paradox paradigm

See YOU around!

2011-10-08T15:48:00.001+05:30

Hi,

Thanks for visiting my personal blog.I have moved on! This blog is now closed! It's been a while since I have posted anything here.

Please visit 'Omniverse: Social Media Redacted' for my latest ramblings on social media, media in India, communications, life, work and just about everything else under the sun! :)

Hope to see you around soon!

Cheers
Hemant M

Chaos theory: A tragicomedy

2009-01-08T08:50:00.003+05:30

Chaos Theory written by Anuvab Pal, who has previously written the play The President Is Coming and the movie Loins of Punjab Presents is difficult to categorize as a tragedy with moments of mirth or an all out comedy interspersed with sadness. In the playwright’s own words “As you watch Chaos Theory, depending on what constitutes you, you are either about to watch a tragedy with a splash of the comic or a roaring comedy with blocks of sadness”

The play is about the relationship between the lead characters that in spite of being probable soul mates never quite acknowledge their love and commit to being with each other.

It moves beautifully through different era’s and time frames traversing the life changes that the leads undergo from the heyday’s in Stephens Delhi to New York, the hallowed land of opportunity. The scene transitions are ably supported by the ensuing Audio-Visuals and foot tapping, ambient background score.

The experience of watching a play is enriched not only by a knowledgeable and receptive audience but mostly by the company you have during the hour and a half of its run time. I went with one of closest friends, who was initially enthusiastic about the whole affair but as I gave up the premise on our way to the theater she turned skeptical.

In physics, “chaos theory states that two particles can exist into infinity, surrounding each other without actually ever connecting”, said Pal. “I wondered what it would be like if I took two particles and turned them into two people and made them spend a lifetime together without either of them ever committing to love.”

The silence that interjects noise in a conversation between two people says a lot more than what reams of words can convey. Interplay of thoughts and emotions that affect the mundane realities of life are exposed in those moments of silence.

We were silent after the play for a while, absorbing the context in which the events were staged at that NCPA exposition. We exchanged our views on what was said, heard and experienced.

I thought of the different people in our lives that could have qualified as being our chaotic alter egos. Past relationships, friends, colleagues, the list seemed endless, the possibilities unnerving. I shifted my gaze away from the limitless Arabian Sea in front of me towards her eyes. They seemed calm and questioning.

The leads are played by Zafar Karachiwala and Anahita Uberoi, who brilliantly bring the well authored characters to life. “The characters are two parts of the same mould, they complete each other and are meant for each other but just don’t ever come around to saying that to each other,” says Zafar. “The saddest moments are when they come closest to saying ‘I love you’ but never do.”

I thought of the different world’s we live in and the innumerable times those words have been uttered. The myriad meanings and sensibilities they convey every time. I am glad we didn’t wait for a lifetime to understand this.

Family matters – The da Cunhas: Masters of media [Link]

Pimp my PR

2008-11-05T10:10:00.001+05:30

Simple digital tactics which add that little extra ‘oomph’ to your traditional PR campaign

1) Disseminate press releases on free news wires

Free online press wires can prove to be a handy tool to reach out to target audiences. These distribution services offer a simple solution to generate coverage online.

A brief registration process and few hours of wait is all it takes to publish your release directly on to these platforms. The wonder of push button publishing ensures that the process is relatively hassle-free and 99% confirmed.

Most free PR wires have a respectable web reach with updates searchable on Google, Blog searches, Yahoo and other search engines along with certain blogs and websites which mirror this content. Also it can be used to increase traffic to a website by search engine optimization (SEO).

Some of the popular PR wires are IndiaPRwire, 24-7 press release, PR.com, Sane PR, Newswire Today , etc.

2) Create SMS channels

Social networking has hopped, skipped, jumped and landed on to the dazzling mobile phone. Services such as SMS Gupshup and Google SMS Channels allow you to create a SMS stream catering to a specific topic, sector or company.

So by creating an ‘IPL updates’ group or channel open to subscription, one can forward messages to every constituency of stakeholders with a mobile phone like journalists, analysts, important influencers, etc.

For instance, a day before a major press conference one can just type in the details on the platform online and send it to the entire community which subscribes to the channel as an SMS. Most journalists would gladly be a part of such groups.

3) Video / Photo uploads

This is the often repeated, much abused advice that any social media user will offer in order to increase brand awareness – “Upload your damn videos on YouTube!!”

Now the tricky part is to choose videos you want to put out there, in line with the corporate identity, open to scrutiny and acidic comments within a social eco system.

The same can be done on photo sharing websites such as Flickr, Picasa, etc.

4) Share documents

A journalist or an analyst will forever be indebted if you took up the job of managing client documents for him/ her.

Online document sharing platforms such as DocStoc, SlideShare, Scribd, etc. can act as a repository of documents, a one stop shop for press releases, backgrounders, boiler plates, profiles, etc. for a corporate or individual.

Content sharing is many times done on the corporate website itself, but web 2.0 platforms provide the added advantage of a community and a social network for user comments, feedback.

5) Cross promote links by e-mails

Most conversations which amount to an activity between an urban PR professional and a journalist or an analyst takes place through e-mail. Attaching a client dossier to every email will not only overload the journalist’s mailbox but also, and most importantly, irritate him or maybe hurt his much cherished ego.

So instead of a heavy file, paste a link to documents, pictures and videos from any of the above platforms so that they can be accessed from any location and without much load on the mailbox. This ensures that the endless wait due to limited bandwidth or document size is evaded.

These are just the basic steps that one can take to added a bit of digital pizzazz to traditional PR practices. The digital medium is limitless and the possibilities endless. The only real barrier is initiative…

Like, stuff and thing

2008-10-03T14:44:00.005+05:30

Corporate communication on new media platforms must transcend the ‘blah’ and transform to the ‘quirky and incoherent’.

If every alternate phrase that you speak is not interjected with either of the above three words, namely, ‘like’ stuff’ or ‘thing’ you may find the following a little difficult to digest. For the rest, it’s show time!

This is not a comment on the vocabulary skills, or the lack thereof, of the Indian cosmopolitan youth who is touted to be the future leader and more importantly an active participant in the economically fundamental process of currency flow. Namely, he or she will be the future decision maker, the new consumer which makes this entity an important stakeholder.

The drudgery of going through 15 years of higher education and a B-school or a finishing school after that chips away at the very instinct that craves to exclaim ‘awesome dude’ at a job well done. These foot soldiers enter the corporate world with the pressure to suppress every impulse to talk in their erstwhile lingo and adopt a somewhat uncomfortable formal tone which is mostly and at times rightly rewarded with a pat on the back.

This is indeed a necessity, if you wish to be taken seriously in the corporate world. But with time, the habit of parroting taught speech pattern has left an entire corporate level clueless as to how to communicate with the audiences engaged in virtual markets that communicate, buy, sell and create products and ideas on new media platforms.

Every communications professional worth his salt knows the importance of adapting to new lingo and cultures to get their message across. In public relations, this skill becomes even more crucial as our bread and butter and the all too vital umpteen mugs of industrial strength filter coffee depend on it.

Amidst the corporate cauldron of formal conversations you are most likely to run into a paunchy jovial guy in mid 40s, cracking dirty jokes and discussing the latest version of Halo on Xbox with fresh recruits in their early 20s. While the rest of us wonder what makes him click with the ‘cool’ crowd, the young ones already have a ‘rock star’ to worship.

Social media platforms have changed the face of influencers in our globalized economy. Ideas are not restricted to geographies, markets are no longer a physical universe and paper is no longer the currency. In this space, conversation and relationships are the new forms of currency.

A blogger may not respond to a formal pitch note which says ‘…please publish this after due consideration…Thanking you in anticipation…’ and as such. Instead, try leaving relevant comments on his blog posts and telling him that his blog is ‘way too cool’. Engage him on a social networking site (say Facebook) about his likes, dislikes and interests. You may find that he is much more receptive about the idea of receiving your company updates and eventually writing about it on his blog.

‘Social media marketing’ or ‘conversational marketing’ is about interacting with your target audiences. The key is to make every conversation personal and at the same time relevant to a mass audience. It is necessary to immerse oneself in the community, be an active participant and then expect acceptance of your thoughts and views.

Adapting online cultures, assimilating oneself in its evolving ecosystem provides that valuable insight which lends to the communication structure best suited for the environment.

Be warned, that every individual is different and a single solution cannot be used as a yard stick for all digital communications queries. Think on your feet, innovate and be creative in your replies and posts. Importantly, be unhesitating, persistent and relevant.

So for a lot of us who spent a lot of time blogging, commenting on fellow blogger’s posts, hopping from an Orkut to a Facebook to a twitter and generally whiled time on digital and social media platforms that came to be collectively known as Web 2.0, there is still hope! The rest need to catch up.

Connect with me at:
E-mail ID: hemant.morajkar@adfactorspr.com
Gmail ID: hemantmorajkar@gmail.com , G-chat ID: HemantM
Twitter: www.twitter.com/HemantM
Blog: http://diffused-thought.blogspot.com

Social media relevance poll

2008-09-19T16:36:00.001+05:30

Take the poll below to determine the response to social media and digital PR in branding for Indian corporates:

Guerrilla PR

2008-08-27T14:24:00.002+05:30

A form of ‘guerrilla warfare’ against big budgets and larger brands, ‘guerrilla PR’ is an effective tool to combat peer group branding activities.

The concept of guerrilla advertising and guerrilla marketing has been around for a while now. The practice essentially comprises of targeting specific focus groups through a controlled effort by initiating spurts of high intensity campaigns sporadically keeping in mind the industry scenario and peer group activities.

The result in terms of brand association and end-customer engagement has been encouraging. This is music to the marketers in a sluggish economy that a broader impact can be achieved with a minimal budget!

We see examples of this on business pages everyday where a small banner of a capital market listed company is placed in the centre of the article which talks about biggest stock gainers of the day with associated tag line ‘Biggest gainers choose …’

Contextually placing ads to leverage content for a brand is a common practice in the digital space. Google along with many Social Networking Sites (SNS) have monetized their business and made a fortune by offering user profiles and activity details which help in placing contextually relevant advertisements.

Public relations thrives on user connect and third party endorsement which makes the maxim ‘influencing the influencers’ a functional necessity. In PR target audiences and media based on client brief are defined at the strategy and planning stage.

Niche audience targeting is a more specific and precise science than the general ‘spray and pray’ method generally practiced. Can traditional PR practitioners develop messages and campaigns which can be leveraged at key moments in a company’s business cycle keeping in mind the organizations environment and arrive at a viable business proposition viable to the company?

Here, social media can be a handy tool to conduct sporadic campaigns which are targeted specifically and engineered towards maximum consumer engagement. Brand building and sustenance of perception through consumer engagement has become a flatter process for organizations as they can initiate contact with a consumer directly rather than relying on an influencer to carry forward their messages.

A form of ‘guerrilla warfare’ against big budgets and larger brands, ‘guerrilla PR’ is an effective tool to combat peer group branding activities.

The nature of the medium aids in implementing simple, tactical digital media practices to leverage a brand for a short-term and long-term, as well. For instance, during crisis when a negative link to a company appears on the first search page on Google, a new positive release is disseminated online to bury the link in older pages. This is just indicative of the broader possibility and is already practiced by many traditional PR firms.

Guerrilla PR can bring about a sweeping change in traditionally accepted PR practices and redefine the communications business. In times of an economic slowdown where advertising and PR budgets are taking a hit across the board, can the business offer customized solutions which are cost-effective and help the company to achieve its branding goals.

The change is just around the corner. Are we there yet?

As newsprint prices undergo steep rise, is digital the final solution

2008-08-22T11:38:00.000+05:30

Business Standard has carried a story today which says that due to rising newsprint prices leading publication houses are deferring their new edition launch plans and increasing their advertising rates.

Newsprint prices have risen by 50% over the past 6 months which mirrors the global scenario of the print sector. Until now, India was an anomaly to the global trend of decreasing newspaper circulation and ad rates. India, a booming media market, with market projection predicting bullish trends for the next two quarters may undergo revision.

Indian Newspaper Society (INS) has asked its members to reduce its newsprint usage by 20%. This downward trend puts a serious question mark over the proposed plans of many mainstream publication houses in India, as the report suggest.

It has been long suggested that the newspaper in its current form will soon be extinct and be replaced by other digital mediums like mobile, internet, digital kiosks and tablets, etc. This may be an early sign.

Technological innovation has changed the media business time and again. As Marshal McLuhan famously proclaimed, ‘medium is the message’.

Social media, the much abused yet little understood term, may be the next big wave to define the way we imbibe and consume information. This virtual congregation of masses to connect and share thoughts, ideas with each other will perforce necessitate that news dissemination also undergoes a change to cater to these new media audiences.

With these changes inevitable, the business of engaging with the media will also change. This is where specialized new media practitioners will enable entities to engage with a tome of dynamic, coagulating yet disintegrated mass.

The writing is on the wall, it is time we start preparing.

Continuing the debate: Todd Defren says...

2008-08-21T11:57:00.002+05:30

I was reading Brain Solis’s Essential Guide to Social Media this morning where he emphasizes the need of being immersed in a social community to be accepted and become a part of it. Only this would eventually lead to a sustainable relationship.

To further the observer and user debate, Todd Defren posts that those who are using social media tools to monitor brands, influencers and conversations (in that order because for most that is the priority hierarchy) must be empowered.

I agree with this view, even though deliverables in social media can be measured effectively, is widely considered an ‘all fart no shit’ exercise. So the need is to find that connect with consumers, the end-users, which is must more often than not due to decision levels and dependency which delay the process of engaging.

But you can take it further, into the realm of “Actionable Listening.” The difference here is that the folks doing the listening/responding are empowered to effect change within their organization, on customers’ behalf.

Read on: Actionable listening vs. active listening

Brain Solis, Todd Defren

Social media divide: User versus observer

2008-08-08T14:08:00.002+05:30

In the ever expanding social media space, there is an inevitable chicken and egg question? Do you need to be a social media user to devise online brand strategies or would suffice being an online media observer?

Public Relations practitioners in the traditional media space need not be active participants. Most PR firms are keen to have ex-journalists on their roll, as they have the real world knowledge of actual practices in media. It is easier for an ex-journo to conjure all possible story ideas and sector updates which could be carried in news during lean news days. Also, a media relations as a function becomes relatively easy as most of them share a level of camaraderie and bonhomie with the media.

But, this is not the case with most PR professionals. They are merely observers or at best consumers of mass media with no active involvement in the process of creating content or the real world experience of working in a media firm or a publication house.

New media professionals can merely observe and implement brand strategies by imbibing dispersed knowledge across the web. But is it necessary for them to be active participants and users of web 2.0 tools?

Being an interactive medium, it is relatively easier to be involved with a broad spectrum of platforms and tools in social media space. So, PR persons can acclimatize to the new world order by engaging their audiences themselves.
Also, being a part of the community would help in greater acceptance amongst peer group, communities and potential influencers making PR component an extension of the online persona.

One is clued into new technologies and emerging avenues of message dissemination by being in the know rather than merely accept redundant tools which are no longer effective.

The benefits of being an active participant rather than merely being an observer are obvious. At the same time it is very simple to be a poser in new digital space as the general discourse is easily available.

What defines the two is quality. This will differentiate the posers and pseudo practitioners from the real users and knowledge experts who are clued in. The quality will determine the eventual pay out and survival of the lot.

Big Pharma f*ck-ups

2008-07-28T10:06:00.001+05:30

Amidst the chaos caused by serial bomb blats in Bangalore and Ahmedabad over the weekend along with the continuing onslaught of torrential rains in Mumbai, the lead story in Mint today completes the trinity of morose news here in India.

The headline reads ‘India fails to report drug side effects’ with the following summary - No adverse reactions to any drugs reported from 2005-07; govt concedes drug makers aren’t reporting either.

This may not come as a shock to those tracking the Indian Pharma story beyond the high profile deals and the ‘immense growth potential’ which most media and analyst reports harp about.

With a severe talent crunch affecting the so called booming Indian Pharma industry, knowledgeable gatekeepers of good policy are few and far between. The Indian judiciary system and policy makers must be credited with the fact that they have held up the independent nature of Indian Pharma Co’s at crucial junctures (the Glivec patent challenge is a case in point).

But, the fact remains that we have not invested enough in resources or infrastructure to ensure that all drug manufacturers adhere to what is known as ‘Good Clinical Practices’ in industry parlance.

India might be the most lucrative opportunity that overzealous Big Pharma is orgasmic about due to its huge population which makes it a thriving petri-dish of a multitude of diseases. To conduct clinical trials in this geographic constituency is the most lucrative business option that Pharma companies have.

But, isn’t it a reason more so for the governing bodies to protect its citizens from the most obvious harm. What we are talking about here is merely a side-effect to drugs not being categorically reported and documented. Such adverse reactions are believed to be the fourth largest cause of mortality and morbidity globally and that simple act, as the report suggest, could aid in saving millions of lives.

‘Drugs typically throw up newer side effects than were known during clinical trials once they begin to be administered across large groups of patients. Collecting this data is crucial for patient safety as well as fine-tuning medical research.’

It’s time that the DCGI takes cognizance of this fact and adequate measures, processes are put in place to correct such a gross oversight.

Mint article link

The purpose of fragmented opinion

2008-07-22T18:29:00.003+05:30

Voices in MSM (Main Stream Media) seem to rise in unison on issues which may be acceptable to a social dynamic.

Various opinions surface on blogs, which may be nebulous in their understanding, but within those limitations dare to transcend beyond convention. A bastion of rebellion, or so it may be perceived, descends into opinions which may not be purposefully relayed in the mainstream space.

Hunter Thompson famously said, “There is not enough room for dissenting voices…” May be this medium can offer that elusive outlet for a thought which may change the world.

P.S. Small post, think at will

Thought for the day

2008-07-08T14:19:00.001+05:30

There is nothing more tragic than the silent demise of a dream

Thought for the day

2008-06-30T18:09:00.001+05:30

'In a developing free market economy, an intellectual is someone who prefers Camembert along with his scones and freshly brewed coffee even if he can't make rent.'

Urban Wars: Revenge of the cockroach

2008-05-31T14:07:00.002+05:30

With growing economic independence, the urban landscape is being continually altered. This leads to an interesting subset of micro issues that add to the idiosyncrasies of living in a chaotic city.

Urban warriors awaken at the crack of dawn, preparing themselves for the struggle that lies ahead. They step forward with steely resolve to survive another day. The blue sky above bears witness to this haloed battleground where each individual is left to fend for oneself. Darwin is redeemed everyday as in this battle only the fittest survive.

The sound of rubber grinding away at asphalt brings a new found hope to this bemused tribe. The open road provides enough traction for the common chariot to halt at a mild signal by the lone trooper, which is commonly agreed upon to be an indication of shared camaraderie.

But alas, the trooper is left waiting, staring into the horizon, longing for another chance. The sight of white smoke rings glowing at a distance bring with it new possibilities.

Travel travails

In Mumbai, an average person travels at least for one and a half hour using a broad spectrum of transport options to earn a livelihood. This dramatic scene fairly describes the plight of the urban trooper who is dependent on a rickshaw to get to his next mode of transport.

The local trains are bestowed upon with the title of being the ‘spine’ or ‘lifeline’ of Mumbai and with good reason. The monstrous metal organism spews millions of rodents on to the streets of this congested city. Lugging them from far flung places and scattering the load in all directions.

The humble bus service run by the BEST is the backbone of road based public transport in the city. But, it is the auto rickshaw which is witnessing a new resurgence and wielding enough clout to leave a person stranded and perplexed.

The auto rickshaw known by its many names like ‘auto’, ‘tuk-tuk’ or just simply ‘rick’ is anointed with a very apt title by the urban dweller, ‘cockroach’. Like the roach, the auto is unruly, ugly to look at, spews grotesque waste and has an uncanny ability to survive even the most devastating swats inflicted upon it.

They are everywhere, infesting roads, taunting the bystander with their yellow and black hideous exterior. Unlike the majestic taxi, which has come to blend into the fabric of the city, the rickshaw sticks out like a sore thumb.

It is relatively easy to romanticize about a cab ride on a rainy South Bombay day, across the washed, splendid streets and overlooked upon by beautiful facades of age old structures. It is equally difficult to withstand the rickshaw. The taxi is the loved daughter while the rickshaw is a bastard child.

The roach strikes back

With economic confidence comes the aspiration of a better, comfortable and seemingly seamless life. The new converts benefiting from their interactions with the market perceive the rickshaw to be a symbol of this initial upgrade in lifestyle. The contention is that we haven’t arrived yet, but sure are on the way!

This is wherein, lies the rub. Disposable income has made such ‘comforts’ seem mandatory for better living. Of course, you are better with your own car, but if not, this is the next best thing. It is the Indian middle-class’s noble chariot.

Even though riding in these three-wheeled cantankerous beasts is hardly a comfortable experience on pot holed riddled roads, a true rick addict will tell you that it beats traveling by the bus by a mile.

This results in those endless battles in peak hours for a rickshaw to get to work or jut to the railway station. The entire focus is to get the driver’s attention by any means possible. And you are left at the mercy of the rick guy to pick you!

In the last few months, I feel the situation has worsened. Hordes of angry workers during peak hours throng the streets of Bombay in search of this affordable and yet elusive mode of transport. The BEST buses on the route I travel are almost empty.

This ungainly sight of a mass of people trying to outwit each other with their different strategies to attract a rickshaw for themselves seems ridiculous, especially when witnessed from the window of an empty bus with lots of room to accommodate these tiresome troopers.

In an urban jungle personal space is a rare commodity. This may be one of the reasons that drive people to travel by a rickshaw, as opposed to a bus, so as to have his or her own personal space. Each pore on a body is aware of the existence of its counterpart on another while traveling en mass via public transport. The thronging masses seldom leave an individual alone.

Whatever may be the fate of the humble rickshaw in the coming times, its position in history is assured as the chariot of the middle class. It is the bastion of personal travel and enterprise, the symbol of an individual’s initiation towards economic prosperity.

As the cliché goes love them, hate them but you sure can’t ignore them.

Perpetual state of flux tends to equipoise social order

2008-05-31T02:08:00.001+05:30

Most of the polity is in a state of constant flux in a socially conscious robust evolving economy. The ensuing chaos may be the key to functional social order

Even as the unbridled romp of free market philosophies ravage through this vast wasteland, a new breed emerges which brings with it hope, faith, compassion and social consciousness. The select few who chose to abhor consumer instincts in a vibrant economy and want to do right by the less fortunate. Social justice must prevail is their vehement demand and pledge to fight relentlessly towards large moral goals.

Economic liberalization has not broken the spirit of the urban few who truly believe that social parity is of prime importance. Amidst increasing disparity there seems to be a new voice of compassion which attempts to uphold the core values of humanity.

But there is a huge gulf between the presumed utopia and ground realities. The stark contrast could not be more apparent and yet they say we are on a ‘sustainable growth path’ which will bring us prosperity and ‘economic freedom’ to every individual who walks this ‘haloed land’.

If the new conscious is emerging then why are these voices not being heard? Or is there a need to consider a more plausible possibility of those presumed voices being non-existent? Are we delusional and beginning to hear imaginary things?

Do we perceive what they want us to perceive? Are we content in not questioning the systems beyond a point which would make it uncomfortable for us to face the answers?

The newly disoriented enter this environ with naïve hope. The noises made are right. These may be inclusive of all reasoning that must be considered before making broad assumptions.

With economic opportunities on one hand and the will to contribute to socially relevant issues on the other, the choice is fairly an easier one. The ensuing conflict is difficult to navigate.

It is in this state of constant flux that most exist. The odd humane gesture that one may come across in this largely callous, individualistic society emanates from this Kapraesque complexity.

Those firmed up to either rhetorical consonants of thinking are vying for the triumph of their agenda. The disoriented merely swing from one side to the other, feeding the frenzy that ensues in this perennial battle of ideological supremacy. The accepted norms are interchanged along with the ever changing mind space. Distorted reality becomes the basis for future corrections rendering them inviable, non sustainable.

The crucial role this polity plays in defining the destiny of a society cannot be ignored. At the same time, the human race may benefit at large from this critical mass of populace in constant flux, as this would ensure enough space of constant systemic evolution.

So, those confined in this compounded state of confusion may revel as the newly disoriented will remain so until the paradigm of direction changes. The voices may not be heard but their existence is proven by the dynamic nature of the system.

This may not be Utopian, but it tends to a state of balanced governance and systemic social parity. In chaos, clarity reigns supreme.

Blank noise

2008-05-31T00:50:00.002+05:30

You can run but you can’t hide. They entice you to buy or sell something or go somewhere or just want you to know that they exist. They relentlessly pursue your last buck and even when they have it, it’s not enough. Then they want to give you their money for a while so you can go ahead and feed the system. They want their money back, of course, albeit with an interest.

It is not only the corporates or even a common advertiser that I am talking about. Also, the conversations which revolve around the same damn thing, the disturbingly stupid get who insists on testing his mobile phone ring tones in a miserably crowded train, the constant chatter about issues that nobody really gives a damn about and so on and so forth. I could go on, but I guess you get the point

The concept of individual space is completely lost in a city like Mumbai. Before you scream bourgeois elitist, let me tell you that I love the city and its crammed trains, just spare me from the incessant bullshit!

The constant messages to which a common person is subjected to are multiplying by the minute. Like a virus replicating till the entire space in infested with the disease.

The entire expanse is riddled with bullet holes on a clear canvas of lush green tress under the canopy of the bright blue sky.

We are to blame ourselves for it. The obsession to keep oneself entertained has reached its crescendo. It begins from television for all, a book for the discerning kind, an i-pod for the young yuppie, the internet for the socially challenged and last but certainly not the least a mobile phone for the perennially bored. The entire objective is to keep oneself occupied so as to stop the possibility of thought at its inception.

‘The century of self’ as Adam Curtis would put it, is truly evolving into a heightened social chaos promulgated at an individual level. And to a great extent it is all self-inflicted.

The natural environs are cluttered with hoardings, blaring noise, LCD screens, posters, a discourse on the public announcement system, advertisements on vehicles, blinding neon signs, etc. The shared commons are defaced by this irreverent abuse.

Who gave them the right to scar my landscape with such grotesque imagery meant purely to extract a premium for a service offered? I certainly didn’t! When did we as a society decide it was alright to put up blatant propaganda instead of conserving the scenic beauty which nature has to offer every living species on this planet?

This may not go down well with my ilk but am suffering from severe media fatigue. I don’t want to read another paper, watch television, surf the net, plug in to my i-pod or answer my phone.

Silence has become a rare commodity and so also natural, uncluttered scenery.

I delve deep into my soul and look up, only to realize that the world has changed and they call it evolution, progress, better living. You decide.

The President of India DR. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam 's Speech in Hyderabad . *

2008-05-29T16:36:00.003+05:30

Below is a reproduction of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam's speech meant for everyone here in India, who at one point or the other asked 'What has this country done for me'

Why is the media here so negative?Why are we in India so embarrassed to recognize our own strengths, our achievements? We are such a great nation. We have so many amazing success stories but we refuse to acknowledge them. Why?We are the first in milk production.We are number one in Remote sensing satellites.We are the second largest producer of wheat.We are the second largest producer of rice.Look at Dr. Sudarshan, he has transferred the tribal village into a self-sustaining, self-driving unit. There are millions of such achievements but our media is only obsessed in the bad news and failures and disasters.

I was in Tel Aviv once and I was reading the Israeli newspaper. It was the day after a lot of attacks and bombardments and deaths had taken place. The Hamas had struck. But the front page of the newspaper had the picture of a Jewish gentleman who in five years had transformed his desert into an orchid and a granary. It was this inspiring picture that everyone woke up to. The gory details of killings, bombardments, deaths, were inside in the newspaper, buried among other news.

In India we only read about death, sickness, terrorism, crime. Why are we so NEGATIVE? Another question: Why are we, as a nation so obsessed with foreign things? We want foreign T. Vs, we want foreign shirts. We want foreign technology.

Why this obsession with everything imported. Do we not realize that self-respect comes with self-reliance? I was in Hyderabad giving this lecture, when a 14 year old girl asked me for my autograph. I asked her what her goal in life is. She replied: I want to live in a developed India . For her, you and I will have to build this developed India. You must proclaim. India is not an under-developed nation; it is a highly developed nation. Do you have 10 minutes? Allow me to come back with a vengeance.

Got 10 minutes for your country? If yes, then read; otherwise, choice is yours.YOU say that our government is inefficient.YOU say that our laws are too old.YOU say that the municipality does not pick up the garbage.YOU say that the phones don't work, the railways are a joke,The airline is the worst in the world, mails never reach their destination.YOU say that our country has been fed to the dogs and is the absolute pits.

YOU say, say and say. What do YOU do about it?Take a person on his way to Singapore . Give him a name - YOURS. Give him a face - YOURS. YOU walk out of the airport and you are at your International best. In Singapore you don't throw cigarette butts on the roads or eat in the stores. YOU are as proud of their Underground links as they are. You pay $5 (approx. Rs. 200) to drive through Orchard Road (equivalent of Mahim Causeway or Pedder Road) between 5 PM and 8 PM. YOU come back to the parking lot to punch your parking ticket if you have over stayed in a restaurant or a shopping mall irrespective of your status identity... In Singapore you don't say anything, DO YOU? YOU wouldn't dare to eat in public during Ramadan, in Dubai.

YOU would not dare to go out without your head covered in Jeddah. YOU would not dare to buy an employee of the telephone exchange in London at 10 pounds (Rs.650) a month to, 'see to it that my STD and ISD calls are billed to someone else.'YOU would not dare to speed beyond 55 mph (88 km/h) in Washington and then tell the traffic cop,'Jaanta hai main kaun hoon (Do you know who I am?). I am so and so's son. Take your two bucks and get lost.' YOU wouldn't chuck an empty coconut shell anywhere other than the garbage pail on the beaches in Australia and New Zealand.Why don't YOU spit Paan on the streets of Tokyo? Why don't YOU use examination jockeys or buy fake certificates in Boston???

We are still talking of the same YOU. YOU who can respect and conform to a foreign system in other countries but cannot in your own. You who will throw papers and cigarettes on the road the moment you touch Indian ground. If you can be an involved and appreciative citizen in an alien country, why cannot you be the same here in India?

Once in an interview, the famous Ex-municipal commissioner of Bombay, Mr.Tinaikar , had a point to make. 'Rich people's dogs are walked on the streets to leave their affluent droppings all over the place,' he said. 'And then the same people turn around to criticize and blame the authorities for inefficiency and dirty pavements. What do they expect the officers to do? Go down with a broom every time their dog feels the pressure in his bowels?In America every dog owner has to clean up after his pet has done the job.Same in Japan .

Will the Indian citizen do that here?'

He's right. We go to the polls to choose a government and after that forfeit all responsibility.We sit back wanting to be pampered and expect the government to do everything for us whilst our contribution is totally negative. We expect the government to clean up but we are not going to stop chucking garbage all over the place nor are we going to stop to pick a up a stray piece of paper and throw it in the bin. We expect the railways to provide clean bathrooms but we are not going to learn the proper use of bathrooms.

We want Indian Airlines and Air India to provide the best of food and toiletries but we are not going to stop pilfering at the least opportunity.This applies even to the staff that is known not to pass on the service to the public. When it comes to burning social issues like those related to women, dowry, and girl child! And others, we make loud drawing room protestations and continue to do the reverse at home. Our excuse? 'It's the whole system which has to change, how will it matter if I alone forego my sons' rights to a dowry.' So who's going to change the system?What does a system consist of? Very conveniently for us it consists of our neighbors, other households, other cities, other communities and the government. But definitely not me and YOU.

When it comes to us actually making a positive contribution to the system we lock ourselves along with our families into a safe cocoon and look into the distance at countries far away and wait for a Mr.Clean to come along & work miracles for us with a majestic sweep of his hand or we leave the country and run away.Like lazy cowards hounded by our fears we run to America to bask in their glory and praise their system. When New York becomes insecure we run to England. When England experiences unemployment, we take the next flight out to the Gulf. When the Gulf is war struck, we demand to be rescued and brought home by the Indian government. Everybody is out to abuse and rape the country. Nobody thinks of feeding the system. Our conscience is mortgaged to money.

Dear Indians, The article is highly thought inductive, calls for a great deal of introspection and pricks one's conscience too.... I am echoing J. F. Kennedy’s words to his fellow Americans to relate to Indians.....

'ASK WHAT WE CAN DO FOR INDIA AND DO WHAT HAS TO BE DONE TO MAKE INDIA WHAT AMERICA AND OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES ARE TODAY'

Lets do what India needs from us.

Thank you,
Dr. Abdul Kalaam

Gems from the Train

2008-05-29T11:53:00.003+05:30

Somehow, the daily morning commute affects me more than the other trivialities i experience all day. It has such an impact either because its the first assault in the morning on my (somewhat)sleep refreshed brain or maybe because it is rather profound (only no one realises it except me of course). Anyways from this week onwards I plan to share these gems which I see, hear and experience, most mornings in the ladies first class compartment virar to churchgate, 1 and a half hour of uninterrupted cacophony and mindless laughter coupled with a few unmentionable things which will spoil the spirit of my blog so i choose to let them be.

I dont know if there ought to be a corresponding section on 'Travails in the Gents Compartment', but the ladies are hilarious in their own right. Call it naieveity, or pettiness, the bottomline is undivided entertainment if have ur funny bone in its right place...it cant help getting ticked. Tho tickled is a mild word to use in context if u can call being squashed till ur ribs interlock in a mass of heaving scrambling humanity ...bein tickled...well...good for u. In addition to being assailed with all kinds of perfumes, deos and talcum powders, gajras and assorted hair-oils, ur also bombarded with every variety of senseless humour and yes, also other banalities which make u cringe. Also unherd of beauty treatments and a healthy dose of gossip and snide comments, some sotto voce and some not so discreet. No sense is left unassaulted.

So here are some of my own experiences heard in real-time...recounted

Gems from the train:

I
Lady !: Aye, Sujata ur wearing black today!!!!
Sujata: Haan re…ur wearing white…
(laughter)
Lady !: We are black and white today. (Squeals of helpless laughter)
(I fail to see the humour in that)

II
Lady !: (To the lady in front of her) Take your hairs that side no..
Lady 2: (sweeping her hair onto one shoulder) Its not that big ok…
Lady !: But its still hurting me…
(Hairs??? Big hairs??? Hair capable of hurting ppl?????)

Inner sanctum

2008-05-26T22:11:00.002+05:30

The constant flow of thoughts in my conscious mind represents an existential paradox. The desire to detach from the external grows stronger with every shred of thought which necessitates one to align with it.

The conversations I have are my own. They are not required to be shared, deliberated, pondered upon, endure eventual judgment or require any justification. A world isolated from the vile realities that attempt to abrogate innate voices.

The chaotic influx of random thoughts compels an individual to make a choice which is immediate and correlates with the external environment. At this juncture, the irreverent chaos does not subside but is actively subdued into oblivion. A selective cognizance of reality leads to skewed perceptions forming notions which may not be truly rooted in the universal reality as opposed to an individuals contained reality.

The instinct for survival in a dynamic universe necessitates that such decisions are deliberated upon and consciously taken to surmount any given situation in the smallest amount of time. In totality, a layer of such choices define an individual’s course of existence. The summation of momentary choices is the life that we live.

The chaotic voices still exist and will continue to do so ad infinitum. Also, the circumstantial subjugation of these free, unfettered voices proves restrictive in terms of original thought. The scope of an individual to interact with oneself is restricted to determinate choices and mostly underscores a gross falsification of perceived commonality with the external environment.

The sequential ignorance of the inner sanctum leaves a void within, widening the space between an individual and the perceptions that one holds as a result of external influences. A dialogue with oneself is necessary to align the basic cognitive processes responsible for a balanced understanding of the internal and the external.

These conversations laced with unbridled truth and ample influences expunged from interactions with the environment are the sole witnesses of a cognitive function on progression. To abandon it for an obsession with conformity in order to circumvent situational demands may deter the long term thought process that every individual is capable of.

The sanctum sanctorum exists as a premise to converse with life. A poignant reminder of intellectual existence.

You Around

2008-05-22T16:40:00.003+05:30

My world is a better place
Because you are around
Somewhere in the future
Though you're making no sound

Brightening my sunshine
Stretching horizons so
Adding mellow lights to
Fading dusks and more

Youa are around and I can hear
Sounds of seas in their shells near
Velvet soft and passion bright
Adding lustre to every night

You are around and thoughts abound
Of sun-swept bluffs and bright blue bells
Of tumbles rough down snowy mounds
And rushing to ur waiting arms

You are around and sights abound
Of eyes at once light and deepest brown
Of ringing bells and white-washed towns
Of smiles always and just no frowns

You around and me with my feet
Planted firmly on God's own ground
Can feel my spirit soaring high
High up among the soaring clouds

Its a case of lost and found
With you around
I seem to have found
The beginning of a circle round.

Monkey see, monkey do: Death of an opinion

2008-05-19T17:06:00.003+05:30

The internet is in a state of frenzy. After the dust has settled down on the general euphoria surrounding ‘social media’ and the ‘blog’ revolution in India it is time to take stock of the situation at hand.

The blog is supposedly a tool to revolutionize thought, message dissemination and freedom of opinion. The panacea to unbridled thought, free expression at its ridiculous best!

But the irony is the fact that most bloggers, including some bastions of independent opinion, regurgitate the same repetitive fare dished out across the board. The concept of individuality which the haloed blog is supposed to uphold is drastically convoluted to function as a generic voice which reflects all other noise absorbed randomly.

The boon of technology is replication of data with a miniscule effort, somewhat like an organism which replicates its genes to form new characteristics. Individuality revels in this unique progression. Evolution ensures survival.

But, this very fact can become a sorry excuse to mirror someone else’s thoughts, concepts and ideas and pass them off as one’s own.

Original work, I feel, is quite an overrated commodity. Derivative work forms a major chunk of all new developments, thoughts that appear. These may seem sporadic and unrelated but the genesis of the same could be traced in a primitive form to a source. This hindrance of reaching the right source is what most bloggers bank on to reach deep into their pits and spew the most generic bile that one could muster on to their blinking pretentious screens.

I do not claim to be any different but yes, I do give due credit to the source.

The medium is at crossroads. Its evolution is largely dependent on the unbridled freedom that it has enjoyed till now. But, credibility has remained a contentious issue. Should we have some sort of gatekeepers to mind this space? Is regulation in the offing to make some sense of this chaotic environment? Or should the message never be controlled, let the ravaging romp of words, ideas continue to pierce through a cross section of cultures.

I am not quite sure whether aligning your self with a blog search, or a group or a creative commons license is the best approach for this medium. Aren’t we evolving through similar systems which exist in current MSM space?

The tendency of a human being to congregate, to form groups, to exchange ideas, to share thoughts and accept different perceptions lead to a more complex system whose dynamics could change the way we think. But, is it safe to assume that those aligned with certain groups or have some form of certification or validation from a more ‘experienced’ blogger is reason enough to tolerate mediocrity.

There are still many questions which plagues this space and its eventual resolution through exchange of opinions and consensus will significantly change the models of messaging and thought dissemination that exist. Nonetheless, the system will perforce lead a revolution that will redefine the ideas that threaten to stifle innovation and stagnates dynamic process.

Until then, there exists a void which gnaws at the very foundations of this medium.

On Mothers...comment by Shubha K

2008-05-19T14:11:00.000+05:30

The State of the World's Mothers report is there on the net. Have you read it? Perhaps not. I haven’t either. But I do know certain things.

While it is acknowledged that the (hated) Americans do have extraordinary talent to commercialise and commodify anything under the sun, we also need to acknowledge the horrendous hypocrisy that thrives in the name of `Indian culture.’ To give a simple example, it is quite common in India to blame the influence of `western materialistic culture’ for female foeticide and dowry deaths. Edward Luce in his highly acclaimed book `In Spite of the Gods’ points out with brutal clarity that neither problem exists in the west.
We all know that in India mothers of boys are treated differently from mothers of girls. Does that happen in the west?

A `culture’ that discriminates against the female of the species right from the time she is physically conceived, and continues with the injustice throughout her life: can it be logically expected to suddenly wake up one day and give to a mother due respect? No, we can only expect loud and shrill glorification of motherhood that is designed specifically to camouflage the inglorious truth.

Renowned journalist and author from Bangalore Amu Joseph in a scathing and well researched article in October 2005 highlighted the miserable plight of senior citizens in India, where the shrill hype about `respect for elders’ is unparalleled anywhere in the world. This article too is accessible on the net.

There have been plenty of news reports in the Marathi press about how people take their aged parents on a pilgrimage and abandon them there in the crowd. Old age homes are thriving in such pilgrimage centres, and a large majority of the residents do not wish to go back to their children.

Narayana Murthy of Infosys spoke some time back on `What Indians must learn from the west’. It is a sizzling eye-opener on how easily we turn a blind eye on our own shortcomings.

The speech is available here: http://www.indiainfoline.com/view/041002.html

Nobody denies that celebrating a Mother’s Day is nothing more than tokenism, sometimes grotesque. But if we wish to fight this trend, the least we can do is to take our blinkers off. It will be a good beginning.

Mothers

2008-05-16T14:20:00.001+05:30

According to the State of the World's Mothers report, brought out by an American humanitarian organisation Save the Children, India is ranked a dismal 66th among 71 less developed countries.
What should we do for mothers?

Celebrate Mother’s Day?
Which is yet another addition (like the World’s Mothers Report??) to the long list of marketing gimmicks brought out by the West to rape Indian culture of its origins and emotional sincerity.

The way Mother’s day has added one more to-do item in lists which we never bother to follow or fulfill; this report does it in a subtler way. India has traditionally been a land where mothers are second only to God. (Think Mother India, and think of your dad's answer the last time your mom tried to crib about her mom-in-law).

Probably the Italians give Indian men a fair competition, when it comes to being mama’s-boys, but Indian mothers have been right up there (or at least used to be) commanding a position of love and respect, and all surveys be damned.

I don’t think anybody in Rural India knows or cares about Mother’s day, but yes they do know and care about their mothers, thank you very much. So do the millions of middle-class and lower middle class families that dwell in our cities and metros, till now.

They are yet to join the rat-race, of city-dwelling, west-aping, wannabe yuppies and will soon take to purging their guilty consciences by the once-a-year ritual of a fancy restaurant (whose cutlery confuses mom) or maybe a movie in a multiplex (whose escalators probably make her nervous as hell) and consider their duties as adoring children done.

So instead of American Humanitarian Organizations telling us we rank dismally I think it is we who should look within us and wonder why. And this is exactly why. Don’t do anything for mothers, children, do something for yourselves. If you can.

News depresses me

2008-05-15T12:57:00.002+05:30

News depresses me. Its content is either a mind boggling array of every atrocity conceivable to God and humankind, or the most puerile, dumbed-down, recycled entertainment scum imaginable.

Picture this.....
Shutterbugs' delight: Hollywood actor Eva Longoria (left) arrives with actor and former Miss World Aishwarya Rai to the opening night ceremony and the premiere of the film Blindness at the 61st International film festival in Cannes.

Next to….this:
Terror group releases video of Jaipur blasts: After the serial blasts in Jaipur on Tuesday that killed 60 and injured hundred other people, several news channels have received a video footage through email from a little known terror group called Indian Mujahideen.

What sane person, in his right mind cares a rat’s ass where Aishwarya Rai is when hundreds of her countrymen and thousands of fellow human beings elsewhere are devastated, left with festering scars for the rest of their lives?

These people whose lives have been whacked out of oblivion in an instant, changed completely and irrevocably, will never be the same people they were before. This morning when I woke up my first thought was as frivolous as wondering if I will get a seat on the train today. That’s how fickle the human thought process is. But the point here is not how callous or unthinking people can be, nor is it to slam the media for being the puppets miming trifling news that they have turned into of late. Neither is emphasis laid on grabbing a spade and rushing off to China to dig-out the destitute.

I’ll come around to what the point actually is in a minute, but first:

To be fair to the media, any entertainment news per se has a degree of empty-headedness, an attribute easily transferred to us once we open the entertainment section. If only to scoff at the excesses of the rich or the narcissism of the famous, we do devour, with unfailing appetite the rehashed trivialities fed to us day after day. I often wonder, if others wonder at the news worthiness of this unconnected uselessness called celebrities. Facts about complete strangers who just happen to be slightly better-looking than you or me are so not news, are they?

In the same way as the devastations cause a few shaking heads and tut-tuts for a while, the trivialities succeed in rousing a smirk or two. Then it’s back to the complacent, chalta-hai, when-will-I-get-a-raise daily grind we all live in, live for and can’t live without. The thought here is not to revolutionize or reinvent our attitude, it is to pause and think. If only for the extent of time it takes to read this. Look to the east, those thousands of homeless, displaced, shattered people with flat noses and slanting eyes filled with an emotion; anger, despair, hopelessness, I don’t know…. Courtesy- God.

Closer home contemplate a people rooted in history as a proud, fearless race and an exotic barren tourist destination today, think of their ruined businesses, torn limbs and the tourist influx that has every chance of becoming barren in the real sense of the word….Courtesy- Man.

Cynical, ranting, venom-spewing naysayers like me say, there is so much pain in the world. And it is so easy to inflict more. And so little goodness, equally difficult to come by. While the governments point fingers, and the police blames terrorists, media has a field day the minute news breaks and doesn’t give a damn the next and we, the common people sit on the fence and twiddle our thumbs, let us think. Painful as it may be…and no I am not talking about the fence, let us think for someone other than ourselves. Chinese, Rajputs, whatever. Think.

And you know what; I gave up my seat in the train to a perfect stranger.

Random thoughts

2008-05-14T19:24:00.001+05:30

Misery can be a potent motivator. The struggle to cope and move beyond mundane realities of life decide the course which attempts to justify futile existence. Lost in melancholy can be profound and insightful at the same time. The resistance is from within, the external being irrelevant.

It is this constant battle with misery which circumvents the truth that precedes life itself. By the factors which determine reality the conflict overpowers factors which are rooted in sublime existence and unrelenting.

Obfuscation of presumed reality with simple truth becomes the sole nodal thought that provides a semblance of existence to morose inconsistencies that govern life.

The channels that separate the 'obvious' from the 'non obvious', 'truth' from 'untruth' are known yet unexplored, infinite and illusory.

Face It, We All Aren't Going to Become Vegetarians

2008-04-23T15:28:00.002+05:30

This is an interesting write up on the state on food security in Britain by George Monbiot. He argues that we need to take some urgent measures and as the header suggests explains the impracticality of the Utopian vegetarian dream! In your face PETA... I only kid, it's quite a informative read. Dig in..

Thanks for an interesting read Shubha!

Following is an excerpt from the same:

Never mind the economic crisis. Focus for a moment on a more urgent threat: the great food recession that is sweeping the world faster than the credit crunch.

You have probably seen the figures by now: The price of rice has risen by three-quarters in the past year, that of wheat by 130 percent. There are food crises in 37 countries. One hundred million people, according to the World Bank, could be pushed into deeper poverty by the high prices. But I'll bet you have missed the most telling statistic. At 2.1 billion tons, last year's global grain harvest broke all records. It beat the previous year's by almost 5 percent. The crisis, in other words, has begun before world food supplies are hit by climate change.

If hunger can strike now, what will happen if harvests decline?

There is plenty of food. It is just not reaching human stomachs. Of the 2.13 billion tons likely to be consumed this year, only 1.01 billion, according to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), will feed people.

Article link:

Click me

More by Monbiot

Food shortage may lead to GM acceptance

2008-04-22T12:59:00.001+05:30

This is with reference to a news article which appears in Mint today which informs that there may be a gradual acceptance of genetically modified (GM) food products as the scarcity reaches a flash point. The lead paragraph reads as follows:

Soaring food prices and global grain shortages are bringing new pressures on governments, food companies and consumers to relax their longstanding resistance to genetically engineered crops.

and concludes ...

With food riots in some countries focusing attention on how the world will feed itself, biotechnology proponents see their chance. They argue that while genetic engineering might have been deemed unnecessary when food was abundant, it will be essential to help the world cope with the demand for food and biofuels in the decades ahead.

The question to which most GM baiters do not have a logical response to is "If you are dying and there is no "non-contaminated" food left on earth will you consume GM food?"

The replies vary from 'obviously not' to 'it's obvious..i will'

Those who rally against the genetically engineered do have a point when they say that we just don't know enough yet, which is a position I agree with. But at the same time there are a millions of hungry mouths to feed with not enough food to go around. Even if there is plenty, it may not reach the poor due to its abysmally inflated pricing.

Traditional methods of farming may not have a sufficient answers to these problems.

The article suggests that Europeans, considered to be the most conservative on this issue, are also opening up to the prospect of using GM foods as cattle feed or even for human consumption.

The chairman of the European Parliament's agriculture committee, Neil Parish, said that as prices rise, Europeans "may be more realistic" about the issue of GM crops: "Their hearts may be on the left, but their pockets are on the right."

Well, the real concern here for me is that Agri-MNCs may use this ruse to promote and project GM foods as the panacea to food security and world hunger. An overrated solution which is not well understood can only lead to a hazardous, far - reaching consequences that may not be reversible in time to come.

The propaganda which will decidedly follow on this issue will be determinately one-sided. Splinters of which can be observed in the thinly veiled opinion pieces and analysis in the Indian media.

Although, the Indian policymakers have erred on the side of caution and taken very reserved measures in this direction, the temptation to align with a convenient option may prove to be too irresistible.

Article link:
Global grain shortage weakens opposition to engineered crops

Inching closer to a Big Brother State!

2008-04-22T10:01:00.001+05:30

The Indian government in all its enthusiasm is poised to set up a facility to monitor mobile calls . The reason given is probably National Security and what not! It does sound logical right! We fight the bad guys and we need to know what they are talking about. So lets give access to the most clandestine of Indian agencies and maintain records of conversations of common public to 'fight menace'.

This development is vaguely reminiscent of the US Patriot Act announced when the country was in a "state of war". But we here are more than happy to resign our civil liberties with a wink and a smile. I am sure that most of India will be comfortable with this arrangement as they would "see the necessity" of intensified surveillance!!

Anyways, a word of caution to all you perverts out there who live by the dial-a-mate numbers to get on with your suppressed, under lived sorry lives. A government babu may be passing his worthless time listening to your innocuous conversations and maintaining records of it!

I wonder which one's more pathetic. You decide!

Article link:

Government to set up centre to monitor mobile phone calls

Privatized insurance: Indian healthcare to follow US mess?

2008-04-22T09:21:00.001+05:30

The following article in Mint by C.H. Unnikrishnan is an indicator of Indian private insurers eager to get a piece of the virtually non-existent rural insurance market. The Indian financial services sector is booming and if experts are to be believed it is about 100 bn and poised to expand due to the depth in Indian market.

The trend although is expected and in-line with the fiscal policies adopted by India, it is also a matter of concern if the scenario in US is to be considered. The deplorable conditions of insurance in the US leave the common citizen at a loss and out of the health care loop. Micheal Moore's documentary Sicko is a fair indicator of the way things work in the capital market promoted unbridled health care and Insurance business.

Although state promoted general insurance is welcome for those who have been largely ignored by the opportunities in the market, there is a need to focus on the basic infrastructure and facilities for the masses. The state of medical facilities in India's rural areas, teeming with conditions which most of us take for granted, is at the very least pathetic.

I sincerely hope the the policy makers take full cognizance of he fact that they need to protect the masses and provide basic facilities to the people rather than toe the line and expand the so called 'market opportunities' for big businesses.

Article link:

Private insurers rush for a piece of rural pie

Sicko

Bernays’ rhetoric: Origins of modern PR industry

2008-04-16T19:31:00.005+05:30

Propaganda (1928)
Edward Bernays
86 pages
New York
Horace Liveright

Bernays’ rhetoric: Origins of modern PR industry

“…to know where you are going, you’ve got to know where you’re coming from…"
- Will Smith, in American sitcom Fresh Prince of Bel Air

Public relations as a system of regimented dissemination of ideas to the masses may have been practiced as far as the early Roman Empire, Egyptian pharaohs and the Indus valley emperors to inform its “subjects” of new developments with a view to achieve better governance.

The modern public relations industry is shaped by the philosophies and practices of noted American propagandists Ivy Lee, Chester Burger and Edward Bernays. Its roots can be traced to the “Committee on Public Information” or better known as the “Creel commission” set up by American President Woodrow Wilson to influence public opinion in order to garner their support for World War I. The learning’s from this largely successful campaign prompted Edward Bernays to apply the tools thus devised in aiding American corporates to communicate with their environment.

The book Propaganda (1928) followed Bernays’ seminal work Crystallizing public opinion and is largely considered to be the ‘bible’ of Public relations industry. Although the term ‘propaganda’ may have a negative connotation to it today, largely due to its association with the Nazi’s communication machinery during World War II, it was largely accepted as a term which best defined the concerted and deliberate act of regimenting mass opinion. By his own admission, Bernays’, a Jew himself, resented the fact that Goebbels used his books as a reference guide to engineer the murderous assault on Jews during the heyday of Nazi regime.

Its illustrious author was the nephew of the renowned psychoanalyst, Sigmund Freud, and was deeply influenced by his theories. Also, he was said to be highly influenced by the work of French philosopher Gustave Le Bon and Wilfred Trotter on crowd psychology. He perceived himself as a psychoanalyst to modern corporates who were bemused as to how they should interact with the public and its various stakeholders.

Bernays defined the profession of "counsel on public relations" as a "practicing social scientist" whose "competence is like that of the industrial engineer, the management engineer, or the investment counselor in their respective fields.

In this book, Bernays argues that the manipulation of public opinion was a necessary part of democracy.

The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. ...We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of.

His writings delve in what could be called as the initial steps towards the pillars of modern PR practice, namely media relations, identifying influencers, mapping the relevant media and utilizing the same for pre-determined results. He had a knack for what was later termed as ‘ballyhoo’ and implementing big ideas for his clients.

Bernays identified a vacuum in communication from big corporations to the masses and the need to “resolve conflict” inherent to the system due to the diverging interests and opinions in a society. His communication strategies were often a product of a deeper understanding of mass psychology and sociology which were successful due to the immediate ‘connect’ with issues that mattered to the publics.

His most successful, probably the most controversial campaign, was devised for the American Tobacco Company in the 1920s wherein he engineered a ‘March of the liberty brigade’ parade in Times Square, New York City which was meant to promote smoking amongst women who were projected as being liberated and free ‘Torches of freedom’. It is a notion which still prevails in certain societies. His attempts to undo his own work in the early 1960s earned him praise later on. He writes, "…had I known in 1928 what I know today I would have refused Hill's offer." referring to his client, American Tobacco Company.

Bernays’ detractors have often criticized him and the public relations industry thereafter, for abusing the knowledge he grasped for “ill doings” which harm rather than help the society. But, from the onset he perceived a need to protect the masses from their own limitations and the ‘manipulations of the masses’ as a prerequisite for a functional democracy.

It is evident from his great caveat which is reiterated by his pronouncement that a public relations counsel "must never accept a retainer or assume a position which puts his duty to the groups he represents above his duty to society."

The initial quote in this piece represents the far reaching effects of American media on the psyche of a Mumbai lad exposed to satellite television. An export of an entire culture which enjoys a significant mindshare in modern urban India, a feat achieved with the deeper understanding of human needs and values as understood, influenced by Bernays.

A study of history of modern mass communication and practices can not be complete without understanding Edward Bernays or his influence on modern PR techniques. The tools of PR may have evolved over the years along with the rapidly changing media landscape, but Bernays provides the elusive meaning, a rationalization in terms of philosophy and larger social perspective, which is the modern PR industry’s legacy inherited from him.

Catharsis: A day in the life of a PR executive

2008-03-29T23:14:00.002+05:30

The following is written in the early style of Gonzo which means at the very least, a half-assed attempt was made to channelize the ghost of HST. The below documented account is fictitious. Resemblance to any person living, dead or right wing is purely coincidental…well…maybe not…

And if you are wondering what Gonzo is or who HST is, don't bother

I sat there clutching my mouse with all the force that I could muster in my current miserable state. It turns out that original thought can be a tricky proposition especially when the client is hell bent on twisting your arm. It can be quite a strain on the sleeves!

I was frantically typing a press release on how the guy’s daughter lost her bicycle and it was miraculously found in the same place that it was left in the first place, which in his mind was a significant contribution to the nation’s GDP. Besides the irony of the fact that the above mentioned daughter couldn’t ride a bike or didn’t own one, the release had to be done in the next 10 minutes.

My mind started sweating precociously. “Hell…what do I do now?” I yelled across the room. I looked around for some solutions as my mind was in a jimmy state. I saw my colleagues face buried in the ethereal white screen.

He reminded me of the early tribes which sat around the fire hoping the light would never go out, but unfortunately, it always does. Also, his sheep skin cloak and grizzly claws were quite quaint. In spite of myself, I refused to judge. His cologne a repugnant truth that failed to subside, I ventured towards the beast with a stick in hand.

I had to tread cautiously. This animal was not to be messed with. Besides, his mating habits were not well documented as yet. I poked him with the stick to gauge the nature of his alacrity and rate of evasive reflex action. Both were non existent.

This was a safe territory. I identified him as per the standard ‘Do it yourself PR 101’ manual as the blinkered degenerate who would know what to do next as per procedure. My guide to all questions which posed a moral, ethical and professional dilemma was right there…or so I thought.

”Umm…its simple draft the release…” said he of the finger which drips with fresh nose cheese.

“But the daughter doesn’t even own the bike…” I retorted much violently. My cape fluttering in the wind as I stood on Moron Mountain with the vast expanse of derelict facades of grim conformity spread in front of me.

In my infinite wisdom I pronounced “Fuck you man …. Screw the Guy… I don’t think this is worth it…!”

I felt a tug on my super moron resistant cape and I heard Dog Wonder barking away in the distance. My sixth sense was tingling! I turned around precociously, with one hand firmly on my machete. There stood the biggest man I have seen like a shadow of a mountain. My heart started pounding…my pulse racing…I caught a glimpse of the lurking menace.

Phew…it was just Olga, the cleaning lady. I exhaled a sigh of relief.

“Oh bloody hell…!” I heard a scream. It was my fuckin’ boss with the fuckin’ Guy! And that was my fuckin’ scream!

“Hey what were you yelling boy” asked Q, The Boss.

It so transpired that Olga ‘the hairy cleaning lady with a heart of gold’, had managed to block my view with her broad brooding board body. My super hearing failed me again, may be I was just out of batteries.

As I contemplated the merits of Sony over Eveready, my face was smattered with a spray of spit. It was my boss looking at me gingerly and demanding an answer.

“Nothing Sire” I said, he insisted that we call him ‘Sire’.

”Boy, meet the Guy whose daughter has lost and found the bicycle and it has a huge impact on the nation’s GDP…” Said he of the big head and bouncing arms.

“But Sire…” I whimpered in unyielding defiance.

“Hey… if the guy says so it must be true…” thundered Q.

“Ok Sire.” I caved.

And as I turned around to do his bidding, it happened.

The Guy stepped on Olga’s unforgiving mop and slipped on the drenched floor. The sound of his back bone crunching in utter angst spread a chill through my spine. In that brief moment the Guy had broken his back. He lay there insipid and innocuous to the passing frantic blinkered degenerates.

There was the ray of sunshine which I hoped for, in that cluttered, claustrophobic room chilled with the AC’s unrelenting icy blast which put a smile on my face.

“Guy in Coma, Situation may worsen nation’s GDP”

I typed smiling a satisfied smile as the news blared over my station “Reliable Industries Limited Chief to launch Nation’s first thought trading stock exchange…And this is just in…On the eve of this momentous event his daughter seems to have misplaced her bicycle…”

Blink and a miss: Instinctively thinking

2008-01-30T19:34:00.001+05:30

Book review

Blink: The power of thinking without thinking
Malcolm Galdwell
277 pages
Little brown

Instinctively thinking!

An industry which thrives on split-second decisions Public Relations can be nerve wracking, especially when there is not enough information to make an informed choice and the time on hand is slipping by.

Blink: The power of thinking without thinking proposes a radical solution which is mind bobbling in its simplicity. Trust your instinct, is the message Malcolm Galdwell has for the reader who at the end of the last page is left grappling with the conundrum of how to start listening to his or her inner voice.

There is in all of our brains, Galdwell argues, a mighty backstage process, which works its will subconsciously. Through this process we have the capacity to sift huge amounts of information, blend data, isolate telling details and come to astonishingly rapid conclusions, even in the first two seconds of seeing something. '' 'Blink' is a book about those first two seconds,'' Galdwell writes.

Littered with anecdotes Blink takes you on a whirl-wind journey through a cross section of disciplines and human experiences that range from speed dating to evolved methodical study of human facial expressions.

There is the story of the psychologist John Gottman, who since the 1980's has worked with more than 3,000 married couples in a small room, his ''love lab,'' near the University of Washington. He videotapes them having a conversation. Reviewing just an hour's worth of each tape, Gottman has been able to predict with 95 percent accuracy whether that couple will be married 15 years later. If he watches only 15 minutes of tape, his success rate is about 90 percent. Scientists in his lab have determined they can usually predict whether a marriage will work after watching just three minutes of newlywed conversation.

Gottman believes that each relationship has a DNA, or an essential nature. It's possible to take a very thin slice of that relationship, grasp its fundamental pattern and make a decent prediction of its destiny.

''We are innately suspicious of this kind of rapid cognition,'' Galdwell observes. We assume that long, methodical investigation yields more reliable conclusions than a snap judgment. But in fact, ''decisions made very quickly can be every bit as good as decisions made cautiously and deliberately.''

Being academically inclined in the understanding the myriad mysteries of the brain, the book proposes a simple solution to a perceived complex problem. But, the author seems to be conflicted in his discourse on the subject as he chooses to err on the side of caution while suggesting that we implement the same in everyday life.

The radical positioning of rapid cognition as the ultimate answer to everyday decisions can be influenced by innate prejudices which grow with an individual functioning in a society, influenced by the prevalent perceptions. Racial or ethnic stereotypes and the manner with which most of us react to these perceptions illustrate the above.

We are constantly being ‘primed’ by education, media and other socio-cultural influencing to think and react in a particular way to people and situations. This can be unlearnt, is Galdwell’s contention, with purposeful effort so as to protect one’s instinct from being conned into habitual reactions.

In a dynamic field like public relations cultivating the art of recognizing and trusting the ‘gut instinct’ instead of getting caught up in the “Einstein” of a situation could cull the trauma of endlessly groping in the dark. But, the caveat lies in the practice of strict adherence of hierarchical structures and due process followed by an organization.

Therein lays the proverbial dilemma of contemporary organizational practices. Would a person empowered with Galdwell’s argument truly be able to unleash the potential of thin-slicing? Can a person who is expected to conform to the modalities of ‘internal process’ give in to the temptation of making choices on their own?

The book provides with a rare insight, which encourages one to what could be considered as one of the primary traits of survival. Also, tomes of literature exist on the counter theory of following the tried and tested path of research and statistical data to back a decision. Blink through its many illustrations cajoles us to step into mysteries of rapid cognition and synaptic urges that define the very crux of human existence. After all, if gut instinct is good enough for evolution, its might as well work in the modern corporate jungle.

Galdwell’s acclaimed earlier work Tipping point is considered amongst the purists to be far better, than his current effort. I have not read it. I had not heard about the ‘insightful’ Malcolm Galdwell before reading this book. Neither did any of my self-confessed “self-help” book addicts pursue me to go through this “life changing experience” as they would have described it.

I picked up Blink on the whim of an instinct. May be that’s a start!

Daily Blurt

2007-09-27T14:44:00.001+05:30

It's interesting how people find ways to make you feel like shit,
even when you are doing a far better job than them.

A fresh start...

2007-09-16T14:04:00.000+05:30

I am with AdfactorsPR , Mumbai, since about a month and a half now. I began my journey with Adfactors and Public Relations field exactly on the August 1, 2007.

I am a very unlikely candidate to take on the challenges in Public Relations. I say this because my interests and world-view is contrary to what is considered “ideal” for PR. I am a self confessed introvert, a voracious reader and very laid-back as an individual. I have read a bulk of Noam Chomsky’s work and feel ‘participatory economics’ can be a credible alternative to the prevalent socio-economic structures.

These tendencies can be considered as counter-productive in PR environs, as most of the crisis in Indian social scenarios emanate from individuals with liberal leanings. But, these ‘rabble-rousers’ have a relevant point, a perspective which benefits the larger interests of a society.

There are many schools of thought as to what constitutes the core of Public Relations. The perspective I can relate being in this profession to was put forth by Madan Bahal, MD, Adfactors, in a conversation with the new inductees in an orientation programme. The following is my understanding of it and one of the reasons why I am in PR.

In an emerging economy like India, post-liberalization, disparities amongst the constituents of society is increasing by the day. These essentially increase due to gaps in communication from top to bottom or vice versa. In this situation, where conflicts are on the rise, a PR professional acts as an ‘arbitrator’.

A PR professional in India, is an ombudsman, who assess the situation and facilitates a dialogue between the parties at discord. He brings the clashing interests to the talking table and ensures a holistic solution is thought of which is in the larger interest of the environment within which they exist.

The number of skill sets one is supposed to possess is mind-boggling. One is required to be a good conversationalist, a decent writer, a structured thinker, an impeccable researcher, an amateur sociologist, an all-round communicator with an overall understanding of emerging media trends and a lot more.

It is a demanding career option and it can be overwhelming at times. But, there are two very important qualities that are essential for a PR professional.

Firstly he or she must have immense amount of patience. PR functions in chronic chaos. Almost everyday you will find innumerable instances which are candidates for case studies to validate Murphy’s Laws! So one must have the patience to tread through the gallows and conquer the maelstrom. At the very least, it is a necessity to survive at work till the end of the day.

And secondly, a person must have a child like curiosity to delve into and understand the core areas of functioning within his professional universe and outside. Without knowledge the rest of the plan is redundant. In fact, to plan one requires relevant, precise and in-depth information. This is possible only if a person has unrelenting hunger for information and an open mind to understand it.

PR is a fertile breeding ground of stories, emanating from the basic core of human existence which I find intriguing and also disturbing at times. Like everything else in life, it is a very potent learning experience

Relevant links:

AdfactorsPR
Participatory economics
Noam Chomsky
My Blog

Disturbing pics on smoke packs to curb smoking!

2007-08-31T21:23:00.000+05:30

Continuing my tirade against a hypocritical Anti-smoking Bill proposed by Anbumani Randoss (see previous post)

The ultimate nanny state, good ol’ England, has gone a step further in messing with people’s minds.

The Telegraph Online publication headline reads:

‘Cigarette packets to display smoking diseases’

Alan Johnson, the Health Secretary, unveiled the move conceding that the written warning was loosing its impact.

By the end of next year, every cigarette packet must carry one of 15 stark images on the effects smoking can have on the human body.

One image shows a pair of healthy lungs next to diseased organs, with the warning: "Smoking causes fatal lung cancer."

Firstly, kudos to the English Minister, at least he had the cajones to raise the bar higher. Our bureaucrats were left yelping “Ji Mantijee’ helplessly as the invertebrate minister went ahead with his diabolical scheme of ‘doing nothing’ .Nothing substantial at the least.

Here’s an idea Anbu, why don’t you put your money where your mouth is and do something real, than merely harping about public health.

But, the real conundrum lies in the fact that he can do very little to make others quit smoking with his warnings and ‘danger’ signs. Even the distinguished gent (sic) from Britain may just prevent people, youngsters especially, from taking up smoking.

News flash messieurs, they know what’s wrong with smoking and that they are headed towards a bleak pus-filled-degenerating-lunged future and also bad breath to add the very least.

Smokers will quit when they want to quit. When they really really want it for themselves. Their reasons may be varied but that’s the general idea.

So quit preaching and leave the smoking masses alone to rot in their tobacco stench, till they want to rise above the smoke cloud and see the world around them.

Did some one say 1984?

Also see the really sick pictures in the link featured in the article linked above. It's a treat...

No cajones...Mr. Minister?

2007-08-21T19:26:00.000+05:30

A Bill seeking to provide for pictorial warning on tobacco products with the option of displaying skull and cross bones on their packets was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Monday.

In a mockery of "good intentions" Mr. Ramdoss makes it optional to display the dreaded 'skull n bones' which is a sign largely feared by the devil-in-disguise tobacco lobby.

To add insult to injury he says that the optional labeling is offered "taking into account the religious sentiments expressed by certain sections of society".

Come on Anbi have a heart or at least the balls to go all the way.

With your logic the "Danger" sign should also be made optional or allowed to be modified as per convenience. That will make the world a lot safer.

P.S. No offense to all you smokers out there. Just pointing out the obvious hypocrisy. I am sure none will be taken as it hardly matters. Right?

Link to the story

Harping about Harry

2007-07-18T15:39:00.000+05:30

A ‘leaked original edition’ of the final Harry Potter adventure ‘The Deathly Hallows’ may be available on the net. Even if its content is legitimate, an e-book cannot replace the charm of paper

The release date of the last book in the Harry Potter series looms large in our collective media space and the hysteria of appropriating a copy for oneself has reached its pinnacle. Last I checked in the news about a million copies, and still counting, of Potter books are booked in advance.

Amidst this madness, original copies of the last edition are doing the rounds of shareware programs and even via zipped email files. The ‘originality’ of the e-book is a contentious issue. The author may not invariably remain J.K. Rowling in all those editions, contrary to what is printed. A talented person with an active imagination and well versed with words may have filled in the chasm left behind by Miss Rowling.

A person fairly acquainted with the internet can avail of these ‘leaked original version’ of the book with minimal effort. A search on google or any popular shareware sites will satiate the lust to know and be the first one to read the hallowed final account, if not in the world then in one’s own clique.

But is it worth it? The experience of reading a well written book is much more than internalizing information in the presented sequence. The medium in which it is offered is the very characteristic that defines that experience.

A book to me more than just a collection of black ink lines on a white paper. An e-book cannot emulate it. The feel of paper is distinct. The rustling sound made while exploring the depths of a plot. The sweet smell of a new print or the damp musty fragrance of an old edition. It all adds to the enigma of reading.

The journey that one undertakes with the turn of a page and the gradual progression of a mesmerizing narrative revels in the ordinary and yet charming demeanor of an innocuous book. The same cannot be said of an e-book. The strain of staring at the ubiquitous glow is disturbing at best. It is like staring at a bulb and trying to read the fine print on it.

In matters of academics, communication and even small prose, the computer can be very a simple and inclusive instrument. But while reading a novel or any work of fiction the characters are lost in translation amongst the embedded binary and the drone of processing. It just doesn’t feel right.

The techies might call me a hypocrite for turning on the very medium that empowers and I don’t blame them either. I love reading blogs online and the elusive International Herald Tribune web edition. But in matters of fiction my heart craves paper.

I will wait my turn and lay my hands on the copy when I am assured of time on hand. With the rains lashing out at the frenzy in which we exist, I long to curl up on my favourite couch, tucked away in the warmth of a blanket. Away from the madness, immersed in a beautiful world the memories of a journey will linger on.

Taj Conspiracy

2007-07-09T16:10:00.000+05:30

Excerpts from fellow blogger modred1980’s detailed blog Conspiracy theories (My world):

Note: The blogger states facts as they are known and clarifies that “the right to believe it or treat it as a hoax is your purview”. The post speaks of the commonly held knowledge that Taj was built by Shah Jahan, a Mogul Emperor, in memory of his lady love. It is the other theory that is interesting and not often heard. Read on. (Also see, further reading)

Story behind Taj Mahal: Fact or Fiction

The Taj's Other Story

If you have ever visited the Taj Mahal then your guide probably told you that it was designed by Ustad Isa of Iran, and built by the Moghul Emperor, Shah Jahan, in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Indian children are taught that it was built in 22 years (1631 to 1653) by 20,000 artisans brought to India from all over the world.

This story has been challenged by Professor P.N. Oak, author of Taj Mahal: The True Story, who believes that the whole world has been duped. He claims that the Taj Mahal is not Queen Mumtaz Mahal's tomb, but an ancient Hindu temple palace of Lord Shiva (then known as Tejo Mahalaya), worshipped by the Rajputs of Agra city.

In the course of his research, Oak discovered that the Shiva temple palace had been usurped by Shah Jahan from then Maharaja of Jaipur, Jai Singh. Shah Jahan then remodelled the palace into his wife's memorial. In his own court chronicle, Badshahnama, Shah Jahan admits that an exceptionally beautiful grand mansion in Agra was taken from Jai Singh for Mumtaz's burial. The ex-Maharaja of Jaipur is said to retain in his secret collection two orders from Shah Jahan for the surrender of the Taj building.

For the complete article follow link.

Just wondering...?

2007-07-09T16:04:00.000+05:30

Taj Mahal was inducted into the ‘New7Wonders’ list on 07/07/07 via internet and SMS polls, an initiative undertaken by a Zurich based firm. On the subsequent day, Times Now informed its viewers of the inclusion in a Top Story ticker which read:

‘Taj retains its place amongst the new seven wonders of the world’

The word ‘retains’ may as well be a scripting error, but this is highly unlikely. It reflects and in its connotation perpetuates a long held myth that Taj Mahal was ever a part of the Seven Wonders of the World.

The original seven wonders were listed by the Greeks millennia ago which consisted of only Greek monuments. (see IE link below) Since then no such comprehensive list has been drawn which has global consensus. Neither does the latest poll which has come under harsh criticism by experts for not being democratic or scientific in its methodology.

They, read Times Now channel and other media outlets, need be careful of getting their facts right and not create history in topics where none exists. This casual acceptance of long held beliefs and its subsequent apotheosis exemplifies the tendency to reiterate the most convenient discourse.

In a profession which prides on its relentless pursuit of cold facts the current trend leaves a lot to be desired.

Read:

People hail laurel for Taj – The Hindu 09/07/07

Don’t feel guilty if you did not vote for Taj. It does not matter. - Indian Express 07/07/07:

I didn't vote for Taj and I am proud of it

2007-07-09T15:56:00.000+05:30

The Indian Express front page dated 07/07/2007 carried a box asking us not to feel guilty if we did not vote for Taj to be included in the new 7 wonders list. It informs us that the poll is carried out by a private Zurich based firm called New7wonders “with no sanction from any international body.”

It suggests that the firm would want us to believe that the poll is about “awareness and monument appreciation” It further goes on to inform that the firm takes home one-fifth of the revenue earned from SMS voting and phone calls of which 50% is pledged for conservation marked with the tag “spin-off”.

Also, Times Now does a volte face and asks its viewers whether the Taj Mahal need be endorsed via SMS polls to be considered one of the wonders of the world. Ironically, it asks us to SMS our views whether an SMS poll is required to endorse Taj. One is tempted to ask if any of the SMS polls on news channels are relevant altogether.

The intentions behind these news stories seem noble but once the surface is scratched the warts are exposed. It is the final day and the results will be announced in the evening. It was common knowledge, as to who the promoters of the event were, namely a private firm. It just was not given enough prominence.

So, why did it take so long to uncover the murky underbelly? Because then the SMS polls could not be validated otherwise which would lead to a loss of revenue for these prolific media outlets. After about a week of promotion the Taj fever reached its crescendo due to constant campaigning and “in national interest” messages from mobile and internet companies. Not once did they bother to emphasize the fact that it would not matter.

UNESCO was asked by the firm for its backing, but it genially refused. So the fervor with which the media promoted this ‘hoax’ is an alarming reading of the market dominated mainstream Indian media. Some may argue that it isn’t a lie, the polling is real and New 7 wonders will be announced (and they may have been by the time this is written).

But it wasn’t the complete truth either. A lie of omission is nevertheless a lie. How many people would have voted for Taj if they knew the complete facts? The polls do not have an international standing, neither are they democratic nor scientific in methodology. Taj may not receive any funds per se for its upkeep nor assistance in planning the urban sprawl surrounding it. As for the awareness bit, most of the people are not even aware of the other contenders in the run up to the last seven.

By tomorrow the verdict will be out and we will have our “SMS wonders”. Taj may or may not be one of them. The media will be either jubilant in its inclusion or defiant and defensive questioning the necessity of third party endorsement to acknowledge the beauty of the monument.

Once again the media, across the spectrum, chose to toe the line when it could have put forth the complete facts. Think WMD and US media and the future suddenly seems bleak. Now, in its efforts to score perceived brownie points the media will leave their viewers/ readers dumfounded as to why they voted in the first place. And once again, the media won’t have any answers.

Indian Express: Don’t feel guilty if you did not vote for Taj. It does not matter.

Why supporting the ULFA makes you smart

2007-07-07T12:52:00.000+05:30

At the onset, I would like to clarify that I do not support ULFA or the brutal murders that they have carried out in recent times. Also, I feel that they need to rethink their rhetoric and refine it to reflect present realities and not merely dwell on demonizing the capitalist as they have so often done in the past.

Now, getting back to my theory that ‘if you support ULFA it makes you smarter’. This may sound absurd and even sensationalistic but I assure you my intentions are not to convert or influence your thinking towards radicalism. It should be understood that this is a theory I propose and you may vehemently disagree. I encourage it. There are a few considerations before I get into the meat of the matter.

Firstly, ULFA or United Liberation Front of Asom is a symbol that I choose to represent radical groups or peoples movements backed by rational ideology. It is not specific to the left or right of centre political thought. I chose ULFA as I thought of this when I was reading about their history and because I am free as an individual to make that choice.

Secondly, by support I do not mean blind faith or unquestioning reverence. In fact, I intend to suggest just the opposite, critical thinking being one of the necessary attribute which justify the support.

Finally, supporting such an organization will not ‘make’ you smarter but is a pre-requisite as stated in the earlier point. By smart I do not mean a person with a very high IQ but someone with reasonable grasp of economic and political realities and the willingness to think beyond his or her preformed notions.

I think that a person inclined towards such movements has the will and the curiosity to know more about his or her social surroundings. This compels them to move beyond the structure created by parenting and institutionalized thinking. The very fact that a person is willing to explore rather than accept his realities is a testament to independent thought.

It would require a person to forgo the comforts ensured by the system if he or she follows the path laid out in front of them. I do not wish to insinuate that it is an easy task which requires no skill, intelligence or hard work. But yes, it is relatively easier to internalize and implement those values as the systems to do so already exist.

As most prevalent opinions discourage such leanings the task of understanding the motives and objectives of such movements is difficult. It is a constant battle to understand and if at all accept the principles or necessity of such activities. Far more difficult than what is generally heralded as a universal truth. For instance, western countries are far more developed as civilizations in present times. To refute this generally accepted notion, one has to delve into the finer nuances of the claim which is an arduous task, than to accept it as it seems obvious.

Also, mainstream media and key opinionators where mass media is not all pervasive like in India, although this scenario is rapidly changing, do not represent such causes and movements, ideologically or in action, in equitable proportions as compared to accepted views. So it is difficult to know about them without initiative, effort or interest which again is a trait likely to indicate critical thought.

A majority of breakthroughs in human thought have been possibly only by flaunting the conventional wisdom of the time. Without penetrating the mould we would still grapple with the imperfections of Newtonian physics, a non-traditional view in itself, and be oblivious to Einstein’s theory of relativity which is also now being challenged.

It is a trait that we all posses to question and evolve from our closely held beliefs and perceived facts. In this context, a person inclined to support radical movements and subjects established notions to an intense scrutiny before aligning with it. The process that one must goes through imbibes a real world-view formed by self determination and critical thought.

So, supporting ULFA will make you smarter as much as watching football will make you an athlete. But yes, it does prove to be a valid indicator of individuality and independent thought. One can argue that these values in themselves are not worthy of imbibing and rightly so as per their perception. But I choose to disagree on this one and of course with regards to this piece so may you...

Banter - a word too many

2007-06-14T16:15:00.000+05:30

“What’s with the crazy typing? What are you writing, your autobiography!”

If I had a nickel for every time I heard someone say this to me, well, I would have a lot of nickels. It would be pretty amazing though, an achievement in itself, as it is relatively difficult to find nickels here in India.

Its equivalent, one paisa maybe or even a rupee does not evoke the same drama as a nickel does. It must be a western thing. Not John Wayne kind of a western, but Samuel Huntington’s clash of the civilizations non-eastern western.

Anyways back to the point, if there is any and even if there is it mostly tends to be of little relevance. The point I was making with the quote above is the generic assumption, even if it is merely a reiteration of something commonly heard, that a person has the maximum to write about in his autobiography.

According to them, an every day e-mail, random thoughts, chatting via the net or an Orkut scarp cannot possibly involve as many words or thoughts typed or written as an autobiography would entail. Any other topic would not measure up in prominence as oneself. A narcissistic generalization only a human mind is capable of making.

A tirade against Bush 43 (that is Dubya, for the uninitiated), global warming or communalism, for instance, is not important enough. Musings about one’s love may necessitate such unexpected verbosity but they are hardly sustainable, something I agree with. As it were, the pinnacle of human articulation resides in introspection and self-aggrandizement (yes, it is a word and not made up!).

As a Yiddish scholar and humorist Leo Rosten proclaimed, “Every writer is a narcissist. This does not mean that he is vain; it only means that he is hopelessly self-absorbed.”

Cradled in the frivolous nature of the comment is a deep rooted truth that most of us seem to be aware of, we like talking/ writing about ourselves. It carries over into the most unassuming of our humorous observations in a candid, pertinent sort of way.

So may be there some truth in that callous comment. A person would probably have lot to write about when it comes to their story. Some may have nothing to say at all. Most of us do feel that we have lived a fascinating life which demands to be documented with the utmost respect and attention to it.

Others may not find it amusing or worthy of so many words, but it still must be told. May be some stories are better left alone, untold.

And yes, I was writing my autobiography, well something close to that anyways. . .

Tales of a tumor IV – The final act

2007-05-28T01:48:00.000+05:30

Part IV - The final act

Before surgery

It is the moment of truth. At this time tomorrow, I will be in an alien place, anticipating for the worst to happen. The closer it gets to the final stage, the more unreal it seems. I hope to wake up from this nightmare to a simpler reality. But I know I won’t.

I will be admitted today by eight in the evening. The surgery is scheduled for tomorrow, morning I presume. I could be the first person to be operated upon and the doctor might be a bit rusty, not “broken in” for the day which is not a pleasant thought. Then again, the idea of a spinal anesthesia followed by a two hour extraction, hardly ever is.

I have been warned by many well meaning persons, not to rush into anything. Consider alternatives to the surgery, if possible and to take my time if I still felt like going ahead with it. I feel I am ready. I need to put all my apprehensions behind me and do this. I can not wait anymore, it is very frustrating. Especially, when time drifts away slowly and I am compelled to be a mere spectator.

I shifted my focus from Biotechnology and Horticulture, the stream in which I am academically trained in, to journalism. I did not want to be a journalist. I just hoped to write and may be with a stroke of luck get published. I perceived myself as a fairly centered bloke who was immensely interested in making wines. I wanted to work on a farm, learning about the trade, right here in India and grow with the grapes. Write about the seasons, the people and the wine. It was a simple plan.

Certain events would change the course of my life. The Bombay train bomb blast was the turning point which convinced me to get trained in professional journalism. Hone my skills and contribute in my own little way. The focus was still on telling stories, but in a different context.

This excruciating wait before I can delve into my chosen and cherished field is what frustrates me the most. This situation prevents me from wetting my teeth in true reporting for months. Patience is a virtue, only with an end in sight.

It is a 2 hour surgery I am told. It will take 8 days before the sutures come off and 3 weeks before I can walk around normally. The total recovery period is about 6 weeks. This is assuming there are no complications. I am a big fan of Murphy’s Laws, at this moment they seem like an anathema. Being skeptical does not help, especially if hope is all you’ve got.

I am taking Thomas Hardy’s Jude the obscure and Zaidi’s Black Friday along with me. Che Guevara’s biography by Andersen and Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai are also in contention. This heady mix of tales of rebellion, emotional complexity, derision of society and a human experience with dollops of reality should keep me good company.

I stare at the next two weeks. As my mind gets clouded by apprehension and anxiety I can only ignore the reality that I may have to deal with after this ordeal. It gives me the much needed time to reflect to introspect. To read and write more than what I do now. To think and to live. But it does not come without the guilt.

P.S. Pardon me for rambling on and getting nowhere with this post. That’s kind of the point anyways.

All the King's Men

2007-05-27T01:05:00.000+05:30

Indian Presidential elections are just a guessing game with the common public having very little to do with it.

As the debate over the Presidential elections intensifies, the rationality behind the hype eludes me. No doubt, the person occupying the highest civilian post in India is a matter of immense interest, but the parameters within which the discussions are held are skewed.

The sense which is largely created by media that these elections are relevant for the common masses and in fact are driven by their perceptions is false. For, the common man on the street does not have much to contribute in the “selection” of the President.

This post is deliberated upon by the electoral college, as mandated by their respective political parties. There is no real choice as the probable candidates have political backing and are nominated by the parties themselves. Even if one extends the concept of representative democracy the final choice is always with consensus of major political parties and a “suitable” candidate is elected.

In this context, the SMS polls and surveys are merely a speculative exercise with little influence or significance to the election. The notion that the President must be non-political and rooted in real politicks is absurd.

If a true democratic candidate is to be elected then these elections should be conducted in the people’s domain, where citizens cast their votes and elect their President. The recently concluded French Presidential elections may serve as a paradigm. Also, the President’s office will have to be aptly empowered to validate such an exercise.

Until then, the media should call a spade a spade. These elections are merely a matter of political calculations and not a refection of people’s choice. The talk shows, debates and polls which ask the citizens to ‘choose your president’ are futile.

Tales of a tumor III - Comfortably numb

2007-05-25T00:25:00.000+05:30

Part III - Comfortably numb

“When I was a child I caught a fleeting glimpse,
Out of the corner of my eye.
I turned to look but it was gone.
I cannot put my finger on it now.
The child is grown, the dream is gone.
I have become, comfortably numb…”

Pink Floyd

The thought of impending surgery has taken over my consciousness for the past few days. Every aspect of my life as I know it is clouded by the influence exerted by this seemingly ephemeral event. The scar will be permanent, though.

It is this stagnation that bothers me. Solitude is chosen while isolation is imposed. My tumor has left me somewhere in the middle. Neither is this state chosen or unyielding. It can be altered by choice, by being “pro-active” as Covey would have offered, plugging his 7 habits. In my case it wouldn’t prove as effective as promised. The reason being I like it this way.

Woody in his infectious neurotic candour, in Annie Hall, categorizes life as being “divided into the horrible and the miserable. The - the horrible would be like, um, I don't know, terminal cases, you know, and blind people, crippled. I don't know how they get through life. It's amazing to me.

You know, and the miserable is everyone else. That's - that's - so - so - when you go through life - you should be thankful that you're miserable because you're very lucky to be miserable.”

This misery was and still is necessary. I need this misery to write, to think, to feel alive. I feel I am addicted to it. As I had written earlier it is important to be miserable at times.
Its bitterness lingers on my lips, on my tongue, till I ingest it.

Now, the line between the two is quickly blurring. The line is a 10cm incision in my left calf. It will determine my classification. It separates the morose from the morbid.

Fear of the unknown is like no other. Even in the most insipid moments, it excites, paralyses and often than not makes one think. Mind roams free. Transcending walls of rationality it conspires with dreams to sabotage thought. In the grip of fear I seek solace. It is this fear that facilitates expression of innate desires which otherwise remain suppressed under the burden of reality. When cornered, clarity prevails.

I can be fairly anally retentive, especially when it comes to analyzing life situations, poring over the minutia of everyday existence. In one of these many moments I realize that I could have done nothing to avert this or change anything if I could or wanted to, for the better. Shit Happens.

What is more disturbing or comforting, depends how you choose to look at it, is my perception of life is just the same. Nothing has changed. This may sound absurd, but I always felt that when I have a tumor (yes not if but when, had the feeling long back!) things would change. I would have some sort of vision or insight into life, the kind emanating from extreme despair. I have none yet.

This stillness gets to me. My plans for the future are on a hold. I am asphyxiated by my own ambitions which refuse to stand down and have to be coerced into submission. There are times when I want to take the hit and roll with it. I have begun to become accustomed to my current state of being. May be I always was. This familiarity, in the face of turmoil makes me feel like I have become comfortably numb.

It restricts me and also sets me free.

Tales of a tumor - Part II

2007-05-22T10:46:00.000+05:30

Part II - The reactions

“Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.” – Newton’s first law of motion.
When informed of a tumor, the myriad reactions that come forth are engaging, humorous, overbearing and occasionally heartfelt.

The thought of a person having a tumor demands a reaction which elicits a gamut of emotions that engulf an entire spectrum of human experience. These mandatory utterances, at times an insipid silence, have a potent effect on the variables that elucidate ones existence.

These may range from the pragmatic to the obscure. It also serves as an indicator to a person’s immediate response to a crisis or an awkward social situation, depending on ones proximity to the distressed being. But mostly they toe the predetermined social propriety instead of voicing what is truly felt.

The shell shocked

This kind is left speechless when told about the tumor. The word itself has such a tremendous impact that everything else, including the bearer of the lump, becomes secondary.

This kind is prone to shedding copious tears and also ascribing blame to something or someone for the condition and most likely it is going to be you, God or both. A lack of any information on the subject except things internalized via media and movies is a special characteristic.

The overtly caring

This kind is generally nice by nature, may be a bit too nice. On being informed a moment of silence is followed by a gracious offer of “How can I help?” when very little can be done. If one accepts these innocuous proposals then they get to work with a missionary zeal to make you feel better, no pun intended.

A feeling of asphyxiation may soon take over as you will be left with little room to even wiggle your toes. Right from an umpteenth number of phone calls to the tracking of your bowel movements, this category seldom spares you from the details. I do not intend to be sexist but old aunties and clingy girlfriends are more prone to this peculiar behaviour.

The pseudo concerned

This type will censure you, usually in a high pitch voice, for not informing them earlier.
Terming you as callous and without any respect for the relationship you share with them, they will threaten to terminate all contact.

Barely having recovered from this onslaught you decide to apologize in spite being the patient here. This is when you will be informed of their paucity of time and truck loads of work to be finished. And before you can remember the last time they called, they are gone. Just like that.

The know-it-all

This person is usually well read. It could be a dissertation on the amount of pesticide to be used to ward of farm rats, rest assured he would have read it. This affliction to peripheral knowledge, apart from his professional area of course, leads to what I call an ‘oracle complex’, the condition of knowing it all.

When told about the condition, this individual will most likely tilt his head upwards with the stem of his spectacles in his mouth, in grave contemplation. He will grill you about the nature of the disease, giving an occasional smirk if you do not know a particular detail, which will be diligently pointed out.

Suddenly inspired by a mysterious celestial force he will launch into a discourse about the disease and how one can circumvent the condition. Peppered with unnecessary factoids that hardly seem relevant to you, this person will single handedly cure you, in his mind that is.

Here the focus is not on advice but on the brazen display of perceived talent and infinite knowledge which is expected to be ratified with a “You should have been a doctor!”

Also, you will be subjected to an “I told you so” at the end of the monologue. This will be followed even after your diagnosis and medical treatment, at every step, irrespective of its success or failure.

The alternate thinker

More than a trait, this is a condition. This person ardently believes that cancer or AIDS is a matter of perception, a ploy by the westerners to degenerate our minds. So, terms like ‘allopathy’, ‘surgery’ or anything even remotely related to modern medicine is blasphemous, a curse borne by Humankind.

This man’s panacea lies in age old traditions and indigenous medication. Ayurveda, Unani, Chinese medicine, Reiki, holistic healing et cetera is a part of his core belief system. In his case he may choose to give it a miss and try the occasional asprin to relieve headaches, but that is hardly the issue here.

The point is to convince you about the many benefits of local organic medicines which are said to have no side effects. Whether you try it or not is immaterial.

The advisor

This category may be a composite of all of the above or a unique entity by themselves. The common factor that determines their reaction, almost making it eerily similar in all these individuals, is the obsessive compulsion of giving advice.

Irrespective of any prior knowledge about the condition they will offer advice because that is what they feel is the right thing to do. It stems from the innate notion that one should help in any way possible or at least suggest so with a plethora of pointers relating to general hygiene to the type of treatment.

Also, this type has an instinctive ability to relate any matter under the sun to your disease. Like global warming and its possible effects on your surgery or your thumb length’s implication on recovery period. This radical theorizing need not have logical reasons in support. The idea here is that at least I contributed something.

The nonchalant

This type is the opposite of the ‘shell shocked’ category. They hardly seem to care about what bothers you or the kind of disease you have. For the sake of social niceties they will ask about it, and then continue to talk about what bothers them.

This casual observer cannot do much to make you feel better or worse for that matter. Also, his inane rants take you away, even if only for a moment, from your preoccupation with the tumor. This type is easier to deal with as compared to the ‘overtly caring’ or ‘the know-it –all’ but can be frustrating when in genuine need of solace or a kind word.

The somber and pragmatic

These individuals are the best of the lot. They are aware of their own limitations with regards to medical knowledge. They let you do the talking and listen intently. They will even read about it online and discuss the pros and cons of a treatment.

Without any baggage or assumptions they deal with the situation as it comes. Also, they are a repository of emotional and moral support. At times they can be very grave and contemplative but they will try their best to make you smile.

Go on…tumor me!

2007-05-19T23:48:00.000+05:30

A tirade necessitated by the discovery of a tumor. These are my musings.

Part I

My knuckles are sore. The intensity of the scarlet bruise changes in tandem with the needle in my wrist watch. I look away to try and distract myself. It has been 20 minutes since I sat here, waiting for my turn.

There was an uncanny calm. Not the kind one would expect, especially outside a clinic. Seems like a slow day, I thought, or was the little child wailing not loud enough. A constant throbbing grasps my attention. No it is not my head, neither is it the right hand bearing the above mentioned battered knuckles. It was my left leg, the left calf muscle to be precise. An obtrusive bulge wherein nestled the tumor.

I have a tumor. It’s benign. It is called ‘intramuscular lipoma’ not to be confused with the infamous and at times fatal lymphoma. A lipoma is docile. A recluse of sorts, I guess that’s keeping in line with its bearer. Its more illustrious, hence undesirable cousins which are malignant and which often undergo metastasis will strike the fear of God. At the mention of their name compulsive mortals quiver, dreading the worst, assuming one believes in it of course, God, cancer or either.

As the condition seldom is fatal, the anxiety I felt that day seems to be misplaced, yet justified. With the baggage that I carry genetics or otherwise, I felt the impending catastrophe would be in accordance with my errors. But, alas, it is but a mere deposition of adipose tissue, namely fat, that ails me!

My penchant for drama aside, I was truly wrecked at the thought of surgery, however routine or safe it may be. Anything that requires a sharp, pointed object to be thrust in order to penetrate any body part cannot be termed as ‘a routine’ not for someone at the receiving end, at the very least.

The decision to taste steel, not in course of a dinner mind you, hangs in balance due to self-anointed enthusiastic doctors, healers, messiahs of God…well what ever that may suit their taste. It is interesting how a medical situation triggers the latent talents in almost everybody except the doctor himself. He will ask you to get tests done and encourage you to go for a second opinion. The rest surrounding you, however, are ready with their brand of cure, from massages to leeches and more.

That is the reason why we do not insist on universal Medicare in India because apparently everyone here is a doctor, capable of treating everyone else but himself, as suggested by several excursions to neigbourhood clinics. Healer, heal thyself!

My family physician, an ex-military corps surgeon, whom I was waiting to see, now a general practitioner, has advised against convention, not to remove the tumor. As it causes little hindrance in my movement now and will possibly remain uneventful if left alone. While the other doctors, whomever that I have consulted offer the opposite.

To be or not to be under the surgeon’s blade, that is the question.

As I stared at my bruised hand that morning, it became clear that I have not quite dealt with how I felt about the tumor, the surgery, the lay-off from work and an indefinite wait before I roam free again. A wooden door bore the brunt of my suppressed angst. I write to heal. I write, therefore I am.

Press release

2007-05-06T21:34:00.000+05:30

PRESS NOTE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS 2007
Irregularities in the presidential and Vice Presidential elections

Mumbai, 8^th May 2007.

A Writ Petition [WPI 219/07] in the Supreme Court on the serious irregularities in the Presidential and Vice Presidential Elections since 1974, which is posted for admission.

The petitioner Dr. Leo Rebello, World Peace Envoy, and one of the Presidential aspirants from Mumbai, will address the media and elaborate on his writ petition and its historic significance in Indian polity.

This writ petition filed and admitted via the internet is an oft ignored legal recourse open to the citizens of India, a facility which not many people or advocates are aware of.

Dr. Leo Rebello will address these issues while speaking on his Presidential candidacy. Also, he will respond to citizens and media questions.

A press conference is being held in this regard on the 8^th of May 2007 at 3.00 pm at the Conference Room of Mumbai Marathi Patrakar Sangh (Next to Press Club), Azad Maidan, Opp. BMC Office, VT, Mumbai 400001.

“In such a gargantuan task of cleaning the Augean’s stable of Indian politics, mired in corruption, casteism, communalism and criminalization of politics I will need every right thinking citizen’s help”, says Dr. Rebello

Justice Corps cordially invites you to participate in this historic press conference.

Dr. Leo Rebello is a qualified Holistic Healer, Educator, Author and Social Scientist. He has delivered over 10,000 lectures in 63 countries and written 30 books. Director of Natural Health Centre, Bombay, President of AIDS Alternativa, Fellow of European Medical Association etc., he has been nominated for the Nobel Prize in Medicine for his pioneering work on AIDS and Holistic Healing.

Dr. Rebello is the founder/president of All India Letter-Writers Association, a 27 years old NGO of conscience-keepers of the nation. He is also the President of Litigants Welfare Forum, Hon. Adviser of Justice Corps, Founder of All India Voters’ Panchayat, and a prominent leader active in public life.

Winner of World Peace Ambassador Award 2004, President of World Constitution and Parliament Association, Vice President of International Association of Educators for World Peace and is on the Governing Council of UN-Habitat.

If you would like more information or to schedule an interview with Dr. Leo Rebello, please call, Mrs. Kashmira Rebello at 022-28872741 or Mobile – 9869828619.

E-mail at leorebello@hathway.com | drleorebello@gmail.com .
Official website: www.healthwisdom.org
Postal Address – Dr. Leo Rebello, 28 Sunshine, Samta Nagar, Kandivli East, Mumbai – 400101, Maharashtra, India.

###

Raigad Dairies III - Culture conflict

2007-03-25T13:02:00.000+05:30

Raigad Dairies III – Culture conflicts

I apologize for the latitude in posting this third part in this series. This piece is dedicated to Ronald Rebello (5 May 1982 – 23 Feb 2007), without whom I would not have these myriad experiences and decide where I want to be. Thank you.

Part III – In retrospect

I stood there, staring at the grand bungalow with a beautiful flowing garden. And to think this area is mired by water scarcity. A chill runs through my spine, I can feel its iciness licking my feet. A little pup looks up at me with innocent eyes, as if to convey the painful memories this place has evoked in his sullen soul. I was in front of the Zamindar’s (Landlord’s) house.

He is quite a powerful man with political clout is this hinterland. The CM, they tell me and other state dignitaries, visit him when they are in these parts. It was disturbing, as I stood there with Laxman’s words reverberating in my ears. My breath quickened and I began to perspire profusely. I felt seething rage seep in, challenging my capability to maintain mental equanimity and objective distance. Was this just a human reaction? Was I now, one of them?

Culture shock
The world is fast becoming a global village. The prevalent influences which we are subjected to in our routine realities threaten to override our indigenous identities. The nature of the debate is dichotomous and so must be seen in context of micro situations.

I was quite exited to experience the local culture and dance forms. So, after quite a bit of cajoling the locals agreed to ‘perform’ with the pre-condition that we take part in it. We gathered near the courtyard, surrounding it we waited in anticipation. They said that they would play the “banjo”. Now, I was curious!

A band with a synthesizer and orchestra drums, often seen in weddings, suddenly took form. A loud din of familiar pulsating tunes filled the air. The village men started gyrating to the rhythm al la Ganesha festival procession in Mumbai. I gasped at the vigorous and at times crass moves, an obvious external influence that was internalized.

Prabha Tirmare, the Nirmala Niketan professor traveling with us, explained. “We were shocked to see them…Their dance form was quite different sometime back. It was much more rural and poignant. The rustic art form seems to be lost…The women have started wearing relatively modern clothing and plucking their eyebrows…it is gradually changing”

The day before, I washed my face in a corner, by the roadside, in front of the temple we had slept in. In a stereotypical yuppie movie twist, the rock I thrust my head over turned out to be a tribal deity! I was grossly embarrassed and after apologizing profusely, I quietly walked ahead. It was genuine ignorance that made me commit this act. At this point I felt diminutive, a complete moron.

The students who took part in the ‘traditional dance’ were much more demure and ‘rural’ than the villagers. Was a tradition lost forever, diluted beyond recognition. Were we overtly romanticizing village life?

The visiting NGO’s and social groups, in a way introduce their own culture, assumptions and outlook towards life to once culturally pristine region. How much impact do these people have on the native culture? And how much of it is valid in the name of progress?

This brought me to the basic question, should we leave the tribes and in their untarnished land in a sanctum sanctorum state or should we try and change, influence and educate them for a “better” quality of life?

The other tribe
This visit would have been an ethnographer’s delight. This was a unique opportunity as two intrinsically related groups were juxtaposed with each other. This symbiotic mode of mutual necessity and understanding is something that has always fascinated me. The tribe in question, far less intriguing but equally mystifying, on this trip was the tribe of “social workers”!

For a long period of time I failed to understand why individuals who have no particular reason or an obvious logical motivation, become socially inclined. To work for the masses, to ascertain their rights and place in our feudal, hegemonic social order. These individuals, by a large majority, come from the upper crust of class-caste disparity, with nothing in common except for a red blooded heart.

Most of them on this trip could be defined as left/liberals in their political leanings, except for a few towards the extreme left. Largely there is a restrained disdain towards those who consider ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’ or CSR as a viable option to achieve social justice. Yes, the cliché of a “cutting chai” with a cigarette in hand, vociferously debating the future of the masses and the destiny of our country holds true.

What most intrigues me is the focus on rhetoric rather than actual actions, which seems to be the rule rather than exception. Those motivated by real action and grass root level implementation are few and far between.

The similarities between the two, the locals and the social workers, are quite conspicuous. For instance both groups as a norm seem to be skeptical of the higher ups in government and the corporate businesses, to a point where it is almost perceived as an existential anathema. Also, the generous and expressive open faces and lots of smiles, is a striking similarity, which bring about an acute sense of camaraderie and a sense of belonging. Almost like a closely knit extended family, a tribe.

Amongst the differences, I would list the eternal angst that a social worker goes through. The conflict of belonging to places, regions, ideologies and people beguiles an individual. As opposed to the relative simplicity of rural life, a social worker is burdened with the prospect of reality, in comparison to his own. He/She bears the cross of knowing and the eventual realization that very little, if at all, can change.

Social groups like the ancient tribes before them, focus on the most humane and basic necessities as a means of creative sustenance. Singing, dancing, arranging skits and informative plays brings out the lighter side of these visits; these activities are not only highly recommended but a necessity.

Folk songs are an intrinsic part of their activities. Interspersed with socio-cultural messages meant to educate and motivate people, a reminder of their cause. These songs, sung in the local dialect preserve the essence of local culture. It integrates them, individuals coming from different parts of the country. Bound by rhythm, mesmerized by words which speak of deprivation, loss in a far of land, about atrocities and crime by people against their own, these songs leap out to tell forgotten tales.

Above all they speak of hope and restitution. They say, we too shall prevail, one day at a time. We too live under the solemn blue sky, with aspirations equal to your own. We too live in a time that refuses to acknowledge humanity, but not for long.

Next - Conclusion to the three part series

Raigad Dairies II - Tribal instinct

2007-01-27T09:59:00.000+05:30

Part II – Tribal instinct

Tomorrow promised to be more antiquated and I could not have been more exited to experience it. …

The most pleasant revelation, when I woke up next morning, was the difference in the air. It was much more clean and fresh. My asthmatic lungs were overjoyed. It was a welcome change from the carbon monoxide spewing city that challenged their very existence. I wonder what makes people leave this serenity to migrate to ugly, congested and brutal cities, more on this later.

If there is one thing that I am grateful for in the city, then it has to be sanitation and the toilet. My morning dilemma was complexed with the thought of ‘doing the dirty’ out in the open. Even though some may romanticize the whole ‘being one with nature, when nature calls’ thing, I for once was skeptical.

Armed with toilet paper (yes, couldn’t help it…) and water we scouted the area. We walked for what seemed like an eternity till an apt zone with enough foliage to camouflage our deed, was selected. After we scoped out the area for snake holes and other insects, it was time.

To avoid further onslaught on one’s senses, I won’t delve into the details. But yes, it is an interesting experience nonetheless. An act and an amenity that we almost take for granted. It is a must for those who feel secured in their claustrophobic walls, to sense this vulnerability. It is disconcerting yet intrinsically human, organic.

Who knew shitting could be so difficult!!!

Walk-a-thon

The trek to Kelat from Varathi was brutal, a 3 hour long walk through a rocky terrain. The steep slopes and treacherous climb up a hill took a toll on all of us, but we persevered. Some of us harden by daily field work found it relatively easier. The view from the top was magnificent. As though nature’s blue prints were laid out in front of us.

The sun spewed its anger, smiting flesh that dared to challenge it. Saddled with a heavy bag breathing became a task in itself.

This is the exact route that the adivasis take to reach rationing shops to get their groceries, medical clinics and to seek other necessities. A river runs through the middle of the route, which becomes hostile in the monsoons. A fallen tree acts like a bridge to cross across the stream. They traverse this distance, carrying their sick and even pregnant women to the clinic in Roha.

We reached the outskirts of the village and were greeted by a small water reservoir, which was a sight for sore eyes. Also, there was a huge land mass covered in greenery, a vegetable patch, I was informed by Ganesh, which was a sharp contrast against the brown contorting terrain. Like an emerald set on a golden broche, it gleamed with pride.

There at last

We were greeted with eager eyes and shy, gingerly smiles. I was first taken aback by the warmth and friendliness of the people. I remembered the hostile, territorial faces back in the city, ready to snap at an inkling of perceived invasion of privacy. Here, there were open doors, open houses, open faces and open smiles.

We kept our bags in a room allotted to us and proceeded to explore the area, talk to the people.
The poverty was conspicuous but so was pride, in their way of life. I felt slapped in the face by reality. It was time to wake up.

Laxman’s story

We gathered under a huge Mango tree in the middle of on open field, to begin our session of discussion and sharing experiences. Laxman Sutak, a tribal youth and Sarvahara karyakarta for seven years now, joined us. He is a 3^rd generation tribal, as far he can remember or knows. He narrated his experiences and of his community to us. We were later joined by the elders of the village.

The Khot (Zamindar/ Landlord), Kulkarni duped the villagers and acquired their land. He initially lived in Roha and established a coal mine around Kelat. He lived in Kelat for a while under the hospitality provided by the indigenous people.

When a survey was carried out to establish land ownership, he made the officials believe that he was the true owner thus confiscating tribal land. He made the adivasis labour in the fields for a majoori of 15-20 rupees.

Also, he initiated a ‘makta’ system, revenue (tax) earned on the crops, where he decided a particular percentage of quintals to be given to him. Even though the farmers were not sufficient grains for survival, they had to pay the tax.

He exploited the people and beat them up on a regular basis to a point, Laxman says, that getting beaten cruelly or being raped became a routine. The complex relationship that the tribals shared with zamindars made it difficult for them to rebel. They depended on him to bail them out if caught by the police, for their sustenance and survival. He had a strangle hold on their psyche and every aspect of their life. To go to a doctor, lawyer or police they required his consent.

Initially 150 families lived in Kelat, now only 50 remain, as most have left due to the rampant exploitation.

Sarvahara worked on empowering the local people to fight for their rights. A police complaint was lodged against the landlord. It was decided that for 1 year ‘makta’ would not be paid. Also they demanded right to own their land.

He was booked under Prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989, but was immediately released on bail. Two trucks full of people from neighbouring villages and the landlords touts, tried to remove the villagers from their land. The fight got violent and they were hitting the villagers and beat up two women mercilessly. Ulkatai called up the police and demanded immediate action. Till they came, the violence continued.

Laxman tells us of a similar struggle when he was small, in which his father was mercilessly beaten by the Khot (landlord). He died a month later, due to the injuries incurred. His mother told him about the incident as he was just a little boy then.

At this point I began to wonder about the relevance of my own reality. We use words like “life”, “death” and “survival” as rhetoric, but these are questions intrinsic to their daily existence.

To be continued

Raigad Dairies I

2007-01-22T16:42:00.000+05:30

Part I – A reflection

I visited a tribal hamlet “Kelat Wadi” as a part of a workshop. Looking back in retrospect, I feel such rural exposure visits are a must for city slickers like me. It puts life in perspective.

I stared at the myriad specks of light; they never did shine so brightly. Adjusting myself, rather uncomfortably, I looked straight into the darkness surrounding us. Ronald, Sanket, Sagar and I decided to rough it out, get a feel of the outdoors. We lay in our sleeping bags and blankets, telling dirty jokes contemplating the impending morning dew which would add to the penetrating chill.

It was the first time I slept in a chawdi (village courtyard), vulnerable to the environment around me, free from the ubiquitous walls. The star filled sky mocked my limited vision, as if to signify the mysteries that lay beyond my comprehension. It is a very humbling experience, subtle yet effective.

I began my journey on the 11^th of January, with a group of students mainly from Nirmala Niketan and Tata Institute of Social Sciences. It takes 6-7 hours to reach Roha station from VT (It still remains VT for me). I wondered what lay ahead of me. Ronald Rebello, friend and a social activist, briefed me about our itinerary for the next two days. From Roha we would move to Taregarh, a small village, were we would stay in the community school and local temple. The next morning we take a bus to Varathi and then begin the long trek to the small tribal hamlet, Kelat Wadi.

Some of the students were placed here as a part of their field work and were the coordinators of the trip. Many were and still are associated with the local people’s movement active in Raigad called “Sarvahara Jan Andolan”, spear headed by the fire-brand activist Ulka Mahajan, since 1990. Kelat was one of the villages that were assisted by Sarvahara (literally, one who has lost everything) in solving their socio-cultural problems and was “liberated” as one of the locals put it.

Katkari – a brief intro

Ganesh Sodaye, TISS student and associated with the movement for 10 years, filled me in with the history of the movement and the social structure prevalent in Kelat. The sangathan actually started functioning from August, 1990. The three adivasi tribes residing in Kelat are Thakar, Warli and a majority of them Katkari.

The traditional occupation of making ‘kaat’ (used in paan, made from betel leaf) from Khair trees which gave them the name Katkari was inadequate for sustenance as the forests depleted. Not having any special skills in farming, the Katkari were alienated from the mainstream and were forced to migrate to seek work for livelihood. This led their exploitation as the contractors took advantage of the landless, jobless labourers and trapped them in a vicious cycle of debt-bondage over the years.

Six months of migration leaves the children largely uneducated growing up on wisdom that comes from surviving on the fringes of life. Schools and formal education are not a part of their world. Daily meals constitute of bhakri (thick bread), rice and if possible some watery dal. Until sometime ago, his expectations were limited to these bare essentials for his survival.

The perennial instability and faced consistently with treachery, it has become difficult for this community to put their trust in anyone. Sarvahara took a holistic approach to their problems and worked on the principle of empowering the adivasis to fight their own battles. This has led to a radical change in the social and cultural life of this community.

The community dynamics are very complex, Ganesh explained. Hierarchically, the Thakars occupy the top position amongst adivasis, followed by the Warli’s and the lowest being Katkari’s. The Dhor Katkari, a non-vegetarian section is looked down on by the Son Katkari, largely vegetarians. This presumably happened due to the Hindu cultural influences specific to this region where pure vegetarian Brahmins are generally considered more pious than meat eaters. The divisions persist but are gradually on a wane.

Journey continues

We approach our destination in Taregarh. Sheilatai, a local activist, helps us find accommodation. Due to the community service done here by Sarvahara and the group we are allowed to stay in the school and the village temple, both modest places in terms of space.

Here we could see influences of the Hindu religion on the indigenous place of worship. Tribal Gods now had Hindu deities for company, a recent development I am informed, due to cultural proximity of the two.

We end our day, under the watchful eye of the local deity. I see a big lizard crawling on the wall, not the most comforting sight. Also, a dog keeps barking all night, ensuring that I was beady eyed and drowsy next morning. In the silence of the night, rumbling of a truck could be heard. Tomorrow promised to be more antiquated and I could not have been more exited to experience it.

to be continued...

Point of origin

2007-01-22T16:32:00.000+05:30

I do not wish to write, but my silence stifles me.

It has been a month since I entered my personal musings, mundane ramblings or general thoughts in these pages. The ‘sabbatical’ has left me with more questions than answers. Then again, I suppose that is a good thing.

I intend to be far more honest in this space than before. Instead of skimming the surface of deep rooted thought which I may not have necessarily expressed are open to scrutiny. It renders a disturbing feeling, but is immensely satisfying at the same time.

I began this year by traveling and being in the most unlikely places that one would find me in. Amongst people! I begin my writings by trying to recall my experiences during the same.

In a while...

2006-12-04T13:28:00.000+05:30

I breathe in air infused with aspirations and perplexing ignominy that seldom sustains the rhythm of life. Life in itself, a state of mind is devoid of any true indication of its existence. Life becomes the absence of death, nothing more. Asserting its compound, degenerate and lucid forms it bemoans for a reason to be, a purpose to fulfill.

In search of self, it is said, time is elementary. I am not in search of time as a quantity but its worth as an experience, as a truly lived entity. It governs our lives, but yet it is oblivious. We struggle to find it yet it is always right there. Waiting to be sought for, intermingling with our illusion of its scarcity.

I am on a sabbatical albeit a brief one, indefinite in time but only a moment in its conclusion.

Some of my work that you may want to read:

Reality check

Importance of being miserable

Indian History X

Euphemistic Euthanasia

Breaking the block

Bio mutiny

Conversations: After the blast

Clinically cynical

Times they are a changing

Bio mutiny

Inherent conflicts - I

2006-11-28T22:28:00.000+05:30

“There are two tragedies in life. One is to loose your heart’s desire. The other is to gain it"

- George Bernard Shaw

Journalism ensures that a person is subjected to both of these divergent life experiences and often at the same time. The crux of the paradox is the functioning of the institution itself, which demands compliance and rebellion in unison. A feat uncannily achieved by stalwarts of the field or as I like to call them ‘survivors’.

As I explore my own sensibilities, perceived truths and judgment about many a “facts” I feel ill-equipped to understand them. Not due to lack of initiative or interest but solely because of the mistrust in what is being disseminated as relevant information. The act of reading, with time morphs into an exercise in extreme skepticism, following which one feels even more distraught than before.

Media is a unilateral institution, a corporate enterprise in the current context. The agenda of a media company is set by the benefactors and collaborators, which is quite obvious. The advertisers, corporate compulsions, the publisher’s personal beliefs, political affiliations et al are vital to what is presented before the unassuming public. The product that is sold in media is not the medium but the ‘audience’. If you look closely at the structural organization of this entity, it is very clear who the buyers and sellers are in this trade. And the commodity, the audience is certainly at a loss, as it is completely alienated from realizing what is perceptual as against what is real.

The establishment of these co-conspirators, if I may, makes it increasingly difficult for any of the units to deviate from the determined agenda. Now this is truly the disturbing part of the profession. The institution mandates that one must conform to the values of the ‘interests’ on which it depends, else your survival is unlikely. But, the perceived success in “true reporting” is in being anti-establishment, going beyond the generic and routine. The likely clash of interests here can be verified in those numerous worthwhile stories and ideas that go uncovered as they are not within the ideals upheld by the organization.

Also, the system ensures that those who reach a point of relevance in the social order to take decisions and determine opinion of the institution have imbibed those principles that are plausible and acceptable. It acts as a filtering mechanism, where a voice of dissent against its own is castrated to a point of submission. Hence, the editors and the news makers which are considered to be the key-opinionators have reached those positions because they choose to and have eventually conformed to the system. (As ably argued by Noam Chomsky)

Herein lays my predicament, the fact that I have to internalize the values of an institution to “succeed” in the traditional sense of the word, despite it incapacitating those very instincts which make it possible to function in this field. This logically extends to the widely held belief that one can be a good journalist or a successful journalist, not both.

At this point I do not know which one I aspire to be.

Khairlangi protest - A reflection

2006-11-21T00:31:00.000+05:30

As a protest rally is underway at Azad Maidaan today, 20 Nov, by the Dalit community to protest against the gruesome khairlangi massacre, and demand Deputy CM, R.R.Patil’s resignation, I am compelled to reflect on the recent agitation that I was a part of on Thursday. Especially when political parties are trying to derive maximum mileage out of the situation, the significance of that apolitical platform is now apparent.

On 16^th Nov, under the banner of “Khairlangi Hatyakaand Virodhi Sarva Dharmiya Ekta Samiti” social activists, citizens, young professionals from diverse fields came together to condemn the Khairlangi massacre. A one day fast was observed by a courageous few disturbed by the lax and casual attitude of the authorities towards such a heinous crime.

This inter-religious, multi cultural inclusive agitation served as an apt opportunity to understand the importance of voicing one’s dissent in a society to condemn a crime against humanity. The purpose was to focus on the core issue of ensuring speedy justice for the sole survivor of the Bhotmange family, Bhaiyyalal. Also, to urge the administration to formulate long-term policies to ensure such atrocities do not take place in the future.

Although I was acutely aware about the concept of 'people' being the primary institution in a polity, capable of initiating change, the practicality of the notion eluded me. So, this premise was a little unknown and hence a novel experience.

Initial skepticism aside and driven by my derision towards such ghastly acts, I decided to be a part of this cause.My friend Behzad Mulla, a quiet fun loving Parsi employed in Merchant Navy and my designated photographer for the day, agreed to join me. It is necessary that every person must be aware of the on goings in one’s immediate society, however disconnected we may feel.

I met Ronald Rebello, a social activist who was the key motivator of the agitation, at the ground. As we were conversing about the various aspects of the issue and how we can effectively mobilize people and create awareness among them, a lot of questions crept in my mind. The most obvious one was the motivation that urged these young and talented individuals to be actively involved in social work. As the day progressed, the answer slowly but unwaveringly revealed itself.

In the FIR filed by the local police the fact that the two women were mercilessly raped is not even mentioned. The case is noted as a simple murder case, with post mortem reports aptly "cleaned" to suit vested interests. The possibility of liberal gun license policy for protection of Dalits, as suggested by certain leaders was discussed. But the probability of misuse of this freedom by trigger happy citizens and anarchist naxalities is immense for such a blanket dictum to be adopted. Also, it may lead to further marginalization of the community due to harboured mistrust.

The folk songs were one of the interesting aspects of the day, sung in harmony and one voice. A reflection of the contemporary the socio-political scenario, it was the glue that bound people gathered together, reminding them of the task ahead. Their rustic charm coupled with sharp lyrical content has an appeal which one cannot ignore. They compel you to think, look within and eventually be in unison with the rhythm that captivates your mind and spirit.

The people from different social groups and causes had converged to demand justice in this case. As the day was reached its conclusion, notably none of the major broadcasters or even main stream print reporters chose to give voice to the cause. Local and regional newspapers acknowledged the importance of the protests. The DCM and his principal Under Secretary were away, apparently dealing with the violent protests in Amaravati. So, a letter which staunchly condemned this act along with other suggestions and demands (see below) was sent to the DCM via the police present there. Also, a meeting with the DCM was scheduled at a later date for follow up.

Initially I was a bit disheartened that no major authority took cognizance of the fact that a multi-religious demonstration, a first in this case, was held. But then again as Ronald put it “In a democracy it is important that one’s voice is heard. We have made our point and will monitor the progress of the case.”

At the end of the day, we formed a circle, to take stock of what we have achieved and learnt from the day’s protest. A senior activist affirmed the necessity to adhere to “ahimsa” and not get carried away. The media and the administration, by ignoring such non-violent protests are giving credence to the notion that to receive justice or merely be heard one has to resort to jingoism and violence. To awaken the lethargic and indifferent government, the people must come together and demand answers.

*****

The demands / suggestions made by Khairlangi Hatyakaand Virodhi Sarva Dharmiya Ekta Samiti in a official letter to the Deputy CM R.R.Patil, also the Home Minister of Maharashtra:

Speedy justice to Bhaiyalal Bhotmange. The case must be moved to a fast track court.
Due to a lack of witnesses in this case, the indicted persons must be subjected to a Norco-Analysis test to determine the truth.
The ‘status report’ of the case, which has now been given to the CBI, must be made public.
Awareness should be created about The Prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989, which empowers the under privileged sections of societies and helps them fight social evils, via media platforms like radio, T.V., newspapers etc. The district officials, tehsildars, police officers and other local authorities should be educated in this context.
A policy devising a concrete witness protection programme for the safety of witnesses like Surekha Bhotmange (who was brutally murdered), to avert such situations should be formulated.

Signatories:

Ronald Rebello ; Muskaan Shiekh ; Gorkhnath Avaadh

Rajendra Laxman Kathkar ; Archana Pale; Shoobha Sutar

Naseem Banu; Hemant Morajkar; Ganesh Sodaye

Shaheen Shiekh; Shabaana Shiekh; Maneek Prabahvati

Solidarity rally at Azad Maidaan

2006-11-15T23:52:00.000+05:30

At 11 am tomorrow [16 November 2006] a solidarity rally is being held at AZAD MAIDAN, CHURCHGATE, MUMBAI, in protest of the brutal massacre at Khairlangi.

It is an apolitical rally of students, social activists and professionals who refuse to be oblivious to such heinous acts.

A one day fast is being observed tomorrow at the rally by a courageous few in order to express solidarity with those who were wronged.

The perpetrators of this act must be prosecuted.

Be a part of the peace rally. Be heard.

****

If you do not have an idea as to what this rally is about read the previous post. Also please go through the links at the bottom [Tehelka.com, for comprehensive information] to get a fair idea of what has happened in Khairlangi.

The question that comes to mind is that a majority would have a fair idea about 'justice for Jessica' and the Priyadarshini Mattoo case. Has the media played its role in this event. Where are the candle light marches, where is the public angst?

In the same breath I would also like to add that a lot of negative connotations are being associated with the people who genuinely feel wronged and want to voice their protest. I do concede that certain elements do want to create chaos and generate political momentum out of this brutal murder. But that does not by any means should take away from the core issue here that four people were murdered in cold blood. And such acts of cowardice must be vociferously condemned.

It has been a month and a half since the incident. Two women were wronged in the most gruesome sense of the word.

"(On sept 29, 2006) By now, men allegedly from the entire village of about 150 Powar and Kalar families had collected. Some shouted to the sarpanch to allow them to sexually assault the women. They raped the women and killed all four, even as their womenfolk looked on, mute spectators to a form of justice reserved for castes lower than theirs.

Surekha and Priyanka were stripped, paraded naked, beaten black and blue with bicycle chains, axes and bullock cart pokers. They were publicly gang raped until they died. Some raped them even after that, and finally, sticks and rods were shoved into their genitals. In the meantime, Sudhir managed to contact the police from his mobile phone, but his phone had been smashed. Its pieces are now circumstantial evidence. Roshan and Sudhir were beaten up, their genitals mutilated, faces disfigured and their bodies tossed in the air, before they lay dead on the ground. Hiding behind a hut, Bhaiyyalal helplessly watched his family’s gruesome end. There was no one to call for help. Kherlanji had only two Mahar families; the rest were either perpetrators or spectators. An hour later, a village meeting was called and a diktat issued: no one was to say a word about the massacre."

Why are the women empowerment groups not speaking out against this atrocity? Are women rights only for a representable few?

Also, a competent witness protection program must be in place. The prime reason for this act was the fact that Surekha Bhotmange who dared to protect her land and voiced dissent against the upper caste hegemony was a witness in a case. The laxity in this dimension lead to her becoming an easy mob target.

Khairlangi Massacre - Justice denied

2006-11-15T12:36:00.000+05:30

“The city police today foiled the bid by Khailangi Action Committee to stage their ‘Nagpur-Khairlangi’ protest march…over 224 people were detained…..”

Indian Express, Nov. 13, 2006

The brutal massacre of the Bhotmange family in the sleepy village of Kherlangi has exposed the deep rooted social dilemmas that we as a society have not been able to address. Vociferous protests to expedite the judicial probe and prosecute the responsible parties for this heinous crime seems to have fallen of deaf ears.

Many theories have been floated recently indicating political motives behind the recent protests, the so called 'dalit offensive', to regain lost political ground. Also there is a perception that the issue will soon be engulf by a enthusiastic apolitical but equally hyper social activism. To add insult to injury the State home minister, R.R. Patil insinuated that the violent agitations have been perpetrated by naxalites and that some leftists and naxalites were fanning the incident after a month. These allegations not only lack credibility, but threaten to trivialize the fact that a four people were murdered by a seemingly all pervasive majority.

There are many issues which need to be resolved. The government has assured that all the demands made by social organisations will be considered. But the govt. noble intentions must manifest in actual action and not just on paper. The protests against this massacre have brought to light the little faith that people have in the government machinery.

The complete details of the incident can be read at the following links:

Tehelka.com:

Dalits like flies to feudal lords

Times of India:

Just another rape case

Indian Express:

IG probe says cops at fault

What about the rest?

2006-10-31T00:50:00.000+05:30

All throughout the day I watched news channels giving themselves a pat on the back for a job well done and how media has played such an important role (emphasis added) in ensuring justice in the Priyadarshini Mattoo case.

I acknowledge the fact that without constant media pressure and the efforts of support groups which were persistent in demanding justice in this case this would not be possible. The media has definitely played a vital role which is now called a 'landmark verdict'.

I just have one question for the media, what about the rest?

The fact is this story was picked up because it had potential. I do not wish to undermine the seriousness of the issue, but this tragic event made for compelling news. A young promising girl, full of hope and dreams was wronged in the most heinous way by Santosh Singh, a retired IPS officer's son. The perpetrator is now sentenced to death. Would this case have reached its logical conclusion if it was not a high profile case?

What about similar cases which I am sure exist in abundance and have no hope of even brought to trial. If Ramgad ka Ramu committed the same crime would the media still be interested in telling say a Sunita's story. Without the trappings of high profile people being involved there is no drama for the media to thrive on. Nobody cares if an unknown entity, I understand there are many who have been grossly wronged, would ever receive even a semblance of justice in his or her life.

What about the bigger picture. Does the media propose to take up every case in which common people are denied justice and where the aggressors are influential people? Why only Jessica Lal murder case and the Nitish Katara case are brought into focus? What about thousands of cases lying on the bench never to see the light of day.

The answer to this is obvious. Some would argue that it is not the job of the media to ensure fair investigation and speedy justice, we already have agencies to do that. That is exactly my point.

It took 10 years to reach a verdict in a case where the judge had previously ruled that "he had no doubt" the act was committed by Singh but was forced to "acquit him due to lack of evidence". It is an opportunity to take stock of our judicial capabilities in terms of quality and quantity. Also, the investigating officers who compromised the case must be brought to book.

By being jubilant over what I can safely call a minuscule victory, delayed due to judicial lethargy, only because the media chose to emphasize this case would be an insult to those who yearn for their rights. Is justice only for the higher ups or those who are "blessed" enough to get the apparent media midas touch?

Inside : India Questions

2006-10-19T11:51:00.000+05:30

An exercise in visual media marketing, India questions is timed close to the release of Don. If one remembers that a similar “debate” was held after KANK released on NDTV’s ‘We the people with Barkha Dutt’. How valid is this current trend in news channels, well that’s subjective. The following programme might as well be just that.

In his introduction Dr. Pranoy Roy rightly said that there is so much known about SRK in the public domain, one is at loss when it comes to asking him questions. “Your life is an open book” and that too literally and figuratively.

So yes it is true. He is humble, articulate, ‘chilled out’, hyperactive and just about everything that you have heard in countless interviews. (We couldn’t confirm the gay thing, obviously). The show was supposed to begin at 12.30 but like he has confessed in a previous interview with Vir Sanghvi, SRK true to his word walks in 2 hours later. The most frustrating part about this was the fact that it was being taped at Mehboob studios, two minutes away from the grand mansion that he calls home. But the audience, mostly comprising of journo students and college crowd didn’t seem to mind.

Pranoy Roy arrived probably an hour before Shah Rukh did. He is a lot smaller in person than what I initially thought. A comfortable ease surrounds him, a nonchalant awareness of sorts. NDTV announced its projections for the next quarter and an aim of taking their business to $500 million in10 years. This man, at the helm of it all seems too honest and genuine a journalist to be burdened by the trappings of creating a media empire.

And then the Don makes an entrance with the music from the movie being played in the background, well not so much of an entrance really. Bodyguards in tow, surrounded by hordes of people, dressed casually in blue jeans and a checkered brown shirt (cleavage on display, why-o-why!) I couldn’t believe that it was him. He appears a lot smaller in person and a lot “normal” too. The girls were swooning by now and some guys also, with a distant sigh I could hear words like “so cute” “wow” “is it really him”… I couldn’t see what the fuss was about, but his impact as an entertainer, an enigma was apparent in the way the crowd and just about everyone was reacting around me. It is impossible to ignore the man, even if you are a determined cynic at war with the influence of pop-culture.

He is called destiny’s child and is truly blessed, I must say, because I just can’t see why this very charismatic yet ‘normal’ looking guy is the King of a multi-billion dollar industry. A casual aura surrounds him as if he is completely oblivious to his concomitant reality.

As the interview begins I can see why both these gents are so affable and loved all across the country. The genuineness and honesty is highly infectious and an immediate connection is made with the audience.

The initial questions are routinely generic but my friend fires one at SRK (my question mind you) that in spite of being a smoker he launched a Biocon anti-cancer product recently. His answer is much more calculated than probably what he would have said five years back, but honest none the less. He categorically derides smoking as a bad habit, “I am trying to quit” and mentions the loss of his father to cancer which made him endorse the cause.

When asked about him being overtly diplomatic when it comes to commenting on his co-actors he replied and which I consider a true definition of SRK in his private life, “I am just a wise-guy!” He does seem to be the cool friend that everyone would want to hang out with.

The questions are dealt with a characteristic smile and the twinkle in the eye, which makes you wonder, what is he going to say next. He confesses to being tone deaf, musically inert and admits that he likes making comedies a lot including the forgettable ‘Babloo’ and other such zany characters.

What was most revealing about his personality is the way he perceives life and his job (as “just another 9 to 6 shift” Ya right!). The passion for his work is omnipotent and that is the secret to his unparalleled success today. He best describes it as being a child with many ideas and unbridled enthusiasm which his directors just cannot ignore. He reiterates the often heard “Do whatever that you wish but do it with passion”, a mantra that he clearly follows in his own life.

“Nothing better than honesty and goodness to achieve your goals…with a bit of patience…” is his advice to youngsters. I don’t know how much of it would hold true in SRK’s professional life but it does seem to be a norm for SRK the person.

The show couldn’t end without the wily doctor perpetrating a jig to which the marketable star willingly obliged. He danced to 'Khaike' along with some auidience members and made it look effortless.

As the crowd rushes to the makeshift stage, Shah Rukh is completely swamped, probably groped and molested too; the bodyguard then somehow manages to extract the prized possession.

He smoked two cigarettes for those eager to keep a count. If you watch the show, the cigarette pack is in his left shirt pocket. Also, he is quite restless as a person, fidgety as if always in a hurry. He spun around in his swivel chair. It is this boyish quality which makes him one of us, relatable.

Sorry Nessi didn’t get an autograph, but I did find out that SRK at the end of the day is a nice guy. My friend, who had a chance to go on stage during the Hindi version of the show, apologized for being brash earlier. Shah Rukh HUGGED HIM and said “God bless you” with a peck on the cheek (?!)

Watch India Questions this Saturday, 21 Oct on NDTV 24/7.

RTI

2006-10-16T00:59:00.000+05:30

Here is a list of links which you may find useful to better understand RTI Act, 2005.

Right2Information

Ministry of public grievances

Maharashtra govt.

human rights initiative

Municipal corporation of Greater Mumbai

Mumbai RTI laws.pdf

******

Another example of RTI at work.
Aware citizen Ronald Rebello asks Min of petroleum and natural gas to respond to the rampant misuse of its LPG licience by the Railway authorities themselves.

This is the RTI petition he had filed and still awaits reply.

Mr. R. Panda

Maharashtra state level co-ordinator

Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas

SHOW CAUSE NOTICE

I had sent the following application under the Right to Information to you on 7th September per Courier which was received by your office the next day. However, now it is more than one month and I have not received a reply which is mandatory under the Right to Information. Please show cause why I should not approach higher authroties so that you may be fined as per the Right to Information Act, 2005 for not providing information . You are hereby called upon to furnish the information within 72 hours of receipt of this E-notice.

Fail not.

Ronald L. Rebello

Rationing Kruti Samiti

Add: 52, Gilder Lane Municipal School,

Opposite Mumbai Central Railway Station

Mumbai Central 400 008.

Email: yoursfrankly@rediffmail.com

ronaldrebello@gmail.com

rksmumbai@rationingkrutisamiti.org

Copy to:

1.. Print and Electronic Media.

2.. Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. What is the point if your Ministry issues so many advertisments running into lakhs of rupees in the newspapers, seeking co-operation of citizens to expose misuse of LPG, if your officials can't respond to a complaint purusant to the same?

3.. Department of Public Grievances in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India

----- Original Message -----

From: RONALD REBELLO

To: rksmumbai@hotmail.com ; Rationing Kruti Samiti

Sent: Wednesday, September 06, 2006 10:04 PM

Subject: LPG RTI

The Public Information Officer 7^th September, 2006.

Bharat Petroleum,

Ballard Estate, Mumbai Mumbai.

1.. Full name of the applicant: Ronald L. Rebello

2.. Address: 52, Gilder Lane Municipal School,

Opposite Mumbai Central Railway Station,

Mumbai 400 008.

3.. Particulars of the information required:

(1) Subject matter of information: Misuse of LPG domestic gas cylinders for commercial purposes.

(2) Period of which the information relates to: Jan 2006 till date of receipt of this application.

(3) Description of the information required:

The undersigned applicant had complained via email to your department on September 04 citing instances of misuse of LPG cylinders for commercial purpose. The complaint was emailed on pandark@bharatpetroleum.in that is regularly advertised in newspapers by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas for reporting complaints on black misuse of LPG and Subsidised Kerosene.

Now therefore under my right to information, I want a pointwise reply as under:

1.. What action was taken on my complaint? Give detailed description of action such as the enquiry if any, date and time of raid conducted, if any, names and designation of the officials who conducted the raid, the cases registered against the offendors and the law under which arrests were made, if any. If no enquiry or action was taken, why not?

2.. Why no one was picking up the phone on 5th September at 11:41 am, when I called from 6524 1968? What is the name and designation of the officer who handles these complaints via phone as well as email?

3.. Is the number provided by you operated 24 hours? If not, then mention the duration of hours it is operated.

I state that the information sought does not fall within the restrictions contained in section 8 of the RTI Act and to the best of my knowledge it pertains to your office.

If the information requested doesn�t pertain to your office, under section 6 (3) (ii) of the Right to Information Act, 2005 you are duty-bound to transfer the application or part thereof to the appropriate authority / department and inform me within 5 days of such transfer.

Under section 7 (9) of the Right to Information Act, 2005 �information shall ordinarily be provided in the form in which it is sought�. Therefore, the undersigned applicant would like to have the above information in question and answer format and in English. Please note, that in case of reply in language other than English, the reply would be appealed against.

Provide details of the Appellate Authority such as Name, designation, address, phone, fax and email, so that I can appeal if dissatisfied.

Requisite fees shall be paid if it is reasonable and in accordance with rules.

Information required by ordinary post. Copy by email will be appreciated.

Ronald L. Rebello

Email: yoursfrankly@rediffmail.com

rksmumbai@hotmail.com

rksmumbai@rationingkrutisamiti.org

Place : Mumbai

Date : 7^th September, 2006.

Enclosure: Copy of complaint sent by email.

----- Original Message -----

From: Rationing Kruti Samiti

To: pandark@bharatpetroleum.in

Sent: Monday, September 04, 2006 2:39 PM

Subject: complaint on misuse of LPG, as per your AD

Maharashtra Incharge (LPG complaints)

Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas,

Sub: Complaint of misuse of domestic LPG for non-domestic purposes.

Re: Your regular advertisments in the newspapers.

Dear Sir,

Further to your advertisements appearing regulary on requesting citizens to point out misuse of doestic LPG for Non-domestic purposes, I hereby point out the following places where you can conduct raids and arrest the persons responsible.

1.. At Mumbai Central Railway Station, the Railway canteen on platform number 4, uses the domestic LPG cylinders for commercial purposes. When I questioned them, they tried to defend saying that the railways sends it to them. They even confidently stated that the Railways provide more than 100 cylinders to all such eating shops on railway premises in Mumbai. Therefore, such a thing needs to be investigated at the earliest.

2.. Outside Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Vile Parle (West), the local dosa hawker uses domestic LPG for commercial purposes in gross violation of the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Control Order, 2001.

Hereby, acting on my complaint, you are enjoined to conduct the raids as per law.

You may contact me on ------------------------- for further details.

Ronald L. Rebello

Rationing Kruti Samiti

52, Gilder Lane Municipal School,

Opposite Mumbai Central Railway Station,

Mumbai Central 400 008.

Email: rksmumbai@hotmail.com

rksmumbai@rationingkrutisamiti.org

Copy to: Print and electronic media to investigate

the above complaint and to specifically see

if Railway's itself is misusing subsidised LPG.

Right To Information

2006-10-16T00:40:00.000+05:30

The Right To Information Act,2005 is an essential piece of legislature that everyone must be aware of. It does not matter what stream you are in or if you do not intend to ever use it in your lifr. I think it is absolutely imperative that every Indian must have the basic knowledge about it. Empower yourselves.

Ronald Rebello, a social activist and founder of Justice corps (an organisation working for judicial reforms) and a part of Rationing Kruti Samiti was kind enough to share his RTI application with me.

This is a follow up on his initial petition that was not answered by the concerned authority. It is an excellent example of how RTI has the potential to empower common people, you and I.

Please do take a look at the RTI petition carefully, it may be of use to you someday. It is important that a hackneyed system is made accountable for its decisions and functioning.

********

The Public Information Officer

(Through the email of Principal Secretary - Food and Civil Supplies Department)

Mantralaya, Mumbai

Please refer to the following application sent to you per courier that was received by your office on 8th September, 2006. It is more than one month now that you have not provided any information under the application nor have replied to it. You are therefore called upon to provide the said information within 72 hours of receipt of this email, failing which I shall approach the appealate authority that will make you liable to a fine under the Right to Information Act, 2005.

Therefore fail not.

Ronald L. Rebello

Rationing Kruti Samiti

Add: 52, Gilder Lane Municipal School,

Opposite Mumbai Central Railway Station

Mumbai Central 400 008.

Email: yoursfrankly@rediffmail.com

ronaldrebello@gmail.com

rksmumbai@rationingkrutisamiti.org

Copy to:

1.. Print and Electronic Media, Mumbai.

2.. Advisor to Supreme Court Commissioner in PUCL v. UOI (WP 196/2001)

APPLICATION UNDER THE RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACT, 2005.

To,

The Public Information Officer

Department of Food and Civil Supplies September 05, 2006.

Maharashtra Government, Mantralaya, Mumbai.

I.. Full name of the applicant : RONALD REBELLO

II.. Address: 52, Gilder Lane Municipal School, Opposite Mumbai Central Railway Station. Mumbai 400 008.

III.. Particulars of the information required:

Subject matter of information: Ration Cards for homeless citizens.

Period of which the information relates to: 1997 till date of receipt of this application.

Description of information required: Rationing Kruti Samiti had filed public interest litigation (PIL) in the Bombay High Court regarding ration cards and food entitlements to homeless citizens in 2004.

Now therefore,

1.. Please provide me the case number of this PIL / WP.

2.. The number of hearings in the court so far and the dates of hearing that took place.

3.. The copies of the orders / judgments passed in the matter.

4.. Say, whether any action was taken by the state government in the matter pursuant to the court orders / judgements ? If yes, what action was taken?.

5.. As per 23^rd March 2004 GR, homeless families have to be issued ration cards? How many such cards have been issued to homeless families under this GR in Mumbai, Thane, Nashik, Sangli, Nagpur and Pune?. List out as under:

Sr. No. RO wise /Tahsil Number of cards

Examples: 1. 26 D / 162 80

1.. Pune 20

6.. Which of the following cards are homeless families entitled to?

i. Antyodaya card

ii. BPL card (Yellow Card)

iii. APL card (Orange Card)

iv. White card

v. Any other (mention type, period of validity, procedure for renewal etc)

7.. What are the entitlements under the �homeless cards�? Whether the beneficiaries having �homeless cards� are entitled to foodgrains, Kerosene and Sugar on a consistent basis. Mention the quantity of entitlements available to homeless people.

8.. Whether those possessing �homeless cards� have been given their entitlements uniformly so far? If not, why not?

9.. Whether any applications for �homeless ration cards� are pending in any Rationing Offices in Mumbai? If yes, mention RO wise how many such applications are pending? Give reasons on why these applications are pending?

9.. RO officials state that �It is a government policy that only if BPL beneficiaries do not lift grains, then only the homeless families will be provided food grains; surplus from BPL stock�. Verify if this is true. If true, quote the policy, decision maker, basis of such policy etc.

10.. Give full details of appellate authority such as Name, Designation, address, phone, fax, email so that I can appeal in case I am dissatisfied with the information provided by you.

IV.. I state that the information sought does not fall within the restrictions contained in section 8 of the Right to Information Act, 2005 and to the best of my knowledge it pertains to your office. If for any reason, it pertains to any other department, the Right to Information Act places an obligation on you to forward the same or part of the application to the appropriate department and intimate me within 5 days of such transfer.

V.. Under the RTI, information shall be provided in the way it is sought. Hence, it is requested that the information be provided in question and answer format in the above manner.

VI.. The requisite fees for this information will be paid, if in accordance with rules.

Ronald L. Rebello

Email: rksmumbai@rationingkrutisamiti.org

rksmumbai@hotmail.com

Place : Mumbai

Date : 05^th September, 2006.

India questions

2006-10-11T22:56:00.000+05:30

Tomorrow I will have the privilege of being a part of the audience at "India questions" , a NDTV feature where Pranoy Roy will interview King Khan, Shah Rukh Khan himself.

I am not sure what is more exiting, an opportunity to ask questions to SRK or be in the presence of my icon, my idol Dr. Roy.

It will be a learning experience for a young Journo like me. To observe both these individuals who have accomplished so much in their respective fields and that too at what they do best, interact with a live audience on camera, will be a treat.

More on this when I post about my experience tomorrow or day after, as time permits.

Watch this space for Inside: India Questions

Remembering Anna

2006-10-11T22:37:00.000+05:30

It is said that the well being of an economy is reflected in the way the media is allowed to function. A robust independant press is a sign of a country's willingness to achieve or at least tend towards the ideal of 'the people' as a primary institution.

Anna Politkovskaya's brutal murder only magnifies the strangle hold that the Putin administeration has on the press in Russia. Such a despicable act must be condemned world-wide.

(Coincidentally, my muse for my initial fiction work was also named Anna)

Anna's Wiki Page

Chechnya : articles by Anna Politkovskaya

Guardian article

WAN-Press press release :

Paris, 7 October 2006
For immediate release

World's Press Condemns Murder of Russian Journalist

The World Association of Newspapers today condemned the 'shocking murder' of
Anna Politkovskaya, the Russian journalist.

Ms Politkovskaya, a reporter for the Novaya Gazeta newspaper, was found dead
Saturday afternoon from a bullet wound in the elevator of the building where
she lived in Moscow.

"This is tragic and deeply shocking news", said Timothy Balding, CEO of WAN.
"We condemn this as an outrageous attack not only on a journalist but on
freedom of the press and democracy in Russia. We call on the Russian
authorities to pursue mercilessly the killer or killers and those behind
this cowardly act".

Mr Balding added: "There had been many skeptics in Russia, including other
journalists, when Ms Politkovskaya said she was the victim of attempted
poisoning by security forces on her way to cover the Beslan massacre two
years ago. This assassination is terrible confirmation, if any were needed,
that she was not inventing her claims that she was constantly under physical
threat".

Ms Politkovskaya was celebrated internationally for her critical coverage of
the war in Chechnya.

She was the 76th journalists killed world-wide in 2006, the most deadly year
since WAN began keeping records of journalist murders in 1997. The list of
journalists killed world-wide can be found at
http://www.wan-press.org/rubrique863.html .

The Paris-based WAN, the global organisation for the newspaper industry,
defends and promotes press freedom world-wide. It represents 18,000
newspapers; its membership includes 73 national newspaper associations,
newspapers and newspaper executives in 102 countries, 11 news agencies and
nine regional and world-wide press groups.

Rack ruckus

2006-10-09T22:47:00.000+05:30

It must have been conceived by a very disturbed mind. Only a sadist can devise such a diabolical scheme which has the capacity to inflict pain across the spectrum of society. No one is spared as it is designed to cause maximum damage.

As the trained moved in slowly towards the platform, adjusting the rather heavy bag on my shoulder I leaped towards the pole in the middle. An elbow free in its trajectory planted itself in my nonchalant right eye. Even as I entered in one piece, jostling with the crowd, I instinctively removed the bag off my shoulder. With my best faux Jordan stride I looked up to fling it on to the overhead rack. To my horror, the rack was gone.

My fellow passengers smiled at my senile attempt to find a place for my bag. They smiled at my perplexity and empathized with my angst. Some even had a bemused expression on their faces, as if still reeling from the shock.

A youngster brimming with mirth suggested that the racks were removed to encourage “socially acceptable distance” between two men in trains, a conspiracy to discourage probable gay intentions. As I smirked at the tirade my co-passenger enlightened me, the overhead racks were removed from that Virar to Churchgate local, and four others as a trial, for “security reasons”. This was an interesting. Were they trying to curb terrorism by removing rack from five trains? And importantly who were “they”?

The overhead rack in a Mumbai local is an inseparable part of everyday travel for millions in the city. A pedestal of temporary respite where one can rest ones burden momentarily. It is a high point which encourages humanitarianism by providing an opportunity to people to help others. As bags of all grades are balanced on each other, a helping hand is always willing to stretch and make way for more items.

The gent’s compartment desperate for any conversation has it own brand of ‘bag’ ice-breakers. A series of grunts directing the apt placement of the precious possession, capped with a barely audible “thank you”. Also, it serves as an excellent support to hold on to, as the train quivers uninitiated and almost flings you in a very precarious position. An embarrassment is thus averted.

I am having visions of utmost distress. I foresee people standing in a cramped compartment with bags over their heads. Dabbas would spill due to constant agitation, staining the crisp white to a murky yellow. With both hands occupied, one cannot hold on to the handles above or protect their vitals below.

An exasperating itch on the shoulder blade cannot be subdued. A projectile of saliva and mucus lands squarely on your cheek. As you brush it off it disgust, the culprit sniffling explains that he couldn’t cover his face in time. Indeed, it is a ghastly situation.

Besides if a person wanted to plant a bomb, he can easily slip it below the seat. An underworld by itself infested with leftovers, lonely wrappers, scurrying arthropods and probably friendly leprechauns. Only the severely paranoid looks beneath the seat before sitting.

Removing the last left bastion of communal harmony is hardly an answer to curb miscreants. How about better surveillance techniques, more railway guards or better yet, an approachable friendly enquiry system. This would go a long way in safeguarding out trains.
The perpetrators of the 7/11 blast must be found quickly and brought to justice. They should be dealt without impunity and severely to serve as a deterrent to any such future designs.

I humbly appeal to the powers that be to avert a crisis in the lives of millions traveling by the local trains by restoring our racks, just as they were. Let us be free, as we were meant to be.

****

Journo death toll - 76.
Another journo killed while performing her duty.

Ms Politkovskaya, a reporter for the Novaya Gazeta newspaper, was found dead
Saturday afternoon from a bullet wound in the elevator of the building where
she lived in Moscow.

Such acts must be vociferously condemned.

Worst year for journalists

2006-10-05T23:12:00.000+05:30

2006 now has the dubious distinction of being the year when the maximum number of journalists have been killed world-wide. The death toll this year stands at 75, significantly greater than 58 last year.

As information becomes the driving force of this century's economy, the custodians of this immensely prized factor are under seige from various quarters. The have died performing their duty.

This year has seen two major world conflicts uptil now. 26 of these deaths have taken place in Iraq, where journo's are severely pesecuted.

It is alarming and we must take notice of this as a serious threat to freedom of thought and right to information.

2 Indian journalists have died this year.

The World Association of News Press release reads as follows:

Record Number of Journalists Killed in 2006

Seventy-five journalists have been killed so far this year, making 2006 the deadliest year for journalists on record, the World Association ofNewspapers said Thursday.

Twenty-six of the deaths occurred in Iraq, where journalists continue to be targetted and murdered.

The 75 journalists and other media workers killed through September makes 2006 the most deadly year since WAN began keeping records of journalist murders in 1997. Seventy-two journalists were killed in 2004.

"Journalists in Iraq are not only facing the danger that comes with working in a war zone, they are being hunted down and assassinated simply because they are suspected of cooperating with western news agencies, because of their religious or political affiliation, or because their murderers believe that killing journalists will advance their aims," said Timothy Balding, CEO
of the Paris-based WAN.

"Journalism today is more dangerous than ever," he said. "More than 500 journalists have been killed in the past decade, often for simply doing their jobs. These murders are a direct attack not only on individuals, but also on society as a whole. Yet few of the killers are ever brought to justice."

The Philippines, where criminal gangs and corrupt politicians have long been targetting investigative journalists without fear of prosecution, has seen eight journalists murdered so far in 2006.

Journalists have been killed in 19 other countries this year: Afghanistan (1), Angola (2), Bangladesh (1), Brazil (1), China (2), Colombia (4), Democratic Republic of Congo (1), Ecuador (2), Guatemala (1), Guyana (6), India (2), Indonesia (1), Lebanon (2), Mexico (1), Pakistan (3), Russia (1), Somalia (1), Sri Lanka (5), Sudan (1), Turkmenistan (1) and Venezuela (2).

The death toll compares with 58 killed in 2005, 72 killed in 2004, 53 killed
in 2003, 46 killed in 2002, 60 killed in 2001, 53 killed in 2000, 70 killed
in 1999, 28 in 1998, and 26 in 1997.

Details of all the cases can be found on the WAN web site at
http://www.wan-press.org/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=706 .

(Editors please note: illustrations for this story are available at
http://www.wan-press.org/article6661.html ).

Several press freedom organisations track the number of journalists killed each year. The numbers vary based on the criteria used by different associations. WAN¹s figures include all media workers killed in the line of duty or targeted because of their work. It also includes cases where the motive for the killings is unsure or where investigations have not been
completed.

The Paris-based WAN, the global organisation for the newspaper industry,defends and promotes press freedom world-wide. It represents 18,000 newspapers; its membership includes 73 national newspaper associations, newspapers and newspaper executives in 102 countries, 11 news agencies and nine regional and world-wide press groups.

Breaking the block

2006-09-15T14:09:00.000+05:30

Dealing with the writer's block. A time when thoughts are evasive and words lack gumption.

I had my “lost weekend”. Unlike its original victim who was besotted by his lady love and it probably was a creative period in Lennon’s life, I was lost for words. Quite Literally!

I am accustomed to occasional bouts of endlessly groping in the dark looking for an inkling of inspiration. On this occasion though, my mind refused to acknowledge the presence of intellect or creativity within itself. Asphyxiating the possibility of hope and shattering the determination to move ahead it leaves one disillusioned, frail.

It defines the very existential predicament of those who choose to call themselves writers or if their livelihood depends on toying with words. The crux of which relies on the smooth transgression of thoughts on to a chosen medium. A reflection of inner voice, it mirrors our aspirations, dreams and myriad flights of fantasy that bring immense joy and even agonizing sorrow. During such a spell depression is a commonly observed phenomenon. The very act of writing is considered therapeutic by many. One can simply wait for time to heal the broken bridges of a fractured thought process.

Articulating ones mental calisthenics in a cognizable manner is necessary to achieve that elusive peace of mind which most writers find solace in. So it is a given that when faced with this insurmountable challenge ingenious ways are devised to by pass the prevalent wait.

A common method is to write randomly as it comes, however disconnected it may be. It starts of a chain reaction which breaks the initial ice and promotes fluidity in thinking. But, this does not work at times as not being able to channel ideas as one wants can be hamper the will to continue writing. Hitting the keys to make a loud clunking sound while typing is also practiced, the sound is said to create an apt atmosphere seizing a person’s focus on the task at hand.

A start may facilitate some to then move ahead with their own ideas. So writing a paragraph or two from a newspaper or an old classic may sustain thought long enough to reach a point of originality. Kafka’s musings work for me, but alas not this time. A created atmosphere like a dimly lit room, candles, incense or bright light for the esoteric taste and natural surroundings, gardens, beaches etc. also assist in writing. An open area is said to allow space for thoughts to materialize, so desks facing a wall are generally avoided. Also pacing furiously or such strenuous activity breaks the monotony of sitting and trying to think. With the added benefit of losing weight this provides with neglected but much needed exercise, the optimum solution for a sedentary profession. The idea is to obliterate the routine and introduce variation for new thoughts.

Courage they say is borne out of desperation. Some brave enough to delve into their past relationships, emotions, anguish and fears often temper these natal feelings to a concentrated concoction which is then released in a violent explosion of pure passion. But, this method is known to leave a scar on the psyche of the individual, like a battle wound that refuses to heal. In the same vein, dealing with a crisis by talking to someone aids in facing our demons. As humans subservient to convenience we have a tendency to evade issues which cause distress and which eventually hamper clarity. Reconnecting with the innermost angst fills the void created by abject alienation, reconciling ones mind and spirit which ameliorate fluid expression of inherent voice.

If any of the techniques do not work, take heart in the fact that time is on your side, it will eventually relent to your unyielding will and persistence. After all the best way to defeat a writers block is to write! One word at a time.

Bio Mutiny

2006-09-07T11:28:00.000+05:30

Bio mutiny
Voice of the voiceless

I am angry. My rage directed at the establishment, at every person involved in this business of biotech, the students for being mute spectators and the teachers to encourage mediocrity. A mass production of generic individuals subservient to acknowledged authority where deflection from the norm is chastised.

The hackneyed and obsolete education system undermines latent potential of an individual and seldom encourages oblique thinking. The inherent structure of the system suppresses independent view point while rewarding compliance with defined notions. So, a novel idea becomes secondary to the so called primary objective of “achieving merit”.

The gulf between industry and academia is widening by the day. It is an accepted fact that a person has to unlearn his concepts when he or she enters the industry. So why are we investing in infrastructure and machinery when its eventual utility is void? A biotechnology graduate ignorant of practicality is severely restricted in his opportunities. In effect we are educating people to be unemployed as the skill set required for absorption in the industry is absent.

by the same writer.

FOR THE FULL ARTICLE SEE:

TBI link

Has media become subservient to market pressures?

2006-08-25T13:43:00.000+05:30

From rescheduling a news item to a religiously conducive day or the weekend to attract maximum audience, this trend in media is persistently eroding the integrity of the fourth estate.

Sahara Mumbai on Thursday 8.00 pm aired a piece where Mr.RKB himself, interviewed people and dignitaries of the famous Shirdi temple located near Nasik. The issue at hand was the proposed replacement of the current silver throne with a golden for idol of the revered saint, Sai Baba.

The interview was done on earlier than or on Tuesday, I presume as teasers were being aired since Wednesday mid-morning. It was most likely picked up as a potential story after Mr. Bal Thackeray objected to such undue expenses when we are living in a state, Maharashtra, where farmers commit suicide on a daily basis because of lack of funds.

The teaser was being aired and to my surprise the full segment was not shown. I figured being a “special” they would have moved it to their regular weekend slot, which in itself would be in contradiction to the ideal of immediate news reporting. But they went a step further and picked a prime-time slot at 8pm on a Thursday, which is widely acknowledged as day attributed to Sai Baba. The teasers leading to this piece were aired almost once every hour on Wednesday and they also did a 10min showcase at 8pm on that day.

The move was obviously to generate maximum TRP for the channel, as many would watch it due to religious inclination and interest which would be heightened by the awareness of the day.

This was unsettling as being journalism student I wondered about the ethical propriety of such a move. Is media trying to create news today instead of purely reporting it?

As a pattern it may be observed that during the last four weekends a news bit has been consequently stretched to provide a sort of “reality TV” alternative for the weekend viewer! It began with the prince saga which was given almost 2 day minute by minute coverage. Then there was the infamous Jaswant Singh mole controversy which was probed mercilessly, more so on weekends. The PM and the Indo-US nuclear deal was vying for eyeballs all across the prominent TV channels.

Last week it was the Mahim creek water that had become sweet and hordes of people went to the beach to drink murky sea-water. This, in my opinion, is an excellent example of media created mass frenzy, as the amount of airtime given to this item ensured that more people would be encouraged to learn about the phenomenon by themselves, which resulted in small children drinking filthy water. This story was given almost 13 to 14 hours of airtime. The report was objective as it warned the people not to drink the water as it may contain toxins but was it responsible in giving it an incubation period via extensive coverage which lead to mass frenzy! I doubt whether this would be the case if the story were to break on a week day.

Although business compulsions of news channels cannot be ignored in today’s reality but it is imperative that they do not forget the very basics of reporting. We have a robust media here in India, which is not afraid to challenge the establishment policies and seldom hesitates to ask the important questions. By such gross violation of journalism ethics it would not only render the fourth estate hollow but also harm the psyche of its audience at large.

I revert to an often used and possibly clichéd quote but whose relevance is by far unquestioned. Mr. Stan Lee said it best when he proclaimed “With great power comes great responsibility”.

Storm in a bottle: The big picture missing!

2006-08-21T15:21:00.000+05:30

The recent controversy surrounding an unacceptable level of pesticides in Pepsi and Coca-Cola is grossly misdirected in the general media. By merely focusing on banning the drinks an important opportunity to deliberate on this issue is lost.

It is necessary that MNCs must adhere to a standard especially when the product in question is consumed by a mass populace and they must be held accountable. But the core issue here should be how these findings reflect on the state of our water resources and environmental conditions.

The indiscriminate use of chemical and hazardous pesticides leads to them being leeched into our underground water reserves, soil and the atmosphere. It is not surprising at all that toxins are found in such high amounts in cola drinks which contain about 90% water. Such studies if conducted over a wide spectrum of organic food items and agricultural produce would, without a doubt, generate similar results. A proposed healthier option of milk in schools should also be subjected to equivalent checks but the results may just be damaging to the very fabric of our existence.

The fact that food articles elementary for our daily sustenance are polluted to an objectionable rate is alarming. The wider implication of such a possibility on the general health of people and also in the context of global trade is a matter of concern. India’s credibility in the world market may come under a scanner and jeopardize trade relations or even worse may attract embargoes on import from the country. It is imperative that the government formulate a comprehensive policy to contain pollution and avert such a crisis, even if it may not be an immediate threat. This can be achieved by introducing stringent environmental laws, agricultural policies and ensuring their implementation. Also, people must be educated and encouraged to actively participate in conserving the environment for a long-term holistic solution.

An alternative course of action must be considered which would help in curtailing the use of harmful pesticides in agriculture. Bio-fertilizers, vermiculture, sporadic growth of crops with varied nutritional requirements can be supplemented along with the conventional fertilizers.

Genetically engineered plants with inherent resistance to common pests and diseases can be a resourceful means by which chemical usage can be curbed. This requires government support in terms of initiative, financial aid and devising new policies to pave the way for research in this field. India already has a comprehensive policy on biotechnology and its application in agriculture and regulation but it is still in its nascent stage. Liberalising this sector can provide viable solutions to the widely observed environmental degeneration that is prevalent today. A proper understanding of the technology and its implementation in a prescribed regulated method is of importance while considering this option.

We must cease to take the earth for granted lest it returns the gesture, as it already has begun, for us to be consumed by our perennial struggle to exist.

Tryst with destiny

2006-08-16T14:37:00.000+05:30

For those who always wondered about India's first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru's famous 'Tryst with destiny' speech made at the Indian constituent assembly on the eve of independance, towards midnight on 14th Aug 1947, but are too damn lazy to google or wiki it (like I was) here's the speech.

Also an article by Shashi Tharoor on an account of the day as witnessed by Mildred Talbot, who had the rare privilege of being present at the independence ceremonies of both India and Pakistan. (see link)

"Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance.It is fitting that at this solemn moment, we take the pledge of dedication to the service of India and her people and to the still larger cause of humanity.'

At the dawn of history India started on her unending quest, and trackless centuries are filled with her striving and the grandeur of her successes, and her failures. Through good and ill fortune alike she has never lost sight of that quest or forgotten the ideals which gave her strength. We end today a period of ill fortune and India discovers herself again. The achievement we celebrate today is but a step, an opening of opportunity, to the greater triumphs and achievements that await us. Are we brave enough and wise enough to grasp this opportunity and accept the challenge of the future?

Freedom and power bring responsibility. The responsibility rests upon this Assembly, a sovereign body representing the sovereign people of India. Before the birth of freedom, we have endured all the pains of labour and our hearts are heavy with the memory of this sorrow. Some of those pains continue even now. Nevertheless, the past is over and it is the future that beckons to us now. That future is not one of ease or resting but of incessant striving so that we might fulfill the pledges we have so often taken and the One we shall take today. The service of India means the service of the millions who suffer. It means the ending of poverty and ignorance and disease and inequality of opportunity. The ambition of the greatest man of our generation has been to wipe every tear from every eye. That may be beyond us. But as long as there are tears and suffering, so long our work will not be over. And so we have to labour and to work and work hard to give reality to our dreams. Those dreams are for India, but they are also for the world, for all the nations and peoples are too closely knit together today for anyone of them to imagine that it can live apart. Peace has been said to be indivisible; so is freedom, so is prosperity now and so also is disaster in this one world that can no longer be split into isolated fragments. To the people of India, whose representatives we are, we appeal to join us' with faith and confidence in this great adventure. This is no time for petty and destructive criticism, no time for ill-will or blaming others. We have to build the noble mansion of free India where all her children may dwell.

I beg to move, sir, that it be resolved that: After the last stroke of midnight, all members of the Constituent Assembly present on this occasion do take the following pledge: (1)At this solemn moment, when the people of India, through suffering and sacrifice, have secured freedom, I a member of the Constituent Assembly of India, do dedicate myself in all humility to the service of India and her people to the end that this ancient land attain her rightful place in the world and make her full and willing contribution to the promotion of world peace and the welfare of mankind. (2)Members who are not present on this occasion do take the pledge (with such verbal changes as the president may prescribe) at the time they next attend a session of the Assembly."

The Hindu - 1947 first hand