We v/s We

Anna Hazare, probably India’s most influential social activist, has staged a fast-unto-death to root out the biggest epidemic of the country—corruption. People across cities and from all ages have joined in support of the Gandhian style protest through candlelight marches, fasting for a day or promoting the cause itself. Many are calling it the Jasmine revolution of South Asia. Such has been the effect of the demonstrations that a prominent minister has stepped down from his position in an elite government group.

The large numbers of people who have turned up to express their support to Anna are proof of the growing resentment in the masses against corruption and political parties. In an article written earlier which found place in a leading newspaper, I had mentioned that if we have to put the blame of corrupting the country on any one person then that has to be ‘us’. Yes, collectively it is ‘us’ who are corrupt and strangely, today we are rising against ‘us’.

The demonstrators are asking for new powers in an old law (as if the already existing laws were not enough). Obviously, the government is trying to downplay the demands. Opposition political parties are trying, somewhat in vain, to gain milage out of the tumultuous situation. The great Indian Media has big news in the post World Cup scenario.

Protests are not new to this nation. We have been protesting since— God knows when. Some of those protests were successful while others failed. It was the protests that led to our Independence. The media and the people equal this agitation to the one that were held in the pre-Independence era. However, there is a difference.

The protests before 1947 were against a government and a class that was entirely foreign in all aspects of a civilization. Everything is different between the societal customs of the British and the South Asians. This time, the people are opposing a few of their own. Ironically, those few were elected by the very same people who are out on the streets today. In this regard the Jasmine revolution that swept the sands of North Africa is closer in comparison. Yet again, there is a difference.

The one that happened in the desert nations was a movement of those who thought on the same plane. The demonstrators were a mixed lot of high class and low class people, filthy rich and pathetically poor individuals, people from different ideologies or religions irrespective of their societal standing. On the other hand, India is a country of 1.2 billion people and is far more divided in societal structure than any other country in the world. Thus, it is extremely difficult to generate public opinion for a good cause. Why?

Look at the World Cup that ended on a happy note for India. Tickets were in great demand and this led to black-marketing. Tickets worth Rs 25 were being sold at Rs 25,000. Someone was ready to sell off his kidney for a ticket so that he could watch the game. Millions were spent in a matter of days and billions were earned by the corporates and the BCCI. As for the cricketers, do I need to write anything about them and their incomes?

On the night India won the World Cup, 18 million children went to sleep on the streets of this very same country. They do it every day. While many of us were busy in celebrations, thousands (maybe lakhs) were wondering about their next day’s meal. My simple question is: If the people of this country have so much money to spend on brands and an overpriced ticket for a match, then why hasn’t the number of poor in this country reduced? If the owners of big corporates have enough money to spend on palatial 26 storey buildings for their personal comfort, then why are those 18 million children sleeping on the streets?

No revolution can find success until everyone takes part in it irrespective of differences. Human psychology is weird; they may say something and do the other. Before trying to root out corruption, it is necessary to root out the greedy side within us. That is difficult, very difficult in this materialistic society.

Akbar: The greatest of all HR managers

The only thing that can make a difference between success and failure is management. An effective form of management increases the chances of success for any business, organisation, government, society or individual and bad management brings failure to their doorstep. There are many things that are taught in the Management colleges the world over. Here in India we have 1600 plus institutions that produce over 1 lakh managers each year. Probably that is the reason why we have a problem of plenty resulting in ‘over-management’ of the nation.
To address the ‘problem of plenty’, nearly all B-schools offer a course on Human Resource Management. Every aspect of handling the most essential part of an organisation— the man-power— is taught. However, we have a lot of cases, some known and others unknown, which clearly show that NO ONE CAN BECOME A GOOD MANAGER BY GETTING A DEGREE IN MANAGEMENT.

The biggest problem in our educational institutions is that a large majority of teachers do not teach by example. Thus, even though I am not a teacher (and am also not an MBA), I think I can share an extremely valuable information with you all.

India’s history is resplendent with examples of all kinds. Without going into any other example, I bring to you two kings. Both are from the medieval history of the Indian sub-continent.

The first one was a well-educated Sultan who not only had profound knowledge on logic, philosophy, astro science, mathematics and medicine but also had certain qualities fit for a king. The second one was simply illiterate. With only this much description you may have formed an opinion that the first one must have proved to be a great ruler while the other must have failed his kingdom. However, if I clarify that the name of the first ruler was Mohammed Bin Tughlaq while the second one was Jalaluddin Mohammed Akbar, what will be your opinion then?

It is widely known that Tughlaq was a whimsical ruler. His eccentric manners and mismanagement brought his downfall. Even his education could not save him. On the other hand, Akbar began his rule at a very young age (14 to be precise) and therefore he did not get any chance to read or write. He knew only one language throughout his formative years and that was the language of the sword. Later on he patronized music, architecture, arts and positive religious debates that firmly built on his reputation as a tolerant Mughal ruler.

Although illiterate, Akbar was a sound judge of character. The nine gems in his court were handpicked by him and each was a master in one way or the other. The reason why he became the most successful medieval ruler in Indian history is this aspect of his character. He simply knew who the right man for the right job was. He never erred in his decisions and was a very intelligent administrator.

He is therefore the greatest of all HR managers. There are many modern day managers who are on responsible positions but they themselves have no control on their own lives so how can they judge another? Akbar did not attain the title of ‘the Great’ for his military exploits but for his administrative acumen which proved equally effective as his victories in battles. It is very difficult to choose the right man but had it been that easy, all of us would have post-fixed ‘the Great’ to our names.

Bruce Lee, the 'Master' who taught me

Fists of Tiger and mind of Dragon

Today, while surfing the internet for some quotable quotes, I came upon a website where I found the man who originally uttered those famous words that I wrote about in an earlier article, titled 'My Thanks to KBC' on this blog.

The same quote was reiterated by Bollywood superstar, Amitabh Bachchan on KBC- season 1.

The quote:

"He who knows not and knows not he knows not, He is a fool- Shun him. He who knows not and knows he knows not, He is simple- Teach him. He who knows and knows not he knows, He is asleep- Awaken him. He who knows and knows that he knows, He is wise- follow him."

The original speaker is none other than the immortal Bruce Lee (http://www.quotesnsayings.com/martial-arts/). I always wondered who could have said something that was enough to define the types of people in any society.

Truly, 'the Master' had more to him than just kicks and punches. Thank you, 'Shifu' for it is your words that have made me what I am today.

What India can learn from the Japan crisis

The whole world is, by now, aware of what catastrophe has befallen the world’s third largest economy, Japan. The earthquakes and the tsunamis that are still plundering freely all over the island nation have already destroyed most of what perhaps symbolized the strength and beauty of the Land of the Rising Sun.

World media stands with bated breath as reports of a possible meltdown of the Fukushima nuclear reactor constantly trouble the minds. Everybody is worried about the people of Japan. Now and then, stories of survival, of disappearance, of injury and even of death arrive creating a chain of uncontrollable emotions. These emotions have brought people together and far too close than they ever were.

We, here in India, can do whatever is in our hands to help and bring back our friends trapped in the middle of the rumble. But this is not where it all ends. India must learn two things from this East Asian disaster.

First: Avoid, and if possible stop, use of power generation through nuclear reactors. Japan had 55 operating nuclear power plants before the quake struck. Threat to the people is more from radiation leakage from the damaged reactors than any other quake or tsunami. In a way, it was the industrial needs of the Japanese that made them erect one reactor after another thereby dotting their islands with ‘those giant domes’. India too has similar needs and thus the government of this country has a valid reason to construct the heavyweights of power generation of which we already have six. Plus, the advantage is that most parts of India do not fall under the more dangerous zones of the seismic belt. However, no one in this world has ever been able to predict the next move of planet Earth. When Japan, a nation far ahead of our country in terms of development, stood a mute spectator to the wrath of Mother Nature, where do you think we stand?

This brings us to the second point. India should also learn the way of the Samurai. In a span of five years, from 1943 to 1948, Japan survived four earthquakes and two atomic blasts. Hiroshima and Nagasaki still bring sad memories of the devastation that wiped out all traces of human existence off the map of the two cities on August 6 and 9, 1945. Japan surrendered and has since never raised a standing army (except for self defence purposes). Despite its superb engineering skills, Japan cannot export arms to other nations. Still, the country has electronics manufacturing giants in the form of Sony, Toyota, Honda, Canon, Panasonic, Nintendo and the like. All the mentioned companies have very solid business foundations in India. From the rubble that it was reduced to by the end of the World War II, Japan has risen like a phoenix. I am sure that even this cataclysm would fail to diminish the never-say-die spirit of the Japanese. If all goes smooth and nature tones down its fury on Japan, then in less than two years time the country will be back to normal with everything rebuilt in such a fashion that not even a scar of this disaster would remain.

Questions thus arise as to why we haven’t achieved the level of development like that of Japan. Where do we lack? We have a larger geographical area and natural resources than Japan. We have no dearth of talented manpower. Our country has thankfully been spared of the frequent earthquakes and tsunamis that rock the island nation. Yet, we are far behind them in terms of GDP, HDI, R&D, Industry and even civic administration. Why is that so? This is what we need to think about while we watch the horror story being scripted in Japan.

Why Valentine’s Day?

Valentine’s Day has gone by and many a relations might possibly have been formed. I do not think that there is any need to explain the meaning or importance of V-day. Countless articles have been written on almost every aspect of the day dissecting it into various angles.
       To some, the day is especially reserved for their sweet hearts while for those who are socially independent yet morally conservative, the day means respecting everyone who can be defined as a loved one viz., brothers, sisters, ma, pa, et al.
Whichever manner and with whatever intentions one may have celebrated Valentine’s Day, it is important to know as to why the need for a particular day to proclaim love ever rise?
        In one word, if I may answer, it is Oppression. Yes, oppression lifted February 14 to where it stands today. The young love birds have only one agenda somewhere deep inside them which they call independence. Anything that tends to curb that characteristic faces a sort of revolt; a rebellion that may reach alarming proportions if timely negotiations are not made.
        India has never been a narrow-minded society. Love for all, and also for that special one, is entrenched in our common psyche. Thus we have novellas, stories and folk tales depicting the importance of imparting as well as receiving love. There wouldn’t have been any Meghdootam, Abhigyanshakuntalam or even our beloved Radha and Krishna had ancient India been so conservative. There wouldn’t have been Salim-Anarkali, Heer-Ranjha and definitely, there wouldn’t have been a Taj Mahal if medieval India was so orthodox. Love was nurtured, respected and patronized by the great Kings and sages of the times. In fact, the topic of ‘love’ is so vast in itself that it can’t be explained in mere words.
         Now take a look at the present day India. We have a society that takes pride in honour killing, that thinks holding hands in public is indecent, that prescribes a particular dress-code for the female gender and that loves to impose rules which they themselves do not follow. The very same society enjoys a B or C grade movie inside a dark cinema hall but wears a mask of upright moral values when it comes out in the open.

        I agree that sometimes the actual meaning of love is misconstrued as more physical than emotional. That is wrong but it is impossible to change the wayward nature of young lovers especially by force. Thus, instead of putting an end to this so-called ‘Western Drama’, this society has inadvertently caused the rise in sale of Valentine day stuffs. Reports indicate that an average person spends close to Rs. 5,000 on this day buying presents for his/her special one. That’s a staggering sum!

        If a society or a part of it, starts framing dos and don’ts for a generation that is rebellious in love then we are bound to see fireworks. The more any self styled moral brigade tries to rein in the unbridled horses, the haughtier they turn. By-and-by for the youths, the meaning of V-day is becoming more an answer to the oppression faced by them. This might be far more threatening to the dream of a developed India because it is difficult for a country to survive a societal civil-war.

For Sale: Patriotism

The brave stories of the valiant soldiers who gave up their lives in the service of the country had always inspired me to join any wing of the Indian armed forces. Thus, I rued the moment when I couldn’t due of a medical defect. And now, I pity the condition of my motherland when I come across reports of the manner in which our defence forces are conducting themselves.

Who will hold the hands that rise in salute to the motherland?

It seems that the Indian armed forces are too bored of the ‘Honest Institution’ tag and are desperately trying to replace it with ‘the most dishonest institution of all’. Otherwise, how can we explain the long list of scams that the army is figuring in? More importantly, should we start fearing for our own safety when we read reports of the Chinese army slowly ‘invading’ our lands?

Amidst the hustle-bustle of the IPL drama and the daily matinee of the Indian democracy, news on infiltration by the Chinese army in the Western Sector of our country, slithered in. Both the governments denied it. As usual, our army downplayed it.

This was not the first time that the PLA walked fearlessly on our soil. In September 2009, an alarm had been raised within the government after Chinese incursions in Zulung La (Chumar Sector), located in the east of Leh, was reported. Such transgressions are not new to our North-Eastern borders.

Enough reports have been written on the acts of the PLA and many more might follow. What is important to note is the fact that such intrusions raises fingers on our military’s capability to safeguard our borders.

It is true that our defence budget is less than a third of the military spending of the Chinese which, according to official estimates, stands close to $70 billion. However, to quote an old proverb, “a battle is fought with weapons but won by the men wielding them”. Thus the men who fight are far more important than the weapons. Now, if the same men— who are supposed to defend— turn their attention from the battlefield to satisfy their greed then “Delhi, we have a problem.”

The involvement of the top brass of our armed forces in a large number of scams has brought nothing but disgrace to our military and thereby to the nation. The level of corruption in the forces has reached to such higher proportions that for the first time the Army chief had to appear before the PAC in connection with alleged irregularities in running of the Canteen Stores Department (CSD).

If the top level of the armed forces engages itself in such embarrassing activities then it is easy to deduce the message that will pass into the lower ranks. Since a soldier follows his General then he will do what his General does- including corruption.

If a soldier, today, builds a palatial mansion for his family, even if through corrupt means, then the country shouldn’t blame him. Why? Because he is trying to secure the future of his loved ones for he knows that if he becomes a martyr then this corrupt military may not provide any assistance to his wife and children. The Adarsh scam is the perfect example.

In a nation where the widows of the braves who laid down their lives for the country are not given the respect and assistance they deserve, we should be ashamed of ourselves if we selfishly expect our soldiers to remain patriotic.

The shortfall of officers in the defence services can perhaps be explained with the fact that the youth believe that sacrificing oneself for the country only in the name of devotion will be utter foolishness in this money-minded society.

Therefore, if the military can sell its patriotism why shouldn’t they?

How 'Ravi' got a job

Vijay and Ravi apply for a job in the same company.
They confront each other.
Vijay, in his baritone voice, says, "Mere paas degree hai, diploma hai, intelligence hai, knowledge hai, confidence hai. Kya hai tumhare paas? haan..Kya hai?

Ravi says, "Mere paas 'Jugaad' hai".

Ravi gets the job.