Its Narendra Modi once again

So the psephologists got it wrong, the Congress (I) built castles in the air, while Modi and his multi masked multitude romped home to another win.

There were many cooks to spoil Modi’s broth – there were dissidents, there was the incumbency factor and there was the communal divide. Such was the relief at the outcome that Advani (of the BJP and the Prime Minister in waiting) called it a victory that had repercussions at the national levels, while Kapil Sibal (Minster of Science and Technology ) stated that even fascists come to power.

Political analysts have called Gujarat the laboratory for the right wing. They have been myopic in only calling Gujarat a laboratory – its India that has become a laboratory, it’s the politicians, the judiciary, police, and the common man across who are guinea pigs. The Saffron brigade want to see how far they can go before something happens. Well 5 years have passed and nothing has happened and the party and people under whose rule the genocide took place have retained power.

Which brings me to the question of should these people be actually allowed to vote at all. Yes, yes we are a democracy and all that. But the question is how does one deal with an inefficient democracy and with people who know how to usurp democratic principles for their own benefit. These people have to be re-schooled in the tenets of democracy, of fundamental rights, of respect, of equality and justice.

During the Emergency it was said that the trains ran on time. Media analysts state that Modi retained power because he gave the people of Gujarat a government free of corruption. For the media to repeat this and even agree shows the myopicness of the naiveness of the media. Corruption is not only about transaction of money and monetary profiteering it is also about a government’s high handedness, in this case to get its police to kill people, or to ensure that police do not act during riots, or to provide information and addresses of minority communities to rioters.

The next thing that this election has raised is Modi entering national politics. The BJP and Congress (I) hum and hawed with their answers but the very idea is frightening. Instead of someone belling the cat and stating categorically that this infected person should be quarantined and an antidote found for him, everyone spoke about whether Hindutva would become BJP’s election platform and the Congress (I) happily stated that if the BJP used the Modi model the BJP would loose its allies.

Modi has been called Hitler. This state is like pre-second world war Germany with the Gujarati’s, like the Germans, blinded by the promise of a 1000 year rule and the rest of the country like Chamberlain and others allowing a weed to grow and spread.

Looking back

As the sun slowly sets on 2007, a ritual is followed - time is taken off to complete, end, think back, review, mull and choose memories for the coming year. Much will be written and said (yes this is one of them) about the year and how it could have been improved

One of the things that should be done at the end of each year is to see the choices news papers made in terms of news. There is no doubt that the chicken and egg argument can be made – do newspapers make opinions or reflect the opinions of the masses. The truth is that both feed off each other. Readers can tell off newspapers and newspapers can change mindsets. However, in the end what is printed provides a peep into the nation’s thinking.

For example there were just about three cases of ‘phamous’ Indians who claimed they faced racial abuse in the UK.

1. Shilpa Shetty with her televised cooking and eating habits on Big Brother was not only able to win the reality series but got an award for her work on AIDS (Richard Gere’s on stage kiss put AIDs back on everyone’s radar), she supped with the Queen and also got a university to award her with a honorary doctorate – and the entire saga was put in print. There were no questions about her actual work on AIDs or what induced the university to present her with a degree. But everyone was happy, proud they believed that India was finally being taken seriously.
2. Salman Rushdie claimed he was the target of racial slurs in school in the UK. If this made news in Indian papers then the paper employs people who are far removed from reality or worse still they haven’t been to school. But this was reported too – not too many inches.
3. John Abraham and others who make a living by hamming on the silver screen stated that he and others faced racial slurs while shooting for a movie. The news did not help the movie the box office.

Then there were cases where we proudly made ours what was not ours to have. Sunita Williams is supposed to be an Indian but she was born in Ohio, her colour and name do not make her an Indian, but India proudly adopted her it became worse when she visited Gujarat the BJP and Congress I wooed her as she represented a vibrant Gujarat (click the video) for some and for others an example of an India on the move. The fact that she was not an Indian, but an American, was lost on everyone.

Then a lot of ink was spent on another set of stars that killed or possessed weapons that could kill (yes a car is included). The press trailed them as they went from court house to jail and then home and occasionally traveled in a government car to a shrine in the Himalayas. There were interviews on why the judges should go lenient on them and how these star criminals have transmogrified into better humans. The fact that the courts took years to come to a decision and are still taking time was no where in sight, that time adds a tint of sympathy and forgetfulness was brushed aside.

Later in the year there was the Tehelka Expose about those involved in the riots of Gujarat. The magazine had the murders/rapists and other such people who profess to be the bastions of Hindu morality brag about their conquests. So what were actually confessions was convoluted to a debate on the timing of the expose. Was the expose supposed to hurt BJPs electoral plans in Gujarat or was someone trying to tarnish the image of the Gujarati’s?

The question is everyone and their dog knows what happened in Gujarat so what is the harm if Tehelka used the expose to remove a government (if that was what they were trying to do). Which brings me to the elections in Gujarat and the question whether a people who are blind to a situation in their midst be allowed to vote.

So what we have here is BJP and its Hindutva bandwagon romping all over the place, the Congress I unable to say anything (remember the Sikh riots).

If the Congress I and everyone else really have cojone’s they would hand over those who participated in the Sikh riots to the police, yes it also includes the CPI perpetrators in Nandigram.

Yes there was a lot of talk about the Indo-US nuclear deal.But the actual debate on the false promises and starts of the Indian nuclear industry the need for nuclear energy never made it to papers.

I could just be happy about this deal because it just may ensure that some far away Indian villages in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Meghalaya are saved from the fate that was handed down to the people of Jadugoda. Right, this actually is quite shortsighted because wherever the uranium is going to come from it would have adversely affected some piece of land and people.

I have a surmise - the social value of a story is proportional to the level of response it gets – Shilpa’s and Richard’s effigy got burned, Gujarat was intellectualized and Modi is being touted to become the CM again and what to say about the Indo-US deal? Hmmmm---

These boots were meant for walking---

One of the things that hit me as I walked through the transit at Charles De Gaule airport were the women --- in their boots.

There were all kinds of women in all kinds of boots, long haired blondes in black stiletto boots to brunettes in velvet boots.

Unfortunately I had to catch a plane to Amsterdam.

And in Amsterdam I got the mother load of boots and what goes in them. I tried to capture those moments but the cheap camera I bought could not take the pressure of the assignment. My friend had a handy camera phone that was put to good use.

It’s cold in Amsterdam and the boots offer protection against the cold. However, what would you call a woman who wore these fabulous pair of boots with a micro mini and no other form of protection – BRAVE.

That’s when the camera failed me and taking no chances I trashed it.

We were passing a beauty school and the lovely ladies were outside smoking I had to induce my friend to whip out his camera phone and click the first set of snaps. We had to almost crawl on our knees to get those boot clusters.

I hadn’t yet given up on a camera so I walked into a shop but hurried out to tell my friend to have his camera ready because another spectacular pair of boots were walking out.

We tried to capture boots on cycles and the closest we came to such a photo was when a pair of boots was unlocking a cycle.

So pretty soon we (my American friends and I) were looking down - as if guilty to check out what the road had to offer. We did not go on the looks of what was in the boots, but focused on the character of the boots. Thus you will notice that there are no faces. we were tempted on occasions but stood fast to our aims. We went to pubs to quench our thirst where the variety beers and boots competed for our attention. And this continued till the lights turned unfriendly.

Mumbai

I survived – another visit to Mumbai. I haven’t come to grips with the city, and I don’t want to. The city is a veritable book of synonyms for the word ‘ostentation’ - of poverty, need, tunnel vision, selfishness.

As the plane makes its approach to land it flies over islands of sky-rises surrounded by slums. In weathers other than the monsoon the rooftops of these little hutments are weighed down by a dull brown of dust. In the monsoon these are covered with fresh blue tarpaulins, actually TV shows that herald monsoons with updates on Mumbai Municipality’s ability to cope with the coming showers by their efforts to remove the last year’s sewage could change to a study of the change in colors of roofs.

Seeing it now, just like any other jungle, Mumbai changes colours for each season.

On Saturday I walked round Nariman Point on work, it was lunch time and therefore was hungry, there wasn’t a single roadside eatery in that area. Mumbai’s street food (ex. Vada pav) is its only endearing quality. A literal buffet of cuisines has been shut down in attempt to keep the city clean and healthy.

Those who got the decision were the rich and ex officials of the municipality – people who never eat in such places. Instead of providing garbage collection facilities for these eateries and safe drinking water they chose the easy way out – take away a source of income and food.

I had the opportunity to meet a very interesting person in Mumbai. Ashok Datar is an urban transport specialist who is trying to promote car pooling as a method to solve the growing problems of traffic congestion and resultant pollution. His idea of car pooling uses the internet and the mobile phone to bring people going in the same direction together. He made a brilliant observation about the growing number of cars he said that the poor are subsidizing the car owners. His argument is that the car owners do not have to pay for parking almost everywhere in the city and the space occupied by a car is same that of a small dwelling in a slum. That space occupied used by the car should be given to the poor or the car owners should be made to pay for it.

One of my colleagues went to shop in Mumbai and immediately fell in love with the city. Okay it wasn’t only the shopping, the sea had something to do with it too. But that’s the whole question how many can actually enjoy the sea, how many can actually enjoy the shopping. Mumbai is a city that provides people with goggles that darkens the glaring reality of inequality.

In transit

The whole idea of going abroad requires a metamorphosis of sorts. One has to get certain facts into ones head – long flights in a cattle car to a place where people don’t speak the same language and don’t look similar (not difficult in India) but still. Forms of such a metamorphosis can be seen in the departure areas of international flights at Indian airports, these areas are silent with airline personal using their lips to smile and welcome instead of warding of irate passengers as in the neighboring domestic terminal. The metamorphosis is very apparent at the international departure where passengers stand in line patiently and silently.

The plane enforces the capitalistic ideology of ‘if you have it we will help you flaunt it’. The first seats in the aircraft belong to those who can really afford -which means that other passengers are accosted by 6 lounge seats for those with exceptionally deep pockets– that’s why the number 6. The seats already have people in it sipping champagne. The frosty chill of the rarefied environs comes down a few notches as passengers move deeper into the plane, in the next cabin there are more chairs per row and therefore more people, but it is still rarefied enough for them to sip champagne and for others to look on in envy. However, there are clear indications of climate change as the number of rows in this area increase. After crossing this, one comes to a scene reminiscent of the early days when people got off the ships on Ellis Island. The image sears the mind - there are as many people sitting as standing trying to stuff their many bags into already stuffed luggage bins – the purser’s here have a look of consternation as they move bags all over the place.

I have a stop over in Paris, I use my French to great effect – everyone recognizes I am an Indian without me having to show my passport. The Charles De Gaulle Airport is swarming with soldiers in camouflage – the camouflage would have worked in the tropics. They don’t stand out because of their guns or fatigues, it is their beret that’s hard to ignore. These caps are really huge; they are large enough to create a brim like solar topi around the head. But they seem immune to what to me is a ridiculous piece of head gear. I don’t think anyone has tried to take them to a mirror and I don’t think any will - think of it like this - what state of mind is a person wearing a strange hat and carrying a gun? The soldier’s prowl the airport as if on a stroll in a park on Sunday, chatting with their buddies as they keep a keen eye on god knows who and what.

Sitting in the transit lounge I come across someone of my color sweeping the floor. Yes, there was a time when one knew one had arrived in Heathrow by the number of Indians sweeping, but at Charles De Gaulle? So I hand out a tentative smile and get one in return. Next I make the universal Indian greeting (no not How!) but saying ‘namaste’. This results in a question from her asking if I am from India ‘oui’ says I, then she floors me with ‘I no speak Hindi only Tamil’. This is nothing strange because one could be from Sri Lanka or she was from Tamil Nadu a state in southern India that has a history being averse to north Indian languages. So, even in a foreign place there is a possibility that when and if two Indian’s meet they are so culturally divided that they do not have a common language to communicate – unless of course it is French.

Election manifestoes as a development index – An Indian study.

In our attempts to study economic patterns, society structure and human development we have created many indices ranging from Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to literacy rates. These indices are ways to compare societies, question decisions, find and question benchmarks, separate the wheat from the chaff and most importantly to learn and find the next step in decision making processes which ultimately affect a large number of people.

As society moves through time, different issues become important or are highlighted. People recognize different things in themselves or in their surrounding environment. Social scientists spoke about Intelligence Quotient as determining a person’s mental capacity, then there was a sudden interest in a new aspect of human psychology that was termed Emotional Quotient – something that determines a person’s capability to withstand emotional/psychological pressure. There was a time when a student’s ambition ended with attempts to become an engineer or doctor; now there are children who dream of becoming ‘successful singers’, ‘dieticians’. A decade ago one hardly saw any women driving scooters/cars and the number of women in the workforce was marginal.

These are examples of how society has broadened its views on stereotypes; education has allowed women to move out from within the four walls of their homes; it has also created an acceptance to such a move. Further, it has also created scope for people to venture into new activities, which means that society (and therefore the economy) has been able to create opportunities.

So what would indicate the health of a society or its state of development? It cannot only be GDP, or literacy rate or the kilometers of roads. Aristotle said in ancient Greece, “Wealth is evidently not the good we are seeking, for it is merely useful for the sake of something else.” Could the Human Development Report suggest the health of a society? The HDR brought out by the UN is a yearly report that covers issues ranging from democracy to structures in communities.

The Human Development Report goes “beyond income to assess the level of people’s long-term well-being. Bringing about development of the people, by the people, and for the people, and emphasizing that the goals of development are choices and freedoms”. This report is an outsider’s perspective of a country. Further the HDR is a kind of feed back form on policies and initiatives undertaken by the state. Thus what it assesses are politico-bureaucratic measures that have been taken. However, there is a distinct gap between what is being done, what was said/promised and what people actually want.

The National Human Development Report – 2001, brought out by the Planning Commission of India states in its introduction that ‘The process of development, in any society, should ideally be viewed and assessed in terms of what it does for an average individual. It has to be seen in terms of the benefits and opportunities that it generates for people and how these are eventually distributed — between men and women, the well off and deprived and across regions. ---often, there is no direct correspondence between economic attainments of a society and the quality of life.’ The NHDR sees the need to go beyond the regular indices to frame such an index that ‘ should reflect the values and development priorities of the society where it is applied. It is therefore necessary for countries like India to develop a contextually relevant approach to human development, identify and devise appropriate indicators to help formulate and monitor public policy.’

In the context of the article, ‘development’ goes beyond socio-economic factors to include broadened awareness, establishment of institutions that cater to the arts, monetary resources spent on things other than basic needs. Development in this context points one towards improving the quality of lifestyle and providing opportunities for overall human growth in non-economic terms.

Could election manifestoes be an index that not only represents a broader picture of the overall economy and society but also a national sentiment of what needs to be done in terms of importance? Further could the argument be made that issues in election manifestoes actually paint a picture of the level of development a country has actually reached.

The manifesto is in-fact a recipe book that takes basic ingredients and suggests methods to come up with an array of interesting dishes. In time the chefs become confident enough to add ‘exotic’ spices to come up with more wholesome meals that have distinct tastes, flavours and aromas. This confidence comes not only with the growing expertise of the chef but also with the clientele’s taste that becomes more discerning and demanding.

Sifting through manifestoes

To discuss the issue, election manifestoes of two of the major political parties the Congress (I) and the BJP are chosen. The reason being that the Congress (I) is one of the oldest parties and the BJP has seen a spurt in political prominence in the past two decades.

The article does not look at basic issues revolving around the economy in these election manifestos; as these issues are based mainly on number crunching and finding new bottles for the old wine. I have looked for the indications of ‘coming of age’ in these manifestos. Over time election manifestos have gone beyond political ideology, economic, infrastructure, defense and regular social upliftment schemes.

Women’s issues

Between 1991 and 2004 Congress (I) raised women’s issues that ranged from clean chullahs, equal remuneration, and laws to safeguard women from sexual harassment in the work place. The 2004 BJP manifesto promised a ‘National Policy on Women's Economic Empowerment’ which would ‘propose strategies to enable women in balancing work and family by introducing a national childcare plan, workplace flexibility’.

Urban issues

It was only in 2004 that any party looked at urban issues besides infrastructure and slum development. The Congress manifesto states that there should be ‘--legal space in the cities and towns for hawkers, vendors, food-sellers and all such informal sector service activities that enrich urban life’. The BJP in the same year states that the bazaar, which has ‘always been at the center of India's social life and played a crucial role in driving the economy’ needs proper systems to remove inefficiencies.

Environment

Both political parties see that environment must not be neglected. The BJP speaks about promoting organic agriculture ‘to reduce soil degradation’ and the need for a ground water regeneration plan.

Governance and NGO’s

The Congress I manifesto promises ‘Swarg on earth but also for Swar—for voice, for full representation in the institutions of governance, for social acceptance and for political power---‘ The party also looks positively at Public Interest Litigation.

The BJP in their manifesto promise a ‘National Council of Voluntary Organizations’

Communalism

The 1999 Congress manifesto theme was ‘Social Harmony’. Both parties speak about communalism according to their political philosophy.

Youth, disabled and senior citizens

The Congress in their 2004 manifesto promised a ‘National Senior Citizen’s Fund’ and schemes to look after street children. The party suggests a scheme that would require youth to spend a year in development projects. The manifesto speaks about the importance of NGO’s in society. It goes further and promises systems to help street children.

The BJP is the only party that promises a policy for the disabled and a scheme to reduce infant and maternal mortality. The BJP manifesto is the only manifesto that states ‘a National Policy for India's Entertainment Industry will be prepared, within six months, to realize its growth potential’.

Comparing issues in national manifestos
Looking at both political parties one sees that not only have issues changed but they have become more broad-based. Both parties see a growing trend of women joining the work force and therefore the need to create an atmosphere that would be conducive to them. Also the parties are looking at empowering rural women so that not only do they become economically independent but they can also increase their household income.

Both parties see the need to look at the environment while driving economic growth. The Congress goes further and speaks about the importance of PILs, while the BJP sees the need for a forum of NGO’s. This is a radical step forward especially when many NGO’s are at loggerheads with the government. Both parties see NGO’s as something positive whose work should be furthered. The idea of proper governance and people’s participation has also become big in the agenda. Could it be a result of people asserting themselves, because they know their rights and know that people in power are accountable?

What is not surprising though is that the issues of communal harmony have not broken rigid party lines. This could be because of vote banks and or internal dynamics. The policy on NGO’s could also be an attempt to co-opt the independent voice of these groups. However the fact that political parties have recognized the importance of such groups and want to do something about it shows a shift in political thinking.

One could argue that the manifesto will finally be a book of empty promises. The point that one is trying to make is that parties see change and therefore incorporate it in their manifestos.

However, India has miles to go especially when one compares these manifestos to the American Democrats manifesto. Even though John Kerry lost the election his manifesto had a certain inter-connectedness which shows not only a better understanding of problems but also an understanding of the direction society is pointing towards. For example Senator John Kerry discusses the role of renewable energy in the economy. On the issues of senior citizens the Kerry manifesto goes beyond a fund to speak about affordable prescription drugs and options for long term needs. On the subject of children the manifesto promises proper labeling of children’s food, prevention of child abuse, quality pre-school care.

One could argue that a lot of these promises are made after a certain level of economic stability. However, economic stability also brings in opportunities for the party in power to further their nation’s outlook, and the willingness to move beyond matters that have come to determine in the narrowest of definitions ‘national interest’.

Questions of whether a study of political manifestos could indicate the direction we as a society are heading towards or whether political manifestos reflect today’s society has an answer – the answer is yes. Women’s rights are now a major issue in Indian society. No one bats an eyelid to see a working girl, while at the same time a woman still has to face harassment. Going further Indians have not come to terms with alternative sexuality, while there are gay right’s groups, they have received no help from the government on legislation and recognition of same sex marriage, and thus this is not an issue in any political arena. Even though there is an Indian tradition to respect elders it was not ever apparent in the political arena. The need to provide care for senior citizens goes beyond any philosophy to actually recognize that families are becoming nuclear and both sexes work and that senior citizens no longer have the support system that was present earlier.

Even though communal harmony has been on the agenda for a long time parties have not been able to go beyond their party lines. We as a society have not yet been able to move beyond caste, creed, region and religion. This reflects in political manifestos. However, there is no doubt that what the Indian political parties write in their manifesto has undergone a sea change. Parties are now looking outside the framework of the economy and their narrow ideologies to other issues of human welfare, equality and mutual respect. This also includes an ability to acknowledge other ideologies and ways of thinking and promote them. These are all attempts to improve the quality of life in non-monetary and intangible terms. Manifestos do reflect changes in society, their aspirations and their broadening horizons.

(An article that did not get to the papers)

----and then there was noise.

Sepultura, Brazil’s heavy metal band has been on my radar– mostly from the t-shirts that heavy metal fans wear. The first time I heard them was in the smoky confines of a pub called Purple Haze, so when I saw billboards advertising their concert in Bangalore I was pretty keen to spend some of my hard earned money on them.

It was less an investment on music appreciation than on another course in social anthropology.

There are a few things that a metal aficionado needs to do when going to a rock concert

• Scrounge for money to get that ‘exclusive’ ticket
• Get a heavy metal t-shirt, preferably with the bands moniker, if not any other metal band’s brand would do
• Roll doobies to take into the show
• Find ways to ensure that the doobies don’t fall into the groping hands of the security. This is also a dilemma for those wanting to bring in alcohol.
• Find the nearest bar a few hours before the concert to tank up.

For those who easily loose their way, the way of finding the route is to

• Follow cars filled with young people drinking to the music of said band
• Follow anyone with a bandanna and a heavy metal t-shirt

The concert was held in Palace Grounds owned by one of the many erstwhile kings who now earn their keep by renting out their estates for all kinds of events. Palace Grounds, of course houses a palace, but also includes a horse riding school, marriage lawns and other things needed by society.

The roads inside the grounds were dark and we followed the others in blind faith. A traffic policeman whistled us to a piece of land that had become the day’s parking spot. We walked to the gates of the concert area passing islands of men-in-black preparing themselves for the concert, interspersed between them were hawkers selling all forms of sustenance. The gates had professional gropers whose main job was to ensure that nothing besides the people with tickets got in.

The grounds were empty barring a black mass congregated right in front of the stage. It was a scene reminiscent to the oft seen one in the wild of Africa where animals of all shapes and sizes congregate at the last watering hole in a drought.

We missed the opening act, but we got in just before Sepultura got on stage. When they began their first song the modern version of a traditional Indian welcome was given. Almost everyone took out their phones, held it above their heads to record the band. It looked like mechanical glow worms emitting blue light.

As I watched this band some things struck me about this genre of music – the drummer has the hardest job in the world. He pounds the skins till they bleat for mercy, he works up a sweat that puts anyone doing aerobics to shame. Further, no matter how much the lead singer tries to obfuscate the lyrics there will be die hard fans who sing along with him. The only word I could recognize was ‘biotech’ in a song called ‘godzilla’ (I think), while those around me gargled the lyrics along with Derrick Green.

One didn’t need to carry personal doobies, it was just enough to breathe to get a high. The crowd in front had created a mosh pit where everyone was being pushed around. Fans were charging into others, though they were trying to do it to the beat of the music it proved to be quite difficult. They were dervishes of a new generation, of a new form of music that preached peace and other such things in a manner that suggested just the opposite.

However it seemed that though the music was violent and the actions of the fans were synchronous to the music they were in effect regular guys. This was just another form of letting their hair down.

And so, it all came to an end at 21.30 which surprised some of the foreigners with us. I could only say that the authorities were slowly transforming us into Cinderellas in their vague attempts to protect us from crime and prevent crime.