Monday, February 22, 2016

Let more ‘communities’ come home to roost

It is when the primitive society negotiates the realities of egalitarian values and modern setting that the gaps are seen in these compelling sights. And yes let each and every ‘community’ come out on the street and vandalise to show their strength and fight for more clout and pride. Squatter ensconced mediocre elite and those playing intellectuals (includes godforsaken sociologists) bargained, ofcourse in their entitled ways, that these puss filled festers will be scratched and licked in private pleasure and will only be showcased as amazing diversity when summoned. But alas, this is something that was not factored and they cringe in their respective ‘community’ pits wondering what has come to the world. Why are people such brutes, and yes what happened to Gandhi apostling peace that we are so world famous for? A wonderful conception where people peacefully come out of their putrid pits and hug the passerby with nonviolence seeping the street and gandhian values filling the air, and then dutifully go back to their pits and day dream. Well clearly it is not really happening that way. The stench of putrid pit fills the street. In such a discriminatory and amazingly prejudiced and stratified society egalitarian framework like democracy creates existential confusion and angst that civilised people may find difficult to understand. Let more and more ‘communities’ come out in each and every street and fight it out. Nonviolence in this primitive world is an act of assertive deviance as much as non-vegetarianism is a progressive step when faced with excruciatingly regressive vegetarianism. When it comes to India conventional wisdom and liberal contexts needs to be re-evaluated. The elite sections attempt to align with semantics of the civilized world falls well short, the hypocrisy is telling.    

Pests in Delhi: This is a chapter in Mr. Kutty’s autobiography (that I mentioned in my previous blog), it is wonderfully insightful hence I thought of quoting. The readers will see strong contemporary resonance, well it is but expected afterall it’s the duty of devious elders to pass on their artform to progenies as matter of tradition; inbreeding sharpens it to a level that ordinary mortals are never equipped to fathom the nuances of this deeply degraded ways.

After independence, three ways of Pests (each of different kind) invaded Delhi. They were the Gandhians, in the early years, followed by Public Relation people –born during the ‘Permit-Quota-License period’ –and then the Left intellectuals.

The Gandhians acquired bad reputation, long before Gandhiji died. Gandhiji was aware of this. The group included gang of unscrupulous people out to earn quick buck, using that great man’s name. There were Pure Gandhians who claimed they are vegetarian, but ate even beef privately; believed in truth only, but never told one. There were other Gandhians who propagated prohibition, but they themselves drank and enjoyed scotch. All sorts were there. They included criminals, crooks, conmen, and even common thieves. They all had gone jail ofcourse –but they never clarified for what. They were the most insincere and untrustworthy people around. Many of them managed to secure ‘tamrapatras’, and pensions, claiming they were freedom fighters.
A conversation between GV Tendulkar (a great photographer and writer, who had written the definitive biography of Gandhiji, in several volumes) and Gandhiji was reported to us when he visited Shankar at his office…When Gandhiji expressed some doubts about a project Tendulkar had proposed, the latter retorted “Bapu you can trust me. I am NOT a Gandhian”. Gandhiji had a good laugh…

After a time, the Gandhians had to give way to the next group who were active when all business, trade and commerce came under strict government control –the public relation fellows. These guys were ready to do anything to get favour for their clients from the bureaucrats and politicians. Some of them were freelancers. Most of them were attached to big business houses. They had heavy Expense Account purses, with no restrictions whatsoever. These people continued to operate for quite sometime. They managed to displace the Gandhians. Some of them had been operating previously as Gandhians, though!

After them came Left intellectuals who dominated this scene for a long period. They were mostly people with some academic qualification, professors, so-called researchers, journalists, actors, painters, and fellows claiming to be writers and thinkers. The common link that kept them all together was the Scotch, supplied by various Communist Embassies in New Delhi. These fellows had communist leanings but did not have the desire to join the party, lest it interfere with business, which was making money quick, because the party insist on share of your income for itself, from its members.

They were intelligent fellows who had discovered that Communism was easiest way to ‘Accumulate Capital.’

Their heyday was during the Indira regime, when one of the top Communist Party leaders, Mr Mohan Kumaramangalam left that Party, and joined the Indira cabinet! I knew a lot of journalist in this group. When the pay commission for the journalists came, one could know the salary of any one of them. But nobody could fathom their income!!

This group was, unlike the Public Relations crowd, able to make money without spending any. Indira’s advisers belong to this group. Occasionally you could spot some of these ‘Left Intellectuals’ in the ‘Right reactionary’ crowd, probably exploring possibilities here.
People who went to the American embassy for any business, or even to the US Information Service Library, were branded as ‘Right reactionaries’, even ‘CIA agent’ by these fellows! The rouble for these people was holy, the dollar ‘dirty’, though if they had the chance to get it, they themselves preferred the dollar. The collapse of Communist regimes in Europe left these chaps at a loose end! Soon they dispersed and formed their own individual lobbies for various politicians.

It’s an insight that will help you understand all kind of fixers, manipulators and pretenders around the power centres.  Their task becomes much easier when the sycophants are elevated into cabinet positions, indeed they lobby for these incompetent and unelectable geezers. Sometimes carefully position these as matter of pride, while the family surrounded by sycophants live in exaggeration and invincibility, these attribute expertly exploited by manipulators to hyperbole the hurt and victims readied to be fed. Elevation of amazingly incompetent people like Salman Kurshid and Ambika Soni can be explained from this framework, latter’s role in emergency atrocities made her particularly vulnerable hence easily manipulated by vested interests. How much of national interest was compromised and privacy of individuals intruded, for personal aggrandizement and private reasons, nobody will ever know.

Friday, February 19, 2016

Brethren in the rigmarole of ever purifying moral high grounds


As the so-called journalists were beaten up by so-called lawyers there was a frenzy to showcase that the world as we know is collapsing, this narration was pushed onto more than billion hapless people. In between we have the draconian sedition laws that rest ever so lightly on the shoulders of policy makers, et al sycophants, and legal luminaries as nuances are served with hot bread pakodas. Some even claim dire days are upon us, then ofcourse there is mandatory signature campaign, a pride of international assertion that likes of Kasturi&Sons can easily muster. To give the context, during Chennai flood, as emergency relief and lifesaving materials were being distributed, there were reports of blatant ‘caste’ bias, as some areas were neglected and people threatened. This attitude exhibited during one of the bleakest moment facing the people. How did human beings come to be like this? What is the basis of such depravity? This is the ‘community’ that Kasturi&Sons (as intellectual forbearers, ofcourse this malaise is ever prevalent in this godforsaken society, there is always valiant effort to exotic gift-wrap for westerners) have been nurturing with debauched blessing and feudal ways with gusto right into the 21st century. If, after independence, steps were taken to execute land reforms and stringent inheritance tax, it would have sealed this debauchery and entitled high moral grounds that squatter ensconced world claim. Chomsky/Pamuk needs to do a study before aligning and stepping into disgraceful camaraderie; the clarion call that attempts at compassion and egalitarian ways is standing on a weak and crumbling foundation. It is habitual on the part of squatter ensconced to take high moral grounds from the most primitive of settings, social reality that they are proud perpetrators. Miming egalitarian ways and displaying moral high grounds to attract the attention of enlightened section of West is a constant endeavour. Beware.


The other day I was going through this book, Years of laughter: Reminiscences of a Cartoonist (by PKS Kutty) in the nearby library. Kutty was in thick of things in Delhi during and after the independence, I found his insights and grapevine rather revealing, also a pointer to the so-called leaders, the quality of freedom fighters and their entrenched attitude. This blogger was always sceptical of these scheming connivers who have hold over this godforsaken society and mime as great souls and leaders. And yes this fellow C.Rajagopalachari (CR) was always a suspect and I have been trying to get hold of him for sometime. CR is a clear case of squatter ensconced scoundrel who by playing camaraderie did exceeding well and reaped untold goodies. He is seen as a role model of mediocre elite and is elevated as some kind of great statesman wherein the reality being he lacked even basic intellect and understanding of people. Arrogant as always he worked his devious charm, and ofcourse, inimitable humble simplicity in nuances that floored squatter ensconced. Meanwhile sided with colonial masters during quit India movement (hilariously classified as ‘pacifist’, Bhagat Singh in this conception was terrorist!!), quite understandably he was elevated as Governor General, but somehow couldn’t work his charm for the post of President, which went to much deserving Rajendra Prasad. Now when CR (he is also referred to as Rajaji, something I am sure he relished) stayed in Rashtrapathi Bhavan (then Viceroy’s Lodge) he converted it into mini squatter’s den, into his private sanctum sanctorum of purity, writes Kutty “Viceroy’s Lodge became a venue for the observance for all religious rituals…He observed all sacred days with appropriate rituals…the leaders of Tamil Brahmin community were invited to these functions. The priest had to be there. Rajaji did not have the heart to displease any denominations. So he invited a whole lot of priest for these rituals” (emphasis mine). As you may know in this primitive world there is pecking order within squatter!!, it is an amazing degradation. Needless to say CR, in his simple humble ways, put it as government expense. The impunity with which they desecrated the democratic institutions is undoubtedly amazing. 
And yes these were the scoundrels on whose hand the fledging democracy was sought to be protected. Scoundrel CR showed his chicanery as he opposed Nehru (Panditji for Left leaders like D.Raja, the fellow should be ashamed of himself, no wonder these pretenders are facing extinctions) as he was against socialism, indeed he was towards right wing. Wherein, more than pseudo socialism, the need of the hour was revolutionary changes towards equitable distribution that aligned with core principal of democracy. Meanwhile, CR was to further demean institutions as Governor of Madras invited him to be CM as a matter of high camaraderie and blessing, that it was serious case of impropriety is minor matter here. The conspicuousness of the act is what is remarkable and shows entitled surety of ordained selves. Clearly the Governor “did not have the heart to displease” CR, the debauched blessing pays back at the most opportune time. CR actively set out to sanskritise tamil and impose his will on people, the ham handed way of this foolish fellow ended in serious flare. It is also not a coincidence that Gandhi saw him as a "keeper of my conscience". Meanwhile the progenies of these two have multiplied and are habituated to take high moral grounds. Shockingly CR is a Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award!!(picture herein is a cartoon by Kutty as battalion of squatter cycle down Raisina hill after CR feed) 
                                       
As the shout for freedom of expression gets louder this blogger likes to remind the readers that the active participant and perpetrator of Emergency was Information & Broadcasting cabinet minister in the previous government. This was pointed out by this blogger much earlier, indeed there was vengeance shown by the market fixers and manipulators to resuscitate this woman, who if we had effective law and order machinery would be rotting in jail. And yes, if Election Commission had some spine then Indira Gandhi should have been debarred from elections, that the least that was expected. If ever there was a case for treason at the highest level then it has to be proclamation of Emergency. It was gross violation of constitution and seditious act on the State and people. Nepotism and corruption thrive when there is a critical mass of sycophants as leaders, these unelectables tend to use all the opportunity to dispense patronage to create clout and demean the institutions, they manipulate with impunity as they are answerable to no one hence they put energy on creating perceptions. Market manipulators have field day as the big corporates zero in to butter the deal. This precisely is what was happening, and most likely still happens as the system is too degraded. Take for instance, while Volkswagen world over severely suffered because of its cheating and had to recall it cars, in India these were not taken seriously (we have a ridiculous situation of a car manufacturer claiming that their car exhaust is fresher than the air, meanwhile they export car adhering to high clean/quality standards while refusing to do for Indian market. The audacity is amazing!!), they were engaged in emotion driven ads to trap people.

The market media is completely immersed in world of perceptions and manipulation, within these restrictions we get the supine spine of the fourth estate, mostly based around the power centre and money bags. The infotainment works with movies and cricket as lynchpin therefore representing arts and sports respectively, market create the parameters within which there is an intense search for freedom. It is the most devious and exaggerated of conception. While semiliterate and easily manipulateble protagonists emerge as artists and sportspersons, readied as icons and role models, meanwhile they disgracefully hawk sundry things with compulsive intent. There is an immediate need for world without these deception, ads and related manipulation, precious time is lost in these nonsense apart from ofcourse the degradation that blur the lines of fact and fiction, reality and perceptions. It amazing that economic growth model is hinged on deceit, this spurious understanding that has caught the imagination and constant source of growth, the development and modernity.
      
Democracy is an institution that has lots of potential but in the squatter ensconced social setup and feudal realities of India, wherein egalitarian intent is absent, responsible ways unheard of, entitlement is accepted as competence, the democratic institutions are under serious threat of being conduit to exploitations, reduces to farce. I was reading about French revolution the other day The Marriage of Figaro is an opera by Mozart based on the play by Beaumarchais, this was three years before the revolution. It was so influential that the last act of the play ‘was revolution in action’ according to Napoleon. Figaro points to the Count, the figure representing entitlement and debauchery, and said “Because you are a great nobleman, you think you’re a great genius. Nobility, wealth, honours, emoluments!! What have you done to earn so many advantages? You took the trouble to be born, nothing more”.       
This play was an indication of fervour of the time as the people questioned the traditional authority and nepotism, that extremely talented people added their might to the zeal is the reason why French revolution is path breaking event in human history. It was a new dawn of equality, fraternity and liberty that became the cornerstone of human values concretised in the idea of democracy. Primitive Indians have long way to go on these matters, although entitled worldviews give them constant urges of greatness that objective realities denies. It is in this context this blogger again question the reason for not imposing inheritance tax. Considering how skewed the society is, as also primitive tradition that consolidate prejudices, biases and discriminations, as also strong camaraderie that can be substantiated by any amount of study and will show blatant elitism at every stage. Facts as well as the narration and arguments are easily manipulated. If cultural inheritance is so crude then material inheritance only consolidates these, it therefore act as a conduit of further discrimination and harbinger of exponential inequity. Ownership of capital is skewed, and gets worse with inheritance and bequests. How it impacts the concept of competence and merit is self-evident.

Though the biggest source of economic inequality is inherited wealth the finance ministry thinks “inheritance tax won't make much sense, as people in India don't inherit much".  And then there are some who quote Milton Friedman asserting that such a tax ignores one of the fundamental incentives that drive humans to create and save wealth: the incentive of family creation. This is taken as moral argument. Indeed in Indian case incentives are given to ‘family businesses’, which is nothing but nepotism, so much for competence and equity. Even countries like USA, that has weird affliction to family, has strong inheritance tax in place (as high as 50% in some States, with Federal tax rises to as much as 85%. In Japan it is 70% while France 40%). It is not a surprise that whether RBI Governor (Raghuram Rajan) or Chief Economic Advisor (Arvind Subramanium) don’t seem receptive to these problems that plague Indian society, their social context may provide the clue. It is also likely, that like any mainstream economist, they see economic problem in terms of prosperity and growth, and not as an instrument of social change or equity. It is therefore not a surprise that followers of growth model fuel policies that end up consolidating disparities. “The returns to capital typically exceed the rate of growth of national income, making it even more concentrated, and inequality gets worse” argues Piketty. Another problem in context to India is that vested interests have seen to that there is always lack of reliable data, hence growth narration can be manipulated and placed in the realm of perceptions. But realities are difficult to hide, social indices shows amazing level of disparities as social relations further exploitative. Corporates and business only bring in efficiency of profit opportunism and dehumanisation. Even political leaders are just puppets to these bigger forces, and in Indian case these are strong insurmountable entrenched interests that have mastery in devious ways and scuttle any positive measure. Indeed egalitarian ideas espoused by democracy are seriously undermined by economic policies that favour elite in the name of growth. Worsening Gini coefficient is an indicator that in the absence of inheritance or wealth tax there is increasing concentration of wealth. In an inegalitarian and discriminatory society like India these have devastating consequences that amplifies cultural deviances and consolidates primitive ways. Rent seeking and patrimonial capitalism is reflecting the false sheen of development and is clearly showcasing lack of competence while on the other hand appalling public investment in primary education or health have seen to deplorable human conditions and lost potential. There are traditional and deeply entrenched reasons to this apathy, social stratification severely undermines any signs of growth, while demographic dividends only looks exciting on paper. Regressive harmony that rears effacing violence cannot be about peace. Inheritance tax therefore should be seen as a corrective measure for the malaise of the huge disparity in income and wealth rather than as a source of revenue for the exchequer.  

Monday, February 15, 2016

ONV was the soul of Malayalam



Malayalam is not an easy language, and to weave into melodious entrancing soulful songs, that everytime you hear it takes you right back to Kerala (indeed lazier part of Shankumugam beach on weekday afternoons, sleepy bylanes, sight from college window where you could see trees every moment and Indian coffee house where I saw ONV once) and loftier meanings to life that knocks you all the time. Significantly, his Malayalam rendition of poems, an art in itself, was always a pleasure to listen to. His concern for Malayalam is as alive, as Indian languages are threatened by English and market driven superficial ways




Threat to integrity of nation cannot be tolerated

Nation State is duty bound to protect its integrity and cannot tolerate any attempts to undermine it. The kind of sloganeering that was carried out in JNU is highly seditious and therefore should be dealt accordingly. Ideas can be debated and disagreed but call to break up the country cannot be tolerated under any circumstance. This blogger understands that draconian sedition act is a British legacy and hence should be modified to the suit the context of the time. It is horrible that in seven decades of sycophantic and incompetent leaders didn’t have the time nor had any intent for these basic changes, it is an amazing travesty. Further, this blogger always held that Article 370 is discriminatory and is the source of misery for ordinary kashmiris. To maintain this Army is put under severe pressure, hence violations. Societies work by exchange and amalgamation, and not by artificial boundaries. Atleast the law should allow people from different part of the country to settle in Jammu&Kashmir, it cannot be kept frozen in time and  be exploited by competing forces, especially the mullahs (with connivance from rabids across the border) and to work out their angst. The angst that Left always found compelling as they have least connection with the marginalised and exploited, hence the hobnobbing with elite muslims is easy getaway. This too is a British legacy, and you can find traces in regressive multiculturalism in contemporary Britain as the society plunges trying to accommodate cruder ways. The celebration of different worldviews, faith, culture and tradition exists in context of equality and egalitarian ways, hence within what is promoted as different ways or culture it should be reflected. It cannot work in competing regressiveness. How much Indian elite, who migrated to London, have exploited these colonial guilt angst and deviously worked out to spread out squatter ensconced crude ways as they hid under mullah concerns and high sounding human values so on should be scrutinised.  

JNU is a premier institute and provides lots of opportunities to outsiders in what is essentially a highly exploitive and discriminatory insular world of Delhi. This blogger too was in JNU briefly though I didn’t get the stream that I was keen on, as also the hostel facility (that was a critical factor, as I had to focus on earning) but did utilize the opportunity to explore the place, must add a terrific library that one, gives me serious nostalgia, I was mostly here and rarely attended any classes. If Sahitya Akademi library opened me into amazing world of fiction writing (I had no idea about fiction hence started to read alphabetically at the rate of one or two books a week, keeping the thicker ones for the end of the month as the money drained these books kept me occupied. Amit Choudhari should know how much alphabets in name matters!!), then exemplary nonfiction writings were in JNU (though much earlier I stumbled upon Naipaul&Co in air conditioned and amazingly silent, dusty books at Central Secretariat library as I avoided the terrible Delhi heat). JNU provides the opportunity and freedom but it shouldn’t be misused. State must be, and should be questioned, stridently so, but threat of physical elimination and disintegration, is crossing the line, the state therefore is duty bound to respond. That however doesn't mean that right wing should have a free run under the guise of nationalism and state patronage, this is evolving into threatening dimensions.   

Soldiers dying in Siachin have become a regular affair, its time government look for technological options. Human presence must be avoided at these inclement conditions that seriously compromises the health and is constant threat to life. I recall about two decades back I was in Chennai and used to drop into transit camp mess for dinner, met these officers on transit. Sometimes used to go out with younger ones for movies so on (watching Cliffhanger movie few times free of cost was an achievement), I being conversant in the language as also the place. There was one young officer, I distinctly remember, who had swollen fingers from his stint in Siachin, he also got headaches. He, meanwhile, was proud to have served at such dangerous conditions. I still recall feeling extremely amused. But then that is army man for you, the reason why they should be adequately compensated for their services. And yes no two ranks are similar it’s the risk and sacrifices that should be factored.

I recall a funny instance here, once we went for movie at a seedy theatre (I forgot the name but it used to be opposite American consulate, next to the fly over) the disgraceful place had the system that you could buy the ticket and be inside forever, as they repeated the movie again and again, needless to say there were many other ‘activities’ happening inside the theatre, movie being a distraction!! Frankly I wasn’t really aware of this place, and ended up as there weren’t any good movies running in nearby theatres, the lieutenant who was with me thought the movie was wacky, meanwhile he informed that the guy next had placed his hand on his thigh, we dismissed it as accidental but soon the hand was determinately climbing up and that’s when the upright lieutenant let it be known that he was counting ten, if the fellow doesn’t take his hand off by that time then he is going to break his skull. When an army man says it he means it, there is no thinking on these matters. Alarmed I immediately confronted the creepy fellow with ‘enappa epidi’ and try to play it down as the fellow shirked away. When I met the lieutenant next day for dinner I found him still seething, as furious, itching for a good fight.                

Saturday, February 13, 2016

It's mosquito over Olympics




This is an unprecedented health crisis. Zika virus is turning out to be much dangerous than previously thought, apart from severely affecting new born babies, recently they have found that it causes neural disorder and paralysis in adults. There is also various version of its transmission, including sexual. This blogger was reading that these vicious variations has probably to do with genetically modified mosquitoes that were introduced, I am not finding confirmation on this but if this is true then this further put question mark on gene modification and the unknown impact it exhibits in nature. Clearly these need serious relook and comprehensive field study. Few months back I attended a talk by Richard John Roberts a British biochemist and molecular biologist (Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1993), he was all out for GM food, indeed quite intriguingly strongly pushing the claim that food security is acute in poorer countries hence these societies should spearhead these innovation. He showed immense enthusiasm for ‘logical discussion’, even anyone questioning GM was dismissed as ‘propaganda’. Incidentally I also happen to watch a program in BBC (panorama) few years back where the same views were asserted quite aggressively. This blogger likes to keep an open view about things but recent happenings, the failures of Bt crops as also the unknown impacts adds to the concern. Then there is a concern of how much of what we eat is already GM without we being aware of or told. Now we have the issue of mustard and also threat to pulse security. A country like India which has so much diversity in crops, and time tested sustainable methods, is being consistently assaulted by profit mongers, ofcourse in connivance with fixers, this is getting rather apparent. Food security is an important matter, as it is ever burgeoning population and other developmental pressures, but much critical are sustainability factors as also health concerns. The catastrophe of intensive chemical fertilizers and pesticide is being felt quite clearly. Scientific input is important but application of science cannot have the carte blanche of scientific when vested interests and moneybags are standing outside to exploit.

Meanwhile it looks quite likely that Olympics may have to be cancelled, or be shifted to countries that can arrange it at short notice. The risk of spread is too large, significantly we still don't have complete information about this virus. As the earth gets warmer these kinds of threats are set to rise.     

Thursday, February 11, 2016

Gravitation Wave: A new sense awakens!!

Few minutes back scientists (astrophysicist at LIGO, to be precise) announced the confirmation of Gravitational Waves, in an eagerly awaited press conference. Something that Einstein predicted exactly hundred years back. So we have from now on a new sense, a new way to observe universe!! This is truly big, discovery of a lifetime. It is a moment akin to Galileo looking through his telescope for the very first time four hundred years back. The implication is tremendous. This could be a step towards solving, something that bothered Einstein in the later part of his life, the theory that brings gravity and quantum on the same frame, as they say: The Theory for Everything. 

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

What an exhilarating race!!

It is since 1949 that twenty horses participated in Indian Derby (at Mumbai). And what a race it was, arguably one of the most exhilarating races that I happen to witness and the crowd was electrifying. After debacle in the past I don’t fancy fillies for Indian derby, the filly with late stupendous acceleration ‘Myrtelwood’ was quite rightly hoisted as firm favourite but that didn’t change my mind. Deccan Derby winner ‘Desert Gold’ was my favourite, willy Padmanabhan knows his job and is known for pleasant surprises. Fourth in the ring, this pretty colt didn’t attract much attention as he settled in the mid pack. David Allan's home run was astute and in the nerve racking rush of horses he held his cool despite being squeezed, that though did it for ‘Phoenix Tiger’, in the end won by a half a length. Gestapo was a surprise third. It was a memorable Indian Derby (photo courtesy rwitc.com). 
       
Relative as measure of competence

Mysuru is being hailed as the cleanest city in India. Clearly compared to other cities there is some cleanliness, surely the air is much cleaner and is a pleasure to cycle around. And yes it is a much quieter place. My grouse here is that there must be clear parameters on which these factors are measured to be awarded the cleanest city in the country. If parameters are strictly followed then I doubt if there can be any city in India that can be even on the top ten list.  Relative cleanliness is no standard of cleanliness, considering how obnoxiously uncouth Indians are, spitting around, spreading muck all the time. This kind of irresponsible behaviour is very much supported by entitled ways as also extricating mucous from the system is a sacred act of cleanliness and purity herein that hare-brained squatters have meticulously prescribed. The rigour in which people in India spit in public places without any regard or decency is what makes it an ancient culture. The disgust of paan eating and spitting is even romanticized in Hindi movies with song dedicated on this degradation, only goes on to show the calibre of song writers and aesthetic sense of movie makers.  Think about malmal ke kurthe meh cheet lal lal (red spit on white satin dress is the object of praise here!!). It is sad but many a times I end up sharing my table with total strangers, all across the country all the times more than million times probably, something I hate but I guess there is no choice in these matters. The way people eat makes me throw up, the kind of waste and crap people create is indescribable, there must be some basic standard that must be adhered to in public places. Some wash on the plate after eating, while some sprinkle water around before eating exhibiting some higher end connection with forces above, some belch, some talk loudly over the phone while eating displaying content in the mouth, some shout at the waiter and eat like they haven’t eaten for days …all these in amazing self-assuredness, least bothered about people in the vicinity. This self-assuredness in the midst of disgusting is what makes Indians remarkably unique, incorrigible ways that no amount of literacy can dent, education is bigger matter that Indians will always struggle with.

A city that doesn’t have basic standard procedure to dispose biomass and indulge in open burning in almost all street corners cannot be classified as cleanest city. The scene here in the picture I encounter on daily basis. Indeed no city in India can be put in top ten list, this should be kept vacant. Less muckier than the rest cannot be cleanest. This must be adhered to in all kinds of grading. If you don’t fulfil the criteria then best of the rest cannot be elevated as best. Many toppers in exams have amazingly low score but they are still celebrated as toppers. Not that topping matters nor that education is about these nonsenses but when you create some standards then you better adhere to it, and yes must be scrutinised for loopholes. Ideally these ranks should be kept vacant, there is no excuse for mediocrity.

Amassing quantity, as records, while showing least concern for quality, is another of popular trait in this part of the world. This therefore is overwhelming consideration for competence in this mediocre driven society. So we have sportsperson to entertainers to scientists in this rigmarole of achievements that would embarrass anyone anywhere remotely connected or has a hint on competence. Even number of years spent is seen as an achievement, hence criteria for further promotions. This is the framework that is being followed that thrives on status quo and sincerity to higher forces without any application of mind. Sycophantic leaders perpetuated these as they themselves thrived on these as camaraderie smoothened the matter. This framework can be seen to exist wherever people suffered and misery becomes constant source of growth. While I was at Indian science congress, a speaker –an indian scientist, was introduced with number of papers published (which ofcourse was enviable) and so on. The person next to me whispered all garbage, not a single paper contributed anything substantial. I smiled, wasn’t it one paper by Einstein that changed everything? By Indian standard this would amount to nothing, he would end up nowhere in competence scale!! Meanwhile one ex-VC refused to share dais with a Nobel laureate as he was only a professor which the ex-VC found below his dignity. It is a typical attitude, the snobbery and arrogance with minimal of competence, most likely these attitudes are means to compensate the lack of worth, and you can easily trace these to squatter’s frame, in effect amazingly crude nature of society. And then at godforsaken Sahitya Akademi one writer was introduced as author of hundreds of books and short stories, later I managed to get hold of one of his books and was quite appalled by the quality as well as the content of story, it was a travesty. But then the standards are so low in here that ideas like excellence remain only ideas. One short story by Gogol changed it, so did Kafka. That is excellence. Fifth symphony does it for me.

      It is in this context I express my condolence on the death of Nida Fazli, such amazing lines, two or three songs that is enough, what incredible words, simple but evolved expressions and rare artistic sensibilities. Though it is an overwhelmingly mediocre society but you can find excellence in some rare songs and lyrics, this true to most Indian languages. Songs and colours are two things that really touch the soul and this society does bring out some astoundingly nuanced expressions of it. Clearly there is folk connection to it as also subtle ways of life. Good songs are now almost obsolete (with cheapskate first rate plagiarist and third rate lyricist stampeding into RS and degrading it further) but you do come across these superb expressions sometimes. Nida Fazli’s lyrics had an immortal quality to it. What charming lines… and the enveloping quietness of it.

Post Script: Tomorrow exciting news on Gravitation waves?

Tuesday, February 02, 2016

Monkey jumping from caste to community

In the tradition of chicanery, as the world closes in on the primitives, they now churn out new definitions. Cleaving words like 'community' from egalitarian contexts to fill up their degraded realities, in effect their identities, and insistently seeking to refurbish themselves as kindred souls with high intent of acting as agent (indeed nothing short of jagath guru!! such arrogance) of universal peace and tolerance. Western world uses words like community in an effort to assuage and prevent discriminations as in these societies migration from other part of the world is high as also values of liberty and equality can be effectively disseminated from these understanding. Primitive India though is a different ball game, the clever use of 'community' to morph casteism is a valiant effort, and indeed it has become an existential effort as they desperately try to cling on to the claim of higher estimate of oneself. The dictionary meaning of community is “group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common”. It is amazing that people living as neighbours for centuries, indeed for thousands of years, belonging to same social frame, same realities of life, same racial/ethnic/linguistic indeed same faith have been able to maintain demarcations of different ‘community’. It’s an amazing feat, surely the word 'community' now needs to be redefined, when it comes to uncouth people, definitions do loose credence. The world will have to be redesigned. So this is the latest effort with debauched blessing and camaraderie, the humbleness exhibited here in accommodating values and tolerance is breathtaking. In the meanwhile another kindred soul (Guptaji, the reigning sociologist, is negotiating debouched intellectual credence and faithfully attuning it to market’s compulsive needs. That reminds, the so called sociology and anthropology books emerging from this part of world are degrading crap and lacks any sense, no serious sociologists can give authority to these juvenile scholarships. These are counterparts of Indian scientists in its intent, quality and competence.  In an attempt to study Indian society it regales squatter’s pit, therefore steps must be taken to evict these from libraries. MN Srinivas’s progenies shouldn’t be given state protection, however excellent their english maybe) rues that caste was not meant to be in ‘public space’, yes it is a private fester that needs to be scratched in private, in the comfort of private putrid pits. It is amazing that the world of Guptajis that has serious social implication, and ofcourse all the ills and degradations, is expected to be private. Wherein it forms the basis of diseased identity and his source of dealing with the world! Probably he is expounding the timeless Indian hypocrisy that the itchy fester should be scratched in the commune of closed door and then come out smelling fresh with a beatific expression, almost a mahatma. Caste can have reference only in context to discrimination, any other attempt to project caste is nothing but casteism, much worse than racism, hence anyone trying this subterfuge should be dealt severely. Likes of Guptajis and his private casteist world has thrived in its pit, since the narration is controlled by camaraderie therefore they will fatten themselves but the moment they attempt to crawl out and gloat in civilized world they will be smacked.  In a civilised world fellows like him don’t pass the cut to be even considered for teaching, forget as professors, clearly a symptom of bigger malice of India’s trashy education system, not to mention market conceived public intellectuals and the camaraderie herein.  

Indian elites are known to have high sounding enlightening views on almost everything on the face of the earth, that includes the market exalted freedom of expression, their view would make western souls pout in glory of Indian democracy and have chimera of egalitarian society based on equality and fraternity, little are they aware that the debauched blessings and camaraderie has consistently censored and actively condoned the worst forms of atrocities, to an extend that it is very much seen as normal realities of this society, indeed diversity, yes multicultural 'community'!! With huge amount of money dumped into India by moneybags in their attempt to multiply it, they drop much to the facilitators, who range from market manipulators, opinion makers to policy initiators. This coterie therefore has enough power to twist and threaten the narration to the purpose. If Zuckerberg thought he could get away with his emotion evoking nonsense then this confidence was assured by the fixers, ditto Volkswagen and Nestle. It is not what is right but what is the perception is what matters, more than billion people are being worked out from this reasoning by these scoundrels who have parked themselves around the gravy train called development and modernity. These moneybags controling the narration are serious threat to Indian democracy –that indeed is flimsiest, and consistently degrade the society as they ready to barter. It’s not the victorian prurience (as colonial british hobnobbed and attempted on civilising, squatter being up on mobility hierarchy acquiesced these, absorbed and claimed as squatter high tradition) that is the threat by censor but context of script and dialogue, even high tolerance humour, is problematic. One wonders whether this primitive society does even have calibre to understand humour; condoning crudeness cannot really have the frame to appreciate better things in life. The reason why it degrades as it celebrates. Meanwhile the squatter spread is very much riding on entertainment and dystopian market driven modernity, the angst of enlightening thoughts tugged to debauchery constantly emerges as opinion. The censorship and cunningness adopted by market media, squatter ensconced intellectuals and policy makers is consistently hiding the crude realities of the society, if probed then horrendously presented as benign tradition of 'communities'. In this disgraceful world every mind, every door, every house and every village is beginning of 'community' that claims high entitlements and direct blessing for itself as they ransack and cannibalise every form of civilized ways. If a man is killed for eating the food he prefers then pursuing the killers is not the priority but find out (indeed forensic test) whether the meat was beef. If a student from severely marginalised and horribly discriminated section suicides and writes his angst in no telling terms then forget what he writes in his dying statement (which indeed is a common knowledge, home truth, of this society) question his background. Even the claims of the person who suicides in the most discriminating of circumstances is questioned (travesty attempted by none other than the Foreign Minister of the country). The private fester has gangrened, the stench cannot be kept away from the ‘public space’, misplaced intellectual snobbery nor defecating high sounding words hide this putrefaction of conscience of this society. It is becoming clear that the people in this part of the world are stuck in the lower half of Darwinian evolutionary scale, and instead of understanding the reality they cleverly try to upturn the scale and claim that monkeys evolve from humans, and monkey jump from caste to 'community'. It is an embarrassment to the monkeys.