Mahatma Gandhi had said decades ago, ''Earth provides enough to serve everyone's needs but not everyone's greed''. It is as true today as it was then and before that.
In India, the consumption by the highest income group (1.44% of the population), of electricity, petroleum products and electric appliances - products that have global environmental impact - is about 75% of the total. Eg, the land diverted from food crop production to floriculture not only adversely impacts on nutritional levels, but degrades the environment with high pesticide and fertilizer use. The consumption pattern of the elite in any Third World country is comparable to the relationship between that country and the "developed" world. In Latin America, for instance, vast tracts of valuable rainforest were cleared for cattle ranching and beef export. Today, the average Central American eats less beef than the average house-cat in the U.S. Every North American child consumes as much energy as three Japanese, six Mexicans, 12 Chinese, 33 Indians, 147 Bangladeshis, 281 Tanzanians or 422 Ethiopians. To make 1 kilo of meat you need 11kg of high protein grain. It's worth noting that less than 25% of the world's population consumes about 75% of the world's resources and the same fraction generates most of the world's waste and global atmospheric pollution. The Pentagon, for instance, is the largest single consumer of energy in the U.S. and generates a tonne of toxic waste every minute.
It is the "luxury" emissions of the rich that generate almost 90% of the ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and two-thirds of carbon dioxide emissions, rather than the "survival" emissions of the poor. However, the "consumption explosion", with its disastrous implications, appears to engender less fear in the public consciousness than the "population explosion" Yet the belief that all people use resources and create waste, and large families use more resources and create more waste, gained currency among most international development agencies which put population high on their agendas for problem-solving.
The highest-polluting industrial processes that provide consumer goods for the wealthiest fifth of humanity - are controlled almost entirely by men in the most powerful transnational corporations and governments, which manufacture chemicals and weapons of mass destruction, with the main goal of maximising economic growth and profit. Yet policies of "population control" are targeted at the "poorest of the poor" - institutionally powerless women whose main goal is survival and have larger numbers of children for complex reasons that range from immediate survival and necessity to high infant mortality, lack of access to health services and patriarchal control over reproduction. Within India, 84 crore people live on less than Rs. 20 a day. These are not the people who create the dirt and the grime, they live in it.
Paul Ehrlich's 1968 bestseller, The Population Bomb, predicted that by 1985, the "population explosion" would lead to world famine, the death of the oceans and a reduction in life expectancy to 42 years. Earlier as far back as 1798, Malthus predicted catastrophic food shortages that never came. It has in fact been repeatedly observed that where there is famine, the problem usually is not an excess of people but an excess of bureaucracy and high government, which leads to gross misallocation and misuse of resources as corrupt bureaucrats or dictators seek power more than the welfare their subjects. We need to understand and acknowledge that the hungry suffer from lack of resources and poverty, not from over population. If given the resources, the hungry will find a way of feeding themselves and their neighbors and believe it or not, if they have the resources, even the food will find its way to reach them instead of waiting for the trucks and planes of NGOs. The tragedy is that it is this lack of resources that does them in, ably supported by a vicious circle of corrupt dictators, bureaucrats, businessmen, social organizations and the media that feeds off the hungry child with a bloated stomach.
As per some generally available data, population per square mile in India is about 1200 which pales in comparison to the population density of Japan, 6600, or even the UK - 2100. If the number of people is the problem, then Japan should be one of the poorest countries in the world. Why is it that the UK and Japan are part of the biggest economies of the world with some of the highest per capita incomes, globally?
Were it not for the corruption and excesses of apathetic governments and bureaucracies, the populations of the world would have much cause to rejoice. Humans are living longer. Disease is being eradicated. Food is cheaper and more available than ever.
We need to increasingly move towards participatory government in democracies, specially the likes of India. Clearly, with such a massive asset as our strength, we need to involve our young population in creatively arranging resource generation for them. Instead of spending hundreds of millions of rupees on wasteful sarkari expenditure, the need of the hour is to ensure speedy disbursals of cash to individuals and households in urban as well as rural centres. It is critical to arrange to provide some basic level of resources directly to the needy through channels such as post offices, widely availble across the length and breadth of the country or through branches of public sector banks.
While this may appear a daunting task, whichever government is able to sell the idea to the vast majority of the poor and needy will get voted back to power for sure. The point, however, is that this action needs to be undertaken much before elections, so the poor get a taste of cash in their hands and know which government, minister, chief minister or prime minister has done this for them.
Actually this is as simple as it gets. There are post offices all across India, but let's just take the case of U.P. for instance. With post offices located in each and every district and tehsil in this most populated state of India, all that the Mayawati government needs to do is to ensure that funds for Ambedkar villages, NREGA, or even other smaller state level programs are provided to the people below poverty line at these post offices in the form of money orders or direct transfers to their accounts.
There are more than 190 million in UP as at present. Assuming that about 30 percent of this population needs assistance in terms of resources, we would need to take care of a little less than 60 million people. If we just ordain to pay Rs. 30 a day to these people directly in their bank accounts on a monthly basis, it would come to Rs. 900 per person. On a monthly basis, this would cost the state of UP only Rs. 5000 crore and that of course means an annual bill of Rs. 60,000 crore. While stand alone, this might look massive, but if we tell a poor woman in a village or even in the capital city of Lucknow whether she would prefer standing in queue for buying kerosene oil which more often than not, is not available or would she rather take Rs. 30 from the government and figure out herself what she wants to do with that money, I think she would clearly go with the second option. Similarly, if asked whether a man would want electricity that hardly ever comes or want assured one hour supply each day for his tube well, he would happily opt for the latter.
The desire, the hope, the expectation of the people at large, those same very poor people who earn a dollar a day in UP is to get power in their hands. YES. They would love Visa power, but in the absence of that, even a Rs. 30 per day power would do them much good, beyond anyone’s expectations. Once they get money in their hands, the government can happily, quietly, gradually ease off all the other direct and hidden subsidies like those on PDS, Kerosene and so on which seldom reach the poor as mentioned even by Rahul Gandhi and exemplified by NREGA.
It is simply math to calculate how much more beneficial this direct assistance would be, not only in terms of pure economics but also in terms of its effectivity and its vote catching ability. The key is for Mayawati to do this immediately and effectively. She could start with urban centres and Ambedkar villages.
Is there any harm in trying this out? Let's at least do a pilot program in Lucknow as the urban centre and some Ambedkar villages around here and see how it fares, socially, economically and politically.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Land of the broken moon
A must visit and must experience place for every one on Planet Earth
Ladakh is a land like no other. It is enclosed by two of the world's mightiest and perhaps the loftiest mountain ranges, the Great Himalayan and the Magnificent Karakoram abd further surrounded by two other smaller ranges, the Ladakh range and the Zanskar range. It is believed by geologists that about 40 million years ago the tectonic plate of the Indian sub-continent collided with the continent of Eurasia giving rise to the 1,500 miles long Greater Himalayan range and Ladakh was the point where the subcontinent collided with the continent of Eurasia. Ladakh covers an area of about 95,000 square kilometers and has perhaps one of the lowest population densities in the world, apparently 2 inhabitation per kilometer.
Leh is at a height of about 11000 feet or roughly about 3500 metres. For people flying to Leh from any other place within India, its a straight jump from sea level to 11000 feet within a matter of less than one hour. You can well imagine what that would be like, specially for people not acccustomed to heights of that nature.
Ladakh has a short summer, starting in May, it’s over by August. Add to this the restricted accessibility of this region between November and May when snow blocks all land communication with the rest of the world. In Leh, the summers (March to May) are hot and the mercury level rises up to 40°c but the winters (November to February) are chilly cold and the mercury level comes down to very well below 0°C, even up to as much as - 30°C and the whole area will be covered with snow during winters. The evenings, even in summers, can turn chilly very quickly depending on snow fall on the peaks encircling Leh town so its always advisable to carry some light wollens and raincoats or umbrellas even during the summers.
This is a land of stark landscapes, akin to the landscape on the moon which is why it is also referred to as the land of the broken moon. Why its a broken moon, I dont know yet. Being in a complete rainshadow region, cut off from the monsoon clouds by the four mountain ranges, it is a cold high altitude desert where the wind, water from the minimal winter snows, and chemical reactions within the rocks themselves, have carved a fantastic, sometimes grotesque, landscape.
Outside the main town area, the place is very serene, quiet and with a very calming influence. You can perhaps never imagine how peaceful it can be looking at barren mountains and listening to the flow of the Indus or the Zanskar. I could spend hours just staring. Amazing. It's mountains mountains every where. In fact the name ''Ladakh'' itself means the ''land of the high passes''. Taglang La - 17,000 ft.- and Khardung La - 18000 ft. - were two of the most important passes on the ancient silk route.
There is just so much to see and do here and in fact just so much to NOT do anything here.
The monasteries of Ladakh are are several centuries old and boast some original paintings and tangkhas of similar vintage. Some of these monastries have intricate frescos, colourful friezes, awe inspiring motifs with demons, dragons, skulls, virtue, vice, Buddha and his incarnations – all inextricably linked to one another in baffling combinations. My personal favorites - Hemis, Shanti and Thikse
Hemis Gompa is a 17th century monastery and perhaps the largest in the region. It is about 45 km from Leh and belongs to Brokpa sect.
Shanti Stupa was built by Dalai Lama in 1985 with Japanese aid and offers exotic views of the surroundings.
Thiksey Monastery is about 20 km from Leh and i would say perhaps one of the most beautiful and majestic monastery of Ladakh. Situated atop the hill, it belongs to Gelukpa order.
Something that is lovely about the place is that it offers a very pleasant experience in the crisp air of mornings and evenings. You could easily saunter through the orchards at some places outside Leh, of course the names of those places, i can't recall at the present moment. You could see apricot blossoms or fruits, depending on the season that you visit this place. The people are very nice and you could spend quite a bit of time speaking with them and learning a lot of local, natural medicines and healing processes. They will love to teach you their own Buddhist ways of praying. You can easily persuade some of them to sing songs as i think just about everyone there sings.
Take some time out to make a trip to the confluence of the Indus and the Zanskar. Go river rafting. Enjoy the serenity of the place. Get at peace with your self here. Communicate with your spouse or partner better than any place else on earth. This is the place to be. Whether you be alone or be in a group this place is worth spending some time on even though there is nothing else here other than two rivers meeting one another. There are no shops, no people, no animals, nothing. Sirf main aur meri tanhayi - Just you and your solitude. And you will love yourself for it. This is not exactly white or blue water rafting but fun all the same with exhilarating scenery all around and scope to catch an odd glimpse of some endangered animal risking a quick drink by the riverbank. Leh is bursting with enterprises offering adventure activities. Talk to any one of them to fix your one-to-one down the Indus at a reasonable price. It's worth it.
Places to visit
Do you want to see lots or relax lots...that is critical because a lot of time will be spent in travelling around leh and within Ladakh. You must decide on your priorities if you are going ther for a week or less. If you are going for a two week trip, then you can really cover Ladkah well and feel oh so rejuvenated thereafter. However since most people go there for 4 to 5 days, it is important to decide on your priorities. For people coming from the plains, specially those who fly down to Leh rather than coming by road, it is necessary to acclimatize with the place since the change of altitude is very suddent - 55 minutes flight time - so the exertion on the body is tremendous.
Assuming you want to optimize as much as you can, reach Leh early morning by flight from Delhi or Mumbai. Stay within the city the whole time on the first day. Visit the monastries and pay a visit to the Indus on the first and the second day, see the king's palace as well and do some initial rounds of shopping if you are one of those who likes to shop
The third day, take a trip to the Nubra valley via the Khardung La - 18000 feet, highest motorable road in the world till last year. Apparently the Chinese have built a still higher road last year in Tibet. You will reach the pass in about 3 hours time at best. Spend some time there. It has fabulous views. You have to go to this place. They advise you NOT to spend more than half an hour at the pass due to the minimal level of oxygen at this height. Descend from there and on the way to the Nubra valley.
Its a lovely valley and you will need to spend a night here. The double humped camel found in Northern Russia is also available here - the only place in India where it can be seen in the wild. The scenery otherwise is quite nice on the way to this place and at the place as well. The so well known Siachen glacier lies further north of this valley. The Karakoram pass is also around here and connects the valley to Xinjiang in China. You must visit this place to understand what the Indian Army is up against on all three sides. This entire valley and the various passes around here connect India to various other countries in Central Asia but of course thanks to the Chinese and Pakistanis almost all these passes are closed since 1947. The next day you get back to Leh and take loads of rest there. You will reach Leh via Khardung La but by the time you reach Leh, it would perhaps be late afternoon. So get back in your hotel and SLEEP WELL.
Day 5 is for a trip to Pangong lake if you are still not tired and really up for another breathtaking tour that culminates in a mind boggling, majestic view. The lake is situated at a height of about 13,900 ft. It is 134 km long and extends from India to China. Local people there suggest that before 1962 the entire lake was with India but in 1962 the Chinese annexed more than 2/3rds of it. The lake is 5 km wide at its broadest point. During winter, the lake freezes completely, despite its saline waters. You can get back to Leh the same day, but of course you will reach Leh by 7p.m. if you start at least at 6a.m. in the morning from Leh.
Day 6 should be reserved for making trips to the Markha valley and to try and meet with the Drokpa tribe, who are said to be direct descendants of the Aryans, as in the dynasty of Lord Ram. I guess by now you would be all charged up and would have started remembering all the pending work in your office. So get ready for some last minute shopping and for the flight back home the next morning.
If you are an Indian then of course you would have many more important tasks to get back to. If, however you are a European, then surely you will be able to find some time still and go for some really fabulous 4 to 5 day treks that can easily be organized by the many many travel and tour operators from Leh itself. However if you are really interested in these treks you must fill in your applications just as you arrive in to Leh on the first day itself since organizing tours takes its own time, not to mention the permits that you would be required to have. These are however managed by the tour operators themselves as long as you give them sufficient time.
Do tell me how you found this article. If you are interested in some more information on Ladakh i would be happy to help in which ever manner i can.
Ladakh is a land like no other. It is enclosed by two of the world's mightiest and perhaps the loftiest mountain ranges, the Great Himalayan and the Magnificent Karakoram abd further surrounded by two other smaller ranges, the Ladakh range and the Zanskar range. It is believed by geologists that about 40 million years ago the tectonic plate of the Indian sub-continent collided with the continent of Eurasia giving rise to the 1,500 miles long Greater Himalayan range and Ladakh was the point where the subcontinent collided with the continent of Eurasia. Ladakh covers an area of about 95,000 square kilometers and has perhaps one of the lowest population densities in the world, apparently 2 inhabitation per kilometer.
Leh is at a height of about 11000 feet or roughly about 3500 metres. For people flying to Leh from any other place within India, its a straight jump from sea level to 11000 feet within a matter of less than one hour. You can well imagine what that would be like, specially for people not acccustomed to heights of that nature.
Ladakh has a short summer, starting in May, it’s over by August. Add to this the restricted accessibility of this region between November and May when snow blocks all land communication with the rest of the world. In Leh, the summers (March to May) are hot and the mercury level rises up to 40°c but the winters (November to February) are chilly cold and the mercury level comes down to very well below 0°C, even up to as much as - 30°C and the whole area will be covered with snow during winters. The evenings, even in summers, can turn chilly very quickly depending on snow fall on the peaks encircling Leh town so its always advisable to carry some light wollens and raincoats or umbrellas even during the summers.
This is a land of stark landscapes, akin to the landscape on the moon which is why it is also referred to as the land of the broken moon. Why its a broken moon, I dont know yet. Being in a complete rainshadow region, cut off from the monsoon clouds by the four mountain ranges, it is a cold high altitude desert where the wind, water from the minimal winter snows, and chemical reactions within the rocks themselves, have carved a fantastic, sometimes grotesque, landscape.
Outside the main town area, the place is very serene, quiet and with a very calming influence. You can perhaps never imagine how peaceful it can be looking at barren mountains and listening to the flow of the Indus or the Zanskar. I could spend hours just staring. Amazing. It's mountains mountains every where. In fact the name ''Ladakh'' itself means the ''land of the high passes''. Taglang La - 17,000 ft.- and Khardung La - 18000 ft. - were two of the most important passes on the ancient silk route.
There is just so much to see and do here and in fact just so much to NOT do anything here.
The monasteries of Ladakh are are several centuries old and boast some original paintings and tangkhas of similar vintage. Some of these monastries have intricate frescos, colourful friezes, awe inspiring motifs with demons, dragons, skulls, virtue, vice, Buddha and his incarnations – all inextricably linked to one another in baffling combinations. My personal favorites - Hemis, Shanti and Thikse
Hemis Gompa is a 17th century monastery and perhaps the largest in the region. It is about 45 km from Leh and belongs to Brokpa sect.
Shanti Stupa was built by Dalai Lama in 1985 with Japanese aid and offers exotic views of the surroundings.
Thiksey Monastery is about 20 km from Leh and i would say perhaps one of the most beautiful and majestic monastery of Ladakh. Situated atop the hill, it belongs to Gelukpa order.
Something that is lovely about the place is that it offers a very pleasant experience in the crisp air of mornings and evenings. You could easily saunter through the orchards at some places outside Leh, of course the names of those places, i can't recall at the present moment. You could see apricot blossoms or fruits, depending on the season that you visit this place. The people are very nice and you could spend quite a bit of time speaking with them and learning a lot of local, natural medicines and healing processes. They will love to teach you their own Buddhist ways of praying. You can easily persuade some of them to sing songs as i think just about everyone there sings.
Take some time out to make a trip to the confluence of the Indus and the Zanskar. Go river rafting. Enjoy the serenity of the place. Get at peace with your self here. Communicate with your spouse or partner better than any place else on earth. This is the place to be. Whether you be alone or be in a group this place is worth spending some time on even though there is nothing else here other than two rivers meeting one another. There are no shops, no people, no animals, nothing. Sirf main aur meri tanhayi - Just you and your solitude. And you will love yourself for it. This is not exactly white or blue water rafting but fun all the same with exhilarating scenery all around and scope to catch an odd glimpse of some endangered animal risking a quick drink by the riverbank. Leh is bursting with enterprises offering adventure activities. Talk to any one of them to fix your one-to-one down the Indus at a reasonable price. It's worth it.
Places to visit
Do you want to see lots or relax lots...that is critical because a lot of time will be spent in travelling around leh and within Ladakh. You must decide on your priorities if you are going ther for a week or less. If you are going for a two week trip, then you can really cover Ladkah well and feel oh so rejuvenated thereafter. However since most people go there for 4 to 5 days, it is important to decide on your priorities. For people coming from the plains, specially those who fly down to Leh rather than coming by road, it is necessary to acclimatize with the place since the change of altitude is very suddent - 55 minutes flight time - so the exertion on the body is tremendous.
Assuming you want to optimize as much as you can, reach Leh early morning by flight from Delhi or Mumbai. Stay within the city the whole time on the first day. Visit the monastries and pay a visit to the Indus on the first and the second day, see the king's palace as well and do some initial rounds of shopping if you are one of those who likes to shop
The third day, take a trip to the Nubra valley via the Khardung La - 18000 feet, highest motorable road in the world till last year. Apparently the Chinese have built a still higher road last year in Tibet. You will reach the pass in about 3 hours time at best. Spend some time there. It has fabulous views. You have to go to this place. They advise you NOT to spend more than half an hour at the pass due to the minimal level of oxygen at this height. Descend from there and on the way to the Nubra valley.
Its a lovely valley and you will need to spend a night here. The double humped camel found in Northern Russia is also available here - the only place in India where it can be seen in the wild. The scenery otherwise is quite nice on the way to this place and at the place as well. The so well known Siachen glacier lies further north of this valley. The Karakoram pass is also around here and connects the valley to Xinjiang in China. You must visit this place to understand what the Indian Army is up against on all three sides. This entire valley and the various passes around here connect India to various other countries in Central Asia but of course thanks to the Chinese and Pakistanis almost all these passes are closed since 1947. The next day you get back to Leh and take loads of rest there. You will reach Leh via Khardung La but by the time you reach Leh, it would perhaps be late afternoon. So get back in your hotel and SLEEP WELL.
Day 5 is for a trip to Pangong lake if you are still not tired and really up for another breathtaking tour that culminates in a mind boggling, majestic view. The lake is situated at a height of about 13,900 ft. It is 134 km long and extends from India to China. Local people there suggest that before 1962 the entire lake was with India but in 1962 the Chinese annexed more than 2/3rds of it. The lake is 5 km wide at its broadest point. During winter, the lake freezes completely, despite its saline waters. You can get back to Leh the same day, but of course you will reach Leh by 7p.m. if you start at least at 6a.m. in the morning from Leh.
Day 6 should be reserved for making trips to the Markha valley and to try and meet with the Drokpa tribe, who are said to be direct descendants of the Aryans, as in the dynasty of Lord Ram. I guess by now you would be all charged up and would have started remembering all the pending work in your office. So get ready for some last minute shopping and for the flight back home the next morning.
If you are an Indian then of course you would have many more important tasks to get back to. If, however you are a European, then surely you will be able to find some time still and go for some really fabulous 4 to 5 day treks that can easily be organized by the many many travel and tour operators from Leh itself. However if you are really interested in these treks you must fill in your applications just as you arrive in to Leh on the first day itself since organizing tours takes its own time, not to mention the permits that you would be required to have. These are however managed by the tour operators themselves as long as you give them sufficient time.
Do tell me how you found this article. If you are interested in some more information on Ladakh i would be happy to help in which ever manner i can.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Indian Democracy - It's true colors.
The world at large and India more specifically has a lot of inherent respect for the voters, the belief in a sytem that calls itself democracy - of the people, for the people, by the people. and of course the intelligence of the voters who actually ensure that democracy thrives. The voters believe it, the politicians believe it, the media believes it and also religiously promotes the belief as well.
However all of these people believe in democracy only and during the time of elections. The day the election results are announced, everyone, stakeholders, non stakeholders, they all go back to doing what they do best - either working their asses off or wheeling and dealing in the corridors of power. The same media that swears by people's power, the same intelligentsia that, throughout the elections, talks of the importance of going out and voting and of course the very same politicians who travel endlessly chalking thousands of air miles, tend to forget the very same voters who elected them through this most powerful and peaceful excercise that changes the game every so often.
In a country as vast and as 'manageable' as India, democracy in its most practical, day to day form, is only as important as the next round of elections. Voters are only intelligent enough to vote for their destiny for the next 5 years or 3 or 2 years, as the case may be. All praise heaped on the intelligence of the Indian voters seems to vanish the very day that the election results are announced. Post the elections, the media tries to project what it feels right, the intelligentsia tries to sell what it deems right and ofcourse the politicians and their financiers tend to do what they feel right. The very essence of trying to do that which would least harm the common man seems to disappear within an instant. No more does this common man, who takes the trouble of going out to vote, seem as important as he was when voting his destiny. This, of course, leads to, as we are seeing, the belief in the futility of democracy and the feeling amongst the voters that no matter what they try to do, it always ends up harming their interests. As far as the voters are concerned, all the champions of human rights, of value systems, of democracy, seem to be fighting their own causes that little impact the common man.
Is this what democracy should stand for? Where is the participatory democracy? Where is the democracy that was supposed to be for the people, of the people and by the people? How has it come to a state where politicians, businessmen, bureaucrats and even common thugs have become so blatant and so in your face? Yet the very same, intelligent voter is not able to do a thing about it?
The Chief Justice wants to recruit more judges. The PM says he will provide whatever help he can. Yet, for years and years no recruitments have taken place. Is this not a classic case of apathy at the higher achelons of power?
Rajiv Gandhi told us that only 15 paise out of every rupee that the government spends, reaches the needy. Now two decades down, his son says that the 15 paise have become 10 paise instead. Yet no one has done anything at all to turn the tide in two decades. If this is not lethargy, what is? We have basically been electing governments from all parties in these two decades and not one of them has been able to arrest this pilferage, forget about changing the course. What worth the voters' intelligence if they can't get it right for at least 2 decades since this matter was officially reported and recorded.
The elected parliamentarians meet in 2001 and agree that the Parliament must meet for atleast 110 sessions every year. They make the rule and then they don't adhere to it themselves. What prevented them from first not making the rule and then adhering to it? Then why must the commoners be held to laws that are not even made by the commoners? Is this what democracy means - unbridled power to elected officials and blatant killing of even the smallest desires of the 'intelligent' voters? No wonder, India is being destroyed in bits and pieces.
Earlier there used to be dacoits in India. Now there are terrorists and Naxals. And it gets better. These days, you dont lose your seat for corruption either so besides the Naxals and Terrorists you also have bureaucrats, officials and politicians making a lot of money on the side, with impunity. Every one knows this, it is no secret at all, otherwise why would only 10 paise out of each rupee, reach the poor?
Earlier there used to be an acceptance of the problem but now we excel in first denying it and then pointing a finger at someone else. The current flavor, since a long while in fact, is Pakistan.
How can India continue to blame Pakistan for its troubles and more without trying to do anything for itself? How cheeky we are to continue to push Pakistan, not Denmark, not the US, not Canada, but Pakistan, to bring people to justice in their country. Come on, they made the murdered of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the next President of the country and we expect them to do justice to people who do charity work in their country. And that too for India, which on its own has more than 3 crore cases pending in its courts. PUHLEEZZZZZ How hypocritical have we become? Can it get even worse?
Could anyone have ever imagined that a person as sane as our PM would have someone who was known to be very close to the father of a prominent buinessman, sitting in a position of authority to aid the very same company? Is this not a classic case of favoritism? Surprisingly no one, not the media, not the opposition, no one is talking about the simple fact that this minister should go from that ministry at least until this matter is resolved.
Newspapers are full of stories on corruption, blatant misuse of power, apathy, nepotism, and so on. This will increasingly marginalize the marginalized. This will bleed India much more than anything else can. But India is so busy with its own complications that it could hardly be bothered. Indian bureaucracy, Indian politicians, Indian media and even the 'intelligent' voters, every one is busy with life. We are in fact so busy that we have failed not only our forefathers but also our children so badly that the consequences will come to be known in the years and decades ahead.
The essence of democracy is that the majority view should prevail. This ostensibly means that the minority view may not prevail, even if it be deemed right. It is not for me to discuss here whether this is the right way or wrong. It is worth noting that democracy and more so the first past the post system basically means that whichever largest single block of vested interests can mould or dictate a particular set of policies shall prevail. The composition of this largest block is always open to change and its a highly dynamic process. That is the reason why things that are deemed right at one point may not be seen to be all that right at a subsequent point. It is this essential nature of democracy that ensures the hopes of millions of people at all points of time because they all feel that some day, they too would be heard and that they too would be able to form blocks of like minded people large enough for them to be heard nationwide. And powerful enough to be able to change or form policies that benefit their block. This is the back bone of a successful democracy. It is this constant churn, this constant feel for that big idea that the larges set of people want, which keeps turning the wheels of all the big and small political parties. They owe their existence not necessarily to themselves but to their ability to channelise the urges and desires of large sections of the voters.
If the voters are deemed intelligent enough to vote the right people to power, then they ought to be deemed intelligent enough to decide on the more important aspects of governance. Governance is too important a subject to be left to the government alone. It needs to involve the opposition and sure as hell, needs to involve the people that voted the government in.
What kind of democracy is this when the two largest parties don't hold proper elections through secret ballot for their party president positions? Why, for instance, should the BJP, which used to be a party with a difference, continue to have such inglorious discussions in public about its party president position? Wouldnt it make perfect sense to have a nationwide election for the post of the party president and in fact for all the office bearers. Wouldnt this be the best foot forward for this party? But no, they continue to argue amongst themselves and continue to behave as kindergarten kids with a stronger belief in negotiations, discussions and power deals rather than a belief in the system of democracy or a belief in their own party workers. You dont become an Obama through meetings and conference rooms, much as you would like to Mr. Advani. You become one through being in touch with the masses, being in touch with your own workers. Alas, when the two largest parties dont believe in proper elections, we can well imagine the degree of belief they would truly have in the power of people.
The sad truth is that democracy is doomed in India and it will take away with it, the India as we know it today unless the citizens of India and the media endeavor to do something about it.
To begin with, two small steps should be taken. One, to ensure that all important aspects of governance are implemented and approved through proper, full scale referendum in India. What would be important enough would need to be decided through a referendum of course that lists out a long set of issues and each voter has to tick only the top three or five.
And two, the Election Commission must be prevailed upon to insist that there must be secret ballot elections, conducted by the Election Commission, for the position of party president and key positions of each party that wants to run for elections at the Centre and State level. It is my belief that this would go a long way in smoothening out our systems and processes. However, these would only be small baby steps towards ensuring that over a period of time better people get to reach the top.
However all of these people believe in democracy only and during the time of elections. The day the election results are announced, everyone, stakeholders, non stakeholders, they all go back to doing what they do best - either working their asses off or wheeling and dealing in the corridors of power. The same media that swears by people's power, the same intelligentsia that, throughout the elections, talks of the importance of going out and voting and of course the very same politicians who travel endlessly chalking thousands of air miles, tend to forget the very same voters who elected them through this most powerful and peaceful excercise that changes the game every so often.
In a country as vast and as 'manageable' as India, democracy in its most practical, day to day form, is only as important as the next round of elections. Voters are only intelligent enough to vote for their destiny for the next 5 years or 3 or 2 years, as the case may be. All praise heaped on the intelligence of the Indian voters seems to vanish the very day that the election results are announced. Post the elections, the media tries to project what it feels right, the intelligentsia tries to sell what it deems right and ofcourse the politicians and their financiers tend to do what they feel right. The very essence of trying to do that which would least harm the common man seems to disappear within an instant. No more does this common man, who takes the trouble of going out to vote, seem as important as he was when voting his destiny. This, of course, leads to, as we are seeing, the belief in the futility of democracy and the feeling amongst the voters that no matter what they try to do, it always ends up harming their interests. As far as the voters are concerned, all the champions of human rights, of value systems, of democracy, seem to be fighting their own causes that little impact the common man.
Is this what democracy should stand for? Where is the participatory democracy? Where is the democracy that was supposed to be for the people, of the people and by the people? How has it come to a state where politicians, businessmen, bureaucrats and even common thugs have become so blatant and so in your face? Yet the very same, intelligent voter is not able to do a thing about it?
The Chief Justice wants to recruit more judges. The PM says he will provide whatever help he can. Yet, for years and years no recruitments have taken place. Is this not a classic case of apathy at the higher achelons of power?
Rajiv Gandhi told us that only 15 paise out of every rupee that the government spends, reaches the needy. Now two decades down, his son says that the 15 paise have become 10 paise instead. Yet no one has done anything at all to turn the tide in two decades. If this is not lethargy, what is? We have basically been electing governments from all parties in these two decades and not one of them has been able to arrest this pilferage, forget about changing the course. What worth the voters' intelligence if they can't get it right for at least 2 decades since this matter was officially reported and recorded.
The elected parliamentarians meet in 2001 and agree that the Parliament must meet for atleast 110 sessions every year. They make the rule and then they don't adhere to it themselves. What prevented them from first not making the rule and then adhering to it? Then why must the commoners be held to laws that are not even made by the commoners? Is this what democracy means - unbridled power to elected officials and blatant killing of even the smallest desires of the 'intelligent' voters? No wonder, India is being destroyed in bits and pieces.
Earlier there used to be dacoits in India. Now there are terrorists and Naxals. And it gets better. These days, you dont lose your seat for corruption either so besides the Naxals and Terrorists you also have bureaucrats, officials and politicians making a lot of money on the side, with impunity. Every one knows this, it is no secret at all, otherwise why would only 10 paise out of each rupee, reach the poor?
Earlier there used to be an acceptance of the problem but now we excel in first denying it and then pointing a finger at someone else. The current flavor, since a long while in fact, is Pakistan.
How can India continue to blame Pakistan for its troubles and more without trying to do anything for itself? How cheeky we are to continue to push Pakistan, not Denmark, not the US, not Canada, but Pakistan, to bring people to justice in their country. Come on, they made the murdered of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the next President of the country and we expect them to do justice to people who do charity work in their country. And that too for India, which on its own has more than 3 crore cases pending in its courts. PUHLEEZZZZZ How hypocritical have we become? Can it get even worse?
Could anyone have ever imagined that a person as sane as our PM would have someone who was known to be very close to the father of a prominent buinessman, sitting in a position of authority to aid the very same company? Is this not a classic case of favoritism? Surprisingly no one, not the media, not the opposition, no one is talking about the simple fact that this minister should go from that ministry at least until this matter is resolved.
Newspapers are full of stories on corruption, blatant misuse of power, apathy, nepotism, and so on. This will increasingly marginalize the marginalized. This will bleed India much more than anything else can. But India is so busy with its own complications that it could hardly be bothered. Indian bureaucracy, Indian politicians, Indian media and even the 'intelligent' voters, every one is busy with life. We are in fact so busy that we have failed not only our forefathers but also our children so badly that the consequences will come to be known in the years and decades ahead.
The essence of democracy is that the majority view should prevail. This ostensibly means that the minority view may not prevail, even if it be deemed right. It is not for me to discuss here whether this is the right way or wrong. It is worth noting that democracy and more so the first past the post system basically means that whichever largest single block of vested interests can mould or dictate a particular set of policies shall prevail. The composition of this largest block is always open to change and its a highly dynamic process. That is the reason why things that are deemed right at one point may not be seen to be all that right at a subsequent point. It is this essential nature of democracy that ensures the hopes of millions of people at all points of time because they all feel that some day, they too would be heard and that they too would be able to form blocks of like minded people large enough for them to be heard nationwide. And powerful enough to be able to change or form policies that benefit their block. This is the back bone of a successful democracy. It is this constant churn, this constant feel for that big idea that the larges set of people want, which keeps turning the wheels of all the big and small political parties. They owe their existence not necessarily to themselves but to their ability to channelise the urges and desires of large sections of the voters.
If the voters are deemed intelligent enough to vote the right people to power, then they ought to be deemed intelligent enough to decide on the more important aspects of governance. Governance is too important a subject to be left to the government alone. It needs to involve the opposition and sure as hell, needs to involve the people that voted the government in.
What kind of democracy is this when the two largest parties don't hold proper elections through secret ballot for their party president positions? Why, for instance, should the BJP, which used to be a party with a difference, continue to have such inglorious discussions in public about its party president position? Wouldnt it make perfect sense to have a nationwide election for the post of the party president and in fact for all the office bearers. Wouldnt this be the best foot forward for this party? But no, they continue to argue amongst themselves and continue to behave as kindergarten kids with a stronger belief in negotiations, discussions and power deals rather than a belief in the system of democracy or a belief in their own party workers. You dont become an Obama through meetings and conference rooms, much as you would like to Mr. Advani. You become one through being in touch with the masses, being in touch with your own workers. Alas, when the two largest parties dont believe in proper elections, we can well imagine the degree of belief they would truly have in the power of people.
The sad truth is that democracy is doomed in India and it will take away with it, the India as we know it today unless the citizens of India and the media endeavor to do something about it.
To begin with, two small steps should be taken. One, to ensure that all important aspects of governance are implemented and approved through proper, full scale referendum in India. What would be important enough would need to be decided through a referendum of course that lists out a long set of issues and each voter has to tick only the top three or five.
And two, the Election Commission must be prevailed upon to insist that there must be secret ballot elections, conducted by the Election Commission, for the position of party president and key positions of each party that wants to run for elections at the Centre and State level. It is my belief that this would go a long way in smoothening out our systems and processes. However, these would only be small baby steps towards ensuring that over a period of time better people get to reach the top.
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