Why Cant We Differentiate Good From Bad

There is no profession which allows a novice to become a practitioner. A medical doctor undergoes years of academic training, does an almost suicidal residency, finishes a specialised course, works under a superior for years, before there is credibility and fame. Lawyers, engineers, chefs, CA's - you name it. Include liberal and performing arts in the list... Singers, music producers, dancers, technicians. 
Even politicians who aren't born with a silver spoon start at the mohalla, corporation, and climb up to legislative assembly, before heading to the Parliament. 

The point i am making is, there is a certain amount of experiential learning involved in everything. Of course, education gives a degree, but it is the practice of the craft / trade that empowers the person. 

As consumers we talk to friends, family, references before picking the professional when we need any service. We ask references for doctors, lawyers, plumbers, etc... Others we trust 'recommend' the service based on word-of-mouth or individual experience. They tell us good from bad - and we find out for ourselves too, by interaction. 

Then why are we blinded while consuming media?

 

Most of us watch television and movies and read newspapers right from our childhood. We are exposed to all sorts of fare. And i am hoping people develop taste after a certain point of time. But this is where i am completely wrong!! Time and again, i ask myself why do we get subjected to shit on television? Or the bad reporting and grammar in the newspapers? Why are news so terrible on television? Why are we served with idiotic movies with unrealistic plots and executions? There is creative liberty - and there is the 100cr club!!

Let me take an example that everyone can relate to... 

Food. From childhood itself we know tastes, what to expect in what dish / preparation, what goes best with what, so on and so forth. I am confident that if we are ever served with a poor tasting food, we will immediately notice it, point it out. Often little bit salt here and there is enough to create a storm on the dining table! 

If eating food on a daily basis gives us enough sense to differentiate good from bad, tasty from bland, cooked from raw, edible from gone bad - why cant we differentiate good TV serials / movies / news / newspaper from bad - if we watch movies for 10-15 years?

I sometimes feel our apathy to what we consume on TV matches with the proven theory: money doesn't buy class. No amount of education or exposure will prepare the audience for "learning" to view. Perhaps it is time that we "teach" people how to consume media... Make everyone Pavlov's projects and condition their viewing skills. 

Sometimes i am shaken with the terrifying reality of our lack of judgement! How can people appreciate bad stuff!? They spend money and time to celebrate mediocrity. I think humans overall are lazy. They want appreciation for doing regular things. Hence they appreciate average presentations. 

I need to correct my opening line: 
There is no profession which allows a novice to become a practitioner - with the possible exception of media, which is a free for all. Since we don't know who is dishing out the junk, the audience needs to take charge and be more demanding. 

The bottom line is, its about our judgement. If we continue to consume BS, we will be force fed some more BS. 

The Pawar Equation

There is a standard argument that my parents have - known trigger, predictable response and sulking. This fight happens regularly, and the topic of this unique argument happens to be "saheb". 

It starts with something in the newspaper or TV. My father will comment on the issue and close it with how saheb has everyone in his pocket. Something like, "He is the big daddy". And that statement just irks my mother no end... 

Jokes apart, saheb is a standard response to many questions, like:

Who owns this land; 

Who owns this building; 

Who runs the sugar factory; 

Who controls the district cooperative banks; 

Who is funding real estate; 
Who has a stake in this / that; 
Who runs the government; 
Who has got XYZ person / political party on the ropes; 

Who owns the public bus service; 

Who is swinging the ball in the BCCI controversy; 

Who knows it all; 

Who is the smartest / most cunning politician; 

among many others.

The question "Do all roads lead to saheb?" is a debatable. However, people living this part of the world understand how deep the influence runs. We all have heard of his memory where he remembers names of people he's met 30-40 years back; the strong local support; the networking; and how he has a finger in every pie. You have to live in and around Pune to comprehend The Pawar Equation. 

So when my father says "saheb this, saheb that" in a tone of admiration, it gets my mothers goat. And for a good reason too. 

Her logic is simple: Why do people refer to him as if he is omnipotent? If its an open secret that he owns so much land, property, and has a stake in reality around - and it is claimed that he owns only 6 acres of land, why is there no investigation? 

That's one. The other thing is, isn't it a matter of great shame that he's referred to in admiration? If he stands for what is wrong in Pune, why are people of Pune so much in awe of the man!?

Conspiracy theories aside, the man has shown several masterstrokes in his long innings in political arena as well as other areas of his interest - the latest being "outside support" to the Fadnavis / BJP government in Maharashtra. 

Thank god there was a voice vote so we don't know if the BJP government got 'vocal' support from NCP. Everyone agrees that taking support from NCP doesn't bode well for the image of BJP; and exactly opposite for the reverse (where giving outside support to BJP ensures protection of tainted NCP cadres). The subtlety of this entire affair, and the immense political acumen does bring out a sense of awe. 

The bottom line is since YB Chavan we have not had a single 'truly' influential leader in Delhi. It is time we introspect and see if we want to be holed up in a well, or join resources to take the long leap. Each and every MLA in the house should remember that the State is not the Mumbai - Pune - Nasik corridor. Each MLA must want to make his constituency prosperous like Baramati. 

I am sure good things can be learnt too. 

Wish you an Irrelevant Diwali?

In our pre-liberalisation era, Diwali was long awaited festival for many reasons. My parents actually used to get a bonus and gifts from their employers. For my sister and me, Diwali meant new clothes, new shoes, lots of fun goodies to eat, going to relatives / them coming over, exchanging gifts - and again, special Diwali eats. I remember purchasing cloth for getting clothes stitched one month before Diwali... going to the tailor, getting measured and reminding him multiple times to keep the clothes ready before Diwali day. I have fond memories of nights when my mother and grandmother would prepare 'faral' items after the days chores were over. Me, sitting in the kitchen waiting to pop some fresh items as the official taster! 

Everyone we knew planned expenses around the festival. It was THE big thing of the year. For a country transitioning from agrarian economy to urban industrial areas, the festival (like many others) meant to connect us our socio-economic-cultural heritage. 

All our festivals have roots in the natural calendar. We had summer weddings because once the spring harvest was done, there was cash inflow. Post wedding season, there were a slew of occasions lined up for the newly married girl to visit her parental home - satya narayan pooja in shravan, rakha bandhan, janma-ashtami, vat pournima, kojagiri pournima, Ganesh chaturthi, Dussera, and the first Diwali, where she brought her husband along. 

Over the last few years, my sentiments about most festivals have become more and more practical. The question that's bothering me is has our perennial prosperity dampened enthusiasm towards most festivals, especially Diwali? Does having purchasing power all year long make these festivals any less special?

I buy new clothes, shoes, gadgets any time of the year. I don’t need an occasion to eat out, celebrate. The Diwali special eats are available in sweet shops. The "special-ness" of Diwali has certainly diminished for me, perhaps making it irrelevant.

Perhaps I am confused between reminiscing about the Diwali holidays and comparing it with our present day grind. Perhaps it is disillusionment with the way the festivals are celebrated. Perhaps it is a reminder to make the most of these occasions to socialise...

I am not bearish about festivals and festivities. People should continue to do things that make them happy. Yes, I will continue to light lamps, and eat the goodies that friends and relatives bring, and exchange gifts. These are all indicators of the fun times. The 'happiness' symptoms are all there - just feel that the soul is missing.

Is coverage of sexual assault cases numbing our senses?

A decade back, or even before that, rapes, molestation, sexual assault cases were relegated to 5 lines on page 2 or the crime page - as a one among the many reported pick-pocketing, robberies, cheating cases. I imagine the crime reporter coming to work only post lunch, calling few of his police buddies and noting down the FIR details. His interest getting piqued only with something sensational - like an acid attack, or double murder, or rape and murder, or some who-done-it; and then rallying with the Editor for some space on the front page. 

With the mushrooming of electronic new channels, the pressures of running a 24x7 channel and the hunt for "breaking news", saw crime stories transitioning from relative obscurity to discussions in our living rooms. The Nirbhaya Delhi rape galvanised citizenry. Protests across the country. Demands for better laws, better implementation of those laws. NGOs got more active. Sensitizing the police force. Data got shared. More cases started getting reported. A lot of content is being generated - around self-defence, about asinine comments by those in power, on equality of the genders. 

The discussion on sexual assault needs to happen - in our homes and schools - and not only in news studios. The reporting helps other victims come out, reducing the shame. The blame is slowly but surely shifting from the survivor to the perpetrator. And there is no doubt that the media, including digital guys have played a role in creating awareness. 

What is disturbing me, is since winter 2012, almost every week there is a rape story in news. Complete with the gruesome details. Consistently, on a clockwork there is a rape story followed by another. Sometimes with dramatic re-creations. One more shocking than the other. Each unique and more disturbing and perverted. 

Yes, those crimes are happening. And they need to be reported. 

Me, personally - i am getting numbed by the hammering of stories and extensive coverage. To re-live the human suffering, week after week, to know the intimate details of the tragedy, case after case, is causing some sort of emotional bankruptcy in me. I feel that by watching / following the reporting of rape cases, will eventually lead to some kind of self-protective emotional shutdown. 

I don't want to not care. But right now, at this moment, i feel sapped. I fear that future sexual assault cases will become a blind spot. The indirect pain as an audience, and the direct shame as an Indian male, are real. There is a feeling of helplessness as there are hundreds of cases been discussed, and new one still comes up. Catharsis works when there is an outflow. Right now, there is an overloaded of inflow and no outlet for expending of these emotions. There is only impotent rage. 

I often wish the court verdict and actual carrying out of the punishment, should be discussed by the media as much as the case itself - so that there is some sort of mental closure for the audience. 

All this is definitely affecting everyone at a subliminal level. They just don't know it yet. 

Achche Din Kaise Aayenge

What i appreciate about PM Modi is, he has intended and mentioned that he wants to bring everyone together - opposition, bureaucracy, CMs - to the task of nation building. The other thing that is noticeable is staying away from religious / communal polarisation, by not commenting either way. The interesting thing in the last one month is, barring a few leader who insist on stoking secular/communal flames, the discussion has moved to development and governance with Modi 2.0 and everyone is hoping that is a good thing. 

IMO, most political parties have understood the religious card, dividing us on communal lines, objectifying us as vote banks, is not working anymore. The next logical step should be to weed out the criminals, bring in more candidates of diverse backgrounds, include more women and make governance at grass-root level a mandatory for leaders to rise. 

There is one thing that is troubling me though. How do we evaluate the core campaign promise of "achche din" in the next five years? It might mean many things to many people - employment, (sense of) security, inflation, rising stock market, larger part of the GDP on health and education, reduced corruption, transparency, tax reforms, police reforms, land reforms, sanitation, cleaning up rivers, FDI, foreign policy, affordable housing, retur of black money stashed away in tax havens - and many more. I'd say each Indian will have an unique wish list and set of expectations from PM Modi and his government. 

However, that still doesn't answer the "achche din" definition and i will tell you why: On any day, in any city of the country - just observe the beheviour of our fellow country men at traffic signal for few minutes. There will be late lateef's who will speed thru a red light, there will be those who are inching ahead from the left, there will be the bold ones who will break away when it is not their turn. Now don't let me single out only those with vehicles... There are jaywalkers who will ignore red / green and just walk as if it is their god-given right, and those who prefer walking on the road instead of the footpath. There will be pedestrians who take their own sweet time to make up their mind where they want to go, while standing in the middle of the road... 

For me, the "achche din" comes down to the small things in life. The unnecessary traffic jams at railway crossing, when impatient idiots go on the wrong side of the road, and choke oncoming traffic. The careless bus driver who stops the bus in middle of the road, instead of at the bus stop. The greedy rickshaw-wallah who refuses to take short distances. The asshole who honks while the signal is still red. The careless person who is talking on the mobile phone while driving / riding, or cradling the phone between shoulder and ear and speeding away. 

These and many more people like this are constantly gnawing at my day-to-day peace. They are the ones who cause road-rage. They are the thorns as we hopefully land up in to the "achche din" democracy. 

Now that the political discourse is changing, i think it is time for the auxiliary organisations of political parties to focus on other things too. These auxiliary bodies have long-guarded our culture and religions and languages, which are as old as time itself. They have used their better judgement to censor what we should read / watch / listen / do - instead of letting us choose for ourselves. They have used fear and intimidation and destruction to force us to see things their way, without trying to chat, reason and see the other side. 

These auxiliary bodies will do the nation a great disservice and to the PM himself, if they continue to increase the nuisance value and not be a part of the "achche din" initiative. 

They need to stop "creating news" and indulging in hooliganism / goondaism, and focus on being a part of the constructive system. Won't it be wonderful sight to see the volunteers of these organisations partnering with traffic police and manning understaffed signals? Just like they go door-to-door canvassing votes, why should they not go to houses and mohallas and hold camps to educate people on how to cross roads? Or how it is important to make way for an ambulance. Or not spit in public. 

I think it is time for them to re-invent themselves, as their larger political masters are taking the direction of growth and governance.

Those who think that Civics is a school subject, and not to be followed on the street need to wake up! The long arm of the Law will catch up with the criminals. What about those who are super busy doing one little transgression at a time?

Well, i don't know how the turnabout is going to happen, but i hope it does. For me, the "achche din" initiative will be reality when we follow traffic signals on the day signals are not working. When people wont shamelessly declare - India mein gaadi chalyi, toh duniya mein kahi bhi chala sakte hai.

That, will be "achche din". 

Columbidae Colombiformes - The Scary Flight

Don't let the title of this post rattle you... Last week, I had a horrific experience with a "Columbidae Colombiformes" that shook me up pretty bad. As I struggled to get my adrenaline levels back to normal after fighting a prolonged one-on-one with a Columbidae Colombiformes - a.k.a. pigeon, hundreds of questions came to my mind - What purpose does the pigeon serve? Why is it not on the "soon-to-be-extinct" list? Why did Noah allow them on the ark!?

My earliest memory of these birds will be that of a kabootar-khana. Before Pune woke up to the gains of concretisation we had a huge playground where 3 cricket matches could happen simultaneously, without the wicket-keeper of one match and the third man of the other, having to rub their asses together. In one corner of this huge playground, there was a wooden rack with cheap aluminum netting... you know the hexagonal design which keeps things inside. Or outside, whichever way you prefer to see things. This shack housed a roost of pigeons. There were close to two dozen pigeons of all variety and colours. Two local boys from our area, who gave up education after taking the X exam head-on multiple times, ran this kabootar-khana. To put it loosely, it was their hobby. Yes!! These were pet pigeons and these two characters - Shankar and his mate - dedicated a considerable amount of time and money to feed and fly these pigeons. I don't know what the gig was, but I suspect it was to increase the size of their flock. They took great pride in the different call signs that these domesticated pigeons responded to during their flights. Sometimes a stray pigeon would join the flock and will be immediately fed and made a part of the roost. 

Last week it was deadly hot and humid in Pune. It was cloudy all day and night, and the anxiety of when it is going to rain was as unbearable as the humidity. It was nearing midnight, and I was catching up on pre-recorded seasons of Homeland before the new season began. My mobile was in the other room, and when it rang, I paused the set-top box and went inside. It was a brief chat, followed by responding to a few SMSes and WhatsApp, and when I returned to the living room, I saw a fully grown pigeon sitting on my sofa. It was staring at me, unflinchingly. From my first-hand experience of living in Mumbai, I knew that I could not let the pigeon spend the night on my sofa. I was in no mood to wake up to a house full of feathers or worse, pigeon potty. At this point when I was making up my mind, the pigeon too was getting resolute about not leaving the sofa. I tried to startle it with a jump. No reaction. Nothing at all. I switched off the ceiling fan, fully opened the doors of the balcony and changed my angle of attack. I tapped on the sofa a few more times and got its attention. When I beat two pillows together it flew off... into the kitchen. To my horror, it was perched directly above my moderately stocked bar and a lot of glassware. This was fast turning into a crisis. I chased it from that shelf and it settled down a few feet away in the washbasin. Quickly, I took all the bottles and glassware and kept them on the dining table. 

I was losing on multiple fronts. First, getting the pigeon to lift off from the basin was getting very tricky. Second, since I had switched off the fan I was drenched in sweat. And finally, I was getting sentimental about the enemy - what if it is scared of the dark? Or of the dark heavy rain clouds and it somehow knew they were going to pour that night?

Quickly I put these thoughts at bay and renewed my attack inspired by the scene from The Hulk. I switched off all the lights in the house and switched on the ones on the balcony so that it can fly out.  

The steel of the basin helped in creating enough din for the pigeon to lift off without damaging anything else on the counter. Unfortunately, it decided to go back to the other platform and found a nook between water bottles and some plastic hold-alls. It was impossible to get it out from there. Clearly, there was not enough room for it to waddle backwards or fly off! My only option was to move the plastic boxes, which meant going to the bird's extreme proximity. I was just hoping that there is enough time between my moving the box and the bird taking off. Now, remember, I was doing all this in the dark as I expected the bird to fly off to the balcony. 

Luckily for me, the pigeon didn't try any stunt when I created room for it. I returned back to the corridor leading to the bedroom, hoping the pigeon turns around, take flight and exit from the balcony. Things went according to plan and the pigeon flew from the kitchen!! But my happiness was short-lived, as the damn bird decided to attack me! Yes, in a dark house lit only by the yellow light of the balcony streaming in, I was engaged in a one-on-one with a pigeon in a narrow corridor. It was flying at my face level, claws directed at me. I was armed with a hand towel and my free hand, but my arm movement and hence my reach were restricted due to the walls of the corridor. I was cornered with a closed bedroom door behind me, and I did what Sun Tzu had predicted hundreds of years back. 

It was not simply a battle between a pigeon and a man. It was a war for the occupation of the house. It was me fighting to make sure the message goes out loud and clear - that this house will be a human domain... that the pigeons were not welcome to squat here... that they cannot carpet bomb my house. 

In a fight for good vs evil, I drove the evil out of the house. The aerial fight and hand combat lasted a couple of very long minutes. I could make out the outline of the enemy and hear flapping sounds to target my attack. Those two minutes were sufficient to establish my speed of attack. The pigeon understood it was quickly losing this battle despite having the advantage of night vision. After one last flight above my head, it turned around and swung out of the balcony door and sat on my clothesline. I immediately closed all the doors and windows, put on the lights, and switched on the fan. As I sat down on the chair, trying to get my heartbeat to normal, I took stock of the damage done. The water bottles were lying around the counter, and the cocoa powder which I use to make my potent rum cake had not survived the fall and was all over the kitchen floor. There were a few feathers scattered around the house. It looked like a battlefield. 

As I stepped in the shower, I wondered if anyone other than Prem Choudhary from MPK and Raj Malhotra from DDLJ - both fictional characters have benefited from these birds... I felt acute anger towards that woman in our society who throws grains for pigeons in some misplaced sense of good deed of the day and expects the society to clean up the pigeon droppings from her terrace. I felt anger towards the people who built kabootar-khana in Dadar west. 

When I switched off the lights, I thought of the darkness I had created and the victory I had claimed. I was ready to put this experience behind me and call it a night. 

Rantings about Civil society and Political parties

This is a top of mind flow of thoughts regarding the state of our democracy. Despite being a regular voter in Pune, my name didn't feature in the voters list - just like thousands of citizens. Yes, its partly my fault that i didn't check the list before. But since i am a existing voter, i thought there is no reason for my name to be dropped. The entire Form 6 thing is for first time voters...

Much has been said about the agitation at the Collector office last week. On 18th April morning, i went to Council hall where other voters (who were dropped without any notice) and concerned citizens had gathered to get an audience with the EC or Dist Collector. It was a regular gathering of regular folks like you and me who don't have party allegiance had gathered to make some headway to exercise their right to vote. Citizens, breadwinners, day wage workers, activists, people from NGOs, housewives, tax payers, political workers - a motley crew of people who had one thing in common: Get the Right to Vote for those who were unfairly deleted, and have re-elections in Pune latest by 13 May (which is the last voting date).

Between all the cool conspiracy theories and wild allegations, one thing that came out strongly was, everyone wanted to say something. There was so much anger and disappointment. I myself was feeling terrible for being unable to vote in what possibly are the MOST critical elections of our times. Everyone was charged and motivated to be part of this much anticipated "change".

As more and more time passed at this agitation / demonstration, i realised that no civil society movement can happen in India. What the civil society members can do is, sit on hunger strike, file a PIL, form societies and create atmosphere that will create pressure on the authorities to take cognizance. Common folk who assemble to voice their concerns, who come from far and wide to right some wrongs, have no clue about these protest / agitations. I want you to picture your next door neighbour - the regular guy - who comes with some sort of idealism in his heart, hoping to get some "justice" by baring the "truth". The regular folk do not have the muscle or the pull to get attention of the high and mighty.


Where political parties score, is their organisational ability. They can conjure up durries to sit, megaphones to communicate instructions / speeches to the protesters, get water for those who are braving the summer sun. At a basic dialog level, they bring in lawyers who can suggest the legal way ahead. Since political parties interface between the bureaucracy and citizens on a regular basis - they have a comfort level of interacting with the administration. They have access to media channels and reporters, who can really make it a topic of discussion.

Another realisation was, if a concerned citizen or a group of citizens have been wronged and they are creating some noise about it, it is very easy for political parties to come and hijack the agenda. Once the gathering turns to a political party discourse, where does the apolitical, non-aligned, common man go!? 

How will any civil movement ever happen in India? How was the anti-corruption protest done? How did people come down to Rashtrapati bhavan during the Nirbhaya protests? I understand both these examples are very different, but it has to be beyond social media.

I would like to know how.

A Repetitive History

After the Sanjay Baru book “The Accidental Prime Minister” hit the stands and revealed(!?) the dual-power structure in the UPA government, i immediately thought of the only other such political arrangement in my memory – the Shiv Sena-BJP combine of 1995-99 in Maharashtra.

I thought to myself, “Why not think of more similarities between these two governments?”, and came up with the following list. It’s not very elaborate and i am not equating one with the other. The similarity ends with these comparisons, as the ethos and brand DNA of both parties ( and coalitions) are drastically different.

SS-BJP COMBINE (1995-1999)	UPA (2004-2014)
Maharashtra was the most prosperous state when this combine got to power. Didn’t leave it that way...	UPA got reins to power when India was poised to be a global superpower. A decade later, the sentiment is missing.
Their victory can partly be credited to the feud and infighting among the Congress (Late Sudhakar Naik vs Sharad Pawar).	The India Shining campaign by NDA boomeranged. That played a vital role in propelling UPA to power, as the shine was limited to select citizens.
The previous Congress government couldn’t control the 1992-93 riots. The votes were polarised on religious / communal basis.	Latent anger against the NDA for not taking action against the unapologetic CM of Gujarat for the 2002 riots. That translated for Congress in votes.
Remote controlled, as famously confessed by Late Bal Thackrey.	Authority with zero accountability for Ms Sonia Gandhi, as published in the book.
Zunka bhakar centres to create livelihood for its volunteers. And unemployed youth.	Populist measures – rural employment guarantee scheme, rural health bill, FSB.
Went on to rename everything after Shiv Sena icons. And, Bombay became Mumbai.	The government schemes and initiatives were named after icons of the ruling dynasty.
Most critical contribution are the 56 flyovers in Mumbai.	Will be known for the revamp and rebirth of Delhi.
Were in too much of a hurry.	Criticised for “policy paralysis”.
Known for threats and aggressive attacks on media for any unfavourable coverage. Used theory of intimidation instead of dialog most times.	Treats the main stream media like their own fiefdom, throwing them crumbs to divert attention of the masses from one topic to the next.
ENRON	CAG
In the years leading up to the coalition coming to power, political careers of leaders like Sudhir Joshi, were over.	Top leaders like Madhav Scindia and Rajesh Pilot died in unfortunate accidents before UPA came to power.
The memorable event was the Michael Jackson concert.	The biggest party everyone had a good time were the CWG.

Clearly i am no political expert, and this is not an exhaustive list. These are top of mind things, and political keedas can think of more similarities or completely trash my little adventure.  

The point is, history repeats itself. And those who don’t learn from past mistakes have to go through the same mistakes again and again... And again...

Someone once told me, or i read somewhere... “The more things change, the more they stay same”... And right now, we are at the cusp of something special. We have an opportunity to show that we are more than data points and demographics. The educated, urban, employed, tax-paying population needs to be less cynical and be part of the change! Let’s make it count. We need to be part of the change, instead of venting it out on FB updates for the next 5 years. You need to show if you are an armchair activist or really are the harbinger of change.

Please go out and vote. Make yours count.

PS: I must acknowledge the help and inputs from my friends Satish and Hyder for their common man insights to Bombay / Mumbai politics.

How Taxing!!

If there is a minority that never gets represented in the election scheme of things, it is the tax paying population. As per various reports, the tax payers in our country range from 2.35% to 2.99% of population - which is roughly 3 to 5cr tax payers for 115 to 120cr total population!! That makes us tax payers a minority that literally runs the machinery.

Well, to begin with, TDS is cut even before we get money in hand. Then we are taxed several times over when we shop for groceries, clothes, essentials, electronic items and almost everything else. We shop at malls, eat in A/C restaurants, watch movies at a multiplex and get taxed some more. When we fly, we are choked with insane opportunity pricing, and lesser said about the road toll, the better it is. 

So basically, despite paying the direct and indirect taxes, this 3% population has zero say in any policy related matters. These are the people who are parting with 10% to 30% of their salaries. These are the people who are spending money and living a good life. They are also "victims of a good life" and cannot scale down their standard of living.

Yes, i believe in what goes around, comes around. All the employees in these restaurants and malls and spa's and other service industries have a cause-effect relationship on our incomes and so-on and so-forth... 

There has to be a limit to this insane taxation. Yes, we are a country of poor people. A lot of subsidies have been given to make education affordable, and petrol cheaper, and creating opportunities for us. For once, i would like this money being put to good use. Why are our government offices is such poor shape? Isn't that an asset bought / rented / acquired from our tax money? Why are there no pubic loos? Why dont we have footpaths every where? Why dont our city planners develop separate highways and service roads? Why is there little or no communication between government agencies, when new roads are dug up multiple times for cabling and plumbing and god only knows what else. Why can't we have affordable and reliable public transport?  

I really would like to see the tax money put to good use - considering we are paying it twice!! We need these funds to be used for prosperity of this nation. For betterment of everyone. 

Let us not be invisible in our own country. Let us make sure that the money we pay as tax goes in for development - and not in some mattress or Swiss account. This time, keep the thieves out!! Vote for the non-corrupt candidate - no matter how inexperienced he / she is.

LS '14 Elections: One Of Its Kind

The upcoming elections in May 14 are nothing short of epic. The battle lines are drawn, daggers are out. And for the very first time in our lives, there is so much excitement over elections. 

No, seriously! I don't remember the last time when people had become so passionate about the general elections. Everyone has a point of view. Its lovely!! Social gatherings are turning in to debates, meeting over drinks presents an opportunity to discover a new theory, friends reveal a totally different side of their personality... 

And each one of us is presented with a new moral dilemma on a daily basis. 

• Do we vote for the candidate at the local constituency? Or do we vote for a party, so there is a stable government at the Centre?
• Is it too romantic to expect a government that isn't handicapped with coalition pressures? 
• Should we punish UPA2 for not being able to build forth on foundation of UPA1? Has the anger towards the various corruption charges simmered down with police action? 
• Is it time to give the reins in hands of someone new? Has the anger for the 2002 riots simmered down after the Supreme court verdict?
• Are the issues of the masses (roti, kapda, makaan, electricity) still relevant as they were 15-20 years back? Or bringing forth newer issues (women's safety, sexual assault, gay rights) the way ahead?
• Will we vote the stained candidates back in power?
• Do we trust everything the mainstream media presents? Or have we become totally cynical and distrust them completely?
• Are the opinions of the arm-chair warriors and twitterati relevant? Have they managed to generate discourse among man on the street?
• Has the country truly come off age? Will the mandate be beyond the safety of "vote bank" politics? 

A lot of young people are asking relevant questions, looking through propaganda, mining data and being active citizens of this great country. That's an impressive thing. What will be even more impressive is them showing up in April at the polling stations and exercising their right to vote.

If these elections don't see over 75% voting, then i don't know what will. I just hope more people come out to vote than they did to watch Dhoom 3, Chennai Express, Krrish 3, Ek Tha Tiger, and 3 Idiots. After all, you don't have to pay exorbitant ticket price to vote. Its free!!

We don't know the "swing" vote % in this country. No one does. But if is swing comes to shove, we might really be surprised. No one knows what people vote for. IMO, the true test of a Secular country is where the minorities - all minorities - feel safe. I am reading a insightful essay by Sudhir Kakar titled "Colours of Violence" and hopefully will be able to understand the communal nature of the beast. What i have gathered till now by my own experiences, is that the first fight is with hunger. To put it plainly, "insaan ki pehli jung, uske pet ke saath hoti hai." 

Whoever comes to power: Create an opportunities where everyone can honestly 'earn' 3 square meals a day; Create an atmosphere where people can plan ahead; Create a future where people can achieve their dreams...

These LS elections are a fight for the very soul of this country. Reminds me of the wonderful narration from Oliver Stone's "Platoon" where the battle weary Chris Taylor (essayed by Charlie Sheen) summarises his experiences of war: I think now, looking back, we did not fight the enemy, we fought ourselves, and the enemy was in us. The war is over for me now, but it will always be there, the rest of my days. As I'm sure Elias will be, fighting with Barnes for what Rhah calls "possession of my soul." There are times since, I've felt like a child, born of those two fathers.

(If you haven't seen the movie, rent it this weekend.)

Having said all that, the one question each one of us has to answer before we press the button is: WHAT ARE WE VOTING FOR - THE CLEVER MARKETING OR ANTI-INCUMBENCY FACTOR.

You saw that song!!?

The networked digital space offers multiple access points and sharing opportunities. The proliferation of media, affordable mobile technology, and interlinking of internet and mobile, has changed the way we consume news, entertainment, views, literature, music... Almost all media are replaceable, or at least interchangeable and the good thing is most content creators have risen to the opportunity and have made their products available. 

No doubt this has changed and shaped the way we think, the way we live. One might find this experience extremely overwhelming. Imagine the utter confusion of a person who went in a coma in the early 90s and woke up in this day and age!!

We read news on mobile over newspaper, sample opinions on Twitter over editorials, watch the latest soap online. This consumer shift has happened in the first decade of this century... Any guesses whats to come!? 

The most noticeable change that i see on a daily basis (by the virtue of being in the music playing industry), is the way we consume music. Radio is a audio visual medium. We play popular music. Listeners sing along. We play familiar music. People Hum... whistle. Whatever music we play - listeners visualise.

Yes, you got that right. We WATCH music. 

Be it the serene vales of Europe or dames in sarees - music in the last decade has moved from an aural medium to a more audio-VISUAL media. The purists might argue otherwise, but i am convinced that when music is packaged visually, it has a wider recall. The powers-be of Hindi movies have understood this really well - and now the visuals are packaged so properly and bombarded so much, that one cannot escape the perfect world created to put that song in your mind...

You listen to any song for the first time - and you make an image of it in your head. You visualise what the singer so soulfully is trying to put across. You see the video of that song, and then listen to the song on radio - and all you will remember is the visuals 'they' want you to see.

Next time, when you are tuned to the radio, block the images and focus only on the song - the singers voice, the words, the composition, the instrumentation. Let me know if you feel the difference.

Why can't Datta Snacks have a queue?

It's that time of the year, just like the remaining 365 days, when i travel to Mumbai very often. One of the things i like to do during these journeys is to eat at Datta Snacks, which is right after the ghat section. Its a must-stop for most Marathi speaking people. They have excellent Maharashtrian snacks and i recommend sabudana khichadi, kothimbir wadi, and their thaalipeeth. The taste is almost home-cooked - with lot of ghee! As you enter, there is a cash counter where you pay and get food / tea coupons. Further inside is the service counter where 4-5 boys plate and serve food as quickly as possible. The kitchen is right behind through a door. 

Its getting the food that always puts me off. Since they dont have table service, one has to wait agonisingly at the over-the-counter set up, with a crowd of hungry, tired travelers - arm outstretched, the food coupon in your fingertips trying to get attention of one of the boys behind the counter; the other arm holding on to something or someone, hoping you dont get shoved around, lose your balance; and praying desperately that you get your entire order in one go, so that you dont have to go through this nightmare again...

The picture alongside is 20% of the rush crowd. And trust me when i say that the crowd is unruly. The same people who stand in a queue at the cash counter, suddenly mob the service counter like the food is going to get over in the next 10 seconds!!

This blog is not about Datta. Its about globalisation and how businesses - local and international - are "supposed" to be learning and adapting in an ever increasing market, where along with the product and service, a lot of emphasis is given to consumer experience. 

Due to monopolistic situation and location advantage, a certain complacency is seen / expected. But in the long run, some new practices need to be brought in to please the more demanding customer, and pull the business out from the comfort zone. There is no option but to bring best practices to the table. One just has to go to the food court in a popular mall to know how much Indians love to eat. It will be truly unfortunate (for local businesses) if international chains employ the best talent, pick the fast moving products, and bring international touch to the overall experience. 

How long will the Indian businesses operate in isolation? I have gone to food joints that have token system like they had in banks! I have been to thali place where the owner was screaming at patrons to maintain silence!! There is a burger joint in Pune where they proudly have written, "If you want your burger in 2 mins, you have come to the wrong place."

And on the other hand, I have eaten at ice-cream stalls where they have insisted that i sample each one of their flavours. There are local / desi thali chains that have mastered the art of hospitality so well, that you eat two more chappatis just because they are nice to you! There is wada-pao handcart who is a pro at delivering in the car, and keeps the place spic n span after his closing time. There are restaurants that have seasonal menus with their standard one. The list is endless...

Few weeks back i interacted with a process firm (audit agency) that has brought some international learning to their projects in India. Just a fortnight back, i went to Starbucks and discovered Kothimbir wadi with Wasabi sauce!! Right next door to Datta is McDonalds which has adapted its product line with consumer insight and is serving aloo tikki burger (the ubiquitous wada-pao), which is already one of their highest grossing item, and is opening its first all-veg outlet at Katra.

Restaurant business have started practices, set trends, and enjoy huge loyalty. I had no concept that 2 idlis make one plate till i ate at a restaurant! The food joints from my college days, still occupy value-for-money positioning in my mind... But thats not enough. 

The challenge for local businesses is to add value with their popular offering. With growing customer expectations, along with core-competency they need to provide pleasant atmosphere and overall experience. And i am not talking only about food here...

The food at Datta is excellent. All i am asking is, Why cant someone from Datta walk over to McDonalds and see how the zigzag queue avoids mad rush at the service counter, and install one? 

Or start a drive through!??

How will we see glocalisation if we dont adopt global practices?

Resolution - 2014

I decided last week in the last week of December that i will try to blog as frequently as possible. Tonight is the first time i have got little mind space!!

Despite living in multitudes, my romance with emptiness continues. I am going to face my fears and discover more, learn more, share more.
More importantly, i am going to "make" time. I don't remember my last blog and that's just terrible. 

So many things are happening. These indeed are interesting times. There is going to be a lot of things to write about - elections, movies, project at work, health, music, experiences, anecdotes, learning, interactions with wise people, trends, people, culture, philosophy, parents guilt tripping, neighbours, boring housing society meetings, travel, performance of my car, media, food, criminal cases, Supreme court interventions, cab drivers, vocabulary of my niece, the PhD program, meet ups, my point of view on facial hair, conspiracy theories, intolerance, and of course, insipid boring blogs.

Couple of weeks back i had an interesting chat with some close friends about change. I was missing who i was 10 years back. The intensity and the suddenness of the longing took me by surprise. What did i start out as? Who have i become? Am i scared to accept who i have become? Well, that's what i am going to figure out! 

Have a wonderful 2014 everyone... And i hope your journey is as interesting as what you set out to discover!!