Worst than Al Qaeda

This blogger thinks that if Switzerland doesn’t mend its way then should be declared a rogue nation. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration if one adds that this country is turning out to be more dangerous than Al Qaeda. They have succeeded in protecting from the world's tax authorities nearly a third of the world's $7 trillion of privately held wealth- includes illicit fortunes of some of the world's most corrupt rulers. Swiss financiers are accused of destabilizing democracy during the last 100 years. From this blood money of people around the world this tiny nation has given standard of living that is envied by the rest of the world. Its per capita income is staggering $42,840.

The slipping of its mask started with United States getting its act right. UBS Switzerland's biggest bank was embroiled in a multi-million-dollar tax evasion scandal in the United States that led to the bank being sued by the US Department of Justice, which demanded the identities and details of 52,000 of its American account holders. UBS paid a $788m fine and handed details of 250 private accounts to US investigators after court documents revealed that UBS wealth managers smuggled diamonds in toothpaste tubes (hey I know few who brought gold from Dubai to Kerala decades back like this!!. Swiss were expected to be innovative!!), deliberately destroyed offshore bank records on behalf of clients and assisted wealthy Americans to conceal ownership of their assets by creating "sham" offshore trusts. Misleading and false documentation was routinely prepared to facilitate this. This was done according to a senior UBS executive to ensure the bank managed a staggering $20bn of assets owned by wealthy US individuals, which generated the bank $200m in fees each year (any guesses how they have such high standard of living?!!). Now if this is what they could do to US then imagine what is stored for India. Forget India forget your trillion dollars. Don’t underestimate Indian elite, they can do worst than this.

Now you might think that this is about the richest bank, not at all, the country's president Hans-Rudolf Merz who doubles up as country's finance minister is a former UBS banker. Aha. UBS recently dumped $40bn worth of toxic sub-prime mortgages and CDOs into a "bad bank" and required a $3bn government bail-out. The otherwise recalcitrant Swiss public reacted with fury when it realized UBS was doling out $2bn to loss-making money-men. It is déjà vu time for banks and big corporate in rich countries.

It is time up for Switzerland. The sophisticated veneer is slipping and aren’t we seeing some monsters. It is same monster that helped finance Hitler's rise to power, hid gold looted from Holocaust victims (they even gained from victims of slave labor. How heinous can we get). What is the difference between Al Qaeda and Swiss Banks? Both live and prosper on the misery of others. Both are threat to world peace by destabilizing nations and societies. The difference is one uses crude primitive method carrying machine guns and rocket launchers while the other come in suit, and like arms dealers, carry charming billion dollar smile, and yes they are in business for more than a century. Zurich is now capital of financial terrorists. Its game over for Switzerland they don’t have place in civilized world.

The baba who got it right

Having spent most of my childhood in north part of the country, I too like most kids was very scared of babas. It was told that they doubled up as kidnappers of children. I took these warnings quite seriously and would steer clear of babas (it was around the time that the ranga-billa episode was fresh in people’s mind. Those who have not heard- it was about two children kidnapped and murdered by Ranga & Billa. National Bravery award for children is named after these Chopra siblings). It was during my visits to Kerala that I became comfortable with these people, also many people around became like them during the fasts for Sabrimala. In my teens though I had some serious skirmishes with them (home was open for sadhus to stay overnight or for few days…some even came from US!!). Pune incidentally had too many Spiritual Gurus, since i was going out of hand so was taken to none other than Swami Chinmayanda- who put his hand on my head (i guess he was trying to bless!!. I liked his sense of humour though, i prefered his malayalam over english-it was quite biting). I recall being cautioned about Osho Rajneesh-who regularly came to Deccan Gymkhana. In Pune there were also school kids roaming around the housing colony requesting to observe meatless day (initiated by Sadhu Vaswani). Those malevolent feeling gradually got erased and forgot about them, except occasional sightings and so on. It was in 1997-1998 that I traveled to ashrams around the country right from Aurobindo to Osho to God knows who, it was interesting exposing to new ideas and thinking. I also started to read about ancient Indian philosophy, and spending time with sadhus in small towns along the Himalayas, some of these guys are simply crazy of course there are some who are incisive it was pleasure talking to them. There is a hilarious incident I recall one baba fellow gave me chillum (mostly charas or ganja) to smoke, and here I was all out to try anything and everything, few inhalation and black out. When I woke up few hours later my belongings were found ransacked- there was nothing but notebook, pen and some dry fruits. Money was inside socks!!. Cheers to that…

Most Indians have high regards for sadhus, it is very unfortunate that many are thugs also it serves the people right since they look for superstition/ritual for greed and material benefit. There are genuine sadhus too, some well versed in the art of argumentation (after all it was Ashtpada Gautama who wrote Tarka Vidya- science of debate, some two thousand years back). Someone, while traveling a year or so back, mentioned about Astha channel, I did flip through it few times. That is how I came across this funny half naked fellow grotesquely twisting his body, thought nothing about him. Later came to know that he has done lots of work for cleaning river Ganga and so on. And that he has very large following across the country. Few weeks back I came across him again talking about black money in Swiss bank in one of the channel. That really got me interested. Baba Ramdev is making lots of sense to people across the country, it is very obvious from the kind of following he is having. As I gather he seems to be quite a simple man, one wonders whether he too will be manipulated by people around him?. Since he is taking on some really corrupt powerful people as also exploitative products the threat to eliminate or tarnish is very much present.

The amount of black money in Swiss bank is staggering (it is not billion but trillion), but the politicians who are trying to use this issue I am sure are only doing it to garner votes. Since all these politicians where in and out of power without doing anything about it nor are they expected to do anything in future (same for babri or all the riots). They play on divisive issues and keep it alive- the reason why we have people who passionately hate LK Advani and others who have same feeling for Sonia Gandhi, without even aware of price of rice!!. These are powerful people spread across the spectrum right from politicians (of all parties) to businessmen and media. Do you think they will let the money in Swiss bank come to India?. That is why such a serious crime is put under the carpet, it hurts them, it hurts them badly and there are no pretensions here (it is same agonizing face they have when closing ranks against common people throwing chappals).

There are many issues which they can mime concern and gain (all in the name of common people). It is in same context that the exploitative products that harm common people don’t find any concern since the big money has closed their mouth. It is a tacit understanding on where the lick is. Probably the financial crisis and fallout in US would awaken the world of this unethical practice carried on by Swiss (mostly ex Nazis sympathizers or those who made fortune out of misery of Jews). Black money cannot be allowed to be routed this away, it is nothing short of human rights violation. In a poor country like India this is unparalleled abuse

Unsustainable exploitation of natural resource putting basic needs and livelihood of millions of people, and future generations, in jeopardy that too for indulgent products meant for few city dwellers should shock most of us. But not in India. We are like this only. That is incredible India for you and yes this blogger has visited many villages where people are protesting against these products, these you will not come across in market media-it is about self interest. Freedom of expression my foot. Market media has this unenviable task of creating market friendly concerns, leaf growing out of boy’s ear was incredible conception in this context!!. Exaggerate that and you will understand the euphoria for IPL.

With socio-political elite very much into filling their coffers and promoting their mediocre progenies in last many decades what we have seen is loot of colossal scale. We have a new meaning of merit!!. If it is about trillion dollars black money in Swiss bank, it is also about multi- trillion dollars black money not in Swiss bank but stacked in quaint homes across the country. It is also about elite of this country and how they function- self gain at the expense of common people. It is also about the natural resources that have been sold to highest bidders in the name of development.

Therefore this blogger unlike Amir Khan (his brand value increases with Muslim name…its dream scene for turd but poor thing aint no popular ye!!. In the world of pretentious secularism muslim names are horny. This blogger is not undermining the importance of secularism but not from self serving mediocre people, who tend to scuttle issues concerning millions of people) don’t consider corrupt politicians a serious threat. The reason being they have to face the elections every few years so they will have to share some percentage of the loot (the same reason why I am not much concerned about distribution of money to voters. It’s about maximizing the opportunity, from the voter’s perspective), also the space for variant policy making is rather reduced in recent times. The danger is from those people who are always around the power centers in capital cities (includes scheming media barons, corrupt businessmen-manipulative marketers and small time fixers, as also mongers for power and clout for common people….Raju boy’s 70000crore scam is nothing- this blogger believes that the scam wouldn’t be out if he wasn’t too stupid. Obviusly the above mentioned people need lots of black money), a section that is insulated from all happenings. This scam by progenies of traditional loot is something that you will not find in Swiss bank. The worms who pupate in subjective situations, where there is nothing to commit or sacrifice (gosh) but dress nicely and talk nicely and lick it together…

The change we need...also "Coca cola does it in Australia"

It was but expected by Coca Cola to take people on ball ride in poorer and societies with extreme disparities like India. The focus on urban youth and their lifestyle demands positioning is understandable. The shift from exploitation of natural resources and threat to livelihood of millions to change (and targeting politicians) was an easy ploy. Easy because they have so much money and access (the pliable Market media). Add to it the concern (the groovy part) you have a recipe to be in TV channels. So it seems Indian urban youth is going to make our life better. It is the scariest thought I am having in recent times!!.

The so called agents of change as also our friendly guardian bend on saving us common people are having an outing. Never mind they are all from the same strata, same market friendly bunch with a big appetite for lick. The indulgent lot has found their calling. The elite are aware that world is watching so have position for big lick. Some innovative also play victim for sake of us. Its like if you are concerned about poor India, exploited Indians, biased Indians…whatever Indians the pit stop is here. Feed us we will pass on. With a billion and counting population this is huge, and they know very few can easily usurp this one. The stampede is on.

India incidentally is home to roughly one-third of all poor people in the world. It also has a higher proportion of its population living on less than $2 per day than even sub Saharan Africa. Also note 42% of the population living below the new international poverty line of $1.25 per day. The number of Indian poor also constitutes 33% of the global poor, which is pegged at 1.4 billion people.

Now the fat part, the Black money in Swiss banks -- Swiss Banking Association report, 2006 details bank deposits in the territory of Switzerland by nationals of following countries:

Top Five
India---- $1456 billion
Russia---$ 470 billion
UK-------$390 billion
Ukraine- $100 billion
China-----$ 96 billion

India with $1456 billion or $1.4 trillion has more money in Swiss banks than rest of the world combined. It is one of the biggest loots witnessed by mankind -- the loot of the Aam Aadmi (common man) since 1947.

Raymond Baker -- in his widely celebrated book titled 'Capitalism’s Achilles Heel: Dirty Money and How to Renew the Free Market System’ -- estimates that at least $5 trillion have been shifted out of poorer countries to the West since the mid-1970. It is further estimated by experts that one per cent of the world’s population holds more than 57 per cent of total global wealth, routing it invariably through these tax havens. How much of this is from India is anybody’s guess. The market based economy has made many of them quite bold. And the desultory ease with which they work is a study in itself.

But working in developed countries like Australia is different you really cannot get away with free media (unlike market driven media in Indian context, it is easy money in poorer societies). Coca cola was taken to task for misleading ads. “Coca-Cola Busted for Big Fat Rotten Lies" ran the blunt headline in the Sydney Morning Herald, a major news outlet in Australia. Coca-Cola had placed a groovy full-page print ads all across Australia featuring Kerry Armstrong, an Australian actress, with the heading "Kerry Armstrong on Motherhood & Myth-Busting". Well they cannot work on change in Australia!!. It is different strategy. Representing Ms. Armstrong as a responsible "mum" who is "often bombarded by conflicting messages on food and drinks", the ad goes on to establish the facts about Coca-Cola by busting myths about Coca-Cola.

The ad tries to bust the myths that Coca-Cola makes you fat, rots your teeth and is packed with caffeine, among others.

The fact though is different: a good number of scientific studies have confirmed strong linkages between the consumption of soft drinks and obesity and a host of other health problems. To add to this body of evidence, the New England Journal of Medicine has just published an article advocating a 'penny-per-ounce' tax on soft drinks because, "Sugar-sweetened beverages (soda sweetened with sugar, corn syrup, or other caloric sweeteners and other carbonated and uncarbonated drinks, such as sports and energy drinks) may be the single largest driver of the obesity epidemic."

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) took swift action and on April 2, 2009, the commission issued court enforceable orders to Coca-Cola, including:

• Publish advertisements correcting the misleading claims made in the "Myth Busting" ad in every publication the original ad was published in and of equal prominence and size
• Barred Coca-Cola for three years from making the claims that Coca-Cola cannot contribute to weight gain and tooth decay, and that Diet Coca-Cola contains only half the caffeine as a cup of tea, unless these can be substantiated
• Provide a link to the corrected ad from its corporate social responsibility website

Clearly the elite stand to gain from these exploitative products. The reason why we don’t see any policy initiatives nor market media’s big concerns. It is about live and let live in the elite circle. Sab aram se chato, sab ke liye hai.

(Inputs from Net..Photo of children protesting against Coke-Pepsi also taken from Net)

Are elections important?.

My apologies for using nonsensical titles like these, maybe I am watching too much TV!!. Of course elections are important. What cautions me here is more than usual enthusiasm of certain sections of society. Let me put things in perspective. In the last few years the lower strata of society has become quite vocal. They have started to look for emancipation through political empowerment and instead of elite representing them in the Parliament. They have started to put people among themselves in the leadership positions, clearly many lack the kind of “sophistication” the urban crowd was used/aspire to. For most people in urban India fed in daily doses of western-as-modern crap these people from rural India are nothing short of some aliens. For them wannabees in TV channels are friendly neighbors, angst of US-Britain society (read international…such a small world here) very personal. This invasion of reality is scaring them, and has taken up the call for change.

Yes change is good and is needed. But what is this change we are hearing?. And who are the people who stand to gain?. We have to work on the premise that the society we live in is essentially selfish and are dealing with some very selfish and self preserving people. This has to be accepted, since this is what we are increasingly seeing around not only that it is celebrated through market. Selfishness here is carefully constructed as: I gain but in the process we all will gain. Since it is a construct on selfish premise the later part rarely happens, some innovative use term like trickle down. So the elite section has created some kind of alliance to be saviors for common people. It is a mutual agreement on sharing the spoils, they do conduct mock fights and heated arguments for the consumption of audience. But the spoil is always intact (note the lukewarm response to black money deposits…I am having a new found admiration for likes of Baba Ramdev).

The threat of people representing the majority of people in this country is what giving them sleepless nights. People “not like us”. This blogger is not under the assumption that rural leaders are not corrupt but then I don’t have any prejudices against anyone from rural who doesn’t speak English or who has an accent that could be fed to urban coach potatoes as forms of entertainment, that assurance that we are smart than them. People not like us are necessarily funny people. The market construct that accentuates prejudices.

It is in this very construct that urban India understanding of change falls. In US change had socio-historical context. In India it is essentially a clever market ploy. “Youth for change” has a feel of romantism to it. The idealism of young people has changed the course of history not only in India but many parts of the world. Think of young Gandhi, Nehru, Bose and those who died young with their idealist world view intact (and source of inspiration) like Bhagat singh or Azad. And many unsung people. Here one need add this understanding is not confined to politics but other field including dealing in personal lives of common people. India now has one of the largest populations of young people. So clearly it is a good target group, it makes lots of market sense. As India Today notes "Everyone’s eyeing the 180 million people under 35 who are going to vote this year, and the 43 million of them who will be first-time voters"

Largest population under-35 but how many between 18-35 is not very clear and how many who earn money, to decide their market choices?. Nevertheless it is a size that cannot be neglected. There is a campaign happening to awaken them. Excellent work but this blogger watches it with much trepidation.

Younger population is what market excited about. It is also not a coincidence this section is a major target consumer for market (youngisthan). It is clear from the selling pattern of billion dollar industries like coke/Pepsi or so called “international” fast food joints and many other products which most common people may not buy. It is also an audience that can be manipulated.

Idealism of most Indian urban youth pupates in Mcfood surrounding sipping Coca Cola, this may look out of place for most us but their elder generations have mastered it in their own youth, it’s a kind hypocrisy that is traditional. Since the exploitative nature of these products and lifestyle doesn’t sync with the realities of not only this society but the nature and environment (as I said earlier nature is not into “live and let live” when you don’t know how to live. Period) but has put societies in serious threat- to their livelihood and natural resources. This market media is not interested since it threatens their selfish interests/ self preservation. Therefore they try to blur these. Amir Khan will come and talk of future of small children but the future of children is not confined to political choices we make but indeed to a larger extend to choices we make to preserve natural resources and health of younger generation. Ground water exploitation by exploitative products conglomerates doesn’t fall into his concern, since if it does then it will affect his self interest. Although Amir Khan seems like a concerned man the difference here is many people don’t work on self interest. Further carrying the same logic of self interest if some one is giving money to vote for him why shouldn’t I take money (being a voter is my strength-USP, so why shouldn’t I exploit it?), also it is not necessary to vote for him/her just because he has given money, it is not a deal (smart ye)!!

Communalism is not the only concern, in fact sometimes I think it is overdone by some market driven section to mask or divert the concerns which they could be complicit, it also helps them to build image. I read on the Net sometime back “The Health Minister of India had asked film stars to not endorse Coke and Pepsi because of the hazards of sugar in soft drinks, implicated in the obesity and diabetes epidemic among children. Marion Nestle has called soft drinks a quintessential ‘junk food’, high in calories but low in nutrition. Stealing Health, Creating Disease”. The market media would call Health Minister unreasonable and try to scuttle the issue. The “youth for change” brigade will not find these market unfriendly issues worth pursuing that is bad positioning.

Idealism necessarily goes with understanding, and understanding is not talk shows where people (camera friendly small timers) express their feelings but rigorous process of knowledge gathering apart from what makes one professionally competent (I need to add this here since these IT guys are considered knowledgeable but most are woefully mono dimensional ditto technologists under Hitler). How can you have understanding without knowledge?. Take any example of “idealist youths” throughout history right from Gandhi to Luther King to Bagath Singh to many people whom we admire they were into rigorous knowledge. It is not an easy option and by the very nature of market these options are not smart. The construct of smartness for youth is basically on the parameters of consumerism. So what we have is bunch of young and younger people who are dumb and dumber. But high on attitude clearly attitude doesn’t compensate idealism. In fact market friendly attitude are created- it’s about being bold and stupid. If more exploitative products are selling because of ads nothing can be more telling. If the decisions are based on so fickle then god save. Fast forward and you have a society that elects a man not once but twice as their leader who created havoc on the world. A society that overspends, over consumes…that is not only responsible for all the financial muck but also the impending environmental catastrophe. It is the same culture they are trying to spread through market driven change. Urban youth is going to be the foot soldier, but first create a construct that he is smart and is agent of change but the reality is most of these fools (not all but yes most) cannot even tell north pole from south pole. Yes very high on brand conscious. God save us from change.

With understanding comes empathy. But then empathy doesn’t go with capitalism the reason they have philanthropy. In India apart from some big companies, its mostly absent, if ever it is black money (incredible India) !!. The packaging also involves downplaying or even degrading elderly generation. This I find amusing sometimes shocking. Young can take their own decision is a great thought. But if the decision is market choice then I have to be careful, elderly people can be good guidance in fact this culture is to be nurtured. The belligerent youth rebelling for one brand over the other is a statement on society, it is also time for society to introspect, since this is future. Frankly this blogger has come across many elderly people whom I found admirable and many “young urban” who are blatantly communal and aggressively consumerist and very careless in their attitude towards others. Communal/casteist recruited by fundamentalists (rural), consumerists for market (urban). The market has positioned itself as positive/saviors. It is about positioning, placement. Precisely what the market driven small time celebrities do all the time. A stage seem to have come where if you are not able to position yourself for market media your life is wasted!!.

Also note Youth for change not only helps market in its very immediacy but also a clever ploy for promoting the elite section’s family and friends. So by crying wolf to common people they have helped themselves. This you will see in all fields…the young faces we see are all progenies promoted from the same elite, same coterie. Obviously young from non elite background cannot be in such positions (or able to tap these opportunities which they have opened in the name of youth). Another point here is that all the opportunities here are in field were competence is subjective (afterall anybody who has tongue can talk!!). Objective competences are for common people, they prepare for entrance exams and other recruitment procedures and so on. While the elite section take a break. This blogger took break from conventional career, without any backing or fall back option…believe me it was very tough, it nearly consume me, the insecurity (it’s like floating in a rudderless dingy on a deep rough sea!!. In the beginning when the enormity of the situation strikes it is terrifying then don’t think about it and concentrate on the immediate threats, then a stage comes when you get so used to it that can detach and contemplate!!).A survey by India today(its there in the net) says "97 per cent of young India does not have access to the Internet and 41 per cent never watch television. What’s more, the urban young population, has benefited the most from liberalisation’s..."

So again we are back to 1960s and 1970s. It’s about keeping the exclusiveness of class. Even the guitar holding (rocker!) “idealist young urban” singing for change is not really about empathy but a statement of exclusiveness. It’s about how much gap is created from common people. The tragedy here is the angst of the youth for the world the common people are not even able to understand, wherein the musicians in west used these to connect. The guitar for instance is part of the west narration that goes back to church carol. Clearly the “young urban Indian” is trying to connect to western sensibilities (referred to as modern) therefore easier for consumerism, so the market media is interested. Crass is in and is looking for room to change…

A disclaimer: obviously this is not against business (I do admire some of these businessmen, I am not an ideologue), also trade and transaction is an important element of any society. This is for a caution on exploitative products and attempts made to deconstruct our social reality for consumption.

Post script: actually it very easy to go with the crowd and gain, as most people are doing. (few hours back I was watching TV and the amount of jewelry ads in Malayalam channels is staggering. I pity these actors, surely it is their profession and they too need money). The market mantra “live and let live” seems to be lets all lick!!.

Next blog should be about “Needed: professional audience”…

great win at Ipoh

The Indian hockey team under the captain Sandeep Singh has come back from abyss. They have lifted the prestigious Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia defeating the host convincingly 3-1. Cheers to that !!!.

Vignettes of Pushkar…

This place is riot of colors, humans (Indian-urban-rural, foreigners-dudes!!), animals, gods, noise, silence, beauty, dirt, expected, unexpected…
I saw this elderly women (probably with her grandson selling hola-its grain sapling used for ritual burning before holi). She demanded money for taking her photo, i said i didn't take, she asked me to show the camera, i sneaked away!!
Dogs taking afternoon siesta on the bank of sacred pond.
More at photo blogs…

On communal politics in India…

Studies conducted over the years points to some revealing reasons (Horowitz) as to why riots happen, first and foremost, is when people get into mob psychology- a sense of reduced personal risk, maximize destruction while minimizing personal liabilities. When there is a reduced risk of punishment by government agencies or retaliation by the targeted group. Second, is a sense of personal justification Rioters not only saw their cause as righteous, but as an act of defense (even if preemptively) against a perceived imminent and grave threat. Also as an opportunity to correct a perceived social, economic, or political wrong against their own ethnic group or other deviant association to define community. Thereby communal riots provide an opportunity for the release of built-up group or communal tensions and anger. Third, Horowitz noted that research indicated that rioters in general shared hatred of the targeted religious/ethnic group. This usually was manifested by an obsessive type of hatred where the rioters believed that all members of the targeted group thought the same way on socio-economic and political issues and felt a sense of general repulsion of the religious/ethnic group overall.

It is also observed that after each riot communal/caste/divisive parties become stronger in that area. Pattern before the riots point to sentiments of hatred against the ‘other’ that act as a fertile soil in which events can be given a communal twist. So many an events can take place in the society but unless the inherent hatred for the other is there they cannot be translated into violent episodes (this is an important point). Add to this a vicious ingredient-the leaders, the politicians, who are on the look out for the chance to convert a human tragedy into a ladder for their political opportunity, into enhancement of communal/caste agenda, into converting it into a riot.

A skirmish reaches a proportion of riot when powerful people are competing for political or economic space. In most cases these factors coalesce, it is known fact that most riots have happened in industrial towns with multi religious background (whether Meerut, Baroda or Coimbatore). Communal politics have spread beyond economics towards garnering votes- through focus on religious/caste identities and perceived threats (Asghar Ali Engineer’s study in last many points to these). Parties that represent elites within ethnic groups use protests, demonstrations and physical attacks that precipitate riots in order to encourage members of their wider ethnic category to identify with their party rather than a party that is identified with economic redistribution or some ideological agenda. Riots or hate speech therefore makes its easier. It takes away the attention from issues that matter to common people.

However it need be noted that the number of communal riots have gone down in last decade or so and the main reason is the nature and compulsions of politics- the growing competitiveness for votes. In the last decade or so the regional parties, and parties mobilizing weaker sections, have become more assertive- forces that cannot be taken lightly. Elite section may talk negative about third or fourth fronts (probably because it scares them since they don’t know where to work on PR or contacts, two party system is an easy option for them. They love this A Vs B binary narration. The fact though is it doesn’t reflect the reality of this nation. The reality is complex, very much chaotic) but for common people it is a positive thing, since apart from other things-like making the system more representative.. Since “vote banks” is not assured for major/national political parties, competition for minority/caste votes increases the incentives for governments to prevent anti-minority/caste violence. Studies suggest that multiparty political system leads to lesser chances of communal riots, since polarizing parties understand the need for working relation, and minorities become an important swing vote. A riot breaks that possibility therefore they become cautious. A multiparty system creates a system wherein polarizing politicians either don’t succeed or eventually stop trying to divide communities by provoking and fomenting violence.

The gist here is that the party representing elite from a section that can potentially unite a majority of voters will have a greater incentive to foment polarizing events and riots in order to solidify its vote. Democratic governments led by any party will prevent riots when they depend for votes directly or indirectly upon various sections. Greater number of parties leads to fewer communal riots.

A word of caution: Large number of political parties does have impact on national politics in positive way but at the local-micro level this leads to polarization that could turn communal. Though politicians and elite have major role in communalising/casteing society for power as they have a control (it is interesting to note that "first communal riot" took place in Ahmedabad in 1713, next 1730 and so on…during the reign of fanatic Aurangzeb), but the riot doesn’t spread or endorsed if common people are not polarized. It is therefore important to understand the socio-cultural factors. Horowitz study points to a major cause for riots to spread, an innocuous incident gets communal color, when the “other” as object of hatred is constructed by prejudices or that the “targeted ethnic group thought the same way on socio-economic and political issues”, the perceived threat.

The reality of similar socio-economic condition (that is exploited by the elite) becomes evident when the societies are not polarized or live in siege. Studies have shown that neighborhood-level social structures can provide an important opportunity for everyday inter religious/ethnic interaction that is helpful in combating perceptions by individuals that all members of a certain religious/ethnic group think or felt the same way about controversial social, religious, economic, or political issues. Multi-religious associations, formal and informal relations between people have played a significant role in preventing riots in otherwise sensitive areas (Dharavi being an excellent example), thus preventing the sinister plans of elite. It need be noted here how women who were victims or sufferers from the divides were able to come together to prevent further deterioration. It is the people who suffer who have to understand and evolve without being dependent on outsiders- elite, who exploit the situation some by playing savior others by exasperating the situation. It is for the people concerned to find their unique ways. State though should see that rioter’s doesn’t get the feeling of “reduced risk of punishment”, the law enforcement and prosecution has to be stringent. Unfortunately there is a serious lacuna and perpetrators of heinous crimes get away, even political leaders who incite people go scot-free. 

It need be pointed that the popular culture in particular movies also play a very significant role in bringing people together, as also a source for entertainment from otherwise dreary life. Popular movies and other culture references of common people are significant in keeping the socio-cultural fabric intact. Elite section might smirk (that is the only thing these morons can do, their reference is west) but popular Hindi movies –also referred to as bollywood movies, and blockbuster regional movies have played a very significant role in shaping and consolidating secular attitude (the so called art movies with few exceptions are presumptuous and quite mediocre that rightfully nobody is interested, I guess these pretentious people could watch some Iranian movies to start with), though not necessarily liberal or sophisticated. Popular songs do soften people, may not make them contemplative but surely lightens their life thus chance of hatred for others/surroundings are minimized (any guess why Taliban is against music?!!). This blogger intends to end this piece by recalling a scene from a movie that apparently is nonsensical if you use your mind: An injured old woman is getting blood transfusion from three people at the same instance (!!) she is not aware that they are her children –Amar, Akbar, Anthony (Hindu, Muslim, Christian). This affects most Indian people in a way no intellectual crap on secularism can. Popular movies have had a significant impact on the narration of this nation (the recent shift towards mall movies therefore is a cause of concern, as their reference is western sensibilities-mistaken for modern. Its premise in most cases is defined by consumerism or market compulsions). The reason why India is relatively peaceful and accommodating needs to be understood from these popular references, myths.

Aha what a lovely sight this is !!

The condition of women in Rajasthan is considered to be pitiable; every statistic associated with the state doesn’t favor women. But the indices may hide some remarkable changes that are happening in this region, it is a silent revolution. Sometime back I was at a Bishnoi village and saw this girl riding her bike carrying her mother and younger brother, she stopped next to the shop and helped her mother do some purchase and rode away in style!!. The best part was nobody noticed her indicating that this was quite a common happening here. I asked a boy about this he said women drive cycles and bikes here. Not only that most shops were being run by women. The tea shop were I was waiting for bus (took one hour that one) had this girl who made tea. It so happened that two men asked for tea, she brought three cups, they said they wanted only two. She replied why don’t two of you have three cups today!!. Before the men could assess the situation and come with a rejoinder she had left!!. They ended up drinking three cups!!. I liked what I saw took her pics surreptitiously. Best part here is that they are not trying to prove a point but just carrying on with their life (unlike elite who rarely face any bias, and so high on symbolism, to play victims through provocative market driven western narration). This space for change is how society progresses. How about two wheeler rallies for girls in rural areas? The remarkable coincidence here is that these photos were taken on March 8^th –International day for women (I came to know about that only in the evening!!).

In contrast to Rajasthan, indices in Kerala might look like favoring women and it is true. But the reality is the State is stinking. The consumerism initiated changes are hollow and degrading (the serious consolidation of obsession for Gold in recent times by aggressive marketing is disgusting to say the least; it is a society that has started to putrefy). In contrast States like Rajasthan and TN this blogger see lots of potential. Many years back when I was looking for employment someone suggested Civil Services; I tried my luck and got a call for Main exam. They asked to write an essay on something about “literacy and education”. I did a comparative study on Kerala and Rajasthan, and tried to prove that Kerala might have more literacy but is poor on education vis-à-vis Rajasthan. I couldn’t help recalling these.

Pic here is of women waiting for bus. As I took this picture a man came and start talking to me he saw the pictures and asked how much educated I was. He said that is the difference between him and me he couldn’t go to school and now he is suffering, he is making sure that his children go to school. his gazing eyes did make me uncomfortable though.

Post script: I regret using some foul language in the earlier blog, got bit emotional (I am not very professional I guess!!). But when many victims are taking very few names of politicians (Tytler’s name being prominent. Also note he was indicted by Nanavati Commission) there must some truth in it. Further you know the machinery is politicized and they have kept it hanging it for decades and evidence easily destroyed or manipulated.

The bloody November of ‘84

Thousands of Sikhs were massacred, mutilated and women raped in streets of Delhi after Indira Gandhi was assassinated on October 31^st 1984 that was nearly 25 years ago. And a generation of victims has grown up denied justice. It is inconceivable that a pogrom of such magnitude was done without political involvement and this blogger like most other people in this country very much suspect Tytler as one of them (he is a conniving sleazy scoundrel). Again as written earlier this is a matter of conjecture so after so many years it is easy to change the reality. It is about diluting the event with time.

Mr. Chidambaram may not have anything to do with what happened in Delhi decades back but to suggest that CBI is neutral is a joke which we are sick of. Also telling an emotionally charged Sikh journalist “to have patience” is a travesty, I guess he is intelligent enough to gather that 25 years is too long by any standards “to have patience”. Instead of the journalist concerned Mr. Chidambaram should apologize for being insensitive. The CBI in recent times also seems to have gone market media friendly, revealing the details even before it was official, and secondly this official matter should be presented to court not to the media. This is grievous case of corruption on the part of CBI (and those who control them), to help politician fight election. Clearly Tylter has quite a clout. Also it is clear that the market fixers have sneaked into democratic machinery. Politicians need fixers but the tilt has started to harm, it is becoming apparent.

There has been lots of discussion in the blogs and other sites on this event. How should the journalist behave is focused by some. The "journalist" in recent times is nothing short of hilarious, frankly I like most Indians have started to sympathize with their compulsions, poor people trying to make some living. I guess by throwing shoe the journalist concerned has shown more responsibility than many of these so called journalists

The reaction of Sikh community seems to have gone mild in recent times, maybe like most of the common people in this country they have taken it as fate. Secondly the so called secularist get much concerned about issues of Muslims and some even go overboard (one politician even said he will run a roller over anyone who harms this community, it is ok to be a scoundrel when playing secular I guess). For small timers been seen as concerned-about-Muslim-only serves a lot to enhance their career, never mind if most Muslims are really not bothered or tired of this game.

The massacre of ’84 is quite vivid in my memory, we knew many Sikh communities in Delhi as I did part of my schooling there. A boy who was witness to the event of a Sikh man being burned told the horrific incident in detail, when I was in Pune. It was one of the most tragic events in modern Indian history. For next few years this community was blatantly targeted, and those who knew Sikh families at personal level it was a traumatic period. Most people were angry, I recall, but then the vested interests were successful in creating fissures and so the community was isolated, people started to suspect Sikhs. Punjab burned for years.

It is amazing that the prosecution rate of communal riots is almost negligible in this country. And what is shocking they will still carry on with archaic laws and systems that are completely politicized. It helps the elite to keep the pain alive as it keeps the people divided, it helps them garner vote. Clearly it is a win-win situation so then who should be bothered. Keep the injury open, if the injury is healed who needs the doctor.

When societies are kept divided, when insignificant events/prejudices are bloated out of proportion it helps lots of powerful people to position as saviors undermining existential realities of common people. It helps power mongers and greedy people to fit into narration that is easy to understand, therefore easy to exploit. It is in this context a communal riot is the most welcome event. It is such a simple narration. It is gripping than any reality show. Infact aren’t we waiting for one?!!

Post script: quite insignificant to write this one here but when I was in secondary school in Delhi we had many Sikh community kids in the class. One kid used to sit in front of my bench, so when it was 12 o clock we used to do pong pong on his juda “sardar ke bara baj gaye” he tolerated us few times (he was a studious boy) then he complained to the teacher, she gave us some whacking and told us “peeche ja ke murga bano” (English is a funny language the translation of this would be “go back and become a cock!!”). That’s about it!!

The story of a beautiful Prince who never became the King…

The other day I was reading Octavio Paz “In Light of India”, it is an easy read. Most things he wrote one is aware of but the outsider’s perspective is what makes it interesting, also the comparison of experience of India and Mexico. This blogger’s understanding of Mexico is limited to few books here and there, caricatures in movies and few interactions with tourists…well that is true about any country for most of us. But yes in recent times Net has opened up lots of avenues for understanding through chat rooms and blogs, sometime back I found myself chatting with a Mexican!! . It was while reading this book that I came across Dara Shikoh, Paz writes “Shikoh… translated Upanishads into Persian. A French traveler and Orientalist, Anquetil du Perron, made a Latin version of Dara’s translation. That version, published in two volumes in 1801 and 1802, was the one that Schopenhauer read. The philosophic influence of that translation has been enormous; on one side, Nietzsche; on the other, Emerson”. Don’t know why but I couldn’t continue reading, I had read so much about Dara Shikoh that my focus shifted.

If there is one figure from medieval history who’s brutal and untimely death pained me deeply it was this prince. If he had become the king the history of northern part of this subcontinent (indeed the whole Indian subcontinent) would be significantly different. As Paz writes “the religious politics of Aurangzeb was, however, a more serious violation; it did not affect merely the individuals of one family, but rather the majority of people he governed. The execution of Dara Shikoh for the crime of heresy was a sign of the fatal direction events would take. The religious question, a strictly spiritual matter since the inauguration of the Sultanate in the eighth century, turned into matter of life and death” (emphasis added by the blogger). The fatal direction set by fanatic Aurangzeb engulfed generations to follow, sowed the seeds of communalizing in the society and weakened the dynasty, eventually these were exploited by colonial Britain. Rest as they say is history. And some tend to live a lot in history and not “understanding history to move forward” (former philosopher President S.Radhakrishnan).

This blogger feels it to be very important to spend some time on this amazing prince who had such a tragic end. Dara Shikoh, whose name means “The possessor of Glory”, was born to Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal in 1615 at Sagartal near Ajmer (now of Rajasthan) It is said that his father, the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, visited the tomb of the great Chishti saint Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti and had prayed there with folded hands and down knees. It is for no reason that Dargah is considered special, I too have felt the vibration of this place (decades back I spoke my first sentences in English after visiting Dargah at Ajmer-also Pushkar…these two places are quite special to me. I should write about this one of these days). Dara was a unique and marvelous personality. He had combined in himself the qualities of his two great ancestors Humayun and Akbar. The habit of passing more and more time in the Library to acquire knowledge was inherited by him from Humayun who had lost his life while descending from the stairs of the royal Library, while the interest in comparative religions, universal brotherhood, humanism and peace came from the great emperor Akbar. These influences played a notable role in shaping his mind. He had no likings for luxuries and sensual pleasures but had developed refined tastes in his life. The credit should also go to one tutor named Mulla Abdul Latif Saharanpuri who inculcated in him the habit of reading and unquenchable thirst for knowledge. The Sufi leanings of his tutor had great influence over young Dara. Besides this, the influence of contemporary Sufi saints had played a significant role in shaping young Dara’s mind.

In 1640 he was introduced to Lahore’s famous Qadri Sufi saint, Hazrat Mian Mir who had urged both Jehangir and Shah Jahan to be kind to all their subjects (this Sufi saint was so respected by the people that he was invited to put the foundation stone of Golden temple-the most sacred place of Sikhs), also Mulla Badakhashi and other saints. This was a remarkable phase of his life when he spent his major time in the royal Library busy in intensive studies in mysticism, the philosophy and the principles of the Qadiri order. This resulted in the publication of his major works on Sufism namely, the Safinat-ul-Auliya (1640 A.D.), the Sakinat-ul-Auliya ( 1643A.D.) the Risala’i Haq Numa (1647 A.D.), the Tariqat-ul-Haqiqat and the Hasanat-ul-Arifin (1653 A.D.). The first two books are biographical dictionaries of the Sufi saints and the last three contain his exposition of some of the Sufi fundamental doctrines. This was in fact a period of intellectual pursuits for Dara.

His interests took a steep turn when he met Baba Lal Bairagi, a Hindu agnostic, conversations with whom he recorded in a little book entitled Mukalama Baba Lal wa Dara Shikoh.. Majma-‘ul-Bahrain (The Mingling of the Two Oceans). Like his great-grandfather Akbar (the pic here), Dara tried to bridge the gap between Hinduism and Islam was also devoted to a revelation of the mystical and pluralistic affinities between Sufic and Vedantic speculation. This book came to light in 1656, just three years prior to his execution. In fact it was a pioneering attempt to find out the commonalities between Sufism and Hindu monotheism. He describes this book as ‘a collection of truth and wisdom of two truth-knowing groups’. Contemporary Hindu pundits too acknowledged him (one Jaganath Mishra even wrote a book named “Jagatsimha in praise of Dara”).

The Emperor Akbar had strongly believed that his Mughal nobles needed to understand their Hindu subjects and had set up a translation bureau to render the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the Bhagavata into Persian. Prince Dara Shikoh went much further his translation called the Sirr-e-Akbar (The Greatest Mystery) and in his Introduction he boldly states that the work referred to in the Holy Quran as the Kitab al-maknun or the “hidden book” is none other than the Upanishads. Dara Shikoh carried forward the enlightened tradition of Akbar to evolved understanding.

In the war of succession, Aurangzeb- his fanatic younger brother, defeated him. Despite the fact that Dara was favored as a successor by his father and his sister Jahanara Begum (Aurangzeb was also to place Shah Jahan too under arrest till he died a depressed man), Dara was brought to Delhi, placed on a filthy elephant and paraded through the streets of the capital in chains and murdered on the night of August 30, 1659. He was buried without ceremony, his headless body dumped in a hastily dug grave. And so died a beautiful prince. It is no surprise that after Aurangzeb the Mughal Empire collapsed.

The struggle between Dara Shikoh and Aurangzeb has a reflection in contemporary world, the struggle between the fundamentalists (religious and market, as also self serving power mongers) and the people who understand religion and its goodness for humankind. There is an amazing play The Trial of Dara Shikoh by Dr. Akbar Ahmed he says this story serves as a powerful metaphor that explains the current struggle of Muslims to establish a true identity in a culture (Dr. Ahmed was also Pakistani Ambassador to UK) that has labeled the Islamic faith violent and extreme. He writes "Dara was an enlightened Sufi intellectual and a lover of the arts, music, and dancing. Anticipating the challenge of ruling a religiously diverse empire, Dara sought to build friendships with members of different religious traditions. This approach to governing dovetailed with his own deep adherence to Islam’s mystical and universal message. Aurangzeb, on the other hand, practiced a more orthodox and fundamental interpretation of Islam. As emperor, he enforced a strict interpretation of Shari’a law for the entire empire, forbade dancing and music in his presence, and reinstituted a jaziya tax on all non-Muslims in the empire". Through this play Akbar Ahmed tries to draw a picture of a larger struggle within Islam today, a struggle for meaning, identity, and perception. The prevailing and dominant perception of Islam in recent centuries has been an interpretation of orthodox adherence to the religion’s laws and teachings, with the implication that Islam requires violent practices and terror. This interpretation is vividly embodied in Aurangzeb’s diatribes and cruelty towards Dara and his family. In exposing the story and character of Dara Shikoh, there is an attempt upon Muslims and non-Muslims alike to rediscover a richer and more diverse expression of the religion of Islam. "The tragedy of Dara Shikoh is not only the loss of an extraordinary scholar, not only that his death pushed a large part of the world in dangerous directions, but the fact that he appears to have been erased from history. Dara has become the forgotten man of history. As the twenty-first century confronts a world locked in religious and cultural conflict Dara’s story becomes urgently relevant. Salvation in the future could lie in the message of Dara Shikoh". The transcript of the play is available on the Net…

Dara Shikoh a beautiful prince who could have been a great king, a king who could have carried forward the tradition of Ashoka and Akbar to greater heights.

Countdown to Copenhagen...

The much awaited United Nations Climate Change Conference is to be held at Copenhagen (the capital of Denmark) from Dec7-Dec18. The official website is http://en.cop15.dk or you could go to the link in this blog. Hey guys are you following the events at G-20 meet at London?. Finally they have started to understand what Mahatma Gandhi said almost a century back "there is enough for everybody's need not greed". It is not poverty that pollutes but greed spinning policies of richer and irresponsible societies. Nature can nurture if the relation is symbiotic, and not exploitative as is happening for centuries now. Clearly there is a need for regulations, days of Laissez-faire capitalism is over...hip hip hurray to that!!