Results of General Elections 2009

On 16th May, 2009, all those who cared for India’s future followed with anxiety, the unfolding of results of the general elections. Most of us in the campus were glued to live streaming of the results whenever possible and really missed India. I was very happy when the Congress returned to power once again (Technically its UPA but practically it is the Congress which has won). The results reinforced my belief in our political system and most importantly, in our electorate.

What exactly do the results signify? Contrary to the belief in the world media that the Indian voters are gullible because of the extreme poverty and lack of education, these voters have proved that they are politically much wiser and can exercise their right to vote quite sensibly.
World media also like to believe that India is not worthy of democratic system. The whole process of elections is an eye-opener to these people. Can you imagine such kind of mega-elections taking place anywhere else in the world with such meagre resources? The numbers themselves are scary. 714 million voters; 0.8 million polling booths, 0.828 million booth level officers and total deployment of 7-8 million people for successful conduction of general elections. All of this with a meagre budget of, believe it or not, USD 4 Million and a staff of 300 people. The elections were conducted with minimum (almost nil) complaints of rigging. Now, look around the world and you will realise how the elections are rigged all over the world. Remember George Bush’s election in his first term?

Who are the biggest losers? Undoubtedly, it’s the NDA and the left parties. NDA, for the fact that, the Indian voters again chose stability and continuance of policies over hate politics and the lack of any clear development agenda and the left parties for the fact that they tried to reverse the development cycle.

NDA simply couldn’t get majority because people silently watched their hypocrisies on the matters of national security, development agenda and knew exactly what happened to BJP’s earlier promises. Hate politics cannot be a road to power in India. The sooner BJP realises this, the better it is for them. India will never tolerate communalism because of its accommodative culture. Even at the height of BJP hype, the party could never win a majority of vote share. It was basically a smart election management.

The left parties couldn’t properly assess the aspirations of the growing middle class in India and took a U-turn in almost all the important issues close to urban India. Even the people in the left’s bastions of West Bengal and Kerala have voted for a change.
The maturity of Indian voters is most evident in the way they have elected their MPs. The voters saw in the last term how the regional parties arm-twisted Congress on important issues and hence denied most of the regional parties including LJP, RJD, SP, BSP and NCP. However, the voters understand the importance of a strong opposition party and NDA with 157 seats is no weak opposition.

For an Indian who generally believes that nothing positive happens in India, the results of the general elections 2009 offer a welcome change. Long live Indian democracy.

Singapore Diary

Finally settling down in Singapore. We are all tired of hearing stories about how clean, disciplined Singapore is. I am not going to write much about it, thankfully. I have been going out almost everyday to different parts of Singapore and I am yet to see an area of Singapore which is untidy. (Little India being the glaring exception where ex-pats in Singapore relive Indian memories by crossing the roads at random, throwing around the litter and generally being our goodwill ambassadors). All of us students were taken to a hospital for some x-rays for student visa. The majority of the students are Indians and thankfully we behaved exactly the way we should have behaved while in transit and while at the hospital taking utmost care to spoil the image of our country.

I miss India so much because I haven't yet heard a single car or bus sounding horns either while the traffic is in motion or while the traffic just takes off at signals. Another thing which irritates me is the fact that people actually wait patiently behind you if you are on the wrong side of escalators. Why can't they simply start an arguement?

Singapore has opened Pandora's box of fundamental questions. I have always had a socialistic bent of mind and always believed that socialism was one of the ways to address poverty and that socialism is a greatly misunderstood concept which needs to be thought of in a new light. I will have to do a lot of re-thinking about this approach. In contrast, Singapore is an epitome of capitalism. Yet, you won't find a poor in Singapore. This prosperity comes with a price. Singapore, since its birth as a nation has been ruled by one single party and it has no opposition. People do not discuss political issues as openly as we do in India. I do not really know where lie the answers to problems of a country as vast and as populous as India with very unique settings and problems. I will talk about it more some other time.

As for the course, it is just brilliant and gives me an intellectual high. We have started with three core subjects namely Quantitative Techniques, Global Business Management and Financial Accounting. The approach to the course is very brilliant and uses case studies a lot. Right from day one, we are kept on our toes. It is 3.15 am here and I have just finished my assignments for tomorrow(rather, today). It is indeed very interesting to study the pioneering works of some of the greatest minds. More about this as I progress.

I hope to keep writing as often as I can.

Children of Heaven

Witnessing the events unfold around us, we sometimes wonder where the sensitivity, faith in relationships have gone? Have we lost the capacity to view relationships in a simple, uncomplicated way? Just when we are about to give up, life presents us with some unexpected, invaluable gifts which strengthen our belief in basic human values. Last week I watched two great movies, Children of heaven & Where is my friend’s home? directed by an Iranian & a Russian director respectively.

Children of heaven, directed by Majid Majidi, was nominated for Oscar in the Best Foreign Film category in 1997(‘Life is beautiful’ won the award that year). The film portrays the innocent world of the children very powerfully. The story is about ten years old Ali and his eight years old sister Zahira, both belonging to a very poor family.

Zahira’s shoes are lost by Ali when he takes them to a cobbler for repairs. Ali doesn’t know how to face his sister. Zahira, when told this fact, almost starts crying. The siblings cannot even tell this to their parents as they are fully aware about their family’s financial condition and also of the fact that their father’s monthly salary is still very far off. Ali comes up with a brilliant plan of sharing Ali’s shoes. This is possible since Zahira goes to school in the morning and Ali goes in the afternoon. Zahira frantically runs home as soon as the school is over. Ali waits for her in the ally. They exchange shoes and Ali proceeds to school. Many a times Zahira is late and Ali gets a scolding from his headmaster for being late.

One slowly begins to involve oneself in the agony, despair and love of these children for each other through the small incidences which are woven very intricately.

Finally Ali gets an opportunity he has been waiting for. A running competition is announced in that province. There are many prizes to be won but what beckons Ali is the prize for the third position, a brand new pair of shoes. He manipulates the race so that he will be in third position. However, when two others run past him near the finishing line, he runs frantically and wins the race. Everyone is wishing him while he deeply regrets the result.

At the end, the father is on way to home with a new pair of shoes. Not knowing this, Ali comes home, his demeanor, that of someone who has lost everything. Winning the race is of least importance to him. He takes off his shoes and dips his legs in the small pond in the courtyard. The water flows over his feet & the fish tickle his feet.

The movie is actually a poetry. I have just outlined the plot. Majidi’s direction and the performances by the children especially by Ali, are only to be experienced.

I will write about Where is my friend’s home? in my next blog.

Elephant in your bedroom

P. Sainath has aptly said in one of his interviews that invisible India is like an elephant in your bedroom. I visited Jamkhed, a small village at a distance of about 75 Km from Ahmadnagar on last saturday and sunday only to realise the truth behind these words.

Throughout the journey, barring a few islands of development(?) I could only see poverty, despair and systemic failure. The day we reached was a day of the weekly market. Weekly market is an interesting concept, in existance since ancient history. Small time farmers and manufacturers who cannot afford to sell their produce in the city, set up shop in a particular village on a particular day in a week and shift to different locations in the vicinity every day.

We enthusiastically decided to go shopping. To my horror, the agricultural produce was so cheap that we actually felt guilty buying at such throw-away prices(Tomatoes for e.g. were priced at Rs. 2/Kg as against Rs. 10/Kg in cities). I probed more and found multiple reasons for this. These farmers were perennially in debt due to uncertainty of rains, overuse of fertilizers, non-availability of seeds etc. Also, it was not possible for them to either sell their produce in the nearby city or to pay commission to traders. All these factors force the farmers to sell in the local markets. Since the purchasing power in the vicinity is low, the prices are pulled down to such an extent that the farmers can barely meet their expenses(Wal-mart is a classic example in a different context. It pays its staff so low that the staff members are left with no choice but to buy at Wal-mart).

I also went to a couple of other places in the locality and everywhere I found that people have lost hope about their future. There are no perennial resources of water(ironically, Maharashtra has the highest number of dams, check-dams and canals in India). Since people are not willing to continue farming as a profession, they are sending their children to cities such as Pune for education or jobs, creating extra burden on the infrastructure in these cities(Mr. Thakre should take notice of this intra-state migration rather than the inter-state migration). Since these children are not equipped to succeed in cities, they feel uprooted, face depression and even turn to crime.

Can there be an end to this? Yes. If only we start looking beyond 'me, my family'. If only we start realising that India is not just metros, malls or so-called burgeoning middle-class. If only we understand what true development is. Many NGOs are seeking to find out what true development is. They are doing some great work in this area. Micro-credit also holds a big promise and definitely has the potential to change the face of rural India.

We can certainly bring about a change, if only we spot the elephant in our secured, insulated bedroom.

Zen & the art of living

Sitting quietly, doing nothing,

Spring comes and,

Grass grows by itself.

-Zen haiku.

While reading a book, I came across this haiku and was mesmerised by the simplicity with which it delivers the message. (Haiku is a very important form of traditional Japanese poetry. Haiku is designed to convey the essence of an experience in a short format.) Too many a time, we fail to focus on experiencing life just as it is because of our habit to delve in complexities that form a barrier between us and the direct experience of the present moment.

We have forgotten to enjoy simple joys of life. How many times do we experience the setting sun while driving back home? Hardly. Because we are busy focussing our minds on tomorrow's tasks. We do not know what long walks are, we cannot think of moments when we do not think at all. Just the other day, I was driving back home and to my left was the vast expanse of open land. The sun was setting and an array of bright golden, orange, red, yellow, pink, blue and white hues was on display in the sky. I jsu couldn't take my eyes off the sight and pulled the car to the roadside. I later realised that while I spent some 20 minutes watching this grandeur, sadly, not a single passer-by bothered to stop by. (Did you notice the superiority complex in this realisation? Also, this means, my mind too, wasn't free of thoughts while watching the sun set.)

I am not advocating a lazy life. I firmly believe that work is worship and working hard is like serving the God. We must work hard not only for ourselves but also to repay the society which influences a great deal of our personality. However, while working hard to achieve our goals, we must not forget to live our life.

I am reminded of a cartoon in which two monks are sitting. The elder monk tells the younger one, 'Nothing happens next. This is it.' All through our life when we are busy working for a better life, we don't realise that life has passed us by.

Let us vow to slow down a bit.

Terror Attacks on Mumbai

It has been more than 15 days since the traumatizing attacks on Mumbai. India, so far, hasn’t really reacted except for building up the diplomatic pressure on Pakistan. The intellectuals’, masses and the media are wondering why our government is taking so much time to retaliate. What are India’s options? Let us consider the options that are routinely discussed in the media. They are:
a. Attack Pakistan b. Attack the Terrorist camps in the area along the Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan. (Limited strikes)
c. Severe economic ties with Pakistan.
d. Engage Pakistan in a dialogue.
e. Urge world leaders and UN to pressurise Pakistan on taking action against terrorist camps in Pakistan.
I only wish the answers to this question were so simple.

Unprecedented economic crisis engulfing the world, complex priorities and needs of our country & the long-term goals of being a super-power are some of the issues that need to be tackled before deciding on the course of action. Let us understand what India’s challenges are.

The world economy is reeling under the economic crisis, and since India is not decoupled from the world economy, it is only a matter of time when Indian economy starts feeling the heat. If at all India goes to war with Pakistan, Pakistan has nothing much to lose but can India afford a war at this point of time when we are nursing the ambitions of becoming a super-power? The war-mongers want the eradication of Pakistan from the world map. Think for a moment, whether this can be realistic?

It is imperative for us to have peaceful borders with Pakistan which only a stable, democratic (even if dummy) government in Pakistan can ensure. The implications of war with Pakistan are scary. Deep economic crisis and vacuum in the government will help the fundamentalists seize the powers in Pakistan & the refugees will exert tremendous burden on the Indian state (as happened during 1971 war). Are we prepared for this double whammy? Obviously not, and hence India, while pressurizing Pakistan to act, will have to ensure that the prevalent political system there doesn’t break down. Believe me; this is going to be a tight rope walk for our government.

As our economy is growing, our energy needs are going to multiply exponentially and while the energy sources are becoming scarce by the day, Iran-India gas pipe line through Pakistan can be a feasible option. Not only would Pakistan benefit from Iranian natural gas exports, but also Pakistani territory would be used as a transit route to export natural gas to India, for which Pakistan shall get paid by India. The potential for economic and developmental gain from natural gas will force India, Iran, and Pakistan to reassess their roles and policies in regional conflicts, like Kashmir, Afghanistan, and national security issues.

There’s also a talk about severing our economic ties with Pakistan. Our current trade balance with Pakistan no doubt is in surplus but I doubt whether severing economic ties will help. If India doesn’t supply, some other country will. So, if the war or limited war or the option of severing economic ties is ruled out, what can India do at this point in time? First & foremost, tighten internal security. A lot of issues relating to the co-ordination between various governmental security agencies, equipment to police have surfaced. These issues need immediate attention & resolution. Candles and human chains are fine & they do build pressure on government but these security lapses need to be followed up and media can play a very important role by following up regularly. Only time will tell us how serious the media is about national security. If the media forgets its duties, we as responsible citizens should remind the government of its promises. There are various ways through which this can be done. We may use this media, discussion groups or form pressure groups. Secondly, India will have to continue building up pressure on Pakistan. There are bright chances that the world will take notice of what we have to say this time. The failed US economy, growing threat of attacks on the USA, change in the US government and the reduced importance the USA places on Pakistan in its geopolitical strategies in Asia will ensure India gets more attention. The USA foresees a strong China as the impending super-power, & since it desperately needs to curb Chinese influence in Asia & the world, it is increasingly collaborating with India. We must take enough advantage of this fact. Already our diplomatic strategies are showing results with most world leaders openly admitting Pakistan’s role in the attacks. Latest in the list is the British P.M. Gordon Brown. Thirdly, we must not forget that however beleaguered the relationship between India & Pakistan is, we must continue a dialogue. A dialogue ensures a working relationship which can be used even to exert pressure in challenging times.
Let us remember that only the strong are respected in the world politics and no relationships are lasting.

Strayed Navnirman-II

There is substance in the issue raised. However, since the issue is very contextual, what matters the most is how this issue is analysed. Let us first understand that the feeling of insecurity among the locals against the non-locals is not uncommon. The USA is witnessing it and so is the U.K., Australia or any other country with high number of immigrants. Even in our country, there have been stray incidents of erruptions against people from other states. Since, most of the other states in India are less developed as compared to Maharashtra, there are less number of employment opportunities in these states. No wonder then, that for people in other states, Maharashtra offers limitless opportunities. However, even though we would like to believe that all the regions in Maharashtra are equally developed, the fact is, development in Maharashtra hasn't been beyond Mumbai and few other cities. Bold statements from the politicians apart, the rural Maharashtra is actually dying a slow death. This uneven development pattern within Maharashtra is making the matters worse. Since, people within Maharashtra are willing to migrate to Mumbai and few other cities such as Pune & Nagpur, the influx of 'outsiders' to these cities is upsetting the locals as they feel they have the right to be benefitted first from Mumbai's development as it belongs to Maharashtra.

In order to restore the situation, a detailed long term plan, rather than a 'Quick-fix' is required. The states which contribute to the influx in Maharashtra should introspect about why the people from those states migrate to Maharashtra. People in Maharashtra should clearly understand that development is an irreversible process. It is upto the people of Maharashtra whether to run away from the situation or embrace the opportunities the development offers. Also, to fight influx,people of Maharashtra should equip themselves with the right approach and aquire necessary skills.

What has Maharashtra lost in the whole bargain? A great deal. First of all, despite having the maximum number of migrants from every other state in India, Maharashtra's friedly image is dented and today it is perceived as hostile and the people of Maharashtra, stubborn. Media has contributed in its own way. When it was busy publishing stories of poor taxi drivers from Bihar being beaten mercilessly, hardly any one of them noticed that Maharashtra was one of the first states to send doctors for the rescue work in flood affected areas. While it was worth publishing a story of so-called killing of a young man who had come for an interview from Bihar(which was later proven irresponsible journalism), the news of a common Maharashtrian donating Rs. one and a half lakhs from his meagre retirement funds to Bihar flood relief fund was not at all important. This media bias has played an important role in forming opinions about people of Maharashtra. Finally, despite having contributed the maximum in our country's freedom struggle and despite being very patriotic, Maharashtra, thanks to its politicians, has inadvertently, acted against the national interest.

The only ray of hope is the fact that not all of Maharashtra follows Mr. Thakre(Raj or Uddhav) just as not all of Bihar follows Mr. Lalu Prasad Yadav and not all of U.P. follows Mr. Amar Singh or Ms. Mayawati.