Monday, June 04, 2007

For you Mr.Ambasta...Post MBA syndrome

For the past few months time has been flying away and mind finds it extremely difficult to concentrate on any single entity, be it spiritually motivating or sensually intoxicating. However boring that sounds I could guarantee that some part of it was really called for. After 2 years of may-be may-not-be grinding that we went through this break was greeted with a vigor that went for a toss for the best part of the past years. Having said that we are again back to routine office-work-no work-time pass-TV-sleep cycle of eternity. Only now could we value of what we have left in Mumbai.
Some of my extraordinarily talented friends have already started to utilize their free or not so free time by posting extremely enjoyable yet provocative blogs on matters covering from head to toe yet beyond comprehensive ability of mere mortals. However I, as usual, being a left liberal, could not miss a chance to hog media light ("media" - in our own space) and reasoning about what are my stakes in the matters waving across the Indian subcontinent.
The most heartening as well as subjudice matter has been the so called "hyper active" judiciary. This 3rd and possibly the most independent arm of Indian democracy has taken upon itself to cleanse whatever debris has been deposited in the political and legal space of modern India. However, this has come along with the suspicion of eventual high ground that judiciary holds. Even if the general public has welcomed this, the political class predictably has started defending their turf vigorously. The question remains for the long run. I know for sure, at this juncture, an independent and transparent judiciary remains our only savior - but for how long? In a democracy, the role of courts are bounded by the constitution itself and even the most ardent friend would vouch for its supremacy. I guess, the solution remains within us. To know ourselves , to organize ourselves better and to equip ourselves better for a tougher tomorrow is what I ask for. Irrespective of all the independence that we got, we are yet to fathom the enormous responsibility that our democracy puts on us. The canvass is dirty but erasable only if we could produce a forceful eraser.

The next big thing is unrest across India about religion as well as caste. India is clearly divided on these things along predictable lines. The danger is, as I have already commented is the lack of responsible shoulder who is educated enough to remain rational. With every incremental independence comes added responsibility which we conveniently bypass for our own convenience causing irreparable damage to the society at large. Be it a common man breaking law or a celebrity doing certain things for whatsoever intentional or unintentional cause - the result is the same. For the celebrity, only the affected horizon of landscape gets broadened. Hence, exercising restraint is important. Especially in a country like ours with half a billion illiterates and equally numbered educated lampoons the role of a celebrity becomes that much important. It’s the difference between a fault done by a follower or a leader. However, having said that, the idea is to try and distance ourselves from such religious inebriates in the long run. I know some of my friends might not agree with this, but as long as we are not able to put a wall between private religion and practising virtues, we remain vulnerable to political maneuvers. From Punjab to Rajasthan, from TN to Maharashtra everywhere I see the same story repeated time and time again to my horror. This only shows the importance of believing the fact that "religion is for human and not the other way round".
The sooner we succeed in this the better for us.
The last point remains a very personal observation which we have always ignored. Last weekend, out for a SP get together, I came across a girl child selling flowers. This is a common scene across our motherland and the contrast she brought to those lighting's and bright canvass threw up some uncomfortable questions. If GDP is surging ahead, if we all are earning probably 10 times more than an average income, how is it that we fear to face these little angels. I thought of buying some flowers she was selling only to realize that I am a bit hesitant in reaction. For me, everything else about India and its shining armoury are baseless till we could bring a perpetual smile on such faces. Religion or no religion, caste or no caste my crusade remains the same.
Only and only if my countrymen could face this naked mirror. Amen!!!

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9 Comments:

At 11:45 AM , Blogger spiderman! said...

Since, you have already confessed to being a left-liberal Mr.Ambasta would not have any issues with you !! We all know that his heart is RED and deep in his heart he is a RED !

Let us start with a basic premise. India is a 3rd world underdeveloped country and will remain so. Once you start with this premise, you will have no issues with anything in life.

For a country to have uniform prosperity, the people of the country should believe that they can make it and not depend upon reservations and doles. That is never going to happen and Rajasthan is proof of that. So, forget it.

Mint money while you can, and when you see a girl child like that pay her a handsome amount without bargaining and sleep well at night by consoling yourself that you have done your bit of CSR !

 
At 5:16 PM , Blogger Stambhit said...

@ Spiderman:

I never knew that being a left liberal would bring me closer to one such RED and sensible heart. Thanks for that part of information. I would remember this for ever.

The problem is in the second part of the premise. Being a 3rd world country is not one's fault but remaining one surely is. It shows your apathy towards the good and humanitarian values. It shows your disrespect towards discipline and empowerment. And I am not going to take such a thing lying down.

People of this country needs to be provoked, not in the manner present political parties do, but better the English colonial way. Probably no way is sometimes the best possible way for creative retaliation.

Even minting money requires special knowledge and skill which unfortunately I don't have. In India, education has least value (in all senses you could think of)and the only way to impress society is to become a celebrity. I hate that section.
So, only way out is wait n watch.

 
At 12:12 AM , Blogger Gaurav Kumar Ambasta said...

@ Stam

A red Welcome from a saffron swayamsevak !!

It is not always that a right-conservative agrees with a left-liberal.. Yet it seems you've hit a bingo when you - imply that actually it is a desperate situation that we want judiciary to be absolutely untouched. Because it is a sort of last resort which should not be the case in a functioning democracy.

Caste & Religious barriers -

Both are here to stay for sometime atleast. In order to end the caste system we devised reservations.. The proponents of reservation 60 years ago would not have thought in their wildest dream that the fight in future India would not be on who is an upper caste... but there will be a fight to become the oppressed community... preferably Scheduled Tribes !! Rajasthan example is funny example of how the aim and purpose of reservation and present practice of it has not connection with each other.

Religious barrier - It'll remain until all religions start propogating that all religions are equal. But that is a distant dream.

India has poverty.. I wish that we grow at 15% or more so that it can be completely removed... But just because we are not able to abolish poverty by 10% growth doesn't mean that we shall fall back to the 3% growth rate of socialist era. That is a sure failure.. this gives a hope that it can be done.. with 50% reservation we should be grateful for the opening up of economy and high rate of growth.. that is the only reason why we are employed today.. or all of us would had been struggling to somehow get into an OBC or a SC or ST to get a job.. And this includes all forward castes including Brahmins..

 
At 10:42 AM , Blogger Stambhit said...

@ Gaurav

First u decide if u r a swyamsevak or a RED revolutionist. I mean u needn't have to support socialism for that matter. Just speak ur heart out in true color. I accept as u are.

The problem with most of the political parties in India (this includes both yours truly as well as saffron swamis) is that it only thinks of vote bank. As I have previously said, my biggest problem with Indian democracy is that it starts and ends with vote. To have a functioning democracy we need an educated as well as responsible society, one which is knowledgeable enough about its power and discipline.
I think we are far behind that schedule. In 60 years we have only learnt how to corrupt others or how to outfox the law to suit personal need. And its not only the political class which could be blamed for that.

As far as a fairytale growth @ 15% against a 3% socialist approach is concerned, I have never said against exponential growths. My only concern remains a society which is not sensitive to the mass that remain outside the periphery of this. If we can manage to strike a balance between the have and have-nots then some of the problems might get easier to solve.
And for that its not only the government whom we should look up to every time.

 
At 8:29 PM , Blogger spiderman! said...

Why exactly should not I consider our 3rd world-ness to be a fault of ours? Who is responsible for this ? We were not like this historically.

We have not been able to defend our wealth. Is that not a failure on our part ?

Provocation is fine. But constructive provocation is difficult to achieve and control. Otherwise the Naxal movement would have been a success in 1970s.

 
At 10:36 PM , Blogger Gaurav Kumar Ambasta said...

@ Stam

"..First u decide if u r a swyamsevak or a RED revolutionist. I mean u needn't have to support socialism for that matter. Just speak ur heart out in true color. I accept as u are..."

What was that ??

On vote banks politics - Everyone might play it, but the biggest culprits have been the secularists..

Sensitive society - Yes.. I agree with you.. It is necessary.. I just wanted to say that i can't be done with socialism(period).

"..And for that its not only the government whom we should look up to every time..."

You are a right conservative man.. Who says that you are a left-liberal.. Welcome sir !! Spiderman is spreading wrong rumours about you.

 
At 2:45 PM , Blogger Stambhit said...

@ Spiderman...
The fact that we were a super rich nation and most of our wealth had gone down the drain to subsidize colonial hunger (even though some historical documents don't accept this wholeheartedly - vide Gurcharan Das's "India Unbound") do not imply an irresponsible tag on our shoulder.
Some part of our history and to that extent economy also did not go as planned by an Indian, but that was not entirely our fault. So, @ 1947 when we started with the aspiration of being a new nation, in my views clock started ticking only from then.
Hence, we needn't repeat history but to create one.

As far as the failure of Naxal movements are concerned, I guess it had
more to do with indian political scenario rather than the provocative nature of the movement. Also, I doubt if the movement had general en mass populist support.

@GKA...

It was just to clear the confusion which spiderman created about ur views. So no issues with that any more.

I am not quite sure about the degree of use of the vote bank politics between secularists non secular ones. It is just a sheer number game which should add upto that magic number. Otherwise suddenly after 1999 general elections, the honeymoon of the so called non secular parties with their sudden found friend wouldn't have lasted for 5 years. So, no point blaming
only the secularists. Both are wearing masks (or in ur parlence - mukhota).

Socialism is only an idea to show u a path to be sensitive. It is neither sacrosant nor a propietary. tool for the leftists. As long as u are sensitive enough about the demands and do not get lost in the myriad of capital jungle its fine for humanity.

About ur last comment - I again utter the same thing - "Naa khuda mila na misale sanam; naa idhar ke rahe na udhar ke hum".. Only the distance might be a bit closer to my heart (on the left side I guess) rather than my head. Otherwise by this time I wud have turned into a blind cadre u know. [:)]..

 
At 12:40 PM , Blogger Gaurav Kumar Ambasta said...

"..It was just to clear the confusion which spiderman created about ur views.."

Beware of Spiderman.. All that I can say. He does not care for lesser mortals like me.

On Vote bank - I said.. everyone may play it.. but the secu(SICK)larists are the biggest

Socialism - The foundations are weak yet self-assuming.

Idhar aaiye... khuda bhi milenge aur sanam bhi.. As Vajpayee once said to congress - duvidha mein dono gaye.. Maya mili na Mulayam

 
At 3:07 PM , Blogger spiderman! said...

GKA:
Spiderman only rescues people, he does not spread rumours. In this case, the only thing Spiderman lacks is a Mary-Jane :(

Stam:
Today, if you are wealthy and tomorrow your son squanders it all - then whose fault would it be ? Protection of wealth is as important as creation of wealth.

If you consider 100% support to be en masse support, then nothing ever had en masse support. If you go by general mood, the naxal movement was possibly the only movement post independence which had support from all quarters. At least when it started.

 

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