Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label politics. Show all posts

Sunday, May 2, 2021

Taaki Yaad rakha jaye

 Citizens United - Nijeder Mote Nijeder Gaan

Lyrics



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हम देखेंगे
लाज़िम है कि हम भी देखेंगे
वो दिन कि जिसका वादा है
जो लोह-ए-अज़ल[1] में लिखा है
जब ज़ुल्म-ओ-सितम के कोह-ए-गरां [2]
रुई की तरह उड़ जाएँगे
हम महकूमों[3] के पाँव तले
ये धरती धड़-धड़ धड़केगी
और अहल-ए-हकम[4] के सर ऊपर
जब बिजली कड़-कड़ कड़केगी
जब अर्ज-ए-ख़ुदा के काबे से
सब बुत[5] उठवाए जाएँगे
हम अहल-ए-सफ़ा[6], मरदूद-ए-हरम[7]
मसनद पे बिठाए जाएँगे
सब ताज उछाले जाएँगे
सब तख़्त गिराए जाएँगे

बस नाम रहेगा अल्लाह[8] का
जो ग़ायब भी है हाज़िर भी
जो मंज़र[9] भी है नाज़िर[10] भी
उट्ठेगा अन-अल-हक़[11] का नारा
जो मैं भी हूँ और तुम भी हो
और राज़ करेगी खुल्क-ए-ख़ुदा[12]
जो मैं भी हूँ और तुम भी हो


From Faiz's poem - Hum dekhenge

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Aamir Aziz - Sab Yaad rakha jayega



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Gopal Das Neeraj - Dharm hai

जिन मुश्किलों में मुस्कुराना हो मना,
उन मुश्किलों में मुस्कुराना धर्म है।

जिस वक़्त जीना गैर मुमकिन सा लगे,
उस वक़्त जीना फर्ज है इंसान का,
लाजिम लहर के साथ है तब खेलना,
जब हो समुन्द्र पे नशा तूफ़ान का
जिस वायु का दीपक बुझना ध्येय हो
उस वायु में दीपक जलाना धर्म है।

हो नहीं मंजिल कहीं जिस राह की
उस राह चलना चाहिए इंसान को
जिस दर्द से सारी उम्र रोते कटे
वह दर्द पाना है जरूरी प्यार को
जिस चाह का हस्ती मिटाना नाम है
उस चाह पर हस्ती मिटाना धर्म है।

आदत पड़ी हो भूल जाने की जिसे
हर दम उसी का नाम हो हर सांस पर
उसकी खबर में ही सफ़र सारा कटे
जो हर नजर से हर तरह हो बेखबर
जिस आँख का आखें चुराना काम हो
उस आँख से आखें मिलाना धर्म है।

जब हाथ से टूटे न अपनी हथकड़ी
तब मांग लो ताकत स्वयम जंजीर से
जिस दम न थमती हो नयन सावन झड़ी
उस दम हंसी ले लो किसी तस्वीर से
जब गीत गाना गुनगुनाना जुर्म हो
तब गीत गाना गुनगुनाना धर्म है।

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Swarathma - Mushkil mein jeena


Lyrics Kaanton ke mausam mein Phoolon ki khushboo ko chunte raho Dum bhar ke saanson mein Ummeed koi jagaate raho Mushkil mein jeena na bhoolo Koi geet sunte raho Yeh geet hi hai geet woh Suna raha hoon geet woh Main gaa raha hoon geet woh Patthar ke seene mein Dil ki surangein banaate raho Thehre se paani mein Hansti tarangein uthaate raho Mushkil mein jeena na bhoolo Koi geet gaate raho Main gaa raha hoon geet woh Suna raha hoon geet woh Yeh geet hi hai geet woh Aayenge phool bhi Rangon ke sang aayenge Aayenge phir humein Jeene ke dhang aayenge Jeene ke dhang aayenge Aayenge phool bhi Rangon ke sang aur Aayenge phir humein Jeene ke dhang aur Mausam badal jaayenge Mausam badal jaayenge Mausam badal jaayenge Saare sur laut aayenge Phir se saare sur laut aayenge Main gaa raha hoon geet woh Suna raha hoon geet woh Yeh geet hi hai geet woh Patthar ke seene mein Dil ki surangein banaate raho Kaanton ke mausam mein Phoolon ki khushboo ko chunte raho Mushkil mein jeena na bhoolo


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Hum Kagaz Nahin dikhayenga - Varun Grover

Hum Kaagaz Nahi Dikhayenge,
Taana-Shah Aake Jayenge,
Hum Kaagaz Nahi Dikhayenge,
Tana-Shah Aake Jayenge,
Hum Kaagaz Nahi Dikhayenge,
Tum Aansu Gas Uchhaaloge,
Tum Zehar Ki Chai Ubaaloge,
Hum Pyar Ki Shakkar Gholke Isko,
Gatt, Gatt, Gatt Pee Jayenge,
Hum Kagaz Nahi Dikhayenge.
Ye Desh Hi Apna Hasil Hai,
Jahan Ram Prasad Bhi Bismil Hai,
Mitti Ko Kaise Baantoge,
Sabka Hi Khoon Toh Shaamil Hai,
Tum Police Se Latth Padaa Doge,
Tum Metro Band Kara Doge,
Hum Paidal-Paidal Ayenge,
Hum Kagaz Nahin Dikhayenge.
Hum Manji Yahin Bichhayenge,
Hum Kaagaz Naheen Dikhaayenge,
Hum Sanwidhaan Ko Bachayenge,
Hum Kaagaz Naheen Dikhaayenge,
Hum Jan-Gan-Man Bhi Gayenge,
Hum Kaagaz Nahin Dikhaayenge,
Tum Jaat-Paat Se Baantoge,
Hum Bhaat Maangte Jayenge,
Hum Kagaz Nahin Dikhayenge.
Hum Kagaz Nahin Dikhayenge.


 


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Rahat Indori - Kise ke baap ka Hindostaan thodi hai


अगर खिलाफ हैं, होने दो, जान थोड़ी है ये सब धुँआ है, कोई आसमान थोड़ी है लगेगी आग तो आएंगे घर कई ज़द्द में यहाँ पे सिर्फ हमारा मकान थोड़ी है मैं जानता हूँ की दुश्मन भी कम नहीं लेकिन हमारी तरह हथेली पे जान थोड़ी है हमारे मुंह से जो निकले वही सदाक़त है हमारे मुंह में तुम्हारी जुबां थोड़ी है जो आज साहिब-इ-मसनद है कल नहीं होंगे किराएदार है जाती मकान थोड़ी है  सभी का खून है शामिल यहाँ की मिटटी में किसी के बाप का हिंदुस्तान थोड़ी है Agar Khilaf Hai, Hone Do, Jaan Thodi Hai Agar Khilaf Hai, Hone Do, Jaan Thodi Hai Ye Sab Dhuan Hai, Koi Aasman Thodi Hai Lagegi Aag to Aayenge Ghar Kaee Zadd Mein Yahaan Pe Sirph Hamaara Makaan Thodee Hai Main Jaanta Hoon Kee Dushman Bhi Kam Nahi Lekin Hamari Tarah Hatheli Pe Jaan Thodi Hai Hamaare Munh Se Jo Nikale Vahee Sadaaqat Hai Hamaare Munh Mein Tumhaaree Jubaan Thodi Hai Jo Aaj Sahibe-masnad Hai Kal Nahi Honge Kiraedaar Hai Jaatee Makaan Thodi Hai  Sabhi Ka Khoon Hai Shamil Yahan Ki Mitti Mein Kisi Ke Baap Ka Hindustan Thodi Hai




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Friday, April 3, 2015

On AAP, YY, PB, AK


I don't know if my opinion counts for anything or not. I have mostly been a passive volunteer with few monetary contributions, but nevertheless, I was a strong AAP believer and supporter. 

Today, I find it very hard to support AAP. I have spent many many hours reading everything out there, heard every video and have been following the party for last couple of years very closely. Here are my few observations and opinions - 

  • I find Prashant Bhushan to be impeccable. When AK or Kumar Vishvas claim that they had 12 candidates investigated, they forget to mention that PB had to fight really hard to get those candidates investigated by Lokpal. I will admit that he may have a proclivity to go public but in this case, he was arm-twisted as AAP was not ready to get them investigated in the first place (by PB's own account and i trust him [1]). Also, out of 12, 2 were removed, 4 were given clean chit and remaining were cleared conditionally with a warning issued by General Secretary. [2] What those warnings were are not disclosed.  For a party who claims to be honest, this is a very bad sign. My expectation is that they should have welcomed an investigation in the first place. 
  • There has been no reply in regard to investigate the distribution of liquor by AAP candidate or the dubious money issue. Again, these are red flags. If anyone has any pointers of investigation, in this regard, please share.
  • The way PAC ousted YY and PB. Read Mayank Gandhi's blog [3]. Very disappointed.  And the way Ashish Khetan attacked Mayank Gandhi on Twitter post his blog, it was sad. I had loads of respect for Ashish for his Tehelka articles on Godhra, I still do, but i do not support him at all as a leader in PAC/AAP or any other body.
  • The way NC ousted YY and PB.  Kumar Vishwas is saying that he asked YY to stay after the voting had taken place to discuss it. Shouldn't this be done before the voting. If AK is hurling such accusations, shouldn't there be a platform for the accused to make their defense to the council at large.  
  • The way Admiral Ramdas was asked to not come, the way people showed up with those "gaddar"  placards,  the way people with valid invitations were not allowed to come in, all this in itself was quite sad. And then if there is an iota of truth to bouncers claim, then all hopes are lost. 
  • I admit that YY could have political ambitions as well. If AK has some minor deficiencies, even YY also has some. But overall, I do believe that YY is a well-intentioned man, as much as AK is.  If you recall, YY had earlier resigned from AAP last year and had pointed very similar reasons. Manish Sisodia had attacked him then as well [4] . That the internal democracy was not followed (even by YY as well) is true and that is again a red flag.
  • In the recently shared Arvind Kejriwal's speech, he shares "hum yahan jeetne aaye the, haarne nahin" . He repeats it again, this time louder, and then again and then he adds a line "imaandari ke saath".  Even though he adds honesty, it definitely comes across that winning was more important here.  (This point is my reading, you can call me biased)
  • AK's decision to form government with Congress was very naive and it speaks about his desire of winning at any costs. I am sure that as a Delhi CM he will do loads of goods and he was hungry to prove it. But, for me, the means is equally important. Since this has happened in past, I don't doubt that AK will allow candidates with grey backgrounds to contest as long as he is convinced that it improves his winning chances. While it may be ok for AK, I think it has to be a decision of the party, not just one man. I agree that it should be one man making decisions but if the same man is not listening to the voices of dissent, then it is problematic.
I am a man of process, the journey is more important than destination. I would rather loose Delhi elections  than win with tainted candidates. I want to give an honest effort and i do believe that people will support good. I am not a cynic yet, and thats why i was a loyal AAP supporter.  But with what i have witnessed, i am filled with despair. I don't think so I will be able to support AAP anymore, atleast for some time to come.  

I agree that the system has to be cleaned from within. But I am not sure that AAP is the right channel for it, atleast for me. This time, the cynics have been proven right. Maybe time will heal this wound, or maybe I will find some other champion to support, howsoever small way that i do.





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Here is another article that i found to be quite pertinent after the whole episode - 








#FenceSitting



Win you should,
Win you must.
Blind people here,
Cant see the fence rust.
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Fools amongst them
Morons amongst you
It doesn't matter
Thousands or a few
I search for a Kabeer
Darkness lies there
You are pale blue. 


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Couple of poems I wrote before Delhi elections, 2015. There will be a post on what has happened to AAP post Delhi as well. 

Saturday, April 19, 2014

Polling booth agent

I was the polling booth agent for Seema School, room #2, booth number 156 on behalf of Nina P Nayak (Aam Aadmi Party candidate for South Bangalore) at 1st block Koramangala.  I would like to begin by first thanking Aam Aadmi Party for giving me this opportunity. What a humbling experience it was just to sit there and watch people vote.

My Experience
The day begins by PRO calling me to participate in checking that the voting machine is working correctly. I hesitate for a second to take my foot forward. Is he really asking me? He does not know yet that i have never seen a voting machine in my life so far. After a second, i say ofcourse and with complete feigned confidence, I go towards the machine. There are 23 candidates at booth number 156 and the 24th option was of NOTA. Independent candidates had all kinds of interesting symbols which included TV, Mixee, cricket bat, cricket batsman, Lalten, trumpet and an autorickshaw.  The BJP and Congress agents were both late and they arrived only after the mock poll was finished.

The queue had already started to build at 6:45 am. Throughout the day, I was taken by the commitment of folks who had come out to vote. I did not know whether they voted for AAP or not but everyone felt very happy to have came out and voted. Their face glowed with satisfaction for having done their duty towards their beloved country. Their nation had demanded a small service from them and they were here to deliver it.

There were three people who had come on a wheel chair to cast their vote. Each was handicapped in some way. The voting machine was resting on a table that was not wheel chair friendly. The PRO helped each one, it was still difficult yet they proudly exercised their franchise. There were about ten folks who were old and were walking using a stick. They too waited patiently inside the booth for their turn. Age did not deter these folks. Except for a minor heated discussion, which involved the BJP agent and a voter, the entire process from morning to evening was peaceful. Everyone understood the importance of this exercise, they were calm and thoroughly professional.

There were atleast 8 people who came with the slip but without any proof of identification. They were asked to get their id cards. Everyone expected their disappointment about it with one man whose wife had no identification got agitated and yelled - "She is my wife and i am saying so. If you do not let her vote, it is country's loss not his". Most of these folks went back to their homes, got their respective ids, stood in the queue again and finally voted. The man who shouted did not came back. Some folks got their kids to accompany them to the ballot box. Their young ones were really excited to be there, especially during ink marking. A couple of them even wanted it on their fingers.

There were about 5 or 6 couples who had come where the husband was leading his respective wife through the entire checking in process. He had her photo id proof, he told her where to sign and asked her to show her left thumb to get the ink mark. In one case, a man even held his wife's thumb. He even tried to accompany her to the ballot box but that is when our PRO stood up and reminded him that her ballot is a secret, even from him.  He expressed surprise but quickly understood.  In one day, I came to see another side of my fellow countrymen that is generally not visible.

When we watch the results being announced in TV, X party got Y seats, the process of elections is generally lost in those numbers and analysis. To witness the gullak (piggy bank) being filled one vote at a time, to see the queue of people waiting peacefully and to imagine that such is happening across thousands of booths - same everywhere, it is indeed a humbling experience. When polling happens in free and fair manner, and when people come out to vote not because of any reward or punishment, then the significance of 60% turnout, which amounts to hundred millions in absolute number of votes, is incredible. It is just an amazing feat to accomplish in a country like India. The whole day, I was reminded of these lines from the song Yeh Tara -

बूँद बूँद मिलने से, बनता एक दरिया है
बूँद बूँद सागर है, वरना ये सागर क्या है
समझो इस पहेली को, बूँद हो अकेली तो
एक बूँद जैसे कुच्छ भी नहीं
हम औरों को छोड़े तो, मुँह सबसे ही मुड़े तो
तन्हा रहना जाए देखो हम कहीं
क्यूँ ना बने मिलके हम धारा ह्म..आरा तारा  

ये तारा वो तारा हर तारा 
देखो जिससे भी लगे प्यारा
ये तारा वो तारा हर तारा
ये सब साथ में जो है रात में
तो जगमगाया आसमान सारा  




Some Stats
A total of 830 ballots were casted at my booth by 831 people. One person had come and done everything but did not press anything in the machine. Out of 830, 470 were men while 360 were women. The first 4 hrs (7-11 am) had about 100+ folks coming in each hr. The time from 9 am to 10 am was the busiest as 114 votes were cast in that hr, roughly about two votes every minute. The rate dropped drastically after 11 am.

It was expected that turnout will pick up after 4 pm but that did not happen. Interestingly, between 3 pm to 6 pm there were more women voters than men voters in each hr. The morning hrs had more families walking in and also a lot of elderly people as compared to later half. The second half had a lot of individuals. This time, in anticipation of a higher turnout, EC had increased the deadline from 5 pm to 6pm. In the last hr, at booth #156, only 24 people came to vote which comprised of 8 men and 16 women. So an extra hr meant around 2.9% extra votes based on one booth data.


FAQs
As the day progressed, we had some free time on our hands which i utilized by asking my corner case questions to the EC officials.  Here are some of them -

Q: What will happen if a person presses multiple keys on the voting machine?
A: Whichever key was pressed first will be registered. All others would be ignored.

Q: Where do you mark a person who has no fingers?
A: The marking is done on left elbow.

Q: For people who are assigned duties for managing the polling booths, how/when do they vote?
A: They vote by postal ballot. Every such individual gets a postal letter which they have to fill and return by a specific date. Their votes are only counted if there is a small difference between the first two candidates' vote share.

Q: Why are you putting the ink on left thumb instead of index finger this time?
A: There were some local elections few days ago in Karnataka. Some of the people who voted may still have ink marks on their fingers. In order to avoid confusion, the finger was changed to thumb.



Monday, March 31, 2014

So, you are disappointed, heh?


haan haan, baba. I get it. You are disappointed with the Aam Aadmi Party.  Rather, you are disappointed again.  What is your concern this time?

Kejriwal/AAP Delhi govt resigned after 49 days and failed to deliver on its promises.

Kejriwal is back to shaming everyone else, this time the paid media.

Kejriwal is hungry for news coverage and wants to be seen as Bhagat Singh of this century.

AAP is giving tickets to celebrity/celebrities.

AAP is growing too fast.  What are they thinking contesting so many seats?

What is all this drama that Kejriwal is fighting in Varanasi against Modi?


I do share some of your disappointments. But I am glad that you are disappointed. Infact I am delighted. Your disappointments prove two things to me - (a) You had/have expectations out of this party. There would be no disappointments without expectations. So atleast AAP did something good there. (b) You care about AAP. You are not a cynic. You have not given up. You want it to be a party that you idealize. Just like behind a joke there lies a tragedy, behind every disappointment, there lies hope.  You see hope here.


But tell me one thing - Is your disappointment with AAP big enough that you will vote for BJP or Congress or any other regional party? Is it enough to ignore the disproportionate number of candidates with serious criminal cases against them fielded by other political parties? And can you get over the lack of local work done by the current representative to vote for him/her again?  If your answer is yes, and you truly believe that BJP/Congress is a better alternative, then my dear friend, lets agree to disagree and leave it at that.

In my case, yes, i am also disappointed too. In some cases, i am disappointed when AAP has failed to take the moral high ground when i expected them to (like the Somnath Bharti case where IMHO they should have issued an unconditional apology in case anybody's sentiments were hurt) and in other cases when indeed they have taken the moral high ground  and i was not expecting that (like resigning on principles after 49 days).  But when i count all my disappointments, they are significantly small when compared to the things that AAP has done right. The right things sometimes just blow me off, like i feel proud, i cry that it is happening in my lifetime, in front of me, amidst all the hopelessness that i am was filled with. Let me share some of these -

- Candidates for Lok Sabha:  I am so proud of AAP for giving these people a chance to be elected as people's representatives -
Soni Sori from Bastar. If you do not know her story, just google it.  For someone who has faced so much in her life, i am just glad for her. If i have to pick just one seat for AAP, i would wish it for Soni Sori.
Ashish Khetan from New Delhi. I have read about Ashish's work on Tehelka and i know how good of a journalist he is.
H S Phoolka - The advocate who fought hard for justice for 1984 riot victims.
Tiliya Devi from Jharkhand - A nobel peace prize nominee.
Bhagwant Maan from Sangrur - Just watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyu6KCi9s-Q

And there are many more like Medha Patkar, Nina Nayak from my LS constituency, Prof Anand Kumar, Kanchan Chaudhary -  the first women DGP, and not to mention AK taking on Modi knowing in full realistic consciousness that he will loose this race but atleast he will talk about issues in the process.

- Paid media. Media is biased. A lot of is paid. We all know it and yet we all accept it. Why? Just as "This is politics" is an answer to all things bad in politics, "This is how it is" is the only answer that used to be until AK questioned it.  If things are broken, lets fix it rather than just accept it.  We follow it all the time in our work life, why not in real life.

-Clean money. I would have voted AAP for this reason alone. Transparent, clean fundraising. On top of that -  no paid volunteers.


I agree with AK that it is a miracle that AAP exists. Our difference comes when he uses this to explain the existence of God and i am not ready to do that, yet.  So as you see my disappointments with AAP are nothing when compared to my appreciation for this small party.  And I write this only by looking at AAP. The moment i get into a comparative mode and i compare AAP with BJP (or even Congress), there is no choice. Mere thought of BJP or Congress led govt. fills me up with despair, the same hopelessness that i am trying to fight.

I have an idea of India. I have a vision of the kind of country i want to live in and the kind of person i want to grow old into. The only political party that helps me get there is AAP.








Monday, January 27, 2014

The Cost of Silence


"What has AAP done for men?" screamed a man at me as i was sitting wearing my AAP cap at a nearby park. "I can see they have fought for women security," he continued, "gave free water and subsidized electricity for poor families, but tell me one thing that he has done for men. Our Indian laws are so strict against men that even a small misunderstanding could be dreadful". He must be in his mid 30s, wearing broad spectacles and a grey loose T-shirt, he was working for an Human Rights group to fight against wrongful atrocities on men. With an attempt to calm himself, he concluded - "I am game for a proper implementation of a mild law but poor implementation of a stringent law, that is anarchy".

On a different context, Anirrudha Ghosal wrote this semi poignant article in Indian Express. The article talks about this Police Inspector who used to believe in AAP but now finds himself disillusioned as he is posted to provide security at Kejriwal's Dharna place where Kejriwal himself is ranting against corruption in Delhi police. This cop is dejected as AAP supporters ridicule him, spit on him and amidst all the chaos, he laments that people are forgetting that cops are also humans.

I apologize that both stories are somehow connected to AAP, but that is just the bias that i have created in my vicinity. But other than this, what is the common part between these two anecdotes? Think about it carefully. Both these instances are  nuanced examples of tragedy of the commons. Herein, the commons is not the natural setting, or the environment, or a public resource. The commons here is the humanity which has been so corrupted that few remaining decent human beings are either fighting on lamenting on this tragedy. These decent human beings are the victims of their own race. I say these victims are now paying the cost of their silence.


In the classic example of Tragedy of the commons, when 10 farmers, with a sheep each, are sharing the same field and then the first farmer tries to double his production by bringing in an extra sheep. Now, rest of the nine has three options - First, to also do the same and hence contributing to the tragedy. Second to get together and protest against this tragedy and third, is to be silent, to ignore and move on. What has happened in this country is that after the first greed was committed, in time, a few farmers joined the first one while the rest kept quiet. This act of inaction also has a cost, a delayed cost. Now, when there is anger against the action of those greedy farmers, all farmers are bundled in together. To an outsider, all they see is 10 farmers, more than 10 sheep and the grassland in disarray.


Being silent stands for tacit acceptance. When the police inspector saw that his friends were taking bribes, he said nothing. No reports were filed against his colleagues, no objections were raised. He simply turned his head away. When he saw that bribes were asked for promotions, he simply put his head down and told himself - "I am happy where i am." or "Whatever happens, it will happen for good", can Bhagwad Gita be ever wrong? Similarly, whenever any man heard in his distant family that  dowry was being asked/given, he told himself - "This is none of my concern, it will not happen at my wedding".  Day after day, whenever he read about rapes in newspapers, he said - "I am helpless".  When Panchayats asked the rapist to marry the victim, he was shocked. Where does one draw line between pre-marital sex and rape. "Consent" you say? Is it consenting when the girl is drunk?One drink, two drinks or five?  Should we measure the blood alcohol level before asking for consent? Couple of times, he even vented his anger on Facebook or among his friends after two rounds of drinks. But these words were never followed by an action. All this resulted in a strict form of law, the Orvellian fascism, and now when the same law is abused, he is finding himself at the other end.  That the police can detain you for as long as they please, you realize that your fundamental rights can be trampled through legal means, you wonder now - how has it come to this? Similarly, when the integrity of the entire police department is being questioned, one of the bullet points in this is a question against your integrity as well. You say that this makes you angry?



There is a cost of our silence. No matter, in one way or another, we have to pay for it. We can only defer it as long as it does not come upon us. We all see people jumping red lights these days and it is slowly becoming a tacit acceptance. This is a red alarm. One day, i will be hit by a car that had jumped the red light while i was going as mine was green. That day, the fault will not only lie with the guy who had jumped the light, it will also be mine. For not saying against this culture. It does not mean that we have to act against all of them but not acting against anyone of them is simply not acceptable anymore.





Thursday, November 28, 2013

I support AAP

On a recent Delhi trip, the following comments were heard repeatedly - 

"Politics is a dirty game played by dirty people"

"Yeh saari parties ek hi jaisi hain, imaandaari se yahan kuch bhi nahin ho sakta" (On the sting operation against AAP before EC gave the clean chit) 

"You are a fool if you believe that yeh saare ke saare honest hai"


Yes, i am a fool. I am an optimist, a romantic and a person who has not given up.  Politics is a crooked game has become the tautology of our times. AAP has taken this challenge to counter this statement If you ask me name just one reason why support AAP, it is going to be this one. 

A few months ago, a lot of people including me would not even dare to enter politics, leave alone the case for running as a candidate. From the economic angle, it seemed that one must be atleast a crorepati to run for an election. From a social standpoint, this mere thought was a nightmare primarily because of its security concerns. Harassment calls, death threats are a norm. One can prepare for a security threat against oneself but when it happens against your near and dear ones, one begins to question everything. For those few who are able to brave the social and economic fronts, the third dimension, the most fundamental one, the ideological dimension is the most complex one to choose. To a wanna-be volunteer or candidate, there is no hope here. 

The Pragmatic Reality
The days of ideological politics are long gone. There are no more debates on right vs left wing, no more arguments on big vs small government. The mantra has changed to - "Whatever it takes for us to get reelected". This short sightedness and inability to make the tough decisions has brought a sense of resignation. It is amidst this backdrop of faithlessness that AAP offers a solace. I am tired of choosing lesser of the two devils. I abhor the fact that it has come to this choice in the first place. The ideology of AAP does not fit the classical definition either. As the postmodern philosophy movement is evolving to a more pragmatic and action oriented one (see Pragmatism) , AAP is following a similar trajectory. AAP understands that no matter what ideology you adhere to, corruption does not fit in it. Infact, to put it the other way around, as long as there is corruption, there can not be any ideology. We can no longer side-step this menace and hope that over time it will go away. This is the pragmatic reality of our times. 

Democracy is an experiment and it always will be. It lies on an assumption that people know what is best for them and they will participate together to decide on their future. But, this assumption is no longer true for the times that we live in. Politics and our value system are at opposite ends. The quotes above tell a tale of the level of distrust that we have towards our institutions. The irony that it is these institutions who govern us is lost on us. Over time, our repeated disillusionment has turned into a silent resignation. 

Trial and Error
AAP is challenging this thought. It has taken decades to reach this pessimist conclusion, it will take more decades to get out of it.  AAP provides a viable alternative, a way back to reclaim how things should be. To bring back the notion of trial and error in this experiment called democracy.  Is AAP perfect? Is it going to succeed? What if it fails? What if these candidates succumb to power and the temptation of greed? These are all valid concerns and the answer to all this is there is no other way to know than trying. But we must try. If it fails, it will be demoralizing, but then we would have learnt one more mistake to not repeat. The cost of not doing anything is too high. It has always been and it has its own inflation rate.

In this process of trying, we should do our best to avoid repeating known mistakes. We should create institutions and processes that provide the necessary checks and balances. We must be self critical. We should open the doors of transparency, of open civilized debates. We need to change the dialog from a negative, criticizing our opponents, to a constructive one wherein we do not discuss problems, we discuss solutions. It is our thinking that has to change. We should stop glorifying, our "sone-ki-chidiya" past and we should stop crying over the "all-corrupt" present. Our discussion should take the form of "is this the best that we can do?" 

Why AAP?
I support AAP because i agree to what it stands for, for the most part. I agree with its principles of no corruption and decentralization. I like the way candidates are chosen to run from a constituency. I felt delighted when i heard that they are asking people to not contribute any more money once their desired figure was reached. They disowned a candidate when he failed to openly disclose known pending cases against him. The concept of Mohalla Sabhas and letting people decide what is best is something that i believe in. I had also reached a similar conclusion through my own academic readings and research. I respect people who are in the core committee and i have a fair amount of trust that these are sincere honest people who want to do good. I feel the same enthusiasm that Indians felt when they asked people Nehru, Patel and Gandhi to decide our fate in days leading up to our freedom. AAP's motto of 'Swaraj' feels apt again.  Lastly, i genuinely believe on these two lines of Dushyant Kumar, which AAP has rightly chosen to be its anthem - 

सिर्फ हंगामा खड़ा करना मेरा मकसद नहीं,
सारी कोशिश है कि ये सूरत बदलनी चाहिए

Sunday, November 9, 2008

The Postmortem

4 days after the US. election day and the fever is slowly getting down.
I believe that the best way to document history is through images. Images clearly win over videos as in an image, time is still. One can see it over and over again and feel the moment. Images vs words is a big debate and i side with image because words need one's own visualization while images give a direct view.

Aninda shared these images: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/11/the_next_president_of_the_unit.html

NYTimes had a slide show on How Obama won.

Obama's tech savvy campaign had a flickr profile where there are some 50K photos, right from the day he announced his candidacy. http://www.flickr.com/photos/barackobamadotcom/

But, i guess the best photo comes to me from Nandini's blog post: she looks like the future, reaching out to heal the past.

There is another website now : http://change.gov/. A website from obama campaign to discuss changes needed.


But after the elation begins to die, i am reminded of another election that is soon going to happen.
Come May 2009 and India will decide what happens. The preparations have started. LK Advani is going to BJP's candidate. On his bday, yesterday, he announced his own website : http://www.lkadvani.com/. Congress is (not sure) going to continue with Manmohan Singh if they continue.
Its time to start following the future else present and future will be on different tracks soon. I hope the journey will be as good as it was here in US.

Things that am looking forward for:
1. Good journalism. Media makes all the difference in elections these days. CNN had a truth squad which was reasonably unbiased in exposing both Dems and Reps.
2. An Indian counterpart for daily show. :)
3. Technology savvy campaigning. Come on India, its time now.
4. And finally, good candidates, better campaigning. Can we reduce divisive politics ?
5. Good voter turnout in cities.

As William wordworth wrote (came to know about it from here):
Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive,
But to be young was very heaven!--Oh! times

Let that dawn be now.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

He won! He won!

As a child i celebrate today.
He did it. He won! He won!
History has been created today!
"Yes, he did."
"Yes, we can."
"Yes, i can."


And again he didn't disappoint us with a speech. See and read it here.

Here are some excerpts:
IF there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn’t vote for two reasons – because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.

And tonight, I think about all that she’s seen throughout her century in America – the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can’t, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.

At a time when women’s voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.

When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.

When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.

She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that “We Shall Overcome.” Yes we can.

A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Barack Obama

5 days to go to US general election and i have to post about Barack Obama.

I do not have a right to vote and so does many of my Indian friends in US but over the past 12-15 months we have followed US elections, observed it from a distance and felt it. And without a doubt, the reason for our sustained interest has been Barack Obama.
Before i reason it out for myself, here is a thing shared by my roommate Aninda:

"Watching Barack Obama, I feel like i should be able to vote. I have never voted in India, but just seeing this man, i want to vote"



Why i like Barack Obama:
1. He is an exceptional orator. His speeches inspire many including me. His speeches connect with me, addresses the main points and he delivers them brilliantly.
2. He openly says that he is not going to be a perfect president. He is going to be a good president. He looks calm, and even if he does not have an answer, he is ready to work with people who know the correct answer.
3. His health policy. Economic crisis is new and transient (hopefully!). But health care has been a concern since ages and still is. His view has been correct since beginning.
4. His foreign policies - willingness to sit with third world countries, correct attitude towards Pakistan (namely to ask questions and demand answers), ending the war etc.

The charm about Obama is he is dynamic, energetic and willing to adjust to new things. His use of technology is excellent. I have no experience in past US political campaigns but still his campaign so far looks decent. It has not been a perfect one but considering the things that has happened, i think it has been good.

One thing that Obama understands that if you point one finger, there are many fingers that point back at you. He has criticized McCain but mostly on policy issues. He has not given one single negative word against Sarah Palin (when asked about Palin, he brilliantly answered - let the public decide). He has not used race at all in his speeches (which gave Larry Willmore from Daily show to present two exceptional pieces). Moreover, he use a very effective website, and his use of technology has been amazing (all credit to his team).

Lastly, during his campaign, there have been his speeches acting as milestones. Genesis happened at 2004 Democratic National Convention, then his "Yes we can speech" after winning New Hanpshire primary, then the one given after Jeremiah Wright controversy, and then after clinching the democratic nomination at the convention . And today, an hr earlier, there was the 30 minute obama infomercial on tv across 7 channels (video not available at the moment). Each one has been special and inspiring.

Things that i don't like:
1. I think one blot that will remain on Obama would be his decision to take public financing after pledging that he will not do so. I do not know the exact reason but still something is unexplained.
2. Giving tax benefits to middle class, first it was a million, then 500K, then it became 250K and today 200K. He still does not explains how he will prioritize between thousand promises that he has made.

Before i end, some words about his opponent:
McCain should be respected for not bringing Wright in final elections. He should be respected as a U.S. soldier, as an experienced man, as a man with good fundamentals till 2004 election. But his performance during this election has not been good at all. Bringing Bill Ayers,, suspending campaign over economic crisis, calling him a socialist, giving 5000$ for health care were all very bad moves. But the worst would be his VP choice.

And that brings up to Sarah Palin. One thing that Sarah Palin did was to energize an old, dull republican campaign, but the question will always be - at what cost? Frankly, i thank Palin and McCain for his choice for giving me some of the best comedy shows in recent past. Tina Fey's imitation had been spot on, she nailed Palin over and over again. But all credit should go to Palin alone, as her interview were so damn hilarious that my jaws dropped out. Foreign experience because you can see Russia from home will go in annals of history as the best joke of 2K8. Palin has not only degraded the republican campaign but her attacks on Obama made her reach new lows. Bottom line - she is not ready/capable.

So, with 5 days to go, i do not know who will win. No points in guessing to whom i am backing. But the important point is that whatever the result is, it matters to me, to us and to many. I am no longer saying - i do not care. I care and i want to care, because it matters.

Finally, a big thanks to Jon Stewart for giving good shows over the past 10 months. You really rock!

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

I believe him!

Check out this article:
http://churumuri.wordpress.com/2008/07/19/is-manmohan-singh-still-indias-weakest-pm/

It felt great joy on the day i heard the news that Manmohan singh is going to be the PM. It felt great when Chidambaram took over as FM, and Sonia Gandhi dissolved into the background. It was a blow par excellence for Indian politics. But soon after that, all shine was gone and everyone pointed fingers at PM, FM.

Media never showed the reason behind finger pointing, may be there never was. But all the time, it made me sad seeing good technocrats labeled as bad leaders. May be they were bad leaders but in either case no one gave any rationale behind it.

Manmohan Singh was labeled as the weakest PM, a dummy person and what-not and they gave instances where he had failed to act. Some part of me agreed but some part said that he is a man of action and not words, action not reported by media and absence of words leads to any interpretation.

But this time, he has taken a stand, he has set the bars and he also is not sure whether he can make it or not. (Disclosure: I am again ignorant on what N deal is but i trust that the big leaders (MS, Kalam, Gurcharan Das and hundreds of technocrats and if they say yes, i trust them). I have never read any article before by the person who wrote the above article but i believe him because it makes sense. It must have been a topic of great impact for which a party is ready to give up its power to achieve its goal. MS has taken it head-on and he is playing it.

Now there are rumours of bribery, promises etc to rope in votes. Congress is counting support from people like Shibu Soren and Lalu. What can be worst than this? But its all about numbers, isnt it? All about greater good?
All morality, all principles fail when it comes to Indian politics or kashmir issue. Things like greater good, majority, sentiments all overshadow the rationale. Is there no way out?