Where are we heading?

The other day when with a friend, we were discussing how a day does not pass without the news being full of thefts, vandalisms, and violence. Is it that people have started noticing and reporting these incidences more recently or is it that there is an increase of such cases recently.

India has had a reasonably tough past with instances of violence strewn throughout history. Quite a lot has been between kingdoms, territories, regions and were more of a military nature. Then there has been religious violences, a remnant of the religious strife cultivated in India by the erstwhile tormentors - the Late British Empire. History does not in itself justify the present.

Though India have been growing at a healthy rate of around 9% per annum, around 50% of the population is still illiterate. Illiteracy alone does not result in degradation of value system. Illiteracy does not mean an inability to communicate - it only restricts the mediums of communications to personal and audio-visual. Illiteracy would mean an absence of formal education and thereby limit a persons analytical skills due to the lack of a proper knowledge foundation on which to build their skills upon. Even if illiterate a rational person should be able to think up and identify moral values and stick to them. India with its strong religious backgrounds has had a good value system but for a few stone-age traditions like sati, child marriage etc. So historic factors does not give us a valid reason for the present trend. Formal education as is being imparted today does not give proper importance to building the moral and ethical aspects of human personality. The major stress is to create job-worthy individuals.

It is important to have job-worthy individuals but it is equally important to have build strong value system in the individuals. Students who come out of the system are trained to work but are not trained to think. Most of the violent/criminal/anti-social incidences that have happened in our system could have been prevented if their perpetrators had
a) a good value system
b) a thinking mind and
c) thought about their actions and their implications.

Also most of the continuing social issues like poverty, hunger, unemployment can be tackled if more thinking individuals enter into the system to fight against these issues. The erosion of the value system is for a big part due to the want of importance given in imparting it to the next generation. India has a very young population and it is growing at a very fast pace. If we don't put in enough effort the coming generations would not have any clue about the legacy we have inherited but are failing to pass it on.

Cricket at times of Stress

A lot of words have been said and written about the ability of the English Cricket team reappearing in the Indian Soil for a 2 test series. Some of the words have been written by cynics who have questioned the motive of the ECB to let the tour go ahead and the power of the so called omnipotent BCCI. Other words have heaped praise on the courage of the English cricket team in going back to India at times of terrorist impact and uncertainities.

The fact is that any game of sport that is played more under the eyes of the security than fanatic crowds is always a stress. But, with the modern day coverage of the game and TV audiences running into millions across the world watching the game, what needs to be acknowledged is that the winner is Cricket. As Dhoni claimed, the least we could offer to India and the world at this time of great loss is a good game of cricket - win or loss be secondary.

I sincerely pray that the next 2 test matches provide wholesome and full 10 days of enthralling cricket to enable the world to come to grips with the fact that Sport and Sportsmen will overcome all that the terrorist will throw at us and prove that the game and spirit can never be broken.

Kudos to the organisers, Players and the spirit of survival and the ability to mke the world smile at such times of uncertainity.

Massacre in Bombay

My deepest and heartfelt sympathies with all those hurt and condelences for all who have lost their lives in the last 72 hours of carnage in South Bombay.

A few days earlier, I had scripted a blog where in I clearly reflected that tighter and more stringent action would enable the country to counter terrorism. Unfortunately that statement of mine has now been proven in harsh reality. The dithering and pussyfooting about to pander to the wider remit of the "Electoral demands" seem to have made various governments over cautious in their approach to manage the situation with militant organisations.

First things first. Let us clear this mess in real time. Later let the organisations responsible for clearing the society and country of the various nefarious elements like the militant groups be given the kind of authority that a Kiran Bedi or a Ribero or Gill had to go out and finish them off.

We need to look at 3 elements of control:

1. Reactive resolution: Clear the current mess
2. Proactive controls: Enhanced and empowered intelligence organisations doing the job professionally
3. Responsible reaction: Based on intelligence, responsibly weed out the elements of destruction from society

Let us all as citizens of the world stand together to make it clear to the powers of destruction that Evil never triumphs over the Good and resilience of the Bombayite and Indian world over is not broken.

Open your eye, wham. Blink your eye, bang.

I marvel at how, despite its global unpopularity -- barring in India, of course -- the United States has not had a single terrorist attack on its soil since September 11, 2001.
But I don't marvel at how India, which courts global affection like a pretty teenager, keeps repeatedly getting hit by the terror brigade. Open your eye, wham. Blink your eye, bang.
The terrorist is a school bully, see, and a bully only knows to respect superior strength. Like it or hate it, the US of A has strength in abundance and, crucially, it doesn't hesitate to use its brute force in pursuit of its security. It has no hesitation in walking into a country if it feels -- proof can come later, or not at all -- that nation is inimical to its interests.
In contrast, India is the eternal Arjuna caught in a moral dilemma on the battlefield. Alas, no number of Krishnas can give it clarity of thought and purpose.
Right now, I imagine India to not be the favourite choice at terrorist off sites, presumably being held in the hospitable terrain of FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas in Pakistan), for there is no daring required to hit her.
Heck, just as a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, so is a nation as invincible as its Achilles Heel. Truth is, India as a nation eternally in risk of the terrorist who makes no distinction between masjid and mandir. If attacks on mandir don't evoke outrage he will attack the masjids, hoping for a bloody reaction. And he will keep doing it till the communal flare-up he orgasmically yearns for is achieved.

Unless. And that is a big unless. Unless the Indian State shows some steel and gets tough with the perpetrators of terrorism. But when the government chooses to scrap the only anti-terrorist legislation in its armoury, when court cases against terrorists saunter along unhurriedly, when administrations court the very men they should put away for ever, you know the towel has virtually been thrown in. We are not serious about battling this scourge.
Today one wonders if it is the same Punjab with its mustard fields that one sees digitally colourised in Bollywood films. How did it happen? How was the battle that was so nearly lost, won against the Khalistanis?

The glib assessment puts it down to a battle fatigue, but I am not sure Julio Ribeiro and K P S Gill -- yes, the latter is the same name that adorned news bulletins just a few days ago who are very much around, will agree with it.
Because peace in Punjab was won through waging war. And Ribeiro and Gill were the men sent in to clean up the mess created by politicians. Twenty years later, why are these men still provided security? Because, the men they fought have very long memories. And more than a few guns.

You can only fight terror through terror. Let the warlords planning the next move and their associates and their sleeper cells and who else, know what fate awaits them. Counter fear with greater fear, terror with super-terror, and the perpetrators will think twice before carrying out their evil deeds.

But to do that calls for steel in the soul. Does India have it?

Perfect Wife

Having been married once before and having failed miserably on the front, I was pretty wary of stepping into it again. More so when I knew that I was going to get hitched again when I was at one of my lowest points of life. Thank my stars that I found Deepika Handa. She has turned out to be the best boon one man can get in his life..

I was in the midst of a job transition and house move. I had also no idea if I was wanting to live in the UK or move somewhere else. And amidst this chaos landed this wonderful woman who is called Deepika Handa. She was so warm and full of life and readily reached out to support me during the period of transition. The difficult and long months of the spring and summer of 2003 was made tolerable only due to her ever present strength and vibrancy.

She made sure with her parental family that I was not a misfit and that I was indeed a valued member of the family. With open arms her parental family and she took me into their home and supported me while I waited to move to the right role. They did this for me twice in the last 5 years and it is something that I cannot easily forget or be unthankful for. Deepika has been a steadfast influence on me and she has always been the saner and practical influencer in our family decisions while I have been a floating romantic.

She makes me feel wanted and also makes me stop and think about the good things in life that I have today. I cannot say anything more than that.

Thank You Deepika. May all wives of all men be like you!

Hillary Clinton - Secretary of State??

Courage is not a common virtue and more so when people at high places are expected to show some. Rare is a politician who has not pandered to selfish interests and stood out as an outstanding statesman.

Obama seems to be one of those rare men who have the courage to stand up and say, let us move forward with cooperative endeavour rather than negative and divisive politics. In his approach to Hillary Clinton to be the strongest and most powerful member of cabinet, he has shown his confidence in his own abilities and courage to unite a highly fractious democratic party in the US. Kudos to him.

At the same time, one should be a bit cautious about the appointment. If she does accept the offer as most press stories seem to suggest, Hillary has to learn to move out of the shadow of her all powerful and almost omnipresent husband, Bill the former President to be able to make an impact. What has to be achieved by her is to leverage Bill's international presence to drive the Obama government agenda to the world at large.

At a time when most of the world have reservations about the US foriegn policy and intent, she has a very challenging job to do and will do well to reach out to the grand madam of foriegn affairs Madeline Albright and Condeleesa Rice to pick their brains. Colin Powell is also a man of reason she should talk to through her progress in this job.

Let us hope that this is a good appointment and will lead to revival of the American presence in the global world of international governments.

Balancing of emotions – easier preached than practised

In our pursuit of higher ambition we are constantly juggling between dichotomies - success and failure, attachment and aversion, hope and despair, happiness and misery.

Every day we see and experience and confront these dualities of life which narrow our perspectives to one of the two limiting states:
success or failure,
happiness or misery etc.,

But there could be a situation when the two are balanced. In such a condition, we neither carry the feeling of attachment with success and the resulting feeling of hope and joy, nor that of aversion to failure and the opposed feeling of despair and misery.

That is the state of equanimity in activities, speech or thoughts. If I were to provide an analogy of the same I suggest we consider the following:

The concept of equanimity corresponds to the "(dynamic) state of equilibrium" used in physical sciences, when the tendency for change in opposed directions is nearly balanced. Also, in thermodynamics, if the system in changing from one state to another the output of work gets minimized then it is far from the equilibrium condition. Extending the simile, state of equanimity is best suited for achieving optimum success in any objective by an aspirant on the path of realisation.

While I am no expert, The Bhagavad Gita explains the principle of equanimity thus: "Attachment and aversion by sense organs for respective objects are natural; let no one come under their sway; they are his foes…notions of heat and cold, of pain and pleasure have a beginning and an end, are impermanent in nature…bear them patiently…be contented with whatever comes without effort, remain unaffected by pairs of opposites".

It also says that the serene minded person alone, to whom dualities do not disturb, is easily set free from bondage of samsara (world / cycle of rebirth) and attain moksha (salvation).

Do I practise this way of life? I am sure I don’t and though fervently hope to reach that stage before too late!!

Return of the Genius - A repeat

Amazing return by Tendulkar
I was lucky enough to watch Tendulkar return to international cricket this morning. Though I saw him bat only for a short duration, it was obvious that he had come back with his skills intact. It is indeed a great gain for India and her cricket team, but an even greater gain for the world of Cricket.The amazing reflexes were as sharp as when he was in his prime (May be he is still in his prime) and the stroke play was breathtaking. The glides, both on the off and on side were studded with intermittent drives on the up and the ability to up the tempo when needed was sharp as ever. He made batting on a difficult pitch look easy, albeit in the beginning it was not easy and he could well have got out for 5 if the catch had been taken by Carlton Baugh. It was a blessing in disguise as that let off led Sachin to a new gear and all that the West Indians could do was to stand and admire and applaud.Admittedly the West Indians would have smiled their way home after winning the curtailed game due to rain and courtesy of D/L there is no doubt in the minds of everyone who was playing and the millions watching on TV that the collossus had indeed returned with a vengence. It is sad that there were only a few hundred in the ground to see this..The 5 sixes he hit clearly shows that his shoulder and elbow are on the mend...

Karunanidhi's Protectionism on Dynastic rule

Over the last few days, I have seen a few articles in the press where the current chief minister of the southern state of TN in India has been cracking the whip on the Maran Brothers. The story behind the message is nothing more than protecting the rights of his favoured son taking the role of his heir apparent and moving the various political peices in the Dravidian Movement under him to ensure that he hands his legacy over to his own son.

Quite rightly he sees the challenge comming from his nephews - the Marans. Marans run the very succesful media company which owns SUN TV and a few publications and have the means to communicate with the public which is causing him sleepness nights. The fact that Marans are the children of one of MK's closest aides and family member in the late Murasoli Maran who within his rights was a very able minister in the central and local government when he was alive adds to the twist in the tale. Let us not forget that the Marans have a very good track record of managing businesses and administering the media group under them professionally. Under the Maran control the telecom industry moved fast to catch up with the world in progress and commercialisation which has further added to the woes of MK and ratled him.

MK clearly sees the Marans as threat to his son and the dynastic principles of Indian leaders. And as long as the Indian public do not come out and move away from awe of the rich and powerful, there is room for leaders like MK to twist the rules of the game to fit their selfis purposes.

Does MK have the courage to hand over the DMK to the Marans and ask Stalin his son to win the hearts and minds of people by going to the grassroots and delivering after the Marans rectify the political scene in TN? I doubt very much because Stalin neither has the hold nor the charisma of his father and will fail in the hustings in case the father is not in the scene. Further the progressive increase in the literate and expecting TN public will give more credence to the abilities of the erudite and educated Maran brothers over the tainted Stalin who has some remarkably strong stains on his reputation.

I really wish the people of TN ask for more accountability and ensure that this father to son handing over of power is put to a stop immediately.