‘Band’ karo ye tamasha!

Why do people turn into intolerants? Why there are so many instances in last 2-3 years, where damage was the keyword for many? Why should the common man suffer?

These questions again surfaced last week in Pune. The provocation and consequences were entirely unnecessary.

Some fringe groups indulged in obnoxious orgy of dirty political affairs. And response to it was devastating.

In the name of political activism, how is all this done, so brazenly?  I don’t know.  

One fine morning someone says/does something. And then there is Newton’s law – For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

This keeps going on and on for countless years, especially in India! Just pause for a minute and think of this absurdity - Rs 130,000,000,000 - that's the cost of Bharat band and resultant destruction. For Maharashtra, estimated economic loss is Rs 1,000 crores, per day.

There is so much of knocking down that we see around! We have become almost indifferent.

There is nobody/no organization that is doing something constructive. Sometimes it is all too frustrating for a few ones who do genuinely nice work.  Just look at the level our political involvement has degraded to. 

When the last time was any organization has done anything to improve living conditions of citizen (rural or urban)? Does anybody bother to concentrate energy, time, and money on solutions to the civic/environmental/economical/ social problems? And there are so many.  

Sometimes I wonder are we worthy of calling India, the biggest functioning ‘democracy’? You never know who will smash you just for opening up your thoughts. 

And certainly we are not in medieval era, this is 2011!

Almost all the parties do horrible things, thinking that they will churn out votes. But we need to be more careful and vigilant.

We need a majority of ‘real’ literates and liberal Indians.

Is it all about making money?

It was a chilly morning. However it was pleasant and refreshing. Thankfully the abnormal rains were not there. 

I had received my salary the day before. So I was happy and satisfied. That sense of fulfillment usually lasts for a week! 

I was about reach my office. On the corner of the road leading to my office I saw a very old lady begging. She was pleading to onlookers to give some amount of money. 

That area is considered to be a prime and high-class destination of Pune. Ironically there are slums in close vicinity also. 

I was taken aback for a moment. I was so much in my thoughts about expenditure plans. I was in ‘I-me-myself’ mode. It occurred to my mind that I was so self-absorbed! Or was I exceedingly sensitive for that moment?

I could not make my mind up.

It was disturbing. It is a sort of recurring eye-opener for me. I mean I have experienced this kind of soul searching on various occasions. But this was something else.  

In a country where the divide between extremely rich-middle class-poor is so very noticeable, there are two possibilities. You gradually become indifferent. This is majority. Otherwise you tend to do your bit and help the needy in your very, very small role as an individual.   

Coming back to the story, what did I do in this particular instance? I gave a two-rupee coin. On other such occasions I have given beggars things to eat. This was possible as there are many roadside eateries in Pune. 

Does it matter? Will that make any difference to the beggar?  

What is the solution to all the disparity in our big cities? What can be done to alleviate poverty? 

 

I don’t know. And certainly, there are no easy answers.     

World needs a prosperous India!

French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived in India recently; he followed Obama, the great! Russian President Dmitri Medvedev and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, it seems, are in queue to visit India. 


Obama visit generated a rosy picture about India-US relationship. However if recent wikileak's exposé  is anything to go by, it is not all that great. USA is pragmatic and wants India and its ever-expanding market of middle class.  


Obama focused more on job creation; Sarkozy came in with businessmen to ink multi-billion dollar deals. Areva, a French state-owned firm, would help construct world's biggest nuclear power plant in Maharashtra. 


With a GDP of $3.75 trillion (by purchasing power parity), India is already the world`s fourth largest economy. We have advantage of young work force and that would remain a crucial factor for many years. 


Just remember the fact that most of Europe is aging. Same is the case with Japan. 


Investment in infrastructure - housing, roads, bridges, power plants is the key. And the field is open for every country worth its might.


There is no need to be a spoil-sport. However we need to fix our governance. Urgently. 


And more importantly we need to concentrate more on ties with Nepal, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, China, Sri Lanka, and last but not the least Pakistan.


Terrorism, Naxalism, J & K, Urban-Rural Divide, Agriculture are topics for home work! And like an intelligent student India needs to solve these problems!