Dispelling some Myths - 1

We, Indians, tend to fools ourselves by beliving ardently in certain myths. It is time to shatter some of these myths, if we want to progress.

Myth # 1 - We are a democracy

Are we really? True, we have elections once in 5 years, but more often than not the choice is between tweedle dee and tweedle dum, both nominated by autocratic leaders. Does any of the parties have a democratic set up? Do they conduct elections of their office bearers or are they nominated by someone in Delhi? How are the candidates selected by the parties for a constituency? Ever heard of a thing called primary, which is common in US and UK, where card holding party members of a constituency vote for the candidate of their choice, who will fight the elections? And who gets elected? A guy who gets 35% of the votes polled, which itself is 60% of the total voters (meaning the winning candidate gets 19.8% of the total votes!!). This means the guy who is elected as MP or MLA has been rejected by 80% of the electorate!!! And we call this guy a 'representative'? Why can't we have a system where we have candidates elected by each party based on primaries, then have a first round of polling, and then allow the top 2 contenders to have a face off in second round, with a minimum 51% of the total votes polled mandatory for election?

The myth of us being a democracy doesnt end there. What happens in Parliament and Assemblies are nothing short of a national disgrace. Hardly any debate takes place, governance is done through ordinances, as no one is bothered about their primary duty, law making. Even a simple thing like a vote of confidence to prove the majority of the government cannot be held with dignity!

Then there are the cases of failed Loksabha candidates entering the parliament through the backdoor - Rajyasabha, by giving fake addresses. Our third longest serving prime minister, Manmohan Singh, has headed the Government for 9 years WITHOUT WINNING EVEN A MUNICIPAL ELECTION!! And then we have our current Finance Minister whose election was rigged and the courts have not found it fit to pass a judgement for the past 3 years, and he has taken decisions that affect millions without a proper mandate. Both A K Anthony and the till recent trouble shooter of the Government, Pranab Mukherjee are/were both not members of the Lok Sabha. And to cap it all, the real decisions are taken by Sonia Gandhi and her cocus who have no statutory rights whatsoever.

And how many States have conducted local body elections and have working gram panchayats? Your guess is as good as mine.

We are not a participative democracy. We need to rechristen ourselves as a Fully Autocratic Limited Democracy

We are not independent!!!!

Another Independence Day has come and gone!

While it is admirable that we are a politically free country (at least from foreign powers - well with the exception of the Italian lady), it is a moot point whether we are independent in the spheres that ought to be.

Economically, our policies are not independent of the Western powers, whose lackeys in the Government and the Bureaucracy has ensured our policy framework being allowed to be dictated by failing Western Countries like US and the Eurozone. Instead of dictating terms to these failed states, as China does, and asking them to open their economy to our products and services, we fall head over heels to oblige them, as the flawed nuclear deal, FDI in retail, FII liberalization shows. We search for the non-existant Western FDI, while the Indian Businessmen are busy investing the Capital appreciated in India, all over the World, except in India.

We are not independent from the political and dynastical tyranny of a few self proclaimed elite. Scams after scams have shown UPA government to be brazenly and shamelessly corrupt, but we citizens are impotent. Inflation has been very high for years now, but when have we seen a mass protest against this? Gone are the days when people took to the street in lakhs. Now, all you see is 10 people marching, and that too for the cameras. I remember waiting for hours to cross the road in Palakkad in 1980s, when a political jadha (procession) takes place, as it was not in order to break a jadha.

Our Police is not independent any more. They have lost all their credibility. CBI is a lap dog of the powers that be. Less said about the local police the better.Political interference and corruption has destroyed our police force forever.

Of late one suspects even the judiciary is not independent. How else could one explain the undue delays lasting decades that denies justice to the victims - Sikh riots, Bhopal Tragedy, Telecom Scam, Cases of the high and mighty (remember Sanjay Dutts, Salman Khans and scores of other cases which are yet to see the light of the day) .............. the list is endless.

We are not independent to acquire the knowledge that we seek. Our textbooks are highly concocted to suit a particular ideology. Studies about our ancient culture is scoffed at. Intellectual debates at the educational institutions are stiffled. I read recently that the Quit India movement of 1942 was a colossal failure!!! This is backed by solid data and research. But we were taught all these years that we got independence because of its success.

We are not independent from our diffident and apathetic attitude as a nation. We dont have pride in what we do. We dont feel the pain a young kid feels when Sushil Kumar lost his Gold medal bout in the recent olympics. He wanted India to win one gold at least and shut himself up in a room crying when he lost. The adults were like...............well, at least we got a Silver!!!

We are not independent from poverty. We are not independent from ignorance. We are not independent from corruption. We are not independent from the 'chalta hai' attitude. We are not independent from the 'it is like that only' shrug off.

It is only when we gain independence of our thought process, start questioning, and provide solutions that we can celebrate our independence day with a proud heart.

Till then we are confined to the sham Independence Day celebrations like the one in Red Fort where only highly vetted and sanitized people attend an hour of the most pathetic speech by the most ineffective Prime Minister of India, who does not even have the courage to walk with ordinary people without security cover.

Well, even he is not independent!!!

Watching Olympics always gives me immense pleasure. I was crazy enough to travel 48 hours in 1984 from Palghat to New Delhi to watch Olympics on TV!!! And my father was equally crazy to send me all the way to satisfy the whim of a sports crazy boy.

The very sight of World Class athletes, their joy and sorrow, their grit and determination is inspiring. Sometimes the learnings from it is carried forward to life. This is true of many other sports. I wrote a post on thinking from a different perspective 4 years back. I reproduce some excerpts,

It was cricket that taught me to think unconventionally to start with. Being a reasonably active player in the Age group tournaments, I was a permanent fixture in the summer coaching camps.

As batsmen, we were always told to look out for where the fielders are positioned to avoid hitting the ball in the air to them. Then one day our regular coach had a bereavement in the family and he was replaced by a new young coach who was considered to be a bit of a maverick. He scrapped the regular net session and replaced it with matches every day. While I was waiting for my turn to bat, he came sat with me and said, "Raja, try this out. When you go out to bat, don't look at where the fielders are, but concentrate on where the GAPS are. Since you are so obsessed with fielders, you tend to subconsciously hit straight to them. Think only gaps". Even as a youngster, despite my upbringing, I always had a rebel streak in me and was (and is) game to any scatter brained ideas. I went out, fixed in my mind only the gaps and the runs flowed. Anything and everything I stroked that day pierced the field beautifully. Score 1 for lateral thinking.

The next instance came in an inter zonal match. The pitch was turning square and the spinners were turning the ball a mile and beating the bat my the same margin. It was all 'oohs and aahs' but we just didn't pick any wickets as the ball was beating everything and the spinners, eyes lit at the sight of a square turner, putting more vicious spin into each ball. We came in for lunch and were quite animated. The coach didn't say anything at first. When we were about to go out, he said, "don't spin the ball, use your arm balls and top spinners more. success in a spinning track lies in not spinning the ball." I was leading the team. In the middle, I called my left arm spinner and leg spinner for a chat and asked them to try out the coach's advice for at least 4 overs. I changed the field accordingly. The slip was straightened, the short leg move a little squarer and left the mid wicket open. My spinners carried out the coach's advice superbly, they mixed up the odd turning ball with a majority of straighter ones and bamboozled the batsmen who were playing for the turn. We took the last 8 wickets in 41 balls after lunch for next to nothing. Score 2 for out of the box thinking.

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The most critical thing in football is off the ball running and positioning, not the actual ball play. Always analyse the teams from this angle.

Back to cricket. The dictum in spin bowling is that "spin is in the air and break is off the wicket". The spin is all about how much revolutions you can give to a ball in the air. The more the better as it will allow the ball to drift and dip, bite the wicket and then turn(break). Good spinners always beat the batsmen in the air, not off the wicket.

I was amazed at another wonderful analysis in the TV this Olympics. I had just watch Usain Bolt, the Jamaican, virtually decimate his opponents in the 100 m Sprint Final, and win by a good margin - a rarity in 100 m event which finishes in less than 10s ( 9.63s was the winning time this time around). Heck! he got at least 2 strides lead in less than the time it takes to count upto 10!!!. I have seen some great sprinters in my time - Ben Johnson, Carl Lewis, Michael Johnson etc...........But Bolt is something amazing.

But what was revealing was Carl Lewis's analysis of the sprint. While everyone was talking about how Bolt accelarated towards the end, Carl Lewis refuted the stand and said that 'in 100 m, sprinters actually decelerate towards the finishing line, and it is actually the sprinter who decelerates slower than others who wins'. Take that for a different perspective

Shifting of power

The politicians are scared of the Anna Hazare Movement.

It is not because they fear the proposed Lokpal will put an end to their corruption. With no reforms in the judiciary or police in the vicinity, and with our justice system and police totally impotent in getting conviction for the guilty in anything less than 20 years, the politicians need not have any fear of cooling their heels for a stretch of time.

If you dont believe me, just have a look at some of the high profile cases. A Raja is out on bail and his case has not even come to trial, and is not likely to for the next 3 years. Ditto for Kanimozhi. The Election malpractice case against P Chidambaram is not likely to be sorted out before the next elections. By the time P Chidambaram would have already taken many important decisions as Home Minister and as Finance Minister in the future, affecting our lives, when he has no right to do so. How about the Adrash housing society case or for that matter the open and shut case against Suresh Kalmadi, who virtually looted India as head of the Organizing Committee for the Commonwealth Games. And someone like Sheila Dikshit is not even being booked, and she is as guilty as Kalmadi. Has Lallu been convicted on the fodder scam or Rajiv Gandhi on Bofors? And less said about Sonia, Rahul, Robert Vadra, Sharad Pawar, Yeduyuriappa, Jayalalitha, Mayawathi, Mulayam et al the better.

As I said, the politicians are not worried about a fall in their 'real income' or about them being convicted.

But they are worried about the balance of power shifting to the people. The Right to Information Act has already caused much heartburn amongst the powers that be. RTI activists have really used it to bring many shady dealings to light, and the people feel more empowered. But possessing information of a misdeed or corruption is one thing, and getting people punished for it is another.

This is where Lokpal comes in. If it is really implemented, the power will shift dramatically to the people. The politicians over the years have formed a nice club, where the motto is 'you scratch my back and I will scratch yours'. Though some token cases are taken against political opponents, care is taken that the investigating agencies botch up the investigation to such an extend that, the only purpose of these cases is to use them as a weapon of blackmail against political opponents in times of need, and nothing more.

But a powerful Lokpal will change all that. The politician-crooked businessmen nexus will be broken and many reputations will take a beating. The aura created by the politicians as some one who is regal and above the poor man will be shattered, and once it is shattered, the fear and awe the common man will have for the politicians will be gone for ever, resulting in a powershift, which the politicians dont want to happen.

Hence their concerted effort to thwart the Anna moment.

Anbu Thollai!!

One of the things I miss in Gulf is the hospitality of the simple rural folk of India. Maybe because I have never been out of the Capital City of Muscat, I have not had a chance to experience the hospitality of the rural Omanis. But one thing I can say is that the hospitality of the fellow Indians in Gulf is miserable. Everything is artificial. One feels unwanted when one visits another apartment of a fellow Indian.

Years ago, when I was a Sales Officer in Coimbatore in early 1990s, I had a travelling job, overseeing the performance of Gas Stations (Petrol Pumps) in Coimbatore and the rural area surrounding it. The hospitality of Coimbatore people is legendary. They get offended if you dont drink the coffee offered, and they stuff you to the hilt if given a chance. Since I visit at least 5-7 Petrol pumps every day, and 4-5 Industrial customers, I had to drink innumerable number of coffees every day, spoiling my appettite. If I refuse the Coffee and the snacks, the dealer is hurt and takes it as a personal affront. When I confided this to a friend of mine, he gave me, what he thought, was a brilliant idea. He advised me to tell the dealers that I am under homeo treatment, and as such has to avoid Coffee and Tea. I put this into practice, without realising what this will lead to. All the dealers were pained to hear I was under treatment, but they just had to make me drink something. Coimbatore-Pollachi-Udumalpet belt is famous for Tender Coconuts. The speciality of the Pollachi tender coconut (which used to cost Rs 2 those days) was that they were HUGE. Each tender coconut containted at least 3 full glasses of tender coconut water. Imagine drinking 8-9 like this every day. I just couldnt refuse this offer as tender coconut is ideal for homeo patients!!!!. Since mine was a travelling job, I had to stop the car every 20 minutes to take a leak, like a dog will do!!! After 3 months of this 'anbu thollai' ( loosely translated 'nuisance love'), I suddenly announced that I was cured fully, and as such could now drink coffee and tea. But the loving dealers will have none of it!! They used to advise me to avoid coffee and tea, and stick to tender coconut, a much healthier drink. I still fondly remember the love and affection of the Coimbatore dealers who pumped me with tender coconut water 20 years ago!

Much earlier than this, when I was a young kid, I used to go with my father, who as in charge of rural electrification. And we did really to to some remote nook and corner of Palghat district. Late 1970s and early 80s, Pepsi and Coke were unheard of. Even Gold Spot, Thumps Up or Limca were available in District Head Quarters. The luxury drink in the rural areas was the 'Colour'. This was offered to only VVIPs, as it cost them 30 ps , as against a soda that cost 15 ps. This was nothing but aerated sweetnened colour water (Well!! this is what Coke and Pepsi is, isnt it?), filled in a 'goli soda bottle'. God only knows what were the ingredients of it. But you had to feel the love in the voice of the poor villager when he sends an errand boy to get 'Sir and his son Colour'!. And he and the other villagers would swell in pride when they see us drink it!!

Where has that life gone?

Changing World Structure and an unchanging India

The last two decades have seen the death of 'isms'.

Communism died with the fall of the Berlin Wall and the advent of perestroika in the USSR. The Capitalists rejoiced with the hope of creating a Global Capitalist Economy. Globalization, Privatization and Liberalization were rammed down the throat of the Developing Countries by the so called Developed Countries, who gloated at the prospect of controlling the global economy and living on the fruits of the cheap labour in the 3rd world countries. The Developed Capitalist Countries thought they had deep pockets, and their financial clout shall give them the controlling power over the rest of the world.

Lehman Brothers changed all that. The Sub-prime crisis and ensuing financial meltdown, showed the Capitalist Countries for what they are - countries full of hot air balloon, living on borrowed money and spending way beyond their means. All it requires to destroy a hot air balloon is one prick with a needle. The Lehman Brothers was the prick that destroyed the Capitalism for ever.

High Debt, negative Balance of Payments, rising unemployment, increase immigration, falling standards of living, no core competencies - these are the hallmarks of the Capitalist Countries now.

Greed and insensitiveness of the powers that be destroyed Communism. Greed and insensitiveness of the Bankers and politicians destroyed Capitalism.

The Developed Countries are going back to nationalism, protectionism. US has announced a series of initiatives to spur local entrepreneurship. France is looking inwards. As do many of the Eurozone countries. Even the GCC countries are going in for a purge of expat population by increasing local recruitment.

In this scenario, perhaps the only country that cares a fig for the nationals and their well being is India, under the current Government. We are still talking of FDI, FII, Nuclear Deal, opening up the Economy, killing local entrepreneurship through high interest rates and red tapism. Instead of chasing FDI, all the Government had to do is reduce the flight of capital. In 70s and 80s, we were worried about the flight of intellectual capital. Now, our industrialists are investing everywhere in the world, except India. And we dont do anything about it.

The foreign media yesterday called Manmohan Singh the poodle of Sonia Gandhi. At least the poodles do no harm and are adorable. The same cannot be said of MMS.

It is two weeks since MMS took over the Finance Ministry and asked us to liberate our animal spirit. Only problem is he didnt mention which animal. Perhaps guinnea pigs or white rats, who allow themselves to be used as experimental speciman by the rich scientists? In any case, MMS  hasnt shown any leadership during the two weeks he is at the helm of the Finance Ministry. Is it a clear indication that the mess is much bigger than it is? I guess so.

Globalization - Dealth Kneww

Globalization, as a concept, lasted barely 2 decades. It was an imperative for the strong Western Economies to cover up their weakness - rising wages and higher cost of production. Riding on the ability of their financial institutions misplaced ability to offer them unlimited credit, which was used by consumers and corporates for spending indiscriminately, pushing up the consumption and cost of goods/services, the West saw an opportunity in exploiting the cheap labour in 3rd World Countries as an alternative to get away from their high wages production scenario.

By pumping in FDI and FII, they thought they could control all the 3rd world countries through their financial might, forgetting that they were slowly getting into a debt trap themselves. The financial clout of the West was akin to a Ponzi scheme. It was bound to break down one day. And it did during the Global Financial melt down of 2008.

The West thought that their core competencies were in the areas of Finance and Intellectual superiority that led to them having a critical edge in the area of technological innovation, which they used to sell to the third world at a premium.

But the 3rd world, and mainly the emerging economies, were street smart. They invested in technical education and with slick marketing shifted the focus away from long lasting technoligally superior products to short shelf life, functional products which did not require high technology R&D.  The positive balance of payments obtained through export earnings, and the shifting of the focus from high tech, ensured the West losing its edge in one stroke. And with their own unlimited credit availability at risk, due to the poor health of their financial system, the West has no place to hide.

So what is the future? West will continue to crumble as their foundations are weak. Will it mean the 3rd World countries will replace them. It is unlikely, as the consumption levels of 3rd world is very poor. There is a real fear that the 3rd world producing countries might end up with higher inventory due to poor offtake, damaging their economies.

What is required is some visionary to take the lead to improve consumption. India was ideally placed for that role. Unfortunately, typical of us, we have missed the bus, as in the past.