Contradictions of India

Read this news in The Times of India - National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) has recommended to raise the income limit of "creamy layer" for OBCs from 4.5L to 9L per annum.

In a country where poverty level has been set at an individual income of Rs 32 per day, a family income of 4.5 lakh was not considered sufficient for defining who should be considered "backward" enough to be eligible for the quota benefits.

What is it ? A new attack on our sensibilities !

Victory of democracy

I am a happy man today. Indian voters have finally come of age. A man who talked only about development in his election rallies has been handsomely handed a second term of government. And all others have been routed out in style. The strongmen and their spouses and their relatives, near and distant,  have been shown the way out.

It is as much the victory of democracy as it is of Nitish Kumar. The poll results must have reinforced faith in democracy in the minds of many.At least in my case, it did. Suddenly, the idea of India becoming a super power is looking realistic. It is just a beginning and a lot more needs to be done. But the beginning has begun. Hopefully.

Perils of multi-party democracy

There must be a God somewhere in this universe. Because I find no other way to explain how our beloved country is not only running but also growing at 7% per annum despite the corruption in legislature, in bureaucracy and in judiciary; bureaucratic red tape, the aristocratic mentality of our government machinery, the apathy of our people, the anachronous mentality of the society at large among other things. We may be a country of several hundred (or rather thousand) dialects, we may have people from all religions, we may have terrains as diverse as what mother earth can offer and we may go gaga about having a unity in diversity but the actual fact is that it is just a false hand that we have kept at our disposal whenever someone criticizes the state of this once a great nation. 

Over the past few weeks, we have been reading a lot about Naxalite violence in some of the states. There have been all kind of statements from different sections of the society. Some of them have called this an act of self preservation whereas some others have denounced them severely. Its true that tribals in Indian have been exploited for long and the fact that successive state and central governments have turned blind eye to it had make such an upsurge inevitable. But I am still sceptic about the ideologies leaders of these movements purport. Given the way the mass media plays into the hands of the governments  its difficult for an outsider to know which side is right and which is wrong. But in between all this mess, there is a certain truth that people from both sides are getting killed every day and that our government is doing nothing about it.

There are some perils of a multi-party democracy and a coalition government. Regional parties propagates policies that are essential for their survival but are sometimes contrary to the national interest. Also the fact that they are regional ensures that they can't be held accountable in the other parts of the country. Given that one of the alliances in the UPA has in past (and possibly even now) defended and supported such movements, it is difficult for the government to take a clear stand. It seems the impasse that has been created would continue for some time to come.

Another instance of a coalition government going wrong is that of the telecommunication minister A. Raja. He has been charged for allocating 2G spectrum to the telecom companies on a first come first serve basis at a throw away price. The fact that auction of 3G spectrum has earned government an amount of Rs. 70,000 crore, several times more than what was earned from selling of 2G spectrum has brought this topic to the fore. But the fact that Raja belongs to DMK, another one of UPA alliance would ensure that he would go unhurt despite the fact that the amount the government lost is almost equal to the health budget of the country.  Abdul Karim Telgi might have been jailed for a fraud of this much amount but Raja will not be. In fact, he might even flourish in all probability.

There are many other cases in which coalition government have crippled the country. But given the structure of our democracy, a coalition government looks inevitable. We will have to continue to bear with the likes of Lalu, Mulayam and Mayawati. What India desperately needs is a national party with a complete majority at the center and also in states. Otherwise the nation may never realize its full potential.

A legacy named Indira

"She was a great patriot and a flawed democrat".

"Her story is a story of a woman pushed into the public eye by men, corrupted by power and assasinated by those she should have trusted best". (Sunday Times)

She is revered and despised in equal measures. She is the most recognized Indian in the world after Gandhi himself. Her leadership in the 1971 war was iconic. At the same time, she has been touted as the most controversial Prime Minister of all time. The emergency that she imposed is seen as the biggest spot on the Indian democracy.

So who is she for the generation which knows her only by the archives of the newspapers, books and some documentaries ?

While growing up as child, I had an image of a woman who was hungry for power, who toyed with democracy at her will. An image of someone totally averse to criticism. And it was because my grandfather was jailed during emergency for shouting anti-government slogans and the whole story looked so virtuous and glorious to me.

As I grew up, I came accross new information and facts. The more I get to know about her, the more I was intrigued. Her metamorphosis from a shy young woman to a stolid, imposing and fearsome ruler is spectacular. It was by a sudden chance that she became the Prime Minister and from there on started a dramatic journey of highs and lows.

I respect her for the vision that she uphold for India. She abolished the titles of Maharajas, nationalized the banks and other corporations. Her efforts saw India becoming a nuclear power. She was not averse to taking to any means to further the interests of India inside the coutry as well as else where.

But I am a critic of her pursuit to obtain absolute powers. Her brand of politics was quite opposite to that of her father. She is the one responsible for the dynastic nature of the Indian politics, for the interference of legislature with the judiaciary and bureaucracy. She was the one who led Khalistan grew to increase her control in Punjab and it was this very factor that caused her demise.

And for all these reasons, good or bad, she remanins a legacy to everyone in this country. A legacy named Indira.

Mumbai vs Bombay

Its back again. This time, people have objection about again calling Mumbai as Bombay in the movie 'Wake Up Sid'. The people whom I am referring to is not just any general group because I don't see what problem a slum dweller of Dharavi could have in it. He probably would not be seeing the movie in the first place. The 'people' here are those people whose bread and butter depends upon calling Mumbai , Mumbai.

Aakhir Mumbai ko Mumbai nahi bolega to aur kya bolega. (Pardon me, just remembered a scene from Kaminey).

I am sometimes taken aback by the frivolity of the issues which are raised in this country. Are we really short of issues that now we have to take up as trifle a case as this ? Would calling the city Mumbai change anything? Would it ensure proper housing for half the population which is presently living in the slums ? Or would it prevent streets from flooding next time it rains there ?

Isn't it sufficient enough to officially change the name of the city ? Shouldn't people be free in calling the city by what ever name they wish to call ?

From what I see, its nothing more than a quibble to divert our attentions from the more pressing issues. After all, its much more simple to tackle things like this. All they got to do is ransack a theatre or two, block some roads, hinder the routine working. The producer would come forward apologising and these people come out as a hero for having preserved the identity of their community. The identity which was put forward by these very people. Its a gimmick which is played by these people time and again so that people of their community start to identify themselves with them.

Its alarming to see how easily these people can hold the whole city at ransom. It is a dangerous tendency and in the future the government should step in to curb it.

A beggar free Delhi

The world is not a right place to live in for those who don't have money. For long, its laws have been dictated by those who have money, by those who have power. Whether its a country, or a corporation or just a man, if you have power, you can make the world work on your terms. You can make your own laws. You can give your own judgements.

In the wake of the commonwealth games, it has been decided to make Delhi beggar free. Apparently, these beggars are a nuisance for the city. They don't give the right picture of the capital of this great nation. Hence, to make things right, they would be removed from the city. An adult caught begging would be sent to a jail. The children would be sent to juvenile homes. Consideration would however be shown to those who are caught for the first time for begging.

The people from the lowest economic strata and those who don't have any economy have always been dispensable. Most of these people are the migrants from the rural areas who are forced to come to the cities because of the fewer opportunities for earnings back home. This situation has aroused because of the continuous neglect of these rural areas by one government after the other. The major chunk of our resources are poured into the cities. And hence it is but natural for people to migrate there.

But the government has shown the intent that they are not keen on entertaining these people if they can't find themselves a source of living. It would have really called for some mammoth efforts to eradicate poverty from the city. Hence the government took a shortcut. They have instead start eradicating the poor.

It just leaves me wondering at the selfishness and hypocrisy of the affluent class. We want a clean city, a green city, a beggar less city for ourselves. We want the cheap labours at our home and industries. But we don't want the slums where they live. Its as if the mere reason for the existence of the poor in this country is to subsidize the life of the rich. We don't want their problems. We only want their services.

I just wish that the government reconsiders its decision. I agree that it is important to portray a nice picture of our country to the rest of the world. But do we want it at the expense of life of 1 lakh people. Think.

Secularism and Casteism

I have been meaning to write this post since quite a long time. And by long time, I mean the time before the fateful general elections were held, time before we witness one of the most dominating majority in the Lok Sabha in the recent years. It was the time when all the parties and alliances were battling it out for each and every Lok Sabha seat. It was the time when the allegations and counter allegations were at their zenith. BJP accusing Congress of 5 years of weak and inefficient administration. And the Congress calling BJP a non secular party.

Secularism. Its the word that has dominated the Indian politics since the time Lal Krishna Advani decided to embark that Rath Yatra. The word which was echoed again and again when Babri Masjid was demolished and when communal riots broke out in Bombay. The word which has reverberated in the corridors of Indian politics since the country saw Godhra burning. All over the place, there were hues and cries to form a secular government at centre. Alliances were made and broken because some parties were more secular than other.

So what does secularism means ? Wikipedia says that secularism is the assertion that governmental practices or institutions should exist separately from religion and/or religious beliefs. I alternatively think that it means people should not be discriminated against or favoured on the basis of religion. All religions are equal. But in the recent years, a new variable has emerged which has made it necessary to revise this definition. And this variable is caste.

Caste is the new religion. And if not, it is definitely as important as religion the reason being it is the main divide among the people. You are no more a Hindu. You are now a Dalit or a Yadav or a Jat or a Gujjar or a Meena or a Patel or a Reddy or a Naidu. And it was really appalling to see how a politician like Mayawti can call herself secular or how a party like Congress can tag itself as a secular party after having divided the country through reservation. How is Congress more secular than BJP. Its not that I endorse Barbri Masjid demolition or the Gujrat riots. I mean that religion is no more the parameter for calling a party secular.

Casteism is the modern day equivalent of non secularism. It was the casteism which saw Gujjar taking on Meenas in Rajasthan. Names are no more the identities. Surnames are. You listen a surname and the first thing that comes into your mind is caste. Casteism was inherent to the Indian society for centuries. But it remained at a sub conscious level. But the political parties have brought it into our consciousness. Rulers of our country might not have realized the repercussions of playing that reservations card. But as a student I have realized it again and again. I realized it when I saw students taking on students on reservation. And I realize it every time when I hear the words "reserved category". Why are these people so adamant at diving us ? What is the cost that our country is paying for this imbecility ? What our country really needs is a government which is truly secular.

Communism in India...

In the news, ruling party in Kerala has been accused of giving away land (including those which were declared ecologically fragile) to the real state developers. The video of the channel showed the natives resenting against the decisions. The news was reminiscent of what had happened earlier in Singur.
The commonality in both the incidences is that the ruling party was none other than our very own CPI. So is the party going for an image makeover or what. Isn't the poor supposed to be the beneficiary in a communist rule. But what has happened in both these states is ironical. The Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee government justified their step on the grounds of industrializing the resourceful state. But in the process, the money was flowing from poor to the rich. The land at Singur which is just 50 km from Kolkata was been given to Tatas at very petty prices at the cost of poor people's livelihood. And the most ironical fact is that the site has been proposed for the manufacturing of the NANO- India's cheapest car.
So the question which arises in my naive mind is what exactly are the ideologies of the CPI. Is this is what communism really is? The sight of Communists fighting with their Communist propaganda at the centre but at the same time being indifferent to the plight of the poor in their own state is very frustrating. And what baffles me most is the adamance with which the party has stuck to their resolution of opposing the Nuclear Deal with US just beacause it is a capitalist economy.
The CPI, as it looks has gone all the way to distort the Communist dogma, as much as possible to suit them but at the same time reviving it at times and again to make grounds for their otherwise baseless oppositions. I feel its time that the party should incorporate some changes in their otherwise obsolete ideologies so as to justiy the need for some form of capitalism and also to play some meaningful role in the national politics.