Anna Bizarre

A beginning has been made. The movement against corruption in Indian society has sprouted from non other than an old Gandhian seed, Anna Hazare. People have amassed and rallying on streets behind him. Interestingly,the campaign is apolitical and powered by the middle class; its two major pillars of strength. The motivated forces have mobilised and are ready to create history but there is no goal, there is no strategy. what a waste of effort and emotion!!
Corruption is a disease and has to be fought inwardly at grass root level upwards. It will not vanish overnight. Lokpals will be same as any other controlling bodies and susceptible to corruption as any other Indian unless we have ET aliens. we know our judiciary and its integrity. Secondly, legislation is charter of Parliament and not of hunger strikers out side the House. Anna and his team imperatively have to earn a seat inside the house to bring in changes. Else, it remains as high pitched drama and media spree.

Aarakshan and Bhrashtachaar...contd.

I thought for a while, is corruption a mere act of immorality? or is there a deeper reason for it to exist? After a bit of google dig on its psychology, I got convinced that the once socially accepted this evil has spread like a contagious disease in India and has reached at an alarming level. Unless the society starts out casting corrupt people there will neither be a shame nor fear amongst them. Extralegal strength of society's rules is far more than any Lokpal.

Albert Einstein has simplified it by saying: "The world is a dangerous place to live not because of the people who are evil but because the people who do nothing about it.

So, what we do about it...

We need a nation wide mass movement like Renaissance, Mao's Long March, or American Civil Rights Movement led by Martin Luther King Jr's to bring in a change.

Can Anna prove to be a leader of such a mettle? or we have to wait for some incarnation as per holy GEETA.

 "यदा  यदा  ही  धर्मस्य,  ग्लानिरवा  भवती  भारत, 

अभ्युथानम  अधर्मय्स्य , तदात्मानं  सृजामि  अहम् ". 

Aarakshan and Bhrashtachaar...

I am fond of Amitabh Bachchan's blogs. He is, these days, canvassing for his latest movie 'Aarakshan'. The subject is very controversial and has always been pricking my mind as well. Unequal society like ours has never been a level playing field, including the present times. If, inadvertently a verse of knowledge was heard by a 'shudra' passing by, the brahamins would seal his ears with the molten lead whereas, poor guy would not even understand sanskrit. Dronacharya got the thumb severed of Eklavya, a lesser human. Cruelty apart, imagine the belief in such a inhuman practice. Thousands of years of continuous oppression and remaining away from academics as well as knowledge, for sure must have brought into them a genetic degradation. It will require at least some good number of generations to be at par.

Now, it is their turn with reservation and others can thank God as it can neither be labeled as revengeful nor punitive. Generations, if enjoy the goodies of inheritance they cannot avoid to serve debts of their forefathers.

But, can a Nation afford to ignore talent and competence in this age of global survival and make way for not the best? Is it not counter productive both directly and indirectly? Answers to both are not simple and not to be found through a logic of commerce but to be understood as matter of priority between creating an equal society in long run or allowing faster but unequal socio-economic growth.
Yet, the exceptions will have to be made in allowing pure competence in our national defence and when dealing with human life.
 (bhrashtachaar .... next)
comment and keep adding value to this  

Indian Common Man...

I was sort of a Security Liaison Officer with South African Cricket Team and touring along with them during the ICC Championship in Nov’2006. We came to my home town Jaipur also, to play some matches. Every one known to me was expecting a VIP pass to see the match. There were people who could easily afford the ticket but getting a free pass is matter of status or clout you enjoy in who’s who of the city? Similar expectations arose for a free pass of VIP car park in a shopping Mall that I was Estate Manager of. It is not Rs 20.00 of parking but that extra attention and elevated social strata has been the root of the matter. I used to think that if anything is to be made free then it should be for the poorer lot who cannot afford to pay. In a cricket match, a VIP pavilion is flooded with city’s influential crème la society along with their in-laws, cousins and friends having five star F&B on the house. Next day they will express surprise to lesser humans" I didn't see you in the cricket match??" Every Indian tries to earn some influence to make his life proportionately important, comfortable and enviable. Some will jump the public queue; some will get away riding without helmet, driving without seat belt tied, use beacon red light and a siren in staff cars and likewise. These so called privileges are actually like a virus in a society. The feudals, and parochial royals in an unequal society like ours enjoyed being above law. Now every Indian relates to being “Not-a-Common Man” and tries to break rules, laws and regulations. It was not so in USA. There you take pride in being a law abider and body language of the Common Man is clear and shows a no non sense approach towards anyone who tries to be extra privileged.

Why such a psych in India?

Probably, a common man has no standing in our country. He runs from pillar to post. Even if you are critically ill, to get a timely medical attention some good contact in public hospital is imperative. A popular TV serial “Office-Office” is a good satire and Pankaj Kapoor has brilliantly essayed the role of Mussaddi Lal, a common man. I keep thinking why a voice of common man is not heard? Should we blame Manu for his creation of classes? or 1000 years of slavery? or shortage of resources vis-à-vis population? or a virus like corruption? May be all? But mind you the cumulative effect is back-breaking for that common man. What surprises the most is accepting the humiliation and not standing up against it. At best the common man gets into debts and pay bribes to get attention. I, feel anguished to see the mass mobilisation on issues of Religion, Moral Policing, Electioneering, Politicking, Godman’s Sermons, cow slaughter etc. but never a leader has mobilized people for the dignity of common man who is not a second grade citizen.
Empowering the common man is need of the hour but who will and how can ???

Giving It a slip...

A stupid man jumps to suicide from the third floor in a shopping Mall and falls upon another man standing unaware in the atrium , talking business with his clients. Both survived. Isn't it quite weird and funny? Yes, But interestingly true. On 28 March 2009 at around 11.15 AM; the man who jumped was Ramgopal, the salesman in Reynold Shop and the one who took the brunt was yours truly, working as Estate Manager in the said Mall in Jaipur. I broke my spine and rest is history. Ramgopal had confided with me and I was aware of his stress and psych for past one month; but had never imagined or connected my role in his life or should I say death? People say, I saved him and God saved me. Actually, we both were lucky. He deserted the Govt hospital for the fear of Police and not been seen since then. I went through my injury, pain and agony, and now live with a manageable residual disability.
The first thought which struck to me on regaining consciousness was.... 'Boy! it would have been period'....But, I was back and alive to live another day. Had, I not been back I would have missed seeing the love and care bestowed upon me by my parents, Sunita-my wife, Rani-my sister, Bhaiya-Billu my brothers, Adhiraj & Yuvraj my sons, Satish my colleague at MGF, Col Badal a friend and the man who runs the SDM Hospital, Rajesh Arora, and the whole band of friends and relatives. I was flattered to see people valuing me to an unbelievable level. I am lucky to have been blessed with such a great family and strong clique of friends and relatives. The most rewarding was 18 JAT, a military unit where I served for 26 years, sending me a batman to help me in recuperating. His "Ram Ram Sab" was like a tonic and shot in the arm in those trying times of battling with the injury. What else you long for in life? I am lucky to have given 'It' a slip and lived to savor those, in a way, some best moments of my life.  

Choice of a Leader?

Competence and an acquired leadership through ballot are as different from each other as peaches from eggs.But should they be so? I find no logical answer. A proven distinguished & unblemished record of managerial skills and leadership quality fails on the anvil of ballot. University polls are won not by an all rounder student who is good in academics, sports and extra curricular activities but by a hooligan. A corporate house runs and grow more efficiently than a cooperative society; not because the latter lacks resources but it runs on ballot. A private Golf Club would be miles ahead in quality than a public golf club; again for the same reason. Politicking takes precedence over the organisational interests and the result is obvious. What advantage the democratic system of functioning does then accrue? I think it is mental satisfaction of the members that they can throw out the incompetent and corrupt ones. But is it a reality? NO. Then why? I am not enlarging my gambit to the national level but at grass roots level why we fail to elect a candidate suitable for the chair, and rather vote for different reasons. It is easier said than done to blame it on voters. It is human psych to be on winning side,judgmental, jealous and sychophant and land up  favouring a leader to their own peril. That is the irony we suffer and do nothing about it....