New Age Indian Politics

Raisina Hill under siege-

The Delhi Police is out there to disperse people gathered for a cause.  The cause is to force the establishment of the State to fulfill its basic reason for existence - 'To protect peoples liberty and rights'.  In fact in India the establishment and especially the Police act only for VIPs and not for the people.

The foremost reforms that India needs is not economic reforms, but judicial and police reforms. India does not require to build its military muscles, but build more courts, recruit more judges and recruit more police. Free the police from the enslavement by their political masters. Today, the Police look like VIP security service rather than Police that implements Law to protect people.

Welcome to new age Indian politics. Indian youth have learnt to fight for secular public causes - causes that cut across identities and affect people of every class, caste and religion.

This trend has to organise itself to give meaningful changes to the highly identity based public space in India.
The interest groups should organise themselves into lobbyists for the while and later to capture corridors of power to bring about change.

we must learn and fine tune techniques of Satyagraha against latest crowd management tools of the State - water cannons,tear gas shells.

News Prostitutes

Vir Singhvi, Rajdeep Sardesai, Bharka Dutt all big names in the world of indian journalism. In fact they have been decorated with Padhma Shri by the Manmohan Singh Government for their valuable contributions in this field! Outlook has recently exposed the leaked tapes of conversation between a professional corporate lobbyist (professional criminal) and these unworthy media-personnel showing their involvement in many lobbying that includes ministerial berths and influencing public policies on important national resources to benefit bigwigs like some political parties, Ambanis and Tatas.

They are trying to defend themselves by saying that they have merely used their contacts in the higher echelons as a part of their professional duty. It is sure that we will not find any 24X7 news sellers will make a cover story on this issue though they make one even for a petty issue involving politicians and bureaucrats. It is of a brave effort on the part of Outlook to bring out this corruption in indian journalism to the limelight which may face professional boycott from these 24X7 news channels.

We all have been told that definition of corruption includes only public servants when they misuse their public office for their private interests. But it is largely missed that in today's world the public life is operated not only by the public servants but by the media and big corporates. Whoever delivers goods and services to public consumption operates public life. So if he misuses his position it is an act of corruption as it fits for a public servant. In fact these recent findings are as important as was the case with aadharsh scam, 2G scam and famous political scams of 1990s. These criminal journalists should be discredited in public life and their decorations should be revoked.

In the public interest jounalism and media business should be tightly regulated by law especially by putting ceilings on their financial clout and seeing that no business and political vested interests be given opportunity to own and operate the media.

It is also to the credit of UPA II under Manmohan Singh which has given enough autonomy to many central agencies like CBI, ED and Income Tax especially under an efficient Home Minister which has enabled these agencies to unearth and expose many of the recent scams. Let us hope that this leads to strengthening the moral fiber of the country.

http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?268071

The Schindler’s List (Review)

This is a commentary on the film of Schindler’s List directed by Steven Spielberg on the theme of a German businessman with Nazi links helping a group of Jews during holocaust by bribing the Nazi establishment with the objective of improving the profitability of his business and in course of time moved by the qualities that define the human beings.

In these trying situations we find the line of right and wrong being crossed often and immoral qualities like bribing and extreme profiteering turns out to be the best things to do.

The film shows how a bribe could be the most righteous thing to do in the circumstances prevailing during Nazi rule. Schindler was able to save 800 lives because he was able to bribe the Nazi Bureaucracy. At times bribe is good for the humanity.

It shows capitalism is better than a totalitarian regime of any sort. Liberty and Democracy should be the guiding star for the humanity rather than any ideology implemented through totalitarian regime be it socialism or a theocracy.

I will conclude Schindler as the Jesus Christ for the Jews he saved. Though initially his motive was to profit from the slave labor of Jews he slowly changes his mind and learns to pardon and learns to save lives. At the end of day he is running his business in loss. Yet he achieves his goal to be extraordinary and one who did that no one dared to do. Yes, what he has done is more worth than in case if he had steered his business into profit a two trunk ship full of money. Finally he feels if had not rode on car and wasted his money on party he would have saved more lives of the Jews.

Indian State and Maoist Challenge

If the Indian State seriously contemplates to take on the Maoist challenge, it has to be serious with implementing the worst delayed Police reforms with giving enough autonomy for Police in their functional sphere atleast in the Maoist active states. Take the case of Orissa. The situation here is so bad that active policemen taking up serious activities against Maoists are being transferred immediately. Many of the districts of Orissa are under virtual Maoist control with CPI-M running parallel Governments by collecting 25% tax on Government servants and businessmen and politicians. Even the local politicians are in secret understanding with the Maoist affecting policy decisions of the Government.

Given this situation, we cannot expect much from the Police with their moral completely down. The central police forces are not much different lacking a bigger strategy and operating with the objective of simply safeguarding their camps in the first place rather than taking offence on the Maoists. The Grey Hounds of Andhra Police are odd in the list equipped with enough resources to take on the Maoists.

The Government should atleast take care of the payments/compensation to be given to the Police personnel killed or injured during the battle with the extremists. There are many complaits arising very now and then on this issue as the Government takes lot of time for clearing such compensation.

In the recent case of martyrdom of 76 CRPF personnel also the Home Minister has announced that they will be given compensation within 30 days. But I don’t know why it should take a month even in this case of such a high profile attention. There should be single window clearance for such cases and made available at their doorsteps within a day. Mr. Chidambaram better knows about financial transactions. And to the attention of the mainstream Press, that they should monitor such disbursals on a daily basis and give red letter warning in their cover stories to make sure the compensation reach the affected.

My Personality Test with Shashi Uban Tripathi in UPSC Civil Services Exam. 2008

It was on April 1st Day and my first appearance in the UPSC interview in my second attempt. I was a bit nervous. After filling up the routine forms in the central halls I was told that I will be the one to go first among 6 of us in a group. I was not knowing until I was called, which board I will be facing in a short while. The attendant told me it was Shashi Uban Tripati madams board. I was knowing that she was an IFS officer and friendlier. I was waiting for some 5 minutes in the lobby and then I was called inside. There were chairman (Mrs. Shashi) and four other members (M1, M2, M3, M4).

Shashi Uban Tripati:- she was very friendly and welcomed with a big smile; She started with my biodata and my work experience in a central govt. technical organization dealing with Remote Sensing Applications.

Tell me about your organization ? - I expanded and explained.

What is your role with – I explained.

Why Civil Service – I explained about GNK – a voluntary organisation working in the area of informal schooling for underprivileged people.

Why in India we are unable to achieve universal education – I told Socially – some factors like parents not sending girl children to school; Economically –children had to support the family by earning wages so not sent to school;

M1: -

He asked about the details of the organization I am working with?

What is Geoinformatics? – My under graduation was in B.E. Geoinformatics from Anna University Chennai.

What is the applications area of geoinformatics and Remote Sensing? - I talked about its applications in mapping and utilizing the natural resources, defence, intelligence, policing and public administration and in corporate sector for utilities management etc.,

M2: -

Dravidian Movement – Anti-Brahman movement? – I explained about its origin. Its effect on the social engineering of the southern states especially in Tamil Nadu. I linked them with the backward class movement and took a positive stand in favour of these movements showing as evidence, comparatively high human development index for this state.

Nadar community? – He asked particularly about this community to which I belong. I explained that this community was one of the finest beneficiary of above said movements and had improved its profile through business and education.

Sethusamudhram project? – He asked about the cultural dilemmas regarding the project. But I took the stand that I will go with scientific evidence and economic benefits.

M3:- With M3 I was not able to answer some of the questions? – But managed some extent.

What is project CAAP? – related to remote sensing application in agriculture.

Agriculture yield in india? Whether India is importing? Food security – Only half I answered.

Water Scarcity – I talked about cavery issue regarding irrigation; I talked about drinking water problems and mentiond some details about Bharat Nirman project as well.

M4:-

Should Google Earth be banned : I told that it need not be banned but sensitive areas could be blurred; Since it is a global MNC UN level actions could be taken; Security interests far outweigh business interests.

Questions about my hometown and district: kumbakonam and Thanjavur district – temples – shortly finished;

Wind power – Solar power – He wanted some specific details like why it is not been brought up in scale and what could be done – I told general problems like potential and high initial investments and popularity of other conventional power and nuclear power in india. – For this answer he seemed not much satisfied.

NGO malpractices? – Related to GNK, the voluntary organization I mentioned initially. I told regulations should be there –he asked regulations are already there; I continued that it should be properly implemented; they play significant role to compensate the Govt.

Mrs. Shashi:

What Dalai Lama is doing in India?

I explained he is under political asylum given by Govt. of India after he was made to leave Tibet as China overthrown him. Here I faulted by saying he is running ‘Govt. in Exile’. Immediately she asked are you sure? I told I am not sure mam. Then I continued to say that Dalai Lama and his followers are given freedom to exercise their religious and societal practices but they are not permitted to involve in political activities that hampers the friendly relations of India with China.

Can you scientifically explain Meditation? – it was one of my hobbies.

I was not able to tell exactly; but felt I was beating around the bush; I told it could sooth the nerves and will make mind concentrate and heart beats would become less; it is middle stage between sleep and unconsciousness and here we will be consciousness at the same time thoughtlessness.

On the whole it went very smooth. I got 186 marks in the interview. But because of my very low marks in the mains written, I did not find my number in the final list of successful candidates.

Critique of Libertarianism(Neo-Liberalism)

Libertarinas argue that the Government should not support weaker sections of society. Accordingly, a handicapped person should not be given any assistance. If it was given it will do injustice to able bodied person in his entitlement of fair amount of share. If it is so why should the Government implement the contracts through administering Justice? Let the law of the forest prevail. In Knowledge Business those who can afford to pirate and violate copyright restriction can do so after all they are using the facilities at their disposal to do so. The government intervention by implementing contracts is to violate the individual rights and liberties in the same language of Libertarians. In the same way those who have the access and skill to use weapons can threaten wealthy people and rob them of their wealth. Why should the Government intervene? Won’t the intervention violate the individual liberty and right of these robbers? After all they are using the skills at their disposal to survive in this land of forest advocated by Libertarians. At this stage these libertarians will definitely seek the help of spiritual gurus and Religion to advice people to observe morality in order to maintain their position. By extending this same argument we can argue that it is the duty of the Government to take care of physically handicapped and weaker sections of people to meet their survival needs even at the cost of the erosion of wealth of Superrich.

Communist Party of China and Market Forces:

The best brains of the country and the bourgeoisie capitalism and technology should be made to work for the sake of benefit of entire community rather than to improve the luxury lifestyle of a fraction of the population. Political control over the economic forces will make this objective a possibility. When closely observed, it seems China is evolving such a polity and economy. The Communist Government in China makes the market forces to work for the betterment of its population through channels set by its policies. As the masses cannot manage the big affairs better and they cannot innovate technologies to improve their life, the elites should be made to work for them, with political control over elite by masses. In this model the economic sphere is essentially left to the market forces as the market does it better than state and political sphere is essentially controlled by people through Communist Party rather than leaving it to capitalist elite as is the case with representative democracy in which power is acquired by using money and muscle power. This Chinese model may evolve as a solution for the crisis of Capitalism.