Party with differences

The chances to dislodge the ruling dispensation seems remote but the 'party with a difference' is already fighting with differences over the prime ministerial candidate. Aging Atal, hardliner Advani or the new bridegroom Rajnath, the party is fighting a war on a surreptitous battleground. Having run out of issues to put the treasury benches on the mat in the Parliament, perhaps the safforn party is now embracing the escapist route knowing fully well that power hunt is going to be tough.
Isn't it tomfoolery on the part of the BJP to discuss the PM candidate in the Lucknow convention when the elections are scheduled to be held in 2009. With no possibility of a mid term poll, there's no point in discussing a hypothetical situation. The party leadership instead must call for boosting the morale of the grassroots cadre as well as addressing its problem of reaching out to the rural India. Urban votebank and glitzy campaigns, as it must have learnt by the drubbing down it got in the last general elections, are not enough to win the polls. And Hindutva, of course, is not going to work. Though the Mandal magic may still be relevant with the passage of a reservation Bill, the kamandal sutra is just not viable in the present context. Then why this hankering over PMship? Even the Bhismpitamah of Indian politics, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, has not done much to put the party back on track. Reportedly, the BJP giant has annointed LK as his predecessor. With due respects to the former PM, wouldn't it have been a wise thing for him to ask his Lakshmans to focus on issues rather than bothering themselves with the leasership debate?

Faceless devils

Shop till u drop... I did... overwhelmed with love and expctations, there's excitement about the grand finale... but the intimidating moments of uncertainty overshadow happiness. Muted by phases of depression and brotherly concern, elations surface in times of momentary forgetfulness... a conscious effort not to think about what stares in the face just works fine for me when I am engaged in conversations not with myself. But in my loneliness, the age-old ghosts of apprehensions become the best companions. Oh I never wanted to befriend them but the monsters, buried under a courageuos heart, come back to be with me. They just refuse to go away. I am sure they bother other human beings too. That's perhaps the only solace of facing them day after day... In every situation, the faceless devils come back to sow the seeds of doubts and reinforce them every moment. The weak just give in to their machinations and the rest like me slug it out... This time also the doubts will melt and the ghosts would have to retreat to their graves... GOD is with me, us.

poetry

Poetry, I thought, was written out of pedantic effort till I discovered its emotional strings. Influenced by Eliot and other modern poets, I was led into believing that great poetry has its roots in obscure allusions and wide reading. The uncommon metaphor, erudite learning, the wisdom of books, the ability to beat rhyme and falling out of symphony were what I thought comprised poetry. Form me, a poem, to provoke thought, needed to have refrences to the dehumanising aspect of modern world and urban waste phenomenon.
But I have grown out of it when I see aspiring writers with a mature mind and sentimental heart writing their experiences and giving shape to their own poetry.

Will update later....

SEZ

Special Economic Zone (SEZ), the emerging symbol of India's buoyant economy, has an altogether different dimension for fiery Bengal opposition leader Mamata Banerjee. She considers these spheres of economic progress as not more than Special Energising Zone (SEZ) as we have found out during her recent energy-filled opposition to land acqusition in Singur for the Tatas. Yes, Singur is not an SEZ but it entailed acquiring agricultural land from farmers. An energised Mamata having run out of issues against the Red rule lapped up the land acquistion drive to save the 'marginalised farmers', already at the bottom of the economic ladder. Never mind these farmers had no complaints against the compensation package. The voice representing the poor has again richochetted through the corridors of Kolkata. Save the farmers

Who will compensate the loss?

He has braved it all. The militants' bullet, the inhospitable terrains of Siachen, the gruelling session of Army training... Coming from him with much acclaim and pride, he now stands to guard the country. Motivated, ready to sacrifice his life, the toughie in the service of his country, the friend owes it all to the country and his batallion... but yesterday as we raised a toast to the memories of our school days, we discovered in him a normal human being. There's a corner in his heart that craves to be pampered. The toughie soon joins the rest of us, the bloody civilians of a few moments back for not respecting time. With aplomb and a sense of belongingness to the country, he narrates his days in the service, the moment when he killed terrorists, when he saw the skull fracturing by the impact of a bullet, when he saw his jawan, blessed with twins just a week back, falling to the guns. At 26, he's intimidated death. But, the moment he talks about his elder brother dying in a MiG crash, our man breaks down. Suddenly his voice starts breaking. And he breaks down. Who will compensate the loss? Perhaps the warring governments of this world, perpetually fighting for territorial control, need to answer this query?

AIDS DAY

World AIDS Day. Five million and counting... the number of people living with HIV is growing exponentially in India. Move over sex workers and truck drivers, the epidemic is slowly enveloping all sections of society. As sexual freedom and pre-marital sex are no more subjects of taboo treatment, the threat is all the more alarming. With an emerging middle class youth having tremendous purchasing power, the issue can't be brushed under the carpet. The government and the civil society groups should focus on educating the youth about the dreaded disease and the perils of unsafe sex. The situation demands immediate action. Or else it will be too late.
Besides spreading awareness about the disease, there should be a concerted effort by the research agencies to develop a vaccine for containing the virus. With India emerging as the knowledge powerhouse in biotech and IT, there should be a coming together of the private and the public to tackle the menace.

Tiger roars back into squad

So, the prince of Calcutta is back in the squad. The selectors' love for new blood seems to have been bloodied by those string of bloody defeats in the recent past. And so the good old experienced masters of Indian cricket are back in the reckoning. The very very special Laxman from nowhere has become the vice-captain of the team and Ganguly is expected to be the mainstay of Indian batting lineup.
Guru Greg's experimentation with the youth seems not to have gone down well with the BCCI chief Sharad Pawar who himself has shown extraordinary interest in the team selection this time. Instead of the usual meeting in Mumbai, the venue for selection was shifted to the unsporting Delhi. Facing opposition from the MPs over Chappel's comment, the board chief, himself a shrewd politician, convened the meeting in Delhi to convey the "popular sentiment" of the political class, who are in turn the representatives of the People of India, to the selectors. Though I am happy that Ganguly has made a comeback to the team, I am not particularly pleased with the politics played over his selection. Now, the critics have all the reasons to "reason" that Ganguly's inclusion in the team owes to the perpetual tirade launched by the Left. Please, he has scored more than 15 centuries in one days and has won many games for India besides being the most successful captain. If numbers are the staple diet of politicians, shouldn't Saurav have an upper hand? He deserves to be in the team.

The two Bhartis

The name Bharti rings a bell everytime it appears in newspapers. It does remind me of an emerging India and also of a patriarchal India. If you have been reading the morning papers, you must have noticed Bharti occupying a slot in the front page. One a mournful lover, the other a telecom giant.
Both have a foreign connection now. While Bharti Yadav has settled abroad in London after her brothers brutally killed her lover Nitish Katara in 2002, the telecom major has forged an alliance with US retail leader Wal Mart. On one hand, an Indian women is forcibly sent to the West by her parents to prevent her from marrying the man of her choice. On the other hand, we are bringing dollars from the US to propel our economy. While we are contantly innovating ourselves to bring more money into our economy, are we doing enough to change the patriarchal nature of our society? The entire juxtaposition of the two Bhartis of India is indeed a reminder of the two Indias that we inhabit in the times of economic resurgence and growing divide between the rich and the poor. Let the government take pride in providing tax sops to Mr Mittal as also in getting rid the country of honour killings.

It's only a game

It's a country of extreme reactions and benevolent genuflections. Hero-worship and instant demonising are nothing new to the millions here. More so when cricket is the riding passion. And everyone seems to have an opinion.
Two mammoth defeats in South Africa and the tounges have started wagging again. Failed-players-turned-commentators, journalists by the sheer weight of their misguided words, and the public in general are on a witch hunting exercise. Everyone is after the wretched team. So much for the tolerance that our tradition teaches us.
Then you have the proverbial Mahisasura, Greg Chappel, who loves to talk his heart out. His zeal for experimentation, the last thing that the conformist politicians would prefer to emabrk upon, has won him many enemies. The entire Bengal and the Red land is against this White man and his belief in the capitalist thought of entrepreneurship. The Bengali bhadralok is deeply disturbed for he has shown the door to their own babu moshai Saurav Ganguly. I too feel that Ganguly was given a raw deal but there are enough reasons for me to believe that the Tiger would again claw his way back into the team.
Well, when will we learn not to take ourselves too seriously? Can't we just take the losses in the spirit of the game? I know it's difficult but then it's only a game and not a war. Let's stop becoming experts and just hope that our team will be more professionally equipped to take on the best. Let's give them their due.

Charge of an IDEA

An idea, goes a popular ad of a mobileservice provider, can change your life. But how difficult is it to hit upon an idea as I have found it time and again. Writing this blog with a vacuum in mind and a void in soul isn't going to be easy. That's where I need the ideas.
Am I not reading books, or those anti-establishment editorials, or have I completely disassociated myself with literature so as not to bathe in ideas? Its extravagance baffles me now, its rarity is puzzling and the very idea that it's scarce scares me. I turn to morning newspapers or those endless news breaking bulletins to be intimidated by the idea that so much idea or the lack of it has gone into the making of reels and tapes.
well, it's about the idea and not the lack of it (excuse me for digressing) but I can, as of now, only track the endless streams of thoughts and notions hitting a cul de sac. The ephemeral is troubling me again. It should have sustainable value as I have found out from my temporary brushes with several ideas. And for those ideas to keep going, passion is ideal fuel. Well, it seems that I have run out of that steam and my ideas evaporate without much consequence.

Doctored version

With a bulk of uncertainty enveloping the mind and more so the body, I have finally come to realise that life is on a teething edge. Physical fitness and job are such great companions, I never knew until last year's experience. This year too I am going through the same rigour, facing similar 'veiled threats' from people who call them doctors and claim to take care of the human body. Till now I had despised Mr Ram for disdaining the great Indian media bazaar. But, I would pay rapt attention now if he speaks about the great Indian Medico Mafia, which runs commanding the highest respect from society and under the 'watchful' eyes of law.
On a more dreary note, the custodians of morality are playing the deceitful agents of immorality scaling new heights in swindling the poor under the garb of 'treating' them well. Oh, what happened to the Hippocratic oath? Can't help recalling Mr Marquez's assertion that the invention of scalpel is the greatest failure of medical science. Or shall I say the cunning, money making 'scalpeled' mind of the present day doctors. The days of symptomatic treatment are over. The wisdom of years of medical science has yielded to inanimate instruments, which speak truth about the greatest invention God has made on the erath, the human body. No diagnosis is complete until the cells are put through a series of machines. The magical touch of human hand doesn't exist anymore.
Ask me, I had to bear the brunt of all of them, the doc's touch and the diagnosis equipment. One operation, supposed to be the most advanced in the country's state-of-the-art hospital and now doctors' proclaim another intervention might be needed in future. Some papers with undulating graphs obtained from an echo machine decide my fate. Wish I had never known about my illness and doctors. I would have been happy.

A new Bihar

A day after the people of Bihar had voted the invincible Lalu Yadav out of power, I had left for Mumbai on yet another jittery journey. Almost a year after, I visited home. And nothing seems to have changed excpet for the half-done new overbridge that has come in place of the crumbling 'Chiraiyantad pull'.
The culture of flouting norms is as stark as it was during the 15 years of jungle raj. People still love to talk about their caste affiliations. Ministries and their bureaucrats are still decided by their proximity to politicians and social engineering. Roads are chaotic as ever, saabjiwallas have not yielded an inch, monster autos are spreading more pollution.
Though doctors are heaving a sigh of relief after a massive crackdown on kidnappers by the new government, the state healthcare system continues to be held ransom by the private doctors' mafia. No medicare for the poor. Even in the new regime, a private clinic is the only way out for all and sundry.
Funds are being snactioned for new projects but only to 'strengthen' the commission system that had been laid to rest in the last 15 years of no-development phase. So, the real benefeciaries of the emerging Bihar are the thousands of government officers who had been denied their share in the 15 years of Lalu-Rabri rule. Up for grabs.
Bihar on the path of peace, progress and prosperity!

Secular street

Ever since I veered into journalism, the literay animal in me has been gasping for breath. Yesterday night while venturing through the decked up lanes of Mohammed Ali Road in search for an elusive kabab, I felt the pangs of pathos amid festivities. In these troubled times, when faith and fear coexist, the animal once again tried to come back to life as I was immediately reminded of the renowned Hindi literary giant Premchand. A little hesitant to go to the Muslim-dominated area, probably a little condescending also, I used to always fly over it, looking down upon and frowning on the 'other' countrymen.
But the gourmet that I am, I couldn't resist the temptation of having delicious kababs and I finally found my way into the lane, which I used to pass by in hurry. Once there, I could easily recall the poignant moments from my Hindi textbook in school. The legendary Premchand's moving stories on festivals and individual suffering with an underlying theme of secularism were playing out on the street I used to despise as dirty and treacheruos. But, during Ramzaan, it takes a completely secular hue. Hindus in equal number throng the Mohammed Ali Road to relish the variety of kababs and other sepcially prepared dishes for the occasion. And yes they are welcomed with the same holy spirit.
All the talks of 'clash of civilisation' and the post 7/11 Muslim bashing vanished into thin air, rather in the thick smoke of richly prepared kheer. The hospitatlity of the other_a western ideological construct forced into the popular discourse_and secular virtues that I learned in my school textbooks helped me shed my pre-conceived notions about the street, which was once in my imgaination (formed by the great Indian media) dominated by only militants and ISI agents. Though I still have deep reservations against certain hardcore sections of the community, I love them for more than their kababs.

the local

The Local... The unavoidable, the lifeline, the bombed saga of a failing spirit, the tireless journey of struggle and survival... Never had thought that I will have to board it... was scared of it, thanks to the numerous horrifying, almost to the Gothic extent, tales... but what a bliss... an hour to myself... In the rising crescendo and the unedning stream of people, I found peace. Some with FMs plugged into their ears, others just chatting, the more intense reading, and some just catching up on their sleep... What a way to observe people from a detached point of view... the selfishness, the greatness... all travel on the same train... the political overtones also outsound the chugging of the slow local... the sound is certainly deafening but the journey is enriching...

The Bharat and India

India on the move. Bharat hits a developmental roadblock. India's IT industry is growing in leaps and bounds. Country's kisans are deep into debts.
For an upstart journo, or a student of economics, contradictions in the same landscape will be the most exciting thing. India is just the right learning laboratory for them. From politics to economics, contradictions abound. Perhap, that has something to do with the cherished 'unity and diversity' funda. The diverse rural Bharat can certainy find a consonance with the metros of India.
While the young executives are reaping the benefits of India's burgeoning economy, the aam admi is finding it difficult to comprehend the positive change. The divide is becoming more noticeable each passing day. More farmers are committing suicide. Inflation is zooming northwards. Prices of essential commodities have risen by 33 per cent in some cases forcing the Central bank to hike the short-term interest rates to squeeze in liquidity.

RIP

With the death of high-profile BJP general secretary Pramod Mahajan, the party's political template has been exposed to further mutation of a harmful type. Starting with the Lok Sabha poll defeat in 2004 to Advani's tryst with Jinnah's djinn in Pakistan in 2005 and now Pramod Mahajan's untimely demise, the saffron party's DNA has mutated for the worse. Among the second generation leaders, there's no one who can claim to have a national face. Mahajan was getting there but fate willed otherwise. Despite his showbiz persona, he was the lynchpin of the big two of the party. Be it fund raising or organising an event, he was successful in grabbing the nation's attention. His aggressive but at the same time polite attitude had won him many friends in the media and he used the Press to the maximum benefit. Mahajan was one person who had been instrumental in changing the BJP's image from being a party of small traders to a party aligning with big media houses. It was Mahajan who stuck to the party ideology of Hindutva but simultaneously showed to the world that Hindutva and computer science can go hand in hand. His understanding of the grassroot politics was somehow exposed during the LS poll of 2004 when his India Shining blitzkrieg came crashing down resulting in BJP's defeat. Despite the loss, Mahajan continued to be Atal's Man Friday. May his soul rest in peace.

The fund-raiser

Heard a bang in the morning... a gunshot... BJP high-profile general secretary and party's main fund-raiser Pramod Mahajan had been shot at by his own brother Praveen Mahajan. Three bullets were pumped from point blank range into Mahajan's system but doctors are trying their best to save him. If the medical science fails, the intra-party bickering in the BJP will certainly get a new twist and the Maharashtra politics will be altered forever. After Sharad Pawar, who could have emerged as the regional satrap of Maharashtra? Mahajan has the aura but he is battling death. No BJP leader in Maharashtra can come close to Mahajan's stature. His managerial skills had earned him respect of senior party leaders. He was always there for journalists to give a quote or two. Mahajan was one of the most sough-after second generation leaders of BJP. With the battle for moving up the ladder in the party hierarchy hotting up, which eventually forced his bete noire Uma Bharati to quit the party, Mahajan's exit may put on hold the leadership battle. Though Rajnath Singh is at the helm and with full support of the RSS, Mahajan was in the reckoning but falling out for not securing a Lok Sabha victory for the party in 2004. And with full backing of Vajpayee, Mahajan was surely up there but not quite there as the former PM's stature has itself suffered post the poll defeat. For now, let's hope that the leader defeats death.

Indian democracy, an American political scientist said, is nothing but a functioning anarchy. Going by the agitation for and against the Sardar Sarovar dam project, the social scientist would certainly find many takers. A handful of activists, including cine stars, can force the federal structure of India to grovell before them. The smaller establishment (read Modi) can also hold its big brother (the Centre) to ransom. Constitutional experts have always argued that the Constitution has vested immense powers with the Union of India to override the state governments. But, what happens when a weak Centre is not able to hold on to itself? What happens when MPs cutting across party lines gang up against the Centre? What happens when the 'moderate' prime minister is not able to take any decision? What happens when the government is up against many pressure groups (read regional parties)?
Rehabilitation is certainly a concern and it should be implemented in letter and spirit. But, the government can't suspend the work on the dam after investing a huge amount of taxpayers' money. The activists are right when they protest for the rehabilitation of the displaced but they should restrict themselves to that only. Aamir should rather keep his rebellious ideas for his movies.

Quota rules

Social justice, the profound political jargon of early nineties is back in currency. The Congress government, which strangely sat over the Mandal commission report for over 10 years, has certainly found a new saviour in Arjun Singh, the 21st Century Mandal. The much-trumpetted social justice wagon is all set to roll over meritocracy and let loose a new regime of divisive politics. Last time, it was the Congress government which had to bear the brunt of its veiled opposition to the quota system. This time it's the same Congress vigorously riding the social justice horse. Facing the threat of being dislodged from power, the GOP is now trying to strike a social chemistry which can catapult it to power again. Having committed constitutional hara-kiri in many states, including Jharkhand, Bihar and Goa, and with many of its top leaders involved in corruption cases, the party is hoping that providing 27 per cent reservation to OBCs in higher education institutes will help it regain power. With the BJP falling to its own internal bickerings, the party, sensing that the electorate is in no mood to succumb to the passions of communal politics, doesn't see a tough competitor in the saffron party. It forsees that a major chunk of BJP voters, traditionally Congress sympathisers, are returning to it. The Congress now wants to win back those voters who have strayed to regional parties. And thus the OBC card. But, then the traditional upper castes voters will again go back to the BJP. The GOP is clearly not worried about its traditional voters deserting it for now it believes that democracy is a numbers game. A combination of Dalit, Muslim and OBC votebank can safely see the party home. The whispers of introducing reservation in private sector jobs may now get louder. The party has armed itself with the quota weapon to gear up for a mid-term poll. And we should be ready for Congress browbeating its allies.

UPside down

The ACT II of the recent Sonia Morality Play was a masterstroke. And it came from the bahu of India's first family, which has developed and perfected the art of political chicanery. And the junta, including the sychophant Congress workers and a bunch of opinion-makers, went ga ga over the renunciation act of the Congress president. They all knew it was aimed at winning back the Hindi heartland votes without which the Congress can never come to power on its own. Rai Bareli was just a stepping stone. Sonia has just begun her yatra to cut the neo-socialists and Dalit-sympathisers of UP to size. And no better way to profit than quitting a post-of-profit. With the state slated to go for elections next year, Mrs Morality has initiated the debate on maintaining a moral standars in politics. Well, sounds very exciting given the image politicians carry. People, in general, are still recovering from years of the corrution raj of the Congress post-independence. Hoping for a corruption-free rule, they voted for socialists who turned out to be even worse. And in the post Babri and Mandal politics, Congress having lost ground, is making hectic efforts to win back India's most politically important arena. And since it can't take credit, discredit for the communalisation and Mandalisation of politics, it has stirred up the issue of corruption with Sonia leading from the front. Let's see how far this goes... The Mayawatis and the Mulayams would be praying for Act V.

Sach is life

A master blaster for ages, he is now being blasted for 'metamorphosing' into a miser run scorer. Yes, I am talking about the greatness of Sachin Tendulkar, who despite this rough patch in his long career, continues to overshadow minion critics.
Sachin's case highlights the often-stated fact that public memory lasts as long as you are performing. It's like the present-day corporate philosophy of being judged by your yesterday's performance, your years of toil notwithstanding. Now, a political twist here. Left, the great guardians of the Indian middle and worker class, should find Sachin's fall from greatness in the last year or so to be his victimisation since he is being benchmarked by corporate standards of 'present-day performance'. Shouldn't Sachin be equated with a PSU_the undeniable forte of the Left_since performance and productivity don't look good in the company of these white elephants? But, not a single Left leader has seen Red in the Sachin controversy? Even if one agrees that Sachin has become an NPA, the Left should make it a point to persist with him till he collapses completely! Instead, they have been hurt by Dada being asked to sit out. No voices for Sachin though, who has become Team India proverbial NPA. The little master should restire with grace by not trying to score good Marx anymore.

Development of castes

The wheels of development have started moving, an acquaintance of mine told me after he returned from his Bihar sojourn. The Bhumihars have regained their supremacy after 15 years of utter neglect, he tells me proudly. He also talks about the newly-coined political superlative: Kurmi ka taaj, Bhumiharo ka raj.
He talks with pride and vengeance about the return of the rule of law in the state but not without giving it a caste colour. "The gun-and-lathi-weilding Yadavs are scurrying for cover... the top positions in the police force are occupied by the forwards... all the tenders are going to the upper castes... it's their moment to brandish the state power..."
If you are thinking that this narrator is deeply rooted in state politics and was at the receiving end of Lalu-Rabri 15-year misrule, you are mistaken. He is a bright student from Bihar studying in a professional college in the country's commercial capital. But, his update on the caste politics intermingling with goveranance might actually confuse you. He narrated all the rosy details about the changing power equations with the forwards at the helm of affairs.
I was thrilled at the prospect of my state hitting the road to development but at the same time I wondered whether the wheel has moved at all? Instead the viscious cycle of caste supremacy has turned once again after 15 years. I realised that it's only the development and prosperity of castes, which were neglected during the 15 years of social justice rule, that he unconsciosly talked about...
The wheels of development are not moving... it's the other wheel of caste that has come a full circle in the last 100 days of Nitish rule... Development will again become caste-centric... Bhumihars and Kurmis will certainly see their development... But, the development of state... let time decide and the voters....

Once was Bombay

My westward movement in journalism has brought me to Mumbai, the city of dreams and opportunities that travel on packed local trains. From the upmarket Churchgate to the suburbs of Goregaon and Malad, thousands dreams take birth and die simultaneously. Though I never came to this glitzy city with a dream, I am forgetting to dream in this claustrophobic Mumbai. People everywhere. Superficiality abounds. The squalor of slums being hidden by the gloss of high rises. Race to beat time in a frame that never stops. Housing prices defying the definitions of humungous fraud. The changing colours of politics. All voices and projects drowning in the post flood clamour. The alert citizen who is politicaly not conscious, the Mumbai marathon, the Wankhede, the media boom, the Kalaghoda, Nariman Point, a dirty chowpatti, the numerous discotheques, bars and pubs, the Gateway, the bollywood, the Arabian Sea, Gods and Shivaji in the numerous temples, the Maratha chauvinism, the culture police, the outsider feel, bad roads, unrelenting rains, and above all the soft underbelly of Indian globalisation... that's Mumbai, which once was Bombay, for me.... I had grown up seeing Bombay in Bollywood movies... from underworld to the endless romantic scenes, I had conceived Bombay in the imagination of Bollywood... But when I confront the Maximum city in all its gory realities, I am shell-shocked. It's not Bombay, it's Mumbai... the great Maratha shift... the greatest sex change in the history... from Victora Terminus to Chhtrapati Shivaji Terminus, Bombay of my imagination has braved it all.... from a liberal city to a city held prisoner to taboo mindsets... that's Bombay for me...

will resume later....