India- ESET. Elections se Election Tak.

If you have to read just one thing today, let it be this story from the economist. "After India election- Don't waste it"

In fact, only the first para is of significance. So if you are rushed, bored or not interested the minute one mentions 'Economist', then read only the first few lines.

Going further, considering often media links get deleted or broken after some time, let me give below what it says;

"About 27m Indians will be born this year.

Unless things improve, almost 2m of them will die before the next general election.

Of the children who survive, more than 40% will be physically stunted by malnutrition. Most will enroll in a school, but they cannot count on their teachers showing up. After five years of classes, less than 60% will be able to read a short story and more than 60% will still be stumped by simple arithmetic."

Think about it.

Discussion Forums

Discussion Forums : Started June 12, 2009

I recently read an article via twitter, about how twitter is not conducive to discussions. As most of you may know by now, blogging long posts have made way for micro-blogging as one of the reasons for lesser and shorter posts from my end. I end up posting on twitter that otherwise I'd write longer posts here. It is a win-win situation for me as after I post a tweet, if there are any readers who find it interesting they respond, ask a question, critique, agree or argue and if not, then it is left at that. Often within a few days or weeks, I am happy to see the thought picked by some writer or journalist and a more detailed story printed in the newspaper (of course there is never any credit or hat-tip :P ) and I 'm not one to do, 'look I predicted this here or pointed it out here now it is discussed here' etc.

While my blog is still alive and few people who read it sometimes share a thought related to the occasional posts; the twitter article on discussions and conversations got me thinking.

This post flags off a discussion forum for DeeplyDeeps. While twitter suits me well for for micro-blogging and some conversations, I do not always find it conducive to answer questions on twitter (unless of course the answer is a v. short one) due to it's 140 restriction and asynchronous nature. This I feel will also be helpful for readers who may wish to ask questions/debate the topic in general, not specific to any post.

If there is any question that you'd like to ask me or have me answer please use this to ask your question. I'll stick to answering questions here. Of course the questions will have to relate to only the topics that I have as tags (labels) in my blog.

World Environment Day 2009

A beautiful poster from the Ministry of Environment and Forests. Evangelize it!

The Ministry has equally great stickers encouraging messages to help, save and nurture the environment.

As the President has mentioned in her speech the shloka from the Atharva Veda,

"O pure Earth, May that we utilize your soil well, Without causing you injury or harm or Disturbing any vital element in you. " _//\\_

How are you celebrating World Environment Day today, or even everyday, in your life and your neighbourhood?

Mumbai says Meri Marzi on Election Day

There was this Govinda Song that went, "M.E.R.I. Marzi!"

For instance, "har chauraahe par main apni murti lagawau, news paper kaat ke apna suit main banawau". A very tongue-in-cheek, humorous, whimsical song defying definition.

Pretty much like Mumbai itself.

How does Meri Marzi translate into English I’m not sure but if I try - it means, ‘I will do as I please’ (or, Do your own thang)

While Mumbai represents a microcosm of India, in many ways it has also its own unique peculiarities, quite obviously not defined by geography but people.

Meri Marzi is a phrase that emerges from a live and let live approach and grows into something that is less statement more attitude (in a nice way mostly), culture and ethos – MYOB Mumbai.

A city that everyone loves or tolerates precisely for its qualities of freedom (to do your thing), opportunities and everything else that defines its tolerant, cosmopolitan, attitude, respect etc reflected in food, lifestyle and everyday living.

It also means that unless you have your finger on the pulse (or even via expensive surveys and studies) nothing can be predicted. I like to think I have my finger on the pulse and everyone I met or talked or heard since Nov- Rickshaw driver se lekar Ratan Tata tak- well, rickshaw wala in person and Ratan Tata as reported by TV yesterday :) - the feedback was ‘Poora ka poora mohalla’- "Iss baar hum vote nahin denge." Or, a peaceful, non-violent boycott. Let whoever wants gets elected to Delhi. Our life never changes so they (politicians) can go jump. Run the country as they wish. We are resigned to our fate.

Cut to my own life. Twitter, neighbours, friends, family. (Why I voted and How I decided who to vote for is a topic for another post)

1. Thanks to Agni, Jagore, citizen groups, celebrity endorsements etc entire complex and neighbouring ones were on voter registration drives. Most of it a huge success. Young, first time voters and old so far apathetic middle aged citizens all enrolled. Then what?

2. Aamir Khan on TV saying, 'Acche ko chuno, Sacche ko chuno.' Really? Yeh hai kahan? Aapko dikhay dete hain. Hame toh nahi dikhayi dete hai. Where are the good and truthful candidates.

3. For the constituency I represent, names- all unknown. Two eminent names- never visited or never lived in the area. Connect with the electorate? You must be joking. In the very last week/few days in an open jeep, with duppatta covered over head/hat they took one quick round.

Take other places in Mumbai. A candidate in his eighties! Senior-senior citizen. Does he even know or use email? Why will youngistan elect him? The choice if one votes for opposite party is another one who shifts and changes party and ideology, participates in reality shows and actively takes sides in one of the most controversial topics of migrants, which is clearly seen as divisive.

Will such candidates connect to educated, middle class expectations and concerns or youngistan aspirations?

Then you have south Mumbai candidates. Sophisticated but living in ivory towers. One who is a scion and inherited his constituency and other who do not meet a minimum requirement (what a voters heart desires) of knowing the local language or having a record of knowing the city as a whole/community service. Even job profiles have such minimum requirements and you would not recruit a person for your organization unless there is a skill and qualification fit but want that you should be elected just on other exemplary points in your bio.

The general feeling was ‘Yeh log, Mumbai ki nahin sochte hain toh desh ki kya sochenge?’ The exact feeling - We do not want politicians, we want leaders.

It was not easy to decide- either on party lines or candidates.

On Party lines- everyone knows how much the citizens feel betrayed by Congress. Really is there a congress at all. There is Sonia Gandhi, Rahul & Priyanka, Manmohan Singh. (& FM). The second choice- BJP. That alienated itself from youngistan over Ram Sene and Orissa.

All the Rest - Take a look. Ageing film stars & ex-cricketers, convicted criminals, verified goondas, budda- buddies (senior citizens, candidates born in 1920, 1930, etc).

1. Candidates who do not treat opposition candidates and parties with respect, and indulge in personal bickering instead of debate on issues;
2. Candidates who use money & muscle. (Dadagiri in the name of Gandhigiri);
3. Candidates who lie- about educational qualifications and assets;
4. Parties who function like corporate bodies on an inorganic growth path and apparently simply sell seats to highest bidders.

In brief, candidates who demonstrate no principles, take no stand on issues of values and national importance. Young Mumbai liked Shashi Tharoor but he is in TVM. We like to tell what is on our mind but look what happens if you speak up. Varun was simply thrown into jail. A young crowd that was eager to participate and make a difference were silenced and confused.

Hence Mumbai chilled. The people Mumbai elects don’t care about Mumbai. (Read this sad story of a South Mumbai resident). And UP and Bihar decides majority in Parliament. Fix the system first.

Add to that, the demographic profile and electoral process itself.

To quote TV. ‘26/11 protests were Face book crowd’. (hence, dimissive tone).

So what? They are real people too you know..

Facebook does not categorize you on domicile boundaries. Mumbai is half migrants (even white collar) which means young boys & girls who have families in other cities and live in Mumbai only for work.

How does a voting system that demands physical presence where you are registered work in real life for a mobile crowd? That too on a long weekend when they have a chance to go home. Add to that even election at home state/location may/may not match the dates. Employers or govt does not enable or allow any manner of support to vote. So they cannot vote anywhere.
- Why is the voter ID not the PAN card? A universal number and valid all over the country?
- Why it is that vote cannot be done via email?
- Why is 49-0 not available on EVMs?

Currently 49-0 is only for manual voting and even after that it does not register as a protest vote but only ensures attendance. Such that your absence is not misused. It does not help in active participation.

Even after that is used, is the electoral process equipped to deal with 49-0 results? Let’s say the whole country will use 49-0 and say 90% of candidates are rubbish. Does the process ensure that they are disqualified, new and better ones are available, re-voting, who pays for it, how does time spans work so many issues around a protest vote system to ensure that it works and does not get mired in judicial processes like candidates with criminal records standing for election using High Court, Supreme Court, etc etc. as merely delay tatics.

For systems to work it must be swift and simple to understand and implement.

What about so many registered voters who turned up but could not vote cos they did not find their name in the list! (See this slide show- it has a powerful quote, "we want leaders, not hooligans')

Slain cop, Hemant Karkare’s wife could not vote. A WTF moment.

So all award winning journalists take a chill pill. Then take a deep breath, go back to the editorial table and draw a map of how and what are the issues you will address in the next episodes instead of yakking about, ‘Did Mumbai deliver' on your prime time slot. Mumbai is officially just one of the constituencies in Lok Sabha elections. It displayed the national average and just cos we are blasted to our deaths you expected some miraculous turnout. Why? We are being killed since 1993. What was new about this years bomb blasts that any thing new should emerge.

On the plus side, even after such a mood, 49% turnout was registered. The number of young citizens and first time voters have swelled thanks to various e-democracy projects, web-sites devoted to candidate information have been developed and are being studied. The glitterati and chatterati (celebrities) have endorsed and got involved in the process- speaking and meeting groups; the elections went peacefully and there was no official boycott or untoward incident.

This is a great opportunity for political parties, candidates, people who design software systems, and citizens to reflect on what next. Get off their backs, travel, meet each other (citizens and elected representatives), discuss and debate issues, and take steps to make it a robust process of citizen and civil participation.

I also think ( hope?) that it may well mark the return of values like integrity, principles and issue based ideology in the Indian system of politics. History and time will tell.

Good Friday

I happened to see this picture today and felt it was particularly significant for Good Friday so I thought I'd take a picture (taken on a nokia phone) and share with others.

It reads, 'I asked Jesus how much do you love me? "This much," He answered. Then he streched out his arms and died.

Though twitpic and twitter is the norm, since I hadn't updated my blog lately, decided to post it here.

Akal Badi ki Bhains

Yesterday on Twitter my friend balu @chupchap posted a link to an interview with a rabble rousing person in India of pub attack fame and urged me to read it.

Past experience had told me that it would be ravings & rantings and hence I told Balu I will not read it and expend any time on it . Also do people like this - who in normal life I’d say need intervention – need more publicity?

At the same time I was pulled in another direction that said media needs to expose people like this for who they are and what they stand for and do or don't do.

Such interviews and exposes also brings into focus and contrast what other parties- political, religious or administrative and people have to say and how they deal with such issues.

For instance, who an Indian marries is decided by him/her/family/law. Normally, in that order. Not a self professed vigilantte who has a ‘sena’. Hence any other views are – or should be - completely useless in this country.

What is important however, in the Mangalore pub incident and other such cases attacks on girls in Bangalore, are the views of the other people in the society (families of affected people or who wish to talk); community (voters and people who live in the city) ; state officials (administration like law keepers, police, municipal authorities, justice etc) and, if it affects any legislations then, politicians.

Here is my view;

A. Show people for what they are with interviews and exposes.

However,

B. Do not lose focus. Highlight the REAL issues. Detailed interviews with other people involved are also required.

Like;

1 .The issues of families and girls involved. For instance, in this interview the chap says that the mother of the girl, a Mrs Shetty was ‘grateful’ that he daughter was ‘saved’. I’d love to see media do more interviews with her and families like her. The log kya kahenge, Biradari mein hamri izzat issues. What is izzat, what is biradari, how much is it important, how does it affect you, why do you support people like sene, etc.

We know that in certain countries ruled by religious paries, excommunication can take extreme measures. Hence the fear to comply. But in India?

At one end of the spectrum, we have families who encourage their daughters from mofussil towns to distant cities to participate in dance and MTV reality shows on television as they see it as an opportunity to some fame, fortune and better future. On the other end we have outright ‘honour killings’ for daring to fall in love and/or marry with a person of another caste/community.

Trapped between the two we have this category of families who do not really know, explore, or accept possibilities and change. In other stories gone wrong, instead of ending in a pub attack, they end with suicide or murder. But yet, parents pretend or refuse to accept reality as is (happening) and ‘thank’ vigilantes.

Then, I’d like to see media direct attention on issues such as why do people not file FIRs. The issue of how difficult and tiring the process of seeking legal aid is in India. How to overcome and improve these systems and processes. Alternatives, suggestions, options?

Third, the chap says he has hundreds of people working for him. Including a 'womens' wing. Gasp! Imagine. Arresting him will be of little or no use cos there is one like him in almost every Indian family.

So I’d also like to see more interviews with at least few of the hundreds and thousands of youth (and women) who join such ‘causes’. These are the vigilante armies being trained. Why do the youth choose to opt for this route instead of focusing on improving their talent and skills for other (what we think is more productive) use. How do the women brigade feel about reversing all the hard work Mahatma Phule and Ram Mohan Roy did.

It is my view that with this kind of journalism and reporting, the country will awaken to other and more substantial issues ( such as parenting, education, youth, opportunities & social structures (or lack of it), public & civic governance, insecurities and how they breed etc instead of merely polarise sections of society based on religious beliefs, moral stances and political affiliations. I think what I am saying is I want the people to be interviewed who are neither of ‘Sene’ or ‘Pink chaddi’ brigade. The people who keep quiet and need to find a voice, an expression.

We need a country where each person should be free to practice all the above three (religious beliefs, moral stances and political affiliations ) freely with no fear of reprisals and have law, order and justice prevail.

Only after typing this post did I realise it is International Womens day today. Co-incidence or what! So, this is my Womens Day post. Vive le difference as I love to say.

As for the title of this post. 'Akal Badi ki Bhais' is a well known old hindi idiom that loosely transalated suggests, "use brains" or THINK!

I also came upon this site with some funny pixs which I am linking to just for a few laughs. God knows I feel the need for it after thinking of the madness that threatens the very fabric of our India.