tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23308694279001824942024-03-13T11:07:22.546-07:00Thought ChutneyFacts, thoughts, opinions and a whole lot more...Shirish Subramanianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02087128889559556743noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2330869427900182494.post-34250739173888864582014-07-26T10:31:00.002-07:002014-07-26T10:31:40.612-07:00What would an Offline Facebook look like?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Interesting question, isn't it?<br />
<br />
<b>I asked it of myself... 'and Alice fell down the rabbit hole!'</b> Well, lets begin at the beginning. What _is_ Facebook to us, after all? I'm looking at it as a sufficiently personal (yet impersonal) environment where I can make the right kind of connections while showing 'just the right amount of skin', if you will.<br />
<br />
Take the offline scenario though. Clearly, 85%+ of Indian society is terrified of walking up to somebody in a coffee shop, party or bar and coolly going 'Waddup!' and taking it from there. And I'm talking any interaction whatsoever!<br />
<br />
Online, though, the story is really different. Even the most petrified guy offline can be a veritable lion online - for the simple reason that you can coolly butt-in to the average bull-shiitake conversation a cool friend is having with another and say/ask something that could remotely make sense. Before he knows it, he's embroiled knee-deep in argumentative conversation with people he could only dream of talking to offline. And voila! Facebook does what Nokia keeps claiming it wants to do - 'Connecting People'! <br />
<br />
Major talking points include the following, among others:<br />
<br />
- Is Offline Facebook a possibility?<br />
- Isn't the average OkCupid types really some sort of subset of this Offline Facebook?<br />
- Although Online Facebook is so global, aren't we all secretly pining for a more local solution that helps us meet Aryan, that handsome neighbor, and Natasha, the cute new girl in college?<br />
- Why is 'Networking' really such a business term today? Isn't it more just the idea of us meeting new faces, building intersecting chains of people we like? Can't networking be personal?<br />
- Finally, does everything have to just happen, and the responsibility be each one of ours to 'make it happen?' Or is there the possibility of that catalyst - that can push us off the cliff - to who knows what joys that lie beyond?<br />
<br />
I'm just hoping to stir up the pot and start some discussion. Let it go where it has got to go! Please feel free to ideate, comment & connect!<br />
<br />
Cheers<br />
Back-from-the-Dead-Blogger</div>
Shirish Subramanianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02087128889559556743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2330869427900182494.post-17250879497643855732012-10-16T12:03:00.003-07:002012-10-16T12:03:48.480-07:00DO IT NOW!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Maybe I was, indeed, waiting for time to catch up with me. Maybe I didn't really appreciate the visage of a lonely boat with its trailing ripples, set in the midst of a winding river, lined with palm trees and lush, lush greenery, stretching on both sides as far as the eye could see, from atop one of the most beautiful bridges on NH-17, topped off with the crimson-saffron sun bidding adieu after yet another day of dauntless service to the omnipresent sunbathers of Goa. Maybe the beer didn't get me drunk enough. Maybe the beaches didn't show me enough skin. Maybe the bicycle ride wasn't long enough or exhilarating enough. Maybe the colorful Frenchmen, Indian-Americans, South Africans, Gujju fashion designer types in need of a drink or twenty, the dogs at Palolem, Shukriya and ... (uh, I forget the other one's name!) just weren't colorful enough! Maybe the joy of watching a lovely fairer-than-a-Kashmiri-maiden Arabic mum teach her daughter who had just discovered the joys of puberty the art of sunbathing just right at the virgin beaches of Arambol just wasn't joy enough!</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Or maybe it was the embarrassment of having the first ever 'proposal' in life coming to me from a chhakka, just past the corner where one would change course to get to the scenic BITS Pilani-Goa campus. Maybe it was the pang of 'what-if' that hit me when I realized I didn't have a girl to sneak me through the couple-entry barrier at Mambo's. Maybe it was the sadness at Andy Murray losing the Wimbledon finals that fateful night, which marked a bitter end to what otherwise promised to be a differently colored, differently scented, if I may, end to an evening with three fetching young English women. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Or maybe, just maybe, I was waiting for today. When the nostalgia of that bicycle which I purchased on a whim would catch up to me. When it would really hit me what a 10-to-6 job is like. When I would begin to long for virgin sands, and nubile maidens of yore again. When the company of nothingness begins to mean just a little more than the company of everything. When you can pick up a pen and the words simply flow. When nobody questions how and why you come and where you go.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Either way, let me tell you this. If you haven't discovered Goa, go do it now. If you haven't discovered travel, go do it now. If you haven't discovered Kings Beer, HELL, do it now! If you haven't smoked (something, anything!) at Curlies, do it now! If the black sands of Arambol haven't dirtied you in cleaning you just yet, let them, now! If you haven't sat nursing a drink at 9BAR, and stared down a cliffside at an angry sea with a kite circling aimlessly in the sky, and gotten lost in the beauty of it all, to the tune of even missing a couple making out next to you, do it now! If you haven't run into a bunch of foreigners and talked about nothing in particular for a very long time, do it now! If you haven't driven a rented Activa through the dark bylanes of Goa at 3 am, terrified for you life, do it now! If you haven't gotten knee-deep in quicksand, do it now! Finally, if you haven't stopped reading this and started packing yet, do it now! Or well, wait just a bit.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Let me tell you what NOT to do as well! My friend,</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>When you're alone </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>And sitting on a rock</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Open your shoes</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>And smell your sock!</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Haha! Kidding, kidding!</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Simply, GO G O A !!</i></span></div>
Shirish Subramanianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02087128889559556743noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2330869427900182494.post-71691473209642415322011-06-16T06:21:00.000-07:002011-06-16T06:21:30.386-07:00Will The Real Anna Hazares Please Stand Up?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>, today, is faced with one of history’s most baffling paradoxes. All the right people, at this point, are proposing all the wrong answers; and all the wrong ones, the right! I simply <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">must</i> explain further, because <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s identity as a real democracy might hinge on the actions we initiate as a nation today.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>, the largest democracy of the world, has today, woken up to the more than unfortunate truth, that most components of its democratic apparatus are, alas, corrupt! And those that are straight, are mere pawns of the corrupt! This puppet democracy, led by the feeble, fumbling though honest Dr. Manmohan Singh, is floundering in pain, and the balm is nowhere to be found.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Enter Anna Hazare, Arvind Kejriwal and their crusader kin, or the group I like to call ‘The Means Justify The End’ club. Let me explain – this is a group that represents a section of the Indian Public, and at the risk of sounding bigoted, I say the ‘sensible’ section. It is effectively in the process of using blackmail as a means of pushing through authored legislation on behalf of what it claims is the public at large – and unfortunately, I believe the government to be right in refuting these claims.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A wise soul once said – A democracy is governed by the government it deserves. Translated, this would read – If people have the cheek to elect the uneducated, irrational and corrupt to power, or people with such orientation, they deserve to live as per the legislations of exactly such a government! Which is exactly what has happened at this point: today, <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> is governed by a Congress-led coalition, probably the most embarrassing the nation has seen in a while. What is more, a ‘large’ section of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s population has now even realised this for a fact. Astounding is merely the fact, that in spite of this realization, the country cannot muster a set of politicians who can overthrow these corrupt ruling forces, notwithstanding the massive anti-incumbency and hence, the ‘citizen groups’ of this country are forced to revolt thus.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It was a proud day when India’s constitution was written, and it is an equally disgraceful time today, when India’s educated class, the very citizenry that is expected to understand and respect the ideals of this document, is forced to go against the very same ideals in order to reinforce the very government the constitution gave birth to.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It remains a fact that Team Anna represents but a positive, forward thinking segment of India, which probably holds the key to the creation of some quick, successful and stellar legislation which could potentially impact this nation for decades to come – but then, on the other hand, this country does not really deserve legislation developed by these great minds, until the point where they can be elected to office and constitute the Parliament – the true ‘representative section’ of the Indian Public, as deemed by the Constitution that we hold holy.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This can only put one question before all of us – Will the real Anna Hazares please stand up?</span></div></div>Shirish Subramanianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02087128889559556743noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2330869427900182494.post-20759195936113303042011-04-01T05:42:00.000-07:002011-04-01T05:43:48.022-07:00India and Pakistan: 2 Different Countries - Really?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>What was once the most powerful landmass of the subcontinent had an imaginary line drawn across it by some brilliant men and women in 1947, and, much to the chagrin of little more than 1.4 billion people as of date, life for them hasn't really been the same. 1.2 billion of them claim to be totally different from the other 0.2, and the poor 0.2 has no option but to retaliate. And so, screw the Indians, they say!</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><br />
</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Well, consider this. I will say it out loud - Hindus and Muslims are named different, but they're inherently the same! We both believe in God, vehemently so - its just that one of us claims God is always in our hearts, the other makes it a point to show this openly and notoriously, 5 times a day! Both religions (ways of life, as I was taught in school), respect women innately. People from both religions don't really give a damn about their religion for the 9 nail-biting hours of a cricketing encounter. We live in the same kind of houses, watch the same films, laugh over the same filthy jokes, feel insecure around foreigners to the same extent, and, heart of hearts, actually like each other quite a lot! Of course, we will never say any of this, because then where would we be? Again, to both these religions, hating each other publicly is important - so for some Indians, to show offense to Pakistan is most important - ask them to quantify why, and they're dumbfounded, really. I'm sure its the same with Pakistan. </i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><br />
</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tv749SCqzuU"><i>Shahid Afridi - Really, Pakistan <3 India!</i></a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><br />
</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Get out of India & Pakistan, and you can't tell the difference between the people! They're both inherently nice people (obviously, they have got to be! They come from the same motherland after all), and are probably the most hospitable people in the world. They both love each other, but can't bring themselves to say it - because what kind of a political statement would that make? The so-called 'hate' and 'angst' they feel for each other is, believe it or not, led by their corrupt, over-stretched and immature governments and dumb leaders, and peer pressure does the rest. </i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><br />
</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>So, brothers and sisters of Pakistan and India, please show your governments the finger! The next time you meet one from 'the other country', set aside your false prejudices, screw your 'image', and try giving the other the magical 'Jaadu ki Jhappi' like only you know you can! You don't have to start a conversation - that will come naturally! You can both find the Sarah Palins and the Ricky Pontings to bitch about - and the Halle Berrys and Brad Pitts of the world to drool over. You can both miss the same kebabs and curries, the kurta pyjamas and the biryani, the Urdu and the Hindi, the mosque and the temple, Allah and Krishna, kutta and kamina, you name it! And trust me, with an open mind, you will enjoy the company of your brothers and sisters like you never imagined you could. It happened to me - let it happen to you! There is no greater joy.</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><br />
</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>We come from the same culture, yet we behave like we're different. We love each other, yet we display hatred. We call each other the same names, yet we do it across borders. We fight like stallions on the cricket field, but alas, we redo that at the LoC! We eat the same food, and yet we classify ourselves separate. Aishwarya Rai and Bipasha Basu turn both of us on equally! We even use the same swear words! </i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><br />
</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>The next time you feel like saying a bad thing about India or Pakistan, think back to this post. I hope it shuts you up for just a bit. Then think of the Gandhis, Maulana Azads and Bhagat Singhs. Think about the Khans in India, and the Singhs in Pakistan. Think about the dahi and the keema. Think about the Ganga and the Indus. Think about the sherwani and the kurta. Think about Vajpayee and Musharraf. Think about Nehru and Jinnah. Think about Afridi and Tendulkar. Ask yourself - do I really want to abuse one of my own? Do I really want to shoot my brothers' children? Do I really hate these people? If the answer is still yes, go on and abuse all you like! But if its no, pause for a bit, find your brothers, and give him a bear hug like only you know how. The next time you see a friend across the border, give him your regards, and give him a rose. Say Salaam-alay-qum and Namaste with equal fervor. Say Khuda Haafiz just like you'll say Dhanyawaad, Chalta Hoon! Spread the word, spread the love you really feel.</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><br />
</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Jai Hind, and Allah Haafiz! [And see you guys on the cricket field next time - can't wait! :P ]</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><br />
</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/notes/maaz-maudood/to-afridi-with-love/10150191647268072"><i>Cricket - \Respect/</i></a></span></div>Shirish Subramanianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02087128889559556743noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2330869427900182494.post-92036076575340002812010-10-05T08:01:00.000-07:002010-10-05T08:01:30.508-07:00VVS CWG - Really? Lets Do Some Diggin'!They say its who we are that shapes where we are as a people. That every time we take decisions as a population, we determine the depth of the ditch or the height of the mountain we land ourselves at. I'm saying - wait a minute. Aren't we jumping the gun here, just a wee little bit?<br />
<br />
Take the Commonwealth Games, for example. One moment we totally despise the idea of CWG 2010 happening in India, what with all the 'corruption, bad organisation, terrorist threats, potential to damage the country's reputation' baggage that it comes with - the country held the CWG as an embarrassment. So much so that CWG became a 'Trending Topic' on Twitter, Facebook, Google and myriad other popular formats of self-expression on public fora, only because there were those many people abusing the organizers. The very next - we were witness to a magnanimous Aerostat rise over a mammoth JNL Stadium, and suddenly Twitterati was totally tranformed in their opinion. CWG 2010 was still a trending topic, but because everybody wanted to 'right' their wrongs. CWG 2010 suddenly inspired 'National Pride', whatever that is.<br />
<br />
VVS Laxman - I think he will call his autobiography 'Wagging With the Tail'. If you're a cricket fan, I'm sure you get my drift. The old warhorse has seen and heard the worst there is to hear about his cricket - he's been in the bad books of people more times than the number of legs on a millipede. But a match-winning, nail-biting innings later - suddenly everybody thinks he is 'Very Very Special'! Bollocks! Wait for the next time he scores a duck, and THEN let me know what you think.<br />
<br />
What I'm driving at is, if there's one word to describe us as a nation - it ought to be 'FICKLE'. Unfortunately, fickle doesn't work in politics. If you thought Kalmadi was a great guy because he distributed food for free to the poor in your locality prior to elections, think again! If you thought your local MP would be the guy that would make a difference because of the one time he eloquently waxed on in your neighborhood, look around you - think again. The fact of the matter is, we as a people are so fickle, that we have no real clue of who it really is that we're voting for. Do a survey, and I'm confident 95% or more of the voting populace knows nothing about the manifesto or working principles of the party they voted for.<br />
<br />
Oh, don't look outside for a solution; don't find a person to point the finger at. Kalmadi is your fault, he is my fault. It isn't really that unnatural to him to be corrupt. Its just our problem that we didn't do our research on him when it counted. That we never really knew the guy we pushed that button for. That all that waiting in queue for the blue mark on your finger - it was all one big waste. All you did was be a part of a huge, orchestrated national crime. And well, you've dug your grave deep enough right about now - INR 70,000 crore deep.<br />
<br />
Its time we forced our politicians to come clean - to show us real change - to go farther than a 'Blueprint for Change'. Lets see some effective ground level work. Lets see some political accountability. Lets see some transparent feedback mechanisms in place. Lets see the public get informed first, and make a sensible decision based on fact, not fantasy. Lets see a government own up to its inadequacies, and look to the public for solutions. Lets see an 'informed democracy'.<br />
<br />
And no, it does NOT start with the politicians - it starts with you and me. Lets ask some tough questions. Lets force the media to emulate what we do. Lets force the government to do what it was elected to do - or step aside to let more competent people do the work. And God only knows what a billion people, intent on an objective can do then. The Americas of the world can say goodbye to stardom, and hello to mutual respect then.<br />
<br />
Lets make India a better place! Change, like charity, begins at home. Yours, Mine!Shirish Subramanianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02087128889559556743noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2330869427900182494.post-33588778371864263222010-10-01T02:12:00.000-07:002010-10-01T03:04:16.143-07:00Against the Tide of a Billion Souls<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Aax_NE-6pF8/TKWxxESxW3I/AAAAAAAAADM/eWtBsNv9fcY/s1600/change.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Aax_NE-6pF8/TKWxxESxW3I/AAAAAAAAADM/eWtBsNv9fcY/s400/change.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523015974563961714" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" >Its been a while now. These questions have been plaguing me for quite some time, but I sense no answers at the horizon. I mean, are we that deluded as a people? </span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Such simpletons, that our governments have just had to pull rabbits like religion, corruption, petty politics, Pakistan and 'India Shining' campaigns out of their hats to ensure that we never got to see the real issues? Such ill-informed ignoramuses, that we haven't been able to identify a single powerful path-breaking leader since the days of Gandhi? Such religious chauvinists, that Ayodhya clouded our thinking about our next-door neighbors for two decades on end? Such attention-seeking clods, that we preach Hindutva one day, Secularism the next? Such unfeeling bastards, because of whom the people of Kashmir have taken blow after blow and withered away for decades? Such gutless chin-wags, that its the Kalmadis and Modis that capture our national interest and rake in the moolah for the tabloids and 'news'papers, rather than Education, Healthcare, Poverty, Crime, Technology - the Real Issues. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >A 15 year old would tell you that India's need of the hour is change - strong-willed, motivated change propagated by the youth. And while I'm glad that we've had the good sense to blab on and on about this at conference after conference, it saddens me to see that we still haven't had success in the real political arena. Its still only a handful of the youth that make it to the Lok Sabha; only a handful that make it through Civil Services; only those many effective law enforcers. India's youth, for all its wagging tongues, is still one massive dormant force. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Believe me, my dream is to see a group of like-minded people, with the right blend of youth and wily old-timers, orators and enforcers, visionaries and volunteers, optimists and pragmatists, Khans and Iyers give the sham that is the BJP and the Congress - our 'Nationalist' parties, a much needed sprint for their money. Let this country be run as it ought to - of, for and by the people - for once. Let it be seen that putting the country before self isn't all that today's politicos make it out to be. Let the power of Two Billion Hands shake the globe. Let the Americas stand up, take notice, and show some respect. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Let us inspire change. To that stage, let us pledge to take Mother India. And let this start with you - now, today. Let it not take an Indian Kennedy to tell you 'Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.'<br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div></div>Shirish Subramanianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02087128889559556743noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2330869427900182494.post-85137989153642848372009-06-14T03:07:00.000-07:002009-06-14T03:09:54.384-07:00The Great Indian Tamasha- Elections 2009<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CShirish%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="Preview" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CShirish%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_preview.wmf"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:documentproperties> <o:version>12.00</o:Version> 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font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><u>The urgent requirement for strong and substantial Electoral Reforms<o:p></o:p></u></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">India, the largest democracy in the world, is also one of the most applauded across the board. Ensuring the smooth conduct of a giant election consisting of innumerable political parties, ambitions, and political tangents amidst such a huge population, with little or minimum glitches is no mean feat, and deserves applause across the board.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Now that the people of this country have indicated their preference for a sovereign secular stable government involving as little turbulence as possible, yet leaving no room for complacency, it is time that we begin to see the change we have voted for. The hour is now ripe for the ‘controversial’ Chief Election Commissioner, Shri Naveen Chawla to redeem himself, bringing in some much needed and much-awaited electoral reforms.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Some of our suggestions, which we admit need to be extensively debated before a decision is taken keeping the welfare of India and Her People’s interests in mind are as follows:</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="">Ø<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->The people of India have chosen their representatives wisely; there is a reason behind the win or loss of every candidate. The Election Commission must respect that choice. <b style="">Debar all those candidates who have lost the current elections from entering the sphere of political governance for the next five years </b>(including any attempts for a back-door entry through the Rajya Sabha or through by-elections). This would keep away the pesky likes of A R Antulay, Bangarappa, Ram Vilas Paswan and others in their fraternity, who have been summarily rejected by the people as their representatives in parliament, thus keeping the framework clean at least for the next five years.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="">Ø<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="">Disallow candidates contesting from multiple constituencies in a single election.</b>
<br />- It is indeed fortunate (or are we being magnanimous in saying this) that the likes of Laloo Prasad and Chiranjeevi have been victorious in one constituency only out of the multiple constituencies that they contested from, thereby ensuring that by-elections, with their considerable expense of taxpayers’ money and sensibilities are now, though only luckily, unnecessary.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="">Ø<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="">Limit the number of parties that can contest elections nationally to only four in future elections.
<br /></b>The possibility of a hung parliament this time around, had given rise to immense speculation about possible ‘horse-trading’ that was to happen post elections. This proposal will remove such a possibility, leading not to a hotchpotch mix and match government bursting at the seams, but to a robust and truly elected government with clear leaders, in the form of men of calibre.
<br />-It must be added at this stage that candidates should not be prohibited from contesting independently.
<br />-While there is no issue with the formation of a number of parties at the regional level to help reform, they must all declare their allegiances to one of the four national parties pre-election. This would bring about a sense of direction to the voting population in the true national interest.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">-A shocking statistic to be dealt with was as follows: </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">There were in all 332 parties, contesting at regional levels, which FAILED TO NOTCH UP EVEN A SINGLE CONSTITUENCY!!</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="">Ø<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="">Just as there is a lower age limit for contesting elections, keeping the cycle of life in mind, there must also be a corresponding <i style="">upper age limit </i>for the same</b>. It is time India got rid of senile and eccentric politicians like Arjun Singh and A R Antulay, though in the process we may also lose seasoned campaigners like Vajpayee, Advani or even a Karunanidhi.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="">Ø<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="">Individuals, who are refused a ticket to contest elections by their party, must not be allowed to immediately switch and contest from a different party (in the course of a single election)</b>. This shows true absence of resolve and lack of character. However, in keeping with the concerned citizens’ constitutional rights, they must definitely be given the opportunity to contest independently. This will help the Election Commission abstain from rewarding turncoats, and upholding the spirit of party loyalty.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="">Ø<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->In this election, one of the strong points that emerged was that the distribution of vote-share and the seat-share was not proportional. While the people seem to have control over the vote-share, it is the seat-share that holds water unto the end. This introduces another level of abstraction for the people from the political process, thus clearly diffusing the control that the Constitution seeks to bestow upon them. <b style="">It is warranted that a solution to this problem, possibly involving change in the demarcation of constituency limits, accounting substantially for population distribution, be undertaken at the earliest.</b></p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="">Ø<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="">Candidates having a known criminal record, having been convicted in a court of law or otherwise prior to the date of nomination/withdrawal of candidature must be disallowed. </b>This proposal requires a great deal of processing in order to avoid potential misuse.</p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><b style="">Also, candidates who are found to flout any law openly e.g. having multiple wives, must be disallowed from contesting the elections. </b>(And don’t we know exactly who that rules out...). </p> <p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="">Ø<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="">Candidates who are re-contesting after</b> <b style="">spending one tenure in public service must be asked to account for the difference in their asset levels between the two elections. If found incompatible with the expected earnings over a five year period, they must be given a stipulated period of time to justify the increase, failing which candidature must be disqualified. </b>Maybe this will give politicians like Mayawati something to ponder about. <b style=""><span style=""> </span></b><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The Indian Parliamentary election is indeed a massive affair, and the Election Commission, along with all those others associated with the process deserve a big pat on the back for ensuring the smooth and successful conduct of the General Elections 2009. Nonetheless, we would definitely like to see some reform next time around, streamlining the process to one the world will indeed look up to. We have just made an attempt, through this humble letter, of highlighting the tip of the iceberg. We hope the people of India, and more importantly, the young politicians of emerging India take note, and push these, and potentially many more reforms through in good time, in an initiative to <b style="">‘Change India’.<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">P.S.<span style=""> </span></b>One of the authors of this letter is a young working professional in his thirties, while the other is a student in one of the premier engineering institutions of the country. We believe we speak for the youth of this country. Dear Mr. Gandhi, do take note, as one of the iconic and mercurial leaders of the nation, that electoral reforms are essential sooner rather than later. </p> Shirish Subramanianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02087128889559556743noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2330869427900182494.post-55900386211655267222008-06-15T23:40:00.000-07:002009-03-30T03:23:16.462-07:00The Son That Was<span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Gitanjali was in her usual rush. It was getting 8 a.m., and it was time for Ramesh to leave for his 9 to 5 job as a clerk among the teeming millions that ran the great city of Mumbai, India. "Chalo beta, make it quick, na? Raja you will miss the train again...". "Haan Ma, just a second.... abhi aaya..." came the reply.<br /><br />She saw him off with the usual "Hare Krishna....Come safely....and make it quick....Tell Ramji that you cannot wait late daily. Your timing is only upto 5 na? Put up a strong front today, ok?" The recent terrorist bombings may have been forgotten by the newspapers, but try and convince a mother's heart to believe that it won't happen again. A quick nod of the head, a resigned sigh, and "O.K. Ma" later, Ramesh was off onto the bustling Bandra street, making a beeline for the Railway Station. Gitanjali settled down then, for the best part of her day. She nestled into the couch in the sit-out, one of the only ones remaining in the crammed city, with the quintessential cup of teekhi chai that she so relished. She looked out to the slums below, and saw two kids playing about in the muck. Her eyes filled with tears, as she fell into that all consuming deep crevasse that is the past.....<br /><br />"Push...push...harder...just like that...." went the encouraging voice of Dr. Rekha, and Gitanjali pushed with all her life and then some more. The pain was mounting. Just when she was sure she was breathing her last, the pain reached a stunning crescendo.... and then all that was left were her tears of joy, and a new life was born. She stared elatedly at her Ramesh, lying vulnerable in the sheets by her, and she could feel God in that moment, shining down upon her.<br /><br />The brothers grew up extremely quickly, and when Gitanjali finally took stock of the situation, Ram was already at the end of his IIT education. It was only poor Ramesh that worried her, a paradox to his brother...bottom of the class, thin as a stick, timid little vulnerable child. Only she knew what a horrendous time that child had to see when he ventured out from under the umbrella that his elder brother had been.... Who would say that this was the brother of a class topper, a literary genius and sports great?<br /><br />Over time, fate and fortune had its way....Ram was on the flight to Stanford, and Ramesh on his almost broken-down bike to the dingy corridors of Bidhanwala College. She kept feeling for her younger son in the depths of her heart, but nobody seemed to see the calibre in him that she did.<br /><br />A few years later, she received a jubilant e-mail(letters were now "passe", "obsolete", you know? ) from Ram, announcing that he now was a proud Green Card holder. She wondered, in the back of her mind what made him so proud at all...but put up a mask of happiness. Then she made the request that she had so longed to make for all this time... "Beta, why don't you try and do something for our Ramesh there? Get him a job somewhere...You are in such a big position na?" Pat came the reply from the meritocratic dastard,"Hey mom, this is a world where its only hard work and merit that gets you places... He's got none of them. I will not do anything for him. Let him learn the hard way." She put down the phone, cursing herself for having had such a son in the first place.<br /><br />Gitanjali and Ramesh lived in the family home on Ramesh's meagre earnings and the few dollars that Ram cared to send home. Ram was now coming of age. Gitanjali started quietly looking out for a beautiful bride for him. After a whole lot of deliberation, she decided on a quiet, homely Brahmin girl. She was waiting for his next call, so she could break the news to him and call him back home...<br /><br />Crash!!!!! The tea was all over the floor. In her reverie, she had forgotten all about it's existence even. She swept the place, and got on with the grind of her insipid life...<br /><br />A few days later, that much awaited call did come, but Fate had different plans for her... She lovingly inquired about his health, and then was just about to break the good news to him, when he cut her short. "Ma, I completely forgot to tell you about Anne. We've been having a live-in relationship for a year now. I was busy with her pregnancy for some time now." Gitanjali felt her whole world collapse around her like a stack of cards. "I'm so glad, Ma. She just delivered today, and John looks just like Dad!"<br /><br />That conversation done, she picked up her unfinished cup of tea. Then she put it down. She needed something harder today....<br /></span>Shirish Subramanianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02087128889559556743noreply@blogger.com2