Second Term - Musings at the end of First Year with Modi as PM

In 2014, when @narendramodi became PM, within a week he increased the bandwidth for irctc website. Access to online rail tickets became easy. Some time later he also ensured that self-attested documents would suffice for government regulations. As a supposed middle class citizen of this country, I felt that, for all their faults, many and manifest as they were, we cut ourselves a decent enough deal. Tragically, those were the only bright spots that I could encounter. It has been a downhill trek since then.

A resurgent hyper-nationalistic right wing, merrily trolling the near inconsequential centrist to left wing, left the opposition in abject disarray. In the ensuing flow of brute majoritarian discourse, the few reasonable voices were swiftly silenced by supposedly fortuitous chance, and the swift oppression of minority rights began in earnest.

From an isolationist PM, to an authoritarian one, to a complete autocratic megalomaniac, the transformation was swift. A narcissist purveyor of the luxuries, has been damagingly contrasted with decisions that impacted the life and livelihood of millions of his poor countrymen, starting with the demonetisation disaster, further exacerbated by the GST fiasco.

Carried to power on the squeaky clean carpet of righteous anti-corruption plank, the descent into a venal, corroding carnal animal of greed, power and desire has been its overarching hallmark, couched in dreamy nomenclatures of "Chanakya" and 56 inch. Over and over again, it has been made amply evident that the Gujrat mascot neither has the wisdom nor the gumption to govern a country of such magnitude or diversities. As long as conditions were favourable, he ran the country on auto-pilot and emotional pulling of heart -strings. He must have swiftly come to the realisation that the Gujrat model, or whatever miasmatic conjuring that existed in that name could neither be brought to the centre nor taken shelter under, without actual, acute and painful exposure.

You cannot fault him for not trying though. Essentially he got the entire Gujrat cadre officers to the centre in a desperate attempt at replication. Institutional integrity was corrupted in the flailing belief that the ends would justify the means. Constitutional edifices were sacrificed at the altar of convenience even if it meant a slow decaying plod towards irreversible damage to the body politic. However, none of that helped.

With the first term nearing an end, he machinated the Balakot response as some kind of a strong-arm response to his own dismal incompetence / conspiracy wherein 300 Kgs of RDX was smuggled into Kashmir and detonated killing a convoy full of CRPF jawans. Except for a lot of pious hand-wringing and ominous sabre-rattling, the only thing of consequence to accrue from this exercise was the more than successful return of Modi 2.0 to helm.

The covert salutation to his master's roots in the visible form of the transformation of the Central Vista would be the crowning glory to an inglorious indiscretion perpetrated on the people of India.

However, there are cosmic forces at work, it seems, to thwart such lofty upheavals. An invisible virus threatens to derail the single-minded focus to eviscerate the constitution, bring in CAA-NRC and subject the minorities to an untold fate of destitution couched in nationalistic colours and patriotic fervour. Coupled with a resurgent social media that seems to match knock for knock with a hitherto insurmountable adversary, it seems that a dreary opposition is getting its political act in order to challenge its self-inflicted role as political roadkill.

The subservient media is being poked and ridiculed to get its act together. While this may be a task for the long haul, the few spiny ones have found lungs to breath. An economy that has meandered into virtual nothingness gives the govt very less room to maneouvre its gameplan to suit its nefarious ends.

However, the verdict is still out there whether there is going to be any substantial change in either leadership or its style or functioning, even in the face of outright ignominy arising from a plethora of ridiculous statements that minister after ignorant minister continues to utter to the sheer embarassment of India's citizentry here and abroad.

Unless the citizens rise to demand answers from its 'minister' turned political aristocrats, our hazy run into oblivion is all but ensured. The future is troublingly interesting.

De money ain't zere

On Nov 8th, giving barely a few hours for scrambling, Prime Minister Modi demonetized Indian currencies of 500 and 1000 denomination. It has been 22 days since, and I have not been able to get cash from the bank. I have visited nearly 40 ATMs since that day, but the nearest I came to withdrawing money was day before yesterday, when I was the third in line, when the money, well, ran out.

I have a very nice neighbour who works in a bank and I have been using up my neighbourly credits with him to replenish my "monetary stock". He still smiles at me, when I meet him outside, and I am hoping that he understands the situation and will continue to help us out.

The amount of intrigue that has gripped the nation on this issue is phenomenal. While everybody applauds the move to expose black money, these very same populace decries the efforts to stifle their legitimate transactions. And they are perfectly right at that. What right does the government have to tell me that I cannot withdraw my own money. The govt. made a blunder by squeezing liquidity beyond all permissible levels and now expects a population of 1.3 billion to somehow survive on barter and thrift.

The basic assumption that everybody is a culprit unless proved innocent is an unkind cut and the population is certainly annoyed with that premise. In Kerala, we have a saying, എലിയെ പേടിച്ചു ഇല്ലം ചുടരുത്, which roughly translates as, "It is foolish to burn down the mansion in fear of a rat." Never in my wildest fancy would I have imagined that I would live to see the day when we have an elected government go into an economic tailspin simply to catch stashed hoards of currency putting crores of people into great financial difficulty.

Over and over an image is gaining ground that this government lacks empathy. The work of a mallet is being done by a road roller. I sincerely hope that there is enough home work that has been done to ensure that the "slight inconveniences" that this government calls this mayhem, does not translate into a virulent agitation. It would indeed be a Pyrrhic victory if the stone throwers of Kashmir were to be silenced, post demonetization, only for the rest of country to indulge in the same.

There is enough indication to suggest that the government is indeed trying hard to alleviate the suffering of the  people. But, these very steps look more like a fire-fighting exercise than any genuine attempt at alleviation. Shorn of pre-work, home work or even the classical hard work, the attempts are the desperate lungings of a deer mired in a quicksand. There have been murmurs in the corridors about the ill-preparedness of the RBI, which when shorn of the niceties that surround such soundbytes look alarmingly like a preparation for a fall guy. A country devoid of 83% of its currency, now seeking to push along its economy on trust, barter and thrift is a ready recipe for colossal damage at heartbreaking rates. Currently, the money is not there, and I sincerely hope that the situation improves. And don't, for money's sake, hold your breath. We are talking months, not weeks.

Modi's degree of deceit

The Indian PM does not need any particular high educational qualification to occupy the post. But having once said that he possesses XYZ degrees, it behoves him to stand by it through thick and thin. What AAP or other political parties are trying to say is that there has to be a correlation between words and actions. There is a trust deficit that envelopes any statement of our PM, becoz of the corresponding trust deficit that envelopes the cloud of his statement of his educational qualifications. It was unnecessary, but having once committed to it, he has hardly any option but to come clean on it.

These have ramifications beyond mere expression of statements. They underscore a moral rectitude that needs addressing. The very fact that you need a press conference where you have Mr. Arun Jaitly and Mr. Venkaiah Naidu waving another person's degree smacks of a cover up that any amount of rooftop shouting is not going to cover. For all we know (or as in this case, not) our PM might genuinely have completed his degrees from the said universities. But that is being overshadowed by sheer show of machismoistic bravado that has all the making of an egg on the face. Completely unnecessary but now completely unavoidable.

Delhi Traffic - mess and management

What has the govt. got to say about the fact that on the first day of the phase 2 of the odd-even plan, even though logically 50% of the cars were off the road, the pollution levels were comparatively higher than on non-plan day?

Mr. Gopal Rai, the minister for Transport for the Govt. of NCT of Delhi made some common sense remarks about how the pollution was bound to reduce since the number of vehicles that were contributing to the pollution were down by roughly 50%. But he still could not answer the data that were thrown at him.

What can be the possible answers to this vexing problem.

This probably should help, but we are talking about 2018. AND it is still in planning. But as they say, better late than never. So this should supposedly take care of the non-bound traffic. What about the internal crawl that happens every day?

What are the govt. plans to address the vexing problem of last mile connectivity? Let me illustrate my own problems. I juggle my job as an independent web and finance consultant. Whenever I need to travel to meet my clients, I think of reaching them by metro and realise that the nearest metro station from  my client's office is nearly a kilometre away. Now, that is not a great distance, to walk. But at 11 am in the morning, on a hot mid-May, it is not the most pleasing scenario to contemplate. So, out comes the car, which I drive nearly 15 Kms so that I do not have to walk that wretched last KM to my client's home.

Auto-rickshaws won't travel such short distance, and if they do, they will charge me an arm. Both options are, therefore, not worth the trouble.

Most commuters don't fall into my kind of schedule. They are more regular office goers. Ideally, they should not have a problem reaching office, most of which must be in some business districts and therefore in easy connect with some Metro station. Their problem would be reaching the metro station from their homes in the morning and reaching homes from the metro station in the evening. These problems to a large extent can be tackled by a super efficient integrated feeder transport system that mimics the efficiency and the cost of the metro.

It is the irregulars who are often and always left in the lurch. The marketing professional who is out on a call. The patient and his/her family out to get to a hospital. The shoppers out to shop. The professions that have irregular timings. To a large extent the people who are out on the streets during the day happen to the bulk of these people. The metro does not truly serve them. Are they part of the strategising process?

Watch this space as I keep penning my thoughts. Yous too are welcome.

18/4/16
Even Day
My Car - Ends on an Odd Number

My Dad is a patient, though he hates being called one. He is obese and has a liver issue. Both of us wanted to go to the Patiala House Courts today afternoon. Google Maps gives the distance as 12 Kms, Near about 1:15 pm, checked up all the apps that are there on the phone for the trip. There were none. When one became available, the rated cost of 164/- became 410/- because of the 2.5X factor. Carpooling is hardly compatible, since I have to reach the courts on time and apart from the safety aspect, waiting for passengers going to same destinations is a sheer waste of time and energy.

How does the government plan to counter this? Or does the govt. expect us to pay Rs.410/- because of some sin that we committed in our past life?

Twitter has an unfortunate gentleman named Arvind Gupta (@buzzindelhi) who seems to have encountered a factor of 4.7 on Uber in the afternoon. I don't think I want to imagine the evening pricing, when the rush is going to be manifold.

Having the Odd Even when the schools are operating is face-in-the-palm for the govt. because it closes a large avenue of transport options.

The concept of "X" factor for peak time travel needs a close inspection. Why is this being allowed? How is this being moderated? What are the safeguards for passengers for knowing real time information on the actual load? These are questions that will be asked in the coming days.

More in the coming days.... This issue is here to stay.

Dear Mr. Shivaswamy,

Ref: http://www.rediff.com/news/column/the-mukhota-has-finally-slipped/20160218.htm

It takes enormous courage to actually admit that you were wrong, and I congratulate you on the same. That it took a vicious attack on the fourth estate to make you say that, for the present, may be looked over since as you so rightly said, you were indeed so shocked and awed that you did not see the signs that were evident even then.

This government is committed to some things. But kindly do not be under any delusion that "democratic functioning" belongs to that group. You have very rightly pointed out the mindset is to control, corrupt and thereby recast. This was so evident on the basis of the Gujarat riots that it completely bewilders me that others did not see it. Ah! yes, the paid suckers will be along soon, casting their acerbic attacks on this note with the time tested nonsensical logic that does not stand a ha'penny chance of logical scrutiny, but gains ground on Goebellsian repetition.

The parivar knows that it has another three years before it hands over power and within that three years it is hell-bent on propping up mechanisms that will ensure the perpetuity of their diabolical philosophy. They waited more than 60 years and they will ensure that the wait will not have been in vain.

अपनी मन की बात - आजकल

जब हम छोटे बच्चे थे, हमें भूत का हव्व देकर हमें डराया जाता था. आजकल डेवेलपमेंट का हव्व देकर हमें प्रोत्साहित किया जा रहा है. है दोनो हव्वे ही! क्योंकि ना तो बचपन में भूत प्रेत थे, और ना ही आज डेवेलपमेंट है. कोशिश ज़रूर जारी है, मगर सच तो यह है की सरकार की हर एक विधि निर्माण में विकास की अपरोक्ष रूप के पीछे, प्रच्छन्न रूप मे निजी स्वार्थ का साया है. असहाय लोगों की मदद की बजय, उनके तन मे बसी कपड़े भी नोच फाड़ने के एक दुस्वार्थ नज़र आता है. पुरानी सरकारें जब बहुमत मे आती, तो बदलाव की हवा अच्छाई की तरफ़ नहीं, तो कम से कम, बुराई की तरफ तो नहीं जाती थी. यह सरकार तो किसानों के साथ धोके पर उतर आई है. ना तो MSP के मामले पर, और ना ही Land Acquisition के मसले पर, सरकार की नीयत ठीक लगती है. जो वादे चुनावी भाषणों मे खिले थे, वे आज सरकारी धोंस के नीचे मुरझा रहे हैं. आम जनता की प्रत्यशाओं को ठेस पहुँचा है. सरकार को चाहिए की बेबुनियाद वाद विवादों मे ना फस्कर, अपनी अभिरुचि क्रियात्मक तथा जन कल्याण हेतु विधि निर्माण में लगाए. प्रधान मंत्री ने अपनी मन की बात तो हमें बता डाली. हमने अपनी भी. मगर कहीं कुछ मिलाप नज़र नहीं आ रहा. नौ महीने ज़्यादा वक़्त बेशक ना हो, मगर सरकार को यह नहीं भूलना चाहिए, की अपनी कार्यकाल के 15% गवा चुकी है.

What EXACTLY is negotiation?

A father left 17 camels as an asset for his three sons.  When the father passed away, his sons opened up the will. The Will stated that the eldest son should get half of 17 camels while the middle son should be given 1/3rd (one-third). The youngest son should be given 1/9th (one-ninth) of the 17 camels.

As it is not possible to divide 17 into half or 17 by 3 or 17 by 9, three sons started to fight with each other.  Later, the three sons decided to go visit a wise man. The wise man listened patiently about the Will, and after giving it some thought, he brought one camel of his own and added it to the 17 camels. That increased the total to 18 camels.

Now, he started reading the deceased father’s will. Half of 18 = 9. So he gave the eldest son 9 camels 1/3rd of 18 = 6. So he gave the middle son 6 camels 1/9th of 18 = 2.  So he gave the youngest son 2 camels. Adding this up: 9 plus 6 plus 2 is 17 and this left one camel, which the wise man took back.

LESSON:

The attitude of negotiation and problem solving is to find the 18th camel i.e. the common ground. Once a person is able to find the common ground, the issue is resolved. It may take a difficult process, but it will eventually be solved. 

Morals of the Story : 

1. The first step to breakthrough is to believe that there is a solution. If we think that there is no solution, we won’t be able to reach any! 

2. Be your own version of an optimist. Believing in yourself is more important than people believing in you. 

3. If you can't make it through one door, go through another door, or better still, you make a door for yourself!