Posts Tagged ‘india’
Tea boys in India
Tea boys are a common figure in India. Young boys working at a road side hotel and distributing tea to shops and businesses nearby. This phenomenon is so ingrained in the society that no one even cares about the illegality of it. They are under the legal work age.
There are a few reasonings I have heard in support of the tea boy’s being employed. First is that it is a reasonable safe job for the poor kids which at least provide them two square meals. In a society devoid of foster home culture and without working orphanages, these young boys have to provide food for themselves. Most of them are abandoned kids or runaway kids. Instead of working in factories under slave conditions, its better to work out in open.
Another reasoning is for the kids who have to support their families from the very childhood. Either a drunk father or dead parents and number of kid brother and sister. What else will they do but to work. Given the lack of qualification and young age, where else will they get employment?
As I am writing about this topic, I feel miserable as I don’t see any path for them. I remember having a conversation with Mahesh (name changed), a kid in city of Agra, who was a tea-boy. He had no parents and lived on the street. Income from serving tea was keeping him alive.
Unless we get rid of poverty and expand the welfare, more and more children would be deprived of the childhood and forced to be a tea boy. A silver lining is that our PM himself used to be a tea boy in his childhood. The hope is there.
South China Sea issue: What will India do
We have an unprecedented global situation at hand. A UN backed tribunal has ruled against China’s rights over South China Sea. I call it unprecedented as China does not seem to be backing down and there seems to be no global power who overrules China. I call it unprecedented as unlike before US seems to be in no position to play Big Brother. I call it unprecedented as it seems to the pivotal moment in Asian history which just might crown China as the Asian leader.
What I make of it is China will not back down and Obama lacks political wherewithal to make China back down. World Order that we have seen since India’s Independence is about to change. There is no Papa of the world to run. I call it destruction of the singularity and entering into the plurality. US lead position is in danger and with it India’s security and foreign policy.
India has been backed by US to take on China. China being Pakistan’s all weather friends. What should India do now? India lacks global power to openly defy China. Also to become part of anti-China group will not bide well given that clout of any such group is itself in question. Pak will be brimming that is for sure.
I feel India will be a silent spectator on this. It will give a silent approval to China’s authority and in return bargain for NSG and UNSC support from China. This I feel Modi is most likely to do and this I feel is the best of the situation India can make.
I guess China also knows this at some level hence it has been holding out on India for NSG and UNSC bids. Now I feel is the best time for India to go for the kill and win some back room bargaining. It’s always good to make best of the obvious ending. Sense the result and back the “to be winner”.
Short skirts, safety and security
The age we in is of discontent, anger and negativity. Some studies say that social media is to blame where negative bias has taken over. Negative news is more likely to be re-posted than a positive one. Over time this grows in magnitude. Anything we read, our first reaction is to find fault. Not everything the Govt. does is against women, against religions, against castes. But people like to play victim and make everything sound bad. Never do they try and understand why.
If we take a step back and analyze a particular thing from a logical and impartial point of view, most of the times we would see merit in it. Sometimes people are too afraid of the popular backlash that we feel safe in following the herd. Without knowing the context and ground realities we say what others are saying. And we fit right in. At times it is not politically correct to speak the truth hence we keep shut.
Once such issue is clothes worn by women in public in India. Whenever some authority figure urges women to not wear short and revealing clothes in public, he/she is castigated and character assassinated. Bigot, orthodox, obnoxious and what not. Never once people try and analyze the realities around that statement.
Let me relate the realities. India has a pathetic ratio of police to people. It is getting better day by day, but in its current form, we are not able to provide good policing. Law and order situation is real bad. I for one am supportive of women rights but am skeptical when it comes to safety. When I know the roads are not safe, would I wish women in my family to get harmed?
I agree, the pathetic mindset of men is to blame and not the women for wearing what they like. Yes, we as a society have failed. But it is a reality. Rather than living in a Utopian fantasy world, it’s better to know the ground.
Once the policing is better and there is ample safety, no one will suggest women what to wear and what not to. But someone has to point out the obvious albeit at the risk of being castigated. I would urge all women to see the locality you are living/going to. Stupid people will encourage you to wear short clothes and hail it as a victory of feminism. The victory of feminism will not change the reality on the ground.
I even tell people not to flaunt money if going to places where you feel less safe. Am I anti wealth? No, just using common sense. I might be called names for writing this, but what the hell. So much for being cautious!
Modi’s Pakistan Policy
Only Modi could have allowed Pakistan JIT to visit India. No other leader/party has political wherewithal to survive such a suicidal decision. BJP would have taken Congress’s anti-nationalism to town by now, had UPA would have done the same post 26/11. But that’s every party would have done owing to demands of ‘electoral democracy’.
I would count this as ‘out-of-the-box’ thinking by Modi, something which is required to deal with a contentious issue. Just imagine how a weak step of 1947 on Kashmir has plagued the nation this long. If Pakistan were non-nuclear, force was the best option, but Nuclear weapons make things tricky. We have tried every other approach with Pakistan over last 70 years to no avail. Now is a time for a new approach and that is what Modi is doing.
There are 99% chances that this will fail, but all other approaches have failed 100%. Pakistan has an ally in China at the UNSC who is ready to go the extra mile. India lacks such an ally. US change its policy with successive elections, just like India. Thus is never a serious ally. To put into perspective, what China is to Pakistan is what US has been to Israel. Blind support!
So we lack an ally at the big table. We have a nuclear armed enemy who is not ashamed of sending terrorists; an enemy whose army can replace Govt. any fine day; an army apparatus which is loathed in anger at India for being thrashed in successive wars over the years. What can Indian Govt. do?
We have a Pak PM Sharif, who is ready to risk as much as PM Modi in going that extra mile. Last time India came close to solving the issue was during Musharraf-Vajpayee era as both were strong leaders. Congress consortium could not have done anything anyways. Now again we have Modi-Sharif who are trying to workout Mano-2-Mano. And that is the only way forward I see; via personalities. Diplomacy at any other level does not hold much credence.
This is one problem where I fall short of suggesting a solution. I can find solace in the fact that even the experts fail too. Since I know Modi has good intentions in what he is doing, I will lend my support to him completely. When all else has failed, maybe he will succeed. Even if he failed, he would have failed trying his best.
Freedom of Expression, Hate Speech: India is Too Young
The point that I want to address today is Freedom of Expression in India. Under the raging debate lately, this expression has been mixed with Freedom to Hate Speech. People wanting right to hate speech put forward the argument that it is a non violent protest and they have every right to do it. I agree with argument but it not in sync with the stage which it is set in. Let me explain.
Is hate speech non-violent? Yes. Is hate speech allowed in other democracies? Yes. In developed countries it is much worse. So why the issue in India? The issue is, India is not yet ready for this. “Not ready in what sense”, would be the next question. Well in the sense of law enforcement. We are a country still way back in policing and enforcement of the law. Security personnel to population ratio is way too low. Arrest rates, Conviction rates are very less. We as a country are working towards betterment but when compared with developed countries, we have a long way to go.
What happens is, due to shortcomings in law enforcement, people feel free to take matters in their own hands which leads to mob justice and mob violence. It cannot be justified and neither am I trying to do that. But we have accept the sad reality. Thus for the age our country is in, Hate Speech can’t be clubbed with Freedom of Speech. It has and it would lead to friction among groups and eventual violence. Onus is on all of us to keep the fragile peace going.
As the law enforcement, conviction rates and fear of law improves, Freedom of Speech automatically will expand to allow Hate Speech. Just because we are born in globalized age, we should not forget the reality of our Geography. Till then don’t blame the nation for any aggressive reaction against hate speech. You are yourself to be blamed for that.
Population Explosion: Root cause for intolerance
This is a clear case of looking at the wrong place. Right wing extremist ideology was blamed for intolerance by self proclaimed liberals and leftists. Then these liberals and leftists themselves went overboard and came out as more intolerant. People kept hurling abuses at each other amidst a polarized atmosphere. But what is the real reason?
Well, the reason behind such confrontations is the population explosion. The root cause! Imagine if India had population of say 2-3 crore. Everyone was wealthy with lots of food, good education and what not. Would we have seen such issues? I think No!
People want more attention and larger piece of the pie. Hardly anyone wants to do social service. Everyone has an agenda. There is no other fight other than the fight for more resources.
The biggest act of intolerance people commit is denying food/house/respect to the poor. But since poor have no voice, there is no talk about these intolerance’s. Instead we see people with full stomach crying from their rooftops that no one respects them anymore, no one likes them anymore. People evoking controversial issues on facebook/twitter and then crying wolf when trolled by equally useless full-stomach people.
We are sick and tired of all this. If you want to help, give all your money to poor. And then we can talk. But I know you will not as I for one will not. I am too selfish. I might cry intolerance to get more attention and bigger piece of the pie. And I will be a hypocrite and not admit it. Even the trolls opposing these cry babies are the same. They hate to see others trying to hog limelight and thus berate them.
Mind you they also do nothing for the problems that ails our country. Just sit in an AC room, eating popcorn, on their macbook and tweet tweet tweet, as I am doing right now. And I can tell you why they like it.
Casteism: Does it really happen in Colleges in India?
With the sad demise of a PhD scholar coming in from Hyderabad, a debate has been raging if the monster of casteism is still alive in the temples of education? That it used to be rampant in the past is a documented fact which no one denies. But since the days of Mandal, have things changed or are they the same.
I can tell from my college experience that I didn’t notice any such incident. And mind you, I was very vocal on such issues and Editor of College Newspaper. But then my campus was not at the center of politics. It was a laid back campus just concerned about studies. That I was one of the most political guy in the campus won’t be an smug statement.
I am not overtly qualified in passing judgements for other colleges. But based on what I have observed, I am not too positive that it takes place in other colleges too. But again the dead students’ family and friends will be the best people to comment on this particular case. It might have happened or it might not have.
What I don’t like is the politicization of college campuses. It’s fine during times of uprising and revolutions; It really hurts during peace time. I have been an advocate of ending student body elections and political groups. It hampers academics. I know there are arguments for it also, but cons are too glaring. Students will be able to contribute more if they stick to studies.
If students need to do politics, it should out of the campus. Same goes for ministers and college administration. Keep your politics out of it. Hence my open dislike for recently organized talk on Temple formation in a college in Delhi. Also my open dislike for the students/faculties of that very college for they are the ones who have relegated their campus to political playground for a long time now.
Until politics is taken out of college campuses, our nation will continue to lose the sons of the soil.
Of Tormentors and ‘So Called’ Saviors
Lying down, old and tired, I am wondering what is happening? I have faced a couple of attempts to my life, a whole lot of diseases, bouts of indigestion. My will to live and level of immune system let me sail through all these hardships all these years.
As a newborn, my father was taken away from me. A fanatic shot and it was curtains. I learned to live without him. I had an amputation right at my birth. I felt extreme pain but braved the surgery to survive. I had a troubled childhood. Before I was 15, I had couple of attempts on my life already. Such had been my lineage. A part of my head still has scars from deep cuts as reminiscence of those attacks.
I was teased regularly by people in my neighborhood. However I always helped them. I stood up for lady next door. Her husband used to beat her up daily. I said enough. Gave her enough will and support to divorce that evil man and find independent existence. Alas! That lady never was grateful. Tried to mug me a couple of times!
I found myself all chained up and locked up for a number of years by a dictator. I felt so helpless and full of resentment. One day I finally burst of anger and broke the shackles. Dictator was thrown off only to be back. Sometimes I wonder what was wrong with me. Was it my humility and good nature that they exploit?
I was labeled mad. Was subjected to mental shocks. All to get hold of me. I resented and survived again. I was attacked again and again and again. I saw bystanders just whistling and looking the other way. I witnessed them being bribed not to help me. They knew I was being tortured but they were kept placated by my tormentors.
I have grown old now. I don’t hold anything against anyone anymore. Just when I am trying to relax, having gone through a tumultuous life, I see a lot of those bystanders coming back. They say they are trying to save me. I am not sure from what.
They say they won’t let me get hurt. I am not sure from what. I ask them to go hunt my old tormentors if they are so concerned. They go silent; they say nothing.
They just keep on saying they will save me from what is happening. I am not sure what that is. I ask them to get lost. They say they won’t tolerate such intolerance.
Who am I? I am India.
Where has My Protein Gone? Expensive Dal and Cleansing of the Poor
So Dal is being sold @ 220/- per Kg. I have written enough articles lately as to how current Govt. has lost the plot completely. I don’t want to go into that today. Today I want to discuss the health aspect of expensive Dal. Thanks Ravish @ NDTV for bringing it to our attention.
Dal is the main source of protein for most Indians. Most migrant workers (laborers, cycle rickshaw pullers, auto rickshaw drivers, watchmen etc.), depend on road side stalls for daily food. They eat one time a day, heavy meal which costs them 30 bucks. The news report was of Delhi. But I have tried same meal in Mumbai too. It costs the same.
With the Dal price sky rocketing, the amount of Dal is decreasing and amount of water is increasing in the meal. Toor Dal was already away from reach. Now they don’t even use Moong Dal. A Mauth Dal is being used, which is the cheapest available in market and looks like Moong Dal; that too in decreasing quantity. This leaves us with less and less amount of protein in the poor man’s diet.
What is the health aspect of it? Will it not make them weak? Will that weakness not result in less productivity? Will that make India better? I shudder to even think the horror of the empty stomach and weak shells of the poor. What is this if not cleansing of the poor? Just like Congress was accused of eradicating poor and not poverty; current times are equally dreadful.
Next time you see poor laborers, rickshaw drivers, watchmen a bit lean and weak, do offer them a Dal-Rice meal. They need proteins too.
From Digital India to Internet.Org: Why so much skepticism?
With the facebook support for Digital India initiative, the net neutrality debate has come back to the fore. Some saw facebook gaining back door entry for its internet.org. The skeptics who are among fortunate few to access the internet have started badmouthing already.
First of all if facebook indeed is piggybacking its internet.org with Digital India, it’s their prerogative. It was our PM who prodded facebook for support, not the other way round. For a corporate entity answerable to shareholders, not everything can be charity. It’s silly when we want facebook or for that matter google, to provide free wi-fi etc to us in lieu of charity. “Dare not make money out of us”. This is simply not done.
Coming back to internet.org. The people who have luxury of internet (it is indeed a luxury in India), should be the last one to shout against this initiative. It has the might to bring internet to those who don’t have access to it as present. I agree it gives access to a curtailed internet. But for under privileged of our country, how is curtailed internet worse than “No Internet”?
The people, who have money to pay for www, now want to dictate the things for people who don’t have access to www. If you have any issues with neutrality, don’t trample the initiative, provide an alternative instead. It’s fancy to berate a big Corporation. It’s difficult to find a solution.
Let people decide if they choose internet.org. I firmly support that some internet is better than no internet. People against internet.org, keep your hatred aside, you already have access to net, you have nothing to gain or lose.
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