Ye insecurity feeling kya hotha hai bhaiyya

Last few days TV studios of English/ Hindi channels are invaded by people with “insecurity feeling” or “sense of insecurity”. It is an affliction that the richer section finds difficulty in handling. Recently commemorating anniversary of terrorist attack on Mumbai this feeling has become all pervasive. Tragedy of the event withstanding this blogger finds tribulation of these fragile people quite amusing. That they need psychiatric help is quite evident, that they find themselves incapable of handling realities of life is not unexpected. Of course there are remarkable people with amazing resilience but this blog is not about them.

In the opulence of now or never world, pushing out the realities with big curtains, the sequestered life try evading mortality. A feeling of omnipotence and misplaced vigor defines their action. It is when realities barges in that “sense of insecurity” envelopes their little life. They feel cheated and harassed. There is unison “we don’t deserve this” lament. On the sidelines there is also fierce competition among “could have been victims” celebrities trying to capitalize the rush. It is the eyeball chase. Not denying that rare few did raise some relevant questions.

It seems that the sole responsibility of the government is to provide sense of security to this section while majority people in this country don’t even understand what secure life means. What arrogance. It is clear that the Indian government failed miserably to prevent these attacks and the response too was tardy, there has been lots of allegation and counter allegation since (not the least by senior police officers). But the question is how can these attacks be prevented?. Terrorists are mindless people and they care for none. It is quite difficult to anticipate, but yes response could be worked.

Pertinent question here would be when was life secure?. How can life ever be secure?. Don’t people face these realities everyday? I guess we all know that things could change quite drastically any moment. Common people negotiate these everyday, every moment. Indeed living is a risky proposition in the circumstance which most people find themselves in. With all kinds of diseases, violence, misshapes lurking in corners, things are stacked heavily against them, life is stressful. Many give up, many die undeservedly, most survive and stare death back. No not because they are brave, it is just that it is the last option, and yes after few instances it get routine, so habituated. Try figuring out how many people die every day and for what reason, of course behind every death there are many near deaths too. People keep dying for no reason of theirs. Where is then sense of security?.

Negotiating insecurities: this blogger recall feeling terribly insecure sometimes in early part of his life, later as I started my career in Chennai there were lots of rich guys who ran family business, for them job was fun which it really was but somewhere a thought always lurked in me of being one step away from abyss. There were no fall back options. So unless I do something substantial I felt very insecure, in the earlier part it nearly consumed me (even trying exploring what exactly is ‘substantial’). Also the impression given was that these are ‘crucial period of getting experience for furthering career so don’t waste time’, that added to the stress.

Later while I traveled around the country, I got the experience of fragility of life and many times just about managed to scrape through. Don’t know whether it was exuberance of youth or general excitement of traveling to new places I mostly felt insecurity in retrospect “man that could have gone wrong” kind of thing, and incorrigibly forget to take precaution next time!. It was probably during that time I started to carry this note on the first page of diary that I carried (plz click to enlarge). Recently though I carry paper sheet as diaries add to extra weight. One of my weird hobbies is to locate the road map of the accident I see in news. The recent bus accident near Nagrota (HP) is well known to me. Spate of minor train accidents in recent times has left me vaguely uncomfortable.

Information asymmetry and not very invisible hand of Thierry Henry

Well I have been reading Stiglitz last few days, I had read some of his columns here and there (trying to figure out what this financial crisis all about, as also searching about World Bank) but now thought of sitting down and read through his basics (encapsulated in his very long Nobel Prize speech). While I was reading these I was also watching TV!!. It was about the controversy that surrounded France win over Ireland in pre world cup. It is very clear that Thierry Henry handled the ball. The players knew it the world saw it. It was an obvious foul and should have been disallowed. But it was allowed, it didn’t violate the rule, it fitted in well into the system. So even though we all know it was wrong but the system doesn’t perceive nor could it rectify or correct the wrong. It seems it depends on the individuals to confess. It is therefore matter of individual choices thus subjective. In the meantime there is stress on transparency. But things are as transparent as it could ever be!!. This precisely is the problem.

We all want to do something to prevent climate related catastrophe, we all want to protect environment but the system seems incapable of perceiving these. It is also about the kind of things that keep happening around us, we are all very concerned about insidious nature of market and how it is seriously undermining socio-cultural context. Trivialization, macabre exaggeration and amazingly crude is what is sought to be seen as normal change. There is something seriously wrong but the system instead of rectifying has chosen to propagate this. Isn’t it funny that the economic system is hinged on people spending, the more you consume the healthier the system. Conventional wisdom though contradicts, indeed it is absurd. But this it seems is the path to prosperity, development.

Stiglitz mentions “When I began the study of economics some forty one years ago, I was struck by the incongruity between the models that I was taught and the world that I had seen growing up, in Gary Indiana, a city whose rise and fall paralleled the rise and fall of the industrial economy. Founded in 1906 by U.S. Steel, and named after its Chairman of the Board, by the end of the century it had declined to but a shadow of its former self. But even in its heyday, it was marred by poverty, periodic unemployment, and massive racial discrimination. Yet the theories that we were taught paid little attention to poverty, said that all markets cleared – including the labor market, so unemployment must be nothing more than a phantasm, and that the profit motive ensured that there could not be economic discrimination. If the central theorems that argued that the economy was Pareto efficient – that, in some sense, we were living in the best of all possible worlds – were true, it seemed to me that we should be striving to create a different world”. So there the contradiction.

One of the key aspect of Stiglitz’s assertion is information “what happens when people lack the key information that bears on the decisions they have to make, or when markets for important kinds of transactions are inadequate or don't exist, or when other institutions that standard economic thinking takes for granted are absent or flawed”. The referee in the Ireland-France match (or any other match) lacked the key information, which quite absurdly was accessible to even an audience across the globe within few seconds, and the system saw to it that he couldn’t access these. Fairness was compromised for institution. Doesn’t that sound familiar?. It seems we are controlled by an inexplicable superior force, an invisible hand.

Is it surprising that Adam smith (the founder of modern economics) also mentions “by an invisible hand”, the free market led efficient outcomes?. The “invisible hand”, one can safely say now, was a euphemism for lack of information but necessarily meant to keep the government out. Stiglitz has argued “Interestingly, there has been no intellectual challenge to the refutation of Adam Smith’s invisible hand….individuals and firms, in the pursuit of their self-interest, are not necessarily, or in general, led as if by an invisible hand, to economic efficiency". He adds "have shown that whenever information is imperfect and markets incomplete, which is to say always, and especially in developing countries, then the invisible hand works most imperfectly." He concludes “governments can improve the outcome by well-chosen interventions”.

Like the financial crisis recently there clearly was no “invisible hand” in Ireland-French match. The world saw Thierry Henry handling the ball, the Irish though can include these in their enviable collection of fables.

PS. Last heard: they are thinking of banning Thierry Henry!!. Frankly what exactly is his fault?!!. Theater of absurd, the script should make Samuel Beckett proud!!

It is time for Tobin Tax

Tobin tax was suggested by James Tobin way back 1970s. The idea was to implement a tax on each foreign currency transaction thereby penalizing short-term speculation. This is what Tobin said “This dissuades speculators as many investors invest their money in foreign exchange on a very short-term basis. If this money is suddenly withdrawn, countries have to drastically increase interest rates for their currency to still be attractive. But high interest is often disastrous for a national economy, as the nineties’ crises in Mexico, South East Asia and Russia have proven. My tax would return some margin of maneuver to issuing banks in small countries and would be a measure of opposition to the dictate of the financial markets”.

His suggestion has been in the cold storage for a longtime (except maybe a nightmare for students preparing for exams, like this blogger many years back!!. I came to know about Tobin tax in mid 1990s, I found it attractive even then. Later East Asian currency crisis confirmed it). Recently British PM Gordon Brown brought it out, he said “I think we should discuss whether we need a better social contract to reflect the global responsibilities of financial institutions to our society. There have been proposals for an insurance fee, or a resolution fund or a contingent capital arrangements or a global financial transaction levy.”.
Tobin tax will help counter the volatility of financial markets and avert financial crisis. It will also discourage speculative currency trading and reduce exchange rate volatility. There is a popular support for these suggestions not only at the policy making level but even in the streets. There have been much discussions and it is high time to implement these proposals.

Need to add here that Tobin saw it as step to cushion exchange rate fluctuations only and nothing else but I guess world has grown much after him or quite likely he had tunnel view of world and yes role of economist in socio-political context is only advisory. Tobin tax will create as Brown puts it “contingent capital arrangement”. The suggestion to put it under UN is quite brilliant, this would give UN much needed fund to put the priorities of world community in place. Unlike Tobin this blogger would like to see UN strengthened, World Bank and IMF can wait. UN represents multilateralism and there is an urgent need to foster these. As UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon said recently "We share one planet, one small blue speck in space. As people, as nations, as a species: we sink or swim together,"

Shocking (some clarifications included)

This blogger stumbled upon in the net the other day that the former US president George Bush had visited India recently. I am shocked. What was the basis of granting him visa to visit this country? He stands accused of war crimes, causing untold misery to many. The dangerous situation in Iraq that has spilled into the region, now threatening Pakistan is directly the result of actions of Bush administration. Even now hundreds are dying, the vicious cycle of killing and counter killing that started with the attack on Baghdad. This blogger strongly feels that criminal case need be taken up against Bush&Co in International Criminal Court. If perpetrators of mass killings in Bosnia, Rwanda or Sudan could be tried then what prevents Mr.Bush from facing the justice. In the meantime Bush &Co should be treated with disdain, the law need to catch up with them at the earliest. If Milosevic and Al Bashir can be tried what prevents the trial of Mr. Bush. Or is it that USA is a powerful country therefore it can break international laws and convention with impunity?. And yes what about Mister Tony Blair?.

I am ashamed of Indian government for giving permission for his visit, and yes I shudder to think how Al Qaeda reacts to this. I am really concerned about innocent people whose lives are put at serious risk by these foolish actions. One wonders what kind of people would like to listen to a former President, who was a nuisance. Really what weight does his views now carry? When it mattered he bungled up big time, it killed thousands of innocents people, then he says Intelligence agency "misguided" him on WMD!!. It is not only a travesty but reflection of servile nature of socio-political elite holed up in delhi, who invite him. The argument is that he was friend of India. Really! understand this US under Bush did only what it suits them, and yes if India was Uganda he wouldn't be looking this way. Indeed international diplomacy is about national interest. The lack of statesmen and people with vision for humanity is reason why this blogger was excited about Obama. Mr.Bush a friend of India is an enemy of the world and humanity!!. That is the India I hate to be in. Why should any country for that matter even allow Mr.Bush to enter?. He need be declared as persona non grata.

Post Script: The International Criminal Court (referred to as the ICC or ICCt) is a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression. Article 5 of the Rome Statute grants the court jurisdiction over four groups of crimes, which it refers to as the “most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole”: the crime of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression. This blogger wants to know why suo moto case not be taken against Mr Bush?

India is not a signatory but wanted to have the use of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction included as war crimes but this move was defeated. India has expressed concern that “the Statute of the ICC lays down, by clear implication, that the use of weapons of mass destruction is not a war crime". Well said.

When the baby elephant got killed

When the baby elephant got killed

The baby elephant trailing its mother
suckle her in leisure
ran about the forest in abandon
its tiny trunk explores anything and everything.
It was the very instance
the Superfast train smashed into it,
limp body thrown meters into the air.

Inside the train
people hurrying to reach
people traveling for fun
not aware of the fate of baby elephant
that lay mangled to be photographed, commented
and condemned for being a nuisance.

(written few months back forgot to post!!)

An apology

Well i guess i need to apologize for being too harsh on the Environment Minister in my last blog. The fact is he is under tremendous pressure by vested interests. He did spoke few months back on voluntary carbon cut, which this blogger thought was path breaking, but unfortunately had to retract. It is clear economic interest of few is a major influence on policy decisions. Mr Jairam Ramesh's job is increasingly getting tough, he is in an unenviable position. Do you are damned, don't do you damned still, but he is making his attempts despite tremendous pressure . I guess it is easy to pass judgment sitting in front of computer screen. My fault, i do go overboard sometimes.

Having said nothing explains his endorsement to report on glacier melting, i thought his views were mischievous and the timing also puts serious aspersion. Hopefully these are not repeated. And yes there is nothing admirable about Chanakya, this blogger thinks that he and Manu were instrumental in putting foundation to an understanding that justified crude social system and individual ethical laxity. Arthashastra and Manusmriti should been condemned to dustbin of history with its writers many centuries back.

The bogeyman strikes

The Ministry of Environment and Forest has come out with an astounding report that says Global warming has nothing to do with glacier melting, since it couldn’t concoct it fully without sounding absurd it admits that “While some glaciers are certainly shrinking, the pace is not as fast as elsewhere and it is certainly not because of global warming”. How it is certain is not clear. Our regrettable man at helm of affairs is turning out to be small timer bend on pleasing the masters, the moneybags. Jairam Ramesh is playing the role of Phillip Cooney, the henchman for irresponsible corporates. He calls it “informed discussion”, never mind that the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, headed by Dr R K Pachauri, in its last report had, in contrast, warned that "glaciers in Himalayas are receding faster than in any other part of the world" and that at current rate of depletion, "the likelihood of them disappearing by the year 2035 and perhaps sooner is very high" if the global temperatures rise unabated. Dr Pachauri, in response to the Environment ministry discussion paper, said, "I'd like to find out the secret source of this divine intervention... I don't understand the logic of this... I am puzzled where this magical science has come from... This is something indefensible." When asked if the discussion paper could be taken into consideration in the on-going round of scientific review by IPCC, he said, "IPCC studies only peer-review science. Let someone publish the data in a decent credible publication. I am sure IPCC would then accept it, otherwise we can just throw it into the dustbin.". Jairam Ramesh it is clear is incompetent to be Environment Minister.

Mister Ramesh has also the temerity to call IPCC “alarmist”. The Machiavellian fellow’s love for Chanakya is an open secret (Chanakya or Kautaliya- in case one is not aware, was the original scoundrel who lived few thousand years back, justifying lack of moral ethical context. The elite sections over the centuries have invoked him for their selfishness and crude behavior). The “informed discussion” for likes of Jairam Ramesh is step towards subjectifying the issue. It is about obfuscating the truth, it helps the scoundrels to sneak in and create havoc. In Market media democracy this theatrics is referred to as discussion, but what it does is polarize the society. Since the whole exercise of market is hinged on perception, there seem to be no reality and the common people tend to take sides on what they feel comfortable about or justify their surrounding or gain. It helps in building up cynicism about reality and acceptable context for emotional reactions. Arrogance of ignorance is the product of market media.

The reason why the world finds it difficult to come into any understanding on Global Warming despite the fact that there is clear and urgent scientific evidence (as also conventional understanding) about these may not be because of any psychology rigidity of elderly (as Manbiot argued in Guardian Newspaper recently-go to my link for further, on the contrary elders in poorer and societies closer too nature will agree with it readily, they go by what they observe) it is more to do with the nature of market economy and the functioning of market media. USA is a good example they have very advanced level of literacy as also facilities to learn, they also have done some experiment with pedagogy and so on. But nowhere in the world despite these advanced levels of availability of information and technology is the society so polarized, for an outsider it borders absurd. The evolutionist- creationist debate is just an example of arrogance of informed ignorance. These unhealthy polarization of societies is the bloodline of elite section, they thrive on it. They rarely work for common good but create adversaries and controversies, and other distractions to take away the realities of common people and replace it with concoctions.

So am I surprised by our home grown Machiavellian, he is doing for his very own survival. This is his opportunity for PR work for his future and in India (as also other poor societies) you had it if you antagonized powerful people or moneybags. Jairam Ramesh is just trying his trick to work on his cost benefit analysis, as also playing for the people who placed him in this position. Infact the logic is everyone is expected to do what is good for oneself, otherwise you are misfit -market economy has justified it for centuries. So if everyone is working for their narrow gains how collective decision making possible that too at global level?. Global warming will seriously impact the poorest and marginalized. The perpetrators rarely pay, and the system has seen to that profit is accrued by small section and they fatten at the cost of majority. So if any attempt is made to rectify these it is clear that powerful people will try to obfuscate. Jairam Ramesh is also making a crude attempt to pit Indian scientist against “western scientist”, it is about science and patriotic sentiments I guess!!. What a shame.

Frankly the reality here is crude form of capitalism has become a threat to democracy. It is being hijacked by moneybags and seriously power hungry people. We seem to have reached an impasse and unless these are resolved there doesn’t seem to be scope for collective actions. Also this blogger strongly believes that there is no developing country and developed country issue here, there are only people who pollute more and people who pollute less. And the people who pollute more are rich and powerful and so they try to create confusion on veracity on anything that threatens their lifestyle or greed. Don’t know about greed but certain level of lifestyle can be maintained with adaptive technology, but if you find it difficult to even do that since it will reduce your profit then it is unacceptable, it is a crime. Indian corporates are basically family businesses, status quo solutions is more profitable. They are rarely known for innovations (check out R&D investment) and basically incompetent to handle changing realities and so need government support. Infact government machinery is being actively used for narrow gains of corporates. In a globalized world governments are not expected to biased towards domestic industries and yes I as a consumer will prefer product that uses adaptive or mitigative technology whether Indian or foreign. There are no borders in global warming.

Post Script: conventional wisdom says that Mister Jairam Ramesh should resign as Union Environment Minister. He has failed to take up the issues of environment, his priorities are misplaced and I wouldn’t be surprised if I find him in the board of some corporate few years down the line or is he trying to collect money to fight elections (that is a tough call, sycophancy is second best option). Anyway our man is trying to secure his (not to forget family and friends) future at the expense of majority, people like him are liability. Why blame him even our Nobel laureate behaves like small time intellectual pimp!!. So when he talks about ecology he gives the impression that he has got his pants down, these are beneath his dignity it seems!. Afterall Marx didn't see anything beyond labor capital!!. This blogger places huge significance on Nobel prizes and has been a major source of reference for many great writings in recent times, but the awards on Economics has rather trivialized the awards. Apart from Stiglitz, Krugman and recently Ostrom and few more I haven’t really found anyone much inspiring. Indeed the whole concept of economics looks rather fragile in the immediacy of the problems the world faces.

Meet Kakki

I met Kakki few days back on the trail of dense forest of Western Ghats. Western ghat is a biodiversity hot spot with an amazing variety of flora and fauna that are threatened to extinction. It was while waiting for infrequent transport that I encountered Kakki. I found him laughing and pendulate his head as if he knew that I would have to interact with him, maybe he was used to people asking about timing of next bus to town and so on. Aware of this I maintained a stoic distance and a stance of “well you got it wrong this time”. Minutes passed and every time my eyes explored the surrounding, he was very much in the frame with expectation and some amusement. I took out my pocket diary to scribble something I had observed and now recollect, in the circumstance it also served an assertion on my part. Kakki took few steps and sat next “so you are coming from far?”. My first reaction was to avoid him with non committal disinterested “yes” and maintained with myself. I could hear a chuckle then he too relapsed into silence. His initial excitement mellowed or most likely he was taken aback by my rudeness. Spending too much time in cities tends to take away spontaneity in interaction with strangers, mistrust being an overriding emotion, not entirely misplaced but yes that may not be defining in all context or situations. Kakki was facing the brunt of it but he came out amazingly tolerant. Kakki lived in a world where it was normal for people to interact with anyone they met, and so he insisted being normal “you came two days back didn’t you?. I saw you walking all around the place”. This agitated me: so I am being observed, no privacy, some backward people these. The fact though was outsiders are an anomy in remote places and so a source of curiosity. “What is there to see in jungles?” he giggled.

“What’s your name?” I finally condescended, unable to ignore him.

“Kakki”

“Kakki that is an interesting name” I try to patronize, it comes naturally.

“Well you can call me kakki or nakki, it doesn’t matter” he retorted and to soften it immediately followed with a loud guffaw (nakki in Malayalam means sucker).

“So what do you do?” I asked the mandatory question. His answer startled me, in his accented Malayalam (that had strong hint of Tamil) he said “kaat adikunnu, mazha peyunnu, angne pokunnu” meaning “wind blows, it rains, going on”. Kakki may have never heard about haikus but what he spoke was poetry, also in a subtle way he was pointing to the absurdity of my query. Later though he did tell that he works as a casual labor in one the plantations.

Kakki stayed inside the forest, he invited me but to go there I needed permit from forest department, so I declined. He belonged to karumba tribe “the lowest of low in tribal community” he said. “So you also have hierarchy?” I asked. “Sure we learned” he laughed insane. When I took the camera to take his pic Kakki insisted that I need to tell before I clicked he wanted to give serious expression he said and made sure it came correctly!.

Psyche of World Bank and more…

Having gone through many sites about World Bank, there is definitely a benevolent side of WB, like for instance the impetus on saving tiger and so on. Also the idea is not entirely about siding exploitative corporate but actively justifying cruder nature of capitalism. And yes WB has consistently faulted on this and so benevolence looks cosmetic, worst a strategic to look good. After all who are the people who employ or exploit unskilled or semi skilled migrants?. These are what is referred to as unorganized labor who constitute 90% of labor force-they are exploited and live in inhuman conditions in big cities, but yes they play a very important role in “development” and eventually contribute towards GDP growth and other macro economic indicator. These give “healthy” condition of nation’s growth and make lots of armchair economists, ivory tower policy makers and also porcine species at stock exchange ecstatic. This I gather make unusually sensitive moneybags -referred to as foreign investors-particularly FII (not FDI) -enough courage to invest. They are the first one to scoot recall East Asian currency meltdown a decade back. So it seems we are here to give these nincompoops courage to invest!!. That seems to be the purpose of governments. And yes World Bank is very generous to guide us to this quaint world. Never mind majority go through harrowing time, the stress though is on eventual the “developments” is going to reach you, “trickle down” to you (like judgment day prophesy!). But UNDP report and other studies points to contrary and have pointed to a gap that is widening at an alarming rate not only at the societal level but also organizational level since 1990s. The ILO report last year titled Income inequalities in the age of financial globalization has this to say “As economies expanded, global employment rose by 30 per cent between the early 1990s and 2007 alongside a redistribution of income away from labor, with the share of wages in total national income (GDP) declining significantly”. The report noted that while some income inequality is useful in rewarding effort, talent and innovation, huge differences can be counter-productive and damaging for most economies, adding that “rising income inequality represents a danger to the social fabric”. The gap in income inequality is also widening between top executives and the average employee, with the chief executive officers of the 15 largest companies in the United States, for example, earning 520 times more than the average worker in 2007, up from 360 times more in 2003 noted the report. And the crude nature of capitalism has seen to it that these are celebrated as merit!!. In a poor country like India when these issues are taken up TRP driven orangutans are asked to go hysterical.

It is very clear that Capitalism as is being practiced is increasingly threatening equitable, inclusive progress as also environmental sustainability. Let’s understand absence of violence is not peace. Collective violence from impoverished sections happen when they seem to have lost all other options, it is much worst than basic necessities it is about dwindling means to survive. As is the case of climate issues the sufferers are not really the perpetrators but poorest and marginalized pay for indulgence of few. Same is the case of “development” few get richer and other pay heavy price. Even though the economic crisis was significantly influenced by porcine species at Wall Street but funnily they don’t pay for it, the poorest and vulnerable pay for what is the mistake of greedy moneybags. That is what this system done to us. It is no longer funny.

An instance on how World Bank concocts nonsense

Dubious nature of World Bank (WB) functioning is an open secret, many of their policy suggestion have played havoc on poorer and vulnerable societies. Allegations of WB working for corporate interests (specifically American) at the expense of local population around the world are not unfounded we have many examples of it. Infact it wouldn’t be wrong to say that they function to further these. The ridiculous nature of their suggestions can be understood from the following instance. The World Development Report 2009 brought out by WB has found National Rural Employment Guarantee (NREGA) a “policy barrier hurting economic development and poverty alleviation”. Try beating that one!!. While most people in this country are celebrating these stupendous policies and millions have benefited- the opportunity to earn in dignified manner, nice people at WB have started to wag for the masters. WB says this policy creates “barriers to internal mobility” and quite amazingly comes out with the unbelievable concoction that “lifting people out of poverty requires shifting populations from villages to cities”. It’s common knowledge that poor people get further marginalized when they land up in big cities and easily fall prey to exploitations, poor migrants go through hell. Brilliant people at WB though think otherwise and have this advice “negative attitudes held by government and ignorance of the benefits of population mobility has caused migration to be overlooked as a force in economic development”. Incredible!!. Truly incredible. Actually what they are saying is “goddamn @&@**##@ how are we going to get cheap labor now, what will we do without the exploitable people?. Geez that is less @%@#@$profit”.

NREGA is targeted at poorest and mostly unskilled and semi skilled labors in rural India and has helped them avoid hunger and distress migration. The need of the hour is to strengthen schemes like NREGA and reduce corruption prevalent in the scheme (RTI has been a help). It is also the time to question the role of international institutions like World Bank. The above picture is that of presiding deity at World Bank.

Needed a paradigm shift in understanding Development

If Market is to define development, if GDP is to define progress then disparities will be the result, violence a plausible outcome. The gap between GDP and HDI is a harrowing tale of negligence. The difference between the two is the difference between progress that is seen and progress that is real. GDP is a cosmetic indicator and has short term benefits the reason why market economists and politicians get excited about it. If majority of Indians eke out their lives in pittance, and are vulnerable and malnourished then there is something seriously wrong with the system. Yes there has been lots of progress in last few decades but it seemed to have been mostly accrued by certain section. The lack of distributive justice has seen that progress has led to majority section getting increasingly vulnerable while a small section getting increasingly opulent. They call it merit, quite clearly merit as defined by market lacks competence. Merit here hinges on crude nature of competition and so what we get is justification of crasser world. Subjectivity of reality is insisted to get the vulgar in. In this quaint world TRP driven orangutans (read market media) are expected to be watch dogs. Some kind of joke this one. How do you expect people to be sensitive or empathetic in such a crude system, by its very nature these subtlelities lack any usefulness. The intricate nature of different societies and surroundings are sought to be bludgeoned by a system that lacks any element of egalitarianism. The goodness of profit as defining nature of human aspiration or relations is a limited understanding. Is it this that they are trying to globalize?. Is this globalization?.

If it is then people will react and so do nature. When nature degrades and cannot take it any more it becomes violent, the issues related to global warming are culmination of a process that started with lopsided understanding of progress. Similarly when people react then societies become violent. When disparities are acute they organize and retaliate, it is a sign that democracies have failed. This also is a culmination of lopsided nature of development that fails to reach majority (despite the best intentions. India incidentally is one of the most corrupt countries in the world. That includes corporate corruption).

This blogger doesn’t support violent means adopted by some sections of Naxals (or Maoists) and sincerely hopes perpetrators of heinous acts are brought to justice (and yes Mister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya should learn to keep his arrogant mouth shut. He cannot “teach lessons” to Naxals or Maoists, he can only deal with them. Our man is at it again he is only spoiling it further as he has done earlier). There is a need for space for civilized intercourse, clearly the disparities fueled by crudeness of market has reached a point of no return unless the system rectifies it. Also mineral rich land belongs to the people who occupy it and they should have the right to sell it or should be given the share of the companies that sort to exploit these (ever wonder why mineral rich regions are the poorest and exploited?. And not coincidentally all the naxal/maoist activities are in this region. Clearly things have gone seriously wrong). Better would be a corpus fund dedicated to their basic needs initiated development and not exploiters understanding of development (read market). And yes it should be in millions if not billions. Tribals and Dalits have been pushed around for too long, this time it not going to be easy. If the same understanding of development that is around for sometime is sort to be imposed then the reactions are going to be severe.

This blogger wonders how corporates get raw materials at relatively cheaper rates wherein the inhabitants loose their habitat, livelihood and everything that is precious. This is also posited as sacrifice for bigger cause. (Really so they know what sacrifice means!!. I thought it was taboo word). Anyway why is only one section asked to perform these, it’s been happening for ages here. Time to stop is now. This blogger has had a hand on experience not only at NBA (wide range of articles-particularly by Arundhati Roy and Gail Omvedt were helpful as also many discussions on Development during those walks was enlightening…on the lighter side we guys got bottle of Mahua and don’t recall much after that!!!) but also when I went all around the country tracking the exploitative products (Coca Cola and Pepsi). How is that they get these natural resources (and electricity in the name of investment) so cheap when people’s livelihood and surroundings are threatened?.

Soldiers share secrets

Soldiers share secrets

Soldiers in the abandoned graves
on the battlefield
didn’t say I killed you
you killed me.
We won, they lost.

It is their last tears, rotting bodies
discarded memories
and orphaned hopes
that spoke
in overgrown shrubs and its furious wildflowers.

(the above pic taken from the Net. This blogger doesn’t think wars or violence will end. It’s been there since life began. Civilized ways of problem solving is what makes humans unique, through non violence- discussions, fairness, containment etc. Despite this violence will always be a constant presence. This blogger finds it difficult to speak against Obama in Afghanistan. As said earlier people at highest decision making position face huge challenges and risks and the kind of options Obama has chosen is path breaking in its intent and historicity. There is a significant shift. It’s the mean and not the end, indeed end is a process. This blogger like millions of people in this world find Obama an admirable and inspirational figure. This poem is my dedications. War is always a last option, the people who die are ordinary people caught in wrong place)

Putting the prize on hope

We are living in very exciting times, the Nobel peace Prize to Obama is a testimony to it. It is recognition to history and intent. When people at highest decision (geez my problem today is that I took almost 5minutes to find the correct spelling of decision!. This one can be really be frustrating but thankfully Wordfile does provide alternatives. Frankly how can c sound like s?) making position have the right intent that itself is significant. Unlike common people, people in significant position can make serious impact. It is really not achievement but path shown. This is very much true of Gandhiji if you look at it Non Violence as a means was not very successful and Indian subcontinent did see the worst form of violence in his life time wherein he was very much part of the people who influenced these situations. But despite these his commitment towards Non Violence as means for conflict resolution was steadfast and does remain a potent alternative in volatile times we live in. Obama though will have to find a balance between being a leader of a powerful nation that impact the human beings and this planet and increasingly desperate domestic problems and yes average American can be amazingly insular and collectively selfish, I guess that is what market can do to societies.

I have started to realize that American society is very different, although the pointers may seem like elitist from Indian or poorer country context but that may not be always be true. American society is very much influenced by visual media so even the President may have to spend some time (I still am very skeptic), further it is a mono lingual society. In American context it is seen as trying to reach the common people but in Indian context this is travesty, in particularly when Union Ministers takes time to express ‘exclusively’ in TVchannels (It need be seen as wasteful expenditure, for a nation of billion people an union minister need value his/her time). During the Memorial of Michael Jackson which this blogger happen to watch, a basketball player (Johnson?!) talks about his association and even mentions how Jackson ignored his chef and shared KFC chicken. Now that was a kind of a revelation for this blogger, in most developing countries likes of KFC or McDonald is symbol of crass consumerism/market imperialism but in America fast food is for common people, it places itself as anti-elite. So much of contrast!!. Therefore when Obama goes out for a bite, in American context it is connecting with common people but in Indian context very much elitist. So when these are taken out of context to countries like India it is seen as triumph of consumerism. The reason why market media here tends to get excited about Obama…no not about NPT.

In here special occasion is generally celebrated at home with focus very much on making variety of dishes and being together. In America they go out and spend (this blogger also understands that West really don’t have much culinary variety-basically meat & bake based, or that in poorer society richer dishes are reserved for occasions). Obama may never know this but the cunning market media in poor societies (specifically a country placed at 138 on HDI but very much hyped on GDP, I sincerely hope the French come with new development index at the earliest) is using him to promote consumer culture and to validate their extravagant lifestyle. He may not know but in here he is already brand Obama!!.

This blogger wishes everyone an exciting festival season and also requests to spend less and yes simple sweets can be prepared at home or hygienic shops near you avoid corporatized celebrations. And yes if you are buying some product check its usefulness and do a survey, don't get carried away by small time actors, cricketers and others who shamelessly peddle product (incidentally they are paid millions for few lines, this in a country where 80% people earn around 20Rs a day. Now that is merit i guess). Brand building and connecting to consumer seems to be based on cheating, it is stinking. In this context this blogger would love to watch Micheal Moore's Capitalism: A love story. I am sure it will make lots of sense as his other documentaries have.

Excerpts of the speech by Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed at UN meet recently

"The threats posed to the Maldives from climate change are well-known. Every beach every house lost to storm surges, every reef lost to the increasingly warm waters, every job lost as fish stocks dwindle, and every life lost to more frequent extreme weather events will make it harder and harder to govern the country until a point is reached when we must consider abandoning our homeland. I therefore call on you, the leaders of the world, to protect the future of front-line countries like the Maldives by reaching an ambitious and effective agreement at December's UNFCCC conference in Copenhagen which seeks to limit average global temperature increases to less than 1.5 degrees centigrade above pre-industrial levels. To do otherwise would be to sign the death warrant for the 300,000 Maldivians.

But, the Maldives is determined to do what we can to survive. We are going to be the first country to go carbon-neutral in 10 years time, in order to do that, we are determined to formulate a survival-kit, a carbon-neutral manual that would enable others to replicate in order that all of us together might just about save ourselves from climate catastrophe. As part of our efforts to achieve a unified voice, I will be inviting some of the most vulnerable states affected by climate change to the Maldives. We hope that this November summit will reinforce our determination to leave no stone unturned to ensure our survival".

Another poem !!

Beginning

Under me the earth
explodes a million times
magma restrained in a primal rhythm
pulsates life
eons and eternal.

The flitting butterfly
a moment in time
ascents the sky
to catch the sun.

(the above poem is dedicated to Christopher Okigbo, one of the greatest African poet. Also visit my bird blog from the link for more on Okigbo)

Tragedies waiting to happen…

Many tourist places have lakes and when there is lake there is boating and when there is boating there is tragedies waiting to happen. This a scene from one of the tourist place, this boat is carrying 30odd children/adolescents with no adult supervision (except maybe the solitary rover) nor any life jackets. So why do they do it?. Well it is called maximizing profit!!

Hey it’s great to hear about Rio de Janeiro as the venue of 2016 Olympics. This blogger didn’t give any chance to Tokyo or Chicago (US already had an Olympics recently!). So the million dollar question is when will it happen in India?!!. I guess they could start building an Olympic city now itself. A town on the border of Andhra-Karnataka or Pune-Kolhapur region wouldn’t be a bad idea.

A poem (with changes) !!

When a VIP die

The news clip said

he was an important man

did lot for people.

The procession was witnessed by millions

they raised slogans of him being eternal.

He was cremated on sandalwood pyre.

When an anonymous man

was crushed by unruly vehicle

on the busy street.

There was no mass grief

There were no processions.

Funeral was at banks of muck water

next to the garbage bins

attended by hungry dogs.

Or maybe he was dumped into unmarked grave

like other unclaimed bodies

and left to decay.

Not many missed him.

But yes that night

the vagrant cat was puzzled not being fed.

It showed its displeasure

and wandered into the dark.

(thought of adding these lines but later decided against…

Maybe we should become VIP

O the joy of

burning on the sandalwood pyre.)

PS. the changes were thought few days back, but i was on tour-in silence is the better word, was not into Net nor any news. Just now came to know about boat tragedy in Thekkady. This blogger has been to the lake many times frankly the conditions are not that bad but rules are not followed nor are the tourists treated properly

When Macaulay’s bastards come home to roost

Shashi Tharoor is one of the better known English writers, he is now Union Minister. I have read many of his books (some of them well written one need say), most of his interviews and articles follow the pattern of selling India to the world: the thali analogy is repeated so often that it nauseates. His book “The great Indian novel” was probably my first few English contemporary fiction (it was those heady days when I had taken the decision of committing myself to reading, someone handed this book). I could understand the book since Mahabharata is one story I knew very well and Indian history I had studied, thus I could finish the book. I enjoyed it though, one guy whom I tried to tell about the book was appalled he thought it was insulting Hindus by twisting the story, he believed it was in a very bad taste. I somehow wasn’t convinced, years later as I understand these people there is a realization that maybe the guy was right. This section that thinks and interact in English live in a different world that I find difficult to understand, a world that seems cocooned in trappings of exploitative past. It is the world that is vacated by the colonial masters. The realization is startling. It may sound simplistic but is generally true. They have acquired the skill of commenting and judging about common people but living their life is a quite a different proposition. It is the world they like feeling good about but find difficulty in associating. Frankly they cannot really relate, the reason why keeping the distance is critical. The ego also makes others/nature look servile or existing for one’s comfort (He won the election because he contested on congress ticket, frankly anyone could have won, CPM infighting and kerala two party system).

In this cocooned world the lexicon used tends to demean majority of common people, their tribulations are part of the humor. It is no surprising that “cattle class” although funny for some is not at all humorous for millions of people eking out their living in horrible condition, when used by a union minister is shocking. Ever wondered why these words when used in English is not considered offensive but when translated becomes derogatory. The same reason why slumdogs, underdogs …works well in elite section (I never came across the word corporate dog. Am I surprised?!. The possibility of these words in English language is remote, it was a language of a country that was once referred to as land of shopkeepers. And even if these enter English language I don’t think it will be considered funny). Yes this blogger has travelled many times in “cattle class” no not in any aircrafts (how many do that?!!!) but in buses and trains, it is worst than cattles to be frank but to be made fun of by a Union Minister is appallingly insensitive. He can blame his English I guess. Our man need be careful he is a Union Minister and not TV chatterati or in some drawing room talk. Given a chance this blogger would love to travel in luxury but will find it difficult to make fun of millions of people’s existential predicaments.

English media (a very insignificant influence one need say) though is trying to make a martyr out of him. It is understandable, it is their bastard. It is their reality, they have to protect and yes try making it into common Indian reality. I absolutely don’t understand “holy cow”, if its an Indian joke then why is that such reference are not found in Indian languages!!. It is the legacy of colonial scoundrels. They try demeaning everything that was “native” (of course exception are there and yes they wont be using these insensitive references). Macaulay was guru on these matters. The exotic Indian stuff that these English minded section expertise in, also works wonders with western, equally pretentious crowd, who are exasperated trying to understand this complex country.

Years later the bastards have some home to roost. But presto now these demeaning references has secular context, so if you make fun of majority people’s faith and tribulations chances are you could be secularist. In a market driven world the elite find these justifying themselves, reasons its excesses. In this wonderful world the steps are easy: create controversy, try dividing people and be in the news, particularly when it seems the person concerned really doesn’t have much to do.

This blogger doesn’t find anything wrong in the way people spent money, it is their choice. If Shashi Tharoor is a millionaire then he can live in five star hotels rest of his life. The question however is of propriety as Union Minister of a country like India a little bit of sensitivity is no big deal to begin with we can also talk about his competence later. I found that his total asset is 15crore, he made his money is the argument. But if he staying in a hotel that charges 1 lakh per day (that makes it 100 lakh in hundred days, that is 1crore!!), one wonders how is he balancing it?. Or is the corporate or other influential people taking care of his expense. That is corruption as I know. I read somewhere that he having worked in UN is quite used to these luxuries. Is this how UN functions?????. I am shocked; incidentally how much this 5star organization been effective in recent times is a question worth asking.

Last but not the least the English media is also celebrating the fact he has about 1lakh followers in tweeter, for a union minister of more than one billion nation that is the joke (in case anyone is trying to locate where the joke is). Thankfully media decide nothing much, unlike America where even the war is fought for TV audience. I read somewhere white house is costliest TV studio!!.

PS. This piece written few weeks back, thought of putting once the issue is done with. These days I don’t find it necessary to take up issues as it happens unless of course it is serious. Tharoor is someone I admired few years back, unfortunately he turned out to be manipulative small timer with big ego. Or in all probability he has too many trash people around who are trying to exaggerate him (it mostly backfires) but whatever the metamorphosis is shocking. It must be the effect of misplaced euphoria, juvenile premise market creates, you got to play dumb to be noticed (and yes lower the dignity of the office to match), it’s about connecting with dimwits!!. And yes if he keeps up with it then you can expect him to come out with many more nonsense very soon, talk about people becoming liability. Are we tweeting?!!

Two amazing poems on spider !!

These are two wonderful poems on spider that are my all time favorite, one of course is Emily Dickenson titled The spider is an Artist and the other by another of my favorite poet (who quite coincidently happens to be an American) Walt Whitman titled A noiseless patient spider. The pic above is taken from a garden near I stay.

The Spider as an Artist

The Spider as an Artist
Has never been employed --
Though his surpassing Merit
Is freely certified

By every Broom and Bridget
Throughout a Christian Land --
Neglected Son of Genius
I take thee by the Hand –

A noiseless patient spider

A noiseless, patient spider,
I mark'd, where, on a little promontory, it stood, isolated;
Mark'd how, to explore the vacant, vast surrounding,
It launch'd forth filament, filament, filament, out of itself;
Ever unreeling them--ever tirelessly speeding them.

And you, O my Soul, where you stand,
Surrounded, surrounded, in measureless oceans of space,
Ceaselessly musing, venturing, throwing,--seeking the spheres, to
connect them;
Till the bridge you will need, be form'd--till the ductile anchor
hold;
Till the gossamer thread you fling, catch somewhere, O my Soul.

What amazing poems!!