What Young India Wants by Chetan Bhagat - A Review

"What Young India Wants? Its money back!"

So went a joke on twitter, sent my way by good friend and active tweeter, @tarique_anwer. Essentially, the young India, which had been eagerly waiting for Chetan Bhagat's first non-fiction publication was so disappointed in this flimsy attempt that, instead of these trivial essays, they wanted the ₹140 they spent on this book back. Which young India was awaiting the release of this book, you ask? Well, the one to which I belong was. Rather enthusiastically. There may be several reasons for that - the basic being, I loved Chetan Bhagat from his first through to his last novel. What I definitely did not take into account was the fact that I had never been exposed to his kind of political or social writing, which, defined at best, is average.

There are many things wrong and disappointing about this book. However, since I am a firm believer in silver linings, let me tell you what I loved about it. I loved the thought behind his words. Not the words, just the thoughts and the apparent drive which made him, rather bravely, attempt essays on fields as diverse as social networking, politics, education, gender issues, market economics, psychology and much else. All this vast expanse of topics was, unfortunately, ruthlessly compressed to fit a rather small space. However, before delving into negatives with full force, I would like to point out another thing which I found good - in fact, the only place where I felt any connect with the book. It was the short autobiographical essay which Bhagat has written about himself, recounting his struggles and achievements unabashedly and with minimum pretension. I have a proclivity towards such people, so much so, that Bhagat was almost successful in establishing his credibility as a social-economic-political commentator.

Naive fallacy of a hapless fan. The back-cover extols the book as a collection of Bhagat's 'widely read' columns across newspapers. I don't doubt that his article contributions to leading national dailies had a stable audience, but that is not because he is an expert or an insightful man. That is because he is popular and easy to read. He writes like I might. He connects with the youth (like he claims) because of his passionate discourses, which are rich on emotions, but devoid of substance. I am not being too harsh on the author - because I know I genuinely admire him for the kind of readership revolution he has brought out in urban India. I also relate and associate with the passion he holds for the country that is India - infectious and easily understood. However, when you delve into the finer (or even shallower) points he makes, you will realise he is not saying anything which is innovative, or which may work as an epiphany. Now, writers, especially columnists should mandatorily be of a stature where they stir the brains of readers. What I mean is, that writing should be capable of producing a change.

Nothing changed in me after I read this very gloriously titled book. Except for the fact that I will be wary of Bhagat's books in future. His effort at covering those many topics is commendable, but that is exactly what also works against him. When he takes up issues of such importance, and then wraps them up even before they can grow on you, it seems a nonsensical endeavour. Too little of too much packed together - thats what this book is.

Replete with personal anecdotes, Bhagat does strive to establish a cord, but fails in the larger picture. Another element which is totally frivolous and which harms the credibility of the author to the maximum are the two pieces of short fiction printed after the mini-essays. The stories, if I am too generous, I would say, are okay. The first one still better, but the second one aimlessly searching for reasons to be included in the book. Fiction is Bhagat's domain, and I know for a writer of his calibre, it would not be difficult to create a fictional narrative on an issue of social relevance. In fact, he takes up social issues routinely in his novels. In this book, however, he again disappoints in the area which is known to be his stronghold.

Summary - 2 star on five. There are much better books in the market which deal in a more in-depth and specialised and even interesting manner with the issues Bhagat picks up here. Hunt for those and skip this one.

Book Details -
Author - Chetan Bhagat
Publisher - Rupa
Published - 2012
Book Source - Review Copy
Genre - Non-fiction/Current Affairs/Essays 
Price - Rs. 140
Pages -  181

The Sin of Wastage

(The following post was written for Scroll 360 on the occasion of World Environment Day, celebrated each year on June 5th. I wanted to share it with the readers of my blog here because of the issues it raises and the awareness it attempts to create)

Ouch! That much of waste is sure to hurt. It does. No, it does not hurt you. It did not hurt me till sometime back, but now, each time I see a morsel of food being fed to the bin, my heart screams out in protest. Do you know whom all that perfectly-eatable-passed-of-as-trash food hurt? Those significant millions languishing in Asia, Sub-Sahara Africa, and even in otherwise prosperous nations, whose skin is just clinging desperately to the bones as a last ditch attempt to stay alive. They have nothing called flesh on their body. All they have is an ignominious stripping off of basic human rights of living. Even as someone begins broaching the topic of food scarcity and food security, it is impossible to not recall to mind the simple words of the Mahatma – Nature has enough for everyone’s need, but not for everyone’s greed.  

            I am a foodie – a big one, mind you! There is a favourite anecdote my mother often relates in front of family gatherings, much to my absolute mortification. As a child, a really small one, I had once gone for a wedding where I was too short to be able to reach the extravagant culinary displays. What was in my reach, was however, a bin, where people were dumping their food-laden plates. Next thing my parents discover, I am not just eating out of it, but relishing the food too! I was rescued, mildly rebuked for a minute, and then I found myself amid loud guffaws. What was amusing, however, for a gathering with no crease of remorse on their faces for wasting criminal quantities of food is actually a way of life for an unreal number of people out there in the world. We all have that one moment where we see a significant change in the way we perceive the world, that makes us look within, that moment when something breaks inside us only to give way to something better. My moment came while reading an old case study, where acute food scarcity in southern India had driven a man to consume his own faeces. Try as hard as I might, I can never shake off that image – and I would love to impose it on the minds of those who throw away eatables as a routine.

            Why is today a good day to talk about food wastage and the need to put curbs on it? Well, that is because today is the World Environment Day, as declared and observed by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The WED was conceptualized in 1970s. Besides carrying the intrinsic message of saving the environment, it also observes distinct themes each year to address agendas of pressing concern. This year, UNEP has declared ‘Think. Eat. Save.’ as the theme to be followed for WED across the globe. Ian Somerhalder, the hot and irresistible Damon Salvatore of Vampire Diaries fame, is the celebrity face of the ‘Think. Eat. Save’ campaign. He also runs a foundation the aims of which, as he puts it, are as diverse as the plants, humans and creatures of earth face. In a UNEP release, Somerhalder quotes, “It is absolutely nuts that 30 per cent of all food is thrown away. That translates into $48.3 billion. Can you imagine what we could do with $48 billion. Can you imagine the decrease in pesticides, water and land use if we no longer needed to produce that 30 per cent that is just ending up in the bin?”

            Now, do not take these statistics lightly. What is being implied above is that almost one third of the food production of the world goes waste. Waste! And in measures big and small, we all contribute to it. Now, try reading the last few lines of the second paragraph of this article all over again, and think how criminal it is to be a party to something which is avoidable by little, conscious efforts on our part. Especially being inhabitants of India, that instance could not have dwindled in our memory where large-scale rotting of grains in India was reported against a backdrop of repeated dismal performances on indices of child health, nutrition and mortality.

Blame it all on the government if you please, but check the next time you head out to splurge money on junk, part of which contributes to unhealthy fats in your body, and the other part of which contributes to overflowing trash cans. Go out to buy fresh veggies every once in a few days – make sure you buy only as much as you can guarantee will not rot in your latest refrigerators. You could also call up your mother or grandmother for interesting recipes on how to use leftover food from fridge to make interesting delicacies. I was glad to see an entire episode of MasterChef India dedicated to reusing leftover food in unimaginable ways, a method even Sanjeev Kapoor endorses in the many recipes he prescribes for his followers. If there is no one else to guide you, contact me. My mother, recently, churned up yummy masala fritters made with nothing more than boiled rice and vegetables which were left from a day earlier. Interestingly, there is a day observed by my grandmother, called ‘Basoda’, where she eats only food from a day before. I might not know the myth, but the thought behind observing the day is both, cool and rational.          

In my understanding, even waste is not waste. What is the most common image of waste in our heads is the best source of nutrients for soil when used as manure. I hope everyone understands that technically, you cannot throw waste ‘out’, because there is no ‘out’, unless you know some technique of launching it in space, that too, not without consequences. Using kitchen waste to make compost is an age-old technique – only we’re too busy to follow it. May I ask why? Is it because you are sure that a cataclysm will skip your generation and strike the next, from which you snap all ties of kinship?

This is what UNEP website says – ‘According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), every year 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted. This is equivalent to the same amount produced in the whole of sub-Saharan Africa. At the same time, 1 in every 7 people in the world go to bed hungry and more than 20,000 children under the age of 5 die daily from hunger.’

I wish you all a very happy World Environment Day, and exhort you all to take some decisions which is retrospect, you are all very proud of. Days like this remind us that time to act cannot be postponed indefinitely. Perhaps time to act is now.

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Catharsis or Cyber Bullying? Try Confessing!

(This article had been originally written for  Scroll360.in, when the trend of 'Confessions' on facebook was still going strong. Thankfully, that madness has abated. However, while going through the contents of this article, I found ideas and issues still pertinent. I am hence sharing it again on Nascent Emissions. Hope you have a nice time reading it) 

Let me begin this article with a caveat. If you are looking for an objective view on the topic, then understand that you are interacting with an author who is struggling with herself to arrive at objective analysis and later deductions on this debate. However, as someone having suffered the negative side of a recent social media phenomenon, it is obvious that bias will be inherent in words that follow – passion just might overrule the possibility of a rational discourse.

I am here to confess – no, I will desist from using that word unless absolutely necessary, because for me, it has come to acquire irksome connotations. Confessions are the latest fad to have announced their grand arrival on the virtual stage and to have caught the attention of all – the old, the young, the teenaged and the infant-minded. These confessions, which opulently display themselves out on dedicated pages, identified by school, college, department or organizations, are being pursued – whether secretly or in open – by all and sundry. In very little time, they have come to be characterized by the idiom – love them or hate them, but you cannot ignore them. These confession pages are capable of giving you all entertainment you seek in the world – they excite you, they intrigue you, they might make you feel elevated, or they may cause your spirits to plummet. They are increasingly acquiring a weed-like tendency – you uproot (ban) a few of these pages, and a few more than before will sprout instantaneously in its place. So ubiquitous is their presence, that I felt no need to introduce the dynamics and mechanics of this page anywhere in the beginning of this article. These pages, in fact, are not just confined to their virtual domains, but have come to be the ultimate spring of normal day gossip and discussions among students and office-mates. The speed and ease of posting, and then the skill of facebook at spreading the written word have lent these, if I may say, unscrupulous ramblings, the power to make and break images – a sad reality in our world which thrives by feeding on gossip.

My introduction to a confession page was, interestingly, not on Facebook, but via a leading national daily. In an article, a reporter had sought the opinion of a leading psychologist about the then new trend of confessions which involve a large mass of teens and young adults. The psychologist, even more interestingly, was very positive about this whole phenomenon. According to him, the frustrations which are a natural by-product of urban lifestyles, compulsions and tensions, find a helpful and healthy vent through these anonymous online confessions. So far so good. I was happy to read about something which is working to add comfort, optimism and calm to the lives of thousands of youngsters out there. A month later, I am not so sure. If anything, I reckon that anyone who still holds this phenomenon to be positive is perhaps talking without laying on eye on the content which these so-called confessions entail.

As per my understanding, the concept of confessions finds it origin in the Catholic culture, wherein, a man, conscious of his wrongdoings, guilt-ridden, walks into a confession chamber to unburden his heart and purge his soul. It is one aspect of Christianity which I have always admired. Not only does it make one confront his weak moments, where wantonly or unwantonly, he might have indulged in a sinful act, but this one act of confession also strengthens the faith of that man in the infinite mercy of Almighty, in whose forgiveness lies his salvation. Now, one can always trust social media to cash on something so pure and noble, and transform it into a crass and cacophonous nonsense. I might be strong and extremely prejudiced in terms of my expressions, but I have peers who have spent days layered in anxiety and low self-esteem only because of some expletives directed at them from anonymous mouths. I, despite maintaining a steadfast and deliberate distance from any page with ‘confessions’ in its title, have also been embroiled in invectives reeking of misogyny and hurtful envy, if not more insidious tendencies.

Anything said above is not to discard altogether the cathartic aspects of nameless online confessions. Not in my vicinity, but on some confession pages of distant universities, students have posted genuine problems which are difficult to verbalise and have met with encouraging comments and helpful links from their peers. There are youngsters sharing their insecurities and even honest angst against institutional policies, which have led to fruitful discussions and understanding of multiple opinions. However, these instances are exceptions rather than being the rule. Most often, the confessions pages I have seen invariably contain the following – a deluge of expletives, proposals of ‘I like you’ and ‘I love you’ kind, misogynistic diatribes, demeaning explicit comments and obtuse tales of bravado. Now, which one of them can you remotely associate with the word confession? Most will agree on the fact that confessions are meant to purge or unburden oneself, and not to malign someone else. I would never even be able to understand a statement like ‘I made out in the college library’ as a confession. What is the confessioner trying to achieve by posting this? He, clearly, is not guilty of his act, rather proud in fact. What goes down in the process in the name of the institution and often necessitates a disciplinary action by authorities, especially where defamatory comments are concerned. I have personally known an admin threatened of legal action, and another relieved of his professional duties because of careless posts on his confessions page.

So, catharsis or cyber-bullying? My vote is with the latter. At the core of the appeal of such pages lies their anonymity. You can post whatever you wish. The more outrageous the content of your post, the more reactions it elicits. Responses – in the form of likes and comments – isn’t it because of them that we are all so hooked onto Facebook? Earlier, the debate was around the perils of leaving your privacy at the mercy of social platforms like Facebook. Now, via phenomena like confessions, unscrupulous elements go one step further to jeopardize the privacy, as well as the public image of others and not just themselves. With an increasing number of parents and teachers becoming a part of their ward/student’s social network, the harm caused by hurtful and malicious confessions increases manifold. I recently read on a blog that Facebook is being pressurized from many corners to shut the confession pages. I hope earnestly that the concerned people pay heed. 

Smart Phones, Dumb People? by Parthajeet Sarma - A Review

'I like my new cellphone, my laptop works just fine,
My iPod is perfect, but Lord! I miss my mind!'

We could call our era the information age or the technology age, but beneath that jazzy veneer of words lies a dull flipside, or so the sceptics would have us believe. Some say that to information overload we have lost our brains. Some more will tell you that technology is aiding the advancement of machines and the backwardness of humans. Is it really true that with each passing moment, technology, which was meant to serve mankind, is actually enslaving us? This is the premise at which Parthajeet Sarma begins his confabulations with 21st century technology, though his investigations do not remain confined to this realm.

In a very promising prologue, which is what essentially encouraged me to pick up this book called 'Smart Phones Dumb People?', Sarma gives a glimpse into how computer programmes are now responsible for programming the human brain, which in certain situations loses its receptiveness, spontaneity and ingenuity. This prologue is where Sarma begins his foray into a world of opportunities, which is also a world of great paradoxes, because while for many of us, upgrading cell-phones is like buying the new, latest, attention-catching toy on the shelf, multitudes languish without basic amenities for sustenance.

Sarma structures his book well. He has divided his analysis into five parts, laconically and effectively titled - Innovation, Technology, Entrepreneurship, Priorities and Corruption. It is kind of a serial build-up of thought, through which Sarma leads his readers, so that they well understand the challenges of contemporary times, and are also acquainted with the best tools and procedures at hand to combat them. Sarma himself is an award winning innovator and entrepreneur, so his insights are those of an insider, and not a mere observer. He doesn't follow a very lofty trajectory in the book, because the issues and concepts he is dealing with a very basic - in consonance with the bottoms-up approach he seems to be a staunch believer in.

"Smart phones, dumb people? As gadgets take over our lives, have we become less intelligent?" - this is the problem Sarma lays down, and who would not begin at smart phones and social networking to postulate how greater advancements have led to greater decline in personal relationships, emotional stability and mental capacity. However, Sarma is quick to counter his own statement by asserting that the human brain has not lost its capacity in the past decade - if anything, it has become smarter. And this is evident in the number of innovations that are being churned out by enterprising young individuals. The issues across ages have retained some common features, only now, we have better tools and a better set of minds, which combine innovation, entrepreneurship and technology, to address them.

In a crisp and rather brief commentary then, Sarma gives few case studies and statistics to elucidate his stand. In the chapter on priorities, Sarma foregrounds all the challenges a country like India faces, and to what extend they can be resolved by extensive and comprehensive use of technology. He throws light on existing government policies, as well as the desired ones which can facilitate a more salubrious climate for entrepreneurial ventures to raise their heads. In the final chapter on corruption, Sarma takes up the greatest impediment which a large and diverse country like India has to fight at so many levels to come up with a credible growth momentum and strategy. You might just be motivated to build business models as a plausible answer to address governance issues after reading this one.

The book is an elementary reader into all the five sections mentioned earlier on. If you are someone who has even been remotely associated with start-ups in your professional or college life, there is nothing this book will tell you that you do not already know of. What it will do, however, is that it will string together strands of thought which otherwise lie scattered. Its a rather short book; will not take more than a day to complete. Do not buy too much into the title, which is a little deceptive, if I might say. The book does not come across as a criticism of technology, but rather as one which problematizes the halo around technological inventions, and then takes a stand before the argument is suitably built up. For readers with not much knowledge, but certainly an aptitude in this direction - especially those looking to construct their own start-ups and indulge in a bit of entrepreneurship (social, or otherwise), this book might be a good place to start at. Despite not containing any path-breaking, or enlightening thoughts to illuminate my mind, I think time on this book was well spent for the way it channelled my thought. A 2.5 star read for me.

Book Details -
Author - Parthajeet Sarma
Publisher - Good Times Books
Published - 2013
Book Source - Review Copy
Genre - Fantasy- Non-fiction
Price - Rs. 195
Pages -  164

A Month Down The Line

            In her brief tryst with the world, she acquired many sobriquets. Some called her Damini, some Amanat and others Nirbhaya. As was revealed by her grieving father, her name, actually, was Jyoti. Well, more apt. While receding into eternal darkness, while being embraced by death, she lit a flame which illuminated many.

            A month since the heinous incident, and it makes sense to ask where is it that we have arrived. Protesting multitudes have gone hoarse shouting slogans. The injuries incurred during an unwarranted state response have now been healed. Perpetrators have been nabbed and shunned not just by the public, but by their co-inmates. A deluge of insensitive comments by people in power have been issued to make a mockery of the composite, vibrant culture we show off to the world. Debates on death penalty and chemical castration have mellowed down, but not before they acquired a more nuanced character. Some parents have gone paranoid with safety concerns; others have opened themselves up more to the world and refused to bow down to fear. A committee has been constituted to suggest reforms for greater gender parity and safety. Fast track courts have been established. In the backdrop of all this, a family has been silently weeping for the loss of that brave child, who loved buying new clothes, and who was the promise of light in their life.

            A few days into the protest, a gentle female friend of mine left me a text. She had a concern. While she thought that the protests were okay, she wanted to convince me that it was, after all, the girl’s mistake that she was in that circumstance. It took me a nano second to take umbrage. Callous, barbaric, incredible, pathetic and downright preposterous comments about rape, adequately reflective of our incorrigible patriarchal mind-set, had been emanating from the mouths of almost all in whose face a microphone was thrust. These were the high and the mighty of our society. However, behind closed doors of humble, nondescript houses, in our very generation which has catalysed this movement against rape, there did exist similar ideologies. My friend was but one example. I wanted to shout at her. I was at pain to understand how does a woman not understand the pain, the agony, and the rights of another woman. A moment more, and I did realize, that all this is reflective of the very disease which has conditioned us. Women, before they challenge men to grant them equality, have to liberate themselves from their own subjugated psyches, their own complexes when pitted against the perceived superior males.

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            This article was intended to evaluate how a month of protesting, debating and displaying our anger has altered our environment. The sceptics shall be quick to guffaw and dismiss this collective anger as frivolous, transitory and inconsequential. The believers shall offer a version in absolute contradiction. However, what happened in Delhi on that fateful night has not left anyone of us untouched. We have our takes on it, and it is important that we accommodate the perspectives of each other in a collective understanding of the incident and its aftermath. That is the only way we truly learn.

            So, have these protests stopped rapes? No. They did not. They couldn’t have; because, no matter how motivated a group of young protesters, it is still not sufficient to weed out what has been a part of our society since centuries. Yes, rape has been a part of our society. There have been Kings known for their penchant for ‘deflowering’ maidens. Why? Because a woman’s body has been seen as something to be conquered, controlled. So, when not fighting wars, these Maharajas would love sorting out virgins and violating their honour, and, interestingly, even keeping souvenirs from their conquests – which could be a stained bedsheet or a nose-ring (worn primarily by virgins). It is understood by most now, that there is nothing sexual about rape. It is more of a measure for ‘disciplining’ the weaker sex, of showing them their place. Yes, the rapes have not stopped, but this understanding has been put their in the open. A month down the line, we have grown up a little.

            The most instant response to this incident of rape were deafening cries of a quick and definitive death penalty for the convicts. Did that happen? No. It did not. I do not know if it will, and I don’t care if it does. The government, the media and the judiciary took note. Emotions and rationalities collided. And today, even though the debate rages on, it is perfectly understood that perhaps death penalty is not the solution to this problem. If anything, it will worsen the situation at hand. A rapist might be tempted to kill his prey, in an attempt to dispose off evidence and the conviction rate for rapes, which is an abysmal 26% now, might fall to as low as 2%.

            There is no clear cut solution to the problem at hand, but if any, our only chance lies in working at the very roots. The feeling of superiority is infused in the male since his early childhood, when he is treated preferentially over his deprived sister. He knows he can shout at his mother and get away. The same treatment, unfortunately, is carried forward to schools. Girls are singled out in schools to ‘behave’ themselves when seen in male company. The feeling of being exclusive of each other’s environment is inculcated at the step when a teacher attempts to segregate the sitting pattern to create a clear line between girls and boys. Sex education is still a far fetched dream in most educational set ups. The chapter on reproduction is taught like a forbidden secret – to be heard and forgotten – no questions asked. I do not know how can it be done, but boys and girls are not taught to be comfortable with their bodies at the very age when it is changing and is perhaps the single biggest source of anxiety for them. Many of you might have had parents who shed light on these topics, but trust me, most girls discover the meaning of word ‘periods’ in hauntingly embarrassing situations in schools.

            How is all this relevant to the rape talk? Well, if not this, then what is? When a passing car stopped by me, passed comments at me and wanted give me lift lest my ‘gora badan’ be tired of walking the distance at home, I knew I would not tell my parents about it. The reason is simple enough. It is ‘my’ freedom that would have been curtailed, while that car would have roamed free. ‘I’ would have been the person bearing the brunt of someone else’s perversion. These are ideas ingrained in us. A girl in class fourth was being inappropriately touched by her classmate, and she felt not anger, but guilt at his invasion. Why? Who taught her to be guilty? She suffered in silence till she fell sick. Why could she not talk to anyone about it? She knew something was wrong, but what, she had no clue. Perhaps if her teachers or parents had been better sensitized by counselling, or whatever means, it might not have been a dent for life on her psyche. Sensitization. Of parents, peers, police, judiciary, of everyone. It is a long term solution, but perhaps our only bet. What has to be weeded out lies deep within the mind like a tumour. A noose around the neck will just not do the trick.

            At the end, I cannot help but quote Dushyant Kumar in what seems like the most perfect context –

“Sirf hungama khada karna mera maqsad nahi
Meri koshish hai ke soorat badalni chahiye
Mere seene mein nahi toh tere seene mein sahi
Ho kaheen bhi aag lekin aag jalni chahiye.”

"I Am Ashamed To Be An Indian Today"

It is the first emotional response, but this is what it needs to be. What kind of madness has been put on display outside the Rashtrapati Bhawan in Delhi? The Delhi police is acting like hired goons of the party in power. Tear gas shells and water canons are being unleashed on thousands of young protesters. And what is it that they are demanding? Not money, not jobs, not the sun and moon, but something as basic as protection.

This issue has flared beyond just a sexual assault case. Its an eye opener for the kind of polity we live in. Did someone just call our state a 'mecca' of democracy? I am sorry, our democracy, if anything, is hitting the nadir. Those brutal rapists used rods, and our honorable police force uses lathis - is there any visible difference to boast of?  And yes, the government issues statements asking protesters to maintain peace - those very protesters whose are hurt, both physically and mentally, at the kind of insanity and idiocy the state is treating them with.

Why would Pranab babu not come out? Is he afraid of being lynched or raped? It was never about a rape in the first place. It was about the way we allow the authority figures to trample on the perceived secondary groups in the society. The male dominates and feeds off the female, whom he perceives is nothing but a secondary accessory to him, who is here to satiate his needs. The state walks all over its subjects, thinks of the public as mere roadways to power, whose importance is understood only every five years. For rest of the time, they may rot, cry, suffer - unless their plight can become a political agenda, nothing about them matters.

Mrs. Dixit cried two nights ago on tv. But how could she cry alone? So now, she and her friends in the elite circles of Delhi ensure that the whole city cries with them. Tear gas shells. How does this idea even enter the heads of the police force? Are anyone of the political bandhs treated this way? Will tomorrow parliamentarians who protest and upset the function of the prime organ of democracy be treated the same way? Does the police even know why it exists? To protect PEOPLE. Yes. People. Here, however, a new tamasha, a new definition of the police is being invented. This is a force which protects just the state, the authority figures, the political class against the most vicious threat that they could ever face in life - public out rage. Our police is not longer a civil force. It is a state force. And these are the ones from whom we expect promises of safety. We sure must be a mad lot.

There were no politicians, even from the opposition, who took an immediate stand on the theatre of lunacy being played out on the Rajpath. Now, that is understandable, isn't it? The sons and daughters of India need to be protected, but that can happen only after press statements are cut to perfection, political agendas perfected, game plans initiated and party high command consulted. I heard such authoritarian tactics were employed in the North east and Kashmir region of our country. As a resident of the National Capital Territory of India, who thought her city is capable of being called the best in the world, my heart goes out to all those people who dare to stand up for what is right. Solidarity is the least minimum we can show, and that we will. Tweets are coming in from people associated with the protest, urging people to get out and join them and not let the movement fizzle out. I reiterate, it is not about a single girl falling prey to sexual inclinations of few perverted animals. It is about an entire generation falling prey to delusions of power.

The rape infants. They rape our elders. Now they rape democracy.

Hah. They are protecting themselves against the people who put them there. Theek hai. Galti toh hamaari hi hai.

Let's Quote India

"A moment comes... when we step out from the old to the new... , and when the soul of a nation finds utterance..."
- Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru
on Independence
( I noted this down on his 47th death anniversary)

Happy Independence Day

Yesterday, while travelling back in the metro with a bunch of friends, I met a French tourist, by the name of Etienne. He has been vacationing in India, alone, and is headed back tomorrow. Etienne has seen, in these two months, every place of significance in India, from Kolkata to Varanasi to Leh-Ladakh. Ladakh, according to him , is the best of all the place he has visited, and he made a strong case as to why we should also visit it. It was ironical and pleasant to see a foreigner advise us on the places in our homeland we must see. An anecdotal meeting.

I, on my part, duped him. The inquiring tourist wanted to know how we celebrated our Independence Day. I related the entire Republic Day proceedings to him, mixed with a little bit of August 15th celebrations, and felt horribly stupid later. My friends mocked at once we exited the metro; I mocked at myself till hours later.

Every such event is promptly recorded in my diary, and as I sat down to write, still feeling goofy over the metro meeting, my eyes fell down over a few quotes about our great land, and its various facets, which I have noted down over past some months. Spoken by eminent persons, these are simple lines, carrying meaning which sure is greater than the words. I think today is the perfect day I share these with you all. Quoted directly from source, no duping now!

On Economy

"Twenty years ago when I had a thick mop of hair, I used to pay ₹ 25 for a haircut. Ten years ago, after my hair started thinning, I was paying ₹ 50 for a haircut. And now, when I have virtually no hair left, I am paying ₹ 150 for a haircut. I struggle to determine how much of that is inflation and how much is the premium I pay the barber for the privilege of cutting the governor's non existent hair."
- Duvvuri Subbarao
(RBI Governor)
Decades after reforms, the common man still leads a troubled life. Growth and inclusion are two vastly different terms; so have our policy makers proved.

On Politics

"If you really care for freedom, liberty, there cannot be any democracy or liberal institution without politics. The only true antidote to the perversions of politics is more politics and better politics. Not negation of politics."
-Jayaprakash Narayan
(From a lecture at Mumbai University)
He is what many modern day crusaders attempt to be. Leading one of the most powerful agitations against the system, JP, in these lines tells us how faith is important for bringing about reforms.




On Politicization

"The man whose stint as a Finance Minister saw the economy shrink from 9.5% to 5% is rewarded with Presidency; the man whose son is being investigated by the ED is rewarded with finance ministry; and the man who oversaw India's worst power breakdown is rewarded with home..."
- An SMS on Cabinet Reshuffle of August '12
We saw it all together, didn't we?

On Identity

"Don't try to look special with fancy clothes. There will be richer people with better wardrobes. In stead, wear Khadi and you will stand out."
- Dr. Zakir Hussain
(As an advice to his daughter)
I read this in HT Brunch, and its symbolic relevance to the contemporary world is striking. Why do we continuously undergo pressures to ape that which the west has induced in our culture, or that which a large part of our circle finds 'cool'? These are pressures me and you deal with everyday. Don't fit in. Stand out.

On Legislature

"It is almost as if we believe passing a law is tantamount to solving the problem it is meant to tackle."
- Our Take, Hindustan Times
Guess what this comment alludes towards.

On Change

"The only change the public wants to see is iman restored and active in our politicians, just as it wants to see ilm in a teacher, hunar in a doctor and kashish in a poet."
- Gopalkrishna Gandhi
One of my favorite columnists, he always says something very meaningful and provoking, always in a very smooth and subtle tone.



On Gender

"Better 500 now than 50000 later"
An advertisement for sex determination test. A whole psyche is captured in this one line. A major chunk of Indian still find it better to spend a little on determining the sex of the foetus now, than spend many times over as dowry later.
Interestingly, according to some survey conducted in June 2011, the most dangerous countries for women are -
1. Afghanistan
2. Democratic Republic of Congo
3. Pakistan
4. India
5. Somalia

On Herself

"I cannot afford to take a break from work for full recovery. I need the money and others would displace me. If I had someone to love me and take care of me, I would not be in this trade."
- Salma
She is a sex worker, who, according to a story published in The Hindu Sunday Magazine, earns her livelihood on the porous India-Bangladesh border. Here, she related her helplessness after having suffered injuries in her mouth and internal organs, courtesy a ruthless client.

On Fanaticism

"Zahid sharaab peene de masjid mein baith kar, ya aisi jagah bata de jahaan khuda na ho"
- Mirza Ghalib (Daag)
Fighting in the name of God is a sacrilege routinely committed in our pious land. If a man desecrates another's faith, can he ever call himself a believer?

On Nation Building

"If a country is to be corruption free and become a nation of beautiful minds, I strongly feel there are three key societal members who can make a difference. They are the father, the mother and the teacher."
- APJ Abdul Kalam
He has always worked on showing us the positive, but practical picture. At least two of the three roles quoted above I plan to adopt. My salute to these guardians of our young minds.

For all of us

"If I do not stand by my conscience, then who will?"
I do not know who said this, but he said it well, didn't he?

I have gotten my facts about the Independence Day right, thanks to a rebuke by my friend Neha. But it doesn't end here, it never can. Dream for yourself, dream for your country. As a basic request, if you cannot participate in her prosperity, please do not participate in activities which add blemish to her name.

Jai Hind

Fly high!

A Guest Post For Tharoorians!

I remember hearing these lines by Bashir Badr long, long back-

"Hum toh dariya hain, humein apna hunar maloom hai,
Jis taraf bhi chal padenge, rasta ho jayega"

I do not know the thoughts of the poet behind these lines, but I could most easily interpret them by understanding 'dariya' as a metaphor for youth power. And once I did that, a beautiful and powerful meaning of these simple and subtle two lines unraveled itself.  With belief and perseverance, if the young minds of today get down to some task, there is no hurdle so big or rigid which may stop them from reaching their goal/destination. With power, we know how to break through that boulder. With strength, we know how to scale a mountain. With fluidity, we know how to find a way even through the smallest of cracks in the system.

I have been lucky to personally be in touch with a lot of young, enterprising, and ambitious people who have set unto themselves tasks which are meaningful, and which serve not just some parochial but larger, social interests. In the small life I have lived, I have also been associated with a number of initiatives during my school and college life, which aimed at heralding change, at breaking stereotypes and at evolving progressively from status quo. A few days back, I serendipitously came in touch with a dense group of likeminded people, who dream together of forming an advocacy group to raise a banner for progressive political practices in India. This group, interestingly, calls itself- Tharoorians. 

The Tharoorians, on their official blog, describe their group as "an initiative to get you to voice your opinions and deliver constructive criticism on Indian Politics and Democracy. A little ambitious - we hope to reach out to maximum people who believe India deserves Change." This group derives inspiration and is supported by the eponymous- Dr. Shashi Tharoor- to whom the blog is dedicated and whose values are upheld and propagated by the founders of Tharoorians. This is not to say that the group does not welcome constructive criticism which contradicts any one particular political ideology. As long as one has something to say, the Tharoorians are game to take it up and splash it on their blog as an important opinion sourced from a stimulated and concerned young mind.

I was ecstatic when a blog published my first ever guest post, in which I wrote about child psychology and the ingenuity required for moulding little minds into responsible, dignified and genuine individuals of tomorrow. Now, to be the first Guest Author for a blog which goes by the name of Tharoorians For Change was a feeling altogether different. Because my quill has never trodden on the path of political criticism, I assumed it never could. However, when I did write for them, the group's moderator, Katherine Abraham, was more than graceful to, perhaps, ignore the inconsistencies of content and give value to underlying enthusiasm of just another girl existing in this vast country- but one who at least aims to exist as a responsible and aware citizen of India.

My first thoughts have been poured out in an article called India Calling. Here is why I would appreciate if the followers of Nascent Emissions went ahead and read the article, and also left comments if possible-
1. The article is generalist, and builds upon one of the most relevant concepts of ancient India to highlight problems contemporary in character.
2. It dwells on the admiration- the how and why- I have for Dr. Tharoor and, what in my view, is his magnum opus work- The Great Indian Novel.
3. I share in the article one of my most favorite success stories of reformation, reconstruction and resuscitation of a collapsing unit in rural India. The story of Hivre Bazar.
4. The article is my first honest attempt to make public my views on the political landscape of India, though in a fleeting, almost naive way. For once I wrote beyond love, friends, romance and the routine gibberish I rant on about.

And, not just for India Calling, I would request the readers to hop onto Tharoorians For Change to read some more nascent, but informed and passionate articles from some very inspired youngsters from across India. If you feel there is something you need to voice your opinion about, Tharoorians would gladly welcome your participation.

As a last, I would like to thank Katherine for her guidance and Tarique for introducing me to the concept of Tharoorians.

Web Page
http://tharoorians4change.blogspot.in/Twitter Handle
@IndieTharoorian

You could also follow the following twitter handles for updates about Tharoorians
@katie_abraham (Katherine)
@Tarique_Anwer (Tarique)
@Saumyakul (Me)

Also, if you already are not among the 1 million odd followers of Dr. Tharoor, may be you would like to be one. Follow him at @shashitharoor. You can connect with him, and trust me, he puts in efforts to connect with you too. He is one of the only political leaders on twitterati who has understood the dynamics behind being on a social forum like twitter.

Beauty Lies In Distortions

The quote I have used as the title to this post I came across in one of the episodes of the musical travelogue- The Dewarists. It intrigued me, and stayed somewhere at the back of my mind. A day back, I used the same as the opening line for a Guest Post I had been invited to write by a blogger friend, Gopan. Guest Post- I had not quite known of this concept, till I came across a few blogs which encourage different writers to come together and air their views on a common portal. On my part, I felt ecstatic at the knowledge that a person who knew me only via my writings wanted a splash of my thoughts on his blog. I was given an absolute free hand to choose the subject of my article, only with the appendage that something on social issues would be slightly more appreciated.

I did not exactly pick a social issue, but something close enough. Like most of us, I too have had a tumultuous adolescence. Growing up had its beauties, but it also gifted me an alternate set of experiences which could baffle, obfuscate, frustrate, anger, depress, irritate, and cause a deluge of many more not-so-positive emotions to infect my brain. Transitioning into adulthood, looking back at the period which has left the most pronounced effects on my current and lifelong personality, I could discover a lot of thoughts inside me which I wanted to put to paper. I have always been a worshiper and admirer of the beauties which lie within subjectivities- and it has always beat me how people care not to appreciate or understand the innate subjectivity each human carries in his demeanour, emotions, psyche,  and (needless to say) in a combination of those three.

My reflections on adolescence as I had experienced it, primarily hinging on the lack of understanding which as adolescents we faced in our times, the impacts of it on our individual and collective psyche- combined with the pathos of the subjectivity which remains most consist in the Universe, waiting to be included, appreciated and not ridiculed, form the broad basis of my article, titled Understanding Them.

The wonderful blogger who invited me to contribute to his portal, quite aptly named My Open Voice, was gracious enough to post my article without any editing on his blog. His name is Gopan. A Kerala resident, soon to be flying to UK to pursue further studies, Gopan, as I found out later is, academically at least, a bright psychologist. I was initially skeptical to attempt a piece of writing which naively touches upon psycho-social contents for the perusal of a psychologist, but his balanced appreciation of the same has left me glad for having done it. I would be happy if my readers would visit the link specified below and give me their feedback, even if it contradicts my beliefs as projected in the article.

Understanding Them 

@

My Open Voice

Coupled with the happiness of having written my first guest post, was the mirth of having completed 100 followers on Nascent Emissions. Thanking each single one of you for all the support you gave, I would specially like to thank Nishant Jain, who, a little after midnight on 3rd January 2012 officially became my 100th follower. For information's sake, Nishant is a dear buddy from school, and had insisted that he be informed as soon as my blog completes 99 followers, so that with a little promptness, he could have the distinction (insignificant, I know) of being the 100th name to be associated with my Nascent Emissions. Graduating to triple figure followers base does feel amazing, and a cup of coffee is what I shall be treating myself with.