Vicious Circle or Unending Conundrum?

So, we are apparently at the midst of a revolution? or are we, really? The self styled civil society brigade has seemingly brought in a new sense of hope to a generation, sensing haplessness and lethargy over the issue of "Corruption". Damn I have begun using hash tags writing this blog post as well. Call it, the Twitter syndrome. And so, it goes Facebook, Twitter, and all sorts of viral social media abuzz with interesting posts where everyone wants his/her voice to be heard. Coming back to the topic, did I just mention revolution? Some are even happily equating it as the Indian version of the the 'Jasmine Revolution' of the Mid East. Twitter had quite a few tweets abuzz with people waiting and hoping the Government of India (GOI) keeps up with its blunders and finally the revolution sets in. High Hopes and Big thoughts indeed!


So, people ask me: S, what is your take on the issue? Poignant question indeed albeit one which is extremely important as well. In India, we have an inherent characteristic of having an "opinion" about everything. Its fashionable, and the ever excited media thrives on it. Every Tom, Dick & Harry (Tinku, Dinku & Hari) want their opinion to be counted. Perhaps not counted, but at least expressed. In a nation of over billion people, there is some satisfaction at the end of the day of having your voice heard. Whether it counts or not really doesn't make much difference, you see. Anyway, while Anna has his campaign going in full swing, its funny how people are divided in two broad categories straight: Either you are with us or you are against us. (Recall Bush in 2001?) Huh?


Its amazing how majority of the people are slowly moving towards mass hysteria at the moment. Armed with little or no knowledge about the core issue, everybody ends up asking: With or Against us? Of course, if you are against us means you support corruption! How Cheap! 


Personally though, I find it hard to associate with the extreme passions at the core of this movement. Anna's version of the Lokpal bill has far too many flaws - fuzzy definitions, contentious issues, grey areas over defining how a quasi-judicial body would work with the present judiciary, and many more which need to be discussed and ironed out. There is a definite lack of reasoning and hypocrisy at its best, which is visible with the middle class on the streets today. One only wonders why the same middle class does not 'protest' the same way for Irom Devi (a lady protesting for a decade, against a draconian security forces act in Manipur) or for the youth of Kashmir/displaced Tamils, when they are killed incessantly in fake encounters or even protest against land grabs from poor farmers, who eventually commit suicide in supposedly India's second prosperous state. I'm sure most  would not have even known such problems existed in the nation. Yet, we are quick to judge and of course, quicker to have an "opinion".


There are viral sms, messages and emails sent out claiming 1456 lakh crores would return when the black money is returned to India. Each village, we are told, will get Rs.100 crore, with no need to pay electricity bills or taxes for the next 20 years. Not just this, petrol will cost Rs.25 (wow!), Milk Rs.8. To top it all, India’s borders apparently will be stronger than the China Wall & we can build 28,000 km of “rubber road (like in Paris)”, plus houses for 100 million people, 1500 “Oxford-like universities”, 2,000 free hospitals and the list goes on. And worse of all, is that educated people actually believe this! These are I believe all 'notional' aspirations and not 'national' ones. And yet, we fall in this hopeless quagmire, while some state governments pay people to have kids. Strange times we live in, ain't it? 


Meanwhile there is tamasha in full swing in the nation's parliament, with unresolved bills pending, which nobody really cares about much these days. After all, the "people" have spoken, "nationally" not notionally! The fact that NOT a single party can afford to or has yet supported the Lokpal Bill openly is lost in the bargain. You are either with us or against us? Nationally, not notionally.


Shoddy reforms, Stalled governance, snail paced reforms, daily frustrations have all manifested themselves on the roads in the form of the protest. (No,its not a revolution!) Personally, corruption as a problem in India, is not going to go away just because one man wants to make sure his version of the bill is enacted into law. It won't go away as long as this country's population continues to grow at the rate it does. It is unmanageable at present proportions & there's no way you can somehow keep a system of functioning checks & balances, with such large numbers. It simply won't work, but then who listens to reason? 


And the golden goose: Bringing the PM under the Jan Lokpal bill? That's national security suicide! People with an iota of understanding of political science & the constitution know it cannot and should not happen. We are talking about the PM as the Head of the 3 armed forces - Army, Navy, Air Force plus the Intelligence agencies - RAW, IB and the NSA. It would be hara-kiri to bring the PM under the bill. Compare our security forces and intelligence agencies with other nations. Bringing the PM under the ambit would mean compromising on national security. But then, who listens to reason?


To make matters worse - the present government's handling of sensitive issues and the plan of bringing Rahul baba as a successor seems to be idiotic at best. Rahul baba's intelligence is as good as a piece of wood - and the wood would come out better in a battle of wits. And the government continues with its idiosyncracies, lost in a warped sense of comfort. The nation is thus reduced to a screaming mass of half baked know-all loudmouths who threaten if they don't get their way, a mute hippo as the PM, a genocidal tyrant as the opposition, an economically backward option in the Left. The Dirty Dancing continues & one can only sigh!


On a lighter note, Anna apparently wants to flog any youth in public who drinks. I wonder how many people know this and would still support him? :)


[Pic courtesy ABM Enterprises]

A Clear Mandate for India

So, finally the Elections are over and the verdict is out. The nation has witnessed a thumping victory for the Congress a.k.a the UPA. And what a Mandate!!! The UPA just needs a few seats more to pass the magical figure of 272 to form the Govt. And going by the eagerness with which the Independents and smaller parties are supporting the UPA, I am confident that we should see a Stable Government. The Markets have gone Crazy today and quite rightly so. The Biggest positive that the markets have seen is the decimation of the Left, who has since inception been opposed to reforms and Capitalist moves of any kind. So now the onus lies entirely on the Central Govt. to take its own decisions. Hopefully this will bring about relatively faster Decision making. So much Hope rests on the shoulders of the New Govt. One sincerely hopes they come true and they live up to their expectations. So Congratulations to the victors and for the losers, well, au revoir (Until the Next Time...). For Critics, the Indian Nation has voted. So shut the hell up and accept the verdict whether you like it or not. For the next 5 years, this is the Government you have to bear, regardless of your preferences.

Meanwhile, the Clouds seem to darken and the weather has taken a complete U turn now. Mangoes are back and the juicy delights of the yellow fruit are a joy to savour. I believe sincerely that one of God's greatest creations was the Alphonso mango. A ripe Alphonso mango is simply too difficult to resist. They are best eaten at 6 Degrees chilled and of course, you do not cut the mango in bits and pieces, but eat it from the top, entirely. That's the Best way to have it. Why??? Because that's the only way you get to have the whole Mango...Everyone also seems to await the Monsoons. It is humid but better than before now. I am dying to get my Windcheater and Umbrella out. Reminds me of a song by Rihanna - Under my Umbrella....

Being a weekend, I had the opportunity to relax off and watch the IPL for a change. Kolkata Knight Riders seem to be brilliant at losing an almost "won" match. As for the rest, the teams are all slugging it out to make it to the semis. The fight is too close for comfort. And every run counts, esp. after yesterday's Kings XI Punjab defeating Hyderabad Deccan Chargers by a single run. Well, some team is lucky, and sometimes you don't win it all. Come on, Cricket is a game after all. As someone rightfully said, "You lose some, you win them all.” Now keep figuring that out, yourself….

Of Toothaches, Politics and weather...

Visits to the Dentist are always plagued with Apprehensions. BIG Time Apprehensions....More so when you know that you have broken your tooth and have to extract the other half. And adding to the misery is the fact that the other half is deeply ingrained in your gums. Now my dentist is a really nice guy,(actually he is my school friend). He tells me very politely that the tooth refuses to budge. So he will have to shake the tooth, drill the sides and then take it out. Now entering the dentist's clinic itself is a task in itself and fills you with fear. On top of it all, when he actually says all this you are bound to feel something. And that something is definitely NOT pleasant. Anyways, to top it all, after a marathon procedure which seemed to span at least an hour (maybe more), the tooth came out in all its glory, wounded and red. Then our champion tells me that I would need to get it stitched by sutures. Just when you thought that the pain is gone and the ordeal has ended, comes news of sutures being needed. So I had to sit through it all again, and put up with the sutures. Now apparently it would take at least another week by the time the sutures are removed. So I wait eagerly now for the sutures to be removed. Even the leaders fighting elections wouldn't wait so ardently, as me, for the week to end.

Meanwhile back to other news. One of the most hilarious things I have seen this week was this video being aired on national TV of a state leader & former CM entering the house of another national leader with a handkerchief covering more than half of his face. Now it’s pretty obvious that he is hiding himself. Fair enough...we give the guy his due. But true to his political nature, he calls a press conference sooner than expected to explain his actions. Did we ask for an explanation? Are politicians answerable?? But anyways, so sweet of him to do so...And the question is finally asked to him by our ever enthusiastic media: Sir, why did you cover your face with a handkerchief while entering Madam's house?. (Hello, isn’t it obvious? He was trying to have a supposedly Secret meeting!)But then the answer that he gave stumped one and all: He said, "Er...i was just wiping my face with a handkerchief. It was too hot." Hmm, now that amazed everybody for just a moment because the next moment they burst out into a thunderous........wave of laughter. I guess most of the nation watching this did. It simply beats all logic that a former CM travelling in an AC Mercedes at 7 in the evening when the sun has already set feels hot?? Only two scenarios: One. Mercedes is producing those cars in some remote location in the Sahara Desert that too of an inferior third grade raw material or our Champion is repeatedly making a fool of himself. Spare a thought for the poor guy though anyways!!! As they say, it happens only in India!

The mornings are seemingly getting better day by day as the weather slowly and gradually softens up. The humidity remains intact though, but hey, ‘Something is better than absolutely nothing,’ right? The mad heat of May seems to be withering away as the dark clouds seem to gather across the sky. Shades of grey in scattered directions spread across the horizon. Ah well!! Another reason for me to sleep longer. Sigh!!! The rains are supposed to be on time this year. That's was the Met Department says. But as usual they are wrong around 90% of the times. Come to think of it, it would be really cool to have a job or be working for the Met Department. More often than not, they always get their predictions wrong. And yet they stay in place and don't lose their job. Strange, isn't it? They seem to have dismantled an old Doppler radar which was well... apparently aging and getting old. They decided to replace it with a new one. Now it seems that the new one may not be ready till the monsoon ends this year. Sad state of affairs is the least I can say. Especially if there is (God forbid) another 26th July flood this year, who's to blame? Some say its not used to predict floods. Well okay but doesn’t it assist in the prediction? Anyways predictions are often wrong so I guess one cannot complain. Maybe after all there is some reason why I named this blog as the smiling raindrop. So, Bring on the rains!!!!

Before I sign off though one note about the pictures on this blog. My friend’s suggested that I keep the picture on every post in line with the topic. Fair point, so the appropriate picture here would be that of a Mercedes. Imagine sweating it out inside this piece of luxury that too with the AC on!!!

An Ordinary Day...

Now two of the things that have really kept me glued to the Television are 1.The Indian Premier League and 2. The Indian Political League...

The Indian Premier League is nothing but a nice example of how a sport can be popularized using Marketing effectively. My bro kept complaining that the event being showcased in South Africa doesn’t have enough viewers. It seems they don’t need viewers cos most of the organizers costs are recovered from sponsors, ad revenues, and of course tv commercials.......no wonder they end up paying those guys a bomb for 3 odd hrs. Crazy world this is, isn’t it?? Who needs an MBA for heaven's sake? Even education costs a fortune these days...phew!!!

The Indian Political league is more fun than the Indian Premier League. with great pomp and hopes we go out to vote only to later sit back and see what are the new political alignments & re-alignments constantly taking place. While conspiracy theories do the rounds, it is fun to watch how politicians woo people with everything from rice @ rs.2 / kg to promises of building temples and proving dominance. Hmm now rice@ Rs. 2/kg is understandable but a temple??? Okay some say that its an emotional issue, culture, pride blah blah....finally comes down to one factor......treating religion like a commodity......i give u rice, u vote for me...................okay forget the rice, i give u temple, u vote for me........Whatever suits the masses, deliver the same!!! Like a Commodity!!!

And we fall in the trap. What pity!!!! But then we live in a real world and fantasies and dreams are called so for a reason after all.

These Newspapers are full of the regular stuff......murder, rape, thugs, goons, fraud, etc...
Ever wondered how they are a depiction of the real "us". maybe not quite, but they are indeed an example of our emotions, feelings...products of why we are the way we are today....Products of Society and Civilization. A friend of mine told me once that given a chance we wud all behave like freaky animals and just like to do what we wish, regardless of whether it is ethical or not. Something similar to what Osho preached if I'm not mistaken. Osho btw proclaimed himself to be GOD. Hmm thats a nice thought but then, who has seen GOD??? What proof do we have of him if there ever is one? And even if we were to prove him or see him, wouldnt we question as to how did he come into being? Maybe the answer lies in the essence of God in itself. God resides in each one one of us as does the Devil. After all, maybe the great battle of Kurukshetra is fought always in our minds. The fight of Good over Evil. And the choice is ours to make: God or the Devil. So why fight so much over Religion in the first place?

An evangelist once met me on the road outside my office while returning home. As evangelists are, he started off with a conversation
Evangelist: Sir, can i talk with you?
Me: Yes (Dude, I look like a likely bakra. Go on with your rant!!!)

E: Sir, have u heard about Jesus Christ. Only he can save you.
Me: Well yes. Im a Catholic. So???

E: Sir, open this bible to page no.... and read this para XYZ....
Me: yes i have read it before but why are you telling me this? (Time for Brainwashing)

E: Sir, this says that only Jesus Christ can save you.
Me: Okay well but that's your interpretation of it. I don’t think I wud put it that way.( I am not taking your Bullshit talks lying down)

E: Sir, u need to understand that what they teach you in ‘your’ Catholic Church is fake. Follow our teachings and our Church as we are the only true Church as Jesus says here in the Bible, there will be fake preachers blah blah....and we only need to follow the word of God which is the Bible,blah blah....
Me: As I said before I don’t think that is how I wud put it. I believe that is your interpretation of it. Maybe I may not think of it that way.

E: Sir, do u understand u will be condemned and burn in hell eternally.
me: Well okay but i believe in on religion called Humanity which supersedes all other faiths. If for that I have to burn in hell, so be it!!!

E: But sir, only this Word of God can save you.
Me: Who says so? I think being humane to others is greater a religion than any of these books or scriptures. And why would I need to follow things the way they are in the book. Isn’t it possible that your interpretation may be biased and incorrect? And what if you are wrong?

Finally, the evangelist gave up and he left. Although I wud still ask the same question to anyone. Would a person who only follows a particular faith (desisting other faiths, making a mockery of them), be greater than someone who may not even believe in a concept of God, (yet being humane to as many as possible)??? Why would he burn in hell??? And if that were really the case, then maybe we don’t deserve to be humane in the first place!!!

The evangelist had no answer and I don’t think anybody would either....So then I conclude that maybe we might all differ in faiths but isn’t being in a common "humane" religion much better a way to find God?