Indulgence enters into one's life in disguise. It first tempts you to take a break from the good old hard work you've been doing. It then shows you ways of comfort and luxury. Finally, it takes over your mind and controls your actions. Later still, you start justifying it.
Here are few things lazy about me:
1. Sometimes, I use the car to get to office. My justification for it - I'm too tired, or I'm ill, or I'm late and the buses would be too crowded. That's all crap! Completely trivial!
2. I've stopped washing my own clothes. Why? Because I caught a flu two weeks ago.
3. I've stopped studying stuff and reading. My justification - where's the time? I've got all the time in the world, and yet little motivation to study. All of this time, I'm merely dreaming or thinking about some issues in my life. Where's the space to understand others' problems.
4. I've stopped calling or writing to friends. Why? No particular reason! I can't even justify it.
5. I don't pay my bills on time. Again, sheer laziness!
6. I've stopped blogging and even thinking about India. Got to change this! Now!
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
10 things about my nation I wish to change
There are many things that my nation needs to change. But of those, here are 10 that I strongly believe can and should be brought in. What I personally can do for these is another question, the answer to which would probably reveal the inherent inactivity and cowardice of my nature.
1. Changing the religious atmosphere:
Public houses of worship of all sorts (except those with tourist value) be converted to schools of Indian values. Teach people about their language (Sanskrit and Urdu), about ancient wisdom, about Indian medicine, about Indian values of satyanugrah, salaah, sangharsh and jihad against the atrocities of life itself, about the Indian way of life, and about purusharth. Make them think about what is good in other cultures and what isn't - what is worth adopting and what is to be warded off. Teach them to be thrifty in spending and buying only what they *need*.
2. Changing the roads:
Only electric and mechanical vehicles on the roads of my country. No use of diesel/petrol.
3. Changing the way of recreation:
No big budget entertainment. Cut the pays of actors and cricketers who are eating into the government's budgets. Take a stance on concerts and plays rather than movies. Let cricket be a sport and be treated like a sport. Only people passionate about it should be in it - not people who think advertising is the way to go.
4. Changing the government's way of spending money.
Absolute transparency in government budget allotment and use. Here's one possible solution. Create a new agency called the Tax Bank. All tax payers' money goes into their own individual accounts (that's about a 25M accounts). Government agencies pick up money from these accounts as and when they need it. Each time they do so, they file an application to do so, stating their purpose and their expected expenses. The people can then monitor what project their money is going into, and have the right to question the Government on the same.
5. Changing the Politicians:
All (aspiring and existing) politicians to give up all their property holdings and money to the government. All (possibly only male) politicians be required to serve in the army for at least 1 year. All politicians be required to work in public service departments of one or the other
6. Changing the way of law enforcement.
More authority and better pay to law enforcers. Keep them motivated to serve the country. Anybody found engaging in bribery of any sort should be executed, not sent to jail.
7. Changing the economic outlook.
No further selling of agricultural land to property builders. Stop all property projects and concentrate on getting food and medicine for the underfed and the sick. Stop cutting trees and creating new houses. All big houses should be broken down and several small houses should be created - enough for everybody to live in - a simple two room flat is good enough for a family of 4. Permit bigger houses only for joint families - that too be strictly commensurate to the number of people dwelling in the house.
8. Changing the rivers of my country
Spend a lot of resources on finding good ways for waste disposal. Then spend energies in cleaning the rivers of this country. Let the water of the rivers be drinkable again. (This would be perhaps the last thing on the Government's minds). But it is so important that this happens.
9. Changing the face of scientific research in our country
We are lagging behind the rest of the world in scientific research because we are racing them in their own way. Why are we even trying to catch up with everything that the US does? People there only know and use the "what"s and "HowTo"s of science. We should have research done in a manner that considers consequences of direction (like why am I developing this new program compiler?), trying to answer the "Why"s and "What for"s of science. Not every discovery or invention, is useful, though it can make money. Throw away all such inventions to selling them to the westerners (they love them!).
10. Changing people like me
I am an example of a person with some ideas, little validation and no action. If I changed into a being that acts on his thoughts, I may bring about changes I think are good. If the people of this nation changed their mode from thinking and speaking to doing... it sure will be a different world.
1. Changing the religious atmosphere:
Public houses of worship of all sorts (except those with tourist value) be converted to schools of Indian values. Teach people about their language (Sanskrit and Urdu), about ancient wisdom, about Indian medicine, about Indian values of satyanugrah, salaah, sangharsh and jihad against the atrocities of life itself, about the Indian way of life, and about purusharth. Make them think about what is good in other cultures and what isn't - what is worth adopting and what is to be warded off. Teach them to be thrifty in spending and buying only what they *need*.
2. Changing the roads:
Only electric and mechanical vehicles on the roads of my country. No use of diesel/petrol.
3. Changing the way of recreation:
No big budget entertainment. Cut the pays of actors and cricketers who are eating into the government's budgets. Take a stance on concerts and plays rather than movies. Let cricket be a sport and be treated like a sport. Only people passionate about it should be in it - not people who think advertising is the way to go.
4. Changing the government's way of spending money.
Absolute transparency in government budget allotment and use. Here's one possible solution. Create a new agency called the Tax Bank. All tax payers' money goes into their own individual accounts (that's about a 25M accounts). Government agencies pick up money from these accounts as and when they need it. Each time they do so, they file an application to do so, stating their purpose and their expected expenses. The people can then monitor what project their money is going into, and have the right to question the Government on the same.
5. Changing the Politicians:
All (aspiring and existing) politicians to give up all their property holdings and money to the government. All (possibly only male) politicians be required to serve in the army for at least 1 year. All politicians be required to work in public service departments of one or the other
6. Changing the way of law enforcement.
More authority and better pay to law enforcers. Keep them motivated to serve the country. Anybody found engaging in bribery of any sort should be executed, not sent to jail.
7. Changing the economic outlook.
No further selling of agricultural land to property builders. Stop all property projects and concentrate on getting food and medicine for the underfed and the sick. Stop cutting trees and creating new houses. All big houses should be broken down and several small houses should be created - enough for everybody to live in - a simple two room flat is good enough for a family of 4. Permit bigger houses only for joint families - that too be strictly commensurate to the number of people dwelling in the house.
8. Changing the rivers of my country
Spend a lot of resources on finding good ways for waste disposal. Then spend energies in cleaning the rivers of this country. Let the water of the rivers be drinkable again. (This would be perhaps the last thing on the Government's minds). But it is so important that this happens.
9. Changing the face of scientific research in our country
We are lagging behind the rest of the world in scientific research because we are racing them in their own way. Why are we even trying to catch up with everything that the US does? People there only know and use the "what"s and "HowTo"s of science. We should have research done in a manner that considers consequences of direction (like why am I developing this new program compiler?), trying to answer the "Why"s and "What for"s of science. Not every discovery or invention, is useful, though it can make money. Throw away all such inventions to selling them to the westerners (they love them!).
10. Changing people like me
I am an example of a person with some ideas, little validation and no action. If I changed into a being that acts on his thoughts, I may bring about changes I think are good. If the people of this nation changed their mode from thinking and speaking to doing... it sure will be a different world.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Sorry! But we're Indians
Is it a thing to be sorry about? To be an Indian... Not really! Though, the day doesn't seem too far away. We have managed to pick up so much from the western culture, and yet here are a few questions:
> We've managed to learn to respect people wearing shirts and suits, while we haven't still caught up with the stop-at-red-lights culture.
What is it about us that wants to make us unruly on the roads? Why can't we peacefully stop when the lights turn red? Is it that hard? Why can't we drive in a single lane? Why do we take pride in driving faster than other drivers?
> We've managed to learn how to build good roads, and yet lost the honesty involved in building them (look at the sorry state of the roads in my country...). Why are the roads always broken when there's rain? Why are some roads never repaired? Does our government have no money? Or no time?
> We've learnt to accept the rock culture (and gay parades...), and yet we don't have enough tolerance towards the different religions that color the people of our nation. Why don't we abolish all such religious practices that create friction between fellow earthlings? Why doesn't our government ban public religious activities altogether? Did Gautam Buddha acquire enlightenment in a crowd? Did any rshi or any sant ever find God or Allah in a temple or in a mosque? I say, break all the temples and all the mosques in this country and create houses for the poor and food for the underfed! Let God be in our hearts and not in some buildings of grandeur.
> We've learnt English as our medium of communication - a good thing since it links us with the world. But why have we lost touch with Sanskrit, Farsi and Urdu? Why have we forgotten these languages that define our culture? Why should all the authoritative books on Sanskrit and Urdu come from people of foreign origin when this is the land of their genesis?
> We've learnt how to make money (or have we?). But why are we headed in the same capitalist way that the US did? Why do we ever believe that their economic stances are superior to those taken by our ancients? At this time, I remember one small piece that our beloved martyr Bhagat Singh wrote: The light burns dim in the lamps of the needy, and in such light a thousand revolutions thrive!
> We've managed to learn to respect people wearing shirts and suits, while we haven't still caught up with the stop-at-red-lights culture.
What is it about us that wants to make us unruly on the roads? Why can't we peacefully stop when the lights turn red? Is it that hard? Why can't we drive in a single lane? Why do we take pride in driving faster than other drivers?
> We've managed to learn how to build good roads, and yet lost the honesty involved in building them (look at the sorry state of the roads in my country...). Why are the roads always broken when there's rain? Why are some roads never repaired? Does our government have no money? Or no time?
> We've learnt to accept the rock culture (and gay parades...), and yet we don't have enough tolerance towards the different religions that color the people of our nation. Why don't we abolish all such religious practices that create friction between fellow earthlings? Why doesn't our government ban public religious activities altogether? Did Gautam Buddha acquire enlightenment in a crowd? Did any rshi or any sant ever find God or Allah in a temple or in a mosque? I say, break all the temples and all the mosques in this country and create houses for the poor and food for the underfed! Let God be in our hearts and not in some buildings of grandeur.
> We've learnt English as our medium of communication - a good thing since it links us with the world. But why have we lost touch with Sanskrit, Farsi and Urdu? Why have we forgotten these languages that define our culture? Why should all the authoritative books on Sanskrit and Urdu come from people of foreign origin when this is the land of their genesis?
> We've learnt how to make money (or have we?). But why are we headed in the same capitalist way that the US did? Why do we ever believe that their economic stances are superior to those taken by our ancients? At this time, I remember one small piece that our beloved martyr Bhagat Singh wrote: The light burns dim in the lamps of the needy, and in such light a thousand revolutions thrive!
Thursday, September 4, 2008
India's Dependence on the US economy
It is sometimes disheartening to know that the once glorious nation, the gold reserves of which drew raiders and plunderers from around the world, and the culture of which inspired million, is so dependent on the economy of a nation built on the principals of debts, mortgaging and capitalism, and with no culture of its own. So much so that when the dollar falls with respect to the rupee, all is lost for foreign trade and exports; and when it rises, the purchasing power of the country's masses goes down. What's up?
Why is this dependence so deep? Let us try to analyze. India exports services and goods to the US. A chunk of India's GDP comes from selling these things, and a major chunk of this chunk is in trade with the US. As a result, if things don't go well within the US and people stop buying things, India's exports are hit. Now when the dollar falls against the rupee, Indian stuff in the US becomes expensive, and so the returns are fewer. What about selling to other countries? Well, they don't have that many needs (because, quite frankly, none of the other countries are as consumerists as the US). And as a matter of fact, the other countries don't have the means to import too much.
And when the Indian rupee falls against the dollar, obviously, the people can buy less. So how can we break this vicious circle of dependence?
Why is this dependence so deep? Let us try to analyze. India exports services and goods to the US. A chunk of India's GDP comes from selling these things, and a major chunk of this chunk is in trade with the US. As a result, if things don't go well within the US and people stop buying things, India's exports are hit. Now when the dollar falls against the rupee, Indian stuff in the US becomes expensive, and so the returns are fewer. What about selling to other countries? Well, they don't have that many needs (because, quite frankly, none of the other countries are as consumerists as the US). And as a matter of fact, the other countries don't have the means to import too much.
And when the Indian rupee falls against the dollar, obviously, the people can buy less. So how can we break this vicious circle of dependence?
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Bicycles Inc.
I keep getting a lot of crazy ideas. Here's one! Why doesn't everybody start using bicycles for short distances? Here are a few obvious things to gain from using them:
1. Obviously no pollution. Gain in carbon credits for the country.
2. Less pressure on the country's fuel requirements.
3. Good health of the people - cycling is a good exercise.
4. Fewer accidents - how many times have you seen hoards of cyclists hurting each other.
And then some of the more obscure things:
5. Better roads - lesser abrasion of road materials.
6. Lesser power requirements in companies - people would have to start early in the morning and leave early in the evening - for which sunlight could directly be used to lighten the buildings.
7. Lifestyle of rickshaw pullers gets a boost.
8. Bicycles mean not only healthier people but more alertness for them, more athleticism, and less of the oh so prevalent cut-throat mindset.
9. Lesser spending on fuel, cars and accidental repairs means better lifestyle for the people.
10. World peace - people would have lesser time for fighting with each other - since they'd be too busy cycling to their workplace.
Of course, there could be some people who'd be unhappy with this development:
1. Car dealers - what would they do? How about selling cycles?
2. Car manufacturers - Oh don't they have enough money? They could start manufacturing bicycles. After all where they'd be selling a single car - they would sell 3/4 bicycles in a family. The profits would admittedly be low - but what the hell! That's a small price for the country's overall happiness. We will get back to this issue in some other post and analyze what can be done for car manufacturers!
3. India Inc. - this thing does not really exist! It is only a virtual image of things that the developed world has created for our country. It does not really capture the aspirations and nature of problems of the Indian masses.
4. The developed world. Well they've had their time.
So! What say?
1. Obviously no pollution. Gain in carbon credits for the country.
2. Less pressure on the country's fuel requirements.
3. Good health of the people - cycling is a good exercise.
4. Fewer accidents - how many times have you seen hoards of cyclists hurting each other.
And then some of the more obscure things:
5. Better roads - lesser abrasion of road materials.
6. Lesser power requirements in companies - people would have to start early in the morning and leave early in the evening - for which sunlight could directly be used to lighten the buildings.
7. Lifestyle of rickshaw pullers gets a boost.
8. Bicycles mean not only healthier people but more alertness for them, more athleticism, and less of the oh so prevalent cut-throat mindset.
9. Lesser spending on fuel, cars and accidental repairs means better lifestyle for the people.
10. World peace - people would have lesser time for fighting with each other - since they'd be too busy cycling to their workplace.
Of course, there could be some people who'd be unhappy with this development:
1. Car dealers - what would they do? How about selling cycles?
2. Car manufacturers - Oh don't they have enough money? They could start manufacturing bicycles. After all where they'd be selling a single car - they would sell 3/4 bicycles in a family. The profits would admittedly be low - but what the hell! That's a small price for the country's overall happiness. We will get back to this issue in some other post and analyze what can be done for car manufacturers!
3. India Inc. - this thing does not really exist! It is only a virtual image of things that the developed world has created for our country. It does not really capture the aspirations and nature of problems of the Indian masses.
4. The developed world. Well they've had their time.
So! What say?
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Economic Growth of India
The intellectuals are all worried about the dipping economic growth of India. The newspaper is buzzing with news of the poor quarterly growth of our nation and the weakening GDP numbers. What I began to wonder was this - how should the growth of a nation be really measured? Does the GDP really reflect the gross happiness of the people of the country?
Well I personally think that the economists of our age are a bunch of loony mathematicians who think that human life can be judged and measured in numbers! No computation in this universe can ever capture the number of dimensions to the ground reality of the economics of this country. Here are a few points worth pondering about:
1. Industrial growth leads to progress of the country in some sense. At the same time, it kills opportunities for some farmers. At the same time it gives jobs to millions of people. And so should we assign weights w1 and w2 the happiness of the newly employed ones and the unhappy farmers and determine their gross happiness together as h1w1 - h2w2. Does it really work that way? Should a 100 lives be thrown into oblivion so that 10000 get a good life?
2. Jobs in IT companies have given a lot of Indian people a lot of money. This has raised their "standard" of living, and the cash flow in the market, and the consequent boost to the economy. Let me ask one question - before the IT boom happened, weren't people living well enough? Were the sudden NEEDs of having a super market (and the resultant overspending), or buying an iPod, or eating at Pizza Hut (which thanks to the stuffed pockets of people can put exorbitant price tags on their products) always a part of this country. I think not! It all looks like a conspiracy. Don't think so - check out this website http://www.storyofstuff.com and you'll know what the third world meant to the US and what India is fast transforming into. The point to be pondered upon is whether having all that more money went into "really" helping India, or did it turn the naturally satisfied average Indian, into ever hungry, ever mkore materialistic creatures.
3. Can there be no economy without contributing significantly to the "consumption" face of things? Can economic growth not be tied up to making people understand that they need less, and on the core value of self-sustenance? I thought, the great Indian culture had all the answers. That's what I was made to believe in my younger years. Who then carries the knowledge of how to make people happy without them wanting more and more pieces of cake made from the very flesh of their fellow planet-mates? Can there be no respite?
Well I personally think that the economists of our age are a bunch of loony mathematicians who think that human life can be judged and measured in numbers! No computation in this universe can ever capture the number of dimensions to the ground reality of the economics of this country. Here are a few points worth pondering about:
1. Industrial growth leads to progress of the country in some sense. At the same time, it kills opportunities for some farmers. At the same time it gives jobs to millions of people. And so should we assign weights w1 and w2 the happiness of the newly employed ones and the unhappy farmers and determine their gross happiness together as h1w1 - h2w2. Does it really work that way? Should a 100 lives be thrown into oblivion so that 10000 get a good life?
2. Jobs in IT companies have given a lot of Indian people a lot of money. This has raised their "standard" of living, and the cash flow in the market, and the consequent boost to the economy. Let me ask one question - before the IT boom happened, weren't people living well enough? Were the sudden NEEDs of having a super market (and the resultant overspending), or buying an iPod, or eating at Pizza Hut (which thanks to the stuffed pockets of people can put exorbitant price tags on their products) always a part of this country. I think not! It all looks like a conspiracy. Don't think so - check out this website http://www.storyofstuff.com and you'll know what the third world meant to the US and what India is fast transforming into. The point to be pondered upon is whether having all that more money went into "really" helping India, or did it turn the naturally satisfied average Indian, into ever hungry, ever mkore materialistic creatures.
3. Can there be no economy without contributing significantly to the "consumption" face of things? Can economic growth not be tied up to making people understand that they need less, and on the core value of self-sustenance? I thought, the great Indian culture had all the answers. That's what I was made to believe in my younger years. Who then carries the knowledge of how to make people happy without them wanting more and more pieces of cake made from the very flesh of their fellow planet-mates? Can there be no respite?
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Kashmir
The oft quoted quote for this beautiful land says "If there's heaven on earth, it is here, it's here, it's here...". What happened to this land of Sufis and Rishis? The news around the world have reported of the "freedom struggle" of the Kashmiris. The cities and towns are burning. The Hindus are unrelenting, the Muslims ready to break off another piece of land. The Indian government is pushing the people with way too much pressure. Pakistan with its own democracy in shambles is encouraging the fire. And the diaspora of the nation all talking about a possible separation.
Sometimes, I wonder if the partition was really inevitable. Was the India-Pakistan and the India-Bangladesh partition an unavoidable thing? Had the people of Lahore, Peshawar and Rawalpindi, who had risen together to fight the British out of this country, suddenly decided that India was too pro-Hindu to be together with? Wasn't the greatest Indian martyr (Bhagat Singh) born and executed in what is now Pakistan? Then why all this blood? Why the need for separation?
If there is a need for anything, it's change of rulers. So far the pro-Gandhian people ruled this nation with as much as dexterity as the Roman Caesars did! They all knew what the vastly uneducated (not necessarily illiterate), and the middle-class majority of this country wanted. And that's true for both India and Pakistan. One nation calls itself Secular, the other, Free! And governments of neither conform to any of their idealism. A really secular government would have done anything and everything to have saved Kashmir from falling into the separatists' traps, who by all measures know how to spark a rebellion only too well.
And what I am absolutely shocked about is the fact that media is completely underplaying this whole issue of Kashmir. There're hardly and news reports, any fora for the people of Kashmir, and no features voicing the Indian youth about this issue, in the media. All they care for right now is a bloody bronze medal in the olympics. Oh heart! heart! heart! Oh the bleeding drops of red! Since when has the cricket match, the newly released movies, the olympics medals, and other so many trivia become more important than the whole idea of the nation breaking up again! Are we still sleeping? Why isn't there a mass movement in the country to save this situation? Is the Government the only body in the universe which can do anything about it? Can we do nothing? Except, writing such blogs... (I wish I were a still born!)
Our most beloved ex-President, Dr. Kalam asked us all to dream. I dream of a Kashmir that is the next Silicon Valley - it is the only place that can be it. I dream of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh as one nation again - at least in spirit. I dream of the world where people stop fighting for a piece of land - because the land is there to stay - but the people aren't.
Sometimes, I wonder if the partition was really inevitable. Was the India-Pakistan and the India-Bangladesh partition an unavoidable thing? Had the people of Lahore, Peshawar and Rawalpindi, who had risen together to fight the British out of this country, suddenly decided that India was too pro-Hindu to be together with? Wasn't the greatest Indian martyr (Bhagat Singh) born and executed in what is now Pakistan? Then why all this blood? Why the need for separation?
If there is a need for anything, it's change of rulers. So far the pro-Gandhian people ruled this nation with as much as dexterity as the Roman Caesars did! They all knew what the vastly uneducated (not necessarily illiterate), and the middle-class majority of this country wanted. And that's true for both India and Pakistan. One nation calls itself Secular, the other, Free! And governments of neither conform to any of their idealism. A really secular government would have done anything and everything to have saved Kashmir from falling into the separatists' traps, who by all measures know how to spark a rebellion only too well.
And what I am absolutely shocked about is the fact that media is completely underplaying this whole issue of Kashmir. There're hardly and news reports, any fora for the people of Kashmir, and no features voicing the Indian youth about this issue, in the media. All they care for right now is a bloody bronze medal in the olympics. Oh heart! heart! heart! Oh the bleeding drops of red! Since when has the cricket match, the newly released movies, the olympics medals, and other so many trivia become more important than the whole idea of the nation breaking up again! Are we still sleeping? Why isn't there a mass movement in the country to save this situation? Is the Government the only body in the universe which can do anything about it? Can we do nothing? Except, writing such blogs... (I wish I were a still born!)
Our most beloved ex-President, Dr. Kalam asked us all to dream. I dream of a Kashmir that is the next Silicon Valley - it is the only place that can be it. I dream of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh as one nation again - at least in spirit. I dream of the world where people stop fighting for a piece of land - because the land is there to stay - but the people aren't.
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