My Heart goes garland garland

My heart goes garland garland reading the news about Mayawati's new controversy. And the garland isn't of roses or green notes but of cactus. It isn't because Mayawati was gifted a garland made of notes worth Rs. 1 crore, Rs 15 lakh or Rs 18 lakh (depends on which version you believe.) It is also not because she proudly (or immodestly and shamelessly) displays it to the world as a symbol of her power. It is also not because such servitude of Indian politicians towards party leaders makes me sick in stomach.

It's because she calls herself the representative of Dalits and is the Chief Minister of one of the poorest and backwards states of India which has a high crime rate. So while the people of her state struggle with poverty she doesn't seem it as inappropriate to display her newly found power and wealth. Its also because people on the streets in UP celebrates this act of hers. They think that what she is doing is correct and others are raising finger because she is a Dalit. It's because beneath the cover of an opressed caste you are successful in manipluating an entire population. Its because I can't fathom when will the caste system in India be laid to rest. It's also because Maywati's says that gifting a garland made of money is entirely legal. She forgets that people are talking about morality not legality.

And finally its because I have to grudgingly admit that people get the government they deserve and that we deserve such leaders.

Obama meets Dalai Lama - Whats's the Indian role

Obama hosted Dalai Lama at White House which drew an angry reaction from China. No one expected anything else. Most suspect this as an American ploy to instigate China as Washington becomes more insecure of China's rising power. USA and China both have their reasons for their respective reactions. But is the Indian media too harsh a critic of China's policies in Tibet?

Some one made a very interesting point to me, a few days back. Isn't Kashmir is to India what Tibet is to China. People of Tibet don't want to be part of China, even though China is on its way to become a superpower. We Indians always wonder why the people of Kashmir want to go to Pakistan when they are better off economically in India. Indian government does not tell them to forget their culture or religion. Yet why are they so hell bent on Pakistan? Isn't the China case similar? Chinese too feel that Tibetans are better off being a part of China, free to follow their culture ( Though this point can be debated as there are counter views on this), be a part of the great economic revolution, then why are they pinning for a different state. And if they say they want independence, then same is the case of Kashmir. One can argue that Tibet revolution doesn't involve the level of terrorism that India faces from Kashmir militants. ( Though I dont have any information on the nature of protest of Tibetans.)

I am not supporting the analogy or arguing against it, simply because I don't think I am capable enough to comment on it. But it is indeed an interesting analogy that makes you think twice and dig deeper into the history.

The Chief Ministers of India turning a new leaf

It was really heart warming to read about Bihar being one of the most progressive states in India. Some would argue that its because its on a low base compared to other states. But for a state that's languishing in dark for all these years, an applause for the progress is well deserved. All credit should go to its Chief Minister Nitish Kumar who has done a remarkable job. He is also championing the cause of cleansing Ganga which is a long overdue action that should have been taken long before by the state governments. Also, instead of haggling with the union agricultural minister Sharad Pawar, he has agreed to waive off the VAT on sugar in the state. All examples of a good statesman and administrator. The ex-chief minister of Bihar, Lalu Prasad Yadav, may have garnered accolades for his performance as a turnaround Railway Minister, but he is also infamous for keeping Bihar as an impoverished state during his term as the CM there. Obviously he can't digest the success of Nitish Kumar and continues to pick holes in his governance. But statistics speak for themselves and looks like Bihar is all set for progress under its current CM's stewardship.

Another state whose CM makes more headlines than its progress is Uttar Pradesh. The news making CM of UP, Mayawati seems to have turned over a new leaf these days. Not only has she come forward for supporting the cause of hockey players in India but also has decided to do away with her lavish birthday celebrations which earned a lot of brickbats in the past. This year, for her 54th birthday, Mayawati has announced schemes worth over 7,000 crore rupees to help the poorest in Uttar Pradesh. Either oher PR officer has advised her on this or she is really working for the state welfare. Whatever be the intention, but the action is definitely a step ahead in positive direction.

And if we are discussing about Chief Ministers of India, one name that we can't ignore is Gujarat's Minister, Narendra Modi. You may hate him or praise him, but you can't ignore him. I am not a big fan of his because of his 2002 Gujarat antics but I can't help marvel at this success in making Gujarat one of the most progressive states in India. One doesn't hear about as many SEZ conflicts in Gujarat as in other states. He does his best to bring investment in the state, not to forget how he got Tata to set up their Nano plant in Gujarat. Now he has moved a mile forward after announcing mandatory elections in Gujarat. The big blot in his Chief Minister's career seems to be fading away owing to his governance skills. Yet, he will continue to be treated as a suspect for a long time and rightly so.

Makers of 'preaching-to-be-good' movies may not learn the lesson themselves

One would think that the makers of 'preaching-to-be-good' movies like 'Munnabhai' and '3 idiots' would be practicing some goodness on themselves too. But seeing the current '3 idiots' war between the makers and Chetan Bhagat, the writer of the book, 'Five Point Someone', clearly shows that they haven't learnt a lot from their movies except to make money.

Firstly to say that the movie is based 2-5% on the book is laughable. Clearly the basic story, the underlying principle, the twists, the plots have a lot in common with the book. Anyone who has read the book will vouch for that. Obviously the screenplay will be different as its a movie adaptation and also because you want to Aamir to be the main protagonist and him to romance the heroine, but the story is the same.

Secondly, its a little preposterous for Aamir Khan to call Chetan Bhagat publicity hungry even without bothering to read the book. Aamir probably doesn't read the books that general young Indian reads. Thats why he doesn't know the popularity of Chetan Bhagat and why he doesn't require publicity. I and many people I know did not go to watch the movie because its a movie made by the makers of Munnabhai. We wanted to watch it because we had loved the book. Yet, to say that people throng theaters to watch Aamir Khan movie makes sense but I am sure the number of people who were aware that the movie was based on the hit novel is more than the number of people who were aware that this movie is made by the 'Munnabhai' makers.

And what I don't understand is that why are the makers being so squeamish in sharing the story credit with Chetan. Chetan Bhagat, is a renowned name in the Indian publishing industry. He is to Indian publishing what Aamir is to Bollywood, a sure shot bumper opening. He is not asking for money, being a creative person he is justifiably upset at the amount of effort the makers are taking to keep the movie distant from the book.

Looks like a money minded producer will not understand the mind of a creative person. He needs to watch Munnabhai series once again.

Mr. Tharoor, why tweet when you can write?

How will one feel about a company whose senior executives give conflicting statements in press release or discuss important company related issues on social networking sites. I am sure an action will be taken against them. Running a country is very similar to running a company. Taking that analogy, I don't find it surprising that Shashi Tharoor's latest tweeting has again landed him in trouble with his party colleagues and own ministry. Tharoor had questioned the tightening of visa rules in the backdrop of the David Headley case by tweeting. He was reprimanded for his gesture by India's external affair minister, SM Krishna.

There is nothing wrong with one expressing his/her opinion in a democracy like India. But being the Minister of State for External Affairs of a country comes with a huge responsibility. The demography of media has undergone a sea change today and social networking site is a gadget that needs to be used carefully. Most of the companies do not allow access to social networking sites in their office as it hampers productivity and nor are the employees allowed to discuss company's decision on Facebook or Twitter. To be fair to Tharoor, he was just voicing his opinion and trying an out of box method to change the system. The issue here is not Tharoor's opinion but the medium and language of expression. Being a seasoned journalist, he could have used the power of his pen to write a column justifying his reasoning or used his excellent oratory skills to do the job. Why make a callous remark in short forms on an informal media which stands exposed to any form of misinterpretation? Now, the valid reasoning behind his remark is somewhat lost and the whole focus has shifted to a non consequential issue.

Did Sacred Heart teach a lesson that we don't need to learn?

A lot has been written about Ruchika Girhotra, the 17 year old who committed suicide, three years after she was molested by the then Inspector General of Police S P S Rathore. Most of it makes us shameful of the existing corrupt system of India that protects the rich and powerful at all cost. But the silver lining comes in the form of the media pressure and the civil movement that has brought this case in limelight and is determined in making Rathore a social outcast and punishing him for his misdeeds. The conviction in Jessica Lal case has given an inspiration that will hopefully change the age old adage of public memory being short. The media has ensured that we don't forget Jessica, Priyadarshini Mattoo and Ruchika, at least, until the culprits are brought to the hook.

Many people and institutions have been accused of abetting Rathore's crime, but the most glaring for me is the school from which Ruchika was expelled. School is almost sacred in our lives because it is hugely responsible for shaping the minds of young lives and defining the future of our society. Sacred Heart, which is one of Chandigarh's most prestigious schools expelled Ruchika, driving her closer to her end. A school is supposed to help its students in distress, give them the emotional support and teach their other students the right value of fighting against injustice. The so called prestigious school has done exactly the opposite. What kind of lesson the students would have learnt in an institution which supports the hooligans and expels a hapless victim?

The definition of a good school has changed today. Parents want to send their kids to these prestigious schools most of which are convent schools, because they think these will mould their children into fine human beings. But do an English sounding name, over charged fees, great infrastructure, having celebrity children, teaching to rote to become high scorers in board exams, is all that makes a fine school? What happened to schools that cultivate creativity, teach harmony and not always competition, empathy towards your fellow classmates, drive to fight against injustice? Rabindrath Tagore's Shantiniketan taught us that maths, science, history, geography does not make a school. Hopefully the new age schools today will take an inspiration. I have a dream that one day I build a school where we can teach our children subjects beyond the boundaries of board exams. And when I realize that dream, I hope to take an inspiration from the right places.

Humara Bajaj - An end or a new beginning

Bajaj Auto announced this week, that it will exit the scooter market and stop producing its iconic Bajaj scooter. They plan to focus only on manufacturing motorbikes as they believe that the middle class symbol has changed from scooter to the bike. Bajaj Chetak and the jingle, 'humara bajaj' symbolized the Indian middle class of the 70s and 80s. The middle class has a come a long way since then and looks like the scooter brand could not catch up.

For me, Bajaj scooter is also a symbol of the license raj which did not permit the Indian households to own a luxury like a scooter or telephone or TV for a long time. Its also a symbol of the middle class wanting to break free from the shackles of the pseudo secular and pseudo social governments of the years post the independence. A look at the 'buland Bharat ki buland tasveer' may bring a lump in the throat of the generation that fought hard against the administration then, to realize their dreams. My father, being a part of that generation, to date considers owing a Bajaj Chetak then as one of his greatest achievements.

I see the end of Bajaj scooters as the beginning of a new era where the Indian middle class will hold the key to a better India tomorrow.