Showing posts with label Politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Politics. Show all posts

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Various ends


The angst and pang of being transferred in six months to a different section has a big bearing mentally. Now I am in some position and command to empathize with the fellow transferees. It can be understood to a certain extent as to why the political bigwigs always converge on the ‘transfer manual’ when they see no light at the end of their tunnels against the meager public servants- they may be either police personnel, officials of some ministries, et al.

But why ‘transfers’ always smell of dubious colors? Investigating a little further would unearth the normal human behavior of being in a shell- comfort and ease has to be traded with other entities- opportunities, change and chance. More often than not, transfers in the government sector are an annual exercise and are always expected to wreck havoc in a settled lifestyle of an employee. We are expected to work in our workplaces for close to three decades at the least, assuming entry levels near late thirties- that may well shoot to four decades in exceptional cases. Here job- hopping or job-shopping may be a neglected utopian process leading to futile outcomes.

Coming to enhancing the efficiency of an organization based on individual efforts, we would be shocked to discover that it is imperative only for those souls who can work their skins out; while a complete unknown territory for those who switch to hideouts to save their skins. Why the society always desires the efficient ones to work with an egalitarian approach? Why shall the benefits of those souls percolate to those who are inefficient and ugly to play their life’s strings?

We are all born equal (from the Mother) and yet in the Indian context it doesn’t find relevance. As per the Fundamental Rights conferred upon (us) by the Constitution, one reads “Right to equality, including equality before law, prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth, and equality of opportunity in matters of employment, …” but in the cobwebs of amendments and (ill) politics it loses its sheen and relegated to the irons of reservation, it leads to widespread discontent and disharmony among various sections of the society. It sounds naïve to tag this as a society where the Fundamental Rights are violated as often as we blink. What is equality where the fruits of one’s labor end up with those who don’t flicker as least-working even in the wildest of the dreams? While our institutions of the greatest virtue term the coaching institutes of serving a populace of spoon-feeders leading to inefficient brains in their temples, the same sane virtuous ideology is handed a testing time and quoted in a different light altogether while providing sustainable living to all generations by-passing the Constitutional rights.

Dr.Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar was a visionary and he sought to fill the wedge that so-existed then. He failed but the cunning political lions grabbed it with both hands and this is still being used to corner out their share in the democracy called ‘India’. Finally, he bowed and took solace in Buddhism (his last book remained unpublished until few years ago). Now a new menace is lurking- reservations in promotion; the brains that devise these must be so original and inventing, yet they are neither egalitarian nor social; they are deceptive and the culture so-promoted would wither and annihilate the social fabric in the long run. The snippets we are seeing in Assam and other such pockets amply reflect the outcomes and no political party tried to burn their hands meddling in this troubled waters. The instigation, the exodus, the killings, the pathos, the anger, the fear – lurking in the environment are pollutants to be carried to coming generations much like those from Kashmir, Gujarat, Bombay, etc. In the end it turns out that it is not the politicians but common man of Mr. Laxman who repents, suffers and consoles.

It’s time we realize our duties and responsibilities and fight the politicians of all hues and nature. Jai Bharat….

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Bharat Baazaar

The days in the Indian Political Market are buzzing with comments of intense absurdity and miniscule billings. Attaching any importance to quotes of ministers or spokespersons would be like walking on the waters, hot water indeed. Aam junta weighs all the politicians on the same scale and hardly a difference exists between two such personalities except the parties to which they owe their allegiance (or loyalty, which is much in vague) in the political arena. Much malice and mud slinging is the order of the day.

Very recently (24th May 2012), our then Environment minister, Mr. Jairam Ramesh (alumnus, IIT Bombay, Chemical Engg, 1975 batch) usurped vehemently that IITs and IIMs are not world class institutions but rather the students getting admitted (or the ones who are passing out of it!!) into it are. This raised a furore and a flurry of ugly scenes on the television channels with defending and rival advocates out in the open to settle all scores- all by the functions of the mouth and none through actions (or statistics). Though statistics may sound bitter- and their veracity: at times questionable, but they do account and they cannot be outrightly rejected or tagged rubbish.

Tomorrow, the big HAND of Congress- the sankatmochan* - Mr. Pranab Mukherjee will file his nomination for the post of the President of this sovereign nation. He has been at the helm of a lot of scariest situations but none more acrimonious than this one. A sinecure post-  yet it has been able to arrest the momentum from equally competent topics like inflation, scams, etc. in a way as to make the others a mere laughing stock. Few questions that rake up my mostly unused brain are:

  • Was clearing Mr. Mukherjee not going to hamper the election preparations of Congress in 2014?
  • Why a seasoned leader (having seen 40 rains) would vouch for presidentship when his capabilities would be better utilized as a minister in yet another powerful portfolio.
  • Is this to project the miserably insecure Mr.Gandhi as the candidate at the helm?
  • Are the other factions in Congress more powerful than that of Pranab Babu and they have been successful in carrying out their procedure?
  • Was it to alienate Ms. Mum Ta Banner Jee (who knows- if writing her name would bring me bad fortunes, enough to land me in jail or send some goons to my place, or so on!!) from Pranab Da who might have provided the economic stimulus package she was looking forward to. Was he this strong??
  • How the name of an incumbent PM can be floated/tipped for the post of President? And that too by an ally who are just an anthill. They constitute a mere 4% votes in the Presidential election's say !! Their chauvinism has been rightly nipped in the bud. One like from me..
  • How the equations turn amorous between bête noires (as they say that there are no permanent foes and friends in politics)? Hands are needed after all to balance the cycles!! 
  • A number of scams- enough to make all the population lakhpatis** - suddenly breath life trapped under the debris of unenthusiastic breaking news.
A lot of similar other unnecessary, unwanted questions try to peep the world- outside the cool abode of my brain- but I don't find answers to satiate them the least.

Who has the answers??


* Sankatmochan : Refers to God Hanuman and roughly translates to one who relieves someone from problems (akin to Bruce Willis of Die Hard fame).
** lakhpatis : One who has 100,000 rupees.