27 Stagnant Years - Dow shall pay!

- Tears keep rolling

“It was the fateful days of 2^nd – 3^rd December when I cried incessantly. Ever since, I have lived the life of the dead. These two days, 27 years ago, brought with them the message of death. The time stood still and with that my breath. The first rays of the morning Sun fell on thousands of my dead sons and daughters. I could see them blurred through my tearful eyes and hear their deafening screams. Vultures eclipsed some of those rays that investigated the corpses. I wish that day never came. I wish I had much more than just a name. I wish I was capable of action.”

- deranged Bhopal

I think in attempting to personify Bhopal, I have not done even an iota of justice to the indignation that she shares along with her residents. However, can anyone? The purpose of this piece is not get into statistics (for we all know the officially we lost about 3000 lives, in reality there were more than 20000 or how many can never walk or talk or anything, plus the etceteras). I want to highlight the challenges that we face as a nation owing to the inexplicable soft stance of the government. I read the ticker of a news channel informing that Dow chemicals told Supreme Court that it won’t pay any more compensation ( Invigorated for their website mentions “Dow to receive 2012 Green cross for safety medal” – safety?). Now that’s some mettle! ([Offline] Much to the chagrin of the victims of the tragedy and of compassionate minds, Dow is the sponsor of the London Olympics. [/offline]) . Whereas our needle has not moved in getting Warren Andersen extradited (come on, don’t blame the government. Cut that old man some slack The Hindu life also believes that the age of renunciation should go peaceful. Hail Congress!).

What angers many like me is not that calamities happen, but that they can be avoided, with practically efforts no more than normal sanity checks. Hurts. The dead bodies piled exponentially in matter of hours that day – intelligent humans and not so wise animals alike.Add to it , the dismal past we have for truthful honest professionals. Rajkumar Keswani , an efficient journalist had foreseen this catastrophe and warned the government time and again. An excerpt from one of his interviews I paste below:

“I started working on this story in 1981. That was the time when my friend Mohammad Asharaf was working in Union Carbide India Limited. He died due to exposure to phosgene gas. I had an idea that some hazardous chemicals are being used in the Bhopal factory. I reported on his death and then worked for nine months on knowing about the factory. I reported my first story in September 1982. In October that year I ran a series and wrote weekly reports against Union Carbide and the possibility of risk to human lives due to the chemicals in the plant. People treated me like a crazy man. They used to tell me, 'Arre aisa kabhi hota hai kya? Aisa kabhi hua hai kya is duniya mein?' (Do things like this happen? Have such things happened anywhere in the world?)”

Source: http://news.rediff.com/interview/2010/jun/11/interview-man-who-warned-of-the-bhopal-gas-leak.htm

He posted his last article in October of 1984 warning the stubborn government. Needless to say, we had other things to look at.

However, we can’t repair the past. What are we doing now? We have thousands of people protesting for what should be their right. They have not received adequate compensation. Octogenarians in the street, suggests how much we respect our elderlies. (age of sanyasa/ renunciation – peaceful at that? Shameful). The lack of cooperation from US raises some doubts. Whilst , in the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, BP was given stern warning from the US government and it had to set aside multi-billion dollar fund to cover the cost of current and future losses (3 people died and It almost degenerated into a political war between the US and the UK), in case of India there we thousands who perished, but for our lack of conviction and loss of respect for each other, we are still no where. May be we can do some good by respecting people (beyond the days of voting).

Hope there is some divine intervention that makes the government realize the pain of its masters (the masses). Pro- activity can help save the day. We do not lack funds, just a dearth of empathy. I refuse to believe that while they can flaunt 3 crore rupees (per MP) in Cash-for-vote scam in a display shaming parliamentary democracy , they can’t take care of those who need them dearly ( to make a glaring contrast you can add the money involved in 2G , CWG etc etc scams). Classic case of Policy Paralysis. Whatever be the outcome of the court hearings, the government should help the victims and the family with their funds (may be scale down on their scams for funds!). I think the Kamal Naths, the Sharad Pawars can come forward and donate some sum out of their paltry accruals as politicians ( As citizens , we should too) to help the needy. A simple gesture to come in support would at least help bring a smile on the faces of those who have forgotten the meaning of good healthy life.

From

- 'Lucky'- not-to-be born in Bhopal

One side of Love

Ask the meaning of Socialism and there would be many to vouch for a comprehensive definition that entails all the elements ranging from Marxist theories to obnoxious Nehruvian affinity for socialism to the present day economic crisis (Capitalism under siege!). But the true meaning of this can best be explained by a man given to humble beginning and limited means (/middle classed) through his sheer hard luck falls into love with a terribly rich girl surrounded by all the affluence and grandeurs. How the concepts of Equal distribution of wealth starts gaining unimaginable traction in his eyes – how the rational thinker in him starts debating the meritocracy of equality and how the agnostic in him starts challenging the will of God who with his sleight of hand made such a valley of despair.

So, what are the other ramifications of such a start? Invariably, the moment you fall for a girl (they always call it ‘fall’ for some reason), you start discovering that she is the toughest person you have ever encountered – with her countenance and attitude in a equal partnership. Fumbling in oration and stammering in normal conversation is a sign of the ‘guilt of love’. Ask any guy, and he would tell you that the period when you start falling for a person is the most painful for you never know what to expect. And circumstances are no more your servant – all depends on the other’s mood. Things change fast. Why is it that once you are out of that initial phases of subtle “O – I like you, my friend” and step on the second pedestal of “You’re special to me”, the situation changes drastically. The same acts and lines that used to amuse her would now bemuse her. Your care for her would take an ‘irk-y’ turn and all your efforts are seen as a futile attempt for an ulterior objective. A simple ‘coffee together’ will have different connotation and ‘walk in the park’ is something you would dare not utter.

Your time spent on SMS/ gtalk/ fb take a serious dip, however, your blood pressure on the other hand take a steep upward turn – an inverse relation between these are the case of mere mortal men. The reasons are plenty and are well captured through our Hindi ( both plagiarized / non-plagiarized ) songs and Hindi films ( now, come on , ignore that image of one falling for a mafia don’s daughter and singing to woo the girl in a company of those gangsters, that’s stretching the band too far) . It starts with career and reaches the other bank of family ( umm..may be not in the same order). Between these two banks flows the river of excuses. Some points of considerable depths charted in this river are ‘good friends’, ‘too early’, ‘need time’ (that never arrives) and other ‘logistical and ethical’ challenges. Whilst it’s fair not to reciprocate the same way to someone’s feelings, transparency can be quite handy for us. A snub out of blue is what drives a man crazy. Many a times you would notice that the girl ends up with a different guy in just a few days time throwing all the rationale that she had put across out of that window ( ethical, right!).

As a boy, you never know when a girl has a ‘corner’ for you. Not that there is any way you can know that. However, one such way (other than the elusive proposal from the girl herself) is when she starts making some stupid comments and expects you to laugh. Her flat jokes should make you roll on the floor. It sometimes take a subtle form of self praising statements as well. So watch out for these, rhyme with them and cash in !

I am no expert; however, observance has been a key ingredient in preparing this love article. My heartfelt apologies to the ladies who might accuse me of being opinionated. However, to my defense, I am venturing out in this treacherous seas of “love” (as a writer) to put across the plight of man with which I can empathize. I’m sure there exist more elaborate pieces for a girl’s side with elaborate discussion on various such elements - not for nothing are you the apostles of love , care and support in various roles you play to act as the backbone of us – a mere mortal man’s race.

Government Dumb , People Numb

- A curious case of bomb blasts

Battered and torn in shreds were not just clothes but bodies and flesh, puddle was not of mud but that of blood, lost were not only lives but hope, faith and self respect. While the ministers in Delhi were busy deliberating and rationalizing a salary hike, a powerful bomb exploded on gate 5 of the Delhi HC (7^th September, 2011) and with it shattered the faith of millions who elect these very MPs/MLAs. However, in the defense of these charitable breed of people in our legislative assemblies, they were quick to offer help. They quickly quoted a price. Rate card as follows :

Death – Rs. 4 Lakh

Those who suffered from permanent incapacitation – Rs. 2 Lakh

Serious injury – Rs. 1 Lakh

Minor injury – Rs. 10,000

So, what’s so curious about these bomb blasts? Umm… I wonder. Why and how is it that every time the government is pushed against the wall, a helping bomb lends its hand to pull it out of the holy mess! I am sure it is but a coincidence, just that the frequency of such co-incidents make you feel otherwise. Also, have you ever wondered the chain of events that follow these blasts? I try to capture the most prominent five :

- The government asks people to show restraint and resilience – “No bomb can shake India’s faith.” (Oh yeah, it sure does take away lives of the loved ones)

- The government placates and uses ironically a card for ‘motivating’ people – “The spirit of the people of Delhi/Mumbai/(name any Indian city) ..cannot be shaken by any terror attack and the city will show unity and move on like always.” (As if we have a choice!)

- Political parties gather together, condemn the attacks in the parliament and pledge to show solidarity and bring the perpetrators to book (And finally go back to blame game!)

- Calls from various heads of state assuring India of their unequivocal support in our fight against terrorism, with the United states condemning the incident “in strongest possible voice” , yet asking India (diplomatically or otherwise) to refrain from any military actions against Pakistan ( while they can bomb half the world on speculation)

- The self proclaimed champions of human cause, of hope and justice – the Indian media taps on this opportunity to play a melancholy tune to the visuals of crying faces and bruised body, fighting with one another for a better coverage (these same people who shout ‘justice’ never took action against those culprits in the Radia episode – but are model of ‘fair play’ (paid news!)

To be honest, I do not remember when the last bomb blast took place – probably three or four months back. My memory seems to have faded by these constant slaps of the terrorists. All these attacks seem so similar. Clothes without bodies and bodies without clothes , smell of gun powder hanging in the air – how can you distinguish a Delhi from a Mumbai? - May be just by the number of deaths. It’s so probable that one of us will become a victim tomorrow. The politicians will come and visit the hospitals in their German cars and their cavalcade will block the roads. The rest left to the ‘super men of justice’ – swarms of media persons with their crew will push people to the capture the glimpse of the Rahuls and the Advanis. (and yes, then they call ‘elite’ intelligentsia of the society to debate in futility whether the politicians should visit hospitals.)

The next day you move on – caring little, recalling hardly the faces of the weeping. The politicians will get busy with what they are ‘good’ at, bureaucrats in their daily routine, the media will hunt for stories to sensationalize and present and win the TRP race. While other countries specially the United States respect the lives of every citizen of theirs (sending their rescue team for some Americans lost in the African jungle is just one such incident, we use the lives of our people as a fuel to drive the polity. Is it hard for a country as huge as ours (deemed to be a powerhouse) to have adequate street policing, a hard execution-able anti terror law that punishes and does not waste tax-payers 'money to feed and waitlist them. Why cannot we air-strike the terror havens in Pakistan despite their street addresses! We just need resolve and conviction. The people are in for it; hopefully our representatives are soon blessed with sound, strategic and empathetic thinking

- From a survivor (so far)

An interesting case of personal branding

When I walked the first mile of the long walk (and indeed that was a long one from Ramlila to Jantar Mantar) in support of a movement that was started as against corruption that prevails across all sections , little did I know that this would snowball into one of the most peaceful and hugely participated nation wide protest. It was almost six months ago when we had marched across the heart of the capital. At that time this event never flickered on any news channel and could barely manage a small space on less visible pages of some news papers. It was devoid of the youth in the numbers you see now and never had the glamour that has spun off now. Then, it was not just a stationed agitation but one followed by a long march - not in cars breaking laws (many of us have witnessed the scenes of law flouting some on front seats of their vehicles) but on foot with placards. Thankfully then, Anna fasted. ‘Thankfully’ I say not because I subscribe to fasting as a resort, but because it finally got media involved and the politicians wary – not for any ethical reason though. The government could hardly afford an old martyr as much as media could ill afford to miss this potential source for traction and TRP. Already the voices of consent and opposition have been raised through different medium, so I refrain myself from choosing either strictly. What is not talked about yet in adequacy is how this changes (ought to change) the social outlook. While we have an old voice that represents us, nation building is essentially a job in youth’s parlance. We must carry this momentum to sustain this energy throughout our lives and the lifetime of those close to us. Some questions that we should ask ourselves – Will we now come out in large numbers and vote? Will more of us take the leaders’ hat and contest an election? Will we define “coolness” quotient by our acts of honesty – by not taking bribes, by not cheating in exams, by not being unfair to our fellow men and by not allowing ourselves to be silent under any oppression? Or will it just be an extravaganza of will that lasted just a few days and died timidly.

Our value proposition as a citizen of India ought to elevate after this galvanizing movement. The values that run through the heart of this movement must be imbibed in our personal lives. The tangible outcome of the movement can be an effective Lokpal Act, however, the moral fountain has more potential to reform our nation. Let us brand and package ourselves as citizens of an elite democracy with a rock solid intent to build what we call a dream Nation based on the principles of an effective democracy.

August 15th , 2011

Shocked, dismayed, hurt, bruised, slapped and embarrassed by the recent undercurrents of political shame and Sporting debacle, we Indians went on with our national duties on this 15th Aug – unfurled the national flag across cities, flew kites and enjoyed the respite from the Monday morning blues. A usual affair at my home .Ensuing from the intensity of zeal owing to the importance of the day, celebrations had the same vigour as every year. Glad that this time my father was around who drove the atmosphere of celebrations in a traditionally sublime way – needless to say he was up before I was, conducted the pooja, hoisted the flag with a delightful exuberance and treated us to traditional Indian delicacy – the Jalebi. All these years my family has had a fixed agenda on 26th Jan and 15th Aug. An important role is played by the television which helps us know who lies what (oops.. who says what) . With series of special programs stuffed with war songs of immaculate packaging and of course the Gandhis and Bhagat Singhs all day on the movie channels, it makes a full day. Though, dad stuck to his routine of listening to the PM speech , I gave it a miss. I could not pay attention with the same glimmer of hope that he has to listen to a speech that would never materialize or would only showcase the rosy side of a battered nation. What is a speech without conviction anyways? – a compendium of simple statements. I thought of delving into the details but the well detailed media makes that redundant. The media has already (in Santosh Desai’s words) “blurred the lines between conjecture, rumor, opinion and news making it difficult for us to get a sense of what is really happening ‘out there’. And it does so with such uniform intensity that it becomes difficult to tell the trivial from the important”. To conclude, I would just like to wish that we grow more mature as a nation, a little more tough with the pursuit of our resolves and tonnes of more care toward the underprivileged.

Rahul

Oration and Conviction …

Once Birbal escaped a fix with Akbar when he answered in an affirmative that there exists someone who could pull the ruler’s beard, and later, he wittingly mentioned that it would be Akbar’s own son. In present day India, if you were asked to name a person who can get away with slapping the PM of India (and I do not mean it literally), the answer, without any wit involved, is obvious. Though, I leave that to your logic.

I thought of lending my ears to an occasion where the Prime Minister of India and the youth congress leader shared the same platform. On 30th of April, I happened to witness Manmohan Singh and Rahul Gandhi speak on the same platform at Banda, UP. Unfortunately there was not any spark I had expected, nor any novelty from the two generations of politicians.

Rahul Gandhi

I am sure he has read many plays, for sure he must have read Shakespeare adequately and probably fancied Mark Antony’s class act at impressing the people of Rome after the Caesar’s assassination. Gladly for Mr. Gandhi, the fickleness of audience he gets here, rivals that of the Romans of that age, though the trigger must be different. Aristotle and Quintilian discussed oratory, and the subject, with definitive rules and models, was emphasized as a part of a liberal arts education during the Middle ages and Renaissance. It is as much relevant today as it was then, if not more. Mr. Gandhi has plenty to do in the field of oration. Whenever he is eloquent with the flow, he falters with the logic and if & when he speaks logic, he lacks conviction. While attempting to evoke the sympathies of the people of Banda for his party, he referred to a boy who narrated to him how his father succumbed to hunger. Later in the speech, he referred to non inclusion of people under BPL as one reason for the plight. Whilst he might be true about the inefficacy of the government on their part, he did not present any solution.

What is poverty line?

It was in January, 1979 that a Task force charted a methodology (taking into account the recommendation of Nutrition experts group) to define Poverty Line. As per this method, people who consume less than 2400 calories in rural areas and 2100 calories in urban areas would fall below the poverty line. In 1993, an expert group was set up to examine this methodology. This committee came up with some very valid concerns and recommendations. However, these recommendations, if accepted, would have shot up the number of poor to a great extent. It suggested that this method, among other things, does not take into account items of social consumption such as education, health, water, sanitation etc. and as a quantity, poverty line, is a reductionist. To the defense of those who took the first pain of ‘cracking the poverty line code’ in 1962, P. Sainath, comments that “They were idealistic citizens who believed that the state had certain duties to fulfill. They believed for instance, that the state is bound by constitution and other commitments to provide its citizens, both health and education.”

Will Mr. Gandhi accept these recommendations? Did he have this in mind while he was accusing all non-congress governments who ever ruled the land? Or was he just playing with one of the themes to garner the support of potential votes.

Going further, Mr. Gandhi also tried to be witty and logical. A lethal combination otherwise, but for Mr. Gandhi… He said “Delhi is 200 kms from Banda while Lucknow is 465 kms, and yet the voice of people of Banda had reached Delhi while failing to hit the drums in Lucknow”. Two things to notice :

a) Delhi is 465 kms from Banda and Lucknow 219 kms ; hence factually flawed
b) If we discount the error and give the benefit of doubt for the above to a slip of tongue, there remains no logical consistency in the statement ; hence logically flawed

One more thing that Mr. Gandhi forgot was the plight of people of Rai Bareilly – his mother’s constituency that is gripped with almost the same issues that hangs around Bundelkhand’s neck. The congress general secretary, thus, does not have any moral ground. The sooner he realizes that there is more to rural poverty amelioration than taking Miliband to dilapidated huts or occasionally eating a loaf with some of the many, the better it is for him.

The Prime Minister

Whenever I see Mr. Singh taking to the mike, I pray I hear a strong willed Prime minister of India whose word, along with echoing the sentiments of the people, promises actual work with uncompromised conviction. I think, I will have to wait. He began and ended with Rahul Gandhi’s name on lips with almost four other references in his speech thanking him for something or the other. What we forget is that under his blue turban and behind his soft voice, there is a shrewd politician who does his job of promising to the people the cliché of offerings … “food, water, shelter etc.” I take strong offense to his calling Mr. Rahul Gandhi Bharat varsh ke nav yuvko ke Neta (Leader of India’s youth) as I am not led by someone on shaky moral grounds, ignorant of reality but good at attempting to woo voters by leveraging a piece of speech prepared by a paid employee, without logic , intent or conviction.