Pains of an 'Image Make Over'

( written almost 10 days bk, published today - network !)
Believe it or not, its more difficult than recasting the die !
Its true in the case of commercial brands and even more true in the case of Politics.
Ask Mr Narendra Modi, CM of the state of Gujarat.
He has been trying hard for some time to have a more liberal Image - an image of a
good politician and if possible of a Statesman to be more acceptable to Indians at large.
Like any good brand, he has a good customer base which has voted him back to power repeatedly.
But, some itch inside makes him think that he has to play in a bigger stage.
For that the current brand identity is no good. So Fasting, pleading, reccos from US, Indian business tycoons etc.
Yes, as an iron fist administrator , he has delivered. Although its debatable if the calm and quietness in the state is
due to fear or genuine good will amongst people. But who ever has even thought of challenging him has not
been very successful !
But the party he represents has a different view of the matter, publically all are in praise.
In BJP his fate is almost like - ' He has no enemies, but none of his friends like him'
The remote controllers from Nagpur wants him at Delhi chair, but the Delhi walls wants him at
Gandhidham only to send 35 MPs to Delhi.
So, what options has Mr Modi got, continue to wait and suffer, I do not think so.
He may float a party of his own. Like Yaddi of Karnataka, he too claims that "I brought BJP to power in the state"
If he really believes that position, he has nothing to gain from BJP, its rather BJP who needs him.

So may think that people will vote from him even if he is in GJP ( Gujarat Janata Party) and reach Delhi with 35 seats
and bargain with strength.
But, he can't cut off his blood line with RSS, that is an issue which he need to resolve if above play is to be staged.
Its really a boiling pot .................. lets see what spills out !

i Tune, i Phone, i Pad, iCon, iGone ; i Sad !

The Newton of Apple is no more, RIP.
Unlike the apples of Adam and Newton, this one has been touched and felt by millions.
No other death has caused so much pain across the globe, he was dear to an 8 yr old as he is to 80 yr old.
White, Black or Coloured, Religion, race had no control on his fan following.
Am sure the notorious Taliban must also be mourning this loss.
What has formal education got to do with success and creativity? very little for genius
like him ! Its a pity that all genius are called early from this mortal world by Him.
I am sure, I won't be needed up above any time soon; though I wish to be in heaven !
Steve - we will miss you dearly.
I can't even imagine, what the world would have got had he continued for another 5- 10 yrs- selfish thought..........
Dearly loved and respected & humble enough to laugh off his talents as that of a crack nerd!
Now back to him - you have to go for the fresh to flower and blossom.
Steve , you have not hindered it even for a minute ! RIP
Hungry for more from him and foolish to hope ........................

Lead if you can - otherwise make way............

I hope that atlest from now onwards, our parliament will lead the nation
rather than being led by the people & nation. Frankly its pretty sad that
parliament has to be told very forcefully by outsiders what law people need
which they have to enact. By this very fact, the assigned law makers have forfeited
their right to be law makers.
The way most of the ministers, MPs MLAs zip past the people on our roads
clearly shows the reality and disconnect with the people whom they are elected to
represent.
They need to realize that if they keep shooting the messenger for too long,
the message itself will shoot them, as has been happening in the Arab world.
I dread to think that our democracy has become so dysfunctional and aloof from
the people.

There is time for Tactical withdrawal even in a war and is now for Team Anna.

Anna and Team Anna has been able to bring the issue of corruption to the nations center stage and that itself is unprecedented
and great service to the nation. Now that they have done it, and the elected govt, however bad it may be, has promised to act on it.
Therefore, its time for Team Anna to withdraw - its a tactical withdrawal which can help the govt and others in charge
to think and act. Making anybody , let alone the govt, to act at 'gun point' and threat of anarchy is no Gandhian way.
Any further push can lead to 'the other side' taking up issues in similar fashion and that will surely lead to more
problems for the nation. The notion that if one is not supporting Anna , he is for corruption is shear non sense.
Corruption from bottom to top is a major issue for the nation and the ones at the bottom affects the common man mostly.
Therefore, I just wish that Team Anna moves to the RTO, Police, Revenue offices across the country.
They probably can help stop the corruption there and that in my mind will be a practical and useful method
to help the common man.

London Riots

The soft underbelly of the ' Developed nations' are getting exposed.
We can possibly brush of the latest events in and around London as criminal acts of small groups.
But the leaders do not seems to understand that it has a pattern and its taking routes - we had Paris a few months back.
Unemployment, under employment and the simmering financial troubles faced are all contributing factors.
As of now , the rising 'smoke' is mostly black and coloured. If the 'white smoke ' starts erupting as happened in
Oslo, we are in for bigger trouble.
The unhindered run of Capitalism has made the gulf between the rich and poor ever more wider.
Many a policy makers are getting more influenced by the 'rich and famous' who are close to them
at the cost of general public and share the spoils. This is a malice which is not restricted to developed world. Almost all
our scams have its origin here.
The west has been advocating regime changes in Arab world and hailed the Arab Spring.
Now what do they wish to label the happening in West ?
Thanks
Tony Augustine

Baba Ramdev - Saffron Karmakar in Yogic Posture !

We have heard of wolves roaming around as lambs.
Current world offers Saffron Karmakar in Yogic postures!
Ramdav' s Yoga and the cause he publically supports resonates with people , hence the support.
But if he is a true Yogi, then his latest actions and methods have nothing to do with a Yogi. Calm , Shanti , stability in thought and action are the fundamental position of a Yogi, can we find any of the above with Ramdev now? Publicity hungry Yogi has no intention to solve the issues but keep it burning to be in the lime light , but that's dark now. Gandhiji also led many satyagrahas, but he never ran or disguised himself in ladies clothes when the British came to arrest him. If one is sure and convinced about one's cause, why worry and run? A yogi should know that truth will prevail. Thus this is classic pseudo Yogi, to borrow a BJP phase popularized by them ! I fear that we are also headed the Pak way where the mullas have highjacked politicians and we see whats happening there. Some of our Yogis, Sanyanis are no much different from those mullas !

When Ramdev was teaching or propagating Yoga, people follow him for what he knows.
When he enters other areas of public life - politics, administration, governance etc , naturally he needs out side help. The tragedy is that the so called advisers surrounding him are people with fraudulent past and with vested interests. They have managed to highjack him to further their cause - which is at odds with the overall public interest.

Mr Santhosh Hegde should formally join BJP , that party needs him and he can be more useful to nation that way than his current position. He is the chief investigation judge in Karnataka and we all know what he has been able to do against public looting by the govt. He himself has admitted that he continues at the current position at the pleasure of Mr. Advani. So pl go ahead and join BJP. We all welcome that.

Bankrupt Janata Party ( BJP) found a cause on which they can ride - and that too back seat driving ; pitiable.Govindacharya is helping Advani to regain lost ground in BJP by propelling Ramdev. The current Ramdev drama is actually a play out of BJP's internal struggle for power!
More Pitiable is that the central govt has also fallen for this - they seems to have realised it finally but too late. Where was their intelligence ? On that count one has to admit that the gove is not functioning. They hope to drive a wedge between the Hazares and Ramdevs- failed miserably !

We have issues with corruption. But an elected govt with all its deficiencies is still an elected govt. Civil society need to learn to work with govt of the day. There can't be any extra constitutional bodies to govern or decide matters of national importance. In the name of democracy , we can't allow peopleto divide us on religious lines. No one can be allowed to act 'holier than thou' nor create public nuisance.

Govt has to do some explaining for their heavy handedness, but then what if a govt can't execute its will !

Osama is gone and Obama reigns

............ and that is what we all are made to believe. Hopefully right !
The difference between the Os is only SB - you may expand this acronym as you like .
As an Indian, I feel we would have been better off with Osama alive, not that I like him
but he being at large would have kept US busy looking for him and keeping the pedal
on Pak. Our cries to US about Pak harbouring people India want will fall on less sympathetic eras now.
US is going to turn around and say " Boy look, be realistic, we wanted Osama for 10 yrs and spend over 3 trillion
and 'our partner in fight 'kept him and fed him with money we gave to find him. Fight your war on your own, if you
don't have to muscle, am sorry". Dawood, Mazood etc are our issues to be dealt with , not US issues. So they
can all breathe easy.

Now the infamous ISI. This acronym should be expanded as Inter Service Involvement.
If they did not know that Osama was there in their chiefs Bed room, then they are inept to the core.
If they knew ( as the world thinks) then they are Involved and partners in crime across the globe.
Either way they have discredited themselves.
Now I wonder how long the US will keep playing the double game. Almost all in US military know that
ISI is the chief patron of terror, but will not admit it openly and challenge it. Its nothing short of a
self defeating policy. Digging own grave, go on till another 9/11 sorry 9/12 happens.
Coming to the 'terror info gold mine' recovered from the Mansion at Allottabad - I think that holds
the key to nailing ISI if US so wishes. But the on going war in Afganistan and Paks willingness
to tilt to China makes this choice very difficult. I feel a Us dependant Pak is better for India than
a China tilting Pak. Need to Appreciate pak for their ability to really manage this complex puzzle.
Pak has an interest to keep the terror issue alive. The Pak army sacrificing their citizens to keep
the money tap from US open. In a TV visual I happen to see Lt Gen Hamid Gul in his house- A house
its almost looked like a palace with very possible sophistication. How he managed so much just by being
military person. There are other sources - opium to onion ! He has been one of the most rabid chiefs of ISI.
For India, Pak is a 'neighbour reality'. Lahore and Islamabad are closer to Delhi than Chennai, Bangalore and
may be Mumbai. So we need to act knowing that. Although the purpose of every war is peace, that is not
ging to happen in India , Pak case.

The Peoples’ Democracy……..

It’s heartening to note and see the maturing of our Democracy. The wisdom and grace shown by Mr Anna Hazare team and the Govt in resolving the issue augurs well for our ‘young’ democracy – a sort of coming of age ! It can’t be and should not be seen thro the narrow spectrum (though spectrum is one of the causes for the whole issue!) as a victory of one over the other. Media uses phrases like ‘the Govt blinked’ – its irresponsible. The whole event, however shows how, far removed are our ‘netas’ from people. It is similar to what happens in big companies. The ones at the top and responsible positions have no idea of ground realities of customers nor their changing preferences. Political systems also throws up such situations- the current one is an example. Will the Lak pal or Jan Lok Pal eliminate corruption? No one is novice even to think in those terms. But if it helps to ‘instill a sense of fear ‘ on the corrupt – then it has done its job. No, we have or no one should have any intention of undermining the supremacy of our Parliament. In our democratic system, Parliament is sovereign and supreme law making body. Nothing can be above the will of Parliament. However, in practice Parliament has become ‘ self serving’ and hence agitations and Satygrahas like the one we see today. Make no mistake, no one is advocating anything above Parliament/ judicial review. Also, we need to ensure that in this euphoria, we do not end up creating another ‘ Frankenstein Monster’ - A Lokpal which is law by itself ! To bring more accountability and to ensure that law takes its course with out hindrance, we need to limit to 10 yrs/ 2 terms constitutional position of individuals. This is nothing new, most of the established democracies have such limits on individuals’ ‘ability to manage’ Finally, am thrilled that in the current world of ‘ Absolute violence’ a non violent means like Satyagraha has delivered and delivered in abundance! On a lighter note, we need to thank the Rajs, Kalmadi s and Thomases for making this happen. Even the darkest night is followed by light at Sunrise ! Jai ho …………….. Thanks Tony Augustine.

They cry For Democracy and We cry About Democracy !

That is the pity we Indians face. West Asia and Arab world is still rocking for change , a change to democracy. Now we need one against the blanket corruption that has enveloped and corrupted our civil society unfortunately aided by our liberal democracy. There is so much latent revulsion against the rampant corruption that it has been waiting for an enlightened soul to ignite the fire. I think and hope that the efforts by Mr Anna Hazare will resonate with people at large. The magnitude of corruption in India and the overall success of people's revolutions across the world are helpful factors to impart ' Escape Velocity' to this propulsion to break free. Some more respectable social activists, bollywood ( Aamir has already joined) , Sports personalities, Artists etc can help it to really make it a peoples movement- not to be hijacked by vested interests. This movement need to rock the ' Temple of our Democracy ' - the Parliament which is nothing but a Den of thieves ' except a few occupants. I hope and wish that Mr Anna Hazare succeeds and his success is a must for the success of India. Govt and politicians have a respond and respond fast for an acceptable Lok Pal bill. 'Thieves alone can't be allowed to decide on the punishment for 'Theft' Thank you.

To kill or Not to Kill............... that is the question.

That is the pitiable state to which we have reached as a nation.
The case of Aruna has thrown up this issue and even supreme court has come out with a disturbing view-
partial/ passive euthanasia is acceptable.

What does that mean ? A person can be allowed to die by not supporting his/ her needs to sustain life.
But you can't inject or do anything which can speed up that death.

What is the difference - except time taken to the eventual death.

In my limited understanding of law and medicine both are equivalent to murder.

Euthanasia may a solution to many developed counties where there is strong checks and balances.
In our country, this is very likely to be misused if not abused by vested interests.

State exists to support and sustain life of its citizens.
But if immediate relatives shun that responsibity then State should come forward.
State may charge the relatives if they can afford it or develop a corpus by a spl tax.

Otherwise at some stage we all can 'RIP '

The Arab revolt - the theories ..............

1. They all know what they do not want ; but not many know want exactly they want .

2. They all hate someone ; but do not know whom to love or accept.

3. They are all 'pulled -in' with out knowing the centre ; but its actually a push of common hatred towards the ruling class.

4. Such revolts will feed on itself and even the establishment of a good democracy do not guarantee a repeat of such revolts not just in Arab world but across the world.

5. Face book/ twitter / Blogs etc gave the population the freedom of mind - to think , share and communicate in virtual world.
But the physical world around them did not allow that freedom to get manifested in action.

So mathematically

Freedom of Virtual world - bondage of Physical world = the revolt

In the Middle east - the Monarchies seems to survive and Presidents do not .............

That is the pattern emerging - Saudi, Jordan, Bahrain , UAE all Kings or Monarchies seems to be surviving .
Luckily they all seems to have some one or a cabinet to dismiss and reappoint some one else.
More than that , they are all declared Monarchies - no one , both citizens and kings ever said they are elected.
So there is no democracy , that is fine , importantly there is no Sham Democracy.

I think that is the issue with Presidents - they are all sham - claim to be elected , but not by majority.
Egypt, Tunisia, Libya etc are projected democracies for last 30/ 40 years with same person as ruler.

This hypocrisy is what people are revolting against; of course there are other issues too.

Are they not justified, they are ..........
but I still worry about the possible outcome with theocratic majority becoming the rulers .

If the Arab world rocks , can China be far behind ..............

Sounds strange ? What Connection?

I see many - the growing middle class in Chinese cities and the growth of media is the biggest challenge to
the current ruling class in China.

Exactly the mix which has challenged the rulers in Arab world leading to current unrest.

They have ordered the army/ police to nib everything protest at bud itself.
But how many buds can they keep ' nibbing'?
How long can they keep doing it ?

The Answer is blowing in the wind ..........................


If a division emerges in the Red army ( which is a clear possibility), that will be beginning of real 'People's Republic'


But there is difference with Arab world.
Most of the Chinese speak and understand only Chinese and that is actually a real help to the current ruling class.

The widening 'Gulf' in the Gulf .............

In Egypt Mr Mubarak is out and the wind has blown over to Libya, Jordan, Bahrain, Iran etc.
What is common every where is the clear gulf between the people and the rulers - its alarming.

Even more alarming is the gulf emerging between the Shia Iran and Sunni rest - Bahrain is a classical case.
Its interesting to see that Hezbollah is propelled by Shia Iran to fight for Sunni causes in Palestine - making inroads.

Most of the Sunni rules are pro West, pro America. But for majority of population its 'evil west' , Iran is fishing in that muddy water.
Some how Iran is able to put down internal dissent with an Iron hand - no Sunni or western power to help the movements.


How all this is going to play out - God only knows. But there is turkey to look up to , I hope that model works for all.

Long live Democracy , the real one, not the might of theocratic majority.


Thank you.

Oh God , I fear the ' Potential Solution' more than the current problem.

The current wave of uprising we are witnessing in North Africa , West Asia etc are the biggest after
the communist overthrow in USSR and Eastern Europe. Most of those countries are still unstable.
To top it, we have a new wave originating from Tunisia - how long and how far that will spread , only time can tell.
Yes, the rulers of most of these countries are corrupt and self serving. They lost touch with their people and most are west leaning
and west supported. Due to their 'Rule' or lack of it, the popular base of these countries are taken over by the so called ' militant Islam'
- represented by Islamic Brotherhood. To my understanding their main slogan is ' Islam is the Solution'. this is dangerous for the world as a whole.
Soon we will have 'Sharia law ' being enforced !
Their sympathy and support to established militant and terrorist out fits like Al - queda, Hesbulla etc are well known.
If they gain the control of the countries thro the so called popular uprising, the world is headed for trouble.
Now the west is caught in a dilemma - They have been calling for democracy in these countries and now you have it.
How can you oppose 'people's wish ? But that wish is not good for the world.
Pl note that even Hitler was 'popularly chosen' by people !

The Happy New year 2011 does not look that happy just after a month !