VISION 2020

“That future is not one of ease or resting but of incessant striving so that we may fulfill the pledges we have so often taken and the one we shall take today. The service of India means, the service of the millions who suffer. It means the ending of poverty and ignorance and poverty and disease and inequality of opportunity. And so we have to labour and to work, and to work hard, to give reality to our dreams. Those dreams are for India, but they are also for the world, for all the nations and peoples are too closely knit together today for any one of them to imagine that it can live apart. Peace is said to be indivisible, so is freedom, so is prosperity now, and also is disaster in this one world that can no longer be split into isolated fragments.”
Jawahar Lal Nehru’s speech on 14th Aug,1947.


When we talk of a vision for 2020, these words from one of the greatest stalwarts of Indian politics still drive home the need of urgency we have to show if we truly want to catapult our country on the path of prosperity. Space is limited and therefore rather going into the problems we face today, I would present what we need to do for the vision to be achieved. I propose a four point solution.
India needs to be more proactive, aggressive, and precise in its policy making both internal and external. For years we have let the Kashmir issue and other border disputes hang around generating bigger problems of terrorism, the naxalite and separatist movements have gathered momentum in the country and we have downplayed our part at world politics scene the recent example being inadequate lobbying for Sashi tharoor by Indian government and its lackadaisical and hugely impractical approach on Middle-east issue. Once we get down to solid policy making to tackle these problems, they will themselves take care of several civil right issues, communal violence, terrorism and destruction of property issues.
The next important aspect is to make executive and legislative machinery ably supported by an impartial judiciary that could implement these policies efficiently. Wiping out corruption and raising the moral ethics by instilling them since elementary schools may help us .Besides, vast overhaul in the current bureaucratic machinery and a slew of anti-corruption and anti-defection laws are needed if we have to establish a system catering to the welfare of the nation .Though, I am being idealist in this regard but if we revert to the tried and tested Gandhian principles and try to instill in youth from a much early age, then we can succeed immensely.
The third point is weakening the link between development, energy exploitation and environmental pollution. By and large, these three have been closely complementing each other since industrial revolution started but a time has come when depleting energy resources and worsening environmental situation is a cause of concern.And here Science and technology comes to our rescue .We need to develop energy efficient, environment friendly substitutes and bring environmental consciousness the world over. As far as economy is concerned the growth in manufacturing and service-intensive market has been commending but the cause of concern is the slump in agricultural and a fear of eventual decrease in production as cultivable land is decreasing .There is an urgent need to restart green revolution in the country and use land to its maximum extent. While the agricultural production we have to oversee the fact that this should also not mean driving forests and wetlands to extinction.
The fourth and final point remains the development of society. It is a well-proven fact by socialists and economists alike that education is the key to social upliftment. But as P.V.Indiresan points out in one of his essays “with the society increasingly being educated, people become choosy as far as employment is concerned .They prefer to wallow in genteel poverty rather than take any job that does not meet their sense of dignity. So the task of creating employment in India is more onerous than it be.” So increasing education also means we will have to work hard providing adequate employment opportunities and still providing enough labour to the industry .Because if the labour becomes costly , the industries will tend to shift away from our country and that will result in lesser white collar jobs ,lower economic growth and so on.So in a sense we will have to make a perfect balance in this regard. When a country adopts capital or liberal economy the policy makers must ensure that the trickle-down effect of the benefits of growth is optimum and not unbalanced .And this will be a deep cause of concern in the days to come when our economy is growing incessantly. Infact, the affects of this economic phenomena can be seen even now in terms of raising inflation.
So, in a manner everything is interconnected as far as development of a society at every front is concerned and one event triggers the other. But what is inherent is the urge to work efficiently for the betterment of the nation and extremely wise policy making for these are the factors that will help us in securing our vision 2020.

Globalisation or Americanisation:-Which is the real phenomena

Talking of today’s world ,the influence of USA and its hip-hop culture can be seen everywhere .With the end of Cold-war and collapse of USSR, as may some distracters point out, the rate and extent of Americanization has increased. But I don’t think it is very true .What we are witnessing is no invasion of American culture, rather Globalisation seen from an anti-american, pro-heritage-preserving perspective, something our so-called custodians of India-values love to show-off and fret upon.

A case in point is a recent economic slump in Indian agriculture. This year the growth in agriculture is slated to be around 2.5% (last year it was 6%) and this has been largely attributed by scientists due to a weak al-nino factor prevailing in south-America this year. This shows us, how the fate of India had become increasingly intertwined with the vagaries of world environment as well as politics .Even the inflation we are experiencing at present is being attributed to the inflation prevailing across the world .With Indian Economy increasingly becoming capitalist and the government playing minimal role, the recent cultural shock that we are experiencing now was bound to happen in India.

Circa 1965, USA was in the same situation with beatlemania a craze among the youth .Their maddening craze even provoked concern for US youth from the then President Nixon .But now we recollect it as nothing but a mass fan-frenzy and not the domination of British culture over there.

Like people in India, there are people in USA who are deeply worried about the increasing eastern influence on their culture and economy .Today, Yoga is a craze in USA and art of living seen a profession in which Indians master. Now the situation is such that a new tech company starting in Silicon Valley is not considered “promising and credit worthy” if it does not have an Indian connection to it .What is it: Call it an Indian invasion of USA? True, the manner in which USA is invading countries and controlling world politics is envious and a cause of concern but the fact is that this is partly borne out from the fear of insecurity and the thought that the third world will take over reign in days to come.

My final point is that the change in India’s policy making both in economics and foreign policy in the post-cold-war world is not pro-US .Yes, it looks like pro-US but the fact is, it is pro-globalisation where Indians can mingle with the rest of the world more freely .Even Vimal jalan underlines this fact that the change from license raj to liberalization was inevitable otherwise India would have gone into debt death-trap.

" Nothing is so admirable in politics as a short memory. "

Introspective viewpoint.

" Life is something that everyone should try at least once ."

Henry J. Tillman

This happens to me after watching such an extra-ordinary movie every time ,a feeling ;a sensation near heart.I cannot describe it but it looks like at such moments ,nerves find a better use .They connect our senses,soul and brain intermittently ;into one and the mind begins to feel what it sees .In such moments of introspection ,when we are going through a whole gamut of emotions ,we realize the fact that all is,but farce .And yes we are into this world ,as I said in a previous blog of my mine all programmed by the almighty to perform a set of pre-destined task … to which we wrongly associate ourselves .But yes God has given a great gift to us … to identify beauty and appreciate it .

That sensation keeps closing in .The tinge in the nerves around the heart throbs as if it were singing the song of life .You feel the futility of success and failure .The only thing remains is to appreciate beauty and feel the creator’s warmth .

Yes beauty is … what we call art (this is at least what I feel ). Me and Suyash were talking earlier before seeing Sawshank redemption ,…. Almost on the same lines . Like how language and beauty is connected .Yes sir … language is nothing but beauty given a vocal feel .We speak articulate sounds ,we write something that is phonetically symmetrical and relative to our imagination and express our senses .

A great scientist once said "An equation that is not beautiful cannot be right .True is indeed ,this saying where this great physicist was referring to symmetricity and the innate feeling of subjectivity we have when something appeals to us .Science is , the art of getting to such symmetric truths in nature and that using tools of mathematics and analytical reasoning .

I guess I am digressing from the topic I started .The movie I saw pictured few of the basic essence of human character .:hope,integrity and effort .To preserve your integrity is the most difficult task a persons has to .We have to be ready for any Kafkaesque turn of events that may ruin our life .But mind you its our responsibility to keep the integrity the grit to succeed in the most devious and hopeless of circumstances intact .And hope ;it always gives strength ,like a tonic it revitalizes you after every defeat and brings an element of asceticism in you .

Well Anks may disagree with me if I say I am an optimist .Anks !!!certainly I won’t disappoint you .I am not an optimist .. but sir I am quixotic as far as grit is concerned .Even if I loose ,even if I am beaten black and blue ,even if my spirits are drowned in the slimy waters of a trench… I won’t loose the sense to fight albeit in a more stoical fashion .I may not be positive or spirited enough while I am fighting but sir give me a chance to fight and I will fight with all my energy, concentration and faith intact .To me , the taste of failure is intoxicating, the sense to succeed almost maddening .It spurs me higher towards my flight … like the youthful Icarus to his foray towards the sun .The only difference is that I don’t have wax feathers burrowed from someone else rather I would love to fly on wings carved out of my own effort .Yes this is true that our journey is pre-destined … every priority pre-fixed but we have the way all to ourselves .On this road of life we are treading on we can add some colours to life by appreciating beauty and trying to develop it through art .And such movies give me strength .. the strength to fight against all odds .. the grit to succeed.the chutzpah to admire and feel beauty .To be spontaneous ,and without any facade .

The pace of our lives are working in a clock-work precision .Lets make most out of it and try to see this world through a new frame of mind and lets not attach more importance to the goal than to the time we spend in achieving that goal.

" Politics is not the art of the possible .It consists in choosing between the disastrous and the unpalatable . "

J K Galbraith

Something to cheer up.

“THROUGH me you pass into the city of woe:
Through me you pass into eternal pain:
Through me among the people lost for aye.
Justice the founder of my fabric moved:
To rear me was the task of Power divine,	5
Supremest Wisdom, and primeval Love. 1
Before me things create were none, save things
Eternal, and eternal I endure.
All hope abandon, ye who enter here.”

Divine comedy ,cant III

Dante, following Virgil, comes to the gate of Hell; where, after having read the dreadful words that are written thereon, they both enter.

I wonder the same series of events must have occurred to each and every soul when it tries to enter the human world .True their is no stopping back and no holding you . And aye !! the baby come to world with a cry and gradually grows up .He is then taught to be austere , noble ,kind, selfless and understanding . He gradually grows up and then at some point of life ,again he strives for the same eternity ,to go back to the Paramtatva from where he has emanated oblivious of the fact that it was from the same place that he entered this world .... though the above mentioned warning was hung on a plaque at the entry point .
Yes the point is that we do what we are destined to do and their is no point lamenting for what we did . It is something like a programmed loop which we tend to follow .If we are wise enough at some point of our life we stop thinking about success and failure and just play our role in the drama we are programmed to play .You just not even need to think to be yourself .And that is the beauty of it .With nothing in your hands ,you have nothing to worry .Just enjoy and be yourself .







" Men of genius do not excel in any profession because they labor in it, but they labor in it because they excel. "

William Hazlitt.

Need to change ourselves.

The recent activities of USA, trying to poke its nose into everything on the pretext of fighting terrorism is most unfortunate and inexorable crime against world peace .USA, by its over-combative approach is trying to gain political and diplomatic advantage and thus aggravating this issue of terrorism, by antagonizing more and more Muslims and driving them to despair. Historically speaking this problem of terrorism can be traced back to USA itself where in the past, they used it as a tool for perpetrating coups in other countries and installing banana republics there, the rule being favorable to them, and it added to their business and satisfied their energy demands.

It is for sure that the Iraq war will linger on … albeit in a different form with the former ruler’s allies spreading anti-American violence; with the capture and subsequent death penalty to Saddam Hussain only adding fuel to the fire. USA , in the past have had to bite the bullet for its high-handed and short sighted maneuvers in Vietnam and looks like they have not learned from the past … the only difference is the present trap is more devious and on bigger scale due to the fact that the question of faith and an inkling of ‘clash of civilization ‘also comes into play in the present scenario.

The way international community is indifferent about this sensitive issue is the most deplorable fact .Instead of opposing US moves they are in fact supporting it and letting the battle between western and Islamic world grow more intense. Even the Indian policy has been a big let down in this context .It is true that we have our share of internal problems but turning a blind eye to such an important issue at hand and not opposing US move is very shameful ,in fact playing into their hands and mortgaging your independence just for being recognized as a nuclear nation by USA .Surely USA should not be considered the certifying authority in this regard .With the economic gap closing up quickly we are not to be cut short silently agreeing to their idiosyncrasies. Their is a consensus among many foreign specialist that India should concentrate on its relations with China and Russia more .This strategic Sino-Indian-Russian triumvirate will lead to collective development of these countries and will also act as a balancing front to the US dominant world scenario. As is the case deterrents and checks are quintessential without which chaos rules .So their collective partnership will compliment each other in almost every way .It is true that the wounds of 1962 war has still not healed but their has been a tectonic shift in the foreign, economic and civil policy of China .Their past policy which was more centered around preserving their political aspirations has now shifted to a thrust for incessant economic spurt. China has emerged as a big manufacturer as well as market for almost all type of goods .Russia on the other hand has emerged as a dominant energy producing country .With the days to come when energy sources will become scarcer and the Indo-Pak-Iranian pipeline still taking its time … India should concentrate on strengthening its relations with Russia and China.

India has an unfortunate history of weak and passive foreign policy. We tend to yield to the opposition’s demand .This is evident from the way Taskent treaty ,Shimla Samjhauta , Afghanistan hijacking and many such more incident was handled giving away the image that we are weak enough as pressing others to our demands is concerned and so the role of India by and large still remains that of a bystander as far as world policy making is concerned .We are taken for granted .The need of the hour is to sharpen some repertoires and start some constructive approach to the world politics .

" Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects. "

Lester B. Pearson

Comparisons on a political Scale

Well!! Me and a friend of mine lets say Mr. X (whose name I won’t mention because I have been advised by others not to mention any names in my blogs) have had at least half a dozen arguments on our regions ,the topic being “whose state is better : Mine or His “.Obviously when it comes to arguing about our home places we are not much tolerant to each other (contrary to other issues in the hostel among our friend where there is a trend to show your self in a poorer light than others ,modesty personified.)We attack each other with state and region based jibes and try to recall every past happening: almost all of them being bad ones,of their respective states to each other .These meaningless ‘Thass’ ; as these time wasting sammelans are known in the hostel lingo sometimes get so hot that you find people from other regions and other places joining any sides and passing comments even if they don’t know an iota about it .

Mr. X is from UP and we hold passionate arguments about his place and Bihar .But I think seeing the present circumstances in UP, I would beat him fair and square in the argument.

True My state is very backward, poor ,has ridiculously low literacy rates, is deeply divided on the basis of caste, has a crumbling government machinery, fiscal health of the state is almost dead , Tourism Nil , the Ethical values of the people driven out of despair and lingering poverty brought to a new low ,Industries almost dysfunctional and shutters down on most of the cooperative and public offerings .Though the new government is looking forward to setting up new avenues and encouraging a cleaner environment as far as corruption is concerned, mixed with a sense of the fact that finally a morally responsible government has arrived on the quarters … but it will take years to recover out of the mess Mr. Lalu Prasad had brought the state into .Well it was really a miracle that how could he rule the electoral roost even with high anti-incumbency, a very visible Zero development or rather say negative development index and a party drawn to daggers with constant fights and very little organizational capabilities .But thanks to the internecine disputes among his opposition ,their poor leadership and the fact that he is Lalu ;exceptionally gifted in political maneuvers and Machiavellian skills ,he was never out of the government .With his rural-style histrionics and shrewd political think divided the state deep down on the basis of caste ,he brought a sense of political consciousness and awareness of the electoral force our constitution has imparted to common man among the people of the stated .And this rise in political consciousness ultimately brought his downfall when the people finally thought of giving a new person and a new party their reign. I think everyplace and every region has its share of bad days and these are the days when we learn most of our weakness and the things we are susceptible to.

Now take the case of UP. Going by the current affairs as you think of UP and instant visual of Nithari victims all dressed in black robes their face white and pale shrieking comes to your mind and you suddenly see next, the picture of Mulayam Singh; all perspiring, sitting in an undulating chair just managing to keep hold of it .and the whole of political fraternity in a hurry to fix a ladder on the back of those hapless nithari victims,trying to take mileage out of their plight .

Yes UP has been on the path of development for a while. It has still managed to keep few industries profitable ,boasts of huge human resources ,a large chunk of cultivable land ,best of transportation facilities ,few of the top-notch educational institutes ,and fledging tourism business (Just to the sheer luck of ‘ Shahjahan choosing Agra for the Taj and Krishna considering Vrindavan as the place of his incarnation and blah blah …..) .I am being so critical of the tourism industry because of the fact that though the trade is respectable but when it comes to tourism spot generation and giving to the customers a high value of their money ,UP has got to go a long way in doing something that Goa and few other paces have done .And then come issues of Poverty ,unemployment and illiteracy the three tripod of human vices that have spurred the civilization into a chaos. Yes they are a major problem here too but as compared to Bihar they are lesser and improving at a better rate .Yes I admit UP is better off in these regard and in fact on its road of progress .

But Now I would underline the areas where they really fall short of, not by few inches rather hands down and this is bringing negative vibes not only in the state rather throughout the country .Exceptional high rates of crime ;not only inter district rather inter-state crime also being organized from the UP .UP criminals have best access to political power .They are and have been long known for their skills at affecting the electoral fortune of the state and thereby permeating into the political levels .After getting into politics they tend to strengthen their political image :either by force or spreading corruption or rather by establishing a rule of law on their own .The result is a vicious cycle where politics, corruption and criminals become the three players and the ball(identify the common man with it) gets on passed between these three. Well though I must say that corruption and criminalization is inevitable when a society grows up. History has shown that owing to the peculiar human tendency of extracting a gain out ,these methods will never be outdated .In fact some analyst point out that politics is like the subject of Economics and Democracy like its free market politics where the two main factors we all experience is scarcity of electoral pie and the question of efficiency at using one’s resources wisely for attracting more support .

But the manner in which these factors have been used in UP in the incessant and mad rush to grab the chair is not only appalling rather degrading the democratic ethics to newer levels. Well!! you don’t need to be a thoroughbred political specialist in identifying the fact that all the parties active in UP are giving wings to caste based and most important religion based politics .The recent incident of a Muslim politician going scot-free in spite of issuing fatwa in the public and inciting them to jingoistic tunes is plain enough to be seen and observed by anyone .Why think of this Guy ;there is always a large history to pick and choose ,the most conspicuous being a series of religiously or rather say fanatically exciting speeches given by BJP leaders in their Babri Masjid follow-up in 1992 which broke them into national political scene. It is really frustrating when someone is rewarded by the mass for carrying out an illogical and deeply deplorable act .It speaks volumes about our sinking moral levels and they way these politicos are managing to manipulate our strength using speeches and stroking religious sentiments.

And then there is Nithari .The recent nerve chilling disclosure of scandal has brought ire from almost every section of Indian society and the callous killing would surely play its crucial part in the upcoming elections in UP .and this too shows the plain insensivity of the political players of driving political mileage out of tragic incidents .They sing like a banshee but act like a courtesan :crying their hearts out for the victims but that work done or rather say effort put in not for their cause but for grabbing votes. The manner in which police and bureaucracy of the district was trying to hush up matters is deplorable …. And I must emphasize on the fact that this complete collapse in our bureaucratic fabric had been brought by the element of favoritism brought in by the politicos to serve their regional and caste based interests (the interest has been economic, social and criminal backgrounds too).Now out of turn transfers are common, efficient persons are sent packing to less significant places and the system is used more to suffice their own schemes rather to the benefit of the hoi-polloi.

And this element of murky political atmosphere and Communal vulnerability combined with their more pronounced rates of crime and murder makes my state safe as compared to them .Yes, I can proudly say that the development is not the only index of comparing the living conditions at two places .Other things that comprise are the social fabric, religious tolerance and lesser vulnerability to favoritism and other practices.

As Thomas Gray writes in one of his poems: “where ignorance is bliss, 'Tis folly to be wise.”. So be it. Rather than being cast as communal murderers we are better being poor that too not of food but of the means of luxury.

" The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes."

Marcel Proust

A welcome change

Looks like my decision of getting 'The Hindu' from this month has brought a whole lot of changes in my scheduled . We used to take Times of India till now . Frankly speaking, the choice was made on popular demand of getting to see those beautifull girls in 'Delhi times' and catching up with page 3 gossips .
For the past 1 year ... the meaning of reading a newspaper for me had become almost something like this ... You wake up in the morning ,already late for your class ... but still squeeze out some time for getting a look at the DT ... Then go to the class .When you return in the evening, tired from getting sleepy in the classrooms ... again see the delhi times .. infact devour every piece of gossip and then start up with your other jobs at hand . Most of the days, the main paper would be neglected to the point that even its outward shine was not removed ... and the next day that main newspaper would find its way to the kitchen (we are using kitchen as store and scrap- room ) almost new and looking like the paper of a day after .Haan , sometimes when there would be news of a Tendulkar or Dravid taking India to some emphatic win (which too was very rare and far apart in the past one year) ... it was like the main paper would rip apart with the amount of eyeballs trying to gorge in every piece of article written over there .
The ... the wisdom dawned upon me .. I started out a campaign of convincing all my flat-mates into changing their choice of newspaper . I was sure that I won't be have any problems convincing Santosh and Satyajeet ... but the main hurdle was asking Abhishek to forgo his daily routine of seeing beautifull DT pics . Here , My esteemed hostler friends (mostly from one or two floors above me) came to my rescue . For the past a month or so we were noticing that many days we won't find our newspapers or sometimes the main paper was left intact but DT would disappear as if some alien was keeping an eye on our footsteps . It was finally decided that enough was enough and that other hostlers stealing our newspaper is not doing any good and that by changing the newspaper to some serious kinda stuff ... (which most people only appreciate by mouth but don't dare to read) would serve us good ,Since those guys; who were clandestinely leafing out the DT won't be interested in our newspaper anymore .And so i succeded in getting a general consensus upon changing the newspaper .


And now : Post-hindu ,I feel like the routine has changed altogether . Every news carries some meaning , every pictue related to something important happening in the world.True , the power of serious journalism is mesmerising ... infact healing in many aspects . You get to have a more serious attitude towards things happening around you. Though you did not get to see those skinny models or those 'not-so-successfull socialites who are trying to look younger' but yes you get to read articles from wise men ... from men of understanding and depth who tell you about the happening of the world .. the advances we are making in the field of science and technology and about upcoming books in the market .
My routine has changed to the degree that everyday i have somehow to save atleast 2 hours for serious newspaper reading a habit that i used to practise religiously in school days and which has done me so much good even in the past .
Yes ... now i relish reading and after a hard day when i go to sleep ... i fold the paper very sincerely as if it were my baby and then put it in my personal store room (not in the kitchen with other wastes) stacking it in a methodical and respectable way .Looks like , our admiration to a thing is proportional to our behaviour towards it .

Today's happening : diary entry style .

Ho ! Ho! ... what a day ... Last night saw Bruce willis acting as the Saviour in 'The Diehard 3' and looks like it set the tone for the whole day . Woke up early ...(compared to other weekends ) .. then had a bath .. and started off with Anks .. to a place where we had no chance whatsoever to perform anyway ,but still had hearts as well as the guts to go ,and compete with the very best ...
At Uttam Nagar metro station ... ,Karan came a bit late ... but the disappointment was ki he had not brought the tiffin (which we were eagerly anticipating)... Then we hopped to 724 .... for Kotla . During the whole journey .. it was as if Karan's phone would burst up with those wretched Moksha calls .. sometime Parikh sir calling up for some cult thing .. or sometimes others ...

Karan is normally a reserved guy but with me up in spirits and Anks as usual on my wings ... we succeeded in opening him up a lot .. and he started sharing his memoirs of his days in Kuwait and his appreciation for Japaneses ... It was like as if karan would laugh and tell u something and again quickly recoil into his own 'furrowed forhead ,serious demeanour 'type sense ... But at last as the quiz progressed so did his mood and we had a hearty time together .

The most interesting time were our familiar K-competition (cutting competition)with me ,Jain,Apporv and Anks trying out our luck and off course our wit very extensively in eulogizing each other meaninglessly while we were waiting in the queue .. I guess over the past few months even Gaurav jain , the simplest among the lot has also improved and as if the C-effect (c**ac**i i mean ) is visible all around . It is always fun when everyone is into the same work without acknowledging that what u are saying is completely wrong that each of us is doing the same thing.

And then the post Quiz photo session .. that was too good yaar .. most probably the only good use ashish agarwal would have ever put his phone for .... And afterwards we had a return ride in metro .. with we guys oggling at girls and in a competition to spot the most beautiful out of the lot ...

Well !! sometimes i feel that these days .. these golden days of friendships,innocence and puckish behaviors this has to last some day .. and we will have to ultimately mantle some seriousness over us .. oh god .. looks like as if we were in first year just a few days back and here we are almost at the end of second year ...

Now i am gonna sleep . my mind is cluttered with calculations and approximation as regards to when this great time of my life is gonna end ...
Oh god !! lemme give some sleep .
good night .