Question sacred cows

Indian Honour - a selfish notion

2011-11-25T19:11:00.000-08:00

On the anniversary of 26/11, I got enlightened by seeing' Targetting Osama Bin Laden' on History channel. Was surprised to see that the US president authorized the hit despite only 40 % assurance level that the guy in the house was Osama. That means they themselves saw a 60% chance of things going horribly wrong. The 60% error rate was exclusively on the possibility of hitting the wrong guy. Other factors that could have led to operational failure were over and above these 60%. I would put the likelihood of failure due to a combination of all factors at 80%. President Obama knew it and still accepted it. Vow! That's some country.
The US raid was made possible not because of their technical superiority but their steely commitment to avenge killing of their people. Period.
At the same time, I also happened to be watching other TV channels where Indian leaders and TV anchors were merrily lambasting Pak and US ( Headley connection ) for the 26/11 in Mumbai. No one was talking of why Indian heads did not roll after the shocking negligence of our people at all levels. No one was talking of the fact that we always had 100 % confirmation of where the Pak handlers were staying for last 3 years, not just 40%! We have been telling the whole world that we know where these guys are. I think we would have done better to say that we do not know where these bums are and hence we are not able to take action against them but then, Indians never consider losing honour as a loss. The only loss we know happens on the Sensex.
Am absolutely ashamed of how my country refuses to stand by its people. If you ask for examples, a book can be written. It will have to start with the way we kept quiet when our BSF men were slaughtered on Bangladesh border and strung up on poles like animals. Years later, Lt Kalia tortured in Kargil and we just sent some letters of protest to Pak. Or did we? Am not too sure whether even that much happened. Those were not the days of Chidambaram's dossier wars, which came much later.
One more thing. Our people themselves do not complain unless something affects them personally. Honour in India only means killing our daughters who marry inside the community. No wonder, we have got the government we deserve.
Forget about avenging those who wee killed on 26/11, how about those who were wounded and expected the government to look after them? Read Indian Express Nov 26 Mumbai Newsline and you find examples of lack of govt support for future surgical operations, lack of follow up services leading to worsening of condition, private hospitals refusing to provide follow up treatment and other difficulties for wounded survivors. One concrete example - After being turned away from several hospitals and despite spending loads of money on travel and treatment, 26/11 victim, Fakir Mohd died of severe infection in his leg.
His only fault? Not having being born an American.

Parliamentarians represent their party or the parliament?

2011-11-02T21:55:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking of the actions of the PM in which he clearly sought to be useful to his party at the expense of his country. I am referring to his decision to accept a lot of nonsense from ministers from the UPA alliance parties, only to prevent the UPA coalition from disintegrating and thus being of use to his party i.e. Congress. He is on record to mention 'coalitional dharma/politics'.
Was he right? Why fault him for being of use to his party? After all, he was put on this chair by his party!
No, he was wrong to have done what he did. Once placed on the PMs chair, he no longer represented the party. He only represented the nation.
In this debate, I'd like to quote Right Hon Edmund Berke in his speech to the electors of Bristol. Here goes -
'Parliament is not a congress of ambassadors from different and hostile interests; which interests each must maintain, as an agent and advocate, against other agents and advocates; but parliament is a deliberative assembly of one nation, with one interest, that of the whole; where, not local purposes, not local prejudices ought to guide, but the general good, resulting from the general reason of the whole. You choose a member indeed; but when you have chosen him, he is not a member of Bristol, but he is a member of parliament.'
Speech to the Electors of Bristol (1774-11-03); as published in The Works of the Right Hon. Edmund Burke (1834)
What do you say?

Can thieves not complain against theft?

2011-10-22T21:43:00.000-07:00

The recent allegations of corruption against team Anna have got me thinking. The trigger was Shekhar Gupta’s ( Indian Express ) editorial. It made the point that those who are themselves corrupt have no right to spearhead any anti-corruption campaign.
I think Shekhar is mixing issues. One is the accountability of corrupt people for their act of corruption. The other is their right to seek a just system, regardless of their own proclivities.
I do not agree that thieves do not have a right to register a complaint against theft or seek to protect their houses against possible theft. The state can not restrict dispensation of justice only to the untarnished.
In the legal system, an attack on the reputation of the accused is NOT permitted, at least till the point where the law declares the accused to be guilty or not guilty. This provision is specifically to keep the issue of crime and reputation of the accused separate from each other.
During the team Anna campaign at Hissar, people quizzed them as to why they were indirectly campaigning for those who themselves had corruption cases pending against them. The reply was instant and clear. It was because those candidates had publicly backed the Lokpal bill. That means that they were willing to bring in a legislation which, if they continue with their corrupt ways in future too, will trap them viciously. So is the case with team Anna too. They are working to usher in a system which can punish them severely.
If team Anna had been seeking pardon for their alleged corrupt acts only because they are champions of the Jan Lokpal Bill, I would find fault with them. But not in this case. The good that can come out of their campaign can not be sacrificed just to smite them. Also, it would be illegal.

Do not bail out the bums

2011-10-19T04:34:00.000-07:00

There is a great post in DNA newspaper of 19 Oct 11. It is ' Yellowstone effect; Let's put our hands together and welcome crisis' by Chandni Burman ( chandniburman@yahoo.com). The article emphasizes - do not fight small fires. They are nature's way of eliminating rubbish and creating stability in systems. When you interfere with this system of natural selection, you may temporarily be able to put off fires but soon the whole system would blow up in your face.
The context is about should we bail out those financial institutions around the world ( mostly in Europe ) that seem to be doing badly, or should we let them die? More than the specifics, the philosophy propounded in the article is a great one.
The example given in the DNA lost goes like this.
In California, they strictly follow a 'zero-tolerance' approach towards forest fires. The moment even a small fire is sighted, someone rushes in to put it out. The result is that for long periods, there are no fire losses. On the contrary, neighbouring Baja California ( Mexico, I think ) has no such policy. So, every now and then, there are fire hazards and losses. But what is interesting is what matters in these two Californias, in the long run. In Baja California, there never is a really bad fire incident. In California, however, there are occasional major catastrophic fires, though few and far between.
The reason is that fires are an indispensable component of the natural dynamics that keep forests in that shape. Suppression of the periodic small fires drives the forests in an unnatural unstable state .... with high density of inflammable material (twigs, bark, leaves etc) strewn around ..... a single lightening strike or cigarette can make it explode in a mass fire.
Avoiding small problems creates greater systemic problems.
So, give disaster a chance. Don't bail out the bums.

No institutional capacity with government

2011-09-25T00:32:00.000-07:00

Just been seeing an NDTV program in which the phrase'Institutional capacity' was used by some speaker. This phrase is exactly what I had been looking for. Heard it by mere coincidence, serendipity maybe.
Most of the times, the govt is quite indifferent towards the needs of the people, particularly the poor. However, in times of crises when terrorism, civil unrest, Naxalism, poverty etc become too pronounced, the govt does announce measures to tackle them. Still nothing works. This is so because over a period of time, the govt has not developed institutional capacity. The type of people they have placed in the govt machinery and the internal processes of the departments are so rotten that nothing works.
Once a footballer told me a story which can serve as an illustration of 'poor institutional capacity thwarting good intentions'. He told me, 'I saw the ball curving towards the goal while I was dashing across two defenders. My mind chalked out a perfect strategy and sent command to the brain - Dash a little faster for 3-4 seconds more, leap over the second defender, swerve violently to the right and slam the ball'. The tired body exclaimed, 'Who? Me?'
The govt is reaping the effects of a half century inaction towards building institutional capacity.

Who is the real king of India

2011-09-14T00:35:00.000-07:00

Once again, Anna's fresh approach has made me think.
A TV reporter recently asked him, 'If you are so keen on national issues, why don't you join politics and win an election. Then you can push your agenda legally'.
Anna corrected him none too gently. He said,' Obviously you believe that the 545 odd MPs are the only guys who control what laws must be made. The other 120 million or so Indians, busy in their daily chores, have no stakes in the country? Arre, we the 120 millions are the kings and we sent our 545 servants to sit as our spokesmen in parliament and do our bidding. It is not that we must do as they tell us to. They must say and do as we tell them. Don't get the pyramid wrong. Do you really want 120 millions to leave their jobs and join politics?'
Turns the present thinking on its head, no?
Most of us take the democratic system to be a modified version of the raja-praja ( ruler-ruled) system in which the MPs have replaced the rajas. Not so. The constitution starts with these words, 'We the people of India, give to ourselves this constitution -----'. It doesn't start as follows, 'We, the MPs of India give to the commoners this constitution ----'. On 15 Aug 1947, we all became kings of India. People alone are supreme.
Amazing guy,this Anna.

Indian parliamentary democracy- systematically defiled

2011-09-12T09:47:00.000-07:00

Why do I maintain that our much hyped parliamentary democracy is a colossal failure?
Well, today I have been hearing news of the recent SC verdict in Narendra Modi case ( Gulbarga society genocide ). In the debate on TV, I heard things that renewed two memories for me.
After/during the Sikh massacre post Indira Gandhi assassination, a Cong Leader quipped, ' When a big tree falls, the earth will tremble'
After/during the massacre of muslims post the Godhra massacre, Narendra Modi quipped, ' For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction'.
Great leader exist in both major parties of India!
And both parties are doing well since these massacres and statements.Those who made these statements were neither lynched nor legally punished.If you ask these parties to justify the comments made by their leaders, they will undoubtedly say, 'Oh, he was only explaining a law of physics.'
Indian parliamentary democracy has given us no option but to select a ruler from either of these two parties.
Do you get it now?
Anna's movement may appear to be pro' anti-corruption' but it actually is anti ' Indian parliamentary democracy system'.

Do not help the government abdicate their responsibility

2011-09-10T08:58:00.000-07:00

These days, the NDTV-Cocacola - Support my School campaign is pretty much on the air. While the idea of private parties pitching-in for development purposes is good, the methods adopted are not. Approach the beneficiaries but through the government, not directly.If you wish to give money, do so but route it through the govt.
Oh yes, I know that had the govt worked satisfactorily, there might be no need for private parties to pitch in. However, it would be better for the schools ( in the long run ) to have the govt work even if a bit better, than by getting one time doles.
Teach a hungry man to fish, rather than handing him a fish. How many times will you give him a fish?
A one percentage increase in the govt's ability/desire to improve schools will be more beneficial than 500 bathrooms created one time in schools by Cococola.Seeing someone else take over the duties legitimately theirs, the govt happily pulls out whatever little they were doing. Public private partnership projects should strengthen the public( and govt ) sector,not weaken it. At this rate, the people will soon be making roads, policing themselves and having armies of their own. Do you notice that most of these activities are increasingly coming under private domain in India. Is it happening like this in the US too? No, they force their govts to do the jobs assigned to them, rather than facilitate them getting off the hook.
If high profile guys like Sachin Tendulkar who support the NDTV-Cocacola campaign get after the govt to improve its functioning, it will get better.
But, then, the real aim of such campaigns is publicity and not improvement in schools!

Crorepati netas representing BPL janta?

2011-09-03T20:05:00.000-07:00

The eligibility criterion to become an MP or MLA in India are clearly based on the need that they must fully identify with the constituency they represent.
There are two problems with the system created to opertionalise this need -
1. Our system for checking their 'identification' factor is inadequate. It considers only two parameters - residency within that constituency for a certain length of time and popularity. The raison-de-etre for checking the identification with your voters is surely to ensure that the legislator should truly understand the problems and aspirations of the constituency.If this be true,my question is this - how can our crorepati legislators understand the problems and aspirations of their voters when over 70% of voters live below poverty line? Can those with assets worth 260 crores really identify with the daily travails of those who subsist on Rs 20 per day? Jaake payar ne phati biwai, woh kya jaane pir parayi ( He who never felt a wound jeers at scars ). We in the army had a saying to describe such imposters,' far from the battlefield makes great soldiers'.
2. Besides the identification factor, there is a crying need for another ensuring factor too i.e. capability to discharge the functions of the job. Understanding the problems and aspirations of your voters is one part of the job. Being able to lead commitees/ projects and functioning as Heads of Ministries require more than the ability to identify with your voters. Among other things, it calls for intellectual ability, project management ability, strategic thinking ability etc. Get a novice HR manager t work on this and he will create a suitable competency list within a day. However, we do not have any such eligibility criterion. You may not have such criterion for purely the role of raising issues in the parliament/assembly but at least enforce it for those who get to become ministers.
Is it asking for too much?

Bad roads are a must for democracy to survive?

2011-09-03T19:45:00.000-07:00

I am occasionally told that 'democracy is the worst form of government, except when compared to all others'. When I lament about anything even as non-controversial as potholes in Mumbai, I'm reminded mostly of two things -
1. Things move slowly in a democracy.
2. Thank democracy for giving you the right to even air your lament.
The upshot clearly is - roads will always be bad in a democracy. You need to choose between good roads and democracy. They are mutual exclusives. Also the Indian Catch 22 - 'You have right to complaint against bad roads. However, the government's answer to that complaint is that this is intentionally so, just to preserve your right to complaint against bad roads. So, just shut up. Look out for the next pothole on the road'.
Not only is the argument untrue, it is a churlish insult to my intelligence and powers of reasoning.
If bad roads and democracy are so inextricably interlinked, why are there good roads in the US? Do people in the US not get to complain?
Their next argument my well be - But US is not democracy!
I roll my eyes in exasperation ( is there some emoticon for that expression?)

The defence minister versus the army chief

2011-08-30T09:24:00.000-07:00

I have already written that the most potent enemy the Indian army faces is the Indian defence ministry. The ministry is hell bent on destroying its own army. The defence minister's ruling to change the official age of the army chief is a case in point. Now that the army chief has filed a statutory complaint against the defence minister's decision, the point has been proved.
Do we even appreciate what has happened? The chief of Indian army has felt aggrieved enough by the decision of the defence minister to raise it officially! Could there be a worse situation than this? It is like the home minister revolting against the PM on a trivial issue and filing a case in the Supreme court!
Yes, the official age of an army official, irrespective of the rank of the official,is a trivial issue on the radar of the defence ministry. What was the need for the defence minister to give it so much importance? Why did the defence minister make his own army chief look like a liar and manipulator? Did he really expect the chief to take this insult lying down? If he had, he would have belied the army code of personal honour. After all, the army officers do not live by the code of the politicians and thank the good lord for that.
Before you argue that technically the defence minister is correct, let me add that my objection is not that his action is illegal. That question will be answered by the courts. I am questioning the wisdom of the action.
It is unwise to create a situation where you may have to publicly cross swords with your army chief. Would you much rather be right or useful ( to the country and army )? Does the defence minister not have even one sensible advisor who could foresee that the action of the defence ministry will force the army chief to go public. And what after that? Strategic sagacity largely depends on your ability to look three moves ahead. What moves did the defence minister envisage after making their own army chief look like a Mr 420?
Can the 'honest' defence minister not think beyond his nose? If so, how will he take strategic decisions in war? If he can't control even a simple interaction like this, how will he steer war scenarios to India's benefit?
If I were to choose between an honest but ineffective civil servant or politician, and a dishonest but effective one, I'd unhesitatingly choose the latter.
Reminds me of an episode of the American civil war. There was a general who was very effective but an alchoholic. His detractors complained of his drinking habits to the chief, who made this classic reply, ' Find out what brand of whiskey he drinks. I want to send several cartons of same to those who just sit on their backsides, drinking pure water.'
Get the point?

The allegations against Anna team

2011-08-26T20:44:00.000-07:00

In the last few days, I have been reading a lot of angry comments against theatrics and anti-'parliamentary democratic institutions' acts by Anna team. A lot of parliamentarians of good repute e.g. Salman Khursheed are representing the government. So,the reader is forced to question the Anna team allegation that most parliamentarians are 'unpudhs ( illiterate ) and 'ganwars ( country bumpkins ). The uncivil language of the civil society has become their Achille's heal.
I have been seriously thinking about this.
Raising objections against theatrics and the uncivil language of the team is as churlish and trivial as it can get. Both these are 'bad' acts, no doubt. But just see things is perspective, in proportion. The 'bad' acts have been done in such small degree that trying to use them as counterweights to the good that they are doing is simply outrageous. Even the moon has a blemish.
What has been team Anna's achievement which is sought to be cancelled out by these random 'bad' acts?
They have managed to force the government to now support a really strict Lokpal bill, after rejecting other bills 8 times in the past which was were not even one tenth as powerful as this one! Do you see the enormity of what these guys have done. In one stroke they have outwitted the evil attempts of the combined strength of at least 8 parliaments. That's colossal. In my son's American terminology, that's awesome.
The government must be kicking itself in the head for not having passed the weak bills in the past.
And what about the suave and genteel Salman Khursheed, the erudite Somnath Chatterjee and the really 'honest & humble' Manmohan Singh?
These guys are god guys but what have they done in the last 40 years to cleanse public platforms of Laloo Yadavs, Amar Singhs and the A Rajas? Nothing at all. These good guys have all supported the bad guys for their selfish motives ( ensuring benefits for their party at the expense of cleansing public platform IS a selfish act surely ). They did not do this public service for 40 years so how are they so blameless? Being suave, genteel, erudite, honest & humble is not what we put you there for. We put you there to help us, which you didn't.
And do not say that it can not be done.
A 74 year old ex sepoy with no official power, could do it with just a handful of planners. Never before have so many owed so much to so few.
So, the suave, genteel, erudite, honest & humble ministers - please see where you stand in the glare of history. You have failed yourself.

Parliamentary democracy or undemocratic parliamentarians?

2011-08-25T02:04:00.000-07:00

Government's most powerful objection to team Anna's movement, ' isn't this negating all that parliamentary democracy stand for?'. Really difficult to counter.
But there is catch. The question is cleverly framed but is not reflective of the ground realities.
Who can question parliamentary democracy, which is the most laudable theory. But you can surely question the people that today run parliamentary democracy in India. If the drivers of that lovely theory were as laudable as the theory itself, there would be no Anna phenomenon. Not even hundred guys will visit Anna doing anashan and he will die hungry, incognito.
So, do not throw in my face what parliamentary democracy is supposed to mean. See through what it has actually become in India.
Did you know that Laloo Yadav and Amar Singh will be voting on the anti corruption bill? That is what parliamentary democracy has become.
Do you realize that your PM has not been elected directly by the people? From amongst those who are directly elected, we couldn't find one good enough to lead the nation. That is what parliamentary democracy has become in India.
No one is questioning parliamentary democracy. We are questioning our leaders who have shamed parliamentary democracy.

Elected representatives, my foot!

2011-08-23T02:41:00.000-07:00

The main objection to Anna's views is invariably this - after all, the parliamentarians are genuinely elected representatives of the people, while Anna team is not.
The point can not be faulted on factual grounds.
However, it raises the greater question that our system of elected representatives has failed. Miserably.
I attended the Thane rally of Anna. Seeing the crowd first hand,I am even more convinced that the people are against whatever our elected representatives stand for.
One simple fact - In the standing committee of parliament, it is Laloo Yadav and Amar Singh who will have their say on the anti-corruption bill.Vow.
Neither the parliament, nor the constitution is supreme. People are supreme. The constitution opens with these shattering words, 'We, the people of India, -----'
In any case, the time for debates and dialogues is over. It is action time. It took an army soldier to teach these parliamentarians the value of action over debate.
Why explain? Millions following Anna are explanation enough.Someone quipped, ' But this is dictatorship of the masses'. Arvind Kejriwal ( May his tribe increase ) replied, ' dictatorship of masses ( unless it is for an illegal cause ) is what is called democracy'.
How right.
The movement is not about the Jan Lokpal bill alone. It is about how unrepresentative our elected representatives are.

Anna speak - I agree

2011-08-20T08:01:00.000-07:00

What is the essence of Anna speak.
1. Present systems says 'select good guys as your representative. Having done so, rely on their goodness. Treat them like infallible demi-gods'.
2. Anna concept says - 'Do not bother too much on the goodness aspect of your representatives. Have an accountability system and a process which forces the representatives to behave, irrespective of their 'goodness factor'.
Anna system is a process based system, the other one is not.
Any election system, particularly one that deals with Indians conditions, will always throw up 'bad' guys in power. Given this fact, the sensible way is to look for power of process rather than power of goodness of leaders.
A lot of problem are nitpicking with the methods and some statements of Anna team. Come on, don't be churlish. Don't miss the woods for the trees.
Anna, or individuals representing him, are nobody. The concept and solution they have thrown up are everything. If after so much support, some people are still not convinced that this is it, God save them.
And stop comparing Anna with Gandhi and feeling smug when you are able to prove that Anna is no Gandhi.Of course, not. For one thing, Anna's name starts A, while Gandhi's starts with G!
Comparisons are odious and also irrelevant when studying the contributions by either.Gandhi and Anna are two people, at two different times in two different environments.

How to destroy your own army

2011-07-23T00:44:00.000-07:00

The Defence ministry decision that the date of birth of the army chief needs to be changed in the records is just another example of the cavalier manner in which the govt treats army and its chiefs. It is simply ridiculous.Why is the Indian govt hell bent on destroying the morale of its own army? Beats me, completely. Why don't they leave it to ISI? The country should also know that last year the SC upheld its order that successive pay commissions have fixed the army pay wrongly in terms of the rank pay and hence the govt must pay the dues now. Instead of cheering the SC order which would give the govt a chance to legitimately pay some money to its army officers, they have gone in for an appeal! Besides the govt, the Indian public too is grossly guilty of indifference. The army, which is called out even when there is a simple house collapse in Ghaziabad is being treated so shabbily by all. Wonder if I did the right thing by risking my life for 27 years for these very guys.

I am Anna

2011-04-07T19:32:00.000-07:00

Indian Express editorial ( Carnival Society- 7 April ) flays the unrepresentative nature of the Anna movement. Technically, they are right. But, then, technically speaking, it can never be the case that legislators fairly elected from a population work against the interests of that population itself. However, it is so.
So, question the technicality.
Look dispassionately at the Anna wave. Firstly, the numbers may not be as large as those of the Jat movement, but look at the diversity and the methods adopted. Secondly, look at the rate of growth of the movement. Thirdly, the content of what Anna is demanding has still not been publicly opposed by anyone maybe only the form. It is true that some people in the crowd did not know the exact details of the proposed Lokpal bill, but even in their ignorance they were making an 'anti corruption,anti status-quo' point. Or weren't they?
The Anna movement clearly demolishes the success of the existing system to choose legislators who actually legislate for the good of their people. That much is now well established.

Play dice with life - and feel the ultimate pleasure

2011-02-11T03:24:00.000-08:00

In the past, I have written at my post career revulsion at soldiers being hired guns. How did that idea ever come to me, a professional soldier. After so many decades, it became clear to me that PERHAPS it came to me as a result of my reading of the following pages for THE MAGUS by John Fowles -

He stood up.
"I have a test for you."
"A test?"
He went into his bedroom, returned almost at once with the oil lamp that had been on the table when we had dinner. In the white pool of light he put what he had brought. I saw a die, a shaker, a saucer, and a pillbox. I looked up at him on the other side of the table, at his severe eyes on mine.
"I am going to explain to you why we went to war. Why mankind always goes to war. It is not social or political. It is not countries that go to war, but men. It is like salt. Once one has been to war, one has salt for the rest of one's life. Do you understand?"
"Of course."
"So in my perfect republic it would be simple. There would be a test for all young people at the age of twenty-one. They would go to a hospital where they would throw a die. One of the six numbers would mean death. If they threw that they would be painlessly killed. No mess. No bestial cruelty. No destruction of innocent onlookers. But one clinical throw of the die."
"Certainly an improvement on war."
"You think so?"
"Obviously."
"You are sure?"
"Of course."
"You said you never saw action in the last war?"
"No."
He took the pillbox, and shook out, of all things, six large molars; yellowish, two or three with old fillings.
"These were issued to certain German troops during the last war, for use if they were interrogated." He placed one of the teeth on the saucer, then with a small downward jab of the shaker crushed it; it was brittle, like a liqueur chocolate. But the odor of the colorless liquid was of bitter almonds, acrid and terrifying. He hastily removed the saucer at arm's length to the far corner of the terrace; then returned.
"Suicide pills?"
"Precisely. Hydrocyanic acid." He picked up the die, and showed me six sides.
I smiled. "You want me to throw?"
"I offer you an entire war in one second."
"Supposing I don't want it?"
"Think. In a minute from now you could be saying, I risked death. I threw for life, and I won life. It is a very wonderful feeling. To have survived."
"Wouldn't a corpse be rather embarrassing for you?" I was still smiling, but it was wearing thin.
"Not at all. I could easily prove it was suicide." He stared at me, and his eyes went through me like a trident through a fish. With ninety-nine persons out of a hundred, I would have known it was a bluff; but he was different, and a nervousness had hold of me before I could resist it.
"Russian roulette."
"But less fallible. These pills work within a few seconds."
"I don't want to play."
"Then you are a coward, my friend." He leant back and watched me.
"I thought you believed brave men were fools."
"Because they persist in rolling the die again and again. But a young man who will not risk his life even once is both a fool and a coward."
And he had me. It was absurd, but I could not let my bluff be called.
I reached for the shaker.
"Wait." He leant forward, and put his hand on my wrist; then placed a tooth by my side. "I am not playing at make-believe. You must swear to me that if the number is six you will take the pill." His face was totally serious. I felt myself wanting to swallow.
"I swear."
"By all that is most sacred to you."
I hesitated, shrugged, and said, "By all that is most sacred to me."
He held out the die and I put it in the shaker. I shook it loosely and quickly and threw the die. It ran over the cloth, hit the brass base of the lamp, rebounded, wavered, fell.
It was a six.
Conchis was absolutely motionless, watching me. I knew at once that I was never, never going to pick up the pill. I could not look at him. Perhaps fifteen seconds passed. Then I smiled, looked at him and shook my head.
He reached out again, his eyes still on me, took the tooth beside me, put it in his mouth and bit it and swallowed the liquid. I went red. Still watching me, he reached out, and put the die in the shaker, and threw it. It was a six. Then again. And again it was a six. He spat out the empty shell of the tooth.
"What you have just decided is precisely what I decided that morning forty years ago at Neuve Chapelle. You have behaved exactly as any intelligent human being should behave. I congratulate you."
"But what you said? The perfect republic?"
"All perfect republics are perfect nonsense. The craving to risk death is our last great perversion. We come from night, we go into night. Why live in night?"
"But the die was loaded."
"Patriotism, propaganda, professional honor, esprit de corps — what are all those things? Cogged dice.

I don't know why it took so many years for the effect to take place. Somehow, the stupidity of any sense of nobility in dying for your country got to me - after almost three decades though.

Indian Generalship

2011-01-23T23:29:00.000-08:00

Recent cases against some Indian army generals are becoming hot news suddenly. However, a slide of this magnitude never happens suddenly or by accident. Like many life threatening diseases, its symptoms surface every now and then but are either not noticed or are brushed under the carpet. Finally, they explode in our face.
The book 'Mask of command' explains how like warfare itself, generalship is a cultural enterprise, providing a key to understanding a particular era or place. John Keegan propounds the view of heroism in warfare as inextricably linked with the political imperative of the age and place. He demonstrates how the role of the general alters with the ethos of the society that creates him.
Indian generalship is only reflecting the political imperatives and societal ethos that commenced in 1947.
It started in 62 itself, where Gen Kaul was a nothing but a political stooge. We lost the war because of that but hid the Henderson Brooks enquiry report from public scrutiny. Thereafter, we had 1965 where the then Chief recommended cease fire to the PM on the basis that we had almost finished our ammo which was nowhere the case. After this came to light, no action was taken against anyone. 1971 did see a new era but operation Bluestar soon followed it. There we had the shameful incident of a General ordering his troops to attack machine gun posts barefooted, forbidden to fire in a certain direction. How he accepted such political interference in conduct and methodology of operations was never questioned by anyone. On the contrary, he went on to be army Chief in his time. Thereafter we had the operations in SriLanka which were run more by the High Commissioner ( Dixit ) than by the army generals. As a consequence, we saw ragtag band of LTTE men merrily attacking units of Indian army that boasted of golden jubilees and centenaries. The army still did not protest. That further emboldened the political masters which eventually led to the politically expedient but militarily expensive frontal assaults of Kargil.
Since that too was not contested by anyone, the moral decline began.
We are only seeing the coming of age of a disease that started long back when political imperatives and societal ethos changed in 1947. This decline is purely of swadeshi ( home grown )origins, a sad but inevitable effect of Indianism.

Soldiers are hired guns - hired by questionable MPs

2011-01-13T23:00:00.000-08:00

Is being a hired gun a good idea?
A soldier is essentially a hired gun. Hired by the state, but hired all the same. He kills, as told.
In my youth, being a soldier seemed something to be proud of. To be chosen to kill on behalf of the society, the country, the President of India was a badge of honour. Today,I am not so sure. Shorn of all big words,essentially my authority to kill stemmed from the MPs, particularly those of the cabinet. Is there a system to ensure, or even attempt to ensure, that all MPs are good men? Earlier, I either believed so or did not bother. A more experienced man at 57 years, I can now say - they certainly are not so. Just look at the news of last 6 months and you'll find out. Should I have killed on Kalmadi's word, or A Raja's?
All that MPs can claim is that they are popular people. So,I have been proud of having the right to kill on orders of people who were not necessarily right, good, wise or blameless - only people who were popular? If a crowd told me to kill, should I?
The dilemma is also posed in the book/movie - The Day of the Jackal - 'Mercenaries too kill- but at least they themselves choose who to kill'.
Soldiers seem happy handing over this huge responsibility to people who have no known qualification to do so except being popular. In contrast, see the deliberations by judges and the legal system before death sentence is passed even for one individual. And everyone in that system is so qualified.
So, why be proud of being a hired gun, hired by guys who could well be goons.

Defence is a non-issue in India

2011-01-10T21:44:00.000-08:00

NDTV broadcast an interesting program on 7 Jan 11 evening - Dead (ly) weapons. The program showcased the terrible state of the weapons with our defence forces. It made clear to anyone who cares that Indian defence capability is severely handicapped by lack of modern weapons. As an ex army officer, I always had the dilemma as to why no one cares about this?
Why are the citizens more bothered about loss of money in scams than in the vulnerability of their country? My question was answered towards the close of the program. An ex IAF Chief, who had lamented the sorry state of air weapons throughout the program, assured the country that this lack of preparedness notwithstanding, we will not allow a repeat of 62 ( it is another thing that the IAF was not used in 62, which was a grave error). He guaranteed it. An ex army chief, too, spoke highly of the morale of the army. Hearing this, my dilemma cleared. If two ex chiefs go on record to say that India is safe despite this state of weaponry, why bother?
The fig leaf had been provided.
My take is - we are relying too heavily on the raw courage of our youngsters which can last but 14 days. Just that many to die needlessly. In military history, there is a quote - 'Do not use my men where you can use artillery'. Obviously, the quote could not have come from an Indian General.
The fact is that, overall, we are in a terrible state militarily. Such a shocking state of artillery, submarines and aircrafts should be more unacceptable to a nation than any number of money scams. Even with our known adversaries, we can no longer guarantee success in all scenarios. If we do succeed, it will be at unacceptable cost of human lives. And in case we have to cross swords with a really modern army, we simply had it. No ifs and buts.
Hey, I have just found a humorous analogy for our FAILURE TO RECOGNIZE WHAT’S IMPORTANT: My house is on fire! Quick, call the post office and tell them to hold my mail! My country's defence is at stake. Quick, let me bother about money scams!

Sole responsibility

2010-10-04T05:44:00.000-07:00

Just yesterday, I saw a dirty street and I used my pet curse word for the government department responsible for it. My family and friends immediately protested, 'But you can't blame the government alone for it? People too have to assume their part of the responsibility'. And I lost my shirt, again.
The concerned department alone has the responsibility. We pay our taxes and select people who manage the system on our behalf. That's where it ends.
Of course, people are part of the problem. But who is charged with managing the ' people's part of the problem'? Surely, those who have accepted responsibility and get paid for it. They have the power to coax and motivate - and if it doesn't work, to penalise.
So, let them not get away with it.

Fallen angels or risen apes

2010-10-04T05:14:00.000-07:00

Where we are today, doesn't matter. What matters is whether we are on our way up or way down. The direction of the journey matters.
Claims of a glorious past actually underscore the point that we are fallen from being angels, rather than risen from being apes!
But falling we are, and rising others are.

Kyaa baat hai kuch pyaas zyada lagti hai yahan
Log kehten hain kabhi is jagah par tha kuan
( Why is it that one feels more thirsty at this place? It is because, once upon a time, these used to be a well here )

There should be more pride in saying that my family history starts with me than in saying that mine ends with me.

Servicemen effectively tackled - mostly a self goal

2010-09-22T08:15:00.000-07:00

I have been pondering over the ease with which successive governments have managed to take the armed forces and the ex servicemen ( ESM ) for a ride. It is now clear. The serving officers are kept in check by the agonisingly low chances of promotion. A slight assertive move by any and it is sure curtains for him. The same government allows IAS officers to have an association since their promotions are almost assured. The government also allows their own ministers to make anti-govt statements, since the government is dependent on some ministers and not the other way round. That takes care of the serving community. As for ESM, the community has committed hara-kiri by wanting to maintain its officer like behaviour in their dealings with the government. They like to retain their 'correct' image and are not prepared to be the street-fighter. This is surprising since they would surely be seeing the success rate of those who do so and the failure rate of those who, while in Rome, do not behave as Romans do. They pride themselves on holding all the correct cards without realizing that the game being played is chess. So the service community and the ESMs are destined to get an occasional crumb here and there, few and far between.

I today, You tomorrow

2010-09-15T09:26:00.000-07:00

As an ex service man ( ESM ), I have analyzed the reason why the govt has managed to be so unfair to the armed forces and the ESM community. Whether it is the OROP, rank pay issue, table of precedence, ECHS facilities or the wherewithal available to the services, the govt gives them the bare minimum or less. It is not possible to give such treatment to any other organ of the state simply because of their nuisance value and their willingness to use it. The service community does not do so and that becomes the cause of its own undoing. The commuity is so tied down with the image of being ‘ good guys’ that it is ready to accept any degradation or financial loss just to keep that image alive. They are unable to see how this is chaining them. With such ingrained love for discipline and officer-like-behaviour, the community is the easiest to manipulate. The saying ‘ give a dog a bad name and hang him’ has become ‘ give the sufferer a good name, and ignore him’. The sad part is that the feedback of despair of the community gets blocked. The community is suffering today but the state and society too will have to pay the price one day. Ask not for whom the bells toll; they toll for thee and me alike.
The community is equally to be blamed for being so naive and indifferent.
‘ You fool me once, shame on you
You fool me every-time, shame on me’
Most of the civilians I have spoken to about our miseries, say, 'You guys are like a football asking to be kicked. All you ask for is to be addressed as ' Dear Sir ' while getting kicked.Who can resist such a temptation which has such a low price tag?'
Guys who know so much about man management, tactics and strategy can be so gullible in real life! This can make a good case study of ‘ psychology of military incompetence’, if ever an Indian version of Norman Dixon’s book is written.

Martyrs or unfortunate victims?

2010-09-07T07:55:00.000-07:00

Just heard on TV that President Obama will pay homage to the martyrs of 26/11 during his Mumbai visit at hotels Taj and Oberoi.
Martyrs?
The word suggests that the tourists who died during the terrorist attack had laid down their lives willingly in order to save others. Not true. Also,I am sure their last moments were spent not reciting the national anthem but in cursing the police.
It is a fairly common occurrence. People who were simply victims are labelled martyrs. There are candle light processions for victims of murder and genocide.It is OK for family members and friends to pay such homage to the departed soul but why should bye-standers do so, beats me.
Another variation of this stupidity is the announcement made by the local people ( read - media ) every time terrorists hit a shopping centre. Lighting candles for the 'martyrs', the marketing association announces - 'This terrorist strike proves that the terrorists are getting frustrated. We will never let them win. Let us open the market tomorrow' ( Why lose money, old chap)
In fact, I find that the victims of Jallianwala bagh massacre were also not martyrs. They were killed, but were not martyrs. Helplessness does not add to martyrdom.
In the same series, I find it ridiculous to find three Indian embassy officials who died during the Kabul bomb blast were given Kirti Chakra. Do people know that Kirti chakra is equivalent to Maha Vir Chakra?
How does it matter? It matters for those who are really brave and are sidelined. It lowers the credibility of the award and that hits the real bravehearts unfairly.

Army career - Utilitarian approach or nobility personified

2010-09-07T01:12:00.001-07:00

I hold the view that the Indian army is losing its effectiveness. Slowly,but surely. Bad organisational practices e.g. corruption and using the organisation ( read subordinates) to further ones career are on the rise. The question that confronts us is this -Why are officers not doing their bit to stop it? If complaining means curtains for their careers, so be it. If they expect their soldiers to risk their lives, why are they not ready to risk even their careers?

There are two views on this phenomenon.

1. View 1 - Abhishek Bachhan's movie ' Guru', can be used by OD (Organisational Dynamics/Development) practitioners to understand what goes on in organisations. The most instructive scene is towards the end when his company was charged with several financial misdeeds and he had to appear before some committee ( Roshan Seth as chairman ) to answer charges. Guru (enacting the saga of Sri Dhirubhai Ambani ), the controversial but eminently successful industrialist, says -
' I came poor to Mumbai to do business and found all doors closed. Some needed a kick ( unfair means ) to open, others needed a salaam ( chaploosi, corruption ) to open. I kicked the ones that called for a kick, I did salaam to the ones that asked for salaam. Because that was the only way to do business. And, as I said, I had come to Mumbai to do business. And now you guys say - This guy kicks too much, this guys does too much of salaam. Why so? Did you allow me any other way to do business'
In the same vein, officers join the army to make a career. If the only way to make a career is by foul means, how can you blame them for using those means. Just like the motivation for the businessman is to make more money and not to clean up the system, the motivation for the fauzi is to make a career and not to keep blowing the whistle.You set up a system where being honest pays and people will be honest.

View 2 - The army is a not a career; it is an institution. If fauzis also wish to be guided by market forces, they have no business to claim the high moral ground that they always do.

So, which of the two views seem right to you?

As for me, I see no need to choose between them. View 1 is a model of how humans/organisations work, View 2 is what the army would like things to be.

Indians versus Westerners

2010-07-09T23:54:00.000-07:00

I was brought up on a staple diet of ' Indians are great human beings from a centuries old civilisation; while the westerners are upstarts with totally materialistic dispositions'. Well, I have seen light in the last about 20 years.
Generalisations are always wrong but here I am using them to make a point.
Indians seem to be about the most cruel, selfish and inhuman people you can ever come across. We rape young girls, slit the stomachs of young mothers, burn people by putting tyres around them and vandalise the helpless in ways a westerner can not even dream of. Our people in power - government, police, other officials etc - are actually the cause of all our miseries.There is absolutely no hope.
As for being materialistic, you just can't beat an Indian. And the bigger the tika on the forehead, the more materialistic the guy is.
On the other hand, westerners are pretty decent people.

Look inwards - hang the ugly Indian

2010-06-15T03:46:00.000-07:00

There is too much emphasis on Anderson which suits the main culprits. Let us drop this focus on all things phoren and look inwards. The real problem is the ugly Indian. The guys who are responsible for the Bhopal people still drinking contaminated water, even as of today, are Indians. And they are in India,very accessible. In Krygystan, the people who tormented 120 Indian students may be foreigners but the embassy officials who treated them so inhumanly thereafter are all Indians. The guys who blocked the Manipur highway may be inaccessible goons but those who decided it was a matter not worthy of central intervention for 64 hellish days are all accessible Indians. It is also known that those who engineered this blockade are Indian marwari families of Imphal who benefited by blackmarketing scarce commodities during those days. Let us listen to Nehru and hang the black marketers, and other ugly Indians, by the nearest lamp post. The practical problem, though, is - how will you get so many lamp posts!
Let us clean up India even if it means letting go of Anderson. Charity must begin at home.

India's 'Success' on 26/11

2010-06-07T22:49:00.000-07:00

I wrote the following lines just after the Mumbai terror attack ( 26/11 )
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mumbai terror incident and our responses thereof have been a microcosm of what the national security is today. Let us analyze it dispassionately.
Operational conduct of the anti terrorist operations was not at all effective. The very fact that it took around 300 NSG commandos, supported by MARCOS, the local military units and the whole state machinery to clean up 10 poorly trained, poorly equipped and poorly led civilians and that it took 3 days in doing so is proof itself. If someone claims that Kasab and friend were well trained, well armed and well led, one would be at a loss of adjectives for the equipment, training and professional leadership available to our security forces. The crowning glory came just a few days back when it was known that the terrorists managed to sleep one entire night after starting the mayhem!
Recently, one saw telecasts on Special forces ( Line of Fire – Times Now), NSG training ( Dhoni show ) and the glittering military might on 26 Jan. But what did they achieve during the Mumbai terror? They were neither able to deter the enemy, foil the attempt or counter it effectively.
Thereafter the country showed no spine in hitting out at where it itself claims the terrorists live and train. Some cost benefit exercise seems to have prevented the country from taking action. It is true that we have lost the military edge long back but that is no one else’s fault. All that our people see on a day to day basis is the sensex and cricket. So this loss of military differential obviously went unnoticed. Now, it is payback time and too late.
But if you think that cost benefit exercises are the way countries with honour behave, look South. Just next to us is the small island of Sri Lanka. At one point Sri Lankan army was being clearly pushed around by LTTE. But with national honour at stake, they decided to get up and get counted. It took them some decades and massive casualties to do so, but they retrieved their honour. Even if they hadn’t trounced LTTE and had perished in the effort, the world would have treated them with more respect than they will ever treat India. When one’s family members get raped, one has to get up and go after the rapists even if it is at unacceptable cost. We have consistently failed that test. We, who did not act when our parliament was attacked, did as has been our pattern.
And our people have shown that nothing can shake them out of their self induced tupor. For whom do the bells toll? The toll for thee and me. The VIPs have NSG security.

Government versus its soldiers

2010-05-27T07:29:00.000-07:00

Here is one more shocker about how the govt treats its soldiers. Officers holding the rank of Capt to Brig as on 01-01-1986 suffered significant cumulative losses in pay/pension since successive pay commissions had used wrong data for fixing the pay scales. This issue had been going on in courts for some years. Recently the Supreme Court granted relief to all such officers, with 6 % interest on arrears. Having read this news, we were very sure that now we will get our dues. However, it shocked us to be told that the govt has gone in for appeal against the SC order.
Were we too naive to assume that the govt should have no problems in paying us our dues, particularly when the highest court has okayed its legality? Actually, good governments should be finding ways to pay their soldiers well irrespective of the legal position but here the opposite is true.
Would this leave soldiers with a high regard for their government? You judge.
I am quite clear that I am not proud of my government.

Op GreenHunt - Right or Wrong?

2010-05-18T19:18:00.000-07:00

Anything wrong with the government's decision to launch op Greenhunt to combat Naxalism? Yes and No. Of course, use of force is the only way. To that extent, it is a bold decision that only Congress led government could have taken. BJP, which is crying hoarse with their 'half a battle' remark mobilised the whole army after the Parliament attack but called it off after several months without a shot being fired. So, well done, UPA.
However, the problem is that the HM has not been able to assess the battle worthiness of his para military forces before tasking them. It has been quite like Mr Nehru saying before the 62 war that ' I have ordered the army to throw out the Chinese'. Para military forces are poorly led, poorly trained and poorly kitted. It is easy to blame units for violating the SOPs. However, SOPs regarding not visiting villages are implementable only if the units are so well administered that they do not have to depend on villages for day to day survival. That is far from being the case. Not only the para military, we have seen even the army men having to enter combat without full authorized equipment.
Our men are as valiant as any in the world, only our leadership is not worthy of them.

Crime committed but no criminals

2010-05-02T23:12:00.000-07:00

Why are some of us so amazed that some radio active pencils have been lost by Delhi University and no one has been able to trace then till now. Or that the killers of Arushi have still not been caught.
Ours is a country where thousand of Sikhs could be massacred over several days, hundreds of muslims could be torched and a masjid could be brought down in full view of hundreds of policemen and a few dozen senior officers. That these things happened is not so detestable - human beings will be cruel. What is being pointed out is that when perpetrators of crimes of this magnitude, carried out in broad daylight over several days can not be traced for several decades, should expect anything better this time?

Hang only Kasab? Great mistake.

2010-05-02T22:57:00.000-07:00

The overwhelming desire of the Indian people to see Kasab hanged is understandable. What is not, however, is their indifference towards inaction by the state against those who helped Kasab succeed. I am referring to the policemen who ran away from CST, senior officers who for years did nothing to improve the capabilities of the police and NSG force and national leaders who did nothing after the parliament and other previous attacks on India. All of them helped Kasab succeed more than those who trained him. Hanging Kasab alone will as good as ensure we have another such incident pretty soon. In acting only against Kasab, we will behave as our own worst enemy.
This reminds me of something I read somewhere long ago. It seems that the culprit of the great train robbery ( England ) was being escorted by policemen to court. In the same area, Lord Balaclava ( the person who ordered the unprofessional 'charge of the light brigade' resulting in hundreds of needless deaths, but was romanticized by media ) was being garlanded. Seeing this the train robber sighed,'This is luck. I am being incarcerated for merely stealing some money. But the guy who caused a few hundred deaths is being honoured. Alas'.

Bigger crime - Genocide or money garlands?

2010-04-03T01:09:00.000-07:00

I find a lot of criticism of Mayawati and her style of politics - statues, money garland and now a force to protect the statues. Most of the criticism comes from Congress and BJP. That makes me laugh.
Coming from these two parties, the criticism is as much out of proportion as a pot calling an off white piece 'black'.
Both these great national parties are openly accused of genocide - organising killing of a section of their own junta, using the power of office. Who can forget the Sikh killings and the Gujarat killings? Are the crimes of Mayawati anywhere near that scale? To those postgraduates, she is a mere kindergarden kid.
Of course, we should neither have genocides nor the Mayawati style of politics. But, c'mon, have some sense of perspective. I am not even prepared to speak of both in the same breath.

Has independence been worth it?

2010-02-19T23:59:00.000-08:00

A seriously wonder if independence has been worth it. Has it made the life of the average Indian better than what it would have been otherwise? That is the ONLY criterion. Pride and nationalism have nothing to do with it. We should be proud of our rulers if our average brothers and sisters get a better life and for no other reason. As a matter of fact, our expectations from leaders who are our own kin should be higher than expectation from foreign rulers. And remember, despite all the romance attached to the concept of self-rule, there are always people who rule you. No man is an island.
From how my grandparents used to talk about the lot of the common man during the British raj and what I see today, the common man was better off under the British. Period. Whatever improvements have taken place since then are due to natural evolution, despite the government and not due to it.
And no, I am not ashamed of saying so.Those who should be ashamed are not. I am only commenting on the state of affairs. Don't shoot the messenger.

Inhuman behaviour of some Gods

2009-09-05T23:53:00.000-07:00

Let me tell you of two incidents.
- A VIP was to have been honoured and the lady of the house was directed to bring along all the necessary stuff for the ceremony. She made everything available but did not come herself. The VIP got annoyed and passed instructions that she should be punished throughout her life. As a result, where ever she went, people threw her out. She was denied even food and water and was humiliated in a way that can not be captured in words.

- A lady, herself a celebrity, was playing a game with her celebrity husband. She asked one of her ardent fans as who would win. The fan said that the husband would win. However, she won. Then in retaliation, she passed similar instruction as above with similar results ( for her fan ) as above.
Was the VIP/lady right in punishing others in such a manner? Well, before you answer, the VIP/lady in this case was Lord mother Parvati. Both these fables are stories recounted untold number of time in Hindu houses doing the 'Solah Somvar' ( Fasting for 16 Mondays ) katha. I heard it there and then read the booklet from where the punditji ( priest ) was narrating each incident of the victim's humiliation with great glee. It shamed me.
I am a non-believer but I have no problem in accepting God as a kind, compassionate father figure.Is this how I would expect my Gods to show universal compassion?
Do other people have a right to paint Gods/Goddesses in such human or rather inhuman terms? Are we proud of the Gods/Goddesses even if this be their behaviour. If not, why don't we protest?

India does not deserve its heros

2009-07-10T23:02:00.000-07:00

I have just finished speaking to Col VK Thapar, father of Kargil hero, late Capt Vijyant Thapar, Vir Chakra. It is the 10th anniversary of Kargil. Today, Indian Express has published the letter Vijyant wrote just before leaving for his last mission, in which he said to his mom and dad, ‘ By the time you get this letter, I’ll be dead and watching you from the sky, surrounded by apsaras’. Can you believe it? It is true.

Being an infantry officer of 27 years standing, I have seen many brave soldiers but never one as this. Here is a young man, all of 22 years, going to meet certain death in such a lighthearted manner. All for a purpose called India. You can see the full letter on his site http://www.captainvijyantthapar.com/ . Even enlightened yogis do not achieve such detachment.

Just after I put the phone down on Col Thapar, I switched on the TV and was taken to the NDTV reporter graphically covering details of how a bootlegger in Ahmedabad had been openly selling hooch from a Hanuman Mandir for years, in a state with prohibition. The reporter then showed shots of how branded liquor too was available in all of Gujarat, on a home delivery basis.

The reality of what Indian state has become is not new to me. Day in and day out, I see a failed state and a capricious, money-minded society. I am pretty used to all this and have lost all sensitivity and pain on this account. But somehow the way both these incidents were played to my conscience this morning, back to back, shook me. It actually made me feel sick. Here is a young man with such dedication to the state, and here also is the state and society for which he so willingly dies. And all that at age 22, when most people are still frolicking in their college canteens.

It is not about the one bootlegger. Today, poisonous hooch is in news, yesterday adulterated ghee and milk across 3 states was news. It is what our entire Indian entity – bureaucrats, politicians, and police – has become. The society and the people have not fared any better. The cruelty that Indians are capable of inflicting on other fellow Indians is limitless. And if you happen to be an Indian with some official status, even sky is not the limit.

If our freedom fighters occasionally ask, ‘Is this what we fought for?’, the soldier also asks – ‘Is this what I died for?’ He secures the external boundaries for the people and national institutions to feel unhampered in building the nation, not in ravishing it. When all this happens rampantly, and that too by wilful design, he questions. If he presently does not, he should. There is no need to be defensive about it. The price that he pays qualifies him eminently to inspect the goods purchased.

I sincerely feel we have no right to ask people like Vijyant to die for us. We don’t deserve their sacrifice.

Indian reponse to 26/11 - Worst possible

2009-03-14T20:05:00.000-07:00

Post Mumbai terror, we Indians are making two extremely serious mistakes.
1. We are content with our government playing games with Pakistan. We send Pak some questions. They reply to some and send us their list of questions. We repeat the process. They accept that some of their non-state actors could be involved. There is almost national celebration over this supposed victory of ours. Is this what the families of those who who were mercilessly mowed down, deserve from their state? Soon, there could be another strike somewhere and even this tamasha (spectacle) will stop. Do would-be world powers behave like this?
2. We ask a lot of questions from Pakistan but none from our own people who failed us miserably in those days of crisis. Policemen seem to have simply run away from the CST station and other places. Otherwise, would it have been difficult for a shooter behind cover to strike at a 5'4" tall target, exposed without cover on a railway platform or hotel corridor for so long? It did not happen because the policemen were busy pointing CCTV cameras and not guns at them. The crisis management from the senior officers was even more shocking. And all this after Mumbai has been the most attacked state in the last decade. The last 10 or so years have already established that being in the J&K or the North East is far safer than being in Mumbai? Despite such heightened awareness of the danger, we simply had no contingency plan to tackle a thing like this. Our security forces, particularly the NSG and MARCOS did a highly inefficient job. That the terrorists finally died is no certificate of efficiency to anyone. If these be our desired standards, we are wasting good money on their training. All that the enemy needs is about 200 more of Kasab like guys to completely paralyze us. By our own admission, he has thousands and not just hundreds of them.
And what if he combines this with a conventional attack or even a threat on the borders?
C'mon friends, get serious. Do seek answers from Pakistan, but do not spare our own either. Actually, seek more from our own. Our tax money goes to them, not to Pakistan. The NSG effort which is pulled out of our security goes to protect our politicians, not those of Pakistan.
By all that I have seen since 26/11, our leaders have again managed to fool us. They say they will act - but when? After we are finished, I suppose.
' Hum ne maana ke tagaful na karoge, lekin
khaak ho jayenge hum, tum ko khabar hone tak'
( Suitor to lover - I agree that you will not refuse. However,I will cease to exist by the time you get to know my plight )

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