A decimated legacy

A synonym for decimation these days would be the Congress party in India. Whether it be the national parliamentary elections or the State level assembly elections, Congress is shrinking quicker than comprehensible. Dynasty stuck sycophants do not even realise that their Gandhi obsession is only going to take the party further downhill. Indian voters now demand quality in their leaders, they are looking for fellows who can mobilise masses, lead them, talk to them and act on their requirements. I have always liked Rahul Gandhi - more because of his looks than his political skills though. However these days I look at him and "women emancipation" (from the interview on Times Now with Arnab Goswami) comes to my mind. I don't think Congress will go anywhere if they continue with their obsession with him. Give him a break, let him contemplate, learn the skills needed in this trade and come into it with sharpened weaponry.

For now, the only person who manages to keep the Congress hopes alive in my mind is Shashi Tharoor. I like his demeanour, his oratory skills. Keeping aside the issues surrounding his personal life, Shashi Tharoor has the credibility to become an important personality in Congress. To my mind he is the last hope for the survival of this sinking ship. However, Congressmen look in no mood to shop around - their street starts and ends at the Gandhi house. I will just wait and watch to see how the party revives itself!

India is going to change forever

What a historic moment it has been today! After my last blog post on 30th Dec 2013 when I was feeling at an all time high with the success of a new political party promising on anti-corruption, I had gradually thereafter started feeling disillusioned witnessing the events that followed. As somebody who watches Indian politics closely because I care about the direction India is heading towards, AAP's confused strategies and mindlessness on how only after 49 days of governing Delhi they decided to call it off, I did not know what to hang on to. Thankfully this feeling did not last too long as very soon after this Narendra Modi's rigorous campaign as the BJP's prime-ministerial candidate started. He promised Indian youths like me what we had been waiting to hear - a promise of a strong and stable government in India which will bring change on all fronts. The 10 years of Congress led UPA rule had left India at a disadvantaged position. Whilst in 2004 when they took power there was a real chance of India and China moving head to head with enormous double digit growth rates, in 2014, we heard the Indian finance minister talking about gaining a double digit growth rate somewhere in 2037. That's how far behind we had suddenly fallen in 10 years of the rule, engulfed with corruption charges.

With the tasteless AAP experience although I have become sceptical on how much the Modi led BJP government will deliver, but I am certainly not prepared to give up hope yet. I believe this is a good turning point for Indian democracy - something that the 1.3 billion Indians badly deserved all these years but were denied. The huge victory of BJP turning out to be the largest party claiming majority of parliamentary seats needed to form the government on its own speaks volumes about the campaign that Modi led. He based it on real issues facing the people - governance, anti-corruption, controlling inflation being his main agenda. His resume showing 12 years of rule over Gujarat as a successful Chief Minister added credibility to his claims which voters provided their support to. Motto of "minimum government, maximum governance" that Modi preached was welcomed by one and all and specially the business community.

These past few months have been very eventful and whilst I had quite a lot of opportunity to focus on some personal life changing events, these elections managed to take all my attention instead. I am glad all my attention did not go waste as the outcome today made it all worth it!

Ab Aayega Parivartan - AAP

The new craze in the market is that of AAP. I am sure if not anything else the sale of jhadoos (broomsticks) must have shot up significantly resulting in cleaner (at least literally if not figuratively yet) neighborhoods. I am very optimistic about the possibility AAP brings to the Indian political equation. Their stupendous victory in Delhi assembly elections is an evidence of a changing India, resulting out of mass uprising on increased awareness against corruption and black money.

The 2014 national elections will definitely be fought against this backdrop and probably for the first time in election history more points will be earned on how honestly the elections are fought rather than the free bounties or boozes which had started deciding election outcomes.

AAP for me represents the beginning of a change or parivartan and have just spiced up the dynamics of Indian politics...

The Great Indian Democracy

The beauty with which Indian democracy just reinvented itself is going to go down the history pages as transformational. For long Indians were so convinced that they had in them the 'chalta-hai' (let's-just--move-on) attitude so deeply embedded, that it was unbelievable to anybody that somebody could come up and challenge this in just a span of 12 months. Instead of choosing to sit on the fence and criticize the 'system' for any failings (which we did so often that it had become our second nature), one man with the help of a strong group of like minded people decided to get hands dirty instead. The 'aam aadmi party' (AAP) truly stands for being a party of the people, by the people and for the people. In only 12 months of its existence, it used all the unconventional ways of connecting with people (unconventional as they had been long forgotten by the established parties) and made a huge impact. They communicated their election agenda clearly, went into the homes of people and connected, raised donation for election through transparent means, brought honest candidates with clear records to contest etc. The beauty of Indian democracy is that the people of Delhi (the national capital from where this party fought elections) showed overwhelming support - so much so that they completely uprooted the incumbent government (Congress) and have given a touch fight to the single majority party emerging from the state (BJP).

Now the problem is that the ideological differences between AAP, Congress and BJP are so great that no coalition can be formed. Working as a minority government is neither BJP's nor AAP's preference and they want to sit on the opposition instead. It looks like there will be presidential rule and a reelection, but I ask if the situation is going to be any different then? I suspect we will still be in a deadlock situation post reelections purely because these three parties will again get seats which will not easily form a pure majority and bring forward a similar question.

I think some sense should now prevail and taxpayers money should not be wasted on a reelection. BJP with its stunning victory in the other three state elections of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chattishgarh have proven that it has people's mandate and should therefore proceed with government formation in Delhi. By 18th Dec the way forward will become clearer, but for now I just can't stop but feel proud on the whole turn of events. Having a multiple party structure democracy makes Indian democracy very versatile, vibrant, dynamic and unpredictable thereby making it very strong.

Waiting for a Change to Happen

Today (Saturday) has been a sluggish day... I redesigned a website I had been wanting to since some time... helped my brother with a business Modus Operandi write up (actually intention was to help, but ended up doing the whole thing myself), spent some time contemplating about life... and now waiting for the next change to happen in life.

I have never accepted monotonicity in life. Either by changing jobs or by changing houses I have kept my life dynamic and constantly challenged my comfort zone. Of late when both these things are seemingly becoming quite stable, last month I went and got myself a dynamic hair cut. This was at my usual hair salon and the hair dresser knowing my usual hair cut, just would not cut them the way I wanted this time. My demand was an extremely short bob cut with even shorter flakes in the front. I had in the recent past started keeping slightly below shoulder length hair, and for her this was such a drastic move. I was insistent and she had to bow down. I loved my new hair style, although the shorter flakes in the front are still having to be pinned up. It is quite irritating to have hair come onto eyes (a move I am slightly regretting, but obviously they will grow back soon). Anyways, my hair did draw all the attention at home and work and brought some freshness to my life.

The 2014 assembly elections in India have been catching my attention. Some time my heart beats so strongly in anticipation of what India is going through. The election temper is quite high and the incessant Modi attacks are not doing anybody any favours. I have always been in the favour of knowing who the prime-ministerial candidates are before the elections, and I congratulate BJP for having the courage to declare one. There is a learning phase for everyone, and clearly Modi too has some to do (specially some history lessons would be good). Change is always a good thing, I hope India has the willingness to accept it.

The episodes of Asharam Bapu and his son and the media overhaul on the more recent Tejpal story only make one thing clear to me - beware those who still continue to think of women as objects. India is no more tolerant to any abuses to women, however small. It is a country where women were considered as powerful Goddesses and the Indian media is playing a strong part in bringing back that glory. However, as women we also need to be play our part and not misuse this new power we have been bestowed upon by the democracy of India. I just hope all this turmoil changes the society for the better.

I am waiting for the next change to happen - in my life, in Indian politics and in Indian society.

Indian Youth

I just came back from a birthday party of a friend's son. The little son has turned one today and his proud parents had thrown a party to celebrate that. Obviously as you can see such things don't particularly excite me. What was exciting was to meet a big gathering of Indians in the party and find out what was up in their lives. Most of it was about raising kids in London and long work hours causing hindrance in achieving work life balance. However it all sounded under control and more towards being the usual moaning Indian mentality... I have only seldom come across truly optimistic Indian crowd and today's was no different.

Well this blog post is not about this. What stood out for me was the conversation I had with my friend's brother, who has, a couple of days back, come from India. He used to live in Gurgaon (satellite town of Delhi) with his wife, owned a house (on mortgage) and both husband wife were working. On the outset, it would sound like a perfect set up. Young couple, so still have some time to plan for kids. For me they would classify as an average middle class nuclear family trying to live in big metro cities and making a living on their own. I saw no apparent problems with that and immediately associated him with the new India. However, as we started talking more, he revealed that he has just sold his house, his wife has stayed back in Gurgaon and is living in a paying guest with a female friend and he himself has moved to Ireland to complete a Masters course. A perfectly settled life now suddenly started sounding too unsettled. This major step was not taken in any hurry. The couple had long thought about it and they both felt this to be the right move. Going out of the country, no matter where just seemed the right thing to do. He is frustrated that even with two salaries and yet no dependents, they are not saving enough. The tax structure is flat and the infrastructure is not at all good to justify the high taxes they pay. So here I had, a bright hard - working honest couple who would regularly pay their taxes eager to leave the country asap and throw their lives into uncertainty.

The plan is that the husband will study in Ireland, the wife will join in due course and start looking for a job there and eventually they will settle there bidding adieu to India forever. Obviously I am nobody to comment on whether this is right or wrong being myself a person who left the country for a year but has stayed out for longer than five years now. But I at least do definitely want to go back. I have not, in my heart and soul, yet been able to bid adieu to India. I want to go back at the next available opportunity, just don't know when that would be. This story of a first hand experience of an Indian youth troubled me. I could see India as a push factor - where people like him are being pushed out of the country, where is the pull factor - so that people like me can return to the country?

Clearly the current government has failed. Ten years is a long time to shape a country and India has completely lost shape in this time. Shall we not be definitely looking for a change??? I don't know who is the best alternative, all I definitely know is that the track record shows that no further chances be allowed to the incumbent. Else we will be caught in his infinite loop of pessimism, anxiety and social unrest which will be very difficult to come out of.

An ordinary story like this has caused a lot of pain in my heart. India is under global watch and the next elections are crucial for the country. I wish I was in India to contribute to the turning point of the country, but can I request all my friends and well wishers to go out and vote in the next general elections and contribute towards the change. I believe in change and I desperately want to see a change. India has all the ingredients to become the next big thing, therefore let's just create the right dynamics to achieve that goal!

Modi - The New Hope for India

I am generally a very optimistic person. At work, I am known as a person who brings positive energy into the team. And because of who I am, I like similar people around me.

Today I heard Narendra Modi speak - the chief minister of an Indian state called Gujarat. He was addressing a young and bright crowd of under grads at one of Delhi university's colleges. What I liked about him and his speech was the optimism he brought. Very logically he argued why his optimism for the future of India can become a reality. 

To put his message across he picked up the glass of water he was drinking from and said - the optimists in you would say that the glass is half full and the pessimists would say that the glass is half empty. However, I would go one step ahead and say that the glass is completely full - half with water and half with air. Therefore I am very hopeful about India's future, all we need to do is to change perspective.

And I say indeed, change perspective about the way we look at our lives and at others. I went out with a few friends for dinner yesterday to a not-so-cheap Indian restaurant. It was hurting me to see a couple in the group had left over so much of food on their plates. It is a lot of hard work to earn money and we should be thankful that we are getting to eat good food. It is easy to blame the government for everything on a dinner table eating good food - but really what are we doing that we can atleast do in our capacity?? Nothing I would say. At least stop wasting food. If the sum total of all cosmic energy remains the same in the world at all times, then the food we just wasted in some form would have been more useful for somebody else.

Let's do the little things that we can to make this world a better place please. And let's provide our full support to those who are hopeful about this. This speech gives me a lot of confidence that he could just be the thinking that India needs at the moment.