The Annexure that got me through SIBM Pune

1. Explain in brief your long term goals and your reasons for applying to SIBM Pune? How will SIBM Pune help you in achieving these goals? (300 words)

I consider myself a strong willed person who has a penchant for creativity. I am also somebody who does not get bogged down by failures, because I believe failures are an essential ingredient of my growth. I want to do many things in life, and one of them is to build a pan-India educational institution that works on a sustainable business formula while catering to the underprivileged at a nominal fee. Five years is a long time, and assuming that I end up doing my MBA from SIBM, I would either be working for a Finance company or doing something in marketing, preferably working with the government sector.

It is my belief that it is wrong to speculate, because every action one takes, every person one meets, every experience one undergoes, dictates and steers the direction of one’s life. So, honestly, I would be much better placed at the end of two years to answer this question as I know that a person is influenced by the company he keeps, and the brilliant peers that I will get an opportunity to work with at SIBM, will spur me on to greater heights. The interactions with the erudite professors, the eclectic blend of subjects that I would be exposed to and the learning environment would each, in its own way, give direction to my journey towards the challenges that I have set for myself, both personal and professional.    




 2. Suppose you had to choose two people to travel with you on a cross-country trip. Who would you choose and why? What would you hope to learn from them? The people could be alive now, from another era or fictitious characters. (300 words)

The two people I would choose to travel with me on a cross-country trip would be Nelson Mandela and Tarun Tejpal.

Nelson Mandela could easily be termed as one of the most charismatic leaders of our era. The fact that he spent 27 years in prison by the decree of a racist white government, yet emerged with a plan to convince the oppressed black population to forgive the white Afrikaners, is a humongous exercise, which only a true leader can have the heart and mind for. He is a master thinker, ambitious, pragmatic. He is endlessly self-aware and self-assured. I would love to spend time with him, discussing his immense sense of forgiveness and the source of his seemingly endless energy. Today what India lacks is a visionary, impartial and a global leader like him, and I would like to take his advice on the leadership required in the Indian context today.  

Since he started Tehelka in 2000, Tarun J. Tejpal has been at the forefront of many sting operations involving the kind of investigative journalism that should be the bedrock of a developing economy like India. He and his team at Tehelka have been repeatedly persecuted by the government agencies during his career when he has left many a top leaders shamefaced. Despite such hardships and lack of financial support, never did he back down, intent as he was to fight injustice and corruption in India. 10 years have passed and he, and Tehelka, is still going strong. Qualities of a leader like integrity, sincerity towards oneself, and persevering in the face of hardships are rife in him, and discussing Indian society with him, I could wish that some of those qualities rub off on me.




3. Describe an ethical dilemma you have experienced firsthand. Discuss how you thought about and managed the situation. (300 words)


Corruption, to me, has been the bane of our nation, as it prospered at every nook and cranny where babus and tortuous regulations cohabited. May be it was this deep rooted detestation, or the revulsion I had experienced after reading about the recent corruption scams that dictated my actions that day.

The day was bright and sweat trickled underneath my helmet. I did not want to stop, but the ceaseless waving of the hand by the traffic policeman ensured that I pulled up right in front of the officer, who instantly pulled out the keys from my bike. I was politely informed that I was over-speeding. I argued that I had ensured that the speed hovered around 55, but in vain. But something strange happened at that moment.

The officer indicated that the challan would cost a couple of hundred bucks, but at the same time subtly dropped a hint that I could get away by paying half of that. But I had already made my decision. I asked the officer to issue the challan. He looked me in the eye, surprise giving way to uneasiness. He fidgeted about, turning a few pages of his challan-book, interspersed by furtive glances in my direction. Finally, handing me the bike keys, and mumbling something about being close and not committing the mistake next time, he indicated me to go. 

At that moment I knew that irrespective of the outcome, I had stood my moral ground, despite the knowledge that I would have to handle the headache of going up to the police station and the courts, stand in the long line on the weekend in the blistering heat, and get the challan money deposited. But my exultation, at that moment, was only paralleled by my sense of pride in doing the right thing, notwithstanding the consequences.




4. Describe a recent event (popular or personal) that seemed wrong to you. What would you do differently, if given a chance? How would you handle it in retrospect? (300 words)

The recent unrest in the Kashmir valley was an event that pained me, as I’m sure it did most of the Indians, liberal citizens, or almost anyone who has a stake in Kashmir, tangible or emotional. The Kashmiri, young and old alike, went into the streets, protesting, with nothing more than a couple of stones in their hands. It was an assertion of their right to life, something which has been all but denied in the tenuous circumstances that the state has found itself in, during the last few years. It was the post 1989 generation, that has grown up in the shadow of bullets and bloodshed, that has taken to the streets to let New Delhi know that they will only take so much of the step-motherly treatment from the centre.

Had I been either the state head, or a political head at the centre, I would have dealt with the situation differently. I firstly would have been accessible to the common man in Kashmir and would have left the cloak of elitism at home. I would have assertively declared that there need to be some political changes to the structure and policies that Kashmir has been subjected to so far. I would have tried my best to take all the parties at the centre into confidence, and would have weighed, in my best capacity, the case against AFSPA with the entreaties by the Armed Forces to not dilute the special powers act, and then would have taken a decision regarding the same. I would also have constituted a committee to chalk out a workable plan to bring about investment in J&K, especially in the form of institutes for higher learning. And I would not have politicised the issue and would have ensured Hindu-Muslim peace.   



5. Describe a time when you have taken on a particularly challenging or stretching target. What were the Challenges? What did you do to overcome the challenges? To what extent were you able to achieve it? (300 words)

When I crossed the threshold of adulthood and entered college, I found myself at the doorstep of a new world, full of opportunities. I soon realized that I was far too poorly equipped with the required knowledge to hold my own in any situation. I found students far ahead of me, far too much more informed about the happenings in the world around us. I was a regular student back then, and majority of the books that I had read were my course books. But I felt the urge to do more. I started reading the newspaper conscientiously, taking care to absorb as much as I could. It was not as easy at first – understanding the nuances of and rationale behind various government policies and decisions was difficult to say the least.

But I persevered, taking help of the electronic media by catching snippets of NDTV whenever I could, during the evenings. I also started reading good books, starting with Harry Potters, and moving up to the likes of Archer, Grisham and eventually Ayn Rand, Tolstoy, Naipaul, Dickens, Woolf et al. I also found myself drawn towards biographies/autobiographies of leaders like Nehru and Gandhi. These books gave me immense pleasure, a thorough understanding of the challenges of this world, at the same time shaping my personality towards the target I had set for myself. I opened myself up to new ideas. With the years, I could see the change in me, as I gained maturity and developed my own opinions about most of the events. In my personality, I imbibed values like being considerate towards others, respecting their opinions, leaving prejudice out of arguments, and respect for knowledge.

Today, I know the goal is not yet achieved. But it is a continuous process and I am glad that I am well on my way.



6. Page number 221 of your 300 page autobiography would be? (300 words)

Little I dwelt on the fact that my actions on that day were to be dictated by my 46 years lived following what my heart said. I entered the board room. The 16 people in the room were instantly on their feet and greeted me in polite tones. I smiled back, and with a confident nod, took my place as the head of the meeting. I knew I had a big task at hand. The decision to introduce foreign private partners in the delicate field of education is always a tough one. The conundrum at hand – that of making a certain amount of shares of the educational institution that I had nurtured for 18 years public – was even tougher. But I had to go with the decision. It was for the best.

I started by talking at length about our achievements, about how when we started, our model was branded as charity work that would never take off, and we were mockingly christened as “the plunderers in the garb of socialism”, and how the apathy from the government agencies during the initial years was equalled only by the financial hindrances that stymied our progress. But there’s nothing that can thwart indomitable optimism and the can-do spirit. We had come unscathed through the years, and with the PPP model, had grown our network of schools to far-flung and remote areas where 10 years ago there used to be a dearth of basic amenities, and our network of schools had engendered the cycle of development of rural India in a noticeable way. But now the time had come to bring in more capital, to expand this system by introducing other foreign private partners, but at the same time, introducing a mechanism to ensure that all the shareholders remain true to the basic ethos of our institution.

SCMHRD - The Interview where I ended up talking about Inflation, my friend's girlfriend and my band!!

The panel of two, a male (M) and a female (F) in the 30-40 year age group, smile as I enter. Both seem pleasant and polite.




Good evening! (eeks!!! It is 12:01 pm!! This is the time when I want to strangle myself!! My only hope is that it wasn't loud enough!!)



M: So you’re from Shimla. Very cold place and beautiful, isn’t it?

Yes sir! Very cold and very beautiful place!

(The female playfully mimics me, indicating that I would anyways say that as I’m from there)



F: But you would not find it that beautiful because you live there, right?

No sir. I used to feel that way. I mean I used to live in Shimla up till 10th standard. So I got used to it. I only realized its value when I moved out to Chandigarh and subsequently to Bangalore. So now when I go back home, I realize what I’m missing.



M: How did you come to Pune from Bangalore?

I came by bus overnight. Reached the day before yesterday.



M: Which bus did you come by?

Sir it was some VRL travels.



M: What is VRL?

It is a well known bus service in Bangalore.



M: What do u mean by VRL? I mean, what does it stand for?

Sir I don’t know what it stands for. This was the first time that I came to Pune by bus.



M: (nods his head) Where are you staying in Pune?

A friend of mine is in DRDO, so I’m staying with him at his hostel. Also, the hostels are outside the main campus, so there are no security problems.



M: Do you find it ethically correct to stay there?

(I narrow my eyebrows, but keep my expression positive) Yes sir, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. I mean he’s my friend and I don’t have to be formal with him to say that I’ll be living in some hotel or something.



M: You don’t find it ethically wrong?

(I take half a second as if I’m really thinking about the answer) No sir, I don’t find it ethically wrong. It’s not as if I am using up some resource for free like eating in his mess or something. He just has his fixed amount of space is his room and he’s just accommodating me in his room, in the same space.



M: You don’t find it wrong at all? (raises his eyebrows as if he is surprised by my answer)

No sir, I don’t find it wrong. I think it’s okay.



M: What is your relationship with this friend of yours? As in, how close are you to this friend?

I am an introverted person and although I don’t have a lot of friends, but whatever I have, I’m very close to them. So yes, I’m close to this friend of mine.



F: Tell us something you have done for this friend of yours?

(I take my time to answer this one. I also smile inwardly with my lips apart, as if saying - what the hell kind of a question is that!!)

In college, we used to have our rooms right next to each others’ as we were in the same branch. So whenever he needed some emotional support, I was there for him. (I couldn’t believe I was saying this, but nothing better occurred to me at that time. Actually, NOTHING AT ALL other than this occurred to me at that point of time!! After all, I don’t go around thinking what all have I done for my friends!! )



F: What kind of emotional support?

Uhh….Like he had a girl friend..



M: So the girl left? (the smirk on his face stretch from ear to ear)

No sir. The girl didn’t LEAVE. They had a long term relationship, so you know, there are everyday ups and downs (the female nods understandably at this) so I used to be there and we used to talk it out.



F: You have written that you “blog about social and political issues and fictional snippets..”..What do you mean by “fictional snippets”?

Umm.. I’ll tell you about a recent thing I wrote about. It was a very simple event. Like I started from home in the morning and I was to walk up to the office bus to catch it. I’m getting a bit late. So I try and hurry and when I reach the bus, I miss it just because the driver does not see me as I forgot to wear my access card around my neck. So this very simple, mundane thing, I’ve written in a very creative way. (The female nods as if she understands, but I don’t really think she was impressed by what I said).



M: So, Aeronautical! (Falls back in his chair, raises his arms above his head, and making that “impressed” expression) So did u get this branch by chance or by choice?

Honestly sir, when you are 18, practicality is weighed more than idealism. I mean at that time you don’t really know what exactly do you want to do in life. And at that time it’s more about getting into a good college than it is about getting a good branch. So there I was. I was expecting to get Production, or Metallurgy. But I got Aeronautical, and I was happy with it.



M: So you chose college over branch?

Yes sir.



M: Would you still take the same decision?

Are you talking about specialization? (he nods) Sir back then you can’t really reconcile your long term goals with what you are doing. But now, it’s much more important to choose the right stream as you know what you want to do, say 5 years down the line, so you choose wisely. But there’s always a decision to make. For example, I have a call from XLRI HR (I raise my left hand as if to weigh it against something. The same instant I realize my folly. What I was about to say was that if I get through XLRI HR, and I get through SCMHRD, I would have a choice to make between a good college and an OK branch (XLRI HR) versus an OK college but a good branch (SCMHRD, say Finance or Marketing). Thank heavens I do not raise my right hand to weigh it against my already raised left. I realize the mistake I was going to make. So I wind it up saying..) So you see, I have a choice to make there.



The male indicates to the female as if saying, ‘he’s all yours’.

F: So Pranay, what kind of a person are you?

Umm..(I don’t know why on earth I hesitate here! But nothing was coming to my mind for an instant! But soon I gathered my wits.) I have patience. As in, I have a lot of patience when it comes to carrying out tasks (she nods sympathetically). I also do not get bogged down by defeats. I mean, I do not let myself get bogged down by defeats (I actually repeat the whole damn thing, in the very same words!) For instance, I have been appearing for MBA entrance examinations for 3 years now. And for example, last year I scored 106 in SNAP and missed the cut off by one mark, but I did not get disheartened. I have seen people give up on things after a defeat, and whine about it. But I (the female mouths this part with me, while nodding her head) have not given up.



F: One thing you want to do in life?

One thing would be I want to make my parents proud of me. I mean, a parent will always be proud of his/her children, no doubt about that. But I want to do that special something that makes a difference (I say something to that effect).



F: One instance where you made your parents proud.

Umm..there was this thing. I mean I had a band in college, and I played the bass and gave the backing vocals (the female says, pointing to the form, ‘yeah you’ve written it here’). So there was this one time where we were to perform at The International Summer Festival of Shimla. It’s a very esteemed festival where a lot of well known artists come and perform every year. So we performed at the ridge and it was telecast on the local cable television and Mom was at our neighbours’ place watching it, and when I returned home, she had that proud look on her face and patted me on the back, saying well done. So that was a moment. (the female seems all impressed!)



M: So would you opt for finance or marketing?

I find both of them interesting. Actually, in college although I did not have a lot of good grades, but I had 3 A grades and all three of them were in humanities subjects - there were Business Management, Finance and Economic Reforms in India. So I have studied a bit of Finance and I used to find it interesting. But then I also feel that Marketing is more creative and I can be better utilized there. But I was talking to a senior outside, and he told me that there is some orientation programme at the end of the first 3 months, and they tell you a lot about all the specializations, and you have to make a choice then, so I believe that I would be better placed to take this call then.



M: Pranay, what do you know about rural marketing?

Sir, I only have a general idea about the concept of marketing. I don’t know what exactly the term means.



M: If you have to sell this pen (hands me a pen) to the people living in a village, the poor people. How would you go about it?

To sell anything, one has to focus on the USP and in what way will that particular product be useful to the person. So may be, I will attach a strong device at the top which gives off light, so that this pen could be useful in areas where there is no electricity. And.. uhh.. I could also give it at a special discount..Or give other useful stuff free along with it.



M: Remember that the product you are selling is a pen. Now, can you rephrase your answer?

I would point out all the ways which the pen can be of use. It can be used to replace the chalk, that is used to write on the slate, and it is a mandatory step towards employment. Whatever you do, writing with a pen will always be a prerequisite for a better life for people living in the villages. So I will promote that. And maybe I will even give a notebook free with every pen.



M: Which was your favourite subject in college?

Like I said, I found the 3 humanities subjects interesting. So I would say, I found Economic Reforms in India pretty interesting. I mean with all the ratios and the indexes, it brought to my notice the realities existing in the Indian system today. We people, the upper middle class and above people living in the cities don’t have an idea what is happening in the rest of the country. A majority of the population is living in poor conditions... (I am interrupted)



M: Yeah can you tell me more about that? (he says that in a way as if I mentioned some particular thing.)

I mean we talk about GDP growth rate. For example, at an online community, I saw people saying let’s bring Olympics home. But what we saw in, for example Commonwealth Games, the workers were treated so badly and it all went bad. But most of the people don’t know what’s happening exactly.. (I knew I was articulating pretty bad here!!) Uhh….Sir I lost what had you asked me exactly about..

(They burst out laughing, including me.)

M: (to me) You lost what you were saying?

F: (to the male) No he lost what exactly you had asked him. (I nod)

M: (with a smile on his face) I asked you can you tell me what you know about economics?

Yes sir. Economics gives us an idea about the functioning of everyday things. For example, there is a store. It is located in an okay neighbourhood where the people are not that well off. It will arrange its products in such a manner that the low cost products are out in the front and the costlier products will not be displayed at the front. Similarly, there’s the same store with the same products with the same price in a posh neighbourhood, so the products there will be arranged in a different way with the costlier ones at the front. So economics governs all this. (I had read this in the book Freakonomics, so when I was saying this, I thought I was talking about economics, but I guess I ended up talking about marketing).



M: There’s a term called Inflation (He said the word so emphatically as if it is difficult to pronounce!) What do you mean by that?

Inflation is a reflection of the increase in the General Price Index. In India, inflation is calculated on the basis of the Wholesale Price Index, the WPI, which is a basket of goods whose increase in prices is calculated over their price last year… (doesn’t let me complete).



M: What is the inflation rate right now?

The inflation rate is currently around 8 to 10 percent and the food inflation is between 17 to 18 percent (this was pretty accurate). In India there is a debate that the inflation rate should be calculated on the basis of Consumer Price Index, the CPI, as it paints a truer picture of the prices prevalent in the market. I mean from the wholesaler to the retailer, there is a lot of increase in the prices, and the common man has to pay the retail price. So according to some, CPI gives a better picture of what the consumer has to pay for the product, so it should be used to calculate Inflation rate.



M: How is the growth of a country calculated? In what terms is it calculated?

The growth of a country is calculated in terms of Gross Domestic Product, the GDP. It is the sum total of all the earnings by the people of the country, and for instance, if a guy sells a product, so whatever he earns out of that, it also forms a part of the GDP. The GDP growth is calculated by taking the previous year’s GDP as the base rate and it is calculated on that. India’s GDP is currently around $1.4 trillion.



M: What dollars is it in? US dollars or Australian dollars?

(Pulling my eyebrows towards each other, as if concentrating, but still confident of what I am saying) It is in US dollars sir.



M: Are you sure it’s not Australian dollars?

(thinking) No sir. I don’t think it is in Australian dollars. Because I read in a comparison somewhere that India’s GDP is $1.4 trillion and that of China is $5.7 trillion. So it should be US dollars.



M: I think it’s Australian dollars (squinting, as if trying to peep into my brain)…

(thinking and shaking my head) No sir. I think it’s US dollars. (As it turns out, I was correct).



Pausing a while.. Then falling back, letting go, and smiling:

M: Very good.. very impressive..

F: Very interesting.. very animated..! good!

Thank you.

M: So how was your experience of the process?

(With a smile on my face) The interview or the whole process?

M: The whole process.

It went well overall. Just that I thought that each one in my GD group were just too good. But it went well.

M: And how did you think you fared in the interview? (Both of them were smiling)

(Baring all my teeth) Sir, I can't really say about that. I know I spoke a lot but when I go out of here, I will have to think about what all I said and then think about it. :)

F: And maybe then you will blog about it.

Yes, I might do that (smiling sheepishly).

M: Do you have a question for us?

Umm.. If I plan to go into marketing, what are the various possibilities for me? Where can I see myself 5 years down the line?

M: Honestly, I don’t think I am the right person to answer this question as I am no expert on marketing. It would be better if you approach the students and ask them to take you to some marketing person who can answer your query better.

Alright. That would be great.

Nods all around.

M, F: Alright then, it was nice to meet you.

Thank you.

Roll The Credits Please

          In every hand shake, in every pat on the back, there is an undercurrent of guiltiness, of sympathy. It does not repel me like it should. On the other hand, it makes everyone else more transparent in my eyes. Every eye that looks into mine somehow provides me a birds-eye view of the mind of that person. I just smile, nod, and move ahead, never letting them feel that I'm in the know of what they are thinking. I’ll be leaving this job soon. And before that I will be rolled off from this project. And I’m loving it!
          Letting go of this job would never be a difficult decision for me. I never felt like I belonged here. Although I was fortunate to meet a few wonderful people, including my supervisor, but on the whole, this place, this industry was always alien to me. I never quite understood the point of displaying the work completed by you in hyperbole, exaggerating the itsy-bitsy stuff that was made to look grand, larger than life. And strangely, people seem happy to be underutilized, to be working on the crumbs thrown by the client in US, whose main work is being done there, with only the vestiges being worked upon here. I found it baffling how people yearned for authority, how they gloated in making the other feel small. Like a friend of mine recently pointed out, the most famous dialogue that ‘We went through all of this, now it’s your turn’ in itself shows the vanity of their thought process – they could as well say – ‘We laboured hard through it. Now let me give you some tips so that it’s easier for you’; but no, this is not what comes to their mind. And alas, this has become a widely accepted norm in this industry. And indirectly serving a company in the US does not make me feel an active part of this country.
          This article in itself is not a polemic on the IT industry, as it might seem up till now. It is just a personal something that I feel, that makes me want to work for the voiceless, for those who are largely ignored in this race for more – more wealth, more promotions, more than thy neighbour and always more that what one previously had. In my own little way, I want to give back to the society that has given me so much – this education, such wonderful friends and the ability to stand on my own. Like someone once said, you do what you like doing, and the returns will be just incidental.

Down in a Hole - Floundering America

How WikiLeaks has changed the way the world looks at America and what does it mean to India

“WikiLeaks has had more scoops in three years than the Washington Post has had in 30”, said Clay Shirky, a prominent thinker on social and economic effects of Internet technologies. Come to think of it, one cannot help but be impressed by that. Personally, in all of my 23 years, I have never seen the US appear so humbled and feckless in the face of an adversary as I see now. Wikileaks, today, has brought into the fray, among others, the debate over the ethical tenets of journalism, and to what extent can we stretch the definition of journalism, or ‘scientific journalism’, as WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange terms it, to include what WikiLeaks claims to do – “prod and probe the vulnerable underpinnings of administrative systems”.

Not that it doesn’t have its share of strictures. We have seen mixed reactions to this form of ‘hackivism’ from the world over. Recently, Apple removed a WikiLeaks application from its iPhones and iPads, and joined the likes of Visa, MasterCard, Amazon and PayPal who have severed all ties with WikiLeaks. The motive behind the extreme step is debatable – whether it was wanting to keep their image clean or whether it was political pressure, is something no one can clearly answer. What could be interesting, though, is to see how long the cable-leaks of this inexorable juggernaut called WikiLeaks will go on.

Jullian Assange is being charged with rape according to Swedish laws, but his trial for extradition request to Sweden is going on in Britain, the hearing for which was adjourned until January 11, 2011. He is reluctant to be extradited to Sweden, as it may be a precursor to a subsequent extradition to the US where he might be ultimately prosecuted under the 1917 Espionage Act, which punishes leaks involving, and injuring, America’s national defence. On December 14, the London court granted him bail, and strangely, the British authorities appealed against it, as opposed to the Swedish authorities. This bolsters the widespread belief that the rape charges are just eyewash with ulterior motives abound. 

Let us assume Mr. Assange is extradited to Sweden. Now we can concede that a charge against Mr. Assange is possible. But for extradition, the deed in question needs to be a crime in both the countries involved. And in Sweden, we have one of the world’s most liberal press-freedom laws. Whether and argument against Mr. Assange suggesting his culpability on charges of espionage will hold water is anybody’s guess. Also, a 1961 treaty between Sweden and the US forbids extradition for “political” crimes. Thus, it is probable that the case of Mr. Assange being ultimately tried in the US will come to naught.

Julian Assange has no doubt added many to the list of people in power baying for his blood. But at the same time he has also gained world-wide acceptance and admiration as someone who can tilt the scales of authority towards the common citizen who has the right to know what goes around behind the closed doors of the powers that be. I would compare the capability and potential of WikiLeaks, at the global stage, to the power that Right to Information (RTI) wields in India. One difference, critics would argue, between the two is that where as RTI brings out information which is specifically asked for by a complainant or a litigator, WikiLeaks puts out there any information out of the many leaked cables at its own whim. The detractors have already tried to portray WikiLeaks as something that would endanger the government institutions and would effectively embitter the diplomatic relations between many nations. But it is not difficult to notice the sense of confidence and dominion it is conferring upon the general public by such entities such as WikiLeaks and RTI – they not only strengthen the cause of the activists working for the rights of the common man but also work as a shot in the arm for public interest journalism which has suddenly found a lot more to write about, a lot more to expose and an opportunity to examine each thread of opportunism after unraveling deeply intricate instances of corruption.

What WikiLeaks is doing might entrench some relationships between nations with long lasting rancour, but it is something every citizen of a free country has a right to – complete and naked information. And WikiLeaks has admitted that what it puts out there is just raw information. It might be out of context in some parts, it might not paint the complete picture, it might even jaundice the public opinion in a certain way. But that is just a way to look at it. Isn’t unbiased and ideal journalism about exactly that – putting forward dispassionate information in the public domain and trying to make inside information available to everyone? Equal opportunity and free information, I would argue, is a major part of what America is today. It should not be allowed to a few people in power to subvert the ethos that prop up America as high as it is today. And it would not hurt India to sit up and take notice of the current situation and try to ascertain where America went wrong.

The Long Walk

When the minute hand of my watch seemed to leapfrog the markings depicting minutes, the torrent of realization hit me in the face with full force. The initial impact of it was so much that it caused my jaw to literally drop down, a reaction which was mirrored in the look of the grey lady that passed me by. Grey lady I christened her because the grey in her hair begrudgingly eclipsed her furrowed skin – that showed her old age – claiming itself as the dominant feature. Late as I already am, it would be better if I quicken up my pace, lest I miss my bus, I reasoned. In all of two months, it was only once that I had missed my bus. And unexceptionable that once should be, at least in my mind, as I had woken up 8 minutes prior to the departure of my shuttle – the epithet for office bus in the newly-acquired-by-me jargon – for no reason at all, as I wanted to do something like that for a lark. I believed the mundane schedule of my newly acquired professional life was acting like a leech, sucking away at the vestiges of childlike qualities in me, which were already wallowing in scarcity. But today was different, I thought. Today I had no excuse to present myself with. So I packed some power into my stride and hurried through the narrow road winding its way through the neighbourhood at strict right angles – at most places at least.

 I could feel the i-pod against my leg, safely cocooned in my trouser pocket. The thought of switching it on, putting on the earphones and filling up my world with beautiful songs, swooshed away with the same celerity with which it had presented itself – I did not want to delay my journey on foot any more than it already had been and the time it would have taken to position the i-pod out of my pocket could prove decisively fatal. I saw two kids playing badminton on the left of the road. The elder one – seemingly 14 years of age – had a reproachful expression on his face as if saying how dare the younger one – of about 12 – smash the shuttle so well that it was physically impossible for the elder one to reach it in time with his limited talent. My heart leapt with joy at the ironical but justified nature in which situations asserted themselves in this world. But the instant I gave my mind the leeway to wander so, a loud honk made itself felt in my ears indicating that I had trespassed into the vehicular territory – that is, the middle of the road. Moving out of the way and concentrating back on moving swiftly, I looked ahead. 

The crossing from where I would be able to spot the presence – or absence – of the shuttle in its supposed position was less than 100 metres now. I dwelt on the option of covering just these hundred metres on an auto rickshaw – as I had already done once – and indulging myself in the same impishness that I mentioned earlier, but dropped the idea  after a little deliberation as it required a healthy mix of timing, good fortune and assertiveness, neither of which seemed to be my companion this instant. So I continued walking. In half a minute – how precious even a few seconds seemed now – I reached the T-junction and instantly peered into the welter of vehicles to my right, seemingly racing towards me. And I spotted it. Coming towards me, with B6-083 splotched thickly in red at the top right corner of the wind screen, was the shuttle. My head instructed my heart to relax a little in its race towards inexplicably high rates of beating. I was going to get into the bus on time. I should feel relaxed, I told myself. I waved a hand as the bus was just about 40 metres away now. But then something happened. 

He sped away, ignoring my presence like an elephant would miss an ant and inadvertently result in a walkover (again, literally!) for the ant, that is me in this case, who was waving his hands frantically, even making loud calls, hoping that my entreaties would fall on some ears. But to no avail. It was all in vain, the hurried walk, the decision to not put on the i-pod. I had missed my bus. I looked down and noticed, to my chagrin, that I was not wearing my access card around my neck (something which gives your ego a vanity shot in the arm as you can claim yourself to be an employee of  XYZ company). And this was the reason why the driver of the bus refused to notice the insane flutter of my arms. I reflected a little on the course of action I could take. Then I realized that it was a historical day now. Missing the bus somehow added to my list of tomfooleries, I convinced myself. I felt younger at heart, chuckled, turned left, and started walking.

Brink of Oblivion

     According to a recent Times of India poll carried out in 4 metro cities of Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai, 85% of those who responded felt that the Commonwealth Games were a “success”. The same percentage felt that the Games have enhanced India’s image globally! Let us start to understand this claim by delving into the minds of the thousands living in the “metros” who responded in majority to the poll. 

     How do we define “success”? Any even-minded individual would answer that it can be defined by measuring the enhanced quality of life something has provided to people influenced by it. It could also, according to people far removed from the ground realities and feeding off of popular media, be measured by the “prestige” it has brought to the nation. Agreed, it has provided New Delhi with a facelift in some parts of the City. But it’s like trying to conceal your true age by applying anti-wrinkle cream and hoping that it works.

     In February, a Monitoring Committee was formed in accordance with a Delhi High Court directive, to probe allegations of labour laws violations at the Games sites. The findings of the Monitoring Committee were shocking, to put it mildly. According to the 115-page report, in most of the sites that the Committee visited, the labourers were paid a wage of Rs 100 a day, when their statutory minimum wage is Rs 203. According to unofficial reports, around 2 lakh labourers were employed in the CWG preparation. A People’s Union of Democratic Rights study shows that by denying CWG workers their rightful wages, contractors saved Rs 360 crore a year. No employment card or ID card for workers were provided, which means that most of the workers, being unregistered, could not register grievances, could not claim the benefits of laws like Payment of Wages Act, the Minimum Wages Act, the Contract Labour Act, the Equal Remuneration Act, the Interstate Migrant Workmen Act and the Building and Other Construction Workers Act. The report also says that most workers were charged between Rs 300 and Rs 800 for boots on the site, when the “law” makes helmets, boots and gloves and safety accessories mandatory and free! Why are these “laws” in place, one wonders, when they are easily defied by some of the biggest construction companies in India, employing the majority of labourers in India for “grand” events like these? At one site, the report found 10 mobile toilets for 150 inmates. The toilets were never cleaned or maintained. No evidence of medical examination of workers from time to time was found. “The camps are totally unacceptable from the point of view of decent human living. Tiny rooms represent hovels where human beings have literally to crawl like animals”, noted the Committee. And then we say that the Games have been a success! Success for whom? Disgust is a word which does not even remotely come close to the emotion one should feel, when one thinks of the Rs 40 crore spent on just the imported balloon used during the opening ceremony!

     Before the CWG, authorities “moved” – a euphemism for “kicked out” – over one lakh homeless – more than a third of the city’s homeless – from night shelters, and demolished hundreds of homes. Bamboo clusters were planted to hide slums from tourists. And most of the apathetic Delhi populace were ignorant of it, or rather chose to look the other way, because admitting connivance in the oppression – to use a mild word – was uncomfortable, but rejoicing in the online communities touting CWG and thrashing naysayers was a sudden fad, easy to defend in the name of “national pride”. The shanties built for the workers out of iron sheets and tarpaulin burned like an oven in the Delhi summer, when the preparations were well under way. Bricks were used, not to build the migrant labour camps, but to hide the camps from the city life behind high walls. The message sent out by the authorities – it’s OK for the labourers – who built the very Commonwealth Games which the people are so proud of – to burn in the shanties and die of Dengue but it’s NOT OKAY for their abhorrent condition to be visible to the city people and the foreign tourists and athletes that the Games would bring along. And then 85% of the people living comfortably in the metros say that the Games have enhanced the status of India in the global community! Bah!

     In this light, when one looks at the past that was the Commonwealth Games and looks to the future where unabashedly 82% of the people want India to make a claim for hosting 2020 Olympics, I, for one, feel ashamed for inadvertently being a part of a system where the rich grow richer, the poor are left behind and the middle class latches its wagon onto that of the rich, and hopes to be one them someday, not giving a fig as to what happens to the destitute and the misfortunate – that form more than half of this country. Since liberalisation, India has leapfrogged many a nations to reach the forefront of this inane race to be the first, to appear to best China, to have an even greater “growth-rate” (I cannot think of a better oxymoron!). Admitted, the reforms might have given some impetus to infrastructure and industrialisation. But, as countless examples in history have served, a nation cannot be called “great” if it ceases to care about its voiceless and marginalised. India’s standing in the world community cannot be measured by the “success” of major events like CWG or even Olympics, but by providing basic livelihood to the 450 million, surviving on the brink of oblivion.

Common "Wealth" Shames!!

         Considering the history of inept planning and even worse implementation, what with an administrative system that reeks of lassitude, what else could we have expected of our leaders? If that is not a rhetorical question, then I will do the honour of answering it myself (in fact I’m etching to do it!). The Commonwealth Games could go still downhill from here. Worst case (or best case?), India could end up winning most of the medals at the games, because almost all of the participating countries would have withdrawn by then. Moreover, these days my imaginative mind also nudges me to think further! What if the opening ceremony is accompanied by a terrorist attack in the Games Village itself, or some major roof comes down on certain spectators (God forbid!) and the Games stand forfeited?

        But thankfully, none of this is happening right now. Nor does it seem likely, if the placating statements passed on by the Government are to be believed. Now that the top people seem to have intervened, there are hopes afloat all around of a better show (better than the image projected by the ‘filthy’ games village, as described by an organizing honcho!). But this very happening makes one wonder why did the powers-that-be wait till the very last day (literally) to intervene? Or why did the preparations for the games begin almost more than 3 years too late? Or where did the 70,000 crore of the taxpayer’s money, that made this Commonwealth Games the costliest ever, disappear off to when the rooms provided to some athletes were ‘literally crappy’? These and many more questions can only be answered by the very same people who are organizing this mess. But let us wait for the mist of 11 action days to clear to make some sense of this melodramatic blame-game at the centre. But one thing is for sure, the Commonwealth Games have not made us proud. Instead, it has done the exact opposite – it has made us Indians hang our heads in shame, even before the Games have begun.

Stones, Blood and Tears

          None of us sitting in the cushy armchairs supported by the hefty salaries can imagine what transpires in the troubled parts of the country – especially in Kashmir. And still, strangely though, everyone has an opinion to offer – from thoughts of the stone-pelters being PDP paid workers, to docile suggestions of a cabinet reshuffle; from the inability of the government to successfully ‘suppress’ the ‘violent’ movement, to (and this was one of the strangest suggestions I’ve heard) thinking ways to capture back the Kashmir territory under Pakistan occupation (PoK), as the whole Kashmir is legitimately India’s! 

          It is not so much as the lack of astute thought, but the inability to empathise with the ordinary Kashmiri at such a time of peril, that is snowballing into what could lead to a violent uprising that no one would be able to ‘suppress’. It is not possible for an ordinary Indian, cut off from the state of affairs in this precariously placed state, to fathom what goes on in the mind of a Kashmiri when he goes ahead and throws a stone towards the very people who have vowed to protect them. Do you think he believes that he can really harm the police-wallah? Or is his puny stone any match to the bullets and tear gas shells of the armed policeman? No. He knows he is no match. But still, he breaks a curfew, endangers his life to throw a harmless stone. He wants to make a statement with this action of his. A statement that simmers with resentment against the state atrocities. The Kashmiris want the CRPF and the Army out of the state, to put it plainly. How can they feel protected by the very people who have raped their daughter, killed their father or taken their son away from them? In the past 2 months, 55 unarmed civilians have been killed in the police and CRPF firing. Not a single police personnel has been killed by the hurled stones. Doesn’t this say something about the state of mind of a troubled youth, full of anger against the state that he wants nothing to do with? He does not want to kill. He wants to be heard, and throwing a stone has been the best, and the most liberating act of defiance that he can register. 

          But sadly, the power hungry honchos at the centre do not see the big picture yet. They do not see this resentment boiling over and giving way to something much bigger than what happened in 1990. Even the Prime Minister should bow his head in shame if a person from his party now mentions a possible hand of Pakistani terror outfits behind this whole ‘exercise’. It is very obvious to one and all that Pakistan has nothing to do with what is happening in Kashmir today. And if the people at the centre refuse to repeal, or atleast majorly amend AFSPA (Armed Forces Special Powers Act, that gives extreme autonomous powers to the armed forces – an Act which is being grossly misused and which is at the root of all heartache), and go and talk to Kashmiris and listen to their pain, make them feel that they care - unless this is done, and quickly, something unprecedented might happen after which it would not matter which Kashmir should be on which side of the border.

The Precarious Kashmir

This article appeared in the August issue of the online monthly magazine Orange19. You can go to www.orange19.com and check out the August issue. You can also visit their facebook page.

Kashmir is bleeding. The continuation of violence – typically stone-pelting – by the rebellious young Kashmiris has brought Kashmir to its knees. The continued threat of the Islamic right is a grave concern for everyone who has a stake in Kashmir. But what we are seeing is a dilly-dallying on the part of the ruling National Conference-Congress coalition government – not because they do not want to do something about it, but because they have no clue where to start from.

When Mr. Omar Abdullah was crowned as the Chief Minister in January 2009, Congress believed that the apparent youthfulness and sincerity of the son of the person who has done much for Kashmir could bode well for the future of the beleaguered state. But things have turned out differently. When he came to power, he pledged zero tolerance to human rights violations. He also mooted the possibility of a “Truth and Reconciliation Commission” to look into the same. At best, this has turned out to be a pipe dream. After the recent spate of remonstrations, Mr. Abdullah “talked about” a cabinet reshuffle at the top, hinting to drop certain tainted ministers. He is also said to “plan” to overhaul the top echelons of J&K police.  One wonders why is there all talk and no action.

In 2000, National Conference pushed for a resolution demanding autonomy for Kashmir but this demand was rejected at New Delhi by the then ruling BJP led NDA alliance. It’s a demanding question why has not Mr. Abdullah put forward any such idea now, when their alliance partner, i.e. Congress, rules at the centre. The centre also has its share of follies. For instance, the workable suggestions put forward by the five working groups established by the Prime Minister himself at the end of the 2^nd Round Table Conference in 2006 have been all but cold shouldered.

It is undeniable that the popularity of Mr. Abdullah has plummeted during his 18-month tenure. A queer yardstick for this is the proliferation of hate communities on social networking sites like Facebook. “We Hate Omar Abdullah” is as much fraught with political satire on the CM and his misgovernance as it is with vituperation and venomous hatred spelled out in abusive, but very clear words. “We Hate Barkha Dutt” incriminates her for her apparent prejudiced and one-sided coverage of the clashes and goes one step ahead with suggested ideas of her being “stoned to death”. These middle class youth are remorselessly separatist and do not want anything to do with India. It is prevalence of such thought which strengthens the agenda of the Islamist separatists like Syed Ali Shah Gilani of the Tehreek-i-Hurriyat.

There also seems to be a deep-rooted division in the ruling coalition. In the all-party meeting called by Mr. Abdullah on July 12 to plan a common strategy, Mr. Tara Chand, the deputy CM and the Congress leader in the state, was conspicuous by his absence. When asked, he simply stated that he was not invited. This, when the PM openly invited Ms. Mehbuba Mufti of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), who stands in the opposition. Also, recently a delegation of Congress leaders from the state met Ms. Sonia Gandhi demanding a rotation of the post of CM in the state. These divisions do not augur well for the people of the troubled state. What J&K needs today is coming together of all opinions, ideas and oppositions and chalking out a common strategy for the future of the troubled state. Nothing short of it will do. But alarmingly the truth is far far from this quixotic dream.

The solution to the Kashmir problem is, admittedly, not simple. The central government can start by providing better equipment for the paramilitary forces and the police by arming them with non-lethal crowd control strategies. Also, strengthening the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) should be a screaming priority now. Evidently, CRPF has a crippling shortage at the crucial Assistant Commandant level – the officers responsible for handling forces the size of a company or about 125 men. Many of their best officers are siphoned off by Special Protection Group and the National Security Guard early in their careers. The training of its recruits also seriously lacks the quality that is demanded of its members at crucial moments which is made evident by the fact that it has no high command school dedicated to counter-insurgency tactics.

It is time for the NC president Mr. Farooq Abdullah to relinquish his post as his attention is divided at the centre, him being the Union Minister for Renewable Energy. The alarming situation in the state demands undivided attention of the helmsmen. Also the government should give a fillip to education and investment in the state by providing attractive opportunities for the private organisations to invest.

A more concrete mechanism should be put in place to check inflow of “foreign” aid to fund the insurgency in the valley. Local citizens’ bodies could also be set up to liaise with the state administrators and police to put forward the concerns of the citizens in a quicker and more effective manner.

Finally, the questionable role of the CRPF and the Army in the state will always remain a moot topic. In this regard, the government can address the concerns of the human rights activists by diluting the misused Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), if not outright rejecting it.

It is time for the Indian leaders to own up one’s fault and stop blaming Pakistan for inciting hatred in J&K. Let’s admit it, what we are currently seeing in the state has very little to do with Pakistan. It is the suppressed post-1989 generation -that grew up in the shadow of bullets and bloodshed - that has time and again felt discontented and betrayed by the Indian state. Today 7 out of 10 Kashmiris are below the age of 25 and antipathy towards the ways of governance by the Indian leaders only fuels the separatist ideologies. The post-2008 election euphoria was replaced by a sense of complacency among the honchos at the top and the 18 months that followed could have been used to build on the relative calm to push for concrete conflict resolution processes. Let us all hope for better governance in the future, lest the floodgates open and palpable resentment give way to complete rebellion.

The Sick Idea!!

So I’ve noticed, the genesis of many beautiful and potential laden ideas lies in the time when I’m down with sickness. The utterly confounding realization of this idea occurred to me today when I was lying in my bed, enjoying an off from work because of the abrupt onset of fever yesterday. It is not just the seminal ideas, but the thoughts fraught with inspiration that shoot a virtual rocket of awakening through my consciousness. It felt as if I woke up from a long dream to a world I had known all along – to being the person that I was once upon a time. To the imperturbable and no-nonsense version of me that I had but forgotten. To the disciplined and persevering version of me whose fleeting image I could almost touch but not quite. I woke hungry for a precept which once defined me – having clarity of a vision which I, in my long days of uncaring lethargy, had long assumed indelibly nebulous and hazy. The irony, in me feeling more refreshed than I had in months, despite being down with sickness, made me smile. Good morning, me. A new day has begun.