For the first time, my anguish fell short of ideas to solve problems. For the first time my anguish made me feel weak, and formed a large lump in my throat. And for the first time, my heart bled in anguish. Mumbai has been under siege for over 55 hours now. The heart of India is suffering from a hemorrhage. I feel like screaming my anguish out. I feel like roaring at every element that has failed us. Yes, the usual tirade against the incompetent politicians and government follows. Yes, the intelligence and the system have failed us. And yes, WE as a society failed, yet again. It has been time and again proved that India is vulnerable. We are PORUS! Is there something that can save us? Is there something that can save this humanity?

The optimism of Nandan Nilekani in his book ‘Imagining India’ is good for a fable. Such things do not seem to belong to these times. India today, wants quick progress. We are no more a Gandhian nation to be patient enough to wait for another half a century for the transformation to take place. The future is grossly unpredictable because India has slipped into a Dominion status from Purna Swaraj or total independence. The world around us, our neighbors especially, have a lot of say in India.

Yes, we know - a lot can be attributed to bad governing policies, corruption and lack of proper education system for the current situation. The haphazard growth of the economy, increasing disparity (both of which lead to increased corruption after the pseudo-socialistic License Raj), and those illusioned youth due to lack of proper education (not literacy) are the only problems that India is facing today. No, it’s not hunger, it’s not poverty and neither is it AIDS. India cannot go ahead with these negative attributes. Everything will fall in place if this cancer is cured - the cancer of a poisoned democracy. Induction of young leaders into our politics is NOT an encouraging sign. We need leaders who climb up the bureaucratic ladders. Leaders who are competent enough to display pragmatism and idealism. Not who are airlifted by the virtue of dynastic politics or nepotism. We need meritorious civil servants, not who get selected by caste based reservations.

Hinduism, as a way of life, must have created castes to differentiate between sections of the society that performed different tasks. But it has been the followers of this system who discriminated a few sections, which are now labeled the lower sections of the society. That has seeped into our blood. Our policy makers had the task of reconciling that perception but on the contrary, added fuel to the discrimination by providing reservations based on castes! Our education has thus stopped teaching us equality. Every discriminated individual in our education system will now be prejudiced.

The ubiquitous question being asked after this senseless carnage in Mumbai is, where is Raj Thackeray? All his heroics for his Marathi Manus are nothing but whims of his sick mind. I genuinely wonder how the society is letting a mentally ill person like him roam about freely. It is only our misfortune to have to put up with people like him. Had there been enough number of jobs created, Raj Thackeray would not have existed today. The administration created a goon of him. The system… is the reason for regionalism.

All able minded Indians do realize the above facts. I wrote nothing new. All this will be considered sickeningly redundant and rhetoric. And I may not be equipped or wise enough to propose comprehensive, workable solutions to the problems above. But can somebody explain to me religious extremism? Who can cure that CANCER? It gives me jitters to even think that somebody can interpret a religion to preach violence. Obviously, I am not against any particular religion, but the idea of using force to ‘establish’ superiority of a religion is grossly inhuman. It is not what I think. It is what it is. And if these cowards (who in fact doubt the integrity of their own religion due to the threat by other religions) do follow religious texts to achieve their motives, I am sure that religion will never be successful and will only be loathed by the generations to come, if the world ever exists beyond ours. Every incident of religious aggression – including Malegaon, Kandhmal, and the countless insanities of Islamic extremism – is a blot on the face of humanity.

If God’s only motive to create human beings was to make them realize Him, He should be feeling guilty of it now. Only probably one out of a zillion souls on this earth will be reconciled to Him. The concept of spiritualism, which is beyond religion, will have no meaning for the future generations. People do not seem to recognize God now. They only recognize religions which were created to realize Him. At times pessimism creeps into me. I feel the only solution of this insanity is to start afresh. Restart, like we do to our PCs. Let us request God to wipe out this humanity once and for all and create a new set of living beings with a better structured mind, body and soul. Or it is even better for God to realize his mistake and stop creating any more souls. After all, I do not understand the reason why He had to CREATE souls and then make them realize Him. I find sinister pleasure of the almighty in this.

After my first two passionate dissertations in my blog, I wanted to write something interesting fuelled by my creative abilities, which I believe I do posses. But the vicissitudes of life have always taken a priority and I am forced to realize that I am still harrowingly human. All I can do at such times is to take a deep breath in…. and slowly breathe it out, and watch the destruction of this humanity.

Hemorrhage of a Dilapidated Soul.

ఇండియా వదిలి అమెరికా వచ్చే ముందు నా ఆత్మ ఘోష...

2008-09-21T16:47:00.000-07:00

నేను… నాకు ఉన్న ఉద్యోగాన్ని వదులుకోని, లకారాలు ఖర్చుపెట్టి, ఎదో గల్లి లో కుఫ్లి కాలేజీ లో రెండు సంవత్సరాలు నరక యాతన అనుభవించి, గడ్డి గాదం తిని, చివరకు ఉద్యోగం లేకుండా, MBA అను ఒక పట్టా (కాగితపు ముక్క) పుచ్చుకోటానికి, ఇక్కడ నన్ను ఎంతగానో కావాలనుకునే మంచి స్నేహితులని, సన్నిహితులను, ఈ సమయంలోనే నా సహాయం అత్యంత అవసరమైన మా తల్లి తండ్రులను వదిలేసి… భూమి గుండ్రంగా ఉందని నిరూపించటానికి భూమికి అవతల వైపుకి పోవు ప్రయత్నము లో, స్వయంకృతాపరాధం తో నా ఆత్మ వంఛన చేస్కుంటున్న సందర్భం లో, నాకు నేనుగా వీడ్కోలు చెప్పుకుంటున్న తరుణమిది.

India 'Rulez'

2007-05-21T22:11:00.000-07:00

WARNING: The text you are about to read is solely the writer’s dissertation about things that have been previously felt, thought of or pondered over by the writer himself. The points mentioned do not represent general sentiments of any particular community or group. The text can seem funny, crazy, fussy, idealistic, at times radical and even fanatical. It actually depends on the reader’s perception. Happy reading!!

India ‘Rulez’!!

I am not a man of rules. I believe in free and happy living. But my short quarter century of life in this country has made me revisit my ideology and a few of my priorities. I’ve always believed most of us Indians are lethargic, indolent, partly ignorant, a little greedy and at times unethical (and at times overly ethical too). May be our surroundings and the kind of atmosphere we live in have made us so. But that pains me. I did not see most of this world; I may be like a frog in a well. It might not be correct to label only Indians with all such negative adjectives. But this is what I see happening here. And am sure it’s no good. I feel we should be better people to be a better nation. I don’t think we are a great nation yet. We only have an obscenely long history. If by any standards we are, then this is not our best. We can do better. Trust me, we can! Here are a few things I would like to see happening in this country before I die (hmm… may be another 50 yrs)! The list is not comprehensive though. I feel you can pitch in with better inputs. Comments and brick bats welcomeJ.

Label them as my rules, conventions or just dreams of a day dreamer (or may be of an overly ambitious person), these are ‘My Musings’ to see this as a better nation. Here you go… India ‘Rulez’!

Governance and Politics:
1) There are no coalition governments. There should be one ruling party and one opposition.
2) There are no political parties based on separatist or communal ideologies.
The ideology of a political party should only reflect development of this country, every section of the society, providing basic amenities and ample security to the society.
3) Head of the state has absolute power over all the matters.
This does not mean tyranny. An able administrator with full powers can create wonders. Let me quote a statement of … well, lets see who he is later. “One thing we must and may never forget is: a majority can never substitute for the Man. It is always the advocate not only of stupidity, but also of cowardly policies; and just as a hundred fools do not make one wise man, a heroic decision is not likely to come from a hundred cowards.” This was said by one of the biggest idiots the world has ever produced, Adolf Hitler. Nevertheless, this has impressed me.
4) Every politician is properly educated and there is a minimum educational qualification required to become a politician.
5) There is a proper recruitment process at different levels for entering politics.
The minimum age limit in politics is 25 and maximum is 65. All above 65yrs of age should be subject to thorough medical tests and those who clear the tests may be on the advisory boards but not on the ruling front.
No political affiliations or student bodies of a political party in educational institutions.
6) All kinds of societal planning are done with a vision. This should go through enough number of scrutiny channels like specialized planning comities, legal advisory bodies and government bodies for fund generation. Legal/punitive actions are to be taken against head of the projects if they are not completed (including planning phase) within stipulated time periods.
7) There are no caste/community based government sponsored reservations. Proper primary and higher education to be provided to socially oppressed and economically backward people. Absolute nothing in jobs!
8) All government offices to function properly. Government officials to be taught extensively about efficiency, productivity and ethics. Public service oriented offices should be taught soft skills. No compromise on speedy service. Unruly behavior in spite of speedy service to be punished.
9) There is an ethics department set up, to consider and deal with cases where any person is legally correct but ethically wrong. Such people are to be prosecuted. (LoL).
10) Development spreads across to smaller towns and villages from cities and at the same time, there are policies strictly in place and implemented to save eco-system and improve farming.

Police, Security and Judiciary:
1) Fear the police, if you are committing an offence. Feel the respite on seeing police personnel if you are in trouble. Police should be trusted saviors when anybody is in trouble.
2) Police department is corruption free. This problem must be tackled from roots to the top. There are lots of hardships a police officer has to go through doing his job. They must have a better standard of living, paid better and compensated better. I am sure this not the only direct natural cause for them to become corrupt but definitely one of the main reasons. Added to this the recruitment to police should be fair and free of corruption.
3) No body, absolutely, is above the law.
4) There is inflation, rise in prices, incomes, standard of living and of course crime and offences being committed. Then why not review the law system? Every slightest offence should be punishable under law (damage of public property, spitting, peeing, what not damn it… lack of such rules has destroyed the face of our country). Punishments are straightforward and severe.
5) Judicial system is extremely strong and transparent. No body should dare take law into their hands. People should feel free to do anything under the legal purview; nothing outside that.
6) Law can be amended in cases of emergency and not at free will (in fact, I think the judicial system must work with a mixture of instinct and pragmatism, which I know might not be possible in practical applications).
7) The police should have adequate power and should function as a military force. The department should be provided with adequate arms and ammunition. Police personnel must show a rational/responsible behavior and are to be taught extensively on soft-skills, personality development and language skills: one regional language, Hindi and English.

Education and learning:
1) Every citizen of this country is properly educated. Quality primary education is everybody’s right. Primary education is as much value driven as it is knowledge driven.
2) Moral science is a part of school curriculum all over India. Good manners to be taught extensively. Here’s one quote I learnt as a kid and still remember and love very much: “I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.” –William Penn. Every student is supposed to say this in morning and evening prayers in schools (LoL).
3) Education is a process of betterment of an individual. Any kind of malpractice is a crime, and should be punishable under law.
4) Choice of higher education and subsequently profession is not market dependent but to be personal interest based. We often tend to take up the kind of education/profession that could give us better living, and finally find some interest in that. But that is strictly professional interest and can never be a substitute to personal interest. The choice of taking up a career is not easy. We need to know our choices and priorities. A young mind of 17-18 yrs of age can not decide upon that. Good primary education, good parental/professional guidance/counseling, an open/freer market and surroundings are essentials. Parental ‘influence’ should not extend beyond teens. Beyond that it should only be limited to guidance and not authority. A muscle to build up needs to tear the tendon first. And that hurts, but comes out stronger.
5) History and culture to be taught only to know our roots and to take some positives from them. Culture should not be tied up with religion. Religion evolves as a process of teachings of great men, saints, demi-Gods, of/related to same schools of thought, to understand this creation and our purpose of existence. (I can not deliberate here about existence of God. I am intellectually too low to understand Him. I recommend reading ‘Code Name God’ by Dr Mani Bhaumik, a classic piece which deals with integration of philosophy/religion and science). Culture in this world of globalization is a relative term. It should only mean being good, courteous and compassionate towards fellow humans.
6) Discipline and social awareness to be taught to youngsters/children as a rule, either in high school/under-graduation. Activities like one year training by NDA or NSS program should be made compulsory. Effectively a student’s education should be 16 yrs (15 + 1yr of NDA/NSS) or 17yrs (16 + 1yr of NDA/NSS) depending upon the type of under-graduation chosen.
7) Highest standards are set for the quality of education and only eminent educationalists should take care of maintaining that quality from time to time by reviewing the course contents at every level of education. The present universities are to be upgraded; education to be made cheaper and learning should be in practical form.
8) A government regulatory body to be constituted (or if one is already present, it must be strictly operational) to ensure high standards and quality. All private parties to be tested for their intent in setting up educational institutions, the kind of infrastructure and faculty they can provide. Without reaching a minimum set standards, no educational institution to be setup. This can be debated in rural and backward areas. But if we think good education is everybody’s right, why not moot private sector into this and make them fund such initiatives. No body does that with out any return for investment. These terms can be negotiated. Such parties can be given special benefits on some kinds of taxes/duties. Or, ultimately a well educated child comes to the benefit of this country only. Then why shouldn’t the parties work like job consultants??

Life and living:
1) Food and health are given maximum importance in everybody’s lives and relationships are stronger and healthier.
2) Parents are wiser in bringing up their children.
3) Everybody takes up a profession of his personal interest not of professional interest, so that there is minimum ‘burn-out’.
4) There is ample dignity of labor.
5) Roads are wider and there is better movement of traffic.
6) Auto meters and taxi meters do not raise blood pressure of everybody.
7) The media acts more responsibly. There’s no media hype for a cricket match loss/win or a celebrity wedding.
8) Everybody has a right to register protest against anything, but public property is nobody’s father’s property (LoL), and if somebody destroys it, please be ready to shot at, and the people behind it, please be ready to pay for the damages.
9) Everybody performs his/her duty with goodwill and sincerity (including service sector (most importantly), government offices, private offices, health care/hospitals, hotels & restaurants, retailing, etc.).

Above all, I would only want to pray God that we are wiser and are bestowed with better common sense and discretionary abilities. And, many points mentioned above might be idealistic in nature, which may not be possible in the real world. But I'll still try my best to achieve them. If I do not succeed, I'll make a realization. If I do, I'll be a revelation!!

India Poised - but are we ready yet?

2007-03-16T04:31:00.000-07:00

'A pulsating, dynamic, new India is emerging'. Sure it is. The 'India Poised' campaign by The Times of India is truly inspiring. The voice rendered by the Big 'B' himself who shot for the video with the Bandra-Worli sea link as the back drop, only added more color and charisma to the campaign. What ever was written on the front page of the TOI on January 1 st 2007 is perfectly right. And surely India is poised to fly greater, higher, better and newer destinations. The bird has matured now. The wings are stronger than ever. But the journey is yet to begin.

Sure enough, these are the times of rapid change that not many who are alive in this world or in the developed countries have seen. There are more than enough reasons to cheer about. The economy is booming. The world is having a re look at India. There are more FDIs. There is better employment. And there is better standard of living. The infrastructure is fast improving; the ring roads, the express ways, the 'sealing' drives, the MMTS, flyovers, sea links, better air connectivity, a more alert law and order system… just everything looks perfectly placed. But the journey is yet to begin.

The 'India Poised' campaign rightly says there are two Indias. One India where the pulsating, dynamic new energy is overwhelming. The other India which is oblivious to this. One India which is partying to celebrate this success. The other India looking right into the face of hunger. One India which is the face of the nation to the world. The other India which is at the other side of the face. The makeup is deceptive. The celebration has a flawed purpose. The energy is backed up by a weak force… that's the other India.

Thanks to great infrastructure development, the plush shopping malls, the MNCs in the beaming cities of our country, there is mass exodus of people from villages and smaller towns to these happening cities. These prime centers for trading and business are exploding with population. And there is shortage of everything, water, electricity, food and now even space. The great divide is more conspicuous in the cities. There is opulence and extravagance. Then there's poverty and illness. There are few projects being started to meet the water and electricity needs of people. If there are any, they are marred by controversies. Some on humanitarian grounds and the others for political gain. There are political parties started with a vision, a specific goal. Often, either such purposes are flawed or as time goes by, the perception of this purpose gets mistaken by younger generations. The means and ways to achieve these goals get flawed. And finally the goals never achieved. And it doesn't stop there; the real sufferers are the people not even involved, led by a flawed leadership. This has been there right from the time of our independence. There are quite a few examples, the caste based reservations, construction of dams, economic policies, the segregation of states into smaller ones and lots of others. Take for example the Telangana issue. Had the TRS fought for more developmental activities instead of fighting for a separate state, they could have already made a difference. The separate state issue for the development of the region seems only as a pretext for political gain. And this politics is going to sever this land into bits and pieces. But who cares? After all, this is Democracy. Democracy at the cost of liberty, development and well being of people. Democracy in this country is enjoyed only by a privileged few.

The sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic of India will soon cease to exist. Militancy and naxalism is killing people, while political terrorism is killing the very idea of sovereignty. The socialist ideology has done more bad than good to this country. We know not to mend the principles for the fair development of our country. We only follow them, blindly. Our country was under the grip of pseudo-socialism until the recent past. The result: Capitalism became a mere spectator until the real India and its economy opened up in the early 90's. Secularism in India has paved way to different religions co-existing, less tolerance of course. If it's Islamist terrorism at some places, there's Hindu dominance in a few states. If there's Christian conversions in a few, there's Sikh extremism else where. Religious fervor got mixed with fanaticism. Fundamentalism signifies extremism now. And then there's Democracy - which cost us our basic right for liberty due to the vested interests of a privileged few (read political dons).

Everything seems to be politicized in India. And education is no exception. Education here does not give us a life. It only gives us a living. Estimates show that the youth labour force in India is growing by 2.5 percent annually and is expected to be around 115 million by 2007 and around 7 million youth are unemployed. More than 90 per cent of the labour force is employed in the "unorganised sector", i.e. sectors which don't provide with the social security and other benefits of employment in the "organised sector." Most of these unemployed and underemployed youth are school drop outs due to various reasons. Primary education is a right to every child and care should be taken to ensure each child enjoys his/her right. Education is already a business here, unregulated though. 'Educationists' mint money in the name of it. This is one area which needs to be amply coporatized and regulated by governements. Standards have to be set by the policy and decision makers.

With around three lakh science and technology graduates being churned out from various institutes and universities in India, the numbers could well inspire awe in some of the developed countries as well. But there's still a shortage of 'qualified professionals' in the industry. The end utilization of resources is in stark contrast to the projected outcomes and depicted facts. This depicts short comings in various aspects of the system. The most important of them being quality of education. The fact that none of the best educational institutes of India are ranked in the top 50 of the world is a clear proof of this. It is not just about the difference between pay packages in dollars and rupees. There are very few Indians occupying the top positions of MNCs elsewhere. We can take an excuse that after economic reforms, there have been good number of Indian MNCs, but we can not deny the fact that 'brain drain' of the Indian cream has been in vogue for the last 3 or 4 decades, since the inception of the IITs and IIMs. The point here is, the representation is not substantial. Now, it is in the interest of educationists to find out the difference between better education systems elsewhere and that of ours. It could be true that Indian kids are sharper than American, and Americans might need computers and calculators for simple math. But it is the Americans who have manufactured F-16s and Discovery shuttles. It is they who have invented computers and atom bombs. The key is the number of opportunities provided to the deserving talents, or the environment we create to help them create their own. The resources provided for research and development has always been just over a little in budgetary allocations. Naturally, not everybody can become an Abdul Kalam. We need to have policies to tap the huge amount of talent in universities and in the industry. Even if the passionate few of the talent pool try to create their own opportunities, we do not do enough to recognize the potential. All that is provided is a paltry amount, a certificate of recognition and a pat on the back. Rarely ever has an award winning publication in an international journal got support to carry on further research and development. There have been lots of potential projects stopped just because of want of funds.

Since time immemorial, India has been invaded by foreign attackers, cultures and ideologies. We have been resilient enough to accept and imbibe the diverse cultures and thought schools. So much so that we've created a new unique identity of being global Indians. We've been quick receptors of change. But the change wasn't cultivated from within for our own good. That was imparted upon us by outsiders. We learn from others, but don't discover by ourselves. We are complacent with what we have, but are greedy for what others offer. We boast too much about our past. But not all the millennia of India's existence have been significant enough. It's only the bits and pieces of our drafted history which we talk about, or the world knows about. We could have given more to this humanity probably by being more organized. There have always been a few visionaries in our country. Some for the country and some for themselves. Some of these have represented the nation bureaucratically and in business. There have been some great acquisitions of foreign companies and conquering of alien lands in the recent past by some of these men. But their visions are not being enough to represent the other India. Nevertheless, they have benefited the country directly or indirectly. Not all visionaries are aptly supported though. We have extremely diversified schools of thought. And none allows the other to execute what he has envisioned for the country. After all, this is Democracy. Democracy at the cost of liberty to execute what's good for the country! Our regulators are not our policies, but our politicians.

Will we ever change? Will there be a time after which at least 90 percent of the Indians can live happily ever after? This will not happen in a single day for sure. It might take a few decades to materialize, a few generations more of suffering, better education and imparting of better 'Indian' values. The journey, is yet to begin, but the time is finally fast approaching. The energy and the boosters are in place. It's time we show our conservativism a way out and welcome open-mindedness. It's time we have a freer society, stricter and better policies and better practices. It's time we say we need more and strive for more. It's time we strengthen our ground before we take the flight, lest it becomes slippery.

It is time we say… let's prepare to fly!