Unprecedented catastrophe

River changing its course is unheard of, it’s unbelievable. Kosi River in Bihar has created unprecedented havoc, it has stranded some 25 million people (that is population of many countries). It is probably the worst natural disaster to hit India after Tsunami. The death toll is rising and there is a threat of disease. Amazingly the situation is not given the gravity it demands. This is not a national crisis, it is international crisis. As the situation unfolds it is matching the catastrophe of witnessed during hurricane Nargis or Katherina. This lackadaisical approach of policy makers and aid agencies (as also international NGOs) probably has to do with the fact that these are poorest people in one of the most impoverished states of India. This is a catastrophe at international level, it is unprecedented (snap taken from National Geography site).

What to do in life ??

This is one question that troubled me a lot when I was in my early twenties. At that time you have so many career options and non options in front of you, and the social system is such that you have to take these decisions as early as possible. Further one was made to feel that whatever one does will somehow affect the future, so continuously scrutinized and heckled. I recall being in a continuous state of confusion with absolutely no reference point. Reaching a stage that one day I sat down with a paper to chart down what exactly was a human supposed to do?. Extending later to ‘what is purpose of life?’. Marina beach Chennai in the midst of crowded people was where I pondered on these metaphysical queries!!.

What does Police do?
They take care of law and order. So that we can concentrate on doing what ??

What does Army do?
They protect us from external threat. So that we can concentrate on doing what ??

What does Engineers do?
They use/enhance technology to make our life easy and comfortable. So that we can concentrate on doing what ??.

What does Doctors do?
They cure the disease and help us keep our body fit. So that we can concentrate on doing what ??

What does singers/ actors so on do?
They entertain us. So that we can concentrate on doing what ??

…..and so on. I would ask people whom I meet as to what they did and then try to analyze the career. Like I recall meeting a man regular at Music Academy (Chennai) who worked in a Bank, querying him at length as to what he ‘really’ did !!. I guess since he was elderly man he tolerated me. But then anyone working in Bank is concerned with monetary transaction which is about taking care of money. So if he is taking care of my money what am I supposed to be doing??

It took me some time to zero down to the fact that the purpose of life is “to know”. The next question was “to know what?”. That which leads to awareness. To know therefore is life. I recall being quite ecstatic about this understanding. (Here I am not working on para and apara vidya, the sacred and mundane, which though is a significant understanding but was sucked in by wily Brahminical nonsense. Environment, nature, diseases…is very much part of the awareness). I recall writing a poem on this, probably one of my first few poems.

My Ambition
Some want to be Pilot
and ride the world.

Some want to be in the Army
to save the nation.

Some want to be Engineers
to correct the world.

Some want to be Doctors
to correct the people.

Some want to be models
to show it to the world.

Some want to be actors
to let the world see.

As for me
I want to sit on the seashore
And count the waves.
Waves are water
So is sea.

Bit juvenile but I still like the last few lines. It was during this time (I was around 24) that I started taking up reading bit seriously and made it a point to visit Connemara library once a week, and later Ernakulam Public library where I decided to finish atleast two books a week !!. Though I really had some tough time and did revert back to confusion since “knowing” is not a career. And career was understood as capacity to make money. I recall being severely stressed and very nearly gave up.

Since last few years I have got involved in Career training for young people I could not help recollect these thinking I dwelled upon. As for me this understanding has stood the test of time except that I have added “to know and contribute to collective conscience” as purpose of life. Means used for contributing may vary. Basic money is important that is the reason why constant source of earning must be there.

One realizes that Market (I have read has its origin in Protestant ethics) emphasizes on means of earning, the better the skills more competent the person (‘chosen’-the means to reach God). It means to constantly refine oneself, since earning comes with basic Christian tenet of compassion (snap taken from www.flickr.com).

But the way crassness has crept in with “competitive environment”, necessarily at the cost of what doesn’t have Market value. I dare say this contradicts the basic nature of humanity, the alien context (like for instance Patenting wherein the local understanding is sharing) is leading to alienation- from society and surrounding. For the very reason Capitalism may not be a not flawed system, though it looks best possible option. When all that can be used is used competition is cannibalism.

Separatism in Kashmir

The problem in Kashmir is a colonial legacy, the legacy of communalising the society to rule. Kashmir is a Muslim majority region the main reason for demand for separate state. In ancient India this region was known as centre of Buddhism. This blogger believes that Article 370 was a blunder it prevented assimilation of the region from the benefit of growth and isolated the people from pluralist influence, this was exploited by extremist elements. Hindus in kashmir were systematically eliminated (consider the appalling condition/rights of minorities in many Islamic countries starting with the Saudis). Although this blogger is in favor of self determination by people anywhere in the world in here there is a cause of worry. Muslim extremists have a juvenile world view of superiority and god given right to rule themselves through religion, clearly it is not self determination for common people but a clever ploy of fundamentalist to create a muslim ‘holy land’, the loss is of kashmiriyath, the loss is of inclusive tradition. Secondly this kind of move will have serious repercussion on Muslims in India since this is not about people but religion, so definitely Hindu power brokers will exploit this emotive issue. Why are Ladakis or people from Jammu not inclined for separatism?.

Religion is known many a times to poison its follower against the other when the other becomes minority the job is easy. They generally don’t tolerate pluralistic traditions even going against the local norms and values. Most religious fundamentalists whether Muslim, Christian or Hindu come from these surroundings. So even though the Kashmiris have nothing against hindus they were cleansed, so who is doing this?. Who are training the young Kashmiris on using weapons? Muslims or for that matter Hindus, in Bangalore or Delhi when don’t get water or electricity or other basic needs don’t shout for separate country. Kashmiris are not the only one who find themselves in the wrong end of security forces infact most people in India don’t have very positive view of police force. So what is so special about Kashmiris this blogger fails to understand other than the fact that it is Muslim dominated and has been kept isolated from other communities for 60 years.

This blogger is tired of “muslims as a victim” on the contrary the victims of Islam instigated invasions through out the history as also terrorism through bombs in the contemporary world are quite significant as compared to other religions, albeit local happenings add the fuel. However one may say that terrorism has no religion the fact is there are people who are ready to kill and religion has provided them the alibi. Also if followers of one religion are found to be involved in many violent activities it is but natural for man on the street to be suspicious of all people belonging to this religion. Prejudices are sometimes reaction to event around the person it may not be possible for people to take egalitarian worldview all the time particularly when they feel threatened. Further if I belong to a community whose members are committing heinous crimes then I should understand the context of prejudice towards me rather than react in belligerence, the onus is on me. The West may have space for such belligerence and they do have better law and order system but in poorer societies these suspicions can produce deep fractures. India today faces most from religion instigated acts of violence next probably to Iraq. In the meantime politicians worry about their vote bank (which is expected ditto Corporate worry about profit. CSR is basically brand building exercise. Is Market making the world more selfish and crude??. A study is needed on this. The man in suit maybe providing a suave alternative but beware). So some politicians blatantly support SIMI while others support Hindu fundamentalists.

The Muslim as victim has been quite hyped after the 9/11 because of misguided policies of Bush, this is what is being exploited by extremists for power. Common people following Islam do suffer and many suffer terribly first due to poverty second through prejudices. Many therefore get further marginalized and so exploited. Another irony is that this predicament of poor Muslims is exploited by pretenders in elite Muslims generally found next to power centers who fill in the gap as representing these Muslim masses. The truth though is that they have absolutely nothing to do with the reality of common people (if you study Indian history you will see that elite Muslims like Brahminical variety never really had to face any significant problem. They wallowed in extravagance and self inflicted degradation).

Kashmir just happens to be on the fault line. This is not about common people or their voice; it is about peddlers of religion. Peddlers have quite successfully sold the vision of paradise to Kashmiris. The fact is it is going to get difficult for common people. The power brokers on both sides are in for a terrific time. In the meantime more soldiers will die more kashmiris will die.

Post Script: Kashmir where it all began: A personal account

This blogger is into traveling and visiting new places. Sometime back used to spent almost four months in a year on traveling for months at a stretch now though I have reduced to specific periods of the year. I have traveled to almost all part of the country. Although my traveling started quite early (few months after I was born I was moving from Cochin to Assam!!) the place I first visited alone was Kashmir!!. Now that is what we can say incredible. Kashmir was in a way coming of age for me, the fun of travelling alone.

I probably was around 17, when I took this journey in the longest train route- Kanyakumari to Jammu, I got in from Trivandrum. The train stopped for hours at what was then Madras and although I was strongly instructed not to venture from the bogie, I went out and took a walk through Moore market (this market, bloggers will recall got destroyed in a major fire). It took me three to four days to reach Jammu (i recall early morning in the Pathankot railway station the news was about assasination of Zia and there was animated discussion in the bogies on who could have killed him). We were staying in Udhampur, a week later few guys known to us were going to Kashmir in a van so I joined them. It was a scenic journey we had a breakdown so ended up pushing the vehicle for few Kilometers. In the meantime there was a light snow, I recall stopping at a hotel on the outskirts of srinagar where we ate from the big tava itself!!. I met some fierce looking soldiers at Jawahar tunnel. I stayed for the night at probably the biggest house ever (just like the one we get to see in the movies), the fellow was a military contractor (that’s where the money is dear!! For details Dick Cheney would be much help. Soldiers die, people die but some people will always make money. Ever wonder why defence contractors and arm dealers are mostly related to senior officials. Nanda BMW car hit case is well known basically because it happened in delhi the important thing for me here was his father was a arms dealer and that his grand father Admiral. Not at all a coincidence. They know where the lick is, it is anybody’s guess whether national security was compromised). The family I stayed with, I recall was extremely courteous; the guest room was a like a five Star hotel- the servants serving hot milk before going to sleep and waking with bed coffee. Next day though I shifted to Army mess that was a familiar surrounding to me.

For two days I roamed around Srinagar going for long walks and boating at Dal Lake, even going for a late night movie. Although I was told not to eat from outside I did venture out (I am a big fan of Kashmiri wazwan. There is a small shop in Nizamuddin delhi I drop in for Rogan josh and pounded spicy meat balls in curd-goshtaba. There is also one at dili haat that rarely opens. Then of course at the Kashmiri stall at annual trade fare, Pragathi maidan). It was a great experience and I guess I got hooked to it and have been traveling since. Kashmiri people are quite friendly it is the outsiders who fill them with poison not to mention apathy of government.

The day Grandmother stopped telling stories

Grandmother's legs were like

branches of dead tree.

Sometimes

I thought she sprout out of mud

and that her fingers

grew from the corners.

Then one day she did a trick

and dug herself

into the mud.

Absurd scribbling

Switching the bulb in the dark

Hands faltering
in the darkness of the night
for a support
the doorknob
the wall
the switch
then falters again
and stumbles.

The matrix of memory
shifting
reshifting
floating with no reference.
Weary mind plays the trick,
imagine there is a wall
imagine there is a switch
imagine a new world.

It's Raining !!!

I have always been excited about rain and rain and rain!!!. And rain on beach is one incredibly beautiful happening.

Exultation is the going
Of inland soul to sea,-
Past the houses, past the headlands,
Into the deep eternity!.

Few years back during the southwest monsoons I stayed on a beach with a small glimpse of the ocean for nearly two months. It was a costly place, by my standards, but I got an off season discount (incidentally "off season" is the best time to travel). I carried a trunk of books…poetry, fiction.

The soul selects her own society,
Then shuts the door;
On her divine majority
Obtrude no more.

That was the first time I read Emily Dickinson!!!.

I also became friendly with guys who were into deep sea fishing. After the rains they invited me for a night of fishing in the sea. One look at their boats and I refused. Believe me their life is in as much danger as any soldier at the border.

When in chennai a decade back northwest monsoon was spectacular. Once I was the only one (except few fisherman who had just landed from the sea) on the entire stretch of marina beach during one heavy rain lastly for few hours. I also was lucky to have an access to coast guard beach. So you can say I had a beachy stay!!. Sometimes I went to play cricket too with local youngsters on Sundays. It was very shocking to know that hundreds of people were swept away by the tsunami from the very spot. Today I read that another major earthquake is expected. Something terrible is churning in the earth.

Mangrove trees are an effective defense against the fury of nature. That is the reason for concern about Andhra Coast (kakinada) where the second largest mangrove forest in India is located and how it is been destroyed by the ship breaking industry. The toxic pollutant (particularly ballast water) creating an havoc in the region. There has also been enough documentation on threat to workers from pollutants and appalling working conditions. It is time that this industry is contained. There are series of extensive articles by Mr. Dilip D'sousa on the world's largest scrapping site of ships: Alang. It is a suggested read to know about workers conditions in such places.

Golden boy Bindra !!

So finally India has won a gold medal at Olympics. It feels great !!!. This blogger was quite coincidently following the event. It was very keenly competed event, although Bindra started fourth in the finals. He kept his grit with consist performance 10.5-10.6, he was in the second spot then he became first, next he scored 10.1 so got tied for first spot. Then came the clincher, probably his best shot of the day- a 10.8 near perfect. Following this event was tense for me wonder how that boy handled it!!. It is amazing strength of mind. Truly remarkable. We can learn lot from him. It is very true of most sportspersons irrespective of any country. It is great fun watching them.

Indians tend to do exceptionally well when it comes to games needing concentration. But not many people get the opportunity. After all how many of us have handled a gun or for that matter even seen an event like this!!!. This blogger has maintained that Indian sports should be brought under Indian Army. The sports ministry should be held by retd defense chiefs (retired senior Defence personnel need be involved in much more active role, they are exceptional people. Country needs their service and most are very ready take up this challenge). People who excel in international sports need be given honorary defence title. This gives respectability and boosts the morale. Army could start something on the line of military school- the sports school, so that talent is identified at the earliest and nurtured. Army has all the international facility and infrastructure. Sports needs disciplined and scientific approach, the diet requirement has to be taken serious care. Army personnel are exceptional in handling these, they also have a very challenging and competitive environment (this would also be inspiration for Army personnel and their children also). If one looks at the people who have done well in sports they mostly seems to have some connection with Defense (like Dhyan chand, Milkha Singh, Rathore, the boxers, rovers, hockey players and so on. Not only that most Coach do have Army background). That clearly means they had the opportunity but think of some millions of people who never could get that opportunity despite being talented. If they had the opportunity and given all the facility, probably the country might have had twenty Bindras now at Beijing. Think of PT Ushas who could not make it.

This blogger had seen some exceptional sport people in Kerala. In kerala even the school district sport meet is given such an importance that most Malayalam media give significance, it is main news (when was the last time the so called ‘national channel’ given any importance to these events). Kerala has a culture of sports unlike most other States. But since people are not very rich the facilities are primitive, further many young people take sports as means for gaining employment. It is about surviving and its quite tough out there. This blogger also suggests that earnings of cricketers/actors from ads be severely taxed-and given to other Sports, since they earn so much money in few seconds because of the population and nothing to do with talent. It is quite disproportionate.

Sports in Delhi like everything else is about big lick by uncouth manipulative people. It is a business of officials to promote themselves at the expense of sports and sportsperson. Kalmadi it seems will continue for ever!! Sports should be freed from the clutch of politicians and small timers who have absolutely nothing to do with the sports.

Trivia: This blogger is a keen follower of sport events, I recall during delhi Asian games we had bought TV and I fell ill for the entire period of the games. Didn’t go to school for three odd weeks watching all the games. People thought he was having some serious disease and all kinds of tests were conducted, nothing came out but the boy looked very ill. Then the games got over and presto he is normal and back to school!!!.

Taking on the Left

There is a brilliant painting of “bombing of Guernica” by Picasso .This blogger happened to visit Picasso exhibition at National Museum, Delhi but unfortunately this one was not there, later I came to know that French had problems with Picasso. Anyway it was great experience for me, I saw the ‘blue period’ and ‘pink period’ paintings as also that brilliant sculpt of the goat (I visited twice to have a good look, thankfully there was not much crowd, primitive Delhi has other preoccupations!!...like for instance squatting around the power centre to wait for crumbs to fall you never know when what is falling- also referred to as networking, the business of licking. Some have passed this talent on to next generation!!!. Apart from politics, business …the soft target is culture. So we have lots of pretentious mediocre people doing the round hawking secularism, freedom and so on to catch the attention. It is not about what you speak-that is absolutely easy when God has given tongue and face to mime, it is about what you gain by what you speak. The lick is big in the capital of a country with more than billion people).

I also recall buying Picasso painting cards that has since adorned my wall! Gen. Franco’s Nationalist forces heavily bombed and completely destroyed Guernica killing hundreds of people. In the meanwhile Soviets were asking money from the Republicans to fight the Nationalists! As is the case Communists generally mutate into manipulative clique that eventually loose touch with reality and soon turns onto its own people. The case of Bengal is just an example. The worst is to follow in Kerala, thugs at lower level who caused maximum damage to common people in the name of communism in 80s and 90s, they even had “noku coolie” which meant they have to be paid even to look at others doing work! I have seen these scoundrels in action at personal level when I was a kid, every time we came to kerala we experienced this. Further the ideological shift from Left to Right is as easy, this too I have seen with people around. The fellow who quoted Marx few years later is exaggerating religion, it sometimes make me laugh! Ideologies lack soul, the reason why the shift is immediate (photo taken from the Net).

The Left leaders in Bengal and Kerala represent two end of spectrum, wherein in Bengal they are still the brown sahibs of 50s quoting English poems and eulogizing bourgeoisie passions et al cricket, recently though with proletariats catching up on cricket the comrades sahibs in Bengal had early advantage! Bengal remains one of the most backward region with low human indices and poverty, and absolute lack of social mobility with squatter most conveniently ensconced themselves for proletarian cause. As expected when the time has come to give way to others the arrogance is not astounding. 

Tribute to Solzhenitsyn

Alexander Solzhenitsyn who died the other day was Russia’s most well known contemporary writer. He had to face the atrocities of Communist regime under Stalin even spending eight years in forced labor camp. The critic of barbarism of totalitarian Soviet Union formed the basis of most his writing. One day in the life of Ivan Denisovich (1962) brought the monstrous evil of Stalin’s labor camp to the world. Other writing includes Gulag Archipelago, Cancer ward and so on. Later in his life as he moved to west to escape tyranny he came to disdain soulless capitalism.

These lines from Gulag Archipelago "It was granted to me to carry away from my prison years on my bent back, which nearly broke beneath its load, this essential experience: how a human being becomes evil and how good. In the intoxication of youthful successes I had felt myself to be infallible, and I was therefore cruel. In the surfeit of power I was a murderer and an oppressor. In my most evil moments I was convinced that I was doing good, and I was well supplied with systematic arguments. It was only when I lay there on rotting prison straw that I sensed within myself the first stirrings of good. Gradually it was disclosed to me that the line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either, but right through every human heart, and through all human".

The shock and disillusionment towards policies followed by Soviet Union regime just before the world war two is well known. The case of happenings in Spain civil war is poignant wherein instead of supporting peasants and workers; Soviet supported Franco and his subsequent tyranny. This forms the backdrop for the story The Incident at the Krechetovka Station. Zotov- the protagonist, an enthusiastic upright young soldier realizing that all may not be well with his country (Solzhenitsyn also served in the Army briefly). He in his naïve eagerness demands to be send to Spain as a private soldier, least aware how the mechanism of the State is working to quell what he passionately feels for. “‘We must remember the general atmosphere at that time’ Zotov said heatedly. ‘The Spanish civil war, the fascist reaching the Madrid students settlement, the international brigade, Guadalajara, Teruel !. It was difficult to stay still. We clamored fro intensive course in Spanish, but they gave us German course instead. I got a Spanish teach yourself book and start studying it instead …I felt we were vitally involved in the Spanish situation and that our revolutionary conscience made it impossible for us remain in the sidelines. But I found nothing of sort in our newspaper, and wondered how I could get over there”…..“And then one day I read …from some French journalist who among other thing wrote ‘Germany and USSR look upon Spain as testing ground for warfare’”.

This line from his Nobel Prize acceptance speech is very pertinent “But for the whole of mankind, compressed into a single lump, such mutual incomprehension presents the threat of imminent and violent destruction. One world, one mankind cannot exist in the face of six, four or even two scales of values: we shall be torn apart by this disparity of rhythm, this disparity of vibrations. A man with two hearts is not for this world, neither shall we be able to live side by side on one Earth".

End of History??

Is this end of history (Fukuyama)?. The triumph of liberal democracy has happened?...Maybe no. The last men of history are here..its time to drag them back into history. ...now before you guys start screaming creeeep...its like this i got some time to read American history(?!)..well just timepass....but been a great experience to go through the history of triumph of the culture of the eye and ear ..of Faulkner (challenging the official American culture of triumph), Bellow, Langston Hughes (what happens to a dream deferred), Morrison (marginal experience), Salinger (spiritual life could be reconciled with an art of gaiety), Raymond carver (what we talk about when we talk about love), Twain as also Tennessee Williams (about lives in relentlessly commercial world).....so on

Reading the political history stumbled upon this incredible person a man who was instrumental not only in American Revolution but also the French revolution !!. A man whose influence was such that he is described as a ''turning point of the history of free thinking''. Unfortunately he was sidelined as leftist atheist (he had absolutely nothing to do with commies). A man who wrote to do good is my religion...humanised religion and its ultimate philosophical and ethical results have not yet been reached (Religion of humanity is a beautiful read). His obituary read he had lived long did some good and much harm. Thomas PAINE landed in America in his late 30s, decrepit after a life of obscurity and failure in England . He wrote the famous pamphlet ''Common sense'' which created the momentum for freedom struggle as also influencing the ''Declaration of independence''.

Common sense he said was nothing more than simple facts, plain arguments and common sense. It starts with the line “ These are the times that try men's soul... ..the cause of America is in great measure the cause of all mankind ". Common sense was an inspiring vision of independent America as an asylum of freedom This faith carried through Lincoln's determination to wipe out slavery as also Woodrow Wilson’s attempt to use conflict as a crusade for democracy. This is the faith which guided the settlers into great modern nation which unfortunately in recent times has slipped into all time low. Consider this arrogant stance of ''final umpire’’ (Sr Bush) on soviet crisis as also the most recent aggression of Iraq, in this context Paine's lines are so prophetic (common sense on king of England’s speech).

....that the man whose ignorance and obstinacy first involved and still continues the nation in the most hopeless and expensive of all wars, should now meanly flatter them with the name of free people and make a merit of his crime , under the disguise if their essential rights and permanent interests, is something which disgraces the character of perverseness ...these are the words which impress nothing but the ears and are calculated only for the sound.

This definitely cannot be the end of history, there are too many repressed forces...the killing of teenage ''aborigine'' in Australia and subsequent violence is only an indicator, Fukuyama's ''remarkable consensus'' is far from reached.

Post script: this piece was written in Feb 2004, those were the days when the world was experiencing the aggression of Iraq by Bush, vigored with his reelection. Iraq was a serious blunder; this blogger like majority of people around the world was shocked.

Lots of things have happened in the world since then. Apart form other things Bush on his way out, thankfully. But our man was quoted as saying that “he will sprint all the way to end”, don’t know what its mean but attacking Iran (that will be very serious mistake) or other violence helps Republicans. When 9/11 happened Condalisa Rice was quoted as saying “so how do we capitalize on this?”. Don’t know whether its true but yes they did maximum their opportunity (ditto how Market driven people work “seize the opportunity”. These cause maximum damage for self gain). Iraq is now a big shopping mall for merchants of death. McCain is a war hero, and hero’s are supposed to lead from front- whatever that means, but yes you cannot lead from front when there is no “front”! The reason why belligerence helps to capture power. Fear works to cower the voters to certain mindset. That disadvantage collective world. That is disadvantage humanity.

In the meantime in an unprecedented step Australia and Canada has apologized for its past treatment of aborigines.

People the world admire

There are some people whom the world reveres. Nelson Mandela definitely tops the list. He is like an avuncular figure to the world. Most people around the world would agree to this. Despite living in detention for 27 years (try imagining that one) and having faced acute forms of racism under apartheid he doesn’t carry any bitterness or anger. That is amazing.

Another living person who is an incredible source of inspiration is Stephen Hawking. A renowned physicist he is been completely paralyzed (he cannot even speak) but has an amazing determination and a brain to match. His book A Brief History of Science is one of the most popular book on Science around the world, a book you can find with any pavement book seller around the country!!. He is immensely popular, I recall few years back he had come to India and I stood for three hours in the queue but even then couldn’t make it (they though arranged a screen outside the auditorium). Thousands of people had turned up right from scientist, physicists….to children as young as ten!!. He is also known for his sense of humor.

There are others too like Gorbachev, Aung San Suu Kyi, Mohd Ali…many more.

Once upon a time there was a man named Woodrow Wilson…

Woodrow Wilson was the President of USA (from 1913 to 1921) during the crucial years of World War 1. He restrained his country from entering into the war for as long as two years before the German Empires submarine intrusion couldn’t be ignored. Even during the war he focused on diplomacy. After the war he came with “fourteen points” in which he presented an idea of peace making organization-multilateral international association of nations to enforce peace, this was instrumental in creating League of Nation that was precursor to United Nations.

However despite all his effort US didn’t enter League of Nation (the Republican under Cabot Lodge unfortunately were in majority in Congress) the point of disagreement was whether League would diminish Congress power to declare war. With League of Nation giving way to UN and despite the fact that US is a veto member this dispute has remained, with US Presidents (most times Republican) prone to take unilateral actions on sovereignity of other nations undermining all international laws, promoting isolationist foreign policies.

Woodrow Wilson was a visionary whose ideas set the tone for the world in the twentieth century. Democratic government, collective security, international laws…all these have became the guiding principles “the world must be made safe for democracy” (compare that with Bush’s narrow agenda of exporting/planting/bulldozing democracy “because it’s good for America”. The way things have gone past in recent times Woodrow Wilson looks like some mythical figure in a long lost story).

Woodrow Wilson’s influence was significant. He was probably one of the first few modern leaders who recognized the need for global community of nations. In the last few decades as the world gets global the response also will have to be global the reason why United Nation has become so significant and its effectiveness against common threats like global warming, terrorism, food crisis, nuclear proliferation, genocide, civil war…is substantial. Multilateral solutions and Agreements at the global level (like Kyoto) are the only way out. What threatens the world threatens the nations too as nations are part of the world, in the competing space this reality sometimes gets lost. As Woodrow Wilson said in his Nobel Prize acceptance letter “The cause of peace and the cause of truth are of one family”.

The Per Capita balderdash

So the Indian Government has finally come out with its Climate Action Plan. Many international media has given significance to it. CAP was released by none other than the PM. The pitch seems to be the old one: let’s suck in the name of millions of people. How?. Well it’s like this: Indians have been pulling the fast one on the international community with the nonsense of per capita emission. India’s per capita carbon emission stands at 1.02 metric tons wherein “developed” (sure developed!!) countries per capita emission is many times, USA per capita emission stands at whooping 20 metric tons !!. Therefore the US and European countries are worst polluters is the pitch. But the volume of carbon emission of India remains one of the highest in the world.

This blogger had written this earlier also that the worst culprits are the richer section. Poverty is not the polluter at the most it could make surrounding unhygienic which is not same as polluting (even this could be disputed as there are example wherein people with low capita income don’t necessarily lack hygiene or create unhygienic surroundings. On the contrary they are acutely aware of this reality- Kerala is a case study on this. Also I have seen more washing of cloths in slums of big cities than anywhere else). The per capita energy consumption as well as carbon emission of elite section (as also the increasingly aggressive upper middle class) in India is comparable to that of worst offenders in West. This section probably is less than 5 to10% of the population mostly based in big metros like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and so on. They are influential and can definitely pressurize the Governments to work in their favor. Also consider the Gini index -that measures inequality of income distribution, is increasing steadily in India varying in recent times between a high of 37%-42% (incidentally this index is more 'sensitive' than over rated and much celebrated BSE!!). Further, the inequality in access to clean drinking water, decent housing, good education, proper health care, etc.- is rising. The scene is same around the world the UN Human Development Report notes that incomes are distributed most unequally across the world’s people, with a Gini coefficient of 0.66 globally. The richest 5% in the world corner 114 times the income of the poorest 5%. The richest 1% have as much as the poorest 57%. The 2.5 crore richest Americans earn as much as 200 crore of the world’s poorest people. The poorest 20% in the world saw their share of the global income dip from 2.3% to 1.4% in the past 30 years. Meanwhile, the share of the richest 20% rose from 70% to 85%.

With the hogwash of per capita within national boundary most of these offenders are trying to hide behind millions of people whose energy consumption and carbon footprint is minimal. This is not acceptable. The international community should call this bluff. Just because people live within a geographical entity referred to as Nation is not the reason why they are similar in energy consumption or carbon emission. Green House Gases affects the whole planet, the boundaries of nations are insignificant. If the policy makers and concerned people are serious about reducing carbon emission then they need to see the world as one planet and not different nations.

Pratibha Patil’s position is unconstitutional!!

Pratibha Patil is the first woman President of India but there is no Constitutional provision for her to be the President!!. Shocking…well it is like this Article 53 of the Constitution states that “The executive power of the Union

shall be vested in the President and shall be exercised by him either directly or through officer subordinate to him in accordance with this constitution”. Article 56 states that “President shall hold office for a term of five years from the date on which he enters upon his office….” And so on…

Pratibha Patil we understand is “her” but the constitutional provision is for “him”!!. The Judiciary or Legislature or Bureaucracy may have agreed among themselves that “him” can be “her”. The problem however is what is agreed on by the policy makers is not even valid at the street level. See it is like this I being “him” cannot go to “her” toilet, I would be thrashed!!. Clearly “him” is not “her”. Vice versa also true.

What is further shocking is that each word was carefully discussed, debated in the Constituent Assembly before placed in the Constitution. The Constitution of India that gives entity to India and its people as it exists now is blatantly gender insensitive document. It has no provision for women whether as MP, MLA or as Chairman. Recently Australian Parliament passed a communiqué making “him” as “him or her”. This might sound routine for many but it is a very significant step. A step that should have been taken few decades back. I recall when in school during Civics class (I guess it was in 6th Std) we used to make fun of the girls, by saying that ‘this not for you’!!. It was very difficult for them to defend, irony was girls were toppers. I don’t know whether I carried the guilt but years later when I was working in a Publishing Company I was told to write few chapters on Constitution as they were coming out with a Book (I guess it was on Public Administration), and I found it extremely difficult writing “him” so I wrote “him or her” but soon coded it as (s)he since I was tired of it, as I had to hand write 100 odd pages (don’t know what Editor thought about it as I had quit by then). It is time that Government of India made the Constitution gender sensitive and these be added into school texts as early as possible. Why this not been done in last 60years is amazing.

Post Script: I worked in the publishing company for three or four months, this probably the only job where I send a resignation letter (most others I told to get lost!!, was some hot headed dude) since I wanted to freelance for them. I did take interviews for the Magazine for six months or so most cases I spend more than I earned. It was quite tough those days but I carried on since I enjoyed it. Below is the interview of two lady Army officers I took, this one page interview looks innocuous but it took almost a year (plz click on it to enlarge). First I thought it was an easy thing just drop into their office and fix an interview but I was told to go to PRO – South Block and many phone calls later, probably after two months it was arranged. I had to record the interview and then convert into writing which actually is laborious. Unlike the interview published it was not this dry nor was it one page!!. I was really upset when I got my copy!. Also the interview was taken somewhere in February 1998 (the plan was to get it in Women’s day edition of March) but it came in December by the time I had forgotten about it. Anyway it was a good experience for me. Apart from such Interviews I also recall going to cover Acting school somewhere in Noida (run by one Kapoor…there are too many to remember!!. And yes this one also had acted in movies!!). He showed me around the building, even asked some of his students to demonstrate their acting skills for me. I recall giving appreciative nods!!

Tribute to a brilliant soldier

Field Marshal Manekshaw was a great soldier and a compassionate human being. I start hearing about him right from my early childhood in discussions around. Every one had great respect from him. He was the Chief of Army during Bangladesh liberation and considered main architect behind the Operation. He had to in the early days of Operation take on the politicians and armchair strategists as they hustled him for early Military action that would have been a blunder.

When I was in my teens there was a Documentary in DD Channel about Manekshaw, he had a small statue of soldier in his home that he saluted every day. That is when I started liking him. Army libraries has more than enough material on war and warfare, I read whatever I could about Manekshaw (those days I also used see Gen. Vaidya quite often). He was a great man and an inspiration, world’s oldest living Field Marshal till yesterday. Great soldiers don’t die they just go back home.

Post Script: Don’t know whether my trivialities should be included when writing tribute to a great man. It is embarrassing but then Bloggers have the right to do anything!!. So I continue with my inanities….. I have mixed feeling about Army, ideally the world shouldn’t have Armies but then world is not an ideal place!!. Some time back I had a dislike for Army recently though it has turned to nostalgia. When I was a teen i used to watch war movies at friends video later I got addicted to war comics particularly about fighter pilots. I recall this fellow in Chennai who used to sell second hand books next to LIC building at Anna Salai who regularly supplied me these comics, those days i was absolutely into Aircrafts so more than story i was trying to identify the type of aircrafts!!. Seeing those turbo props was immense.

I also recall when I was in my early teen we spend ten days or so at Wellington, the place had buzz about Manekshaw. Wellington is a place I really liked, I recall going for long walks, watching soldiers practicing shooting (also punished!!) and eating hot food at aesthetically done Officer’s Mess. It is a charming little town.

How to put value on human life ?!

Few blogs back this blogger expressed shock over callousness of some people in Media. As an unfortunate man gasped for his last breathes the scoundrels were busy shooting his dying moments for their audience. What kind of awareness it has created among the channel surfing coach potatoes is not very clear but yes we have come one step closer to competence, I am told it did cause a blip in TRP. Kevin Carter was a man whose conscience he couldn’t shrug off but human species have become sturdier since, particularly the saviors in Indian Media.

This happening has kept me thinking for sometime, it has definitely shocked me, innate goodness of people is what one banks on. Death can happen anytime that means we all live on the fringe and someone like me lives a step closer. A wrong move and its over, even a broken bone or illness is severe setback- it puts significant pressure on day to day living and earning. One is always aware of this reality (also I have seen many people around me vanishing; it nearly consumed me at one point). Last 15 odd years I seemed to have had a terrific streak of luck, and did put myself in all kinds of situation (in earlier days quite reckless too), many a times escaped by a whisker or few scratches. It does allow a perspective on life that is very stark. As it gets into your system I guess it gives more clarity (it might surprise people but stress actually slows down situations one face!!). It also makes one understand how precious life is and sheer beauty of surrounding despite problems and squalor one sees. Emily Dickinson had these lines:

Death sets a thing significant
The eye has hurried by

She remains my most favorite poet, long back I used to carry her book of poems while traveling. These lines from another poem of her

Because I could not stop for Death—
He kindly stopped for me—
The Carriage held but just Ourselves—
And Immortality.

We slowly drove—He knew no haste
And I had put away
My labor and my leisure too,
For His Civility—

Amazing lines these.

With market gaining predominance in last few years everything seems to be having commercial-monetary value. So let’s assume if the man was saved by the people in Media, now that is a big assumption since cost-benefit analysis doesn’t really favor such a decision….it is a TRP busting breaking story with a terrific visual. So I guess we have to take another example: let us assume any one of you blogger’s life was saved by someone, how will you repay back??

How can you put value on your own life??. Or will you think in terms of person who saved you and decide the price keeping his socio-economic conditions in mind, that is an easier option since it takes the focus away from oneself!!. And suppose the person refuse to accept the rewards which is what happens in most cases in India, what will you do??. I recall many years back I was stuck in a cheap hotel and bandh was called, shutters were down and I was stranded with half a bottle of water. Not that I cannot go without food for a day or so, I have done that few times, people who were staying in the next room offered some food and my insistence on giving money was resisted. How will you deal with such situation?.

There is a Short Story by British writer E.M. Forster “The Rock” that I read few years back that deals with such a situation. The protagonist was saved from drowning by three people…. “…He kept saying ‘I don’t know what to do. I can’t think. I shall come to you again’. And they replied, ‘oh that’ll be all right sir.’ You can imagine the scene, and it was not till the evening that I realized his difficulty. How much will you give for your life?”. The next few days our man spends in thinking how much to give, later how much they want! Finally he comes with a decision “For a time he was merely interested. He was amused at the problem, and the sensations it aroused in him. But at last he only cared for the solution. He found it one evening in this little room, when the sunset more glorious than today’s was flaming under the wych-elm. He asked me, as I asked you, what such things are worth, and gave the answer: ‘Nothing; and nothing is the reward to the man who saved me.’…. ‘…for the gift of nothing shall be that I have in the world’. The story though takes a turn from this lofty thinking and our man sold everything he had and gives the money to his rescuers. Then he does the unexpected he “… went down to that village penniless and asked for charity from his rescuers”. What happened next is what bloggers will have to read and find out!!. It is an amazing Short Story.

Trivia: E.M. Forster’s famous work is Passage to India that was made into a movie (David Lean), Naipaul though don’t have nice words. The title Passage to India is taken from Walt Whitman’s poem on the occasion of opening up of Suez canal!!. Though Forster had written some brilliant work of fiction his focus in his later days were essays: "Most of life is so dull that there is nothing to be said about it and the books and talk that would describe it as interesting are obliged to exaggerate, in the hope of justifying their own existence. Inside its cocoon of work or social obligation, the human spirit slumbers for the most part, registering the distinction between pleasure and pain, but not nearly as alert as we pretend."

More we watch the ecstatic media more we tend to agree with the above thoughts of Forster. It is theater of absurd, 'not nearly as alert as they pretend'.