JNANA - Pure Knowledge

To know that you don't know is the real knowledge

PART I (Collection of blog articles from 2005 - 2007)

Krishna Raj P M

Apr 2011

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Page 2 of 366 GATS and its implication on higher education in India

After opening up various sectors like banking, insurance and communication to Multi National Companies, the Indian Government has decided to open up the education sector for them. Finally, globalisation and commercialisation of education is becoming a reality. General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), which came into force in 1996, provides legal rights to trade in all services except those taken care of entirely by the government. Education is one of the 12 services included in the list of activities binding member countries to allow market access and to remove restrictions in the path. India being a signatory to the WTO should be very much cautious about the functioning of the foreign educational institutions.

At the advent of India’s independence, there were 19 universities and 591 colleges while students enrolment at the tertiary level of education was 0.2 million. Now, the number of universities, deemed universities and institutions of national importance has risen to 261. The number of degree and above level general education colleges have grown to 8,361. The number of professional colleges is 2,340 and total enrolment is 8.8 million. This certainly is a great advancement. But the share of higher education in the union budget’s total provision for education has fallen from 28.19 per cent in 1990-91 to 17.7 per cent in 2003-04. Further, allocation for education in the first five-year plan was 7.2 per cent of the total outlay. In the tenth five-year plan, it has come down to 2.9 per cent.

International education definitely has advantages like - Regularly updated curricula are made available to the student. It is more practical, learner-centric and develops marketable skills. A large number of options in multi-disciplinary integrated disciplines with high degree of employability in industry become available. But, at present 150 foreign universities (50 from UK, 45 from Australia, 30 from USA and the rest from Canada and other European countries) that have been operating in India. But, hardly any top ranking university of the USA, the UK, Australia or New Zealand has shown interest in India. Only those universities with very low rankings in their own country and those which are badly in need of foreign students have made inroads into developing countries like India. It is estimated that out of the 50 foreign universities competing to woo Indian students, none have a good standing in their own education system. Since there is a lack of policy framework that can look into the credentials of Universities coming to India, they are allowed to operate in India.

The prime minister’s Council on Trade and Industry (PMCTI) constituted a ‘special subject group on policy framework for private investment in education, health and rural development’. The Government found no experts in the concerned areas but the noted industrialists, Mukesh Ambani (Convenor) and Kumarmangalam Birla (Member) to constitute this special subject group. Obviously, they were among the best-interested people to suggest the implementation of the World Bank prescriptions and privatization and commercialization of higher education in the country. Ambani and Birla submitted their report ‘A Policy Framework for Reforms in Education’ to the PMCTI on April 24, 2000. They recommend, "Governments must encourage private financing by taking on some of the risks that makes financial institutions reluctant to lend for higher education."

The GATS calls for drastic cuts in public expenditure on education. Accordingly, the committee in its report recommended that "there should be a freeze on recruitment of staff in all the autonomous organisations at all levels. In addition,

Page 3 of 366 an ad-hoc cut of 10 per cent in the total staff strength should be imposed in all these institutions” (pages 7 and 26, part III). Following this, the University Grants Commission (UGC) issued a directive that only 80 per cent of the teaching vacancies will be filled up and that too on a temporary basis. This clearly demonstrates that GATS does not have any interest in improving the quality of education. They are only interested in exploiting the lucrative market.

The present Indian education system has many drawbacks. Our syllabus is not international in nature and not upgraded to present needs. Infrastructure in a majority of our institutions is very poor. Our education policies are decided by political affiliations of ruling party and not by academicians who have global exposure. There is a need for introspection in this regard. Government should think of improving these areas rather than implementing GATS. Had the Government focussed more on higher education, we could have resisted GATS. But, the private sector’s contribution in higher education in India is gaining in strength. So, India cannot take recourse to article 1.3 of the GATS that allows exemption for services provided by the government.

India remained defensive for most of change that occurred due to globalization. Now it is the time to take the early initiative in this issue and turn this into an opportunity to grow. Under GATS, even Indian Universities can establish their bases in other countries. But for a few like BITS and MAHE, not many have tried this option. Also, this crucial juncture should be taken as an opportunity by Indian Universities to rise to world standards. A definite strategy can be increased research funding for faculty with less political intervention, greater autonomy for developing curricula and flexibility for students to choose their area of studies. This along with a strong policy which oversees the functioning of foreign universities can benefit India.

Page 4 of 366 Do we need software patent laws in India?

Do you know how to turn a thin line into a broad line? You go up or down an equal distance from the ends of the thin line and then connect the four points. You probably learned this technique for turning a line into a rectangle in your high school, and, doubtless, you believe it was devised by Euclid or some such 3,000-year-old thinker. If you try to implement the same on Computer, beware! You may be sued by IBM, because this is their notorious "fat lines" patent. 1

Are you planning to go the e-education way? Do you want to “administer tests, lessons, assessments, and surveys on the Internet, scoring them, and maintaining records of test scores online”? Sorry, you cannot do this. This is patented by Test.com. 2

Have you designed a good user interface for your program? Do you think displaying icons on screens is a good idea? Think again. This is patented by Microsoft. 3

Thinking of an innovative way of printing - Can it be any different from “A printer responds to channel commands including coded data received over a channel from a data processing unit by printing characters represented by the coded data using an electro photographic printing arrangement”? It should be, for this is patented by IBM. 4

Do you think “providing a user interface control to modify properties of items within a main application window “ should include “a main application window, a gallery control window, a control object selection processing module, and a control object focus processing module”? Sorry, this is again patented by whom else, but Microsoft. 5

Are you a gaming enthusiast? Do you want to develop “Real-time multi-player online games”? Not surprisingly, you cannot do this also. This is patented by Sheldon F Goldberg.6

Introduction to software patents

Patents were introduced to protect truly novel software ideas from unfair exploitation, while releasing the knowledge itself to the community. Patents are granted to “implementation of ideas” and not on “ideas”. The patents are issued in response to an application by the inventor for 20 years. In the case of software, the distinction between idea and its implementation is not clear. So invariably, a basic concept like data structures and algorithms also gets patented. Since there is no way an algorithm is patented, it is done under the pretext of some “apparatus and method”. Software that has been patented includes - system software and various types of application software, including business software, user-interactive software and expert system software. In general, the functional aspects of software have been patented. Examples include processes, editing and control functions, compiling and operating system techniques and the like. With respect to design patents, icons and electronic font types have been patented. According to United States Patent and Trademark office, 7 today 24,326 patents are issued related to computer software.

Page 5 of 366 Problems with software patents

People developing systems have new ideas from time to time. Naturally they use these ideas. But, the patent system makes them ask, for each design decision, "Will we get sued?” This patent system impedes development. With less development, programmers will have fewer ideas along the way. So, patents actually hamper the software development process.

Industry majors echo this idea. Robert Barr, IPR department of CISCO 8 says “My observation is that patents have not been a positive force in stimulating innovation at Cisco”. At the USPTO hearings of 1994, Adobe's representative said 9 “I believe that software per se should not be allowed patent protection”. Oracle submitted the following statement to the hearings on software patentability at the US Patent Office in 1994 10 “Oracle Corporation opposes the patentability of software”.

On the other hand, some companies are acquiring patents in a big way. Microsoft has 3632 patents and IBM has 540. Does this translate into greater development of software and bring benefits to development community and general public? No, patents are used by industry majors to harass small time development companies. Bill Gates once said 11 “…. (We should) patent as much as we can. A future startup with no patents of its own will be forced to pay whatever price the giants choose to impose. That price might be high. Established companies have an interest in excluding future competitors”. As an example hear from Avery Lee, author of VirtualDub, a free software tool for converting multimedia file formats. He was informed by Microsoft that it had intellectual property rights on the ASF format. They told him that, the implementation was illegal since it infringed on Microsoft patents. Lee says he removed support for ASF in his software, since he could not risk a legal confrontation.12

The most dramatic case of software patent has been the “LZW algorithm” patent held by Unisys. They announced that users of the GIF image format must register and pay a royalty or face lawsuits for their past usage. The royalty list prepared by Unisys was - 0.45% royalty on the total unit selling price of GIF/LZW products (minimum $0.10, maximum $10.00 per unit) and a 0.65% royalty on GIF/TIFF/LZW products (minimum $0.20, maximum $25.00). This triggered a wide range of protest from all quarters and was probably the first time where there was so much public outcry against software patent. There was a proposal to "burn all GIF’s" and replace them with a format such as PNG. But, that was not completely possible, because PNG does not support animation, which is widely used with GIF. Finally, this patent ended on June 20, 2004 not before brining the issue to center stage. 13

India and software patents

The Indian Patents Act, 1970 does not recognize patent protection for computer program. The only mechanism of protection for computer program and computer data is under section 2(o) of the Copyright Act of 1957 which recognizes computer program and computer data as creative work entitled to copyright protection. The patent act was amended first on March 26, 1999. Indian Patents Act (Amendment) Act of 2002, created an explicit exclusion (Art 3(k)) that a "computer program per se" should not be considered an invention.

The Indian Patent Office's “Manual of Patent Practice and Procedure, July 2001” clearly stated that 14 - “Computer program is not patentable invention as computer program is a set of instructions for controlling a sequence of operations of a data processing system. It closely resembles a mathematical method. It may be

Page 6 of 366 expressed in various forms e.g. a series of verbal statements, a flow chart, an algorithm, or other coded form and may be presented in a format suitable for direct entry into a particular computer, or may require transcription into a different format (or computer “language”). It may merely be written on paper or recorded on some machine readable medium such as magnetic tape or disc or optically scanned record, or it may be permanently recorded in a control store forming part of a computer. Thus it is evident that a program may be presented in terms of either software or firmware.”

New era of software patent in India

On December 27, 2004 India's Minister of Industry Mr. Kamal Nath issued an ordinance 15 (a law that doesn't need parliamentary approval) in order to greatly expand the patent system. Under the new Patents (Amendment) Ordinance 2004, the clause relating to software patent would be modified to "a computer program per se other than its technical application to industry or a combination with hardware". This means that any embedded software can be patented now in India. Since all major software has a technical industrial application even they can be patented.

The amendment was introduced to comply with TRIPS agreement (27(1): Patentable Subject Matter) which reads – “Patents shall be available for any inventions, whether products or processes, in all fields of technology, provided that they are new, involve an inventive step and are capable of industrial application. Patents shall be available and patent rights enjoyable without discrimination as to the place of invention, the field of technology and whether products are imported or locally produced. It should be noted that the text explicitly encourages differing interpretations of some of the abstract terms used therein, such as non-obviousness and industrial application".

Conclusion

The important law regarding software patents was changed without a proper discussion in the parliament. The evil effects of having software patent is already described in early sections. We will witness all those and more in coming days in India. No more are the developers free to write the software they want. Though it is claimed that patent law will benefit the entire software industry, the US and EU experiences have proved otherwise. Countries having this draconian law have witnessed the slow death of individual dedicated software developers in the hands of software giants. India, which is aiming to move up in the quality pyramid of software world by creating world class products, does not need this law.

The present amendment to the patent law has long term negative effects on Indian software world. It does not serve the purpose it intends to. So as Richard Stallman says – “In some cases, when (a law) doesn't serve any purpose except to create artificial monopolies so that somebody can interfere with software development, squeeze money out of developers and users, then we should reject it”.

1 http://www.forbes.com/asap/2002/0624/044.html

2 US Patent No 6513042 3 US Patent No D496943 4 US Patent No 4031519

5 US Patent No 6826729 6 US Patent No 5823879

7 http://www.uspto.gov/patft/index.html

Page 7 of 366 8 http://swpat.ffii.org/papers/cisco/index.en.html

9 http://www.base.com/software-patents/statements/adobe.testimony.html

10 http://www.base.com/software-patents/statements/oracle.html

11 http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/policy/2002/08/15/lessig.html?page=2

12 http://www.advogato.org/article/101.html

13 http://cloanto.com/users/mcb/19950127giflzw.html

14 http://www.patentoffice.nic.in/ipr/patent/manual.htm

15 http://www.patentoffice.nic.in/ipr/patent/ordinance_2004.pdf

Page 8 of 366 Page 9 of 366 Bow-Bow Biriyani and other musings on Brahmin culture

Tuesday, February 01, 2005

The recent controversy regarding some dhabas in Bangalore serving the meat of Dog raises some serious cultural questions. Among the different aspects of our culture like language, clothing and others – food is the only aspect where we are still sensitive. Some people do not eat any kind of non-veg owing to their religious beliefs. Others who are allowed to consume meat also restrict their eating choices. Much of our eating preferences have stem out from our acceptance of a particular faith. Let us try to critically examine those beliefs.

That Brahmins of Vedic age consumed meat including beef is an undeniable fact. "He who performs the Yagna but does not eat the sacrificial meat is condemned to be born as an animal whose meat he refuses to eat for 21 future rebirths." – This is a statement from Manusmriti. This clearly shows that animals were sacrificed and their meat was eaten in older days. Meat was the main item of food available then and it’s natural that they hunted and ate them. They offered same to God which later got ritualized in to the Yagna. There are many references in Vedas where animal sacrifice is described. It also clearly lists who should consume which part of animal after the Yagna. Also, eating meat was essential to conserve energy in those days of hunting.

But, in the changed circumstances, with agriculture becoming the main occupation, the continuing practice of slaughtering the much needed livestock in the Yagnas must have put a heavy strain on the agrarian economy. Thus a new ethic was needed to curb this practice. Also increasing popularity of faiths like Buddhism and Jainism made people think to adopt “ahimsa” as the main doctrine. Accordingly, killing must have been prohibited. So eating meat naturally became taboo. An exception was made for milk and milk products. During Yagna, consumption of beef was replaced by the consumption of the five elements issuing from the cow (the cow dung, cow's urine, milk, curds and butter called Pancha-Gavya) If the Vedic religion was to survive in a changing society, the support of the dominant classes had to be retained. Since the ruler class was attracted to newer faiths, these changes became inevitable.

The argument that meat was eaten on exceptional occasions also is not right. If you are not a habitual eater of meat, you can never have it. People who eat meat know that it is a practice which one should have from young age. You cannot force people to have it in one day. So, naturally the theory that Brahmins occasionally ate meat is not right. It should have been a regular practice to them.

So it’s proved beyond doubt that Brahmins ate meat but, circumstances forced them to abandon that practice later. The arguments put forward for this are one is the shift from collective hunting community to agrarian and second was the growing influences of other more tolerant faiths.

But the question is why then the people those days restrained from eating Dog’s meat? Dog, arguably is the most abundant animal, it does not serve man in any useful pursuit. Surprisingly, unlike Cow and Oxen Dog is not even worshipped in Vedas. So the important question is how did Dog escape from being a food? The economic factors also favor Dog being used as food. Then why not Dog? The explanation can be the clear understanding of human behavior. Perhaps people today cannot imagine such a thing. That is because we have never seen our parents or other around us doing such a thing. For a community which depended on this kind of food from ages, it may be a natural thing.

Page 10 of 366 Culture, we should remember is what we do. There may be hundred ways to prepare dosa. But, for us the correct way is always what our mother does. Culture is purely an individual experience of a group phenomenon. The preferences of a dominant person in the community when accepted by other members, becomes a cultural symbol. The different rituals, beliefs and eating preferences of cultures may be explained with this theory.

Page 11 of 366 Hunger- a poem in Kannada

Friday, February 04, 2005

Page 12 of 366 Non existence of God – A logical proof

Wednesday, February 09, 2005

From ages people are pondering over the question of existence of God. Many support their claims with their beliefs which can hardly be put into test. Philosophers like Descartes have provided a formal proof to prove the existence of God. These proofs can be challenged. But there is always a burden on a rationalist to ‘prove’ that God does not exist. This is an attempt in that direction.

One of the early theorems in logic is as follows -

(A ∨ B)

(B → C)

¬C

∴ A

The correctness of this method can easily be proved using preliminary axioms. It can also be proved that (((A ∨ B) ∧ ((B → C) ∧ ¬C)) → A) is a tautology.

Consider a small example to understand the above method.

Either A or B went to Delhi. (A ∨ B)

If B went to Delhi, so did C. (B → C)

C didn't go to Delhi. (¬C)

Therefore A went to Delhi. (∴ A)

This simple proof can be used to prove the non existence of God in an interesting way. Consider following assignments for A, B and C

A - God does not exist

B – God does exist

C - There is complete happiness in world

Now, applying the above proof we get –

God does not exist OR God exists (A ∨ B)

If God exists then there is complete happiness in the world (B → C)

There is no complete happiness in the world (¬C)

Therefore God does not exist (∴ A)

Page 13 of 366 People who believe in God generally do not believe in the existence of daemons and spirits. By assigning the statement “Spirit and daemons exists” to C, we can obtain one more convincing proof that God does not exist.

Page 14 of 366 Proof and Truth – the distant relatives

Wednesday, February 16, 2005

Human beings have tried to understand the Universe in many ways. The religious scriptures were documents written in this regard. They claim to establish ‘truth’. But there are many such books with definitions and interpretations that are contrary to each other. Even though many claim that there is one ‘truth’ and people interpret in different ways, it can hardly be accepted. Moreover, one more drawback in these religious scriptures is that it does not allow one to question the theories in them. Many books force people to accept things as told by them, which is unacceptable for a thinking person.

The dictionary definition of truth is “fact that has been verified, conformity to reality or actuality”. So truth should match the real and it should be verified by formal methods. Discovery of truth is the most ancient occupation of the human mind and there are many methods that he has employed in this pursuit. Once we say that truth is what exists, there are many problems. One, how do you know what exists? We understand the physical world through our senses. I can ‘see’ that rose is red and that is true. But things get complicated when there are no benchmarks for identifying the truth of certain things. For example you may ‘feel’ that the red rose is beautiful. Can that be truth - is a difficult question to answer. We can claim that certain things are dependent on the individual perceptions and that cannot be tested. Some may also claim that this difference in taste and opinion in this world makes it beautiful. Imagine a world where everyone has lame likes and dislikes. That kind of world may claim will be uninteresting.

But the fundamental principle in science is to rise above these individual truths and arrive at a universal truth. Even Einstein, who proposed theory of relativity, did not believe in relativism. His famous lines “God does not play dice” tried to convey the idea that there is no place of chance in this world. This also implies that there should be a truth, which transcends individual perceptions. This truth should be verifiable by any formal methodologies and should correspond to the reality. Now, the question is how to establish such truth? One way is to accept whatever we sense as truth or use a formal method to test whether something is true.

The drawback of accepting whatever we sense as truth is told earlier. It gives many interpretations of same truth, which is contradictory to the notion of truth. So we cannot accept whatever we sense (feel!) as truth. But this is easier said than done. We cannot reject whatever we feel. If we do so, it brings a serious problem. If I reject whatever I feel, then the formal proof, which I construct to prove something, must also be false. Then there will be no validity for my proof. So rejecting what one feels is not a good idea. Perhaps, one should put what he thinks (feels) to test and then accept it as truth. So there is a need to take both methods together. The process of identifying truth can be as follows. First, develop an idea as you feel it is truth. Second, try to test it against established procedures.

The developments of formal logic in mathematics and their use is study of philosophy tried to answer this question. There were number of formal proofs that were established in logic. Proof is defined as “Any factual evidence that helps

Page 15 of 366 to establish the truth of something”. In logic the proof is constructed on the basis of some preliminary axioms. The whole branch of logic is dependent on these axioms. But some of these axioms have no explanation. For example why is “T- >F=F”? A convincing answer for this is not available (At least, I am not aware). People try to explain this with statements in English. But the fact is logic when interpreted through English statements fails to carry the same meaning. The ambiguity of language may be responsible for this.

Kurt Godel in his famous “Incompleteness theorem” tried to demonstrate that within any given branch of mathematics, there would always be some propositions that couldn't be proven either true or false using the rules and axioms of that mathematical branch itself. The question of consistency and provability of a statement using some axioms were questioned by this theorem. This theorem presents many drawbacks of the formal methods that we use in logic.

Can a proof imply that something is true? This is the fundamental question we have to answer. Even in law, evidence does not mean much. The truth is not established merely by proof. The famous equation of law is – “Law + Morality = Justice”. This means that truth (justice) is not what is written in law books but something more.

So both the methods namely – believing in senses and using formal methods – are found inadequate to find ‘truth’. So what is the method we can employ to discover that “Universal truth”. Perhaps we should have a mix of both. But there is an urgent need to identify a different method in order to quench our quest for truth.

Let truth alone prevail.

Page 16 of 366 Bandana - a poem in kannada

Tuesday, February 22, 2005

Page 17 of 366 E-Governance and Linux

Monday, March 07, 2005

Almost all Governments are now thinking of computerizing their work. Many have completed, some have initiated the process. The idea of sharing the information with citizens is in accordance with the political systems that a country has. Democracy demands such a process be established at all levels. India, being the single largest democracy in the world is rightly working in this direction.

In India, the “Information Rights Bill” was passed very early. The state governments had their own acts to address these issues. The IT Act 2000 also discussed this issues, although not directly. The real pillars of the democratic India are gram panchayats and they were not committed to this matter. Lack of funds, political compulsions and right mindset were the usual culprits in preventing this all important activity. Nevertheless, Government of Karnataka took an early lead in this aspect and implemented some hugely successful projects like “Bhoomi” which enabled people to obtain the property rights documents. Many other states also have implemented some successful programs on the same lines.

As per the UN General Assembly Resolution 56/183 adopted on January 13, 2002, the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) was organized to address the various issues connected with the usage of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to address the `digital divide’. India is a member of WSIS. Department of Information Technology under the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Government of India has released a “Draft paper on Internet Governance” (Draft Position Paper No. 1/2005 dated 3rd February 2005). This paper discusses the issues relating to e-governance and need for a framework which can work at an international level.

True to its status as a superpower in IT, these efforts by India are laudable. India is also positioned itself to emerge itself as a leader in South East Asia in this regard. But we have an address an important question. The striking factor about almost all e-governance projects in India is that they are developed using proprietary software. It is well known that this kind of projects demand huge amount of money and it is the tax-payers money which will be spent on this. In addition to the development cost, when these software is used at a local level again we are forced to use specific proprietary software. The question is – Can we reduce this cost?

Countries like Brazil have found a solution for this. There all government software is created using open/free software. While this reduces the cost by huge amount, it also makes a political statement also. The tax payer’s money is not spent to increase the numbers of some software company. Using free/open software also has its own technical advantage also. The philosophy of shared development also promotes the political philosophy which we have adopted in India.

So, its time we the citizens of India demand that all future e-governance projects in India be carried out using open/free software. Simultaneously all NGO’s should also try using the open/free software not only because of economic reasons but also as a political statement. This will go a long way in promoting open/free software movement.

Page 18 of 366 Urmila - a poem in kannada

Tuesday, March 08, 2005

Page 19 of 366 Comparing Indian Idol and Coffee with Karan

Thursday, March 10, 2005

The 2 TV shows that are significant from cultural perspective are Indian idol on Sony and Coffee with Karan in Star One. Both concepts are tested in other countries and are hugely successful. While the former comes under the now popular reality show genre the later has a successful director chatting to equally successful people. Both these shows have not reached the top popularity levels which were expected of them.

Indian Idol started with a huge hype. Though channel V had given us 2 sets of pop singers, this show was supposed to be different. Compared to other talent shows where judges make the selection, in this format the public were given the job of judging the participants. This concept did wonders for American Idol. It is said that the people of America voted more for the Idol than their presidential elections. Indian Idol did not get that response. We do not have the data of number of votes each participant got. This in fact was the major drawback of the show. People began to suspect the authenticity of the claims made by the hosts about the votes. Whether the selection of candidates was stage managed for better TRP is not known, what is true is that the show did present itself as a credible one.

The intention of Indian Idol is important for present discussion. It aimed at what other shows failed to so. There would emerge a final winner who would literally rule the nation, be a role-model for a nation obsessed with heroes was the claim of its promoters. The whole idea of transforming a common man into celebrity overnight caught everyone’s fancy. In a country which is literally shaped by the interests of middle class, its natural that people nourished this dream. The participation in the initial rounds, the kind of participants who made it to last 10 proved a point. There is a dream in everyone to become big and famous. Clearly Indian Idol catered to this need of millions.

On the other hand Coffee with Karan(CWK) had a different agenda. Most talk shows had unknown VJ’s talking to stars. Or there were news channels who thought it’s their right to grill any celebrity in their show. There were also a few talk shows were the hosts appeared as plastic dolls and questioning the guests as if they were angels. Other shows hosted by journalists like Shekar Gupta tried to strip the celebrities out of their artificial pride and do some plain talk. CWK becomes important because it tries to project celebrities as they are.

CWK follows a simple formula. It does not hype the people invited to the show. Nor it embarrasses them with tricky personal questions. It does not get too emotional at any point. Most importantly, it tries to project them as normal human beings. The reason may be that Karan Johar himself being a member of the film community understands the situation better. Maybe he knows his guests personal also and this makes his job easier.

So these shows work at different levels. Indian Idol tries to transform common man into a star while CWK tries to project stars as a common people. Will the new Indian Idol become a star and in turn be an ideal candidate for CWK in coming days? Lets wait and watch.

Page 20 of 366 Respected Sir…….Yours faithfully

Tuesday, March 15, 2005

What is the biggest problem in modern day India? Probably we can prepare a whole long list about this. Corrupt political system, aimless education system, senseless public behavior, visionless governance, wrong romance with globalization, failing democratic structure….the list is almost endless. But there is a common thread between all these problems - Our denial to come out of colonial hangover. We are so obsessed with the old raj system that “yes sir” has become a part of our culture.

When we are taught to write ‘formal letters’ in our school days, teachers insist that we address the people as ‘Respected Sir/Madam’ and end the letter with ‘Thanking you… yours faithfully’. It is also taught that we should ‘kindly request’ the concerned people to do our job and wait ‘humbly’ for their response. In addition to all these we repeatedly ‘pay our sincere thanks’ for that person because he spends ‘his precious time’ in looking our ‘earnest appeal’.

We follow these things in letter and spirit during our everyday correspondence. The following of protocols have become so important in our daily life. Rarely do we question the basis for these actions. If you observe the highlighted words in the earlier paragraph, you will observe that those words can be used only by a weak and subordinate person. Any person having at least some self respect will think twice before using such words repeatedly in any letter.

During the raj era, it was important for the rulers that the people be like slaves. So in a colonial system it was ok to draft letters in that way. But even in this world of democracy, we follow this unusual system. Even when we know that government in a democratic system is ours and the rulers in democracy are our people, we rarely put that into practice. We try to project the leaders in a democracy as new age kings and queens. What respect and obedience was showed to kings in previous era is showered on present day political leaders.

How will you explain spending RS. 200 crores just to maintain the protocol system for President of India (POI)? There are more than 160 IAS officers in the Presidents office just to maintain protocol. What do they do? Every morning POI does not get up on his own. A military band will play national anthem softly. Then one person walks into POI’s room and whispers “His Excellency, its morning now. You may kindly get up”. Now its time for POI to get up. Then there are dozens of people to take care of every necessity of POI. If the allotted budget is not sufficient, they can demand more. The Government is compelled to pay whatever is requested without any questioning. The protocols maintained for the queen in England are all followed for POI, who is the head of a democratic country. Can there be a bigger irony than this?

Our obsession with the protocols in public behavior and formal communication are totally irrelevant in today’s world. Why should we sincerely request and remain faithful to the bank manager when we have to open a new account? There is absolutely no need. But still, when we write application to bank and other institutions or when we apply for jobs or when we have to use our rights in an organization – we use these irritating words. It’s high time we come over from this colonial hangover and stop our obsession with maintaining meaningless protocols.

Page 21 of 366 The changing defintion of computers

Monday, March 21, 2005

Recently, the high court of Karnataka gave a ruling stating that ATM machine cannot be considered as a “computer”. It observed that an ATM machine is just an electronic gadget and cannot work without computer. Court suggested that the ATM be considered as a peripheral device attached to a computer. This incident exposes the short comings in the way we understand and apply technology in our day to day lives.

The fact that computers have become an inseparable part of our everyday lives is undeniable. The knowledge of computers is today considered in par with the knowledge to read and write. The American education policy today defines literacy as the capability to read and write in a particular language plus our ability to work with this device (machine?) called computer. But the central question is – what does it mean to learn computers? Learning computers is very different from learning a language. When we learn a language we study the alphabets, words, sentences, grammar among other things. There is a fixed framework and body of knowledge (BOK) in this aspect. One more interesting observation is that once you have learned a language, it remains with you for your lifetime. Probably, you will learn new words to increase your vocabulary but the basics are the same. But learning computers is no where related to this. There is no BOK, there is no fixed methodology and probably there is nothing that is permanent knowledge in this field. The reason may be that since computer is a machine you cannot compare the both.

But we cannot compare learning computers with learning to master some other machines say- a car. If one learns to drive a particular model of a car, he can drive other models of cars also. Any new car released in the market will not have any different interactive mechanism. But the case is not same in computers. Probably, the way in which we were using Computers before 10 years is very different from the way we are using them now. And definitely, it will change in coming years. When we teach computers to starters we often teach them not computers, but a particular operating system. Computer manifests itself through OS. This is a serious disadvantage. We associate learning computer with learning a particular OS. There is no other way also. This indeed is the root cause for most of the problems that we face today. When we study computers, we have this idea of a PC and we rarely think beyond this. So when there is a new development like in this case, the ATM, we wonder if it is a computer. Because for us computers have a fixed meaning and defined applications and we are not ready to accept the changes in that thinking.

The real definition for computer literacy can be “the ability to change”. Our competence in adapting to fast changing technology is the measure of our computer literacy. We cannot depend on acquired knowledge for a long time. Continuous up-gradation of knowledge is the competence that one requires in this field. The basics keeps changing here and there is a need to redefine everything with time. Technically, there can be differences on whether ATM is computer or not. The design and implementation of ATM’s can be different. But nevertheless, since it is a processing machine, it should be considered as a computer. This may open up a whole lot of new issues to discussion like- Can we consider microwave oven as a computer? Does an intelligent fridge and washing machine qualify itself to become computer? and so on. With changing times, we may have to answer all these questions. We should better be prepared to question the very basic question in this area- what is a computer?

Page 22 of 366 Why Farooq Sheik is better than Konkana Sen?

Monday, March 28, 2005

Scene1:

The Hero and the Heroine are both idealists. The Hero wants to join the publishing house run by a Gandhian and continue his mission. But circumstances force him to join the firm started by his friend. They bring out some ‘cheap’ books which have great demand. They make lots of money. Slowly, the Hero becomes the part of the system. His ideals are lost somewhere. Then comes a time where his morally conscious wife objects to these things. She threatens to move out. At the end, the Hero decides to come out of the system and stick on to his values.

Scene2:

The lady journalist covers the parties of the elite everyday. She has to face the realities like going in local train after attending such parties. She also decides to take up ‘real journalism’ after some time. After doing that for a while, she is sacked because of pressures at work place. The system is culprit again. She has no choice but to do what she hates – cover the parties where people are more worried with their artificial lives. She cannot escape from the system and invariably sticks on to it.

The first scene is from the film “Saath Saath” (SS) which came in 1982 and the second from the recent flick “Page 3” (P3). Both the films look at how an individual faces the system. In the earlier film, there is the triumph of the idealism and in the later there is submission to the system. Comparing both films brings one question in our minds – “Have we lost the instinct and courage of fighting against system? Should we be more ‘practical’ and follow the system?”

In SS, the moral character was his wife. She insists that the hero leave the present system. The hero joins her at the end. But in P3 the moral character is probably, the co-journalist played by Atul Kulkarni. But his advice to her is -“You have to be in the system to change it”. He does not want her to change the profession. And at the end, she remains in the system and adjusts herself to it. She sees that her friends have changed too. It symbolically says that everybody becomes part of the system and nobody escapes from it. Which of the two is more practical?

Have we finally succumbed to the pressures of today’s market driven economy? Is P3 a mere reflection of these falls in ideals? Do we have to adjust and compromise to the system? These are broad questions that P3 raises. Probably, it gives a very negative answer. It fails to motivate people to take up fight against the system. Or can we say that this is the realistic approach for our problems. Today, we rarely see people who revolt against the system. The ground rules are very clear. Work only if you are comfortable. If you are not at ease, move out but, do not bother to change it. Is this an implication of the large scale globalization that is experimented on us over the years? Probably yes. We have surrendered ourselves completely to the market pressures. Though on one hand everybody claims that customers shape the market it is not so in reality. Some companies create market for themselves. We silently accept this without resistance. The long term effect of this phenomenon will be the erosion of individualistic value system and decline of societal moral order. The solution would be increased customer participation in deciding how market forces are shaped. Small individual resistance can go a long way in realizing this aim. Then probably we can hope that Konkana Sen will not give up her fight so easily. In this aspect Farooq’s character in Saath-Saath is more appealing than Sen’s in Page3.

Page 23 of 366 Plastic cards - a poem in Kannada

Wednesday, March 30, 2005

Page 24 of 366 Lady in Saree - a poem in kannada

Saturday, April 02, 2005

Page 25 of 366 Hey, you are wrong!! – Understanding criticism

Wednesday, April 06, 2005

Imagine a person being caught in a bus attempting pick-pocket. Is there any chance that he will come alive out of bus? Everyone will be on their toes to beat him. In fact when we come across any situation similar to this our reaction will be same. We will be waiting for others to commit mistakes. Somehow everyone feels a sense of joy in telling others that they are wrong. We like to gossip and talk about their mistakes every time we get an opportunity. We love to pass judgment on people based on this issue and probably stick on it for longer time.

We do this when we meet a person, when we watch a movie or a TV show, see a match; totally every minute we keep an eye on others. It will be better if we do not discuss the issue of criticism in politics. The opposition party seems to think that it is their birth right to oppose all issues. They probably oppose all issues first and then if they have time, begin to think about that. Hardly can you find good criticism in literature. At least in Kannada literature, the critics act like opposition members.

Good criticism is needed for the existence of a healthy society. In fact, the entire democratic structure is based on this principle. Diverse opinions lead to correct conclusions. But we have reduced criticism only to its negative side. Appreciating the good deeds is not considered as part of criticism. In fact, one mistake casts dark shadow on all good deeds done previously. The need for good critics is felt more these days. But unfortunately, there is a dearth of good criticism. The great art of criticism has been reduced to low levels of sledging and name calling.

We face this problem when debate becomes person-centric rather than issue-centric. Good criticism should grow beyond personal preferences and be grounded on sound logical principles. The recent stories like - Shakti Kapoor episode, Narendra Modi’s issue, cry over Dandi march all clearly demonstrates this matter. Whenever there is a controversy we find people on both sides arguing strongly without bothering to look at the real issue. Moreover we pass the judgment even if we are not aware about the issue involved. How many people who criticized US action on Modi’s Visa knew about technicalities involved there? The case is same in our daily life. We seem to be in a hurry to criticize people every time. What makes us do so?

Probably, we criticize people because we gain moral highness by doing so. If A has done wrong and if B notices it, then B feels he is morally higher than A. So he is forced to criticize A. He gets that in the cost of B. Though B does not do anything morally right, he feels that state because he is in the opposite side of A. It is immaterial whether B is a good person or not. Attaining this moral high ground is what everyone dreams for. While you catch a person doing something wrong you attain that easily.

Note that when criticizing others we always take a moral high ground. We try to paint the victim black. But we don’t actually paint him black. We paint ourselves in white. This will make the victim look black. By placing ourselves in moral high we push others low. Now with a newfound status, we try to judge others activity. It invariably looks wrong. When we are in moral high, others automatically appear low. The problem here is we think right and wrong as two states possible in any issue. We have to understand the grey between black and white.

Page 26 of 366 Should students be promoting a particular product?

Friday, April 08, 2005

There is demand from long time that there should be a good relation between academia and industry. The academia somehow has distanced from the industry practices and teaches skills which are outdated are also well known. But now, there are some welcome changes. The industry is consulted at various stages by the University while designing curriculum. This makes the students prepare themselves better to face the challenges of the present competitive world. This issue becomes more crucial in IT related courses. The knowledge in this industry turns obsolete at a faster rate and there is a demand always to remain concurrent. So it is important for both academia and industry to have close tie-ups. This is a mutual benefit activity. The academia can attract more students and train them better. The industry also will get up to date students who can be employed to work at more relevant projects. The savings for the industry in terms of training new professionals is tremendous and it makes good business sense to have a close relation with universities.

Traditionally, universities were the breeding grounds for all major thinking. Not only in technology but all major theories in poetry, philosophy, political theories, social thinking, and radical economic theories have emerged from universities. With the growth of industrial economy and subsequent importance given for Engineering education has changed the synergies between academia and industry. Before this, the industry had no major role to play in universities. When there was a manufacturing boom, the industries slowly walked into the campuses. There was a demand to include things which were helpful for them and this was a fair demand. We have to note that it is with the arrival of this economy, there was the concept of preparing students for industry.

Studies of medicine, law and accounting have traditionally focused on the practice oriented education model. But there is a big difference between these and technology studies. The study of medicine and law is a generic study which is not influenced by market players. Compared to this, the study of technology is heavily market oriented. The body of knowledge which can be defined as generic is very less in IT. More over, just knowing these generic things (like data structures, algorithms, network models) are not sufficient for any Engineer. He has to be well versed in the practical tools and applications. The problems arise at this point. Which products should we teach students?

In a competitive market like IT, it is always the market leader or the guy with deep pockets who win. Others get a very raw deal. Imagine a company X going all the way promoting their products. The university will introduce products ONLY from X and the students end up learning only that. This in turn will create a huge resource pool of persons well versed in the products of X, so the industry in turn is forced ONLY on those products. Ultimately, everyone ends up using company X products and their market dominance continues.

A particular company has mastered this art perfectly. Being market leader it is in a position to convince Government and Universities to use their products. The reason they usually give is their popularity. But in turn they use it to achieve customer locking. The students are lured by promotional campaigns and made brand ambassadors of their products. The students in turn create market for them by creating awareness about the product among their friends. This creates a whole generation of students who grow believing that only that product can get them jobs. What students fail to understand is that the company is using them as promotional

Page 27 of 366 materials without any cost. It is really unfortunate that the present students do not understand this hidden tactic of this company.

There is no harm in knowing latest products. In fact, this is one thing which all technology students should pursue seriously. But they should know where to stop. Appreciating a particular technology is a personal choice. No one can take that right from anyone. Promoting it is a different issue. The student who does that actually is creating market for that company. If this is done at the cost of other similar technologies available then it is a serious mistake.

In fact this is a very new phenomenon in campus. Usually in campus there were teachers who had their own inclinations like communism or capitalism in political science, existentialism or realism in literature etc. Then the teachers were blamed that they are forcing their interest on students without giving them a choice. But never did we face a situation where a particular product of a company being promoted so heavily on campuses. Notable issue is that before it was preferences of an issue, a thinking which no body owned. Here we are speaking of propriety software products which companies are interested in promoting. The question here is that why students should do that? Why should they surrender their intellectual capabilities popularizing and creating markets?

The concept of awarding a PG degree (M.Tech) for studying a particular product of a company is a serious issue. The product in question nevertheless is a path breaking one. But how far is the decision of awarding a Master’s degree in that product justified? It may be the first time any University is offering a course in this level for any product. There are some basic questions which arise from this development. Who will benefit from this course? What if that product loses market in coming years? In a market where the success and failure of a technology and product is highly deterministic, this step is condemnable.

The universities in US have shared special relationships with the industry. Stanford has incubated start-up’s among which many are successful IT companies today. There are many companies which tie-up with Universities for joint research, design and development of new products. This should be the way how academia and industry should be related. But using campus as a marketing ground does not sound well. The campus should be a place for innovative thinking and not a bazaar for promoting products. The students should be alert and think before getting in touch with companies. They should use their relations with industry to gain new knowledge and not surrender themselves for being used as promotional materials.

Page 28 of 366 About the redesign of a newspaper

Thursday, April 14, 2005

The readers of the prestigious national daily “THE HINDU” had a pleasant surprise today. They were treated with the new design complete with colorful pages. The 125 year old newspaper always had a set of loyal readers, often spanning generations. I am third generation reader of the paper and our family shares a special relation with the paper as distributor/agents from 3 generations.

The role of newspapers is often questioned in the present days. The introduction of Radio, TV and now the Internet were seen as the threat to the existence of the newspaper. The reading habit is often considered as going down and many successful newspaper groups have ventured into the more glamorous and trendy 24- hrs TV news area. Many have become papers just carrying advertisements and P3 stories. The Hindu is commendable for its effort of being a trustworthy and “classic yet contemporary” newspaper.

What is news? This basic question has to be answered in the present day. Many media persons think that reporting the events is news. A corrupt politician speaking about the need of good values in society, a elite social worker who cannot come out of her high lifestyle speaking against market economy, a former player who never scored commenting on present players – all make headlines. Today news has been reduced to reporting such irresponsible statements. Sensationalizing is another problem with today’s newspapers. What was once limited to tabloids is now appearing in mainstream papers.

Today newspapers have to don a new role. People will use TV and Radio to “feel” the news and newspapers should analyze the news. The newspaper with an independent viewpoint should be a platform to discuss all issues surrounding the issue. The unbiased, truth-telling, independent and social responsible paper alone can act as fourth pillar in the democratic country like India.

THE HINDU, sporting a new look is trying to attract more readers. But we wish the core remains the same. The change seemed overdue and it’s natural that they have gone for it. The regular readers may take some time to adjust to the new design. But surely those like me who have grown reading the newspaper will miss the “black beauty from mount road”.

Page 29 of 366 Secularism in India

Saturday, April 16, 2005

The concept of secularism in India is a time tested one. We did have a successful romance with secularism and democracy from past 50 years. Even before that we learn that India was a secular country. There is no land in this world which gave birth to so many (diverse) religions, faiths and sects. This is in addition to various religions brought in forcefully by the conquerors. India has been tolerant to all these developments throughout its history.

After independence, we accepted democracy for our political setup. This was probably the most suitable among all other political theories. For a country which is so diverse, democracy was the only option. We have to remember that “democracy and secularism go hand-in-hand”. If we are democratic we are secularist also. One cannot exist without other.

There are many countries which are democratic but not secular. But then, the state will be a religious-state. This will bring lot of conflict in the state. The example of Nepal can best explain this phenomenon. Though in that country the main problem is the unrestricted monarchy, the idea of a Hindu nation is fuelling the communist movement. The case is same in many Middle Eastern countries where they have accepted a state religion. For democracy to function smoothly, secularism is a must.

The idea of secularism is present in world’s two biggest democracies – India and USA. But both have adopted a different stand over the implementation issues of secularism. India follows inclusive-secularismand US follows exclusive- secularism. (These terminologies are not part of standard vocabulary. They were coined because no better words could be found). The study of secularism involves identifying the equations between state and religion.

In US the state does not involve itself in the religious matter. There is no holiday for major festivities of all religions. Everybody is treated equally and caste/religion equation does not matter while deciding state related issues. This completely eliminates the concept of reservations and special provisions dished out in the name of social equality. This also implies that the state does not interfere in the working of religious institutions. The state recognizes that religion is the private matter of its citizens and keeps itself out of it. This idea of secularism where state excludes religious matter is termed here as exclusive-secularism.

The idea of secularism in India is quite different from this. Here the equation between state and religion is quite complex. The state does not patronize any religion but it recognizes all religions. Given the complex topography of caste scene in India this becomes a serious issue. This forces the state to introduce special schemes for members of minority group. The state takes active interest in maintaining the religious institutions. So when some are excluded there will be lot of problems. The recent controversies regarding Kanchi Mutt, Udupi Mutt arises from this point. This phenomenon where state takes active part in religious activities but still acts as neutral agent is termed here as inclusive-secularism.

Given the problems that India has faced in recent past, it will be appropriate for us to rethink on the political models that exist now. The changes in the political system should start by rethinking our approach towards secularism. The state should isolate itself from religion and that will a welcome step.

Page 30 of 366 Existentialism – 1 (the philosophical view)

Tuesday, April 19, 2005

[Here is an attempt to explain the theory of existentialism in a simple way. In the present article the philosophical background of the theory is explained. Next part in the series will analyze the treatment given to existentialism in psychology. The concluding part will try to see how existentialism is used in literature and its implication on our social behavior.]

The main question in philosophy is to find the ‘ultimate truth’. The different approaches taken by philosophers have led to the development of different theories. But their ultimate goal is the same –that to find the ultimate. There are 2 main categories in philosophical thinking. One group believes in intuitive knowledge and other relies on rational thinking. The people who depend on thinking use their faith and individual believes to answer philosophical questions. The problem here is that their answers will not be satisfactory since it cannot be tested.

The rationalists depend on the analytical capability of human mind to explain the things around them. To do this they have to depend on the observations done by their sensory organs and then analyze it using their rational mind. The question in philosophy is – can we trust our senses? Is there a direct relation between truth and our observation? These questions have continued to haunt the philosophers from long time.

For the Greek philosophers the actions of humans were very important. They came out with virtue theory which tried to explain what is good and bad. In India many theories tried to explain this phenomenon. But the important contradiction between both was that – in India the existence of self was never questioned. “Do I exist?” was never a question. Our existence was a-priori for all thinking. It was a truth which could not be challenged. We exist and so we believe our sense-organs. We trust the experiences they give. This was the Indian philosophy’s stand about the issue. Among the philosophers who had a different perspective about this issue, Descartes was the most important one. He grounded his theory on sound logic and gave a wonderful commentary on this topic.

Descartes found that we cannot trust sense-experience, for it often deceives us. It is hard to assure ourselves of the reality of things which appear to correspond to our sensations. We cannot even be sure of the reality of our own bodies; perhaps we are dreaming that we have bodies; perhaps we are dreaming that we are seeing objects outside. How can we know whether we are waking or dreaming? We may be entirely mistaken in believing what we see. Perhaps the world is only in the mind, in imagination. It may be just an illusion produced by thought. Everything may be doubtful, even mathematical truths. The only certainty seems to be that there is nothing certain!

Descartes discovered that though all things may be doubtful, the fact that we doubt is itself not doubtful. The basis of doubt cannot be doubted. There is doubt, thinking; this is certain. And so the existence of the doubter or the thinker, too, must be certain. 'Cogito, ergo sum' (I think, therefore, I am) concluded Descartes. From the fact of thinking it is to be concluded that the thinker exists. This knowledge is the only certain one, and it does not come from sense-perception or imagination. Here is the self-evident rational basis for all deduction in philosophy. This is a universal truth.

Page 31 of 366 Existentialism – 2 (the psychological view)

[The previous article examined the philosophical issues surrounding existentialism. The theory of Descartes was analyzed to understand this. Here let us see the psychological aspects of existentialism]

Existentialism is used in psychology to explain the difference between the reality and imaginations. How do we make a distinction between real and unreal? Do we know that whatever we dream is unreal? How do we decide that? If it is what we gain by learning, how does a child learn it? How children know that the monster about which it thinks is unreal? These complex issues are explained in psychology by using the concepts of existentialism.

Although all things exist in our mind, they exist in different ways. Some elements of the mind exist as phenomena, others are mere images of the past, and still others are rational concepts and theories. Some of these elements we perceived as true, others as problematic, still others as totally false. It follows from this that a special work is being done by the mind -- the work of attributing its elements with their specific existential status. This work of the mind will be referred to as existentialism.

In philosophy, existentialism is presenting (reducing) a piece of reality in such a way that its existence (authenticity) becomes as self-evident as “cogito ergo sum”. If we are able to do this and all the steps of this reduction have the status of logical necessity (i.e., they are self-evident), then we recognize the piece of reality as a true one. If we fail, then we qualify the object of existentialism as problematic or false, which is “nonexistent”.

In the everyday life, existentialism takes a more simple form. In everyday reality any element (an object or an event) can appear in the mind in three different forms (as a phenomenon, a mental image and a rational construction). How do decide something as true and others as imaginary? The process of distinguishing one from other is as follows. Initially any element can represent something of the external reality, but it can also be a sheer product of the mind. Then a comparison of the metal image with real image (external reality) is done. If they are same, then the object or the event really exists. (‘High existential status’).If the result of the comparison brings only partial success then the event is false (‘Problematic existential status’). For instance, the land I own in another city and my house there still exists for me as a mental image in memory and as a rational construction (documents of possession, the concept of land, image of my house), yet its existence is problematic as I have no a definite proof that it was not destroyed. Obviously, most of the elements of the mind have this kind of existential status. Lastly, we usually attribute the ‘weakest existential status’ to the object or event that is presented in the mind in one form only: as a mental image, a phenomenon or a rational construction (for instance, a memory of a person who died or an idea of a species that became extinct). A similar weak existential status we attribute to pure phenomena, such as perceptual illusions like dreams.

Although a healthy individual is usually unaware of the work of existentialism, this work is vital for maintaining the normal picture of the world. A typical case of the disturbed existentialism is madness. Although it is not unusual for a normal person to have strange ideas and frightening images, the person has no difficulty in keeping these ideas and images under control. In madness, though, the borderlines between realities become blurred. He fails to distinguish between reality and fantasy.

Page 32 of 366 Existentialism – 3 (literary and sociological view)

Wednesday, April 20, 2005

[In this concluding part, the influence of existentialism on our social behavior is examined. Also discussed are some literary works where the shadow of existentialism can be clearly seen.]

The question of existence has been a topic dealt by many literary persons. But it was “Jean-Paul Sartre” who proposed an improvised version of existentialism during last century. The essence of this theory was to oppose society centric theories and focus more on the individuals. The main conclusions of Sartre were –

• We have no predetermined nature that controls what we are or what we do. • We are radically free to act independently of determination by outside influences. • We create our own human nature through these free choices. • We also create our values through these choices.

From Sartre’s theory, it becomes clear that the individual is more important. This was closed tied to his concept on God. According to Sartre “Existentialism is nothing else but an attempt to draw the full conclusions from a consistently atheistic position. Existentialism is not atheist in the sense that it would exhaust itself in demonstrations of the non-existence of God. It declares, rather, that even if God existed that would make no difference from its point of view….. We think that the real problem is not that of His existence; what man needs is to find himself again and to understand that nothing can save him from himself, not even a valid proof of the existence of God.”

This increased dependency on self (sometimes) puts lot of pressure on individuals. The individual himself is responsible for all his action and decisions. The idea of God provides a sense of relief for his believers. There will optimism in people’s mind that God will take care of them. But existentialism robs this hope from people. Then the person who has to a take a decision will be confused. This is what precisely happened to ‘Hamlet’. When he had to kill his step-father (also his paternal uncle), the question was not “to kill or not to kill” but “to be or not to be”. The issue of killing becomes the question of his existence. In Kannada literature lot of experiments are done in this regard. Girish Karnad’s play ‘Yayati’ is a classic in this genre. There the king Yayati exchanges his old age with the youth of his son. The twist that Karnad brought into the story was through the wife of his son. She asks him to accept her as his wife since her husband’s youth is with him now. For Yayati, this turns out to be his question of existence. In fact, even in Mahabharatha when Arjuna asks Krishna about the relevance of the war, he essentially is questioning the values. We should note the importance given by Arjuna to the individual lives of his loved ones on the other side. This is the core of existentialism.

Sometimes, the politeness in our behavior is attributed to our non-recognition of truth. While the attendant is serving us food in the restaurant, he will have a pleasant smile on his face. There may be a hundred turmoil in his heart. We may know it but we do not want to recognize it. We feel happy living in the false world that we have created. Our concept of recognition, fame, depression, unknown fears, lingering memories of loved ones all stem out from our conscious effort to live in a false world forgetting the real one. Existentialism can help us in overcoming all our fears and answer the complex philosophical question surrounding our existence in this world.

Page 33 of 366 Talkies - Talking about movies

Friday, April 29, 2005

Films can be considered as commercial commodities and as cultural entities. As commercial products films demand all activities linked with normal business process. That includes marketing and promotion activities. But in this article, films are considered as cultural entities. The entire ‘cinematic experience’ goes beyond movie watching activity. There is a need to establish a broader framework to understand the influence of movies on culture. That includes the study of fan’s association, the hype surrounding the release of new movie, the concept of super star and clear understanding of film business. Anyone who wants to master the art of ‘film appreciation’ needs to understand all these dynamics. The Film posters form a very important component in this experience.

Film poster contains both image and text. There is a hierarchy followed in ordering these elements. The textual material usually includes the name of the producer, director, script-writer, music director and lyricist. Film posters can be divided into 2 categories. One set of posters are designed around themes and second around stars. The thematic posters highlight the ‘genre’ of the movie like drama, sentiment, romance, action, revenge, etc. The main theme of the movie is highlighted and other details appear in background. The visual elements used are familiar to the audiences. They are repeated more often and a combination of visual elements tells the genre of the film in a simple way to its audiences. For example, the image of SRK and Kajol in DDLJ poster where SRK is holding a guitar clearly sends the message that it is family oriented romantic movie. Hero holding a gun or in stunt sequence is highlighted in action movie posters.

The star centric posters project the star of the movie prominently. The space allotted to each character in the poster decides his/her importance in the movie. But we have to note that the importance given to stars is not related just his market value. It is also the reflection of images generated by fan and gossip magazines, radio, television and newspapers. Sometimes the image of the star can overtake the theme of the movie. The posters will have only the face of the star and other actors will be reduced to background images.

There are also instances when posters were redesigned when the particular film made someone a superstar. “DEEWAAR” was a classic example for this. When the movie was released, the posters presented the movie as a clash between brothers with mother in between. When the film became super hit thereby creating a superstar, the posters reflected the same. The other characters disappeared from the posters.

Another important consideration in the film poster is the preference given to the marketable item used in the movie. For example see the 786 number plate worn by Amitab in Deewar poster. It became a symbol of working class. The blue saree which Madhuri wore in HAHK, Kajol’s dress in DDLJ, Aamir’s cap in Dil all had potential market. So they were highlighted in movie posters.

Posters are also designed for specific market segments. Trade analysts identify A, B and C centers for movie distribution. The metros and other big, cosmopolitan cities are identified as A centers. Usually family and women are the main target audience here. They expect thematic posters. So the posters put up in these areas are usually sophisticated. B class is identified with smaller towns where hero worshipping is

Page 34 of 366 practiced. So the posters displayed here are hero-centric and not thematic. In C centers the heroine is given enough space in the posters for obvious reasons.

The recent emergence of overseas market has created some specific needs in the poster design. The posters of DDLJ can be an example to explain these differences. The posters prepared for overseas market presented Kajol in mini dress to emphasize the fact that she was comfortable in both. Also consider the Lagaan poster .The poster designed for oversees and A class centers described the movie as a triangular love story. A foreigner in love with an Indian makes an interesting plot for them which they can relate to. On a contrary, another poster described the movie as hero-centric with the team in background as B class wants it.

In this digital age, there are many ways of promoting a movie. The introduction of cable TV has given unlimited option for producers to promote their movies. But the charm of film posters will not fade. The image of stars on autos, pan shop, all kinds of walls made the experience of cinema complete. In days where there was no preview available, posters tried to create enthusiasm about the movie. Several guesses were made about the movie after seeing the posters. The hype generated by those discussions made the cinematic experience really worth. The sudden shock viewers got by unexpected events that were untold in posters added to the whole effect (Eg: Salman Khan was never featured in KKHH posters, Lagaan was never shown as cricket movie).

Though not qualified yet, film posters certainly deservers to be called as “art form”. Today the hand written posters have become extinct. Digital prints are taking over. But, the charm of posters still continues to mesmerize movie goers.

Page 35 of 366 Talkies- 2

Monday, May 02, 2005

The previous article discussed the issue of posters. Another important component in cinematic experience is the “fan’s associations”. This article tries to understand the psychology of fan clubs associated with stars specifically in south India. It is not uncommon to see these kinds of clubs associated with pop stars and some Hollywood superstars. But they limit themselves to shouting (screaming most of the times) the names of stars when they see them, probably rally behind their stars when they are in controversy, wear dresses having their favorite star’s image on them etc. Compared to these mild behaviors, the fan clubs in southIndia engage in loud exhibitionism often going to a frenzy level. Though this kind of fanatic behavior can be observed in followers of some sports club in Europe and Brazil (especially in soccer) the south Indian fan clubs behavior is unique in many respects.

It is generally observed that only “super stars” have a dominant fan clubs. In south India, the definition of super star is quite different. He is a star who has tremendous mass appeal and having a dominant off-screen persona which is often the reflection of his on-screen characterization. Super stars here are made and not born. The detailed analysis of the career graph of all super stars can reveal interesting similarities. Their films will have a simple story, predictable characterization often taking common man’s problems to center stage. Their movies will project them as pro-poor, anti-establishment kind of heroes whom people cannot but appreciate. There are 2 superstars who have successfully dominated the political circles in their states.Movies and politics have a strange romance in this part of the world. Fan clubs provides ideal platform for stars to gather mass support at grass root levels enabling them to launch a successful career in politics.

In the movie “Padeyappa”, there is a scene where Ramya Krishna sits cross legged before Rajanikanth. His character loses to her momentarily. This created a lot of havoc. Fans ripped apart the screens in theatre and Rajani had to personally appeal to his fans to stop this. There was a similar case where the Telugu super star Krishna had to pacify his agitated fans. That was because, Nagarjuna( a new comer then) had held Krishna by his collar in a movie. A Malayalam movie “Harikrishnan” had 2 endings, each released in different areas so that the fans of Mamooty and Mohanlal felt contented. The Kannada movie “Gandada Gudi-I” also ran into rough weather because Vishnuvardhan supposedly tried to fire real bullets to Raj Kumar during the climax of the movie. All these examples try to capture the fanatic behavior of fans in all major south Indian languages.

Can we relate the concept of fan clubs to the cultural behavior of the people in that region? Certainly yes, there is a direct relation between the two. This phenomenon can be explained by understanding a unique psychological behavior. Humans appreciate fantasy more than reality. Then they try to relate the imaginary world experiences to real world activities. The super human capabilities which a star displays on screen, his almost God-like perfect moral behavior all creates certain impressions on our minds. And when a star displays some of these qualities in real life (like pro-poor attitude) people try to relate other on-screen qualities also to him. This creates a potential super star who can mould the public opinion according to his will. We must observe that the stars off-screen behavior is most crucial in determining his success as super star. Another reason may be that they relate to their star in a strange way. When he fights the bad people, they assume he is fighting for them. In his victory, they forget their failures. His victory gives them a hope. An interesting observation in all super star movies is that he will not go

Page 36 of 366 behind a lady even though he likes her. It is always the heroine who is attracted towards him. This tradition has been followed from old NTR, MGR movies to the recent Rajani movies.

Why do auto drivers form a crucial fan base in any association? This is because they are probably the most organized labor sector. The low economy class society is the grass root level base of any organization. The daily wage workers, small time factory employees and other non-professional work force do not have a good organizational base. That probably explains the domination of auto drivers in any fans association. The proximity which they have with general public may also be another reason. But the crucial question is – why fan clubs exist for only few stars? This is a complex question. Somewhere the caste and regional equations also play an important role in deciding which star will have more fan following.

What is the role of fan clubs? If the star decides to venture into politics, the road map is clear. Other wise the fans feel contended in celebrating the new release of their star (the issue of `fan shows` itself can be a good research topic), organizing some social activities like blood donation camps and celebrating their star’s birthdays. Certainly fan clubs seem to provide an opportunity for people to come together under a banner for a common cause. But unfortunately, that “common cause” is still undefined. Though they provide some entertainment value outside theaters (by installing really huge cut-outs, garlanding them, performing “milk abisheka” to the cut outs, performing pooja inside the theatre, installing “stars” which is brought in procession) they really do not perform any useful function. They in turn try to disrupt the career of the potential actor by forcing him to do only that movie which “suits” his image. The pressure from “fans” can force them to introduce some songs to please them, which can break the flow of the movie. The cinematic experience will be much better and different without the fans screaming inside theaters. A lot of controversy relating to cinema in outside world can also be avoided if fan clubs do not exist. But there is no hope it will ever happen so. In a strange way fan clubs continue to have a major influence on films often deciding the future of cinema world.

Page 37 of 366 Short story: The first experience

Tuesday, May 03, 2005

Guna has only one thing to think now- “When will I be like Poovaiah?” Everyone in his class was praising Poovaiah. He could no more take that. He was completely shoked when he heard Somanna today morning. “Guna, you should have have seen that Poovaiah and Rosy Kutappa in yesterday’s marriage. They were dancing together” Somanna continued “I think even Rosy had some rum”. Guna could feel his blood level rising. It was an open secret that Poovaiah graduated to Rum from Beer quite early but Rosy? He could not imagine anything like this. “They were drunk early in the day. Everyone guessed it by their behavior during Ganga Pooja. God! You should have seen them yesterday” Somu continued to fuel Guna’s anger.

Guna had decided that he would attend the marriage. But in the morning his mother started grumbling. “Why should you go to that marriage? That too it’s in Kodava Samaja Hall. We should not go there”. Guna promised that he would return soon but she was not ready to listen. “If you go there you cannot come without having lunch. How can people like us eat there?” Guna clarified that there would be a separate vegetarian section. But she was not convinced. “What if there is a separate section? They will use the same utensils to cook and serve the food. Do you think they will cook pork and vegetables separately? They will prepare same biriyani and then take out the chicken pieces to serve you.” Guna thought it’s probably right and so did not attend yesterday’s marriage. But if he had known that such an episode will unveil in his absence, he would surely go.

“You should have seen Poovaiah’s face. It was clear that he had done that” Somu continued his commentary. “Oh! Did he do that also?” Guna now had a new reason to worry. “I told you to do that before a week. You never listened. Now he has done that. Once again all girls in our class will speak only about him. You will remain a hapless patta” Somu could not stop cursing Guna. He had a reason to do so. Exactly before a week, both were discussing about the steps to be taken to counter the popularity of Poovaiah. Then Somu had advised Guna to do ‘that thing’. “You do that Guna. You will prove to the whole class that you are a man” Somu had suggested. Guna had seriously thought about this but somehow could not muster enough courage to do ‘that’. Now he thought it’s high time to do ‘that’.

“Somu, I have to do that” Guna said in a firm voice

“Good. I expected the same from you. Next Sunday no one will be there in my house. If you agree, I will arrange everything for you” Somu said enthusiastically.

Guna somehow did not like this idea. He wanted to do ‘that’ in his house. There was a strange reason for this. Everyday when he saw his face in the mirror, the reflection seem to question him – “WHEN…WHEN?”. Another problem was if he did ‘that’ in Somu’s home he was sure Somu would offer his own ideas. Guna wanted to experience ‘that’ for first time in his own house. So he said

“No Somu, I think I will do that in my house”

“OK it is your choice. But be careful”

“Why?”

Page 38 of 366 “Guna, don’t you know that blood comes out when you do it for first time? Be careful” Somu offered expert advise. Guna was tempted to ask

“How do you know this? Have you done that?”

“No, but I have read. Also, I have seen others doing it. It is common thing. Be careful.”

It’s all fine. But where will you get that thing from?” Somu raised another crucial question. Guna began to think about this. ‘That’ thing is very important in ‘that’ activity. Now where to get ‘that’ thing from? Guna was worried

“I can get that thing for you from my house. Its there in my father’s cupboard” Somu again offered help as a true friend. Somehow Guna did not like this idea either. He thought he can find ‘that’ thing even in his house. But it would be a problem if his mother caught him. “Why should you small boys be interested in these things?...&^* %” his mother would start suprabatam. He did not like the idea of getting ‘that’ thing from home. So he said –

“No Somu, let us buy a new one”

“That’s great. The experience with a new one is somewhat different” Somu again offered his expertise.

“OK. It’s decided that we will buy a new one. But which brand?”

“Why should we worry? We will directly ask the shop keeper to give the best one”

“But how can we ask the shop keeper directly? Will he not mistake us?”

“Hey Patta, the world has changed. When you see ‘that’ thing’s ads in paper and TV, why should we worry? We will directly ask him”

“But still…..”

“Why are you so tensed? They have kept ‘that’ thing in stores to give it to us. Why should we feel ashamed? If you feel bad, I will ask him” Somu was enthusiastic.

“No Somu, I will do it myself. But how much will it cost”

“There are lots of varieties these days. Gone are the days where you would get only one brand for 50 paise. But I think you can get a good one for 300 Rupees”

“300….its too much. I don’t want the imported one”

“Patta, its not that you will use one entire packet in one go. You will need it later. Once you experience that, you will want to repeat it again and again. So better buy a good one”

Guna was convinced. He decided to go to shop now itself.

“Come Somu, we will go to the byari’s shop and buy that. He sells Dubai items cheaply you know”. Somu could understand the logic behind Guna’s decision. He wanted to go to Byari’s shop not because it was cheap but because it was at a corner

Page 39 of 366 where people rarely go. But he didn’t want to pull Guna’s leg now. “You do that Guna. See how manly you will feel” he tried to cheer up Guna’s spirit.

They slowly approached Byari’s shop. Guna said “Somu, you stand here. I will go in and bring that”. “OK. Stay calm. Do you remember everything? Ask in a low voice” Guna nodded his head. Slowly Guna went to Byari and asked softly “One good shaving set please”.

Page 40 of 366 Some other issues about globalization

Thursday, May 12, 2005

There is lot of cry world-wide regarding the impact of globalization on local culture. There is a fear that we are creating a uni-polar world where everyone is seeing, listening, reading and even eating same things. We are losing our cultural identities are there is a growing intolerance regarding racial, religious and caste based issues.

All these are attributed to our economic and political policies where we have accepted LPG (Liberalization, Privatization and Globalization). But strangely we have failed to see the other side of these policies. There are some unique advantages which these policies have given us.

Yesterday, Bangalore celebrated “Akshaya Trithiya” in a feverous manner. Other places in the country also showed the same trend. Frankly, this annual affair never received the same treatment before. Why this change in trend?

This is not the only case. All celebrations which were limited to the private household have become a public affair. There is nothing small in today’s festivities. Even “Vara Mahalashmi vrutha”, “Tulasi Pooja”, “Noola Hunnime” all have become huge celebrations. How big is “Ganesh Chaturti”, “Deepavali”, “Ugadi”, “Sankranti” and even “Vijayadashami” is known to all. “Holi” probably overcasts New Year celebrations in terms of market revenues.

In fact, the trend today breaks lot of myth regarding LPG policies. There is an unusual pattern which anti-globalization pundits may hate to accept. But the reality is today the people are more conscious regarding their culture. The celebrations may be artificial but nevertheless, it creates enthusiasm. People start enquiring about the reason behind the celebration. It may enable them to identify their cultural backgrounds.

Behind the cynical celebrations lies a truth. And people are recognizing that truth. Some good packaging and intelligent marketing can sell anything in today’s world. It’s good that people are commoditizing and selling our culture. This may be the only way to protect, preserve and develop our culture.

It may sound strange but it is high time we learn from MNC’s about marketing and use the same tactics to promote our culture. That is the only surviving strategy in today’s global, market-driven world.

Market yourself and your culture or perish

Page 41 of 366 Ideology and identity

Monday, May 16, 2005

Who am I? – is the question which troubles us everyday. Establishing ones identity is not easy. The parental lineage, education background, job profile all try to build our identity. Our castes, spoken language, place where we live add to our identities. But the things which are related to us without our choice (parents, caste, place of birth etc) are not capable of establishing our true identity.

Ones identity is based on what one chooses to do. It may include education and the job if he has taken such decisions independently. So if I choose to become a teacher, then it is my identity. But if am forced to become a teacher then it is not my true identity.

We are all products of what we see, read and hear. Everyone has his own small world and connects to the outside world in a unique way. He will accept something which appeals to him. So his identity is shaped by the powerful influences which act on him.

The ideology we appreciate, accept and propagate also determines our identity. It may be political, religious or philosophical ideologies. We may accept a particular ideology by understanding it fully or because our role model has accepted it. Anyway our ideological belief determines our identity.

The real problem behind this is that sometimes our ideological identity overburdens us. A communist is forced to overlook the benefits of democracy. An atheist can never appreciate the psychological power of faith. Ideological beliefs limit one to certain level. He becomes a prisoner of the ideology which he believes in.

So ideology should never limit us. We should accept some ideology but we should be willing to detach also. We should be able to go beyond our ideological beliefs and accept the truth. That broad mindedness to see the alternatives and large heartedness to accommodate the differences should become our true identity.

Page 42 of 366 Accidents, Compensation and Government

Wednesday, May 18, 2005

In India the Government pays compensation to accident victims, farmers whose crop fail and sufferers of natural calamities. There are some standard packages which are paid. These days the normal ‘rates’ for accident victims are 1-1.5 lakhs for kin of dead and some thousands for the survivors depending on the seriousness of the injury. Whether Government has the responsibility to give compensation?

Legally, the compensation has to be paid by the person who causes accident. Though the driver’s negligence causes accident it is the owner who has to pay. This theory can be extended to explain why Government should pay compensation. But this theory holds well only if the accident occurs in a Government owned transport. But we see that it pays even when Government transport is not involved in accidents.

It can be noted that this compensation issue comes up only when there is an accident of serious nature. This is determined by the number of people who are dead, the background of victims, the importance of the situation, place where accident occurred etc. In a strange way, only certain accidents catch everyone’s attention.

We can understand the issue of compensation by understanding the role of Government. In a democratic system the Government has the responsibility to maintain social justice. The media highlights the plight of victims and Government will be forced to respond quickly. The reason behind the accident becomes immaterial. Whether the owner of that vehicle can give compensation to all is also doubtful. So Government is forced to announce compensation.

Due to the long delay in our judicial system, it becomes almost impossible for victims to claim their share of compensation in court. So it is good that Government acts fast on the compensation issue. Also it shows the alertness of administration machinery and people-friendly nature of Government policies.

India lacks a clear policy which speaks about this issue. The When? How much? Why? and Who? regarding compensation issues are not clear. Politicians announce relief packages merely for publicity. The burden this gives to exchequer is rarely discussed. Clearly the issue of compensation has been reduced to compulsory ritual after every major accident.

Will the compensation ever reach the victims? Even if it reaches them, will that money be helpful in any way? What if the bread winner of the family dies? – These are some questions which should be seriously answered. We can definitely come up with alternatives for cash compensation. Moreover is there is a real need for the Government to pay up every time an accident occurs? Can’t it make the people who cause accidents to pay the victims?

Page 43 of 366 Everyone is different yet all are equal

Friday, May 20, 2005

The two cornerstones of Democracy are freedom and equality. Freedom alone cannot be the guiding principle in Democracy. If everybody is free to do whatever he wants the meaning of democracy as a system of governance will be lost. Using the power of wealth, caste, people support and intellect certain dominant group will try to suppress others. The concept of equality will avoid this phenomenon. The concept of freedom without equality will create a chaotic society.

In nature nothing is equal. In fact, inequality is the most common phenomenon that can be seen around us. This diversity makes this world a beautiful one. Even humans, by nature, are not equal. The concept of equality does not come to them naturally. But humans are the only ones who can understand this concept of equality.

Using his thinking capabilities humans can understand the commonality between them. This is a unique gift to mankind. He can put himself in others shoes and analyze their opinion. He can understand that everyone has the same spirit inside them. This identification of a spiritual energy inside everyone helps one to recognize that all humans are equal.

Usually there will be a sense of equality in human relations. Members of same family, caste, state, country feel they are equal. There will be a thread of commonality between them. But, the recognition of equality should span beyond relations. It is to recognize that every human being is same despite having drastically different political, philosophical, religious, economic, social and national affiliations.

When there are natural imbalances in society how can this be possible? It is always the responsibility of the dominant party to recognize this concept of equality. If a weak person invite a strong person to fight and say they are equal that will be absurdity. Instead the stronger person should put his shoulder over the weaker guy and assure him that indeed they are equal. The same applies to intellectual brilliance.

The society will not become an ideal one just by accepting equality as a guiding principle of governance. Today it has just become a political slogan. Creating an equal society is the ultimate goal which humans want to achieve. The equal distribution of wealth and the creation of equal society thereby was the central theme of many political thinking.

Any number of theories will not help us achieve this. Everyone should recognize that in spite of having large difference in terms of physical strength and intellectual capability there is something common among all humans. Call it chetana, spirit, God or by another name; the message is same -

Amrutha vahini ondu hariyuttide

Manavana yede inda yedege satata

[A stream of spirit is flowing

Between human hearts tirelessly]

Page 44 of 366 Day-Moon : a poem in Kannada

Tuesday, May 24, 2005

Page 45 of 366 Some comments on Koffee with Karan

Monday, May 30, 2005

There was a great expectation when this talk show was started. (click here to read the previous article on the show). As the program continued, somehow things went wrong. The show had its own strengths but it had its own limitations. The show’s strength lied in Karan’s effort to bring in great people. But the choice of these guests itself was weakness of his show.

It was clear that Karan could only pull those people who are associated with him in some way. The contemporary celebrities who featured in the show were ONLY those who were part of his films. Others included those who had some relation to his movies.

The notable absence in the guest list were the contemporary directors who are (rivals) of Karan in Bollywood. He had a unique opportunity to invite people from the opposite group which is headed by Ram Gopal Verma. The credibility of the show would have increased if he had invited members from “Ram’s factory”. By not doing so Karan showed that there are deep boundaries which exist in Bollywood.

The grand season finale was a lack-luster show. The guests were typical members like Amitab and Shahrukh. There was a glimmer of hope when Farhan Akthar, Farah Khan and Sanjay Leela Bansali walked in. But their presence was limited to judging the rapid fire round. This part of the show which was usually good failed in this episode.

The show would have been more meaningful if Karan had chatted with the other directors. If the show’s strength lie in the fact that Karan knew his guests personally this also turned as major weakness of the show. He could not ask them very personal questions and limited himself to more formal ones.

Karan can leave this adventure at this point. This show does not do anything good to enhance his image. He should probably stick on to what he does best – make movies. Probably Shekar Suman and Simi Garewal can continue to entertain us with their chat shows. Clearly this chat show is not Karan’s cup of Koffee.

Page 46 of 366 Romantic relations in Indian mythology

Wednesday, June 01, 2005

As a leading columnist of a popular Kannada weekly recently observed, Indian mythology does not provide a romantic pair equivalent to the stature of Laila-Majnu, Romeo-Juliet etc. While we discuss mythology we are limiting ourselves to Ramayana and Mahabharatha. Surprisingly these two epics which speak volumes about human relations do not give us any romantic heroes.

There is another interesting issue regarding this. In both epics, people who (sincerely) love are evil characters. No hero character displays love publicly. This can be a mere reflection of the societal values that were accepted during those times.

In Ramayana, Rama marries Seetha just because he won the challenge. We can say that he “won” Seetha rather than marry her. He got the right to marry her. There is no reference that they married because they loved each other. What if Seetha loved one among those unfortunate souls who could not win the contest? This can be a good topic for feminists to comment on the status of women those days. But for us the important point is that love did not find a central place in deciding the marital partnership between them.

Surprisingly, the character who epitomizes love in Ramayana probably is Ravana. Whatever his credentials may be but he loved Seetha. His effort to get Seetha forms the crux of the epic. But Ravana is depicted as evil character. In the divide between Aryans and Dravidians which later got political colors, his image further deteriorated. History has failed to recognize Ravana as a genuine lover boy.

When we compare Ravana’s character with Krishna we find many similarities. Even Krishna is supposed to have “affairs” with Gopikas who were married. His romance with Radha has attained special heights and has been described as spiritual. On ground we can find that both Ravana and Krishna possessed similar characteristics. But Krishna is worshipped when Ravana is damned for his behavior.

Krishna probably is the poster boy of love in Mahabharatha. But, he can rarely be a role-model in this aspect. His behavior (especially his relation with Gopikas) if emulated in the present world may cause much tension. On the other hand we can accept Arjuna as a romantic hero. His adventures with Subhadra and many other may the greatest heights of love in our epics.

Consider the case of Kamsa, Jarasanda and Duryodana in Mahabharatha. All these characters were lover boys who were again the evil characters in the epic. Somehow in both the epics, the people who linger for love are not given due respect. Their wish to get their love-ladys is condemned. The surprising element is that the Hero who finally gets the lady never seems to have love for her. He merely wins her in the contest as in the case of Rama and Arjuna (with Draupadi)

As said earlier, this may be because of the accepted societal norms of that day. We will be doing a serious mistake if we try to analyze those situations through microscope which is tinted with present day theories. Those issues should be discussed after understanding the situation which was prevalent in those days. But since love is understood as universal and timeless theory, there are some serious questions regarding the failure of Indian epics to come up with one character similar to Romeo-Juliet.

Page 47 of 366 Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup

Friday, June 03, 2005

Humans are supposed to be “social beings”. It is understood that the companionship is the central point of human existence. Relationships rule our lives. Our true self is defined by our relations. But this relations and togetherness should have certain restrictions. Too much closeness can be suffocating.

Humans by nature are solitary souls. But relations are unavoidable for their existence in the society. Parents, family, caste, religion etc impose certain relations on us. We also choose some relations in our lives like friends and companions. When we form new relations we should know the limitations of relations.

Any relation starts with doubt and suspicion. It takes times to evolve. Accepting someone to share what is yours is really difficult. Someone will occupy your personal space and this can be really intimidating for many. Opening yourself for the new comer in your life may be really difficult. With mutual understanding and comradeship this will evolve. But after a relationship is steady we have to be cautious.

There is always a fear of over-stepping the limits in relations. Both partners should understand the importance of giving space to each other. The extra urge to share everything in life can really spoil a good relation. It is necessary to understand that there is personal space for everyone in a relation.

Let there be spaces in your togetherness

Love one another but make not a bond of love

Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup.

Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf.

Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone,

Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they tremble with the same music.

And stand together, yet not too near together:

For the pillars of the temple stand apart,

And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow

(Khalil Gibran in Prophet)

So for a relation to be successful, togetherness is not the only mantra. It should be combined with the understanding of personal space. One should entertain a new relation only when he is ready to do this. To respect the individuality of the partner and nurturing that small space in togetherness is the key for a successful relation. Relations should grow by sharing a common space and not by steeping over each other’s personal space.

Page 48 of 366 Beauty is Truth, Truth Beauty

Monday, June 06, 2005

“The pursuit of truth and beauty is a sphere of activity in which we are permitted to remain children all our lives” —Albert Einstein

Finding the relation between truth and beauty has always fascinated humans. The Indian texts said “Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram”. The emphasis was that there is no distinction between truth and beauty. But we have to consider that this phase was given in a spiritual context. For a person who sees a spiritual energy in all worldly objects, there is no difference between the two.

What is truth? Is it an un-provable and universally observable fact? If we are not able to see the truth will it become otherwise? Should everyone agree upon something for it to become truth? These are questions which every faith has tried to answer. Depending on which philosophy you are referring to, you may land up getting different answers which may be contradicting each other. But what everyone agrees is that there is some “Universal truth”. The purpose of human life, they say, is to find that truth.

When we try to relate truth to the observable world, we face problems. There will be competing views regarding who has observed the truth and who didn’t. Beauty is one thing. Since it as concept associated with the physical object there is serious doubt whether we can associate beauty with truth.

“Beauty is Truth,--Truth Beauty,--that is all Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know” (John Keats). This famous statement is quite controversial. While the saying “truth beauty” can be accepted without any hesitation, the same cannot be said about the reverse i.e. “beauty is truth”.

If we accept that beauty is indeed truth, then we will land up with different versions of truth. Considering the fact that truth is Universal and it is always the same irrespective of the observer, beauty cannot be truth. The problem here is that we interpret beauty in our own ways. That interpretation will be influenced by our beliefs and many other issues which can be summed as our personality.

As observed earlier, truth is beyond personal interpretations. Truth cannot be otherwise just people someone does not accept it. But the same cannot be said about beauty. It is heavily dependent on the observer’s perception and hence cannot qualify as truth.

But if truth is interpreted as individualistic concept then beauty also can be truth. But that truth is limited to self. It cannot be “universal truth”. If the goal of truth is to bring happiness to self, then beauty is the highest form of truth. This concept is aptly summarized by Keats as follows -

A thing of beauty is a joy for ever: Its loveliness increases; it will never Pass into nothingness;

Page 49 of 366 Coalition politics

Tuesday, June 07, 2005

This is the era of coalition Governments in India. Both the central and our state governments are formed out this political inevitability. Starting with the V P Singh and Chandrashekar Governments, the center is always ruled by the temporary coalitions. The only exception in these years was the P V Narasimharao’s government during 1991.

We must accept that the days of single party rule in India is over. Neither the Congress nor the BJP can ever dream of forming the Government on its own in the center. With the emergence of powerful local parties, it is almost impossible for anyone to form Government without their support. But there have been some serious setbacks due to this unprecedented development.

Consider the national political scene. Can we identify at least one politician who can be labeled as national leader? Due to the rigid regionalization of political issues, leaders are busy safeguarding the interests of their particular states. This compels them to limit themselves to the state politics. In present situation, it is impossible for any one to identify as national leader.

The second drawback of coalition Governments is that the sate which does not have a powerful regional party tends to lose its position in the national scene. Consider Tamilnadu where there are two strong regional parties. Invariably any one party continues to stay in power regardless of who forms Government in the centre. So the interests of the state are always protected.

This is not the case with Karnataka. There is a big void in political scenario here. The state is still waiting for a credible and strong political party which can be identified with the state. Until this happens, the state tends to lose major advantage on all important aspects which involves inter-state disputes.

While it is undeniable that coalition Governments pose more threat to the political stability of the country, it is unavoidable. So there is an urgent necessity in Karnataka to come up with a strong regional political force which can safeguard the state’s interest. May be this coalition politics is the best prescription for the diversity in India and the complexity which is involved in governing it.

The recent victory of Bangarappa in Shimoga constituency is supposed to be the starting point for SP in state. But we have to remember that the story of SP in Karnataka has only one actor in the scene. It starts and ends with Bangarappa. Alas, SP is not the alternative Karnataka is looking forward to.

The emergence of JD(S) is a remarkable story. Its unprecedented growth in last few months demonstrates that it can be a viable political alternative in Karnataka. But as with all regional parties, it also suffers from family domination. If Devegowda can ably nurture the political ambitions of other leaders in the party apart from his sons, this one gives a glimmer of hope. The fate of JD(U) and other parties like DSS, Raitha Sanga are not encouraging.

With the power of Congress slowly dwindling and the state of BJP not improving, its perfect situation for JD(S) to gain strength. If it is able to grow, Karnataka can look forward for having a good regional party which can even make an impact at national level.

Page 50 of 366 The road ahead for BJP

Thursday, June 09, 2005

When India prides itself as the largest democracy in the world, it should also see the problems it is facing. It is understandable that democracy is the only political structure that suits this country which has so many diversities. But then democracy is linked to secularism. Even though India has been successful as democratic state, it is still experimenting with secularism.

The problem regarding this started with the partition. When Pakistan was formed in accordance with the two-nation theory, certain questions remained unanswered. If Pakistan was “Islamic republic” then India’s existence was supposed to be “Hindu republic”. But the founding fathers of this nation did not think so and they were right. We declared ourselves as “Secular republic”.

The need for the recognition of India as “Hindu” nation was heard feebly then. The Hindu Maha Sabha was voicing this opinion from those days. The emergence of the political wing of these like-minded groups namely “Jan Sangh” kept this tempo going. The rise of BJP as a powerful voice finally fuelled this caused to the heights. This extreme right-wing political party has always declared the establishment of “Akand Hindu Rastra” as its goal.

The political turmoil in 90’s combined with the failure of Congress in providing stable Government in the center increased the strength of BJP. Demolition of Babri Masjid and events which followed it gave it a reason to solidify its base. Combined with the grass root level support provided by VHP and RSS cadets, BJP slowly became a power to reckon with. Riding on the popularity of “Ram Janm Bhoomi Yatra”, it rose to power in the center.

But once it was governing the country, it seems to have understood the complexity of the problem. It is other case while it was in opposition to announce the building of Ram Mandir. Perhaps while it was in power, it recognized that it was governing not only the Hindus but the entire nation. The caste based politics can garner votes but it cannot guide governance.

The irony in politics, especially the democratic electorate, is that you have to rule not only your supporters but also your enemies. You may win elections due to majority support. But you have to care for minorities while you are in power. The hate-politics can be a trick while in opposition but once in Government, you have to shed it.

This is the precise lesson which BJP learnt while in office. The secular nature of this nation is so strongly rooted; it is difficult to uproot them by any ideology. Any political party which wants to establish itself should swear by this principle of secularism. Perhaps BJP understood this very lately but when it did that, there was a dilemma.

BJP has always credited its existence to the support of Hindu organizations. It derives its ideologies from them. But now it has learnt that it can no longer rely on these religious sentiments to rule the nation. “To be or not to be” with its ideological parents seems to the problem of BJP today.

The recent controversy involving L K Advani should be seen with this perspective. The elders in the party seem to have recognized the fact that if they have to rule this

Page 51 of 366 country, they should be secular. Advani being the party chief has tried to bring this image change to the party. But this is not received with enthusiasm by their friends. So what is the future of BJP? There certainly seems to be differences in the party. This is not the peculiar problem faced only by BJP. Even in Left parties, there was this ideological dilemma. One set of people who favored electoral politics have separated themselves from the others who believe in establishing ideal state through revolution.

BJP finds itself in similar situation but the choices are different. It has to either stick to the hindutva politics, which it has been doing from years or accept secularism as its guiding principle. In the interest of nation and to provide a true alternative to Congress, it will be best to accept later. It is the best opportunity that it has got in these many years to redefine itself. Let BJP emerge stronger from this crisis with new outlook that believes in the secular credentials of this country.

Page 52 of 366 BJP – Advantage lost

Saturday, June 11, 2005

Just when the ink dried on the article about Advani’s resignation (click here to read that article) there is shocking news that he has withdrawn it. For the keen observers of Indian politics, it should be the same story which unveils every now and then. But the crucial question is – who gains from this drama of resignation?

Definitely, the man who anchored it lost the advantage. Advani stands as loser in this one which had all ingredients of a melodrama. His image has taken a backseat and his authority in the party is questionable. The “loh purush” tag does not fit him anymore.

There are some definite lessons which BJP has to learn. It was surprising that the second level leaders of the BJP never voiced their opinion in this issue. May be they thought it is best left to the elders in the party to resolve the issue. But the strong reaction of the sister organizations throughout the episode made it clear as to who runs the show in BJP.

BJP has lost a historic opportunity to clear the blunders it committed in the past. The loser is also the country, which hoped that a true secular party will emerge from this crisis. But alas, similar to the Umabharathi episode this one too ended with the main character feebly submitting to the pressures of the Sangh.

When leaders like Mayawati who had made “Manuvadis” as her prime political targets now openly romancing the Brahmins, there is no hope in this country. The BJP, it seems, is not keen to come out of its image. With all these developments the political scene in the country has become more muddled. With no leader with strong conviction, the country stands a loser.

Page 53 of 366 Rankings of Colleges and its implications

Monday, June 13, 2005

It’s again the admission time and magazines are busy with an annual ritual. The issue of ranking (rating) the institution has become clear strategy for magazines to increase their sales. Hapless students who are unsure about their choice make good customers for them. But the validity of these ranking is questionable and its implications far too much then expected.

It is clear that the education system is huge business in India. Every year numerous institutes spring up with promises that touch skies. With the threat of foreign institutes opening its operations directly in India looming over their heads, these institutes here are gearing up to face the competition. But the route taken by them to accomplish this is far from satisfactory.

Education is a low-risk business in India. The investment is comparatively low and the restrictions almost non-existent. The governing bodies are corrupted to the extreme which makes getting approval for new institute easy. With so many institutes competing each without any definite USP they continuously look out for quality parameters.

Any institute which has an objective to climb up in the quality ladder will focus primarily on the infrastructure – both physical and academic. Due to various reasons the institutes now seem to worry more about the physical infrastructure than the academics. In the absence of any authorized ranking mechanism, there is lot of scope for others to come with their own rating system.

There exist two important quality checks for educational institutes. One is ISO certification and other is the certification by NBA (National Board of Accreditation). Both certifications work at different levels and have their own drawbacks. ISO is not essentially about quality but about keeping “promises”. The guiding principle of ISO is “Say what you do. Do what you say”. This makes it non-comprehensive kind of certification. If certain important quality measures are not included in the ISO document specification, the institute can skip that and still be awarded with ISO. This is a serious lacuna in the system.

While NBA is more comprehensive and more focused towards educational institutes, being a Government body brings its own problems. That the accreditation by NBA is mandatory for all institutes now has made it less ordinary. The ranking of NBA cannot be the USP for any institute. Every other seems to have one. This will force the institutes to come out with something different which can help it stand tall in the crowd.

Many institutes use the results and placement data as main marketing strategy. But that can hardly be criteria to rank them. A college which has only 4 branches with 60 students each can boast itself as superior just because it has 100% results. The number of students placed also cannot be a parameter since a college with large number of students can boast of large number of placements. If percentages of students who are placed are considered, then the smaller colleges definitely will have upper-hand.

The rankings that are published in magazines are far from perfect. Definitely an invisible hand will be in operation to guarantee the places for certain institutions in

Page 54 of 366 top 10. In Karnataka, BITES attempted to rate the professional institutes. But their rating system is dipped in controversy. Their system of giving weights to the CET ranks of students who gain admission to colleges take away the advantage from small institutes. That is because they usually get students from lower ranking (or is it higher ranking!!!).

The ideal formula to rate institutes should consider the improvement a student makes during his/her stay in a particular institute. Another lacuna in these ranking systems is that it gives scant respect to the environment, living conditions, academic freedom, support to co and extra curricular activities. A comprehensive ranking system should consider all these parameters and should not rely on individual parameters like results, placement record etc.

Just when this article was completed, here is news that NASSCOM-IDC-Data Quest has released the list of top Technical institutes in the country. The shocking aspect is that certain colleges in Bangalore which do not have any standing are placed in the list. More surprising is the fact that MSRIT does not figure in the list. This itself speaks volumes about the credibility of the ranking systems.

Page 55 of 366 The MJ and Tyson story - Triumph of true spirit

Thursday, June 16, 2005

This week saw the two celebrities come out as winners in their own way. One was the “moonwalker” who made the world dance to this tunes while the other made people sit up and take notice of him, no matter what he did. Both had the same fairy-tale like lifestyles and both were successful in their chosen area and ruled it like none other.

Michael Jackson symbolizes a culture; a culture obsessed with material success. The success he got was a hard-earned one. He can be an ideal subject for psychological class room. There is a general feeling that he can no more be appreciated as a hero of a downtrodden society, which he represented at initial stages of his career. His decision to shun his black skin can be considered as a commentary on modern day society.

[MJ may be having serious problems establishing his identity. Perhaps when he stands before a mirror, his reflection may always question him about his true identity.]

Whatever may the truth behind the allegations against him, his sprit to fight against them was commendable. What was more surprising was the support his fans gave him throughout his trial. How can so many around the world stand so firmly behind someone? - is the question which many sociologists may find hard to answer. Now that he is acquitted from all charges, we can expect that he will continue doing what he is best at – entertaining people through his singing and dancing.

The story of Tyson is not very different. Public can recall at least three fights which was dubbed as the “comeback” fight of Tyson. But after reaching the peak of his career quite early in his life he followed it with dramatic fall. Like MJ his stories beyond his professional life also made quite news. But what set apart Tyson from MJ was his bad-boy image which rose from his professional arena. On a contrary, MJ has a clean slate in his professional life.

Another commonality between MJ and Tyson was that both belonged to that race which tried to make a mark in the racial-divide ridden America. The paths employed by them were quite distinct. It is quite another question as to who succeeded in this effort. But the present situation has made both of them heroes, quite in their own ways.

While it was a moral and legal victory for MJ after fighting numerous allegations against him, for Tyson it was a different kind of victory. His acceptance at the end of the fight that he can no longer do this was a demonstration that he has matured a lot and has learnt his lessons. Instead of fighting and losing to individuals who are no where comparable to him, it is better he has decided to quit. This will make his retirement a gracious one.

What will these men pursue now? While MJ has not told anything, it is quite simple for him to decide. With the new found status, he can be assured that his new album will sell a few million copies more. But the announcement of Tyson came as a surprise. He wants to be a missionary. Can a person who bit off the opponent’s ear be a messenger of peace? - is a question which only time can answer. Whatever may be the future of these men, it is quite clear that the recent episodes have demonstrated that true spirit can assure victory against all odds.

Page 56 of 366 Who is your role model?

Friday, June 17, 2005

Everyone looks up to somebody and think they should be like them in their lives. Every one of us have our own heroes. But as someone rightly pointed out – “At some point of time our heroes will let us down”. It is true in the case of the people who accept some great personalities as their role models.

Take the case of film stars, sports persons, politicians, social workers – whom we look up as role models. At some point we forget that they too are humans. When our favorite hero delivers continuous flops, when our favorite sports person fails to deliver, when our ideal social worker is clogged in controversies – we start thinking again. Our favorite list changes and again we choose some other person as our role model. The story continues.

Do we need a role model in our lives? We definitely do. But who that should be? - is the question which has to be answered. A film star whose whereabouts are not known, an unknown star player of a winning team, an ideal looking politician whose working style is not known – cannot become our role models. It may be argued that in this age of information, all details of a person can be easily known. Whatever it may be those people who are completely unknown to us cannot be good role models to us.

It may look old-fashioned, but it is true that people who are around us alone can make good role models. People who work sincerely without expecting any returns can be found around us. They work silently without any media attention. It can be the neighborhood shop keeper who promptly returns back the change, the postman who delivers the (age-old) letters without failure, the news paper delivery boy who comes regularly without bothering the weather conditions and so many like these – can be ideal role models to us. But do we care?

The word role model rings many names in our minds. We start thinking about a successful person and think we can emulate their success in our life. But what we fail to understand is the fact that the conditions under which they struggled and succeed cannot be repeated in our lives. If one says that Vishweshwaraiah became a famous Engineer by studying under street lamp that does not mean that we have to do so.

Buddha may have gained ultimate knowledge by meditating for years under a banyan tree. That does not imply that we should be repeating his experiment to gain the same knowledge. In fact people who were his followers also could not reach his height. People who were with Gandhi did not become “Mahatmas”. This demonstrates that blindly following someone also does not lead us to our destination.

There is never dearth of persons who can be role models in our lives. People with whom we interact on a day-to-day basis also possess some excellent traits. It is up to us to recognize those qualities in them and try to adopt them in our lives. It is fascinating to hear that Steve Jobs walked miles to get his free meals in Hare Krishna temple. We listen to him because he is successful now. Do we care about those who go through the same ordeal even today?

Page 57 of 366 Have you seen the common man?

Tuesday, June 21, 2005

In India, the use of the phrase “Common man” has become a cliché. Apart from R K Laxman’s cartoon he does not seem to exist anywhere. But still all political parties assure that they are the best people to safeguard his interests. In this scenario, it becomes important for us to rediscover the “common man”.

In a globalized economy in which we are living today, the rules are fast changing. The concerns about changing lifestyles are raised everywhere. Before a decade, common man was having a government job, was staying in a rented house, was using mass transport for his travel and was a simple man. His life was far removed from the complexities of the world. He was happy in his small and simple world. But this image of the common man does not exist anymore.

Few people in the common man bracket take up government jobs these days. Every other guy owns a vehicle. Thanks to the easy loans, he is dreaming about his own home. Definitely no one sticks on to the same job for entire lifetime. Our persecution about common man is wrong. He does not seem to exist anymore. The middle class is not what it was before. With the explosion of information and access to variety of electronic gadgets, their world is fast changing.

These developments have empowered the common man with knowledge. With the newfound knowledge, he is now capturing the world. It is not uncommon now to see that people from the middle class families making it big not only in education but also in films, politics, music and fashion. When did this change happen? Weren’t the common people debarred from dreaming big lot so long ago?

Quite hesitantly the credit for this dramatic change should go to globalization policies that we have adopted. Whatever may the allegations we have against it, one thing is clear. The world has changed. Common man is not out of this influential force, which has grabbed the world. The easy access to all information resources, free flow of credit, reduced restrictions from the government has enabled common man to step his foot in that world which was earlier forbidden to him.

But eating the forbidden fruit has its own problems. On one hand, he is having access to global information and lifestyle but on the other hand there is a reality. A reality with which he has to live everyday, a reality far removed from the glamorous lifestyle projected in his TV screen. This is the tragedy which globalization has brought in with all the famed advantages.

Today all beauty products are selling well. Theaters, theme and amusement parks are packed. Restaurants are doing good business. All things associated with high life style are made accessible even to common man. Credit cards, cell phone, plush cars, farmhouses, specialty clinics, and high-end hotels – all see him as lucrative customer. They are ready to extend credit to him with low or no interest. What else does our common man need? He is truly the king in the present world.

But is this true? The realities of hyped credit policies are well known. The long-term effects of the changing life styles are already seen. Never ending traffic, long queues in clinics, increasing rates of suicides due to depression all speak the volumes about the changes in the life of common man. Isn’t it high time our common man rediscovers himself?

Page 58 of 366 Not teaching English is a crime

Wednesday, June 22, 2005

People often make a mistake by categorizing globalization just as an economical theory. We should understand that opening up the economic doors of a country has profound influence on the culture of that country. Economics cannot be discussed in isolation. One necessary discussion that is missing in this direction is the question of survival of languages.

Globalization demands that world be viewed as a singular entity. The open trade needs a culture which is open also other related issues. It is not the cultural co- existence that we are talking about. The growing religion intolerance in today’s world proves that co-existence is rarely possible. Globalization, it seems needs a uni- cultural world. That implies that only one language can survive in this capitalistic world.

The recent row about introducing Kannada in primary schools should be understood in this respect. It is a crime not to teach English to students who come from poor background. It is high time the intellectuals here understand that there is no way other than this. All the huge cries about saving the language by enforcing them ONLY on poor students are absurd.

Let us seriously rethink about our language policies. Here the students studying in Government schools are made scapegoats for all experiments. What happened to our efforts to teach science to these students in Kannada? Did we get encouraging results? No, in fact we ruined many lives because of this experiment. Students who studied science in Kannada had hard times adjusting when they joined college. Add to this was the inferiority complex they developed because they did not know English. Who is responsible for all these mess?

For ages we have denied English education to the poor. It is because they do not have this power of language they are suffering till today. This stubborn attitude of Government not to teach English in its schools has favored the establishment of so many English schools. Parents have no option but to send their wards to these schools whose only aim is to make money. Less said is better about the infrastructure, faculty quality and other things. Many of these “convent schools” swindle parents to give hefty money as donations. Their only USP – they teach English.

People argue that we can come up life even after learning in Kannada. After all, our parent’s generation did not go to English medium schools. But then the quality of schools in those days cannot be compared to the schooling standards of this day. And the dependency on English is growing every day. It may also be argued that science and technology does not have a language and so can be learnt in any language. But any sensible person will agree that there is no future in these areas unless one masters English language.

Another notable point which we miss is that we are experimenting on poor. People who are well-off can afford English education. We are not concerned about them. We are talking about poor people both in urban and rural areas. They are the people who do not aim big. We have to empower them at least to feed themselves and take care about their family. In this era where society is increasingly dependent on knowledge based industries, they have to be empowered with English. It will be a serious crime on our part if we do not impart this kind of education to them.

Page 59 of 366 Indian politics = Confusion

Thursday, June 23, 2005

The keen observers of Indian politics are confused lot these days. It is quite common for Indian voter to get confused about the political parties and their leanings. Though it is often repeated that there are no permanent foes or friends in politics, the speed with which these equations change here are mind-blowing. Today there seems to be no credibility among political parties in India.

Take the case of Left parties. They are the ones who hold the control of the central government. But they are extending support without participating in the governing activities. What do they achieve from this? One thing is clear- they are not accountable for anything that goes on in that level. They even get the freedom of condemning the decisions taken by it. The recent call by them to have a country wide strike opposing the hike in fuel prices and disinvestment in BHEL is baffling. That too the announcement was done after the leaders from left attended the meeting scheduled to discuss the same. What do we infer from this? Should we think that left supported price hike but simply calls for the strike for the sake of doing it? Confusing!

The RSS leader Sudarshan appreciates the leadership of Indira Gandhi. Now we have been thinking that RSS provides support to BJP which in turn bashes Congress on every occasion. Akali Dal which was formed to safeguard the interests of Sikhs after the 1984 Sikh riots is the partner of BJP. But RSS hails Indira Gandhi who probably caused the biggest humiliation against Sikhs. How should we interpret this?

Sudarshan says he likes the courage of Indira Gandhi to carve Bangladesh. We were thinking that RSS had its roots in the Savarkar’s principle of “Akand Bharath”. That is the precise reason why they hate the creation of Pakistan. But now he says that creation of Bangladesh is fine. So similarly the creation ofPakistan on the basis of religion also should be acceptable for them. But that does not look so, after we saw the recent row about Advani’s remarks about Jinnah. So what does RSS believe in? Again confusing!!

The election in Bihar was a true eye-opener. In the center Lalu, Paswan and Congress are true friends. But in the state elections they were fighting against each other. Worse was after a fractured verdict, they could not form an alliance. It was quite strange that they work together in center but could not come close at home. The same applies to JD(S)-Congress alliance in Karnataka. Are coalition parties friends or foes? Its difficult to explain this strange romance to an outsider. Truly confusing!!!

There are many more issues that are really confusing. Mayawati, we were told, is against the upper cast people. In fact Kanshiram projected her as a leader of the downtrodden community. Recently we hear that she attends the Brahmin Sammelan. What is shocking is that she announces that she was never against them and extends invitation to Brahmins to join her party. Where is anti-manuwadi Mayawati?

These developments are only a tip of iceberg. As one gets deep into understanding the Indian political system, things get more complicated. Is this a reflection of the lacuna in our political thinking? Is this the compulsion of political parties to stay alive in this multi-party system? Is it high time for us to think about alternate political structure? Thinking on these lines makes us more confused!!!!

Page 60 of 366 Say NO to Pepsi

Friday, June 24, 2005

The ill-effect of globalization is gripping the world. There is a sense of uneasiness everywhere. There is a growing fear that the world is moving towards becoming a singular entity where there are no differences. Though equality is a high placed principle, the absence of plurality is frightening. One cannot imagine a world where everyone eats sees drinks and thinks in a same way.

Globalization is threatening the fabric of diversity of cultures. The far ranging effects of globalization policies will not be felt in economics of improvised countries but in the deterioration of local cultures in every part of the world. The erosion of traditional value system and slow poisoning of young minds is what we should fight against. The amnesia about our heritage which globalization brings with it is our main enemy.

The proponents of globalization often point out the improved lifestyles of people, increased buying power and choice, easy access to credit and possession of sophisticated gadgets as the gifts of globalization. The voluminous employment generation is often considered as the boon of globalization. The availability of internationally recognized food products is heralded as a great revolution. What we have to oppose is this tendency of lauding anything which comes from foreign countries.

The opposition against Pepsi (and other similar products) is symbolic one. By boycotting the usage of Pepsi we have to send strong signals. In this era of increased customer focus, intelligent buying decision is the best strategy we can employ against globalization. Our ability to stand still despite the glamorized marketing techniques should be our main strength. That is the only way to oppose globalization at an individualistic level.

We have to oppose Pepsi not because of lab reports or any other technical grounds. The credibility of such technical reports is mired in controversy. We have to oppose Pepsi at a different level. We have to oppose it because it is available even in remote villages where there is no proper drinking water. We have to oppose it because it has taken the market away from local competitors in an unethical way.

Another reason why we have to oppose Pepsi is economic reason. The money we spend on Pepsi does not stay in India. People who are following the developments of Pepsi have argued that the manufacturing cost of Pepsi does not go beyond Rs 3/bottle. That means it loots the hard earned money of our countrymen and passes it to its home country. Isn’t it a strong reason enough to boycott Pepsi?

Most important reason why we should say NO to Pepsi is this. People from small towns and middle class junta in cities see drinking Pepsi as a privilege. People do not drink Pepsi to quench their thirst but to make a statement. It is this artificial social highness which is induced by Pepsi that we have to fight. If people drink Pepsi as any normal drink we have no problem. But if they drink it just to make a statement then we oppose it.

These are testing times for anti-globalization supporters. Globalization has become a reality and it is hard to go back. Only one thing that can be done now is empowering people with facts and enabling them take right decisions.

Page 61 of 366 This… No…that…No…Another…No….

Tuesday, June 28, 2005

“CET CELL “- Whoever has coined this term, God bless him, has got this one right. CELL is the right word to describe the CET counseling building. Every year at this point of time, you see the same emotions. Faces change but the tension remains same. Dhoti-clad elderly people from North Karnataka, arecanaut chewing gentlemen from Canara districts, men with suits, family members anxiously waiting outside and students worrying about colleges….oh! These things never seem to change.

It may be simple for us now to comment on the childish behavior of students and funny queries of parents in the time of counseling. But every one goes through the same once in his lifetime. It is perfect time for us to think about one thing that we are obsessed with these days. - The question of choice.

Girish Karnad in his famous play “Yayati” comments that people can never be happy with the choice they make. If we are at crossroads and choose to go in one path, then we should move ahead. Instead of appreciating the beauty that may be found in the chosen path, many tend to think about the path which they have left behind. Their journey then becomes less enjoyable.

It is natural to be spoilt by choices. Take any buying decisions today. We have so many choices. Economists will tell us that having choices will actually help the customer. That is because if there are more competitors, the price will come down. Ultimately, the customer wins. It looks like having choice is the perfect recipe for a good society. But how far is this true?

Decisions can be made only if we have good information in hand. Many may feel that intuition can play a bigger role in decision making. But think- in today’s information age, are we able to get “true” information about anything. Let us confine our discussion to the colleges. The hapless people in the CET run around carrying the survey carries by some private organization. These rankings and its uselessness is already discussed. So where can those poor people get right information to take good decisions?

This analogy can be continued to the choices that we have to make while buying every other item. Take anything – TV, Cell phones, Computer, Vehicles, Home appliances, Clothes – we have lots of choices. But how do we pick from the lot? How do we take a decision? Is it purely based on facts? If so, can we mange to get them? Even if we get the data are we assured that they are accurate? Or should we try to forget all these logic based decision making and go by our intuition?

Perhaps the entire marketing community may be struggling hard to find answers to these questions. There are some interesting researches done in this area. Someone found that dishes with typical prefixes sell more than ordinarily named dishes. (Eg: Grandma’s grilled chicken, it seems, is more appealing than grilled chicken) We cannot arrive at conclusions so easily. May be the background of a person, his socio- economic status, the influences that act on him, the kind of exposure he has to the world – all play important role in helping people make good decisions.

As far as choosing a college in CET CELL it can be an interesting topic. How do people prepare for months taking suggestions from everyone and how they change all that in split-seconds is really amazing. It will be discussed sometime later.

Page 62 of 366 The image of colleges

Wednesday, June 29, 2005

One common question every CET aspirant will ask is - How is the college? When someone poses this question, it is not clear what they expect. The college can be gauged by various parameters. It can be the infrastructure, teaching standards, campus recruitment rate, hostel facilities, academic environment or any other particulars. But in most cases people do not ask these specific questions. Instead they expect one word answer. It is difficult to put the collective characteristics of colleges in one attribute such as good, fine, ok etc.

This is a typical problem that we have to encounter every now and then. Any organization develops its own culture over a period of time. As mentioned in the title this culture is referred as “image”. Every corporate and educational institution develops this image in a peculiar way. The public perception about any organization is developed by a mix of reasons.

Traditional organizational behavior literature tells us that the initial members of any organization are responsible for cultivating a culture in that place. The vision and mission statement of the organization are designed to lead them in the future. This is often the basis for the culture of that organization. The initial practice enforced by the founding fathers goes a long way in establishing the cultural face of that organization.

While it is easy for companies to establish a mission statement and vision document, the same cannot be applied to educational institutes. In fact, all professional colleges seem to have goal. While imparting quality education is their primary goal, we have to understand that they too are business establishments. So they also have to make profits to survive in the fiercely competitive education business. In this process, it is natural for them to give less importance for all these things like vision, mission statement etc.

This is the root cause for the problems that emerge later. Colleges find it extremely difficult to differentiate themselves from others. They all teach the same syllabus prescribed by the university, they all should have facilities as required by AICTE and the academic requirements are prescribed by various government bodies. So they all tend to give same set of ‘services’ to students. Beyond all these similarities, colleges are in need to develop a sense of uniqueness. That uniqueness which is also a necessity is what is referred as ‘culture’ of that institute.

It is quite interesting to observe that a group of people coming together tend to develop a distinct identity for their group. It should be noted that the identity of the group is quite different from the sum total of individual identities. It may have contributions of all of them, but still the identity of group is distinct and more dominant from individual identities. Do people of a group contribute for group identity or whether group identity forces people to change theirs? - may be a good question to ponder on.

Colleges nevertheless will have an identity and culture. It can be used to develop our initial perceptions bout the place. It should not be a dominant factor influencing our decisions about the place. We should understand that people working there decide the culture of that institute. When you become part of that place, you can contribute in your own way to the culture of the college. The same applies even to the culture prejudice we have about companies.

Page 63 of 366 Kannada films cannot have a superstar

Monday, July 04, 2005

The definition of “Super star” in India film industry is not subjected to proper analysis by sociologists. The study of emergence of superstars in this part of the world is noteworthy for many reasons. In this article a basic analysis of this phenomenon is undertaken. It will be better to start with basic assumptions considered in this discussion.

For present discussion “super star” is the one who demands considerable pull in the film industry. He is a rarely considered as an actor but more as a star. A star who does only those films which suits his persona. He is the guy for whom separate scripts are written, dialogues carefully tailored to suit his larger-than-life screen image, mannerisms of the characters polished to suit his image and so on.

Kannada film industry unfortunately cannot have a super star. The inherent nature of Kannada film industry is in such a way that it cannot afford one. Questions can be raised about some great names in this trade and whether they are not super stars. Considering the definition given earlier it is clear in the first glance itself that Kannada films lack such a persona.

The main reason behind the absence of superstar is pure economic one. The trade of films here is limited to few pockets. The entire state also is not a profitable market for Kannada films. In an industry where the returns are low, this is the important aspect keeping the budget of the Kannada films at a dismissive low level. This low budget and controlled budget films eliminate any possibility of having a superstar.

Kannada film industry was not located in the state for a long time. Erstwhile Madras was the hub of Kannada films for a long time. This had profound implications on the way Kannada films were executed. Unlike films in other languages which are deeply rooted in the local culture, Kannada films could not afford this. There are rarely any films in Kannada which have deep connection with the local culture. This also is an obstacle for having a super star for it can be noted that super stars always have emerged from the local culture. They are cultural ambassadors of the place and this did not happen in Kannada films.

Super stars are the ones who connect with people easily. They speak with the people through their films. A true super star is one whom people say as theirs. They cry for his troubles on screen and celebrate his victories. The capability of a person to manipulate the emotions of audience can be a true candidate for the esteemed position of superstar. Unfortunately Kannada film industry did not see such a charismatic personality.

The existing heroes here fall far too short from being super stars. They may be labeled as super stars by their few handful fans but that will not give them that coveted post. Super stars are not named but they emerge on their own. The continued success has to reach euphoric level; the number of fans should swell beyond hysteric limits – then a super star will emerge. He will truly rule the industry and the hearts of people. Being a true common man hero he will the mascot of that film industry.

We here in Karnataka are still searching for such a super star. The possibility of finding one these days looks grim. Let us hope we will find one such star soon.

Page 64 of 366 The future of religion

Wednesday, July 06, 2005

If there is anything in today’s world which is posing problems more than anything to the mankind – it is religion. Religious sentiments are the main cause for almost all burning issues that has gripped our lives. Daily scores of lives are lost; people take to streets and nations intimidated all because of religion. If at all we have to witness another world war it will not be over oil or water but over religion.

The extent of religious extremism that we are witnessing today is a cause of concern. People taking arms to settle scores in the name of religion should be condemned in strongest words. What is surprising is that the existence of secular states itself is questioned these days. The complex question of religion and personal freedom is raised everyday and we are not able to find an amicable solution for this problem.

We have to understand the place of religion in the present society. It is easy to say that the religious activities should be confined to four doors of our houses. The idea of religion not spilling into our social lives is a good idea. But this is not entirely possible. Religion, as a matter of fact, was designed to govern our social lives. To say that we will restrict religion to personal life, though it is welcome, is not possible.

It will be better for us to understand the historical growth of religions. Every religion grew at a particular place as a means to govern people, guide administrators and suggest a particular lifestyle for its followers. The rituals and traditions associated with a particular religion are typical to the land of its origin. It addresses the need of the people who had some problems at that particular point of time. To claim that any religion is holistic and universal is absurd.

The issue of religious harmony was not an issue of pressing importance for any religion at the time of its origin. We have to note that a particular religious order comes up because it opposed the existing social structure of that time. Take Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Jainism – all came up as an alternative to some existing system of those days. Naturally their focus would be to cover up the loopholes of the existing system. They rarely went beyond this role. This is the precise reason why we are facing a problem today.

When these religions were formed, the communications between people were low. So people lived in their own world governed by one religion which everyone followed. Naturally this system could not anticipate the ways of answering the complex question of today’s world. Probably in those days there was no distinction between personal and social lives of people. It was the same religion which was used to govern the land and govern their private lives. In this ideal situation the role and scope of religion was very clear.

But the situation is not same today. Due to the explosive development in the ways people travel and communicate with each other, the role of religion has changed. The emergence of plural societies has demanded the emergence of new societal order. But we continue to resist the establishment of such secular society. We have failed to understand the dynamics of religion. The main character of religion is its ability to change and adapt to current needs of its followers. But in the name of tradition we continuously abuse the noble ideas of great men. This applies to all religions in today’s world and it is high time the leaders of these religions give a serious thinking about these issues. Only then the world can be saved by the religious extremism which is threatening to wipe out human life from the face of this world.

Page 65 of 366 The problem being a Brahmin

Saturday, July 16, 2005

In today’s world where religion is posing more problems than being useful, one caste which continues to struggle is Brahmin community. This group which often prides itself being an educated clan is in crossroads today. They are politically neglected and socially distanced to an elevated place. The society seems to take the achievements of Brahmins for granted and takes strong exception if a Brahmin tries to goes out of his way to do something different.

When the whole world is preparing to move to newer place in the wake of new understanding of human values, Brahmins find themselves in a strange situation. On one hand they are supposed to protect the age-old traditions and carry it forward whereas on the other hand they are expected to adjust to the realities of the present world. The strange mix of tradition and newness which a Brahmin has to incorporate in his life is a challenge to many.

Traditionally, Brahmins have confined themselves to learning and serving knowledge. This they have done with an exceptional sense of selfless service. The history and humankind should forever be thankful for them for this effort. But later we find that there were some changes in the occupation of Brahmins. They seemed to have ventured into agriculture, business and even defense services. The abolition of caste structure based on work done and the emergence of new religious order where caste of a person was decided by his birth changed the equations.

When first Medical College was stated in India, there were no Brahmin students there. They did not join the college because they had to cut the corpse which is against the Brahminical tradition. But today it is impossible to figure out one Medical College where there is no Brahmin student. In fact one characteristic of Brahmin community which has refused to change is their quest for knowledge. There is no community which worships knowledge more than Brahmins.

This is the precise reason why Brahmins could be absorbed in large numbers in British Administration. For Brahmins they had to switch from Sanskrit to English education which they did with remarkable easiness. This English education empowered the Brahmin community for a large extent. This also had a flip side. Since only Brahmins had access to education at that time, they appeared more in numbers in administrative position. This large numbers of Brahmins irked many others. There was an organized movement (especially in Tamil Nadu) against this Brahmin domination. This grew into a large political force in following days.

The trouble for Brahmins in modern India began with this development. Soon there were many allegations against Brahmins. They were supposed to deny education to everyone, create caste categories. Suddenly everyone felt that Brahmins are responsible for all evils in the country. The trend continues even today. People largely see Brahmins as suppressers. The reservations policies designed by Governments further spoils the growth of Brahmins.

Today’s Brahmin is facing a unique problem. On one hand he has to shoulder the responsibility of carrying forward the tradition. On the other hand he has to adapt to demanding needs of present society which increasingly sees religion as an unnecessary burden. For ages, Brahmin has guided the society in right path and there a hope that he will choose the correct way into the future.

Page 66 of 366 Lessons from Pottermania

Tuesday, July 19, 2005

The release of the latest Harry Potter (HP) novel a few days back made interesting event for many. The event was important on many counts. Though the history has witnessed madness over the release of some cult cinemas, the kind of response given to the release of a sequel of an adventure-filled fiction was an unprecedented one. What was more fascinating was that this phenomenon which was limited to few pockets of the world suddenly became a global issue.

Stories targeted to children and teens were never hyped in the history of publishing. There are quite few authors whose writings are keenly awaited. Garcia’s much hyped autobiographical work is expected by all literary lovers across the globe. Close home some poets in Kerala are known to create frenzy through their writings. But HP’s popularity should be critically analyzed because it will yield many interesting issues.

What was surprising to note in the latest Potter-mania was that the children across the globe seem to be equally mesmerized by HP. A software engineer from Bangalore to a teenager in Beijing all appeared on TV praising the author. This made many worry about the true credentials of the popularity of the book. Long queues outside bookstores were continuously beamed on the TV. Special programs, exclusive coverage, secret excerpts – all flooded the print media. Celebrities, kids, teens, professionals and aging people all were supposed to be smitten by the latest HP bug.

Some questions have to be raised in this context. Is this phenomenon completely created by the PR executives? Are the stories we hear about the global frenzy an orchestred one? Has anyone thought about the pressures young people have to go through because of the media hype? Won’t those young crowds simply praise the work for the fear of alienation if they do otherwise? Has marketing finally finished true literary spirit? Or is it a true indication of revival of reading culture across the globe?

Fact or fiction, HP continues to sell and milk lots of money to author and publishers. Everyone seems to be happy by the new phenomenon. Parents are happy that their children are doing what they did while they were young – read. Public in general is happy that reading habits are reinstalled in the society. But somehow things do not look so natural.

There does not seem to be an extension of this reading habit. What will those young people do after reading HP? Do they stop reading until the new edition of the series comes to market? Why are we not seeing the increase in sales in the related literature market? Does the famed reading habits of children are limited to HP? If that is the case, there is no hope. The Potter-mania is supposed to ignite reading habits among children which is not exactly true.

The truth is - fuelled by some imaginative marketing techniques, HP has created an artificial hype in the literary world. The children are lured and sometimes forced to fall prey to these cunning marketing strategies. If at all the world can learn something from Potter-mania, it is the lesson that anything can be sold in this world with some intelligent marketing; anything including death [Going by the rumors about the plot in latest HP, someone important will die]

Page 67 of 366 Namma Bangalore

Wednesday, July 20, 2005

One thing that constantly bothers any conscious observer of “Namma Bangalore” is the fact that the city is losing its charm. No, this is not one more of those “Oh! It has changed a lot” - kind of empty sounding slogan. Genuinely the city has changed. It is not only about the increasing urbanization and associated problems but more about the culture.

For long it has been felt that the city has changed. In fact many opponents of globalization feel that one dramatic effect of this phenomenon is that every city looks the same! It seems true. Today you visit any city it all looks the same. The same Pizza Huts, Coffee Days, International brand apparel showrooms, same brand of vehicles, same film posters – its all same. The characteristic feature of cities seems to be lost in the onslaught of globalization.

But despite these brutal attacks from MNC’s the common people have successfully safeguarded the character of the city in which they live. The elite always will shift easily to changing times but the common people won’t. It is because of them we still can distinguish between cities. Otherwise what is the difference between Bangalore and Amritsar when you can relish same food at both places, watch same movies and speak same English language?

The cultural position of Bangalore was always questioned. Unlike other big cities, this place was considered more cosmopolitan. The constant complaint against the city was that there is a dominance of settlers. This in fact was true. The number of blue Kannadigas in Bangalore is very low. The capability of the city to take everyone together can be considered as its unique culture.

One complaint about the city is that it lacks a cultural space. A place which can be compared to Marine Drive, India Gate, Chowpati, Hoogli Bridge, Kali Mandir, Salt Lake, Pragati Maidan – which have defined the culture of those cities. For an extent this is true. Bangalore clearly lacks a place which common Bangaloreans can connect to; a place which they can proudly claim as theirs. Bangalore deserves such a cultural meeting point.

Another thing which shapes the character of the city for a large extent is the transport system. Every major city has a unique transport system. The locals of Mumbai, the tram and Metro in Kolkota, sub-urban trains in Chennai – all have defined the culture of those cities for long. But Bangalore seems to have lost in this also. The city has multiple transport systems but none seem to fit into cultural perspective. Not much had been written about these issues also.

But recently there has been few interesting pieces written about these neglected issues. The autos in the city, the experiences with the auto drivers who come in different colors were given extensive treatment by C K Meena in her column in “The Hindu”. Today’s column written by her is simply a masterpiece. Her writing on a “hosa” conductor in BTS makes interesting reading. This can be an answer for anyone claiming thatBangalore lacks a culture of its own.

In times where globalization is threatening to wipe out the diversity from the face of the world, we have to make constant efforts to save the culture of our societies. In the wake of this, efforts like this which are aimed at documenting the unique cultural experiences in the city are really welcome. Let these kinds of efforts multiply.

Page 68 of 366 Can religious motivation justify any crime?

Thursday, July 21, 2005

Religion has always aimed to provide right direction to its followers. The religious leaders have always relied upon the holy words given by the religious head as the means to guide its believers. With numerous religions, sects, cults in today’s world all claiming to be authentic, there is a new problem gripping the world today. The clash between different faiths is the most serious problem the world is facing now. If this is not controlled it will certainly claim more human lives than any other war.

Humans, we should remember, are not designed to co-exist together in this world. There is bound to be clashes among various groups and it is natural. The survival of strongest is a natural phenomenon. This habit was inculcated among humans during their nomadic hunting age and continues even today. In fact religion was introduced to reduce this barbaric animalistic behavior among humans. It is only unfortunate that today the same religion is used as a weapon in this fight.

Fighting for survival is the main principle of any religion. All religions in this world have risen opposing an existing social order. To remove old and irrelevant societal structure and to establish equality based order was the guiding principle of all religions. In order to accomplish this, the religions had to fight their way out. There is bound to be clashes among old-faith believers and new-faith proponents. New religions emerged only because they won the bloody battle which may have claimed scores of lives.

The history of all religions is inked with red blood; the lives of innocent people who resisted change. We can understand this by reading the history of any religions. It is natural that nobody will accept change without resistance. So if new religions emerged they would have suppressed the previous faiths with brutal force. The history of every religion documents such efforts as “holy war”. But what people forget is that in spite of being “holy”, it is war at the end of day. And in war, it is the life of innocent people which is lost.

The religions which have such thirst for blood continued to be barbaric even after initial conquests. All religions in this world were so except Buddhism. It seems that even Hinduism calmed down under the influence of non-violence principles of Buddhism. But later even Buddhist monks became victims of barbaric oppression of rulers from other faiths. In fact Buddhist monks developed the whole new school of martial arts to protect themselves from these attacks.

The era of conquerors was the brutal period in history. When warriors conquered a new place, they not only looted and destroyed the place but also introduced their faith in that place. This was not a smooth change but often more brutal than the conquest itself. The scriptures were interpreted in such a way to support them. The animal instincts of humans to dominate were not quite dim.

But in present day there are lot questions which every religion has to answer. The claim of every religion of being universal and complete should be questioned. Using the scriptures to support ones animalistic instincts should be stopped. Every religion has right to promote itself but it should also take care about the harmony which should be prevalent in this society. No matter what, religion cannot be used as the motivation for crime. Whatever may be the interpretation but scriptures cannot be the justification for committing any crime.

Page 69 of 366 Can we believe these Godmen?

Friday, July 22, 2005

There is no dearth of people in this world claiming to be messengers of God. Worse still is the claim that they are incarnations of God themselves. While most of these people aim only at making quick money some pose serious threat to mankind. India has witnessed many such Godmen over times. Our land has long history of being a breeding ground for such dubious people.

We have witnessed Swami Premananda claiming that he can bring rainfall to Bangalore using his mystic powers. If it was not for Dr. H Narasimhaiah who bravely challenged him, Swami would have gone to win many more disciples and money. Thanks to Dr. H N’s scientific temper, the Government agency which had invited Swami to bless the land and bring rain had to take back its words. Dr. H N also had challenged Prof.Bhagavantam of IISc who was claiming that any disease can be cured by chanting Swami Raghavendra’s name.

The stories of Saibaba and his dubious way of cheating people are also well known. When Dr. H N wanted to examine Saibaba he did not entertain H N to do so. The famous case of Dr. Abraham Kavoor challenging Saibaba has not created the required impact. Now withstanding the challenges of so many rationalists and scientists, the popularity of Saibaba is increasing even today.

Mahesh Yogi, Osho Rajnish, Kalki, Ganapathi Sachidananda Swami – India never has the dearth of Godmen. In addition to these international level cheaters we also have numerous ‘local’ Godmen and Godwomen. What is surprising is the fact that sometimes we see multiple women being possessed by same God/Goddess all at same time. This phenomenon is not limited to the rural, uneducated folk but is widespread even in urban areas.

What is disturbing is the fact that people believe these claims even at this age. It is strange that even the most educated of men follow the strange practices these people teach. Religion has been reduced to mere rituals by these people. The dubious interpretation they give to scriptures form the basis for their behavior. What was surprising to read was that the inauguration of Tarapur Nuclear project was delayed because the Manager there wanted it to be started at auspicious time.

This phenomenon is not only limited to India. Internationally there are various groups which give their own prescriptions for our well-being. Some sects have strange theories to offer about all things on this earth. Recently a sect called “Raeilain movement” is making waves. According to them, the earth and its creatures were created by some intelligent beings from other planets. According to Raelians, those ET’s will come back to earth. They have some interesting arguments to offer in support to their claims. In fact they have also given an alternate interpretation of Bible, which they claim, has been misunderstood till date.

There is no dearth of people claiming to know the ultimate truth about this universe. But how far can we believe these theories? These enthusiasts seem to have only one aim – that to make money. It is surprising that people feebly accept them without questioning their claims. It is high time people realize that continuous scientific pursuit alone can help us unveil the hidden puzzles in this world.

Page 70 of 366 Few questions about national film awards

Monday, July 25, 2005

Another year and another set of national film awards are announced. As usual it has brought with it a new set of controversies. This year certain new questions are raised about the awards. It is quite normal that these awards have political overtones as they are state sponsored. In spite of heavy lobbying, some big names have lost the race.

For long it is understood that national awards are not popular awards. They were meant to recognize and appreciate the efforts of meaningful film makers. So naturally, the Bollywood was not represented in these awards. The award list usually included those names which common people have hardly listened to. There were quite few who regularly featured in these list and there was a dominance of Malayalam, Bengali and Kannada movies in the list.

One common complaint against these awards is that the films which bag the awards are not seen by common man. The main stream media also does not bother about writing reviews on these movies. It seems like these movies are limited to certain class of people who again consider aam janta as non eligible class to watch those movies. Though some of such movies make an appearance in Doordarshan, their number is less. It is an age old question bothering film lovers- what is the purpose of cinema when it is not available for common man to view and appreciate it?

There is another related accusation against a set of film makers that they make cinema with a sole aim of winning awards. This year’s winners Girish Kasaravalli and Seshadri win awards for almost all films they make. But how many among public had an opportunity to watch their movies? The film makers argue that there is no fault on their side. They accuse that they do not get theaters to release their movies. They want Government to start small theaters which are reserved for exhibiting such films. But they should remember that cinema is a medium of expression which becomes complete only when people appreciate it.

Another disturbing trend is seen in Kannada parallel films these days. Several leading actress who are past their prime have found a novel way to grab attention. They have to just produce a movie with an intelligent director like Kasaravalli and rest is assured. They are guaranteed to get an award and lot of good press coverage. The industry will change its opinion about them and the actors will be seriously considered for meaningful roles thereafter. This trend which was started by Jayamala (Taayi Saheba) is now successfully continued by this year’s winner Tara (Haseena). It is quite disturbing to note that these people make movies only for awards.

This year another problem was created before the formal announcement of awards. We were told by private TV channels that Aishwarya Rai had won the award for Raincoat. Later when it was known that Tara had won the award, the same channels lost the enthusiasm. From past few years it has become a trend for mainstream Hindi movies to appear in the national film awards list. Though many serious filmmakers are crying foul about this development this appears to be a welcome change. For any avid movie watcher, there is no difference between commercial cinema and parallel cinema; there is only one kind of cinema – good cinema. And as the representative of people, it is the responsibility of Government to give due credit to good cinema.

Page 71 of 366 Eradication of poverty

Tuesday, July 26, 2005

Poverty has continued to pose serious problem for all countries. Amidst cries about continuous technical developments there exists scores of people who cannot even afford one decent meal per day. When we are boasting about the longer life span there are thousands dying everyday due to hunger. Somehow, progress and poverty is growing parallel.

Whether there existed poverty always? Tracking the history of mankind, it does not appear so. During the early civilization times there should not have been anything called poverty. It is hard to imagine that somebody must have been poor or rich in such a society. Such societies must have had strong and week people but not rich and poor. This is because those societies must have necessarily depended on physical strength to survive.

Poverty must have been introduced only after the concept of “money” was introduced. In fact it is logical to conclude that currency based economy must have heralded the discrepancies in the society. But what is interesting is to see whether the earlier differences in the society (as strong and week) continued in changed times also. Naturally, it must have continued because the strongest person must have dominated the group thus amassing more wealth. This trend must have continued and stronger persons must have translated into rich persons in that group under changed circumstances.

The statements stated above may sound logical but the facts speak otherwise. Throughout the history we have seen that the working classes are usually poor. In fact we can also safely conclude that the more tough physical labor one does more poor he is. One thing which is baffling is that there was never a direct relation between the work and compensation one gets for that work. History tells us that the working class was always oppressed by the ruling class. This clash between rulers and workers has resulted in many revolutions but none were successful in removing this economic divide in society.

In modern times, poverty is a challenge for any society. Eradication of poverty becomes the primary duty of any Government. For a democratic society, differences of any kind are a shame because it violates the main goal of democracy. Creating a society where equality of every kind prevails is the greatest ideal humankind is always eyeing. But despite the efforts of so many people for so long, the entire world has failed to destroy this evil. From Bombay to Brazil, America to Africa – poverty has spread its dark wings everywhere.

Whenever the topic of poverty is discussed in contemporary it is difficult to keep Africa away. In fact the word poverty has been associated with Africa for long time. The scary stories coming from the Dark Continent has sent shivers down the spine among the rest of the world. The number of people who die daily due to poverty and diseases in Africa is frightening. The recent announcement by G-8 that they will donate liberally to poverty eradication in Africa is heartening. But the central question remains unanswered. In spite of continued support from every corner why are we not successful in removing poverty from this world? Are we not committed in our efforts? Or is poverty a necessary evil which this society always needs? If every scavenger’s son is educated who will clean the road? Are we scared of eradicating poverty? Can we ever eradicate poverty?

Page 72 of 366 Work and compensation

Wednesday, July 27, 2005

How much one should be paid for his work? Everybody will agree that one should be compensated according to the work done by him. Somehow this common logic does not seem to fit in the real world. The wage formula worked out by HR people seems to be grounded on various issues other than the work itself.

Economists have pondered over this issue for long. Detailed theories have emerged from their thinking and the area called “Labor Economics” has been defined to look into these issues. There is some excellent literature available in this area. Notable are the writings of David Autor who teaches this course in MIT and a book written by Dwayne Benjamin titled Labor Market Economics. Abundant resources on this issue are also available here.

For long, economists have developed theoretical frameworks to explain the issue of wages. But the differences in the compensation paid for normal workers and managerial persons are too much. Research suggests that this difference varies from 70% in USA to 20% in Japan. The astronomical pay CEO’s get often surprises many. More often it seems like the compensation is not at all related to the nature of the work done.

There is a direct relation between the education and compensation. But the return on education (ROE) seems to have reduced these days. Gone are the days when a particular degree would guarantee a particular pay scale. Due to the intense competition and human resources which is available in abundance, this formula does not seem to work. This can be attributed to the shortcoming of the education system itself which has failed to develop job specific skills among students.

Another issue which we have to understand is the compensation is paid for the services one offers to the company. In that sense the wages paid to a person is directly proportional to the efficacy of a person. This efficacy is calculated by measuring the usefulness of a person in that company. What is interesting is to note is the fact this usefulness is not only related to the skill one possesses but also dependent on some invisible characteristics.

When there is abundance of human resource supply, the employer will be in a position to bargain the wages. This gives rise to huge unemployment or underemployment which in turn tries to bring down the economy. Certain developed countries have insurance coverage on unemployment. It is another issue to discuss the need for such social support. In India, this idea cannot be dreamt. If India tries to implement such an idea, the treasury will be emptied in no time.

The compensation paid to the CEO’s and other senior management people has been subjected to critical analysis by many economists. The real reason why they get paid so much is not completely unanswerable. But what is to be analyzed is the relation between their compensation and performance of the company. While in private sector, the compensation is usually tied to the individual performance, the public sector lacks such accountability. In India, officially the highest salary is paid to the President but in today’s economy his salary may look like peanuts. When some section of people toil for more than 15 hours everyday and get paid not more than Rs.20, some lucky people will get more than Rs.3000 per hour of work. Needless to say their “work” does not demand a drop of sweat.

Page 73 of 366 IT cats and dogs

Thursday, July 28, 2005

“It's not what you study, but where you study that counts. Always, always choose college over branch. The reputation of a college is what determines campus placement prospects. This might mean doing civil engineering at VJTI although you have little interest in the subject. Live with it. At the end of 4 years, a bunch of software companies will visit the campus. If you pass their aptitude test and interviews, you're in” - Rashmi Bansal (an IIM Ahmedabad graduate and founder-editor of the popular youth magazine JAM)

Rashmi cannot be blamed for giving such advice. In fact most parents and students who have finished their +2 think in this way. Every year scores of students join the Engineering courses with a sole aim in mind – to work in IT industry. Whether this is healthy trend or not does not matter. What is interesting is how people have changed their outlook about education. Why should one study? This question may seem pointless. Everyone studies because he/she wants to land up in a “good” job (a.k.a. “more” money). What’s wrong in doing that when whole world does it? Nothing, but it’s that every time things does not happen so.

Of all professions, IT industry seems to have lowest entry barrier. It looks like “anyone” can become software engineer with few days of training. This phenomenon has led us to ask some serious questions. Teachers from branches like Civil and Mechanical are complaining that it is almost impossible for them to motivate students to study the subjects. Because those students who are in these branches know for sure that they will work in some IT company later. So their motivation to learn their preferred subjects is lost.

This seems like a small problem. There is one serious question which many have already raised. If anyone can become software engineer with 45 days of training then why should someone study computer science (or IS) for 4 years? There seems to be little difference between mech guy and comp guy when they join IT company. So the most fundamental question which every one should try and answer is - What is the real aim of education?

Is anyone really bothered? Education is today seen more as an investment. People like to send their wards to prestigious schools and colleges not because of any other thing but they know the future prospects of their children will be bright (read they will get high paid jobs). In UK the Return on Education (ROE) is said to be highest. In India no such data is available but we can safely guess that it is not higher than 5%.

India “produces” more than 3lakh Engineers every year. The percentage of people getting placed immediately may not be more than 70 thousand. That means we are still left with large crowd without decent employment. If “clearing aptitude and interview” was that easy, we would not see so many unemployed engineers here. There must be some other reason behind this huge unemployment problem. The demand-supply ratio is not balanced. The quality of supply is not agreeable and this can be attributed to the root of the problem itself. If everyone follows Rashmi’s advice of joining any course and living through it hoping that one day they will land in IT job, this is bound to happen. As Rashmi herself says “There are two kinds of engineering students in India - the cats whom all companies run after, and the underdogs, who are running after the companies”. But the unfortunate development is that we seem to have more dogs than cats.

Page 74 of 366 From Brahminism to Hinduism

Friday, July 29, 2005

[The ideas presented here are based on K V Akshara’s article which appeared in the latest issue of “Desha Kaala” edited by Vivek Shanbag]

While it is common for everyone to equate Hindu-ism with Brahmin-ism, here is an attempt to see that these two isms are quite different from each other. The effort here is to identify how a Vedic-centric Brahmin culture transformed into all embracing Hinduism thereby creating a new language in India’s religious discussion. This idea is very important in present times because the issues surrounding Hindutva have already gained political hues. Any discussion in these lines is sure to have misinterpretations but it is absolutely necessary for us to understand the other side of this sensitive story.

When the reference to “Brahminism” is made in this article, it refers to the Vedic tradition which preceded the times of Shankaracharya. It is almost well known that Shankara gave new interpretation to Hinduism. The signs of Brahminism changing to Hinduism started during his time. The changes were necessitated because of the growing influence of Buddhism and Jainism. But these changes did not pose serious threat to the Brahmin culture. Brahminism still appeared to have separate identity in the Hinduism fold.

Islam, which entered this country with brutal conquerors, had profound influence on local culture. There was always a clash between Islam and Hinduism. But the relationship of Brahminism with Islam is interesting to study. It is quite obvious that Brahmin culture had to fight the Islam culture. But this struggle appears to be straightforward. In fact this fight was simpler than the problems that will be discussed later. History tells us that Brahminism withstood the brutal blows given by Islam. It is always easy to fight the enemy when there is straight fight. And that’s what happened in the clash between Brahminism and Islam.

If someone really troubled Brahmin culture in India, it was not Islam; contrary to popular perceptions it was Christianity. Christianity posing itself as no-nonsense and non-interfering culture shook the very foundation of Brahmin culture. This was done in a calculated manner that people did not recognize this slow change. This practice was perfected by Christian missionaries over long time. This experiment was repeated in many places around the world and ruined many local culture.

But for Christianity, there would not be a disfigured face of Brahminism. They brought in “oriental” scholars who interpreted the scriptures the way they wanted. They brought in the concept of institutionalizing the religious activities. This made people to change the face of religious mutts into financial institutions which they were never intended to be. Their calculated assault on local culture forced Brahminism to be integrated with Hinduism and thus permanently lose its identity. Their entry into educational system made the local knowledge useless.

The ultimate tragedy in the transformation of Brahminism to Hinduism is the fact that it was the most illogical unification. From the Vedic period Brahmin culture had maintained its unique identity. In fact it can be claimed that Brahmin-ism was never a religion. The caste-religion equation was an alien concept to the local culture. The credit for disfiguring the original face of Brahminism beyond recognition goes to Christianity. It fought a disguised war to achieve this and unfortunately the pupil of Brahmin culture failed to recognize their hidden enemy.

Page 75 of 366 Equality in higher education

The second issue that has touched the topic of social justice in India is the recent Supreme Court guidelines on the admissions to colleges. Stating from the judgment given in T M A Pai Case, this issue of providing reservation in professional colleges has become a controversial topic. To make the matters clear, the Supreme Court has since been repeatedly issuing guidelines. But still the issue declines to be settled amicably.

Due to inability of Government to start more professional colleges to cater the growing demand, it started encouraging private participation in this sector. Seldom would some one guess at that stage that this problem will become so severe. To allow private participation in an important sector like education should have done only after having proper guidelines in hand. But unfortunately the growth of private un-aided professional colleges has been so fast that it has become almost impossible to contain them.

The case of private colleges looks genuine at the first glance itself. When the Government is not funding these colleges, why should they have a say regarding admissions, fee structure or curriculum? The case may look very simple and straightforward when looked from this perspective. But the Government has a larger responsibility other than providing funds. This problem of questioning Governments role is discussed else where in a different context. But that argument is valid in this case also.

India has experimented a lot in these areas. The concept of providing reservation a means to achieve social equality may be typical to India. This version of socialism may not be in existence anywhere in the world, even in countries ruled by left. This strange theory looks fine from an idealistic perspective. But we should note there is a great deal of difference in formulating a theory and to put that into practice. One of the main problems in India is that after implementing a particular program, there is no post-mortem done to analyze its results. Though there is no data available, it can be safely argued that this concept is a failure in practical world.

There may be people who have used this reservation policy to come up in the social

Page 76 of 366 ladder but their numbers are few. It is known to all that the creamy layers among those who are eligible for reservation continue to enjoy it, depriving the needy. Reservation in education, in first thought itself, looks strange. What do achieve by reserving certain number of seats to certain class of people. What message are we sending to them? Do we tell them that they come and study eventhough they are not interested just because a seat is reserves for them?

Education should be openly accessible to all; there is no other word about that. But that open door policy is now restricted to few. Other privileged have a separate door; a door where entry is based on you caste. This is the notion of equality we have in India. The Supreme Court has done a right thing by removing reservations in educational institutes. The fear that the colleges will increase fees which will make education inaccessible to poor is not correct. Due to increased competition among colleges to fill their seats, this will never occur. Balance should be maintained in a natural way, not forcefully; this implies even to social justice theories.

Page 77 of 366 Equality in jobs

The final part in today’s chosen topic of equality will be to understand the implication of Employment Guarantee Bill. This novel idea was mooted much earlier but is seeing the light of the day now. This may be due to the fact that left is one of the players in center. Whatever it may be, this step should be appreciated before anything. Depending on the status of implementation, the success of this bill can be measured later. For now all appears well on paper.

There is a difference between providing equal ‘opportunities’ and ‘guaranteeing’ jobs to all. While the former ideal of providing equal opportunities can be accepted without any hesitation, the same cannot be said about the later. As a means of providing equal opportunities to all regarding jobs, there are many policies implemented earlier. Providing reservations in education sector can be viewed from this angle. By aiming to give equal access to education, there is a sense of equality generated in the society. In the previous article we have seen that this argument is somehow not a valid theory.

When it comes to providing equal opportunities to all in job sector, it becomes a welcome move. That there should be no bias whatsoever in providing employment to the deserving is a noble idea. That should be encouraged everywhere, considering the fact that corruption is rampant in all aspects, this is urgently required. When India is aiming to become a superpower in knowledge industry sector this non- discrimination in job sector is very important.

But what is the concept of “guaranteeing” jobs to all? Employment generation has been a problem which has dogged India for long. The Government has failed to generate enough jobs to cater the needs of the ever increasing population. Now it is promising to provide jobs to all (at least in rural areas). This is baffling. There are some serious doubts whether this novel idea will ever be implemented fully. But setting aside the speculation over its successful implementation, let us focus on the means of achieving this.

Page 78 of 366 By embracing ‘reforms’ as the highest ideal, the Government is on the path of LPG at a high pace. On one hand it is withdrawing from providing the services to citizens and on the other hand it aims to generate employment. It is talking about privatization of PSU’s and providing jobs at the same breath. This is surprising to see that the Government wants both the things to go on well. It is failing to understand that once the private players dominate the scene, it will be difficult for it to have a say.

As a means to overcome this shortcoming, there are talks going on about introducing reservations even in private sector. The experiment of doing the same in education sector has failed with the recent Supreme Court ruling. The Government denies learning a lesson or two from this experience. This idea of providing reservations in private sector jobs will do a serious damage for the economy of the country. See what has happened to education system with this reservation. The same thing will be repeated here also. How much support will you provide for the so called underprivileged? It enough if you help them to stand; they will learn to walk and then run on their own.

Page 79 of 366 Daily Dose: Ambition of a thumb

Thursday, August 18, 2005

[Instead of the usual one-liner, today’s dose is a satire about our approach towards the concept of equality. The characters depicted here may be fictious but not the characterization]

Once upon a time there lived a thumb in Hand-land. Unlike other thumbs that were silently carrying on their daily chores, this thumb was an intelligent one. After gaining much knowledge about the social justice theories there was a new awakening in him. He began to think that thumbs were a neglected lot in Hand-land. Even though there are five fingers, he thought, thumbs did not get due respect.

When he brought this to the notice of the elders in the clan, they showed no interest about this topic. They had submitted themselves to the fate and advised the thumb to remain silent. But this thumb was not ready to accept this fate. He thought he should fight for the justice. After much effort he was successful in organizing the first ever thumbs meet. The thumb gave a passionate speech on this occasion which ran as follows –

“Dear friends, wake up! Let us unite and fight the injustice mooted to us from centuries. How long will we suffer under the dominance of other fingers. We do the maximum and most tedious jobs a hand can ever do. But see our fate. We are the neglected lot. Every great man will point using index finger while posing to photos while folding the thumb and making it invisible in photos. All other fingers are decorated with rings but we are denied that privilege. We lay at very low status in the Hand-land. We should come up in the Hand-land and make our presence counted.”

All thumbs were pleased with this new found knowledge. All felt that they deserve a better place in Hand-land. They united under the new thumb leader and formed a organization – All Hand-land Union of Thumbs (AHUT). AHUT grew to become a powerful group and Government could no longer be silent to their demands.

In a desperate attempt to get the votes of thumbs, the Government introduced a new policy. The policy aimed at bringing up the status of thumbs in Hand-land. Special equipments were provided to thumbs to help them come up in the land. These special equipments were supposed to increase the length of thumbs so that they can be equal to middle finger. Thumbs were enthusiastic about this effort. They started exercising with full enthusiasm to increase their length.

Meanwhile the other fingers stated a counter movement to check the growing popularity of AHUT. They argued that every finger had its own work and had to do that. It is unnatural, they argued, to change this age-old tradition. They also argued that thumbs were getting their due and it is not true to sat that they are oppressed. They supported their claim by saying that victory is always shown as “thumbs up”. This was a tribute paid to the service of thumbs.

But thumbs did not listen. They insisted on exercising and labeled other fingers as anti-progressive. But in spite of years of exercising, their length failed to grow. The frustration among thumbs was increasing every day. They forced the thumb leader to come out with some drastic measure to increase their status.

Page 80 of 366 It was a do-or-die situation for the thumb leader. He decided to take the final step in this regard. At last he came up with a solution. He approached the Hand-land Supreme Court with this new appeal. Amidst the opposition from other fingers, the court gave its ruling. It read thus –

“To provide justice to thumbs who have suffered from the dominance of others fingers the court has decided to take this drastic step. Let other fingers be CHOPPED till they become equal to thumb. This is the ONLY way thumbs can be provided equal status in Hand-land; after all equality is one thing our Constitution promises to all”

Page 81 of 366 The trial of Socrates - 1

One of the interesting texts for students of Philosophy is the trial of Socrates. Named as “Apology”, this is a masterpiece. Here one can find many things which make Socrates a great Philosopher. The book records the argument Socrates made in court defending himself against various accusations. There were many complaints against him and Socrates defended himself using all his knowledge on various aspects of Philosophy. Some of the arguments given by him form the basis for philosophy of Logic.

Let us begin by understanding the background of this story. Aristophanes was a poet who wrote a play called “Clouds”. In that play Socrates was portrayed as a Sophist. Sophists are considered to be the teachers of rhetoric (public speaking). They are also ‘accused’ of teaching for money. In ‘Clouds’, Socrates was pictured as a man who taught his disciples the art of making bad argument look good. He was also portrayed as a head of a think-tank which actively propagated Sophism.

The charges against Socrates were -

• He is a Sophist • He corrupts the youth • He does not believe in Gods of the state

He was also accused of claiming that he is the “Wisest of all men”. What followed was the testimony for Socrates’ brilliance. Socrates gave valid arguments defending himself. He first claimed that this was his first time in court and pleaded innocence of all charges laid against him.

Arguing that he is not a Sophist, he gave 2 arguments. He tells that he is not a teacher since -

• He does not accept money from others for teaching them • He does not have any wisdom to sell

This is very interesting since it gives the idea of what was the position of teachers at that point of time. If Socrates claims that he is not teacher since he does not accept money then the teachers of that time must have been teaching ONLY for money. This is a important observation since teachers are always told not to teach for money. All teachers can now claim that even in times of Socrates teachers took money for teaching!

The second argument which he presents here has to explained with some background information. As mentioned earlier, Socrates was also accused of claiming that he was the wisest among all men. Socrates himself reveals the reasons behind this claim. According to him, the story is as follows.

This story took place in the Oracle of Delphi. In Greek mythology, this place has a very important position. The Priestess here is supposed to communicate directly with Gods. A friend of Socrates poses this question to her - “Is there anyone wiser than Socrates?”. She answers that there is no one wiser than him. Socrates was baffled by this news and proceeds to verify this claim.

Page 82 of 366 The trial of Socrates – 2

In the previous article we have seen how Socrates was accused of various charges. We have begun looking at hoe Socrates started defending himself. The first accusation of he being a Sophist is already declined by him. Now he is beginning to defend himself against the accusation of being wisest of all men. We have seen the story which originated this claim. Now let us see how Socrates went on to verify the claim made by Oracle of Delphi.

Socrates questions people in the town who had the reputation of being wise. His list included politicians, artists and craftsmen. What he found by questioning them was interesting. His logic was –

• People only claim that they are wise • But in reality they are not wise

This is closely followed by his own observation that –

• He (Socrates) does not know anything • That he does not know is known to him

This line of thinking led him to conclude that he should be the wisest. That’s because others claim that they know when they do not in reality. But he knows that he does not know. So he knows more than others which imply that Socrates should be the wisest of all men.

Socrates claims that this process of enquiry made the illustrious citizens of the state irritated. He tells to the court that this made them lay false charges on him. But this was his duty to question others. He goes on to claim that this is his service to Gods which he calls as philosophy. So he says he will not remain silent and continue this service to Gods.

This can be seen as an attempt by Socrates to find answer to one question which always troubled him – How one should live? According to Socrates there are two kinds of knowledge. One is the wisdom which only Gods possess and second is the wisdom which humans can attain. He claims that he is trying to possess the wisdom which humans can get. Others seem to claim that they possess that wisdom which is reserved for Gods. So he argues that his adventure is not wrong and in fact that is his duty.

Then Socrates begins to demonstrate that he does not corrupt the youth. He does this by questioning Meletus (who had accused Socrates of doing so) about the improvers of youth. Meletus says that all others except Socrates are improvisers of youth. Socrates then uses the logic of ‘Analogy reasoning’ to claim that this is not a sound statement. The example Socrates uses is as follows

• It needs an expert to train horses • If all are experts then there cannot be a ill-trained horse • If all horses are well trained then there is no bad trainer

This analogy can be applied to present case as follows –

• The claim is that Socrates is a corrupter of youth

Page 83 of 366 • All others are improvisers

• If all are improvisers then there should be no corrupt youth

• If there are no corrupt youth then all people should be improvisers

• This implies that Socrates should be a improviser

Thus we can conclude that the claim made by Meletus is not a sound claim.

Page 84 of 366 The trial of Socrates – 3

In the previous part we have seen how Socrates successfully demonstrated that Meletus claim was not a valid one. At this juncture let us examine the conditions for any claim to be a sound argument. An argument is considered valid if it is impossible for the premises to be true and conclusion false. An argument is sound if it fulfills these two conditions -

1. It is valid 2. It has all true premises

An argument is shown an invalid by either proving it is invalid or by proving the falseness of its premises.

The next argument of Socrates is to prove that Meletus is a liar. This is important because if Meletus is proved to be a lair, his claims become invalid. So Socrates begins to prove that Meletus is a liar. He does this by using what is called as “Dilemma Reasoning” in Logic. The constructive dilemma argument has the following symbolic form

• Premise 1: Either P or Q • Premise 2: If P then R • Premise 3: If Q then S • Conclusion: Either R or S

P, Q, R and S are called statement variables

Now Socrates goes on to use this reasoning to claim that Meletus is a liar. The construction of his argument is as follows. He first dismisses the notion that he would corrupt the youth unintentionally. After that his argument flows like this –

• Either Socrates does not corrupt the youth or he corrupts the youth unintentionally • If Socrates does not corrupt the youth then Meletus is a liar • If Socrates corrupt the youth unintentionally then Meletus is a liar • So in any case, the conclusion is that Meletus is a liar

Once it is proved that Meletus is liar all accusations made by him stands false.

This should have been the final step of Socrates’ arguments. Because once he has proves that Meletus is misguiding the judges by making inconsistent claims there is nothing more to disprove. But we are lucky. Socrates continues his argument and we get our lessons in philosophy. In the later stages he goes on disprove the accusation that he does not believe in the Gods of the states.

Socrates makes Meletus agree that he believes in Gods. This is an interesting questioning method employed by Socrates. It is as follows –

Socrates: Did man ever believe in horsemanship and not in horses?

Meletus: No.

Page 85 of 366 Socrates: Can a man believe in spiritual things and divine activities and not in divine beings?

Meletus: No.

[The last question refers to the Oracle of Delphi. As mentioned earlier Socrates believed in the words of the priestess there. That means he believes in divine activities. That implies that he should believe in Gods also]

So it is clear that the claim of Socrates not believing in Gods of state is false. So now Socrates has successfully proved that all accusations against him were false.

Page 86 of 366 The trial of Socrates – 4

We have seen how brilliantly Socrates argued while defending himself. In the concluding remarks he made some important observations regarding human wisdom. He says that his questioning activity is just a service to Gods. He says he does not fear death and does what is right. He says fear of death is an imitation of wisdom. He says this is not reflection of true wisdom. He made some claims that time which are truly the words of a great man. Main among them were

• Injustice and disobedience is an evil • A good person cannot be injured • An unexamined life is not worth living

The final claim still serves as guiding light for many [including me]

Even though Socrates made such brilliant arguments, the jury found him guilty. He was awarded death penalty. But according to Greek courts he could propose alternatives. Socrates provided two alternatives –

1. He be treated like a champion in Olympic games 2. He also offered one mina for his fine because he was poor

His friends raised the fine to 30 minae.

The jury voted for his alternatives. His plea was rejected and he was awarded death penalty. Socrates used this opportunity to offer some reflections on death. He said that there is good reason to believe that death is good. He offered second dilemma argument to prove this!

He claimed that death can be considered as a state of utter unconsciousness. It can also be considered as a means of migration of the soul to the different world. He argued that both these options are good. Hence, he said, there is a reason to hope that death is good.

Thus ends one of the greatest trials in human history. What came out of this trial may be brutal but in a way this trial was good. Because it gave a opportunity for the rest of the world to understand the brilliance of Socrates. In a way this is also a reflection of the problems thinkers had to undergo during those days.

This is not an isolated case in history where radical truth was suppressed by the people who claim they are the protectors of ancient truth. Free thinking has survived despite all these threats. No society is different to this. The history of science is the testimony to this fact.

Let the story of Socrates’ trial inspire us to seek truth. Let this make us strong in our conviction to fight all irrational dogmas. Let the words of Socrates continue to guide us through our journey of finding real JNANA.

Page 87 of 366 Sparde - a poem in kannada

Friday, August 19, 2005

Page 88 of 366 Classical Theism -1

Whether to believe in God or not may be more of a personal question. The arguments in this direction may look silly because this argument is continuing from long time. The dispute does not seem to be solved anywhere in human history. So we can safely say it we leave it to individuals to decide which way they have to go. Moreover the belief or non-belief in God does not seem to make much difference to the world we live in. in present days of high competition, we may like to sit and concentrate more on ways on improving our prospects rather than worrying on these things.

But as mentioned elsewhere in this blog, being an atheist is not easy. An atheist cannot take such stand of remaining neutral to the discussion involving God. As said in a previous article it takes something special to be an atheist. Being an atheist is more than making a style statement. It is unfortunate that many make this claim ONLY because they want to stand out in the crowd. The clan of atheists is not benefited by these people.

The real job of an atheist is to first understand the various theories surrounding the theory of God. He should essentially study all possible scriptures deeply to understand the origins of the idea of God. He should then analyze them with his own rational understanding and arrive at a proper conclusion. The main task of an atheist is to first be convinced about his beliefs.

One real problem which atheists face is the lack of proper theories supporting the existence of God. The scriptures do not give a logical reasoning about God but rather rely more on faith. To overcome this shortcoming many religious philosophers have attempted to give a formal proof for the existence of God. In Indian philosophy different schools of thoughts like Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Yoga etc have their own ways of accepting God. They do it by accepting the scriptures as final word or by logical reasoning.

But here we are mainly concentrating on western theories. There are reasons for choosing western classical theology for discussion rather than Indian. One problem in discussing Indian philosophy is that it is difficult to translate certain key Sanskrit words into English. Without doing that effectively, the whole discussion will lose the track. So we will focus on western arguments for theism. The theories which will be considered are –

Pascal’s Wager

The Ontological argument

The Cosmological argument

The Teleological argument

The moral argument

The argument from religious experiences

The argument from miracles

Page 89 of 366 Many people who believe in God themselves cannot formulate a valid reasoning based on their belief. It is hoped that this series will be helpful even for them to rediscover their faith. As always the primary goal is to increase the knowledge of atheist and make him more aware of classical theism arguments.

Page 90 of 366 Classical Theism -2

We begin our journey in Classical Theism by first looking at the theory attributed to Blaise Pascal. This theory called Pascal’s Wager may be a good starting point for many reasons. First is that it is not loaded with much logical arguments and second it is given by one of the most well known historical figure which may generate interest in this topic.

This theory is not based with an evidence for his existence but rather with an appeal to self-interest. We should note that this theory is fully dependent on the concept of Christian theology but parallels can be drawn to other faiths also since almost all semantic religions believe in the principles which Pascal bases his theory on. It is in our interests to believe in the God, the argument suggests, and it is therefore rational for us to do so. In his own words –

“Let us weigh the gain and the loss in wagering that God is. Let us estimate these two chances. If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing. Wager, then, without hesitation that He is.”

The argument runs as follows –

1. It is possible that the God exists and it is possible that the God does not. 2. If one believes in the God (and if he exists) then one receives an infinitely great reward and if he does not exist then one loses little or nothing. 3. If one does not believe in the God then if he exists then one receives an infinitely great punishment and if he does not exist then one gains little or nothing. 4. It is better to either receive an infinitely great reward or lose little or nothing than it is to either receive an infinitely great punishment or gain little or nothing. 5. It is better to believe in the God than it is not to believe in the God. 6. If one course of action is better than another then it is rational to follow that course of action and irrational to follow the other. 7. It is rational to believe in the God and irrational not to believe in the God

The conclusion that Pascal’s Wager draws from this is that belief in the God is the rational course of action, even if there is no evidence that he exists. If God does not exist then it is of little importance whether we believe or disbelieve in him. If God does exist then it is of great importance that we do believe in him. In order to cover ourselves in all circumstances, therefore, we ought to believe that God exists.

The main counter argument one can draw against this theory is that it does not give a logical proof. In fact it does not say firmly whether God exists or not. All it says is that believing MAY bring us rewards if God exists while non-believing does not bring anything at all. Another problem is the assumption that the Christian theory of judgment is right. If one is to question the concept of heaven and hell in the first place, this theory will not have any standing.

Perhaps this theory falls easily in the game. Let us continue our search for a more logical theory which can establish the presence of God.

Page 91 of 366 Classical Theism -3

After seeing the fall of Pascal’s theory we continue our journey by looking into what is called as Ontological Arguments. This is actually a way of proposing arguments rather than a argument itself; it is a style of arguing. There are many theories which belong to this group but we will be examining only two important theories. These arguments are sometimes criticized to be just a game with words and that is true. The theories in this group rely more on literal power than on logic.

These arguments attempt to prove the existence of God through abstract reasoning alone. The argument begins with a clarification of the concept of God. Part of what we mean when we speak of “God” is “perfect being”; that is what the word “God” means. To speak of God as a perfect being is therefore to imply that he exists. When we speak of “God” we cannot but speak of a being that exists. The argument here is to say that God does not exist is to contradict oneself. Because how can one refer to God and still claim he does exist. If you refer to something, say, a chair then it implies that chair exists. So the argument is once you refer to God it is an enough proof that he SHOULD exist.

That should clear any doubt that ontological arguments are nothing but playing with words. Let us now examine the first ontological argument given by St.Anselm. He was a Benedictine monk, Archbishop of Canterbury who lived in eleventh century. To read his theory is very difficult. To make things clear here are his words –

“But clearly that than which a greater cannot be thought cannot exist in the understanding alone. For if it is actually in the understanding alone, it can be thought of as existing also in reality, and this is greater... Without doubt, therefore, there exists, both in the understanding and in reality, something than which a greater cannot be thought.”

His argument is something like this. Consider a painter who has an idea. Does that painting exist? Clearly it exists only in his understanding. But when he completes his painting, it will come into existence i.e. it will be real. So where was the painting before? He argues that the point that it is conceived in his thoughts itself is a proof for it to exist. As he says something cannot exist in understanding alone. It has to exist in reality and only then it can manifest in our thoughts. This is a highly debated topic in philosophy to understand the relation between thoughts and matter. Here the belief is that nothing greater than the reality can be conceived in human minds.

The argument of painting can be continued to the concept of God. That the person has an image of God itself is the sufficient proof for his existence. For it is shown already that nothing can exist in understanding unless it has a physical existence. Also the thoughts can never be greater than the reality. So if you think of a God who is great then a greater God SHOULD exist in reality. Thus goes his argument.

If this argument itself finds you in dismay then what follows next is more confusing. We shall see the theory put forward by Rene Descartes. His theory is the most complex theory to understand and probably no better than the theory which we have examined here.

Page 92 of 366 Classical Theism -4

After looking at St. Anselm’s ontological theory, we turn our attention to one of the most complex theory ever formed in philosophy to prove the existence of God. This was done by Rene Descartes who is often claimed as the father of modern philosophy. Descartes is best known to the world for his claim "cogito, ergo sum" traditionally translated as "I think, therefore I am," but more accurately "I am thinking, therefore I exist". His theory is also not a solid proof in classical sense. The irony in this theory is that the conclusion comes first and then the premises are derived.

Descartes believed that the God should exist and this belief came from his skeptical thinking. The experience of our senses, Descartes argued, can be equally well explained by the hypothesis that we are dreaming. The hypothesis that they accurately represent a world that exists around us is also equally arguable. As we cannot disprove the former hypothesis, we cannot know that the latter is true i.e. we cannot be sure whether we are seeing a real world or dreaming and believing that our dream is true.

Descartes had an answer to this skeptical argument. Though we may sometimes fall into error in our reasoning, he suggested, we will not do so if we accept only those truths that we clearly and distinctly perceive. He claimed that our rationality is given to us by God, and God is no deceiver. He thus made knowledge of the existence of God the foundation of all empirical knowledge. So for Descartes the existence of God was necessary for further arguments. So what many philosophers have done is to go reverse i.e. once we know what the conclusion is, the premises required to arrive at the known conclusion are constructed. The arguments are as follows –

• If I can be sure that the objective reality of one of my ideas is so great that it isn't in me either formally or eminently and hence that I cannot be the cause of that idea, I can infer that I am not alone in the world--that there exists something else that is the cause of the idea. • I have the ideas of myself, of God, of angels, of animals, of physical objects and of other men like me. • I could have composed my ideas of animals, other men and angels. • I could have composed my ideas of physical objects without these existing. • There is more reality in an infinite than in a finite substance. • The more perfect serves as a standard to judge the less perfect. • I use God as the standard to judge that I am imperfect. • My grasp of the infinite must be prior to my grasp of the finite. • The idea of God is completely clear and distinct and contains more objective reality than any other idea. • But perhaps I am greater than I have assumed and so could be the cause of the idea of a being with all perfections. • The gradual increase in my knowledge shows that I am imperfect.

These things may appear confusing at first glance. But the crux is very simple. The argument here is that first Descartes proves that he is not the cause for the idea of God which he has. He says he can develop the idea of imperfect (read worldly) ideas on his own. But he cannot develop the idea of infinity (read God) on his own. That he is imperfect is obvious. If he is imperfect then there should be something perfect. He argues that God is the perfect being which is used as standard. So God exists.

Page 93 of 366 Classical Theism -5

The ontological arguments presented before had a problem. They did not provide any empirical evidence to the existence of the God. They merely relied on word-playing to establish his existence. Now we examine a theory which is more dependent on empirical evidence. This theory called as the Cosmological argument is the most common argument one comes across in real life. This argument takes universe as the means of proving that the God should exist.

In its most simple form, this argument looks as follows –

• Everything that exists has a cause of its existence. • The universe exists. • Therefore: • The universe has a cause of its existence. • If the universe has a cause of its existence, then that cause is God. • Therefore: • God exists.

This is a simple way of arguing which will immediately pose many questions. For one the most common question which comes up is the first statement itself. If everything that exists has a creator, then the obvious question is who created God? This question is handled effectively by two modified versions of this theory. They start with a more sophisticated assumption so that this question does not rise.

The first modified version we will consider is the Kalam cosmological argument. This has its roots in the medieval Muslim philosophy. What is interesting to note is that the same kind of argument can be found even in Indian philosophies. What distinguishes the Kalam cosmological argument from other forms of cosmological argument is that it rests on the idea that the universe has a beginning in time. So -

• Everything that has a beginning of its existence has a cause of its existence. • The universe has a beginning of its existence. • Therefore: • The universe has a cause of its existence. • If the universe has a cause of its existence then that cause is God. • Therefore: • God exists.

Since God does not have a beginning of his existence, the question of who created God does not exist.

The second modified version called The argument from contingency claims that every contingent has a cause. By saying that universe exists contingently, the need for a creator arises. That creator is God. But God, who existence is not contingent, the role of creator does not arise.

Though these arguments present a fairly logical argument which is observable certain philosophical questions remains unanswered. The question of how far we can believe in our sense-perception in establishing the existence of this universe itself is not told. However this is a popular theory and hence included in our study.

Page 94 of 366 Classical Theism -6

The next argument which we will consider is closely related to the previous argument. This argument which is called as The teleological argument is also a common argument given by people to establish the existence of God. For one this is a simple and straightforward argument. The argument itself can be summarized as follows –

• The universe is a highly complex system. • The scale of the universe alone is astounding • The natural laws that govern it perplex scientists still after generations of study. • It is also a highly ordered system and it serves a purpose • The world provides the right conditions for the development of life • To say that the universe is so ordered by chance is therefore unsatisfactory • It is far more plausible, and far more probable, that the universe is the way it is because it was created by God with life in mind.

One hears this argument that there must be an intelligent being behind creation of this world more often. However it goes to the credit of William Paley to formalize this argument. He gave the analogy of clock to prove that universe needs a creator. The clock is designed with such complexity, with so many parts because it has to serve a purpose. The clock serves the purpose of showing the time. It is argued that similarly the complexity of world is designed with a purpose; the purpose of supporting life.

Earlier these theories focused mainly on the biological systems. The complexity of living organisms, particularly humans were considered to be enough evidence for this claim. But modern theorists also include the rules of physics and other sciences to support their claim. In fact the advancement in scientific world looks like supporting this claim.

“More I look this world and understand it, the world appears to be the creation of a master mathematician”exclaimed mathematician Jeans. In fact it is often claimed that more one studies about the universe one can find more order in its creation. The recent unveiling of the DNA patterns reveals so much uniformity that human mind can never think of. The whole world, it looks, is balanced in a correct way by some one who has designed this to perfection.

The main counter argument for this theory can be the Darwin’s theory itself. The famed law of natural selection is today accepted as de-facto theory explaining the origin of life in this universe. To accept that world was designed with a purpose is completely rejected today. It has been proved that it was by chance that our earth got an opportunity to be the bed of living organisms. The modern advancement in fossil theory and the expertise gained over timing procedures like carbon dating should lay all these doubts into rest.

Just because we are not able to give satisfactory explanations to some of the complex phenomenon regarding this universe does not mean that we must accept this argument. Those who believe in spirit of science know that the pursuit for truth may take time and this does not mean we should accept defeat. The rational thinking spirit of humans is ready to wait until scientists unveil all hidden truths regarding this world.

Page 95 of 366 Classical Theism -7

The next argument we will consider is also a fairly simple argument. This is called The moral argument. This argument seems valid than most other arguments but still it is not based on pure logic. There is no formal proof provided here. What it attempts (like the teleological argument) is to give quick answer to some of the problem that we have remained unanswerable to scientific community.

The question of morals has been outside to the territory of science. Science is not interested in the moral philosophies. It is immaterial for science to discuss the role of morals in the society. So it is also equally non-interested in finding the origins of existence of such moral values. This theory aims at filling this gap. This theory proposes a theory which can explain the origin of morals.

Why does the human society need moral values? There is no perfect answer for this. For one why should no one lie? Why shouldn’t we kill each other? More than anything, the moral values accepted by humans separates them from other creatures in this universe. What is important is to note the fact that certain moral values transcend the boundaries of religions, place and time.

Moral arguments take either the existence of morality or some specific feature of morality to imply the existence of God. It is only if God exists we can explain the moral facts as they are. If not, there could not be any moral facts at all. The argument in this case is as follows -

• Morality consists of a set of commands • For every command there is a commander • Therefore: • There is a commander that commanded morality • Commands only carry as much authority as does their commander • Morality carries ultimate authority • Therefore: • The commander that commanded morality carries ultimate authority • Only God carries ultimate authority • Therefore: • The commander that commanded morality is God • Therefore: • God exists.

The opposition to this theory can be developed on two grounds. One is that the values which we accept as guiding principles change with time and society. It can be seen that some thing which is acceptable to one faith is prohibited in other. The result of intolerance among different regarding morals can be seen in recent terrorist attacks all over the world. The claim that moral values change with time is also evident. So we can say that there is nothing that can be called as universal morals.

The second counter argument can be that these moral values were designed by the powerful members of the group to reach their own ends. There is a strong current of selfishness underlying these morals. When I say no one should lie, it is because then I am assured that I will only hear truth from others. The same applies to all moral values. Using abstract ideas like moral values to prove the existence of God does not seem to be valid.

Page 96 of 366 Classical Theism -8

Now that we have seen logical and observational theories, it is time to look at some experiential theories. The theory which we will examine now is called as The argument from religious experience. The name itself suggests the crux of the theory by still let us formulate the theory in the following ways

• People can experience only that is real • There are people who have experienced God • If they experience God then he should be real • Therefore: • God exists.

This simple formulation poses many questions. The first among them is why only a selected few experience God? Why don’t the non-believers also experience him? The answer to these questions will be different depending on which faith you are referring to. But most of them argue that only those who believe in him will experience the God.

They also give the example of situations where many people can simultaneously experience the power of God like in huge prayer gatherings. Skeptics though dismiss it as mass hypnotism. Whatever it may be, the claims made by certain people cannot be neglected. They seem to be so sure about the experiences and talk so clearly about that.

But certain objections remain. One is that these experiences can be due to various other reasons other than what is claimed. In some religions where this is an accepted belief, we can see this more predominantly than others. In a survey carried by Bangalore University, it was found that people having some mental disorders, people from poor background and women are more prone to this compared to other.

Somehow it is impossible for a rational mind to accept this theory. Another theory which treads the same path is The argument from miracles. It claims that the demonstration of miracles in this world is enough proof for the existence of God. This phenomenon of miracles is rampant not only in India but everywhere in the world.

As said earlier, to be impatient is not to be scientific. Just because we do not have answer in science to some of the pressing questions troubling humans does not mean that we should believe in these theories. A person with true scientific spirit will wait for truth to emerge from the shadows of such incomplete and illogical theories.

This concludes a long series on classical theism. As mentioned in the beginning, the aim here was to properly construct the theories that people usually give to support the existence of God. The comments on these theories have been purposefully kept short so that more space is given to the presentation of theory.

The study of these theories makes only one thing clear – that no theory is still capable of establishing the existence of God beyond all reasonable doubts. This is indeed a happy situation for an atheist who principally studies these theories to falsify them. His work seems simple since the theories itself are very much flawed.

Page 97 of 366 My Blog - a poem in kannada

Saturday, August 20, 2005

Page 98 of 366 Why do I blog?

Sunday, August 21, 2005

[This is the 100’th article to be posted in this blog]

After completing 6 months of blogging just 20 days back, reaching this milestone of 100 posts is really satisfying for me. This event provides me with a good platform to record some of my reflections on this experiment with blogging. Though I am hesitant to write my personal experiences in this blog, I think documenting my experience is necessary.

I started blogging rather accidentally. In December last year when the amendment for Patent laws was passed as an ordinance, I felt really bad. Having always opposed the strong Patent regime, I thought I should raise my voice against this law. What emerged was an article which was full of facts. It lacked the format of popular article so I could not send it for publishing to any main stream media. In a desperate attempt to reach to people, I started looking at alternatives. Then I came across this concept of blog.

Initially I was doubtful about the power of blog to reach everyone. Since I did not have any other alternative, I tried blogging. This article on patents was supposed to be my first post. But at the same my other article on the implication of GATS on higher education got published. So I thought I should post it first. That is how it all started. Later I continued to post some of my Kannada poems which were published elsewhere.

I realized the power of blog when I posted an article on logical proof for non- existence of God. The amount of response it generated surprised me. For a long time I continued to reply to responses. I had to write a full article explaining the concept of proof and its relation to truth. Till today none of my articles received so much response as this one did.

I should say that I became much more conscious and responsible in my writing after this case. What followed were more serious topics like E-governance and Linux. Around this time I wrote a series on my favorite philosophical theory Existentialism. That was my first serious article on philosophy. During the same time I wrote what I think is THE BEST article I have ever written. It was a take on how people view criticism.

The article on movies also was a satisfying one since it analyzed some the aspects of movie watching that are neglected by many. The next significant article was an analysis of romantic relations in Hindu mythology. This article had many factual errors which went unnoticed. Around the same time I posted one of my storyThe first experience.

I consider the article seeking to find the relation between beauty and truth to be one the most interesting writing. Another personally satisfying article was about maintaining relations because it was based on Khalil Gibran’s poetry.

If something has found more place than any other topic in this blog, it is the issue of Globalization. The impact of Globalization and the threats it pose to our lives formed the source for most of my articles. The second could be the political issues that too mainly the issue of democracy.

Page 99 of 366 The recent series on the trial of Socrates has also given me immense satisfaction. The book ‘Apology’ does not contain all necessary commentary to understand the words of Socrates. To decrypt what he said and understand his arguments has been a good intellectual activity.

The series that led the run towards 100 posts was also an interesting one. Perhaps the series on classical theology was a tribute paid to the most popular topic in this blog. With this series, I think, we have completed a full circle which started with my disastrous proof aimed at proving the non-existence of God.

Why do I blog? - is an irrelevant question for me now. This blog has helped me to achieve so many of my objectives. In fact today it has become a part of my personality. A better answer for this question can be -I blog, therefore I am.

Page 100 of 366 Aftermath of breaking news

Tuesday, August 23, 2005

The 24-hours news channels are obsessed with feeding us with breaking stories. With the competition increasing among the news channels, what rules determining a good news story is fast changing. That stories like Govinda’s family remaining unhurt in accident are becoming breaking story is really disturbing. The same is true even for the print media. The judgment by Supreme Court asking the media to restrain from excess glorification of crime is welcome in this regard.

There was a novel attempt by NDTV which tried looking beyond this breaking news. This program emphasized the importance of one aspect of journalism which many forget- the need to have follow-up stories. Rarely any one bothers to see what happens after an incident occurs. Many limit themselves to reporting the incident and then flee from the scene. Perhaps they move to next breaking story.

Just consider this. Everyday we see Police taking photographs with the criminals they have caught. What happens next? No one cares. Only in some cases where there are some famous personalities are involved, there will some follow-up. Otherwise we have to remain contended with the photo of arrest.

Take also the case of natural disasters like Tsunami. While all channels rushed to cover the disaster, little was done after 6 months to verify the progress of rehabilitation programs. Only a handful of media houses were serious in tracking the utilization of the funds that they donated to the victims. Considering the fact that this money was collected from the readers it becomes the duty of the media to report the status on ground.

The NDTV story which was referred earlier in this article was about the child labors. In a massive ride over cotton mills in Mumbai, the police found that there were many children working there under inhuman conditions. This again made national headlines and police assured that they will take these boys to their parents. For many the story ended there.

But NDTV surprisingly tried to travel along with those children till their destination. What came out was not only a human story which was touching but some serious questions were also raised about our judicial system. Many of the children, contrary to common perception, were not welcomed by their parents. They had sent their children to work because of poverty. Now that they returned, they did not know what to do. Many of these children were the lonely working members in their families.

The babus in Mumbai might have never thought about this. They must have felt proud about their feat of releasing these children from ‘hell’. Little did they know that this ‘hell’ was the source of livelihood for many families. The same applies to recent bursting of ‘adoption racket’ in AP. The police ‘rescued’ many babies from being ‘sold’ to prospective parents. They fail to understand that they are depriving that child from loving care of some person who can give it a better life than the parents who are forced to see them because they are poor.

Can the same logic apply to the ‘bar-girls’ in Mumbai and Bangalore? No. That someone should choose this profession just because they are poor is not convincing. If that was the case, more than 30% of Indian population should take up this profession!

Page 101 of 366 The need for legal awareness

Wednesday, August 24, 2005

Suddenly the Government seems to very active in matters of social justice. There are at least 2 legislations passed in the current session of Parliament which are bound to have long tem implications. First was the Right to Information Act and the second is The Rural Employment Guarantee Bill. But the unfortunately the media, as always, is not bothered with these important legislations.

That people in a democratic society must be fully aware about the functionalities of Government is well etched in the ethos of our Constitution. But many limit to their knowledge of Constitution to a few chapter in their High School lessons in unfortunate. Part of the blame for this problem also goes to the Government itself. In this Internet age where information can be distributed with negligible cost does not seem to attract the attention of Government.

Though the Government of India (GOI) has put up a website http://indiacode.nic.in/ it does not contain all necessary information. It just lists all the bills introduced in the Parliament without giving the access to full text for most of them. It defeats the very purpose of having such a site. Even the law ministry website does not have the list of acts passed in Parliament.

When Government has passed the Information Rights Act which guarantees all citizens the access to all information this kind of behavior is highly regrettable. Ironically, the Act very well says in its purpose that “Democracy requires informed citizenry and transparency of information”. The only satisfactory thing is that at least this Act is available on MIT website.

The need to read and understand full texts of acts is very necessary for making comments. That these two legislations have generated a variety of reactions from general public is surprising. The famed Employment Act is still not available in Government website. So how did people come to have their own opinions is baffling.

Maybe most of them relied on the media to form their opinion. This is a potential problem since the neglect of media over these issues is very well known. At least the papers who have an Internet edition can publish the full text of these acts but they rarely do so. This puts the readers in serious trouble since they have to rely on small abstracts that papers publish.

The same applies even to the Supreme Court rulings. The recent judgment on the issue of quotas in private unaided colleges has generated interest among many to respond. Many have gone overboard in responding to the judgment. One only wonders how many of them have truly read it before arriving at conclusions. The fury of CJI yesterday was valid because the response of Government was disturbing in this effect.

The complete text of judgment itself can be found here. But again this is not found in the official site of Supreme of India. It is not easy to get the text of judgments in several important cases though it is the combined responsibility of judiciary and Government to make it available to public. It is high time the Government takes the advantage of power of Internet and makes all important documents public in accordance to the spirit of Information Act.

Page 102 of 366 The bustle of banning

Thursday, August 25, 2005

The announcement of Maharastra Government to ban the usage of plastic bags is interesting from various perspectives. Notwithstanding the fact that the earlier attempts in this direction proved futile, this attempt by the government is surprising. But this time there is a new theory for banning. The government says that the recent trouble in Mumbai was largely due to the clogging of drains and use of plastic bags is the primary culprits for this disaster. This, it claims, is a good reason enough to ban their usage.

The issue of banning certain goods from usage is nothing new. But somehow these bans do not seem to go well with the democratic image of the country. Yes, it is true that certain things have to banned. Otherwise the whole society has to face the risk. But the half-heartedness on the part of Government to implement these bans makes the whole effort look like one more political stunt.

In this case itself, there are many questions unanswered. When the ban is imposed on the usage of plastic bags (of any size), there is no ban imposed on the manufacture of plastic bags in the state. The argument can be that the ban on manufacturing can hamper the economic health of the state. The simple solution would have been to ban the manufacturing itself because it would block the entry of plastics into public life.

If Government was so enthusiastic, it should have imposed a blanket ban on entry of plastics into the state. But this has not been done. This is same in the case of many ‘banned’ activities like smoking and liquor. On one hand there is no restriction on the production of these things, but there are rules and regulations regarding their consumption. This ambiguity should be removed first if Government is serious in imposing bans.

Some other trivial questions which should be answered are- what should people do with the plastic bags they already have? Does the use of old stock of plastic bags also invite fine? Does Government take any step to dispose the already collected plastic bags in public sphere? Is the use of plastic bags ONLY reason for the recent havoc in Mumbai? Shouldn’t Government announce the alternatives for plastics?

That the wide spread of plastic bags in all areas of public life is indeed worrying. The easiness with which it is available combined with the lack of alternatives is one of the reasons for this. If any Government is serious in removing the face of plastic bags from their place, they should first suggest the alternatives. This applies not only to this case but to all cases of bans.

A similar attempt was done in the sleepy town of Virajpet(my home town) before a few years. This received very good response from public and everything was going fine for some time. Suddenly plastics re-emerged. No one knows the exact reason for this sudden lack of interest among people. Noting that this was a voluntary decision taken by people, this was an interesting case. No law can be successful unless it has a definite implementation strategy. Considering the fact that previous attempts have failed despite tall claims, it will be interesting to see how this one will progress.

Page 103 of 366 Selling Computers

Wednesday, August 31, 2005

The Computer market in India is long dominated by the local players. The idea of buying Computers here is to go to a local “Computer guy” and give him the specifications you want. He assembles the system and you engage in bargaining for better prices. The idea of having a branded PC is so alien to the people here. More than the cost there must be something why people do not prefer them.

Why do people buy unbranded PC’s but go for branded items for other electronic devices? Even though other electronic devices such as TV, audio and video players also can be assembled, their market is very low. Only assembled PC market which is unorganized has been able to beat its branded counterparts.

There are different reasons for this. The primary reason may be that there is no recognized brand of PC which is extremely popular. Take mobile phones where Nokia is the default choice of many. There is nothing equivalent to this in computers. The attempts by HP, HCL and even Wipro have not been very successful. People are not able to recall these brands easily.

Intel may boost of better recognition in the industry. In fact when people give the specification for Computer, Intel will be the only brand which will be specified. Never ever will one have specific brand request in RAM or Hard disk. There seems to be a complete absence of any promotion by the manufacturers of RAM or hard disk. The existing brands in these areas also are silent in this aspect.

Why does one need PC at home? Intel says it is to make your daughter a Doctor. In one of the most frequent advertisement one sees on TV, Intel tells us that having an “Intel Inside” brand PC will make your house look different and help your children study well. This is similar to those detergent ad’s which tell us that you have to wear sparkling white shirt to win appreciation from your boss!

If we observe the ads of Apple, which is trying to capture the Indian market, one thing becomes clear. They seem to be too obsessed with trying to tell us how unreliable PC’s are. But they fail to tell us why we should go for Mac’s. They seem to be in a fix in identifying their opponents. On one hand they have to fight the large assembled PC market and on the other hand also resist the growing branded PC market.

The entry of low-budget PC’s like Apna PC (from Bengal) has made the competition for fierce. Apple will find it difficult to make a niche for itself in this market which promises to grow tremendously in coming years. But the fundamental problem remains. How do you sell the PC? What is that compelling reason for people to go out and buy Computer?

There seems to be no specific answer to these questions. You can sell a shampoo by saying that it will make your hair shining and silky or that it removes dandruff. Every electronic item has a specific goal but Computer. Being a generic machine which has many possibilities of usage has proved to be a problem in marketing a PC. The main users of home PC’s are usually the school going children and so Intel has tried to focus in this area. If branded PC’s want to have strong standing in this lucrative market they should first invent a need for everyone to have a PC.

Page 104 of 366 Regional parties going national

Thursday, September 01, 2005

The political scene of India was long dominated by Congress party. Though Gandhi had suggested that the party be dismantled after achieving the goal of Independence no one seemed to be interested then. What followed thereafter was the establishment of dynastic rule which is opposed in democratic society. With the charisma of Nehru-Gandhi family ever growing, a section of people began their search for alternative political options.

The emergence of regional parties in India has its roots in the division of states based on linguistic terms. The southern states first seized the opportunity of growing intolerance towards imposition of Hindi to build political parties which claimed to make regional identity as a political force. Subsequent developments in other states to give a voice to the backward classes and dalits gave rise to parties which made caste identity as a political issue.

It should be noted that these parties had a small impact outside their territory. Perhaps there was no real alternative national party to Congress until BJP emerged. Even though the efforts of making Janata Dal (now in its various versions) a true national party was successful temporarily, it could not sustain the momentum. It is surprising to note that there has been no attempt to create a true national party with secular credentials which can be an alternate to Congress.

The regional parties have the single aim to protecting the local interests. It is alarming to see that certain regional parties (like Shiv Sena) had taken this issue of regional identity to the extreme. Their efforts to “purify” their land from settlers, who again were Indian citizens, through use of force do not go well with the spirit of nationality. Similar efforts by caste and group based parties which try to establish the superiority of their clan by suppressing other groups is also regrettable.

These parties which had limited play-field are now trying to enter other states. How will they fair in the neighboring states will be interesting to watch. The entry of Pramod Mutalik into Shiv Sena is an example for this development. How will Shiv Sena be relevant in Karnataka when its main goal is to establish a “marata state”? Similarly the relevance of regional parties like AIADMK in state like Karnataka can also be questioned. Can any one think how TDP can make its impact here?

These regional parties who have had bitter fights with their neighboring states in the past are now trying to vow the same. Their claims can better be rejected as opportunistic. In an effort to go national they are forgetting the very basis of their existence. What will the stand of Karnataka branch of AIADMK be during Cauvery water crisis? Will they support the claims of Karnataka or will they be in the side of Tamil Nadu? Will Shiv Sena give up its demand for Belgaum when it grows strong in Karnataka?

These questions never seem to bother the party bosses when they try to enter alien territories. Part of the problem can be attributed to the lack of ideological base for these political parties. Always driven by the hunger for power, these parties will do anything to satisfy that. Ideology and identity is the last thing that any party will worry. That is the reason why we cannot distinguish one party from other in India. At the most we identify the party through its leaders. But with party-hopping so rampant, even this distinction is fast vanishing.

Page 105 of 366 The solution, it may seem, is to curb these regional parties and encourage only the national parties. But with the growth of coalition politics, the chances to do this look dim. The dependency of national parties on these small regional parties has worsened the problem. A party having a handful of MP’s will be in a position to dictate the future of the country. This increased importance boosts the morale of these regional parties and encourage them to expand their base. The resulting situation will the one filled with opportunistic politics, ideological emptiness and political chaos.

Page 106 of 366 Democracy within a political party

Friday, September 02, 2005

One of the main problems which have plagued the political parties for long is the absence of proper democratic values within the party. Rarely can we see any political party which conducts elections at grass root levels for the administration of party. This lack of democratic ethos in running the party can be seen with all major political parties thought the country. Being functional in a democratic state, this behavior by the parties is regrettable.

Somehow the concept of unanimous selection of candidates to the administrative bodies within the party does not seem to go well with the democratic values. The lack of opposition for a particular person’s nomination may be viewed as a sign of solidarity within the party. But as mentioned earlier, this lack of opposition can also be considered as a kind of monopoly. The efforts by the party bosses to convince others to withdraw from election so as to facilitate unopposed election can be viewed as high-handedness of elite in the party.

The role is party presidents is increasingly becoming powerful in all parties. That criticizing the party president for genuine reason should itself be considered as a valid reason to dismiss someone from the party is not in accordance with democratic spirit. But this incident is being repeated in all parties across the nation. To consider that party presidents should be above all criticism means breaking the fundamental rule of democracy.

There is a precise reason for this episode to repeat for frequently these days. A close observation will tell us that almost all political parties today are considered to be the private asset of a person. In most cases they will the founding persons of that party. This gives them the sense of unquestioned authority over the party. Their image and personal appeal will be much higher than the party. This leads to a situation where a political party remains someone’s private property rather than being a democratic institution.

To expect that democracy will exist in these parties will be foolish. The party elections will just be an eye-wash and every time we will see the same person being selected as party president. The funniest aspect with these parties is that during the time of important decision making they will ‘unanimously empower’ the party president to take appropriate action. Can there be any better example to show how undemocratic these parties are?

It looks like in Independent India we were successful in removing the monopolistic rulers but established monarchy of other type. The ruling rights are becoming hereditary in almost all parties. It is ironic that these parties declare themselves as democratic, draft party constitution and still depend on one person to do everything. Any dissident will be expelled from the party. That person goes on to build his own party. Oh! This is nothing different from those raja-maharaja days where one would build their own empires.

Somebody has truly said that democracy is not in the blood of Indians. We seem to be more comfortable with displaying jee-huzoor type obedience towards rulers. Yesterday it was kings today there are netas. Nothing else has changed from those days. CPI and other left parties may be little democratic in functioning but all others are monopolistic.

Page 107 of 366 Teachers as performers

Monday, September 05, 2005

The role of teachers in today’s society is fast changing. Gone are the days where teachers were considered as the only source of information. The proliferation of sophisticated technologies which help people to access and share information has added tremendous burden on a modern day teacher. As the need for classroom is questioned, the place of teachers is also under threat.

One major challenge for a teacher is to constantly upgrade himself about all developments in his field. With the changes happening so fast, it is a daunting task for anyone. But with the expectation of student group ever increasing, the modern day teacher cannot sit undaunted by the developments. The need to explore newer possibilities while sticking to the basics is definitely difficult for him.

The increased expectation from a teacher is also due to the change in the way we see education. Today education is a commercial activity like any other service sector. With the competition ever increasing among the institutions to provide better education, it is the teachers, who have to take the brunt. The idea of considering education as ‘commercial service’ somehow does not seem to go well with our tradition.

In modern day lingo, students are the ‘customers’ of an institution. The teachers have to don the role of the ‘service provider’. In this situation the width of the term ‘customer satisfaction’ will be interesting to explore. Should teachers teach so that their students are satisfied? How long should they go to ‘satisfy’ their students? Aren’t teachers guided by their own ethics in terms of handling their students? Well, in a commercial society these questions have remained unanswered.

In this kind of a situation, the teachers have to be performers. That whether teaching can be considered as a form of performing art is debatable. But sometimes it appears that teachers are in a way forced to perform in the class. Their performance is directed in a way to ‘satisfy’ their students. It is an unfortunate development that teachers are made to ‘perform’ in the class. Instead of giving the academic liberty, the money-thirsty managements are increasingly pressuring the teachers to be ‘performers’ rather than allowing them to be what they are – ‘teachers’.

Academic autonomy alone can be the solution for the problems education sector is facing today. In present scenario one group will set the syllabus, other group will teach it in class and the third group will set papers and evaluate. This idea of having 3 different players in curriculum setup should go. A teacher should be given all these rights viz. to set his own syllabus, teach and evaluate his students.

In the absence of this faith on teachers, the society has no right in condemning the plight of education system. Education, which forms the most important sector in the development of a country, has never got its due respect here. The tendency to blame teachers without understanding the ground realities should go. If the country has to progress, there should be 2 important changes that should happen. One is to stop treating education as a “commercial service activity” and second is to give all teachers the level of academic autonomy which they deserve. Only then the teachers can do what they are expected to do and stop being “performers”.

Page 108 of 366 Resisting Technology

Tuesday, September 06, 2005

Today’s newspapers carried the photo of VTU V-C Dr.Balvir Reddy with more than 300 mobiles which were confiscated from students and faculties of Engineering Colleges in Bangalore. Though the use of mobile phones was banned in colleges no one was serious about it. This act by the V-C has sent a clear message to all – we are serious about the ban.

This episode is interesting from various aspects. One is that unlike other Universities, VTU is solely a technical university. The students and faculty here are engaged in technological studies. It may look like a cliché but the aim of technology, we agree, is to improve the lives of people. So University seems to tell us that we can study technology but not use it.

The point, many may argue, is the correct use of technology. No one knows the right reason behind the latest ban on mobiles in campus. Surely the episode in DPS involving mobiles with camera must have had its share in this decision. Whatever may the reasons, applying a blanket ban on the usage of anything is not right. But the lists of banned activities in campus are on an all time high.

We should not see this case in isolation. Banning mobiles in campus may have its own merits but we should see this episode in a wider perspective. As mentioned earlier, this must be seen as an attempt to resist the influx of technology into social sphere. Lack of understanding about the social impact of technology is the main reason for all these problems.

Technology, we should remember, cannot be discussed in isolation. The social impact of technology has been long neglected in engineering studies. Students continue to learn the design issues without giving a look at social sensitiveness. This lack of sensitivity continues even at work place and we get designers who fail to understand the impact of devices they build.

The core of the argument here is that it is the designers who are responsible for all problems. Technology is malleable; it is shaped by the thoughts of the designer. The designer cannot escape by saying that he has no role in deciding the usage of a technology. It is his primary responsibility to foresee the impact of the technology he is designing. When he fails to do so, we get technologies which are abused by public.

This misuse of technology leads many to argue that technology itself should be banned. Past experiences have proven that this is impossible. With the march of technology being so fast, the designers have to take on more responsibilities. They have to be more focused towards the social aspects and try to be sensitive to various issues. Otherwise we will continue to witness the resistance to new technology from public.

This resistance manifests itself into bans in its extreme form. It is another thing that these bans rarely prove useful. This resistance to technology is nothing new. Every new technology will face resistance in its initial phase. For designers it is a wake up call to be more sensitive and responsible in their work. They should grow to understand that their work is not limited to labs but will touch the everyday lives of millions of people.

Page 109 of 366 The problems of Science and Technology

Wednesday, September 07, 2005

The problems with the misuse of Technology are already discussed earlier. If one tries to see the reason behind these problems, one will know that this is not an isolated problem, but a minuscule of a larger problem. The problem, as we will see here, lies not in the misuse of a technology but with the nature of technology itself.

Science and Technology both have same goal. It may sound like a cliché but it is true that both strive for the upliftment of mankind. In this course, both face some problems. But it appears like the problems of Science are much simpler than the one faced by Technology. Science is unperturbed by the various market forces. Though today some areas of Science have commercial interests, it is generally agreed that the basic science research is unconcerned to market demands.

Science has the ultimate goal of identifying the truth. It is the job of scientists to seek this truth through their own methodologies which is termed as ‘scientific’. We should note that though major scientific discoveries have profound influence on mankind, science is not interested in propagating the truth which it has discovered. In fact, it does not matter to science whether people accept that truth or not.

The people once believed that earth was flat. Science told them that it was spherical. This was not accepted by all for a long time. Had this made any difference to the scientific community? No, because Science is least bothered about this. It believes that one day the truth will be accepted by all. With this optimism, it continues its journey of finding truth.

It is often difficult for people to change the path which they have walked for long. It is difficult for them to change their opinion which they have developed over years. Change, whether in thinking or in deeds, will be opposed. To change is not natural to humans; but is natural to science. Change is the fundamental characteristic of science. The challenge before science is to convince people to change. To make them understand the validity of truths which it discovered. The challenge before science is to take people along the path which it has covered.

But as mentioned earlier, this is easier said than done. Fortunately for Science this change need not be drastic. Science is ready to wait for people to accept the changes. As said before, it is this positive attitude that has led to the progress of science.

Technology, on the other hand, cannot take such chances. The main problem in technology is that unlike science it has commercial interests. So it cannot be silent to the opinions of people. It has to respond to their needs. Technology is not a process of discovering truth like science; it is a commercial endeavor. This commercial angle puts tremendous pressure on technology. It has to achieve dual goals- one to satisfy commercial interests and second to help the progress of mankind. Maintaining this delicate balance between two conflicting interests is the main problem of technology. When technology fails to resolve this conflict between its two interests, we see problems with technology. When the balance tilts more towards satisfying commercial interests we get technology which lacks social concern. A socially sensitive technology may not be commercially viable. It becomes the sole responsibility of Technologists to resolve this conflict in an amicable way so that we get technologies that are both socially useful and economically viable.

Page 110 of 366 Expectations from IT industry -1

Thursday, September 08, 2005

The recent floods in North Karnataka have had its effects on IT industry also. No, it didn’t quite affect the productivity of IT industry since almost all are based in Bangalore. It brought a new wave of criticism on the industry. Pioneering this attack on the industry was none other than the Deputy CM Mr. M P Prakash himself. He was critical about the non-responsiveness of the industry towards this calamity. Not wanting to miss this golden opportunity to bash the IT industry, Ravi Belagere also wrote an article condemning the behavior of the IT industry. Suddenly IT industry which was darling of everyone has turned into a villain.

The complaints made against the industry are 2 twofold. One is the constant grumble that they do not respond to the needs of the state and second is the allegation that they are responsible for all evils thatBangalore is facing today. Somehow IT industry always becomes the easy prey for people who want someone to blame for all their woes. These allegations usually are never be backed by facts and it appears like few people use these kinds of opportunities to level personal scores.

Let us look at the first allegation that IT industry is insensitive to the social needs. Before anything we should remember that the IT like any other business is interested in profits. Running an IT industry is demanding in these days of cost-cutting and increasing opposition against outsourcing. Charity is not the primary objective of any industry. It is only a desired activity and no body has a right to demand charity from any organization.

IT industry becomes a prime target for many because of the public perception that lots of money is involved in this industry. The kind of turnovers these industries disclose, the amount of salaries professionals draw here sends a wrong message to people that IT industry has surplus money. But money in this industry is nothing compared to the other sectors like petroleum, steel or even diamond industry in India. People only know that IT has money and they demand a share in that.

Karnataka Government alleges that the IT industry demands too much infrastructure for its own sake. It says the industry captains threaten to move out of the city if their demands are not met. Why not? When IT industry has given so much to boost the economy of the state they have every right to demand the basic infrastructure. We still think it is the responsibility of the Government to provide that. When every state is trying to woo these people, it is natural for them to be demanding. Remember that it was the favorable policies of the then state government that enabled the IT industry to grow here.

The demand that IT industry has not done much for the people here is also not true. The example of TATA, who always made it a point to build townships, is given in this regard. But we have to note the difference between the economies of these industries. IT industry is knowledge based one unlike manufacturing which depends largely on unskilled labor. The needs and aspirations of the workforce in these industries will be different. The IT industry tries to cater the needs of its up market workforce which is techno-savvy. Now that we know the reason behind the changed priorities of IT industry, it is easy for us to understand why IT industries demand more sophisticated infrastructure. It is only to cater the needs of its ever demanding work force. With attrition rate being so high, this is valid demand by them. We shall see the validity of second allegation in next part.

Page 111 of 366 Expectations from IT industry -2

Friday, September 09, 2005

We have already seen that the allegation against IT industry that it is insensitive towards the societal needs is not true. As a defense against this allegation it was said that it was the changing needs of the workforce that has created such an environment. Previously during the days of a manufacturing industry opening up its centre in a small town the needs were different. Since most of the people working in shop floor were unskilled labor getting paltry salary, it became the responsibility of the industry to provide supporting facilities.

In contrast, the workforce in the IT industry is high skilled professionals. The kind of infrastructure and other support facilities they demand will be different from the traditional unskilled workforce. This puts enormous pressure on the companies because their role in providing them is limited. They can provide excellent facilities at workplace but civic amenities should still be provided by the Government. So it is natural that they demand same sophisticated infrastructure outside the workplace.

The second allegation that IT is the root cause for all problems we face in Bangalore is not completely right. Skeptics blame the sky-rising land prices, emergence of plush restaurants, starting of expensive amusement centers and increase in vehicular traffic all on IT. They blame that the cash rich IT professionals take all things to their side. Their ability to ‘throw’ money is considered to the centre of the problem where today everything has become expensive.

This development is a natural phenomenon in any new economy. With the emergence of new economic order there are bound to be certain drastic changes. These are fallouts of the knowledge revolution which we have accepted with open arms. The grumbles against this should have been anticipated beforehand. But it is now high time to reverse this process and society should learn to accept these changes graciously.

There are certain misconceptions about the salaries paid in the IT industry. Indian economy which was dominated by agriculture previously opened up to industrialization only in Nehruvian period. The establishment of large PSUs, nationalized banks and insurance sector along with Governmental organizations were the primary employers during the later stage. Though there was a presence of private companies their scope was limited. The employment opportunities for professionals were few and that can explain the large scale migration of these classes to other shores until late 1980’s.

With the liberalization of economy and favorable policies in 90’s saw the emergence of new industry. The emergence of IT industry as a main economy driver and employer makes interesting story to study. What changed in the country was the mindset of people regarding private companies. The earlier generation which craved for a ‘secure’ Government jobs woke up to the realities of present world. Competition, expertise, high pay – all became the order of the day. In a liberalized and open economy, this is a natural development.

Even though the IT industry mainly employs professionals, its impact on other areas is significant. Studies say that every job in IT creates 2 jobs in transport and catering. IT impacts 16% of hotel biz, 7% of real estate and 16% of air travel industry. It is clear that from these figures that IT alone is not eating the fruits of this revolution but is helping other areas also significantly.

Page 112 of 366 Health as a fundamental right

Monday, September 12, 2005

The question of whether one’s health should be considered as a fundamental right can be raised now. The reason is the judgment given the High court of Karnataka which decided that having HIV is not a reason for denying job for anyone. Though this is seen as a victory for the rights of HIV patients, here we attempt to look this development from a different angle.

Health is not considered as a fundamental right in our constitution. If today we decide that it should be considered as a right, the implications are many. The meaning and scope of considering health as a universal right should be first defined. Let us start from there. From the above stated judgment can we infer that health of person should not be a discriminating factor for employment? It looks so.

If that is the case, then disclosing the health status also becomes optional. That implies that companies which ask for medical checks of its employees before joining them becomes gross violation of this right. On this basis of this judgment it can be argued that since health status cannot be a basis for employment, disclosing that is not compulsory. So companies may have to stop this exercise.

The second implication can be the stand by individuals that they have every ‘right’ to their health. That means they can argue that they will be independent to hook on any practices that are deemed “injurious to health”. Using the status of health as their fundamental right they can argue that it is their choice to smoke, drink, take drugs or do anything that can “spoil” their health. So Government will be in back foot in implementing the ban against these things.

In this case there seems to be a conflict between individual rights and overall social responsibility. Whenever there is such a clash, the later always wins. So people cannot take it for granted that even when health is considered as a fundamental right, they can do anything to their health. This is a classic example for conflict of fundamental rights and duties of Governments in a democratic society.

There is one more serious implication of this notion. If health is considered as a right then invariably life should also be considered as a fundamental right. This is a thorny issue in our country because considering life as a right will have far reaching implications. The scope of this right will spill to even to death. Then the topic of right to death will also come into picture.

This topic of right to death has already created controversy throughout the world. Many countries have responded to this by legalizing euthanasia. But in countries like India, this issue is still unresolved. By granting fundamental right status to health, the Government will be forced to take a stand on this issue also. So this issue is untouched even today.

By seeing the implications of this judgment, it should be clear that health cannot be considered as a fundamental right. It can only have a limited scope. It can make the disclosure of health status optional. Also it will make selection based on health status illegal. Its scope ends there.

Page 113 of 366 Simply praising Varma

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

The lanky Shankar slowly walks into the room of his father with heavy steps. His mother is in the bedside while his bhabi walks in. After a long period of silence he slows breaks the news – “mein Vishnu bhaiyya ko maar diya” (I have killed my elder brother Vishnu). Amidst the silence, you can feel the pain in everyone’s face. His father then slowly asks “aage?” (What next?)

That one word signals the dawn of a new era. The famed strongman “Sarkar” has decided to shift the baton to his younger son Shankar. That one word by him captures all emotions. It shows his helplessness, it demonstrates his trust on his son and it shows who the boss is. Regime change depicted by one word; power equations changed in a moment. What else do you need to gauge the genius?

In the contemporary cinema, it is difficult to find a director who can match the creative power of Ram Gopal Varma. This director shines in parts of Sarkar as a technical genius. Varma seems to have developed a hatred for long dialogs, which were at once an important part of Hindi cinema. Even today people recall most of the dialogues in Sholay. Famous dialogues from movies become part of folklore. But in recent Varma movies, you find minimal but powerful dialogues.

Many people have tried to adapt the classic “Godfather” in Indian celluloid. Mani Rathnam’s famed “Nayagan” was a cult movie in this genre. The performance of Kamal Hasan in this movie still stands as greatest testimony for his acting skills. Kamal in this movie was far better than Amitab in Sarkar. One reason may be that Kamal’s character traced the life time journey of a don whereas Sarkar limits itself to the regime change episode.

Varma’s movies changed their language after “Company”. Though many consider “Satya” as his career high point, his language did not change much in this movie. In technical aspects, it was “Company” which heralded a major change. Slick editing, unusual camera angles, unique background score – which have now become the hallmark of his films stated with “Company”. It was only after this movie that the movies from his “factory” began to carry that stamp with them.

What Varma has achieved in these years is nothing short to a miracle. He has transformed the whole language of Hindi cinema. His influence was so wide that even the coffee-toffee Karan made “Kaal” (although a disastrous attempt). Perhaps it was the film “Bhoot” which took this experiment into new heights. The technical aspects of this movie are amazing. There may be only a couple of shots in this movie where camera was placed in conventional angle. Otherwise it was placed either close to ground level or so near to ceiling. The result of this peculiar placement of camera was breath taking visuals of the apartment which played significant role in the success of the movie.

Varma continues this experiment even in Sarkar. There are hospital scenes where camera is placed below the stretcher, right above to Amitab’s face who is lying on bed etc. These kind of small issues make significant contribution to the overall impact of movie. What Varma has given to his audience is the cinemas which look different and speak a unique technical language. With the right mix of various cinematic values he has made watching cinema an enjoyable experience.

Page 114 of 366 Beyond the Information Act

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

The ultimate passing of Information Act 2005 on June 15, 2005 should be considered as a red-letter day inIndia’s history. This long cherished dream is finally realized after 50 years of independence. There are reasons to be happy after reading the act. For the first time the citizens now feel really empowered. In times where the validity of democracy as a system of governance is questioned, this act gives enough reason to say why still democracy is the best.

As it is rightly noted in the objective of this act – “…democracy requires informed citizenry and transparency of information which are vital to its functioning and also to contain corruption and to hold Governments and their instrumentalities accountable to be governed…..”. So the scope of this act should span to providing information to citizens, help contain corruption and make Government and its allied machinery accountable.

The act accomplishes the first goal i.e. creating informed citizenry quite efficiently. The kinds of information citizens can avail are broad and includes almost all kinds of records stored in all possible formats (manual and electronic). The “right” to citizens includes right to– inspection of work, documents and records, taking notes, extracts or certified copies of documents, taking certified sample of materials and obtaining information in digital way (in floppy, CD etc) or take printouts.

For people who grumble about the long bureaucratic processes involved in obtaining information from Government agency there is a solution. This process is simplified and looks efficient (at least on paper). If you say many in India are illiterate and cannot write the requests, there is a provision to accept verbal requests also. All in this entire act appears to be a dream come true for establishing a information rich society.

But let us look beyond this. Why do people need information? Of course obtaining information is not an end in itself. It is a means for some larger goal. Sadly that part is still neglected. Even if we accept that we will get information in fly about all crucial issues, the way in which we can use it is still limited. The only use can be to put the information into public domain. Access to classified information which journalists considered as their privilege now becomes a powerful tool in everyone’s hand.

Imagine you finding out large scale corruption in any deal through the information that is collected using this act. What options do you have? You have to go through same mundane judicial processes which have turned inefficient due to time constraints. We have seen scores of bureaucrats being caught by vigilance officers for corruption. Do we know their fate? How many of them really get the punishment under law?

The point of the matter is- it is not enough to have a strong information procurement act. Fast judicial procedures and efficient accountability laws are crucial in determining the success of such act. Otherwise we will create a society which is rich with information but not knowing what to do with it. This inability to put information to good use may deter people from using that facility at all. Nevertheless the first goal of this act will be accomplished if this act is implemented in true spirit. We will hope that the subsequent goals i.e. reducing corruption and increased accountability will also be accomplished through other supporting laws.

Page 115 of 366 Indian marriages

Thursday, September 15, 2005

If anyone is interested in studying the impact of Bollywood on Indian society, they need not go beyond Indian marriages. Bollywood and its small screen counterparts have permanently changed the way Indian marriages are conducted. In fact studying marriage ceremonies can be a good starting point for understanding the changing cultural face of any society. It is because marriage is the pinnacle of all ceremonies any culture celebrates.

Not so long ago, marriages were considered to be a platform for many to display their project management skills. The elaborate planning processes that preceded the ceremony were nothing short to large scale project management. Usually the main sub-activities in this plan were- selecting venue, sarees and jewels. Selecting various service providers like pundits, cooks, pendalwala and videowala was nothing short than the exercise of selecting contractors and sub-contractors in project execution. As in every project here too we could find last minute glitches and a mad-rush to see everything works fine.

Of course the important activity of selecting the partner precedes this activity. That part of the story is not covered here. Anyone who involves in the process of saree selection actively is sure to get his quota of lessons in human psychology. The pursuing capabilities of shop owners can be a good lesson for any management guy. Shopkeepers will teach us how green saree worn by Soundarya in Aptamitra is popular. The same applies even to the choice of jewels. Except for mangal-sutra every other ornament will be a replica of some model made famous by some star.

The menu in the marriage ceremony was once dominated by local dishes. In fact the “success” of marriage ceremony is decided by the variety and taste of menu. The catering guy seems to have divine knowledge of which dish is fad and which is dud. Some exotic dishes have made their way even into this otherwise traditional domain. Change in food choices often best reflects changing cultural values. Even though we cannot find sholay-e-sambar or kusum-de-halwa kind of dishes, the platter in marriages certainly has undergone a change.

The ceremony itself has changed and will be tailored to your needs, all thanks to accommodating pundits. Though it is a norm, if you don’t want to sit bare-chested in marriage, alternatives will be invented. If you are allergic to smoke coming from all those homa’s, pundit will shorten it. More video-friendly procedures will be properly, no problem; Pundit will allow you to repeat that once again.

The concept of ‘sangeet’ was never there in south-indian communities. Thanks to Bollywood, we are enlightened that it is the important step preceding the actual ceremony. But people here are confused lot as to how to implement the famous “joote chori” (hiding the slippers of bridegroom) procedure which was made famous in the movie HAHK. In this part of world no ones wears slippers during marriage ceremonies so implementing this popular feat becomes impossible.

Nevertheless the marriage ceremonies here have maintained at least few procedures. It is other thing that many do not know the reason behind these procedures. But even blindly following someone can sometimes lead us to our destination. In this case the cultural identity is retained by these procedures which may look meaningless sometimes.introduced. If your video guy is not satisfied with mangal-sutra tying procedure.

Page 116 of 366 Shahrukh….ab to ruk!

Friday, September 16, 2005

Indian advertising scene is long dominated by 3 male superstars – Sachin, Amitab and Sharukh Khan (SRK). This golden trio accounts to the bulk of star endorsement deals here. But given the fact that Sachin is no more the part of present Indian cricket team and Amitab is in the other side of age, it is SRK who seems to be the first choice of many companies. Even his die-hard fans may have lost count about the number of products he endorses.

But his latest move to appear in the Lux commercial has certainly raised the eye brows of many. A male super star in beauty soap ad! It even sounds ridiculous. Skeptics may dismiss this incident as one more attempt by him to garner huge amount of money. Others say they saw it coming. Whatever the reasons may be, this first by SRK is a good reason for us to analyze the changing definition of masculinity.

We had already witnessed a sea change in the way males are projected in cinema and commercials. The best example can be the Raymond’s ads. The famed Raymond man who once defined the ideal man has definitely changed. Today he may be in business suit but he takes care of his babies and even his puppies. The emotional side of man has been given importance in all commercials. No more can you find stiff-faced man in ads. He is a loving husband, caring father and even ventures into kitchen to make tea for his wife!

It again goes to the credit of SRK for changing the definition of hero in Bollywood. He may still beat the goons, run behind leading ladies and do all those things that define his macho image. But he is equally at ease displaying his emotions. He has made crying an ok thing for men. In fact it looks like there is a direct relation between SRK’s tears and film’s success; more he cries better the success. His exploits seems to have inspired new age directors to permanently change the image of the hero in recent movies.

SRK has also translated his on-screen success to do something more. He is open about his stand that he will endorse anything if they pay him his fees. This brute honesty by such superstar should not be interpreted as a sign of arrogance but his straightforwardness about his way of life. The message he tries to send out is clear- I do not have problems in saying I want more money. This along with his image on screen surely defines the term ‘metro sexual man’ in Indian context.

The definition of metro sexual man runs as follows “an urban male with a strong aesthetic sense, who spends a great deal of time and money on his appearance and lifestyle.” So visiting beauty saloons is not the exclusive domain of ladies. Saif was shown spending time in such saloon in the movie “kal ho na ho”. But the point is does anyone really care? Apart from all these media persons does any real person on street worry whether he is macho, metro sexual or retro sexual?

No, the world is too busy to take a note about these definitions. But the preconceived notions, the prejudices that arise from that makes an interesting case for a curious observer. Was Lux never used by males? There is no proof for it. But there is every reason to be sure that they were using it. So what is the fuss all about SRK endorsing it? Is this the classic case of insecurity of males about losing macho image? Or is it time for us to tell Sharukh to stop this?

Page 117 of 366 A note on isms-1

Monday, September 19, 2005

An article by Jayaram K Udupa looks into the concept of self and its generalization into various plural forms with great detail. Though there are many questions raised in that article, we will attempt here to look at one crucial question. He explains the emergence of “egoism” and explains how it grows further to represent interests of different groups. These extended theories give rise to various isms like- group egoism, nationalism, racism, humanism and speciesism.

We will never be the members of exclusive group. We will have affiliations to various groups. The question now is can we satisfy the requirement of every group to which we belong without losing anything? Precisely, the question here is- whether there are no conflicting interests for these groups? Can we satisfy the interests of each group without compromising on the values of other? If there is trade-off’s between values, which should be given preference?

When I am speaking Tulu at home and live in Coorg where Coorgi is the language spoken by majority which one shall I promote? There is Kannada which is the state language, Hindi which is my national tongue and of course English. This problem of multiple cultural identities is very common in today’s society. Language being an important aspect of culture makes it a good candidate for these discussions. Since using all languages at all times is practically impossible, there should be a definite solution for this.

The simple solution, many may argue, is to promote use of local tongue among people of same group and use a common bridge language to communicate with other groups. This appealing solution has limited application. Considering the fact that there are hundreds of languages in this world, the choice of bridge language becomes difficult. Today it is accepted that English is the language preferred for global communication. But the amount of stress this development puts on local language is understandable.

We cannot go ahead by falsely assuming that every language will survive. We have seen the slow death of many tongues when they go out of use. No amount of rich literature can save any language unless it is actively used in everyday life. In a kind of plural society that we live in, often we encounter situations where we have to choose one over other. The clashes between different interests come into play during these times.

The question again boils down to the question of self-identity. When we have multiple identities, which facet of it is more important over other? Is self-interest more important than nationality? Is humanism more crucial than nationalism? Why do we limit ourselves to humans when there are other species whose interests are also important? So should we every time think at the broadest possible sense and never satisfy self interest?

Answering these questions requires detailed study of the origin and scope of different theories that define different isms. The broad framework for this is discussed here. We shall see the different isms in detail in the following articles.

Page 118 of 366 A note on isms – 2

Tuesday, September 20, 2005

In the previous part we have seen how there will can be conflicting interests among various cultural identities we adopt. We had also seen that considering these dilemmas with respect to language can be a good way of understanding the issues. Further we concluded that this problem is associated with the question of self- identity in these times of cultural pluralism. We had started our journey of understanding different isms in order to appreciate these problems better.

Fulfilling self-interest ahead of serving interests of a particular group we belong to is not considered as a morally right step. Egoism is not considered to be a valid moral choice. But ideal ethical egoism in its purest of forms does not look to be so bad. The scope of this ideal egoism ends in satisfying ones need. The moral principle here is very simple “I want to be happy”. This single statement guides all the decision making process. So all our activities will be determined to bring happiness to self.

So what is the problem? Imagine a case where everyone in this world embraces this philosophy. Now ideally everyone will work to make themselves happy. This should give us a society where everyone is happy. If happiness of all is our greatest goal, then nothing seem to achieve that better than idealist egoism. But it rarely happens so. Close observation reveals that this philosophy has no regards for others happiness. So everyone tries to fulfill their desire at someone’s cost. The resulting situation will be the one filled with utter chaos where everyone tries to overstep others domain in order to make themselves happier.

That is the reason why egoism is given last preference in the list of our identities. Does that mean we have to look at the other extreme of the spectrum? Should we stick on to altruism? Does other form of group egoisms like nationalism, regionalism, and racism a form of altruism? It does not look so. Take nationalism – it is not a completely altruist philosophy. Altruism in its ideal form downplays the individual happiness. In fact it goes to such extremes in saying that one should sacrifice his joy for the larger good. But same sentiment is not echoed by group egoism philosophies.

If we take nationalism, we consider self as a part of larger group. So when we say something is good in nationalism, it applies that self is included in that group. All group egoisms are generalized form of self egoism. Or in other words we can say that it is nothing but egoism extended to a defined set of people. Though the concept of self vanishes in these theories, somewhere we can find its traces. Nationalism. Racism, Regionalism – cannot have altruistic outlook. They represent hidden personal interests and are aimed at establishment of supremacy of a particular group.

Humanism (and later speciesism) will always clash with the interests of group egoism theories like nationalism. You cannot at once satisfy the requirements of both. But humanism can be considered as the greatest ideal for humans. After all the statement that “all humans are equal” is the pinnacle of moral principles all humans adhere to. So in our list of moral choices humanism always gets top position. Other group egoism theories follow it. We place egoism at the bottom of the pyramid. This placing should be the basis for all our moral decision making preferences. Also this is the list we can look up for prioritizing our multiple cultural identities.

Page 119 of 366 Get monkeys for peanuts

Sunday, September 25, 2005

In a recent article published in Businessworld, Rashmi Bansal (editor of Jammag) takes an important topic of faculties in B-schools. Though the article limits itself to the thorny issue of finding “good” faculty in top rung Indian B-schools, the issues raised by her can be applied even to Technological institutes. Finding good faculty is a challenge for any institute and finding someone to blame is not that easy. In this article, Rashmi once again questions the credibility of faculty community which is already plagued by various problems.

“If you pay peanuts, you will get monkeys. In this case very intelligent monkeys….” She says referring to the quality of teachers. It is known to everyone here that teaching is not a profession that pays well. But as she herself says “anyone who's gone down the academic road swears by its cerebral charm…” Sadly this charm does not translate into big money and so “there's always a wish-it-paid-more wistfulness in the B-school prof's voice”

So what are teachers supposed to do? Do they quit their professions and start practicing in industry? If every teacher thinks so, what will be the plight of the education system? The society has always seen the teachers with a different attitude. There is a sense of oh-you-don’t-have-money kind of attitude when people talk to teachers. But does anyone care how teachers cope up with this?

“…very students these professors teach for less than 18 months get average salary packages that exceed their own annual earnings!” Great! But does anyone see how a teacher reacts when a student tells this to him? A teacher in a leading school can have other sources of income like consulting, sponsored research, in-house companies etc. But teaches in lesser known T-schools and B-schools do not get that opportunity. So what do they do? Fortunately or otherwise in India, they have an option- private tuitions.

Whoever condemns this practice of tuitions should see this aspect also. The circumstances that make this possible are much beyond any teacher’s control. Over crowded classrooms where teachers cannot focus on individuals, different learning scales of students, ever increasing demand to excel in examination and shortage of experts in certain crucial topics- all have forced certain faculty to engage in this activity which is often described as a menace to education system.

In the article, Rashmi takes up one more interesting question. In her own words “But for an academic, what is the real measure of greatness? Popularity among students or stature among peers? Number of papers published or days spent consulting with companies?” A true blue teacher will reply that none of the above is the true measure of the greatness of a teacher. A teacher’s greatness does not lie in numbers of any kind. It is a complex phenomenon which goes much beyond science of measurement.

The measure of greatness of a teacher lies in the level of influence he had on the lives of his students. His greatness lies in being much more than a person who transfers information from books. He may accept peanuts, but his greatness lies in not being monkey; not even intelligent money.

Page 120 of 366 Right to rule the sports

Monday, September 26, 2005

The recent controversy regarding the issue of stewardship of BCCI has raised a new set of issues regarding right to rule the sporting bodies. Ruling BCCI is more than the prestige issue because of the huge amount of money it generates in this cricket obsessed country. Naturally, the contenders for the coveted post of President of BCCI include not only businessmen but also seasoned politicians. Somehow the political class seems to believe that they divine right to rule anything under the sun.

A casual look at the sporting bodies across the country throws some interesting facts. Almost all central and state level governing bodies of all major sports have some politician as its president. Cricketing bodies always have a political heavy weight as their president. This trend can be seen even in other sports. Major exception can be K P S Gill, who heads hockey federation. But again Gill is no stranger to power play.

The question which is often asked is whether the right to govern a particular sports body should reside with the players themselves. Politicians may not agree. After all they are ruling the country, so why not an organization? The argument may be that the experience they have gained in administration is far superior to others. So, they claim the right to rule. But the fact is it is the rich money bags these bodies have which attract politicians and other powerful people.

Whoever may be the president of BCCI, it is Jagmohan Dalmiya who runs the show. His profile tells that he had played cricket at University level. So you cannot blame him for controlling the show. But what about Lalu Prasad Yadav who heads Bihar Cricket Association? We do not know whether he plays cricket. His relation with cricket seems to be his son, who we know plays cricket. Lalu may argue that this is good enough reason for him to be the president of BCA!

Take Suresh Kamadi, the president of Indian Olympic Association. His profile does not include any reference to his sporting capabilities. But he heads IOA from long time. S M Krishna heads the Karnataka State Tennis Association. We have seen pictures of him playing tennis so we can’t grumble much. But Yashwant Sinha heads the All India Tennis Association. His profile does not include anything remotely associated with tennis. Still he is its president from 2000.

The list of presidents of Indian Olympic association does not include any name who have excelled in sports. Same is the case of AITA. We can only find kings, queens, businessmen and politicians in the lists. Much efforts to find the presidents list of BCCI has failed since BCCI does not seem to have a website of its own! But it can be safely assumed that there may not have been illustrious cricketers as its president.

Can players become good administrators? We cannot generalize. But it is a valid demand that the people paying a game are better equipped to understand the needs of the players and the game. The responsibility, if any, for a sporting body is to nurture the talent. Identifying budding players, providing high quality and representing their interests should be its top priority. But unfortunately, these people are busy counting the money they receive from television rights. In fact it appears that bargaining the telecast rights is the only job these people have. Its high time sportspersons take the responsibility of administration into their own hands.

Page 121 of 366 Nenapu - a poem in kannada

Wednesday, September 28, 2005

Page 122 of 366 Analysis of Imrana case

Thursday, September 29, 2005

The case of Imrana, a Muslim woman who was raped by her father-in-law (f-i-l) made headlines for various reasons. For one it again raised the issue of Uniform Civil Code which is one of the main demands of BJP. But now somehow the debate is closed and everyone has moved on. Some serious questions still lay unanswered and this is an attempt to put them again to forefront.

The case history reads like this. Imrana, a mother of 5 children was raped by her f-i- l. The local panchayat decided that she should live with her rapist and treat her husband as son. This was supposed to be in accordance with the Islamic laws. This issue generated huge controversy with everyone criticizing the religious diktat. When this issue was put forward to Darul Uloom Deoband Seminary, it issued a fatwa regarding this.

In this fatwa, Imrana was not supposed to live with her husband. Also she was not supposed to live with her f-i-l. The 5 children would still be treated as the children of their real father and mother. In that fatwa, nothing was said about her re-marriage. Although some media reported that she was independent to marry anyone else, the fatwa did not make any mention regarding this issue. Maybe we can assume that this silence is their acceptance for re-marriage.

But their silence regarding the punishment is not understandable. The victim is taken care, but what about the guilty? The village panchayat had decided to take the guilty to court. There were reports that he was denied the bail. So can we be at ease thinking that law will take its own course? Why didn’t the fatwa speak out the punishment for the guilty? If it does not have the power to deal with it at least it could dictate the compensation to be provided for the victim. Unfortunately it did not do even this.

More cruel was the interpretation some people gave to this fatwa. In the article “Imrana case and Islamic verdicts” written by Shuaibullah Khan in Islamic monthly (Aug 2005, page 19-29), there is no sympathy for the victim. The author compares the act of rape with that of administering poison. He argues that poison will kill the person even though he is innocent. Killing is integral part of that act. Similarly, the punishment mooted to Imrana is the integral part of the act of raping. Such illogical statement does not prove anything but the ideological emptiness of some religious scholars.

Islamic Scholars are divided over the issue of the fatwa. Some like Dr. Mustafa Kamal Sherwani (President, All India Muslim Forum,Presently Dean, and faculty of Law and Shariah,University of Zanzibar, Tanzania)criticized the fatwa. What was important in this case was the opinion of the lady herself. Even though there were initial reports that she wanted to stay with her husband, the later reports said she was ready to accept the fatwa. Even the UP chief minister agreed with the clerics.

Is this a good reason enough to push forward the demand for Uniform Civil Code? Our politicians are busy with calculating numbers rather than discussing these sensitive issues. The need for constitution and its applicability to all Indians is repeatedly questioned by these fatwas. The starting words in our constitution that extends to scope to all by saying “We the people…….” remains only on papers.

Page 123 of 366 About Jogi- just like that

Friday, September 30, 2005

Suddenly everyone seems to know everything about Jogi. The collections it made in box-office, the rush for the tickets, the unheard 2000 rupees black tickets, countless liters of tears of the viewers, its Tamil interpretation, popularity of songs at Ganesha pendals, stars coming flocking to see the movie – everything is making daily headlines. The hype it generated made the viewing a bit tiring since there was too much to except. But nevertheless it remained what it was claimed to be – a complete director’s movie.

The testimony for this appeared in the very beginning. The Hero Shivrajkumar was reduced to embracing his star parents. His name appeared as a passé on the screen. Contrary to this the name of Prem appeared with all grandeur stamping his authority. It also looked like the producer also stole the limelight more than the hero. This feat was accomplished by one Sandesh Nagraj. We could see his smiling face on posters with an emblem “national award winner”.

The movie offered a right of everything except comedy. It looks like Prem is not interested in having comedy tracks in his movies. He relies more on the right mixture of rowdism and sentiments to make movies. In fact there will be more sentiments than you can imagine. He is notorious for making people cry. This time he takes on the mother-son relationship which provides him ample opportunity to make people cry.

Somehow Prem seems to have an obsession with searching. In his previous movie also someone was searching for love. Here also a mother-son duo is searching for each other. A good screen-play which makes searchers pass each other unknowingly is the theme repeated by him in last two movies. Here it reaches new heights. These kinds of repeated scenes with a soulful music in background are enough to stir anyone’s emotions. No wonder Prem has mastered this to perfection.

What went unnoticed in the movie amidst the euphoria was the language used in the movie. The local tongue used by the people in interiors of Chamrajpet has surely added to the overall effect. Perhaps it may be the first time this lingo was heard in Kannada cinema throughout in a feature film. Prem should be credited for achieving this unique feat. It is quite tough for anyone to speak this fast paced lingo and everyone in the film have spoken it convincingly.

The climax of the movie can be debated at any length. But it is true that it is that sequence that has contributed immensely to the success of the film. We can argue what would have happened if mother had not died or what if he had seen the face of his mother for that one last time. But those will be only for academic interests. The strength of the director comes into full display in this scene. People seem to have strange love for tragedies. Certain films have reached iconic status because they end in a sour note.

At the end, one has to completely agree with the catch line of the movie “ a feel that never ends…..” Prem has once again proved that there need not be any greater hero in the movie than the script itself. In the success of Jogi, one can see the victory of a exemplary screen-play and high-quality direction. This movie should make it to all- time classic list of Kannada movies only because of a phenomenon called Prem.

Page 124 of 366 Rationalist’s Dasara

Wednesday, October 05, 2005

The idea of secularism in India is difficult to understand. Here the Government’s relation with religion is very peculiar. It is not completely detached from it; rather it participates in all religious activities equally. The concept of secularism as we see here is giving equal importance to Dasara, Ramzan and Christmas. You declare holiday for all festivals and you have achieved secularism. In this context state’s decision to participate actively in Dasara celebrations is not a surprise. But from past two years, the choice of dignitary who inaugurates the festivities has caused some controversy.

Last year. Government took everyone by surprise when it declared that Dr. H Narasimhaiah (HN) would inaugurate Dasara. Dr. HN, who was an ardent rationalist, decided that he will participate because “he was respecting tradition and culture”. Many of us were really perplexed by his behavior. Atheists always have this problem. The choices before them are few when it comes to participating in socio- religious activities. They should either participate, which will be compromise over their beloved values or stay away and miss all the fun. The difficulties of being an atheist were written elsewhere in this blog.

This year the Government invited Prof. Baragur Ramachandrappa (BR) to inaugurate Dasara. One cannot understand what Government was up for. When it is known to everyone here that BR has rationalist sentiments why trouble him? There is no dearth of people who are ardent believers of the religious activities who could have been invited. But Government chose to stir controversy. Amidst all these BR announced that he would open the Dasara.

Now the question was what BR should do? Should he participate in the traditional pooja celebrations or just participate in the cultural events? Prof BR must have thought very much on this issue. Yesterday, when he was supposed to inaugurate the festivities, he chose to skip the pooja ritual. Later in his address he said that he came late "intentionally to avoid the religious rites," which for him was an "ideological dilemma," he being an atheist.

Did BR have any other options? Well, if he had chosen to boycott the whole proceedings; he would lose a golden opportunity to air his views. In order to overcome his dilemma, this was the best option he had. He himself said that – “I have participated only in the cultural part of the festival. I have sown the seeds of reforms in Dasara". Prof BR deserves to become the flag bearer for atheist community for this comment. In the times of difficult choices, BR has taken a appreciable stand.

How will the atheistic views be integrated with the larger cultural and social behavior of the society is the question every atheist has to answer at some point of time. Prof BR has given us a good beginning in this direction. His statement that “whether he entered the temple or not did not make any difference to his own ideological commitments and other people's faiths” is the exact stand every atheist can take. In these times where the question of religious identity has been the source for many violent acts, atheism may prove to be a cure for this ailing society. But the resulting situation where theism and atheism again locking horns with each other should be avoided. Prof BR’s act should be appreciated in this context where he provided a right platform where seemingly opposite faiths can enter into a meaningful dialogue.

Page 125 of 366 State and religion equations in India

Thursday, October 06, 2005

In yesterday’s article, the question of secularism and its implication and application in India was mentioned. In this article we make an attempt to see this issue in great detail. The definition of the word “secularism” in itself is not very clear. It is generally understood that secularism implies religious tolerance. But trying to find the origin of this word throws up some interesting stories. This word is supposed to be coined by one George Jacob Holyoake.

His original definition of the term secularism was - “a form of opinion which concerns itself only with questions, the issues of which can be tested by the experience of this life”. In 1859, he established Central Secular Society. The Society issued a statement of secularist doctrine proclaiming:

• Science as the true guide of man, • Morality as secular, not religious, in origin, • Reason as the only authority, • Freedom of thought and speech, • That owing to the uncertainties of survival we should direct our efforts to this life only.

Now the question is whether India is such a “secular” state. In the preamble of our constitution itself we have declared that “WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens” (emphasis added). So we have decided that we will create India as a secular state. The only other place where the word secular appears in our constitution appears is in Article 25 (2(a)) while discussing the “Right to freedom of religion”.

[Surprisingly in the Appendix II, which discusses the modification to the text of constitution as applicable to the state of Jammu and Kashmir, the term “Socialist secular” is omitted from the preamble]

What is problematic in this context is the absence of a proper definition of secularism. How can we interpret the term secularism? Do we interpret it as the complete detachment of state from religious activities or do we accept the original definition of Holyoake? What is the stand of the Government regarding this?

To find answers to this question, we have to look at the related discussions in the constituent assembly. An interesting amendment was moved in the meeting dated December 03, 1948. It was moved by Prof K T Shah. That amendment 566 was an important statement. It read thus – “Mr. Vice-President, I beg to move that the following new article be inserted under the heading "Rights relating to Religion" occurring after article 18: 18-A. The State in India being secular shall have no concern with any religion, creed or profession of faith; and shall observe an attitude of absolute neutrality in all matters relating to the religion of any class of its citizens or other persons in the Union”

What happened next? Unfortunately, this motion was defeated. What would have happened if this amendment was passed? The picture of India would have permanently changed. But alas! India was destined to move in other direction. This will be discussed in the next article.

Page 126 of 366 Secularism in Indian constitution

Friday, October 07, 2005

In the previous article, we were examining the origin of the idea of “secularism” in the Indian constitution. It is now clear that this idea of making India a secular state was not there in the original draft. In fact examining the debates of the constitutional assembly is very enlightening. The breadth and depth of the knowledge those people had makes interesting reading. It also brings a sense of sadness when we look at the present proceedings of our parliament.

The original draft of the constitution does not seem to have even the word “democratic” in its preamble. Though the original draft is not available, the speech given by one Mr. B Das refers to this. In his speech dated November 05, 1948 he notes that “I will take the new (draft) of the Preamble to which I strongly object. The Objectives Resolution that we adopted in January 1947 stated that the Constitution is"Independent Sovereign Republic". On 21st February 1948 my friend Dr.Ambedkar changed it into "Sovereign Democratic State". I do not know how this Drafting Committee can change the Objectives Resolution that this House passed in January1947. There we have agreed unanimously that the Preamble should be "Independent Sovereign Republic", and I am one who will oppose the amended draft Preamble very strongly”

This change which was done by Dr. Ambedkar became the permanent feature in our constitution. It was only in December 18, 1976 the word “SECULAR” was added into the preamble of our constitution. This one which is known as the 42’nd amendment Act read thus – “In the Preamble to the Constitution,- (a) for the words"SOVEREIGN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC" the words "SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC" shall be substituted”. So the word secular entered our constitution only after almost 25 years after it came into effect.

But the problem of defining secularism was never done. We learn that there was an attempt by the Janata Party government under Morarji Desai to define secularism through Constitutional Amendment Bill of 1978. In that Bill, the term 'Secular republic' was defined to mean a 'republic in which there is equal respect for all religions. But this all important amendment could not pass in Rajya Sabha. It is now said that the Congress, which had numbers in Rajya Sabha at that time, did not want a pin-point definition of the word “secular”.

If one makes an attempt to look at the secular aura in our constitution, the only point to reach is Article 25which refers to “Right to freedom of religion”. It reads thus- “Freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion.—(1) Subject to public order, morality and health and to the other provisions of this Part, all persons are equally entitled to freedom of conscience and the right freely to profess, practice and propagate religion”. Article 26 (Freedom to manage religious affairs), Article 27(Freedom as to payment of taxes for promotion of any particular religion) and Article 28 (Freedom as to attendance at religious instruction or religious worship in certain educational institutions) can be considered as the interpretations of the principle of secularism in constitution.

In order to completely understand the interpretation of secularism in Indian context, it is important to analyze these articles. This along with few judgments of Supreme Court can give us a clear idea on this issue. We will continue this journey in next part.

Page 127 of 366 Secularism in Indian constitution-2

Saturday, October 08, 2005

In the previous articles, we have seen how the word ‘secular’ was included in the preamble of our constitution. Before looking into the articles in the constitution that are supposed to interpret the idea of secularism, it will be worthy to look into one important judgment given by the Supreme Court of India. That case which is known as Kesavananda Bharati vs Kerala case was decided by a full Constitutional bench of judges on April 24, 1973. By a wafer-thin majority of 7-6, the Supreme Court held that the power to amend our Constitution under Article 368 cannot be exercised in such a manner as to destroy or emasculate the fundamental features of the Constitution.

In identifying the features which are fundamental and thus non-amendable in our constitution was this statement - A secular State, that is, a State in which there is no State religion .(5(vii)). This was (probably) the first time that the concept of secularism was interpreted by the Supreme Court. Here we get the first authorized interpretation of the word “secular” as mentioned in our constitution. So our basic idea of being a secular state is that we do not have a state religion.

We have already seen how Art 25 gives freedom for all to practice any religion they want. This is a basic right guaranteed in the constitution. Art 26 deals with the freedom to manage religious affairs. Accordingly any religious denomination is given right to establish religious institutions, acquire properties (movable and immovable) and manage affairs regarding the religion.

Art 27 is very important. It reads thus – “Freedom as to payment of taxes for promotion of any particular religion.—No person shall be compelled to pay any taxes, the proceeds of which are specifically appropriated in payment of expenses for the promotion or maintenance of any particular religion or religious denomination.” The implication and implementation of this article is debatable. We know that Government gives donations for all major religious activities. Is this action by Government questionable under this article?

Next article is again interesting. Art 28 reads thus – “Freedom as to attendance at religious instruction or religious worship in certain educational institutions.—(1) No religious instruction shall be provided in any educational institution wholly maintained out of State funds.” This article prohibits any religious activities in educational institutes. But this limits itself to state-maintained institutes. Nevertheless this is one important aspect of secularism in India.

Now what do we conclude? On one hand, it appears that Government is disinterested in religious activities. On the other hand there are Muzrai departments who look into the maintenance of temples. There is a Wakf board which has the jurisdiction of Islamic places of worship. How do we explain this duality?

The ideal solution would be to define what secularism is in the constitution itself. If that definition includes what Prof K T Shah proposed (i.e. the neutrality of govt towards all aspects of religion), then secularism can be the true nature of our country. Otherwise these confusions will persist. But we should remember that the need of the hour is creating secular society and not necessarily a secular state. Because secular state need not always imply secular society.

Page 128 of 366 Secular India’s religious spending

Monday, October 10, 2005

In the past three articles there has been a consistent attempt to understand the nature of secularism inIndia. The reason why such a detailed study was undertaken was to find an answer to Government’s spending on religious activities. What has come out clearly from earlier discussions is the fact the Government should be neutral regarding religious activities. But reality is quite different from this.

Let us first consider the case of Dasara. The state Government of Karnataka observes Dasara as a state festival (naada habba). Does our constitution permit this? Can a religious festival be celebrated as “state festival”? Can the ministers participate in the religious activities (pooja etc) in their official capacities? More importantly can Government sanction funds for such activities?

How much money did Government release for Dasara? We do not know exact numbers. But here are some statistics. One report says it sanctioned 4 crores as against 2 crores sought by organizers. Why did it give so much more? It says there is good monsoon and so it gives this much. Mysore district In-charge MinisterTanveer Sait says that Government sanctioned Rs 75 lakh for procession, Mysore City Corporation has released Rs 3.5 crore and the Public Works Department has sanctioned Rs 2 crore for the up gradation of roads.

Does Government have so much money to spend on these things? We never knew. We thought Government has empty treasuries and so our development works have come to stand still. We thought Government is bankrupt and that is why Deputy CM Mr. Prakash and others in Government wanted Software companies to give more money. We never knew “our secular Government” would shell out money like this.

Consider this. There is mahamastakabhisheka scheduled for next year in Shravanabelagola. Karnataka government has released Rs. 25 crores for its preparations! 25 crores for preparations! That means we can expect Government will release more funds in coming days. Following the same logic of Dasara where Government released more funds since there is good monsoon, it may do same thing here also.

Do not worry. We are still a secular country. if you think that Government spends only on Hindu festivities, you are wrong. See here - there is a long list of funds released for Dargah of Ajmer. How much? More thanRs. 2 crores. What more? The then Governor of Rajastan promised “to go ahead with his programme of developing the centres of spiritual tourism in the State” meaning more money being spent for these kind of activities.

What is very much disturbing with these numbers is the fact that this money is not collected for the intended purpose. How can Government spend so much on religious activities, when it cannot release enough funds for development works? The whole issue becomes problematic when we study more on the secular aura of our constitution.

So how do console ourselves? Do we think that it is Government’s DUTY to promote these festivities since they represent our culture? Do we understand that our state is secular since it releases funds for temples as well as for durgahs? Is India secular because we have holidays for Dasara and Ramzan?

Page 129 of 366 A painful development in blogosphere

Friday, October 14, 2005

There is a development in blogosphere which all of us should condemn. There is a dire necessity to support two fellow bloggers who are put into unnecessary trouble. For those uninitiated here is a brief about this unfortunate incident.

Regular readers of this blog may be well aware about Rashmi Bansal. She is an editor of Jammag, a popular youth magazine. I personally admire her writing and regularly read her blog. Now everyone here must have seen the ad’s of this college called IIPM. One Prof. Arindum Choudary is its dean. That pony-tailed guy has written one book called “count your….”. I had read that book which was touted as best seller and was never impressed by him. He declares himself as management guru and all. His institute’s ad’s are splashed in all dailies everyday.

There were always doubts about this institute. Jammag published an article about this. It was a critical evaluation of the claims made by IIPM. In her blog, Rashmi continued to write about this institute. Most of the claims she made was backed by facts. In fact anyone can see IIPM’s website even now, to verify the claims made by Rashmi.

Enter Gaurav Sabnis. He is also a regular blogger. That guy wrote a piece on IIPM in his blog. What happened next is horrifying. IIPM sent a legal notice to him. Something went terribly wrong. Though Gaurav underplayed it initially, things went out of control just few days back. Gaurav works for IBM and see what happened to him.

“On Saturday I got a call from a Senior Executive of Lenovo(formerly IBM PC Division). Apparently, IIPM called him up, complaining about my posts. He asked me what the matter was. I explained to him that the posts were made on my personal blog. They had nothing to do with IBM. It was strictly my personal opinion and if he wanted I could put up disclaimers on my posts saying that IBM does not necessarily share my opinions. He was satisfied and the conversation ended there.

The next day, i.e Sunday morning, I got a call from him again. He said that he had communicated to IIPM that I had made a personal post and IBM could not be held responsible for it. But apparently, the Dean of IIPM wrote him a mail saying that the IIPM Students Union had decided that if my blog posts were not deleted, then they would gather all the Thinkpads they had been given by the institute, and burn them in front of the IBM office in Delhi. Yes, that's right. Burn laptops!”

Gaurav has resigned from IBM. The first casualty has occurred. What will happen next? Will all others who linked to Gaurav and Rashmi’s posts be issued legal notices? Hey what about freedom of speech?

I appreciate Gaurav’s courage of standing by his posts. But I am deeply disturbed by the actions of IIPM. Notwithstanding the plain language used here, I am feeling the urge to use all **** words to condemn IIPM’s behavior.

I request all people to join this signature campaign going on to support Gaurav and Rashmi. As Rashmi says, the blogosphere has permanently changed. Thank you IIPM, if this is the kind of management you teach in your schools – then even GOD can’t save you.

Page 130 of 366 A town without youths

Sunday, October 16, 2005

Recently at a social gathering I had an opportunity to meet my old friends. It was nice to see most of them after so many years. But at the end of that meeting, I was thinking about my town, Virajpet. Suddenly it flashed to me that none of my 10’Th or 12’Th classmates is in Virajpet anymore. All of them have settled inBangalore!

The list included the usual crowd who are working as software engineers. But surprisingly it also had other friends who had done some degree courses in local colleges. One thing which attracted all of them toBangalore was the call-centre phenomenon. There were people whose parents owned estates, run small businesses, worked in government and bank services and other working class people. My friends, who have varied backgrounds, all have landed in Bangalore.

It put me into thinking. Now if every one has left Virajpet, who runs the show there? What about the Ganesha festivities which are run by youth? Who takes care about them? It is not only people who have degrees but even some people who were school drop-outs also seem to be attracted by this city.

I had a friend who came from the family of carpenters. He was good in wood-work even when he was in school. He was sought out for creating all these models carved in wood which our teachers proudly displayed during annual school exhibitions. That guy was continuing his family business of carpentry. But recently I heard that he is in Bangalore to so some Computer course!

Even I stayed in Virajpet for quite some time after my studies. It appeared to me that it was a remote island where no one bothers about the world outside. Even I became victim for this “go-Bangalore” syndrome. But this mass scale immigration of youths into cities like Bangalore must be a part of larger problem.

I often wonder what will happen to my town after few years. If my friends who own estates do not return, who will maintain those estates? If my friends, whose parents own garment and other shops, do not look after that, who will run those shops? After the generation of present day workers, there does not seem to be anyone who will continue the show. There seems to be no generation-next as far as my town is considered.

I am not suggesting here that people should be in same business as their parents. What I feel is that small town, like mine, lacks enough employment opportunity. The entire town seems to have come to stand still. There is no opportunity for growth. While a city like Bangalore is already suffering from congestion on all fronts, there seems to be no attempt to distribute this load among other cities.

I recall that in A P J Abdul Kalam’s “Vision 2020”, there was this program called PURA (Providing Urban amenities in Rural Areas). I think this is high time our political class give a serious thought about this. Knowledge based industries like IT makes distances blur. It is very much possible to develop these industries even in small towns. Improving physical and telecommunication infrastructure in these places can go a long way in checking this mass-migration of youths. Otherwise we will create towns which will have only elderly citizens waiting for their city-settled children to come home.

Page 131 of 366 How much does a person worth?

Monday, October 17, 2005

The value of a man, they say can be measured by the number of persons who attend his funeral. This method of testing the worthiness of a person seems to be more scientific (because it has numbers!!) than any other. But the problem here is that one has to die to find his worth!

Whenever I read a biography, I cannot be but surprised by the similarities in their flow of events. Every biography will document the events preceding the birth of that person in great detail. If that is the biography of a religious person, then it is guaranteed that there will be a reason behind the birth of that person.

Perhaps these writers take a cue from our epics where every incarnation has a purpose. But the similarity in the lives of all great people goes beyond the reasons for birth. They all will exhibit their superlative qualities during childhood. They will cherish the idea of taking on challenges and often come out as winners.

Biographies will usually be longer. In fact the length of one’s biography can also be a measure of one’s greatness. The collected works of these people often run into many volumes each covering hundreds of pages. Many religious people also foresee their death. After death they appear to their close followers and play some miracle.

There are many courses these days which teach how to write biographies. Googling about this will throw some interesting courses mostly in UK and USA. So it is confirmed that writing biographies is now considered a form of formal literature.

The long introduction about biographies was given because I faced one problem recently. One of my distant relative expired. He was a successful businessman. His family wanted to publish something about him. They requested my help in that work. I started earnestly collecting the details about him. Nothing about the man seemed to excite me.

After collecting all details, I started writing. There was nothing spectacular about his life. Every detail looked so ordinary. There was nothing which could be highlighted. No special reason for birth, no wonders in childhood, no major achievement and he did not foresee his death. Even after his sudden death, there were no miracles.

Ah! I think this is the fate of everyone like us. We, the ordinary people, who are busy with our daily chores, do not perform magic in our lives. Just think – if we die suddenly today, how will people remember us? Skeptics may ask why someone should remember us. But it is basic human instinct to fell that people should remember them after death.

People have built great structures, achieved many milestones all to make their names immortal. But there are very few whose footprints are permanent in the sands of time. Others have to go out of public memory very soon.

How much do we worth? Will the few words in condolence messages after our death, the annual remembrance rituals, and the photo which hangs in the houses of our kin be a measure of our worth? Can a person’s worth be measured when he alive or should we wait for his death to do this arithmetic?

Page 132 of 366 Four great men, one enlightenment

Tuesday, October 18, 2005

History has recorded the lives of many great people who pursued some goal in their life with determination. We have stories of great grit and courage which these people exhibited in achieving their dreams. But seldom have we found people who left the path they tread so rigorously after they discovered the futility of their efforts.

Buddha, as we know was destined to move from his royal comforts in pursuit of ultimate truth. What made him leave his palace still baffles many. We see the kind of sorrows Siddhartha saw everyday. But not every one of us is driven by the ambition which drove Siddhartha out of every comforts he had.

Siddhartha was enlightened; but was that truth he discovered? For most crucial questions that troubled humankind, his answer was mere silence. In some sense speaking about an issue which is not clear to you will be the exhibition of stupidity. So Buddha must have thought that silence is the best answer. He studied scriptures but at the end took a u-turn and remained silent.

Sankara was too involved in providing logical reasoning for all philosophical problems. With the help of “Advaita”, he took on everyone who tried to defy it. His arguments with the greatest thinkers of his time are now well known. That person, who relied on logic, realized at the end that these things are meaningless. That prompted him to write “Bhaja Govindam”, a poem celebrating the futility of reasoning,

Gandhi provided a new life for the freedom movement in India. Whatever may the criticism against him, he was completely devoted to his mission. Along with freedom struggle, he also was active in bringing a social reform. But when the country realized its dream, its main architect was missing. When leaders were busy making speeches, he was nursing people at some remote village. Did Gandhi recognize the futility of his efforts?

Ambedkar tried relentlessly for the upliftment of the downtrodden. His mastery came into full force during the drafting of our constitution. His academic brilliance was balanced with his sympathy for his brethren. He made all possible attempts to bring them into main stream. But alas! He too discovered that his efforts have not become successful. What else but this should have prompted him to embrace Buddhism?

Buddha, Sankara, Gandhi and Ambedkar – all these four great men have this one thing in common. All tried in their own way to reach their goals. But at some point of time, they discovered that the dream they were seeing from long time turning into a nightmare. They must have been dejected seeing this. Nevertheless, their greatness lies in the fact that they continued to move with this new found enlightenment.

Page 133 of 366 An emblem for Engineering

Wednesday, October 19, 2005

One of the most absorbing discussions I undertake in my classes is to decide the status of engineering profession. To compare this with other established professions like medicine and law throws some interesting observations. Though we undertake this discussion in detail, one point which interests me always is the absence of emblem for engg profession.

The absence of dress code for engineers can also be discussed. But this discussion is bound to grow problematic as many question the necessity of particular dress code. Yesterday we read that NBA has come out with dress code for basketball players. So this issue can be raised again. But we will limit the discussion to emblems only.

What is the use of such emblems? Naturally it can be displayed prominently to speak about the profession we follow. What more? We can stick it to our vehicles so that everyone knows we are engineers. More importantly, we will feel equal to other professions who have an emblem to boast.

But there are problems abound in selecting an emblem for engg profession. If we analyze the emblems of medicine and law professions, both are derived from Greek mythology. Themis, who is better known as blindfolded lady, is an accepted symbol of law. Caduceus (staff with 2 snakes) is widely recognized as an emblem for medical profession.

Compared to these professions, engg suffers from one major problem. As a profession, engg is the word used for an umbrella of jobs each working at their own ways. Though medical profession also comprises people with different skills (General practitioners, surgeons, dentists etc) there is a sense of commonality between them. Unlike this, engg profession comprises people with drastically different skill sets.

So selecting an emblem for engg profession may not be an easy task. Who should select such symbol? Naturally the body which governs the profession should have a major say during this. But considering the fact that there is an absence of such all- embracing organization for engg, this problem grows.

Moreover, different streams of engineers may not agree upon a common symbol. More practical solution may to suggest each stream to pick up its own symbol. But again there may be huge numbers of symbols coming out. This huge number may defeat the very reason why we want an emblem – for brand recall.

Can computing profession select a symbol for itself? No, not a formal one, but a simple notation which we can proudly display everywhere. If so what should that be? Going back to Greek mythology will definitely not help because there may not be any reference to computing there. So where do get that from?

It can be a creative exercise for all to think about this. Because the emblem which is selected should clearly project the ethos of computing and it should be contemporary. There is a need for that emblem to be totally global, devoid of any religious references. Can you suggest such an emblem?

Click here, here and here to see some attempts done in this direction.

Page 134 of 366 Amruthadhaare – celebrating marriage

Friday, October 21, 2005

She is a playful girl, he is a responsible man. This romantic pair wants to marry. Man’s father opposes. But he nevertheless marries her and they move out of house. For most movies the story ends here. They live happily ever after. But not here; in fact this flashback is shown in two scenes only. Wow! This is so different.

Nagatihalli Chandrashekar has given us some very good movies which explored various shades of love. In “America America”, it was the story of friends becoming life partners with a shade of triangle love story. “Nanna Preetiya Hudugi” was about teenage love, “Superstar” was about obsessive love and “Paris Pranaya” dealt with rebellious love. In this film he enters into the area of marital love.

In most Indian cinemas, marital love is not portrayed properly. They limit to struggles in love that ends with marriage. What follows next is not shown on screen. Even the maestros of romantic movies like Yash Chopra and Manirathnam have not explored this aspect of love.

There were some movies which looked at the problems of newly-wed couples. “Allaypayuthey” (Saathiya in Hindi) was one movie which explored this tricky issue. But then again, it had a long flashback about their past meetings and early duels. The life after marriage was shown as one filled with problems. You can count films like “Boys”, “Chalte Chalte” and “Hum Tumhare Hein Sanam” which also spoke about problems in post-marriage life.

Indian cinema has a fixed formula for life. Love before marriage and suffer after you marry. Why “Amrutadhaare” becomes special is because it tells us that a couple can be romantic even after marriage. In fact it portrays this with such sensitivity that suddenly marrying seems such a cool option. More importantly it tells that you can love your spouse.

Remember, today questions are raised about marriages. There is a revived interest in live-in relationships as glorified in “Salaam-Namaste”. Extra-marital affairs rule every story in mega-serials. Going out of nuptial knot to find “masti” is thought as a cool thing to do. To remain married is no more the order of day.

Coming in this time, “Amruthadhaare” is refreshing. It is also welcome because we get to see a truly romantic movie after long time. Amidst the power of “machhu”(sword) and bloodbath in kannada screen, “Amruthadhaare” tells us that life is indeed beautiful. With splendid story line, director has created a visual poetry here.

After long time, Nagati does not venture into foreign soils (mind you! He is the producer of this movie!!).Bangalore never looked as beautiful as it looked in the title song. It was indeed a pleasure to watch the different terrains of India so well captured in the movie.

The surprising element in the movie was Ramya herself. She has done complete justice for the character she has portrayed. Except her dresses in few dance sequences, everything about this sweet lady is fantastic. Overall a good movie which certainly makes you think about love and marriage.

Page 135 of 366 Amruthadhaare – one more angle

Sunday, October 23, 2005

The previous article on “Amruthadhaare” did not provide complete justice to the movie. In addition to the romantic angle, the movie also explored the issue of building houses. If we don’t discuss that, the whole topic becomes incomplete. So here is an attempt to analyze that angle of the movie.

To build a house is a dream nourished by every middle class family living in rented houses. The erratic owners, their constant nagging and sheer social pressures force many people to venture into this task. For most people building a house is the pinnacle of their achievements.

There was a time where house was in itself a society where you could find many people staying under same roof. With the breaking of families and mass-migration to cities, today’s houses have become small. The large houses which people inherited from ancestors are becoming a burden since they demand so much maintenance.

Enter the new economy where banks are ready to give you loans to realize the dream of owning houses. The availability of multiple finance options and emergence of land developers who reduce the burden of construction have fuelled the growth of housing sector. More than anything else, there is an increasing feeling among people that they should own a house.

Media is fuelling this dream by publishing special supplements about properties. There is an increase in the number of ads published by the builders. Banks are bullish about home loans. There is also a rise in the consumers who can avail these facilities. An average IT guy can afford to own a house after putting in few years of work.

What should we think is about the impact of these developments are having on other people. With the increase in number of affordable public, the land prices are raising sharply. This increase in land prices affects other related areas dramatically. And as a result the exercise of building houses becomes more expensive.

Another related development from these imbalances in spending is increased social pressure. When someone of your age builds a house, it will increase the pressure on you to do the same. The social acceptance becomes important for many and owning a house is one primary criterion for this. This forces many to take up this venture without proper financial backing.

The resulting situation will be that hapless middle class will be taken for a ride by private financial companies. By the time he finishes the house, he will be forced to sell it to repay the loans. This point is elaborated in the movie and it deserves serious attention at this time.

Some may say that there is more comfort in staying in a rented house. As Ramya’s character in the movie says – it gives you an option of changing your house when you are bored with the one where you live. But truth remains that it is everyone’s dream to own a house. But one should be sensible enough not to prioritize this over every other need. It is not necessary to rush through this exercise without adequate planning. There are many other worthy ways how you can spend your hard earned money; building a house can wait.

Page 136 of 366 IT and Govt fight – all about perception

Monday, October 24, 2005

This duel between IT and Government is becoming uglier day by day. Any curious observer will be tempted to term this as a fight between Infosys and Deve Gowda, rather than between IT and Government. Infosys, which prided itself being the mascot of Indian IT industry is today amidst one of its worst public relations crisis.

What started as a small disagreement between two parties has now become a full blown fight. It must be noted that the roots of this development lies in the victory of JD(S) in last assembly election in Karnataka. By defeating Krishna’s Government which was projected as the IT government, JD(S) was supposed to take the opposite path.

It looks like the present development is aimed more at perception changing more than anything. It looks like this debate has to do nothing with development but with number of votes. JD(S) seems to be keen in developing this pro-poor image. The path it has taken to achieve this is projecting itself as anti-rich.

Now since IT is the field which is perceived as a rich field, it has become a target for them. Since entire IT industry cannot be targeted, its tallest member is made scapegoat. It is so depressing to see eminent personalities like Narayan Murthy being dragged into this controversy.

One observation which everyone should do is the increasing involvement of JD(S) leaders in this debate. First it was Mr. M P Prakash who spearheaded this campaign. It was surprising to see him in yesterday’s episode of “Big fight” in NDTV where they were discussing this issue.

Suddenly there was the emergence of Deve Gowda. The surprising fact was that he started his campaign after attending a meeting which was supposed to clear the matters between two parties. The allegations made by Deve Gowda have increased over time and he is now making unwanted comments.

His recent remarks that - he need not learn a lesson from people who have taken away farmer’s land thereby forcing them to work as cleaners in hotels – is not in good state. He should understand that Infosys had made it clear that it has acquired land at market prices that too from Government agencies. So where does the question of land-grabbing from farmers come from?

On the issue of Narayan Murthy’s resignation, he commented that the development of Bangalore will not stoop due to this development. Well, it may be true. But the image of Bangalore definitely will. In a time where many states are welcoming companies with open arms, these developments will definitely affect the economy of the state.

I am convinced that there are no attempts by the Government to stop the facilities to the IT sector. The results of these companies have retained their healthy state despite these developments. I am also sure that the Government will continue to vow these companies and the romance will not end so soon. But what changes is the perception; the perception among people that this Government is pro-poor and anti- IT. How long will this benefit the parties like JD(S), only next election can tell us. But can someone stop this Deve Gowda please!!!

Page 137 of 366 Bangalore’s woes

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

While my previous article defended the IT industry, I fear that the larger issues surrounding this debate will be buried down under. This article, I hope, will do the necessary balancing act. What I did yesterday was to tell that the fight between 2 parties has nothing to do with development.

So what about development? It is raining incessantly here from past 2 days. As I write this, the clock says it is 3.30 PM but looking outside it looks at 8.00 PM. Bangalore does not seem to have a mechanism to cope up with such rains. We are seeing dramatic photos in front pages of papers. Bangalore has fallen from grace in these two days.

If you count the number of agencies that are supposed to look on Bangalore, you will certainly think it is a well pampered city. See this – we have Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP), Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), Bangalore Agenda Task Force (BATF, which is inactive these days). Add to this we have legislators and parliamentarians who represent Bangalore.

This seems to be the exact reason for the mismanagement of Bangalore. There seems to be many care-takers for this city. As a citizen of this city, I am not having enough knowledge regarding the jurisdiction of these bodies. But I know that BMP is the only elected body among these.

BDA came out with the Comprehensive Development Plan for the city. There is much opposition for this plan. Though I have not read it completely, at the first glance itself, we can sense something fishy. This plan is supposed to be drafted by a French agency! Hello! I thought local public will be involved in the growth of their city.

What is again interesting in these development projects is that they all are aimed at one strata of this city. Take mega city project, peripheral ring road project or all these fly-over things. All these seem to run towards IT region only. And other Bangaloreans, I think, have every right to grumble.

With malls coming up at every corner, multiplexes running most of cinemas, thousands of vehicles added every day – the so called developmental plans are also faced at these communities. Scores of people have been left to fate and these are same people whose services every one in this city requires desperately.

On one hand there is this growing intolerance between IT and Government and on the other there is growing apathy of Government towards this sector. This Government has taken the path of confrontation with IT just to cover up its mistakes. Knowing that they cannot do anything better to the city, they have decided to verge a verbal war.

Government has to understand that these pointless fights against the IT majors will not lead it anywhere. It cannot stay mum over critical issues. Even places such as H S R Layout which were considered to be decent places have submerged in water. I cannot think the situation of people who stay in slums. Is this the development what these people are talking about?

Page 138 of 366 How to become Shakespeare in seconds?

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Have I told you that these days I am busy writing some complex technical papers. Don’t believe – see the papers I have written. The first paper titled “The relationships between thin clients and access points” can be accessed here. My next paper titled “Decoupling congestion control in neural networks” can be read here. My third……..ok I know I am boring you.

So how long did I research to write this? Not much, it took me just 1 minute!! Believe me; I did it in a minute. Wow! That’s great! Isn’t it! A research paper in a minute. I bet these papers will be accepted in some conference. Who knows, these may be presented in international conferences also.

How did I write them? Simple, there are some guys in MIT who have developed such wonderful software where you can just type your name and zoom! A tech paper is generated complete with graphs and all that. I was impressed by the titles it gives to these papers. They sound so real; I mean no one can understand them.

Here is the link for that site. All that context-free grammar that we teach to engg kids are used at its height here. They say that 2 such papers were accepted in some conference. I bet with such fundoo titles these papers will be accepted in any conference in this part of the world.

Upon investigating further into such attempts, I got this site. You just enter a keyword and the essay is ready for you. And it is impressing with some quotes, graphs and high sounding words. I think high school guys will love this one. But this one generates same kind of paragraphs for all topics. May be you can try this once.

There are some interesting applications of cfg’s. There are people who help you in formulating a good brand name, ad slogan, interesting name combinations and even poem titles. There are even attempts by MIT students (who else!) to create an image out of text that you enter!

I really liked this one. It takes in a logical theorem and it tries to prove it using a tree structure. I haven’t tried it giving a real theorem. But the examples given there is good enough to be convinced. Some other silly applications include this. It takes some text and displays a sign board that contains that text.

Everyday I keep on wondering what to write in my blog. So now I have some options. Someday if you happen to see anything in this blog which you can’t understand, beware! It may be an article created using any of these generators.

What I can assure you is this one is completely written by me!! Believe that!!!

Page 139 of 366 Need for translations

Thursday, October 27, 2005

A great Hindi writer expired recently. I thought I had heard his name somewhere before. I could not recall anything except one poem which I studied during my High school days. I think that poem spoke nostalgically about childhood. I am not quite sure. But apart from Kabir’s dohein, this is the only thing I remember in Hindi literature.

This year’s Jnanpeeth award was given to Tamil writer D Jayakanthan. Who? You may ask. Even I was hearing this name for the first time. There was little known about him in Kannada press. But whatever appeared in The Hindu really impressed me. I tried looking for his literature in Kannada. I was not successful.

Many writers in Kannada refer to Kafka, Kahlil Gibran, Noam Chomsky, Gabriel Garcia Marquez and many such writers with ease. I have not seen what they teach in literature classes, but I am sure that they will be studying some all time world classic literature.

You can also find the reference of African literature when some Kannada writers speak about third world literature. The influence of all times greats like Shakespeare, Keats, Wordsworth, and Tolstoy seem to be on everyone. The references to Zen literature (especially Haiku, a form of poetry) are also common here.

Well, it is not uncommon to study world literature. But what is depressing is the negligence of Kannada literary world towards Indian literary scene. While some of the popular European literature is not written in English, it is still available to us through English. But our own country’s literature does not seem to come to us.

It is disturbing that I can read the literature written by someone seven seas away but can’t read what is written by people living hundred kilometers away from me. None of us are really aware about what is happening in vernacular language scene in India. We all seem to live in isolated world as far as literature is concerned.

This is a real irony since literature is supposed to bind people. Given the fact that there is Kendra SahityaAcademy which is in-charge of country’s literary world, National Book Trust which publishes so many books a year and every state having its own set of institutions, we are not able to know each other.

Literature is being commoditized today. Every marketing technique is being employed in selling books. Increased hype overlooks the real quality of literature. Only market friendly voices are heard in contemporary literature. True voices of marginalized class are not adequately represented. In these troubled times, it is necessary to discover the true value of literature.

More than anything, translation should be given prime importance. There is a dire need for people to know what is happening in their neighboring state. In this country where Bollywood and cricket are the only national integrating factors, translations can really help in achieving true national integrity. At least, we will be able to quote Indian writers with the same easiness with which we quote foreign authors.

Page 140 of 366 Amazing Hutch ads

Friday, October 28, 2005

The world of marketing will be dominated by out-of-box thinkers. The winner in this competitive market will be one who thinks innovatively. How to sell something in this world where everyone is busy? There may be millions of pages written about this. But in reality very few people understand the knacks of this tricky business.

At least in India one company which has understood this completely is HUTCH. I have always appreciated their marketing techniques. They seem to come up with innovative ads continuously. Their entry was marked by the huge billboards which just said “Hi!” The amount of curiosity it generated was awesome.

Many did not notice the fact that it was the re-branding and re-launching of an existing brand called ESSAR. The entry was made at a time where the telecom ground was bloody with battles between majors for supremacy. There were far too many players in the market. But Hutch was able to succeed because their ads clicked with people.

Their television ads were then anchored by Rahul Dravid. In a time where Sachin and Ganguly were favorite choices for endorsements, it was a wise decision not to go with the trend. Those ads also were neat and simple. Dravid remained their only star endorser until a superstar emerged.

The idea of having a dog (pug breed, whose name was Cheeka) following a boy to tell about connectivity was really a brilliant idea. That series of ads spoke nothing about the technical details but still told what it was supposed to say. Cheeka became a superstar instantly. I do not know whether Hutch’s revenue increased but surely the price of pugs increased like anything.

The present day scene in Indian mobile market is marred by price fights among its players. Tata Indicom and Reliance are fighting at one end; Airtel, Hutch and BSNL are fighting at the other end. The CDMA players are waging a different kind of war. Their game plan is different. They have no threat of customers flying from them overnight.

But others have to answer this question also. BSNL is at ease, since it knows that no one can challenge them in terms of connectivity. Their ads are at minimal level. So the battle for supremacy is really between Airtel and Hutch. Airtel’s jingle composed by A R Rehaman is now considered as a classic. It is now running an ad which speaks more about joy of communication. But at one time it was too much into celebrity endorsements.

Hutch has come out with a googly. It has roped in Irfan Khan as its new TV ad mascot. With his non-expressive (which many consider as business type) he tells about small recharges. But Irfan Khan as a brand ambassador? I am still unable to guess the thinking behind this decision. It surely raises the curiosity of everyone. People are thinking about the movies he has acted in. I think it must have been a well-thought off decision. Whether Hutch gains from this move or not, will be known in coming days. I often wonder what value ads will have on their sales? I do not know whether a customer will be substantially influenced by ads to go for a particular product. Whatever it is, these ads definitely have a high entertainment value, sometimes more than the programs they sponsor.

Page 141 of 366 Bangalore rains, IT.in and media

Saturday, October 29, 2005

What makes media people go gaga over Bangalore? I do not know. Bangalore has been making headlines from past few days for all wrong reasons. The supposed “fight” between IT and Government provided the right opportunity for media to flock to Bangalore. The rains helped them stick on to the city till now.

The surprising development was the hurried conclusions these people were trying to make. With initial symptoms at place, there was a wrong diagnosis done. And they continued giving prescriptions based on their faulty diagnosis. Every person had a solution for the problem.

NDTV shifted its popular program “The big fight” to the city. On discussion table were bigwigs like M P Prakash, Mohandas Pai, Mahesh Dattani, Prakash Belawadi and CEO of a company. Keeping with the tradition of the show, nothing meaningful emerged. Everyone stood by their opinions and were not ready to listen to each other.

The topic which suddenly became everyone’s favorite was “Is Bangalore’s dream over?” Channels ran one-hour specials where journalists were asking everyone from CEO’s, netas, babus and junta about the dream that was supposed to be shattered. And yes, majority thought so.

Enter rains. The troubled rains of Tuesday further fuelled the thoughts that Bangalore is in trouble. Media again feasted with stories of Government apathy, non- responding bureaucracy and troubled citizenry. I seriously think that it was this hyped media stories that forced Government to declare holidays for 4 days.

While it rained heavily on Tuesday, the rains have disappeared since then. Yes, few parts of the city have come under deep waters, but they are limited to few pockets. The situation at some places is still worse, but I do not think it is that bad as reported in media. According to me, the whole issue is blown out of proportion.

My college is closed from Wednesday (Oct 26) and will open only on Nov 07. The guys seem to enjoy the extended Diwali break, thanks to clear skies. I do not blame Government for declaring holidays. If they had not declared holidays and if it had rained, then the same media would screw them properly. In India, holidays are always welcome.

My assessment of the whole episode is that, the media has over-hyped the whole situation. You cannot blame them since they are always looking for breaking stories. The Mumbai rains provided a good opportunity for many to highlight “human side” of Mumbai. I suppose they were looking for same here. But till today they are not very successful in this.

Amidst all these, one thing which went unnoticed was the mega event “Bangalore IT.in”. I had been there in the first few years, but then I did not find it interesting. This year too I did not attend the show. But surprisingly, media at large did not take much interest in the show. If it had rained heavily, washing away the event, they would be running more shows about - end of Bangalore’s dream.

Page 142 of 366 People’s movement

Sunday, October 30, 2005

What counts for a revolution? A definite, drastic and observable change in any sector may be called as revolution. The term revolution rings many things in the mind. French revolution, Russian revolution, green revolution….the list goes on. Specifically in India, we do not call our Independence struggle as a revolution, why? I do not know.

If you see the list of revolutions in India, one thing becomes increasingly clear. There is no major revolution in recent times. At least I do not remember any major fight which is dubbed as revolution in my times. I know about green and milk revolutions, but I have not seen anything beyond this.

The last major political turmoil in this country was the emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi. We learn that this gave an opportunity for a new political order to come up in India. The emergence of many political parties which today have firm presence here can be traced back to this unfortunate political development. The later political and social history in India was not that sweet. There were times where gross injustice was done against particular communities. Political maps changed, social unrest increased, economy was drowned – but none of these developments ignited a revolution. There is a clear lack of mass movement in Indiathese days.

The only major strike which gripped the nation in recent times was called by left parties. It was quite funny since the left is also a part of present Government, though not directly. Whatever it is, there was a day long bandh in entire country. The reasons for that bandh are not worth discussing.

Just scan the country for people’s movement. You will find unrest in Assam, Nagaland and Manipur, terror of PWG in AP, Orissa, Bihar and now in Karnataka, there is always on-going fight in Kashmir. Can these be counted as revolutions? Is there any movement which is spread throughout the country? No.

If you categorize these events, it will be clear that in present India, the “movements” is limited to ethnic cleansing, communal violence, cry for separate states and political in-fights. No movement is happening for a valid cause of upliftment of people. There is a complete lack of meaningful and peaceful movement.

What can be reasons for this non-existence of such movements? The success of democracy is based on the active participation of people. That includes registering protest against unjust stands taken by the government. There is no dearth of issues over which people can fight. But still India appears to be in deep sleep.

I think there are 2 important reasons for this. One the complete lack of political sensitiveness in campus and second the absence of work unions in new age companies. Today’s campus is filled with students who are busy with so many things that they do not find enough time for political discussion. They are least bothered about these issues also. Yes, I am pitching for unions in IT industry. That this issue is raised by Prakash Karat is a good sign. I am not for unions which are interested more in strikes. I think a powerful union for this sector will bring in more bargaining power. It will be helpful in converting the large workforce into a political power. Who knows, it may also herald a new revolution here. I hope it happens that way.

Page 143 of 366 Health is wealth

Monday, October 31, 2005

Yes, the age old idiom is still true – “health is wealth”. But it now comes with a new twist. “(Your) health is (someone’s) wealth”. This unfortunate truth of present times was phrased by P Sainath in a touching articlepublished in The Hindu. In the course of analyzing the farmer deaths in rural Maharastra, he discovered this truth.

In today’s issue, he has again highlighted this topic. I sincerely thank him for writing about this crucial issue. In these times of high in-sensitiveness of media towards rural areas, this effort is really heartening to see. While analyzing the farmer deaths in different parts of the country, media suffers from short-sightedness. They seem to blame only the failing rains for this.

More frightening is the nexus between fertilizer companies and seed manufacturers. The BT seeds are often said to demand more fertilizers. In addition to increasing input costs, these chemicals often pose threat to the health of farmers. It is really unfortunate that the scientifically grown seeds demand this much care. Adding to these problems is the unpredictable monsoons.

Today’s average, rural farmer has ended in a vicious circle from which he cannot escape. Poor quality seeds, increased use of pesticides and fertilizers, dependency on external sources for irrigation water, lack of free electricity, irregular power supply even when it is charged, absence of loans from banks, increased dependency on private money-lenders, the resulting poor health and increasing medical costs – all are issues interlinked to each other.

India’s biggest failure in post-independence era will be the non-willingness of Government to invest more in pubic heath and primary education sector. It is really sad to see that even in rural places people have to depend on private sector for health care and education. Every small town and increasing number of villages will today boast an “English school” and a “private nursing home”.

We should note that both these kinds of institutions lack in quality but nevertheless swindle money from people. The Government is not keen to improve the schools nor is it interested in providing good care in its hospitals. In fact it is common to see the Doctors in these Government hospitals run their private nursing homes. The patient is left with no option but to give money for treatment in these private clinics when he is entitled for free care.

We have today limited Government hospitals for postmortem cases. I had unpleasant personal experiences in dealing with these hospitals for conducting postmortems. Imagine the plight of poor people if they have to rely on these hospitals for medical care. With the conditions in these places being so worse, it will not be surprising if someone become worse after being admitted here.

With private high-tech hospitals more interested in labs, tests and scans which can help them in increasing the bill, the poor have no option. They have to either sell their land or take more debt. Whatever it is, he will be pauper when he moves out from hospital. In such a situation, it is not surprising that farmers prefer death over poor health. What else, but it is a matter of national shame that 21% of people in India do not seek medical care since they cannot afford it.

Page 144 of 366 Dare to speak…..in Kannada?

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

I could not resist the temptation of writing about Kannada today. So here goes my take on Rajyotsava. Well I will not dwell on usual topics like Mahajan report, Sarojini Mahishi report and all such stuff which gets life only during this time of year. Nor will I indulge in chest-thumping war cries about reservations to kannadigas in IT industry.

My point is very simple. To preserve the language of the land, there is no need of protests, flag-marching exercises, grand celebrations with loud orchestras and other things. Nor there is any need for any exhibitionism of love for language. What we need to do is take some simple steps.

Whenever I board an auto from ‘posh’ localities, invariably the driver asks me “kahan jaana hein saab?” I have also seen them speaking in their own version of English. But the moment you say something in Kannada, their attitude changes. “Oh! Nammavara!!” This is it! A language proves its value only when it is used.

Shed the inhibition; speak up…speak up in Kannada. That should be the resolution we should make inBangalore these days. I see people hesitating to use Kannada in some places. To save a language nothing is better than using it in every day life. This is what we should be doing here.

Just say “ondu cappuccino kodi” in Coffee Day. Use Kannada in Pizza joints. Enquire the price of an item in Kannada in these shopping malls. Speak in Kannada when you are at the lobby of a multiplex. It is precisely in these places Kannada is dying a slow death.

The other place where Kannada is soon becoming extinct is in campus and work places. I have rarely seen students chatting in Kannada in college canteens, even though they can speak Kannada. The swanky work places also do not seem to encourage people to speak in Kannada.

If at all Kannada has to preserved, its use should be extended to these places. There is a need to impress upon these young crowd that there is nothing wrong if you speak in Kannada. The whole aspect of speaking in Kannada has to be made to look “cool” as these guys want it.

Some part of the blame should also go to these activists. They have made Kannada into a street-fight issue. Their attitude sometimes creates a wrong impression about the whole matter. Speaking Kannada, it looks, is limited to certain class of people. And the young and trendy do not wish to be a part of it.

According to me the need of the hour is to make Kannada trendier. It should be re- packaged in such a way that young gets attracted towards that. What is the best way to achieve this? Make Kannada accessible to everyone. Let’s not limit Kannada to some section of junta. Let simple and appealing Kannada slogans appear in T- shirts and accessories to reach these young crowds. Let Kannada light music re- orient itself to attract them. Let our films relate to them. Then they will start using Kannada in their daily business. If youth are not attracted to this language and they don’t speak up in Kannada – then there is no hope. So do you dare to speak…..in Kannada?

Page 145 of 366 Festival specials in TV

Wednesday, November 02, 2005

I will focus only on the Kannada channels throughout this article. The issues discussed here can be extended to national channels also. The disturbing trend as I see is the increased attention they give for festivities. While there is nothing wrong in doing so, they may argue. It may be to improve their TRP ratings. But what disturbs me is their choice of programs.

The TV media here have a fixed formula for celebrating festivals. Interviews with cinema stars, two super-hit films, and few programs again based on movies and ai- la, you have celebrated the festival. Well, the amount of pressures these program put on junta is tremendous. You have to celebrate these festivals, the way they show on TV.

Our festivals come at regular intervals. Start with Ganesha, follow it with Dasara and culminate with Diwali. Add to this are many celebrations which are getting a new lease of life these days, thanks to marketing hype. An average salaried class guy is sure to go down with the expenses associated with celebrations.

I am not against celebrating and money-spending. People, who can afford, are welcome to do it. But do not make it into a tamasha and force it on everyone. The repeated shows in TV about the celebrations are bound to create lot of pressure on junta. They will feel low about themselves if they do not celebrate that way.

In order to match the grandeur of other’s celebrations, they have to spend their savings. Please note that many celebrate festivals today not because they think they have to save their culture. They do it because celebrations have become a matter of prestige. This is what I hate. Celebrating festivals in a grand manner just because others do it is an unfortunate development. Every Kannada channel will be filled with celebrity interviews during festivities. The anchors repetedly ask the callers in phone- in program how they celebrated the day. And you are supposed to say that you got new clothes, ate obbattu and blasted crackers. Any other answers are not welcome. What should an average guy feel when he hears this continuously? He will be pressurized to do the same even if he cannot afford that.

I often wonder what will be the impact of these programs on brethren of other communities. How should a Muslim mother respond to her child’s enquiry about diwali? What will they do when these channels keep shouting about pataaki, obbattu and such stuff? Won’t they feel out-of-place during these times? I pity those young souls who may feel deprived of all these celebrations.

These days the Kannada channels have shown huge interest in telecasting religious celebrations. You name it – Shringeri, Udupi, Kolluru, Mantralaya, Tirupati and many more are shown live in these channels. I often doubt whether these channels are turning into religious channels. Add to this are programs like “teertha yarta” types which again focus only on Hindu temples. Have you seen any channel running special program on Barkrid or Ramzan? Do they at least care to note this point? Why such negligence towards them? And why such importance for Hindu festivities? If they are genuinely interested in promoting celebrations, let they also telecast some famous Urs and infant Jesus processions also. That will be true salute these people can show to the secular fabric of India.

Page 146 of 366 Struggle for separation

What happened in Belgaum a few days before celebrating “Suvrna Rajyotsava” did not get enough attention it deserved. The local governing body passing a resolution seeking the merger of Belgaum to Maharastra was condemned out rightly. The mayor was condemned for taking such step. Their decision to boycott Rajyotsava celebration also became a passé for media.

I have not seen even one news channel interviewing the Mayor. There was absolutely no attempt by anyone to hear their version of the story. I understand that the Kannada activists who make outrageous comments on the Mayor may not have bothered to check his entire speech. Such biased mindset should be shed for any meaningful dialogue.

From the time states were formed in India on linguistic basis, there has always been a problem in Karnataka. The cry for separate state was heard from North parts of the state. But the Government somehow took solace in Mahajan report. Even Nanjundappa committee also recommended that this region should not neglected. In spite of this, the Government has remained silent.

I have seen and have been an active member in proposing that Kodagu should be separated from Karnataka. During my student days, I have boycotted classes supporting this cause. I feel deeply connected with this separatist movement. Unfortunately, others cannot understand the sentiments involved with such struggles.

People always see this kind of movement with a fixed mindset. When people complain about apathy of Government towards their region, they try to dismiss this. They will start comparing this situation with that of Kashmir and Punjab. We should know that the situation in these places is quite different. Event the fights in North- Eastern states came up due to a specific reason.

The situation in Karnataka should not be compared with these places. The Government of Karnataka shows active interest (sometimes) to integrate Kasargod with Karnataka. They support their stand by prompting that the people there want this. But why is it deaf towards others who want to go with other states? It should take same stand in both situations.

The creation of linguistic states should not be thought as ultimate. When people want a change, and if it’s genuine, they should be entertained. After all, these states were created for better administration and not for anything else. If managing them becomes difficult, then we should look at alternatives.

If Government starts looking into this issue, then there will a small hope for us. I wish that this will intensify the demand for separate Kodagu land, which I always dream of. People should not jump into conclusion that people crying for separation as anti-patriotic people. They should understand that these developments are based on continued negligence of Government. And this is also an attempt to get what our constitution guarantees to its citizens – better life and freedom of choice.

Page 147 of 366 Asserting regional identities

Friday, November 04, 2005

[This is my 150th post]

As the youths continue to fight the police in the suburbs of Paris, I am tempted to compare this situation with ours. Recently, when we celebrated the Rajyotsava, the question of language-based identities again raised their heads. Most of us do not want a clash here over this issue. We are for a meaningful dialogue and peaceful co- existence. But that does not mean we turn blind to some important issues.

The clashes in Paris is said to be the consequence of Government’s negligence towards migrated population. In all developed countries there is a similar story of suffering of migrants. But in Bangalore, we are having a different situation. Here the migrants (mainly in IT sector) are supposed to dominate the locals. It is complete role-reversal here.

Any attempt to make Kannada popular among immigrants here draws a flank. They are often dismissed as authoritarian attempts. The concept of “cosmopolitan” society is put forward to silence these efforts. The cry of Kannada dying a slow death in Bangalore is seen as cynical. Any attempt do revive the language is named as emotionalism, old-fashioned and anti-progressive.

At the core of identity is the issue of separation. When I say I am a Kannadiga, I separate myself from others. This “me and you” kind of separation is associated with every identity. It should not be seen as a divisive force. Rather it should be seen as an attempt by every human to satisfy his basic ego; the one which is necessary for his very existence.

Is it completely wrong for the locals to expect that immigrants should know the basics of Kannada? Before we come to any conclusion, I want to draw your attention to some global trends. Any nation expects that its citizens must be aware of the basic customs of the land. This can be seen everywhere.

Britain has something called “Britishness test” which has to be cleared before getting citizenship. In USA, the person who wants to get citizenship should undergo “Naturalization” process. This consists of an eligibility test where the knowledge of wannabe citizens regarding local history is tested. The requirement clearly says that the applicant must have the knowledge of English. Now, does anyone think this is a problem?

If no, then the local people insisting that the immigrants here should know Kannada should not pose any problem. Kannada is the language of administration here. So the situation in both cases is same. People may argue that there is nothing called “citizenship” in Karnataka. But, there is something called as emotional bonding. Citizenship is just a legal way of certifying this attachment.

So, when UK and USA can compel its immigrants to know about its history and language, why it cannot be done here? I am not trying to be in the shoes of a Kannada activist here but just providing an interesting argument. I think there is nothing wrong in trying to promote Kannada among the immigrants. But both parties should be sensible. Locals should not take the violent path and immigrants should not see this as dictatorial attempts.

Page 148 of 366 A no-show called marriage

Wednesday, November 09, 2005

Elsewhere in this blog, I had written that Indian marriages are nothing short of large scale project management. It also looks to me that these marriage management needs to be more organized. That is because I feel that the reason why such elaborate celebration is conducted itself seems to be forgotten by many.

Does the occasion demand so elaborate celebration? Again no complaints on the money spent, its spenders wish. For most this is one occasion in lifetime where they really feel like king (and queen). It is all fine, but I keep wondering who enjoys the show most in marriages? I doubt whether anyone thinks about having good time in marriages!

I am talking of marriages in our community where it is heavily ritualized. The bride and groom are made to go through all sought of rituals (which most do not understand). They get up early in the morning on the day of wedding, get dressed up heavily and sit for hours in front of smoke. God! I pity the bride who has to wear the heaviest of attire (with all jewels loaded) and yet keep smiling all day!

The rituals themselves are so much physically demanding with bride and groom having to bend to every other elder person present there many times. Add to that the flash of video and his demand to smile every second. I often wonder how one can grow to enjoy in such situation. And mind you, they have to go through many more rituals in coming days.

The bride’s parents are the souls who will be busy all the times. Filled with so much tension, they will be last one to say that they are enjoying the day. It is the same with close relatives of these families. The groom’s parents also will be having their own set of problems to worry about. Overall, none of the primary characters in marriages are free to enjoy the show.

If you think the visitors are there to enjoy, you are sadly mistaken. Most of them turn up due to compulsion. There is no genuine interest in them to enjoy the show. There is hardly any entertainment value in the marriage ceremony!! So they need not be blamed for that. Most will be waiting for the lunch to be served so that they complete their role. Generally, these people have the compulsion to attend more than one function a day. So they are more in hurry than in a mood to enjoy.

Priests, cooks, support staff, video guy, nadaswaram gang – all seem to have their own tensions during the marriage. No one is ever seen enjoying the whole show. So I ask the basic of all questions – why spend so much and still defeat the purpose? At least one of the purpose of elaborate marriage exercise is that everyone should have a good day. But the place will be filled with so much tension that you keep on wondering who actually had a good day.

I think our marriage celebrations (especially in my community) require a serious make-over. The focus should be on everyone (more importantly the groom and bride) having a stress-less and wonderful day. At the end of the day they should at least have the energy and freshness to celebrate their first-night happily. In present days, I think they will prefer having a good sleep during that night after going through all those long rituals!!!

Page 149 of 366 Commoditizing water

Thursday, November 10, 2005

There was a scene in the movie “Swades” which touched the hearts of many. A young boy sells a small cup of drinking water for 25 paisa. And mind you, it was not a city where he was selling water; but was a small rusty village. The problem of basic need of humans such as water was well captured in that scene.

Cut to today’s cities. Here people buy water at the price equivalent to milk. It has become quite a norm for people here to buy water from private parties. The thirst of cities which are growing every second is the source of income for many. From villages to metros, drinking water is commoditized.

In times where everything is sold for a price, it is no wonder that water has turned into a commodity. But what is shocking is the easiness with which people have accepted this. The feeling that this is an inevitable development has several fallouts. What may follow is even air we breathe could be sold!!

If someone has to study the cultural shifts in our society, they need not go beyond this one. The ease at which our society has accepted packaged drinking water can be a true indication of changing times. That can also be a signal of how easily any basic human need can be commoditized.

Studying the development of selling drinking water can lead us to discover how this is linked to many other things. The need for selling water has come up because there was a need to do so. That need has it roots in the uncontrolled growth of urban spaces. A closer watch will reveal the connections between these things.

Encroachment of water sources in urban areas by developers is definitely a reason why there is a market for packaged water. But there should be more in this story. A market for any product has to be created, if there is none. The way in which market is created for drinking water is really disturbing.

Here the Government provides drinking water to people. But still The poor and irregular supply from Government agencies forces people go out and buy water at high rate. Why don’t people demand good quality water from Government? Or do they think it is impossible? Is it not the people’s right to demand quality water when they pay for it?

The apathy of Government in providing basic services is the primary driving factor for most private companies here. The Government need not help these companies in any way; they have to just sit quiet. If they neglect the services which they have to provide, that itself is the greatest help they offer to these private people.

One often starts wondering whether these guys in Government get bribed just to sit silent! No wonder this may happen. Because, if there is an active Government, then there will be no place for these private companies. So it looks that we select our netas not to work, but to remain silent. This is the tragedy here.

Every human need is getting commoditized at a fast pace. And companies will do everything to sell their commodities. That may involve shaking our age old beliefs. This process will reach a point where we will have no other option but to accept these things. This absence of alternatives is what we should resist.

Page 150 of 366 Futility of placement tests

Friday, November 11, 2005

• Susan can type 10 pages in 5 minutes. Mary can type 5 pages in 10 minutes. Working together, how many pages can they type in 30 minutes? • One guy has Rs. 100/- in hand. He has to buy 100 balls. One football costs Rs. 15/, One Cricket ball costs Re. 1/- and one table tennis ball costs Rs. 0.25 He spend the whole Rs. 100/- to buy the balls. How many of each ball he bought?

If you have guessed these as high school mathematics questions – sorry, you are wrong. These are some sample questions given by Software companies to test the competency of wannabe engineers. Now what do these things have to do with software development?

Over the years, I have grown to hate the selection procedure in the software companies. The usual questions in these papers will be aptitude, analytical reasoning, number series problems etc. These things are common in almost all tests conducted for all selections including admission to business and technical colleges.

I am yet to understand the relation between these things and real world software development process. The kind of work done in companies does not require a mathematical genius or high logical thinking. But companies continue to stick on to the fixed formula from long time.

There is no sufficient analysis done in this regard. One book “The psychology of Computer programming” deals with these issues in great detail. I enjoy reading this book over and again. This excellent book is a must-read for anyone who wants to know about the process of programming.

In that book, the author takes a critical view regarding the issue of selection process based on these kinds of questions. Answering a age-old and interesting question of “Is good programmer born or made?” – he takes up this issue. He lists the traits that are essential for good programmers. And he points that these can be developed.

Being a teacher in this area, I am of an opinion that a test cannot determine the quality of a programmer. The kind of knowledge one gains in his college is never tested in these processes. They give undue importance to unwanted matters and therefore make the students feel that their college education is worthless.

Imagine this. A guy is asked to write a program within 5 minutes. If he does not do it, he is rejected. Come on! In companies, there is no point where you have to write a piece of code in split seconds. There is help available from all quarters and one should just know how to put the pieces together.

The kind of aptitude required to work in companies are very much different from the one they test. I see my students reading more from Shakuntala Devi or any other puzzle book when campus interview season begins. I would rather see them studying more technical books than working these meaningless puzzles.

E W Dijstra, probably is the one person who had a different idea about selection process. He said “The most powerful test that I know for an applicant is that he should have an absolute mastery of his native tongue”. Great isn’t it!!!

Page 151 of 366 Deserve to die

Monday, November 14, 2005

Under Indian laws, there are certain cases which describe death as a punishment. In IPC, Section 302 says that “Whoever commits murder shall be punished with death”. There are no statistics on the number of death sentences given in India. But, we get to hear death sentences being pronounced by lower courts more often.

The long legal battle assures the people who are awarded death sentence that they can spend long time in jail. It so happens in many cases that the people get reprieved in upper courts. Though again, I do not have statistics, I am pretty confident that the people who ultimately go to death are only the poor.

It is only in high profile cases the issue of death penalty comes up into public discussion. In most other cases, the accused will be let off in the higher courts. If the accused have access to good legal service (more money!), they are guaranteed to go scot-free. It is only the poor and weaker section of accused, who suffer in jail.

In India, death penalty is reserved for “rarest of rare” cases. This general principle is interpreted in many ways. Should militants who are fighting for a cause (say separate nation) deserve to be hanged? Should terrorists who are engaged in meaningless war be put to death? Are people who kill a person for gain be granted death? Which of these and other cases amounts for “rarest of rare” case?

Indian judicial system interprets this guideline in different ways in different situations. Normally terrorists are said to be right candidates for death because they are a threat for the nation. Killings in society are not viewed with same seriousness. If all murderers were to be hanged, we will have numerous hangings every year.

The last resort for most who have been awarded death sentence is appealing to the President. The president is given the authority to pardon them. This provision is given to him by the Constitution under the article which read thus –

Power of President to grant pardons, etc., and to suspend, remit or commute sentences in certain cases.— (1) The President shall have the power to grant pardons, reprieves, respites or remissions of punishment or to suspend, remit or commute the sentence of any person convicted of any offence—

a. n all cases where the punishment or sentence is by a Court Martial; b. in all cases where the punishment or sentence is for an offence against any law relating to a matter to which the executive power of the Union extends; c. in all cases where the sentence is a sentence of death.

This option in the constitution has become a ray of hope for many convicts. It is said that there are 20 petitions pending before the President seeking mercy. The President can use his discretion to grant the pardon after studying the specifics in that case. Whether this power could be a point of confrontation between judiciary and the highest seat in the country is debatable. When there is debate going on about the morality of death sentences itself, this power granted to President, I think, does the balancing act. May be the fathers of our constitution believed that a solution for this problem is possible through non- judicial means. So they must have vested this power on to him.

Page 152 of 366 Is Hindi our national language?

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

It is good that the discussion on language usage is getting momentum these days. This may be because we are celebrating the Rajyotsava in this month. Whatever it is, this is a good development. In identifying the problems faced by Kannada, many are pointing fingers at Hindi.

This complaint that Hindi is far more a threat to Kannada than English is being heard more now. In fact, history has recorded the resistance of southern sates to the march of Hindi. The emergence of strong local political parties in Tamil Nadu is the result of such mass movement against the forceful imposition of Hindi.

In an article published in thatskannada.com Mr. Shrinivas echoes this sentiment. In that article he has passionately mentioned about the declining usage of Kannada here. He attributes most of the problems to the growing popularity of Hindi. While there can be no doubts about this, I fear he has committed some factual mistakes.

While mentioning that Hindi is only a “communication language” in India, he makes a statement that it is not “a national language” (Rastra Bhashe). He claims that there is no mention regarding this in the Constitution. In this article, I would like to provide the references from Indian Constitution regarding this matter.

Article 343 of Constitution clearly says that “The official language of the Union shall be Hindi in Devanagari script”. I understand that the term “national” is not used here but “official” is used. I suppose that the meaning of these two terms in this context is same. I would also like to point out to other articles in our constitution which speaks about this matter.

Article 120 says “business in Parliament shall be transacted in Hindi or in English”. Article 210 clarifies that “business in the Legislature of a State shall be transacted in the official language or languages of the State or in Hindi or in English”. Article 346 says “Provided that if two or more States agree that the Hindi language should be the official language for communication between such States, that language may be used for such communication”. So Hindi gets a place of “official language” in our constitution. Article 345 speaks about the official language of the state. It gives the power to the state legislature to accept a language as its state language. But it also says that “Provided that, until the Legislature of the State otherwise provides by law, the English language shall continue to be used for those official purposes”. In fact we can see that English is given more prominence here. Article 348 designates English as a language that could be used in Supreme courts and High courts.

More importance given to Hindi can be seen in Article 351 which reads thus “It shall be the duty of theUnion to promote the spread of the Hindi language, to develop it so that it may serve as a medium of expression for all the elements of the composite culture of India”. This and Article 344 seem to have a one-point agenda of promoting Hindi. There is an underlying statement in all these articles that languages listed in Eight schedule should be considered equal to Hindi. But unfortunately, there seems to be too much bias towards Hindi, that this sentiment is neglected. So it will be wrong to say that Constitution does not speak about Hindi being our official language. And this problem of neglecting local languages has its roots in Constitution and not in re-organization of states based on languages

Page 153 of 366 IT and Ravi Belagere

Thursday, November 17, 2005

Ravi Belagere, for the uninitiated souls, is the editor of magazine “Hai Bangalore”. Personally I like his style of writing. You may disagree with him most of the times, but it is hard to ignore him. Apart from his editorial job, he is also the voice behind a crime based serial. More than anything else, he is an influential persona in contemporary Karnataka.

Today, I was surprised to see this piece of news. It said that “Prartana School”, which is run by Ravi Belagere, has won “Computer Literacy award”. This award is given by the central Government’s Dept of IT to recognize the excellent computer education provided by the schools. Ravi’s school winning a prize in IT - What an irony!!

People must not have forgotten the most controversial article Ravi has written in recent times. This article which was dressed up as a letter to Sudha Murthy of Infosys, created much discussion. He made some drastic comments against IT companies there. For eg – “You (IT companies) are responsible for sky-rocketing land prices”, “75% of new roads are constructed in the IT belt” etc.

He was at his sarcastic best when he was commenting on how IT companies are luring away the teachers. He said the suggestion that teachers be paid more cannot be entertained since that will increase the financial burden on parents. Well said Sir, but if you have so much problem with IT, then why do you teach that in your schools?

“Our society cannot survive only with engineers” he had said “We need farmers, teachers, mechanics, potters, cobblers”. Now Sir, if you are so concerned, why teach Computers to your school kids. Teach them these things. Open an agricultural college, start a job training institute or start a garage. Why do you want to start a school and then teach Computers?

“Karnataka has seen flood of immigrants and Bangalore accommodated them. But you, the IT guys are real burden to the city” – came his strong words. One question Sir – If you do not want IT guys, then why should you teach IT to school children so well that you get an award? Won’t it increase the problem of the place?

He had written a follow-up for this article. That was too harsh and I am in no mood to translate its heading also. He had continued to bash the IT industry here also. What surprises me is the fact that when he writes so much against the IT sector, his school continues to teach IT; that too so well that they get an award for it.

The truth need not be elaborated. It is clear that the future generation need the knowledge of IT excel in their career. More than an industry, it has become the integral form of basic literacy. So guys like Ravi Belagere cannot continue their double-stand for long.

When he has written so much against this industry, won’t he feel ashamed to accept the award? Oh! Sorry! I forgot that a person like him has long shed that. Being an opportunistic businessman-journalist, he has no ideological stand. He simply glorifies and sensationalizes any news just to keep his wallet thick and fat.

Page 154 of 366 Saviors of culture

Saturday, November 19, 2005

Some recent developments have posed a very crucial question – who protects a particular culture and who degrades that. Culture, is indeed a shared identity and everyone has equal rights to it. Nevertheless, certain groups seem to think they alone have the divine right to speak for their culture.

Culture is more of a question of identity. The practices, beliefs, food habits, art, dance, music and language are focal points of a culture. The stand of a group of people regarding these issues defines their culture. But we should know that there is no single point reference to these issues. So certainly these are not closed issues.

First let us see the case of Karnataka. After the controversial stand of Belgaum City Corporation that certain parts of the state should be merged with Maharastra, we have witnessed more dramatic moments. The action of KRV to paint the Mayor black, that too in Legislators House is certainly condemnable.

But certain key literary figures do not think so. It was indeed painful to see persons like Champa, Poornachandra Thejasvi and Nagatihalli Chandrashekar defending the extreme step. Now the kannada literary world stands divided. Both groups are claiming that they are the real saviors of Kannada culture.

Meanwhile in Tamilnadu a drama of a different kind is turning ugly day by day. The actress who once had a temple in her name is today seen a villain. People who supported her are equally condemned. What is shocking is that this trivial matter has become a legal problem. Cultural questions are raised in court rooms.

The truthfulness of comments made by Khushboo need not be discussed. Despite the authenticity of her words, she has the liberty to speak her mind out. Whether the particular comment really threatens a culture is important. Her opponents think so. They claim that sanctity of their women can be protected only by them.

In the national scene, it is again the RSS which has spoken for Hindu culture. Its chief Sudarshan recently called all Hindus to have more children. His saying is that Hindus should at least have 3 children. More the merrier – seems to be his principal. He sees this as the key for the survival of culture.

When we are gasping with the problem of population, such comments by the powerful person is really surprising. As many have pointed out, the irony is that he himself is a bachelor. Whatever it is this statement by him, as I see it, is the continuation of “5*5=25” formula put forward by Narendra Modi.

In all the above cases, a certain class of people speaks as if they have taken over the right of protecting their culture. Their assertion on certain values regarding culture is based on facts. Why they continue to have major say in these issues is not because they speak right but they possess muscle power.

Today, the cultural issues have become a point of agitation. And it is really sad that these issues are not discussed in a meaningful manner. The point what everyone fails to understand is that a culture need not be protected. No culture can remain unchanged for long. That which changes only survives and this applies to culture also.

Page 155 of 366 Miseries of migrants

Monday, November 21, 2005

The problems of immigrant population are getting a fresh look with recent developments. But the discussion is limited to the people who migrate to a different country. In this article, I want to focus on those who migrate to different town within the same country.

In India, where the culture changes within the span of few hundred kilometers, one faces a typical problem. When a person goes from one state to other for working, he will find himself in a foreign land. Though there are some common features that bind our country together, the differences are large.

The first problem anyone faces is that of a language. We can see a new cultural awakening among the people now. They are becoming more possessive about the language. This is definitely a problem for a newcomer. He suddenly feels alienated from the public at large.

One more significant problem which he has to face is to fight the prejudice people have in their mind. We seem to develop a particular image about a culture. And we expect that people from that culture invariably are so. These beliefs are fuelled by the stereotyping of culture by media and cinema.

Say Marwadi, we assume that he is rich. Sikhs should be funny, Bengalis should be intellectuals, Kashmiris should be beautiful and Biharis should be rogue. This is the image we invariably develop. Sometimes we also take it for granted. This must put severe pressure on the people who migrate to a new place.

Apart from fighting these pre-conceived notions, they have another problem. They are supposed to be the brand ambassadors of their cultures for us. So we expect Bengalis to celebrate Kali Pooja with pomp and Gujjus to dance during Navratri. We forget to understand that there can be persons beyond the stereotypes also.

Migrants may suddenly feel that they belong to a culture only now. The pressures and expectations of people may awaken a sleeping cultural sense in them. In fact, it is common that we underestimate our culture while we are at home. It is only when we go out and mingle with others, we discover our culture.

This new found awakening itself is the root for the migrant population’s problem. If they were not made aware that they are different, they would mingle easily with local population. Now that they are aware about their culture, they try to stress more on that. This leads to problems such as cultural intolerance that we are witnessing.

No migrant will ever want to stamp his authority on the local public. They will be aware that they are in a foreign place and will respect that. But assertion of the authority by the locals will make them more alienated. This forces them to take extreme step of non-cooperation with the locals.

Cultural questions can never be solved by fights. There is no reason why seemingly different cultures should not speak to each other. No culture can grow in isolation. In today’s homogeneous world, it is this openness of any culture which keeps it going. So the locals should not insist on imposition of their values much on immigrants and they in turn should reciprocate with minimum respect.

Page 156 of 366 Chaos in Campus

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Today was supposed to be a rather lackluster day in our campus. Even though the Chennai one-dayer was supposed to be washed away, we were busy tracking the Bihar assembly results. When I was seeing the rising NDA seats, suddenly there was panic everywhere. Police were strolling in the corridors and there was chaos every where.

The usually calm morning atmosphere in the campus turned into a chaotic one. Police had received information that there is a bomb planted in the campus. So they were here, accompanied by dogs to search for that bomb. I was rather surprised initially when dogs entered my cabin. But everyone, including me could not help thinking wild.

Imaginations ran completely wild. Who would have planted bomb in our campus. How can this happen to us? Come on, we are used to see this only in TV. Now it was happening before our eyes. Even though many took it lightly, there is a suspicion in everyone’s mind. What if it turns to be true?

The administration did not panic. We were not asked to vacate the campus. While the dogs are doing their sniffing job, I caught up with few policemen. They told me that the news came from Karnataka Rakshana Vedike. Now how did KRV receive such news? I started wondering. They were narrating their troubles. Poor guys, they make take entire day to search our campus.

The response of people was really amusing. Many were scared by the sight of dogs. There was a general opinion that these dogs are really capable of bringing out all stuff that they had in their bags. People who had got eggs for their lunch worried whether dogs would recognize that.

A student was discussing with his friend whether dogs could recognize that he had dope in his bag. That student was really panic-struck when dogs came near him. He hurriedly went out of campus and later was seen gasping in the canteen outside the campus. I think the same sentiment would have been echoed by people who partied heavily last night.

While this episode had its funny moments, it also posed serious questions regarding responsiveness of institutes like us towards these kinds of situations. While we have around 5k people in the campus, we do not have any disaster management plan. I hope this situation sets the management thinking in these lines.

The search is still on and I am in campus witnessing all these events. I do not know whether this is a hoax. I plan to wait and watch entire episode. Well, if you see an entry in my blog tomorrow, rest assured that I am safe. Meanwhile I continue to appreciate the people of Bihar for ending the long rule of Lalu Yadav.

Page 157 of 366 How much should one know?

Wednesday, November 23, 2005

Which is the currency of Czechoslovakia? When was Tagore born? What is the highest price ever paid for a Michelangelo painting? Who is known as father of entomology? Who is the director of Mask of Zorro? What is the distance between Mercury and Pluto? – God! How much are we supposed to know?

To know new things is indeed a fascination for most. But what is the limit? See any quiz program. You will find yourself in a wrong place. Hard core quizzers make you feel how less you know about the world around us. Whenever one watches a program like “Mastermind India” in BBC, he is sure to go nuts.

In ancient India, there were limited texts, which, when mastered would give you the title of being educated. With times moving ahead, there are things that kept on adding to this list. Today we have a complex set of knowledge base, which is beyond any soul’s understanding, let alone mastering them.

Yes, there is no limit for what one can know. But what is that minimum knowledge set one should know is not clear. There always seems to be something which we never know. But how long can we go on? There is definitely a need for a benchmark for assessing the minimum knowledge one should have.

That basic knowledge set should be something, without which, we cannot survive. Is there such a thing? If such basic set exists, what should it include? That set should stand the test of time and more importantly have universal appeal. It should take care of basic needs of every man irrespective of his background.

Do we need to know things in this information age? The time has come when it is not necessary for us to remember facts. Rather, we should know how to get required information. More than data, we need the capacity to analyze them. That capability is bound to become crucial in coming days.

More than knowing Czechoslovakia’s currency, it is important to know how it fares alongside the Dollar. More than the Tagore’s birth date, one should learn to appreciate his poetry. That kind of mindset always scores more over the memorizing mundane facts. An analytical idiot is far superior to computerized memory genius.

Scrap the quiz programs! They do not serve any purpose. Stop using the brains as memory dumps; put them to work. Analyze, rather than memorize. Throw the quiz masters and bring in analysts. That is the mantra in this new era. When so much is available with a click of mouse, why duplicate them in minds.

Page 158 of 366 Linux in campus

Friday, November 25, 2005

The FOSS (Free & Open Source Software) community in campus like ours does not have much life in it. The typical problem faced by such groups is the lukewarm response they receive from students. Student community is still not drawn into the philosophy of FOSS as expected.

More than the developmental strategy, FOSS is a philosophy. It respects freedom and depends on community of developers. In the heart of this is the belief among people to protest monopoly and be self-sufficient. The technical slavery is what FOSS is always protesting against.

This movement was born in campus of elite universities and still has a cult following among students there. But here, not many are attracted towards it. The students are in no mood to accept that FOSS can be an alternative for software they use. May be the conditions here force them to think so.

The students are happier to use the latest software and flaunt their skill in mastering certain applications. Rarely do they think beyond this. What they fail to understand is that even they can build such things; maybe in a better way. But no, they are happy with what they have.

That does not stop someone from being the brand ambassador of some proprietary software companies. They become the easy victims of the glossy marketing techniques used by those people. Some companies do try to project themselves as the only saviors of students.

In academia, fortunately we have a good policy of not supporting any particular product. That is the reason why we do not teach proprietary software packages. There has always been a complaint that this denies the opportunity for students to learn the latest technologies. But I think we are doing the right thing.

If we start teaching the software packages from a specific company, we will be losing our freedom. And we will be shelling out lot of money which in turn will be a burden to students. Rather we stand by our principles. Since FOSS does not come with such baggage, academia should support it actively.

I have always felt that the teachers have a larger role to play in this context. They have to install that confidence among students that FOSS is really a viable alternative. They should start encouraging the use of Linux and only then the movement can be alive.

When many students think campus just as a placement centre, such changes are not possible. Forming a Linux group is definitely a good step. In our campus we have such group. In addition to promoting the usage of Linux, they should seriously think about the developmental issues also.

A talk by Atul Chitnis which was held today was really good. After a long time, I really felt that there is some hope for the FOSS community. Atul speaks well, no doubt. But the moment I found out that he used MS Powerpoint for his presentation, I was little disturbed. The man of his stature can create a better impression among his audience by using Linux .

Page 159 of 366 Comedy shows and all that…

Sunday, November 27, 2005

With the competition among the TV channels growing, they are constantly looking for “that” show which will make it big. Most of them end up in cooking up their own version of any successful foreign show. Very few dare to try out something new. Indian TV has not seen many such innovative and memorable shows.

Comedy serials have always been there in all channels. Even news channels have something related to this these days. But there is a definite lack of quality in most of such shows. And most of them suffer from certain prejudice. They all look same and have similar characterization.

All most all have a Gujrathi, Punjabi, Madrasi and Bengali characters. Their behavior is fixed and this makes them boring. The cultural prejudice in these serials cannot be missed. You are certain to go mad with confusion if you watch 2 such serials since they will resemble each other so much.

You cannot see serials like “Dekh bhai dekh” and “Family No 1” today. These 2 are my all-time favorite serials. More importantly, they were situational comedies. This trend is fading today. Also those serials were different because they did not suffer from cultural stereotyping.

Among the current crop of lot, mentionable ones are “Instant Khichidi” and “Sarabai”. The former has taken a season break and I definitely miss that. In its earlier version, we were witnessing a middle class family which had all stupid characters. Now that they have become rich, their stupidity has not reduced. This serial made an impact because of its unique characterization.

“Srabai” is probably the best among current comedy serials. The comedy here is very dignified. At the heart of this is the clash of values between a high class mother-in- law and a “very” middle-class daughter-in-law. This is a definite change from “tu-tu- mein-mein”, kind of serials. This will probably go down as all-time classic.

Amidst the crowd of comedy serials there stands a very unique show. This started as a talent hunt but now has transformed into a platform for talent. “The great Indian Laughter challenge” is definetly the best thing Indian TV has witnessed for long time. The popularity of the show can be seen be seen everywhere.

When the Indian TV world concentrated only on quizzing, singing and dancing talents, this one stands different. It puts into the test the most spontaneous performing art- the stand-up comedy. That the greatest chatter of our times, Shekar Suman is judging it along with “Sixer” Sidhu, is an added advantage.

And what has the show given to us? Wah! We are seeing the real talents of the country. Sunil Pal, Raju Shrivastav, Aihsaan Qureshi, Navin Prabhakar – we now have different types of showmen before us. Indian TV has finally managed to create lots of super stars, who really deserve to be called so.

Forget all those singers, pop-groups, albums and all – make way for real performers and entertainers. That this show is back into searching new talents lets be ready for some real entertainment. At last there is one talent show which has done what it is really supposed to do – spot genuine talent and encourage it.

Page 160 of 366 Corruption – the greatest evil

Monday, November 28, 2005

Sometimes any die-hard optimist will lose his hopes once he starts thinking about this country. There is always a depressing story waiting to be heard. Stories of corrupt officers have filled our newspapers and channels. It appears that there is no end for institutional corruption in this country.

First the national conscience was stirred when the story of S K Dubey became public. This episode made headlines for many reasons. Main among them was that the person was working for golden quadrilateral road project, which was supposed to be the hallmark achievement of the then NDA government. The other reason was that he was an IIT alumnus.

What happened next? Practically nothing. His friends started a foundation, there were talks everywhere about a national movement and suddenly whistle blowing was considered as a serious issue. The flames that were ignited then have been running without much fuel. Though the foundation looks to be active, it has not reached where it planned to go.

The same happened here in Karnataka before few years. We had one Girish Mattananavar, who showed a revolutionary mindset for fighting corruption. That he was in Police department made the case more interesting. It was assumed that he can translate his popularity into a movement. But where is he now?

And now, we have one more soul who lost his life for being honest. Manjunath, an IOC sales manager was murdered for following rules. This man was a student of SJCE, Mysore and later went to IIM, Lucknow. In his capacity as sales manager, he was supposedly very strict.

Manjunath had ordered the closure of a petrol pump since the samples from that place had failed the test. He in fact had sealed that pump. But when he saw the owners operating the pump, despite his orders, he naturally walked in and asked them to stop. The result- they shot him.

Welcome to India! In a place where corruption is the rule, you are not supposed to be otherwise. Well, if you dare to break the rule, be ready to pay your life as penalty. Don’t these things hurt the conscience of our politicians and bureaucrats? Is there an end for such murders in our country?

This case did not draw enough media attention. But bloggers all over are making it a point to write about this. This is nothing new, given the apathy of our media towards these kinds of issues. But all of us should at least think once about that guy who lost his life for nothing.

Our President always keeps telling us that we can be a developed country by 2020. But as we complete each year, this dream fades in our minds. Such incidents pose a serious question about RTI act also. See now if anyone gets crucial information using the RTI act and if he goes public about that, what is the guarantee that he won’t be killed like this?

Think….its we and WE alone who can solve this problem.

Page 161 of 366 From black-board to smart-board

Tuesday, November 29, 2005

We, the teachers in Technical colleges, often are blamed for not practicing what we preach. We help students solve technical puzzles, but we are puzzled when we have to use them. As the demand for quality teaching is increasing, teachers should be ready to embrace the advanced technology.

Gone are the days when a teacher felt contended by using a chalk-piece and black- board. Welcome to new era, teachers! Here the students are enlightened more about the latest gadgets than your esteemed self. Be ready to receive a dose of that from them. You either gear up and learn, or happily spend time correcting the answer scripts and counting attendance.

It was not long ago when OHP was considered to be the pinnacle of technical aid for teaching. Even I had used it extensively in my classes before 2 years. Now talk about OHP, and you will be considered as a specimen of stone-age. And mind you, it was not ago when OHP sheets were considered luxury. My earlier Principal wanted me to use those sheets judiciously!

Today we have many options. We need not bother to print the material in OHP sheets. LCD projectors are common. They have made the life of a teacher easy. Subjects which are hard to visualize can be made simpler to students. It provides flexibility for teachers to change their scheme of teaching.

Now we are witnessing more advancement. The “smart boards” are being installed in the classrooms. This amazing technology is sure to boast the performance of the teachers. When this is combined with a complete campus wide network, teaching in classrooms will change permanently.

But more than anything, it is the Internet which has changed our lives completely. Before few years, in the same campus, Internet was a scarce resource. Now we have a good net connectivity and I have witnessed the change it has brought in the mindset of teachers as well as students.

With the program of developing new website for the college going in full swing, I expect that the teaching methodologies in our campus will change. Maybe in few years when our University finally switches over to on-line exams (which it has done for master programs), the teachers may be relieved from all those correction jobs.

But the crucial question begs to be answered. Will technology help us teach better? Will all these LCD, smart-board, laptop, Internet – make us good teachers? I have my own doubts. I have seen people being so uncomfortable using technologies here. Especially the older teachers are happy using chalk and duster and often tell me that it is the best aid for teaching.

But we cannot remain isolated in this era. We have to move ahead. And technology is definitely going to dominate our teaching process. But I think these solutions are needed not here but also in primary level of teaching. Those poor teachers who spend hours preparing charts and all can be benefited a lot by these.

But those teachers may not find time to do all these pptl. Poor souls, they will be busy preparing mid-day meals for their students!!

Page 162 of 366 Global science, local technology

Wednesday, November 30, 2005

Science & Technology have always championed the cause of mankind in more than one ways. It may me redundant to write about the contributions they have made to our lives. But it is important for us to understand the dynamics of S & T in this global tech-world in which we are living.

Science, in its individual capacity has got nothing to contribute directly. Yes, it helps us in unveiling the mystery surrounding us. It definitely answers our long-pending problems regarding the nature. The principles, theories and formula are universal. There is no way science can go local.

In its very own nature, science is global. Do you know any scientific theory that is limited to one nation or one set of people? No, there cannot be such a thing. Science therefore is a great equalizer. It binds all things in this world with the same set of formulas and theories.

The entire scientific community, therefore, has the responsibility to uplift the entire mankind. They cannot restrict themselves to one community or state. The fruits of their hard work should be available to the entire mankind. And their clan is following this principle faithfully from centuries.

But technology has separate concerns. While science has its roots in the inner quest of humans to know nature, technology stems from their ambition to move ahead. Science is not interested in finding solutions to the problems in a fly, it is ready to wait. But technology does not have that luxury.

Technology attempts to solve a very specific problem in hand. There are differences between the paths taken by technocrat and scientist. While a scientist is motivated by self, a technologist is influenced by the society he lives in. The problem he tries to solve is specific to his land, community and people.

Therefore, the technology which results also has a strong local flavor. Take any technology; you can see a stamp of nativity in that. The same technology, if developed by a different person at a different time and in a different society would look very different.

Technology solves local problems. But today we see technology going global. The differences in the usage of technology can be attributed to this wrong notion of global technology. Technology can never be global. The moment we understand this, we can understand why a particular technology which is useful elsewhere, fails in other places.

In its very nature, technology is not global. But when it is forced to be so, we see problems. When technology cannot adapt to local conditions, people change to accommodate the technology. In a desperate attempt to make technology global, we are changing our beliefs and behavior. Technologists should understand the seriousness of this issue. They should realize that technology is malleable. So they should not force same technical solutions on everyone. Understand the sentiments of the people before trusting technology on them. Only then technology can achieve its cherished goal of assisting humankind in all its endeavors.

Page 163 of 366 Politics over dead body

Friday, December 02, 2005

The question of compensation which Government provides every now and then has continued to baffle me. For every accident that happens in this country, Government is expected to pay money. Say any natural calamity, states prepare compensation package which runs to several thousand crores. There seems to be no end for this.

It is not only these accidents and natural disasters which have become major money-spinners in India. Every loss of human life is transformed into a business. It is normal that the Government to grant money for the next of a soldier when he dies in the warfront. But this has also turned into a business.

There are stories of people falsely claiming that they were freedom fighters and thus availing all facilities provided by the Government. There are also a set of literary giants, musicians, sportspersons and cine-artists who think it is their birth right to get land and all other free facilities from the Government.

When Manjunath, an IOC official was killed because he tried to stop the adulteration of petrol, the news did not make much headlines. In fact, I had written about his saga before few days. But suddenly today’s newspapers carried a story about him. That story, I found, was more depressing than the news of his death.

There are no two words about the fact that he did “sacrifice” his life for the principle he believed. But the drama which is unfolding now is quite strange. The Hindu reported that Government has given Rs. 26 lakhs as compensation to his parents. Nothing strange, you may say. But read further.

It is said that his father is not happy about this. He reportedly wants more compensation. He also wants IOC to grant the LPG distributorship to his wife. He also wants one of his sons to be provided with an employment. The Minister who gave the compensation has agreed for the employment.

Now this news really disturbs me. Not taking away any credit from Manjunath, I fell his family is playing politics over his dead body. If Government has given compensation, it shows its responsiveness. The money granted by it cannot be considered as a measure of his life or sacrifice. So, on what basis his father is asking for more?

If he thinks his son would have earned more if he is alive, and therefore wants Government to give him more money, his act should be condemned. He has no business whatsoever, to demand money from Government. It is also reported that the bank which gave him the loan to study has said that it will waive it. So he does not have any financial hangover from his son’s side.

If his father is really concerned about his son’s death, he should urge Government for more strict accountability laws. Nothing has been reported about him insisting on investigation of his son’s murder. To eye only on the money which his son’s dead body brings along, is a shame. He has reduced the moral high standards which his son attained by sacrificing his life to a joke.

Page 164 of 366 Introducing Technology

Monday, December 05, 2005

Are Indians lagging behind in embracing technology? You may think no- seeing all the developments in the IT sector here. It is true that the technologies which earlier took years to reach India, can be accessed easily now. Today products are released globally.

The director of CSIR was recently telling how difficult it was to get the scientific journals in 60’s and 70’s. He was telling that the journals would arrive a good 3 months late. Ditto for the Computers and other electronic devices. It would take months and in some cases years for an equipment to reach India.

All that has changed today, thanks to the liberalized economy that was ushered in 90’s. Now we can buy a product the moment it is launched. In software, we have even gone a step ahead. We are using the beta releases to get the feel of the technology. Of course, most of us keep using the betas for long.

But has all these really benefited us. I am talking of the research community, which once suffered a lot due to this delay. They had to wait for the journals to arrive and equipments to be installed. And when they did get them, it would be late. But today, they cannot have any such complaints.

The easy availability of equipments, almost instantaneous access to scientific journals – are the basic necessities of a researcher. But what has Indian scientific community achieved with all these facilities? Do we witness path-breaking inventions? Are we producing astonishing technologies? No, why?

The reason, I feel, is the unchanged mindset. We have technology here, but the minds are not ready to accept it. When libraries are digitized, there are people who keep complaining that they cannot read from computer. They invariably want to stick to printed material. The change is too less, too late.

People should understand that technology is a great enabler; it helps do the things faster and in an effective manner. But the older generation is not responding as they should be. Probably they can take a cue from our President, who makes it a point to use the presentation during his talks.

We, the younger ones, should also take the partial blame for this. We are increasing focusing that technology that too the Computers are for young. Systematically, the older crowd is left out from the scene. The result- we are witnessing now. Institutions which are into automation are facing huge problems.

Take banks where the most employees are middle-aged. They were efficient workers during the pen-book days. But now they are the poor performers in this computer age. As a result, we find that the computerized bank performs poorer compared to normal ones. Ditto is the case in the institutions like us.

When technology is enforced on people they get intimidated. When people get scared using the technology, they just sop using them. So, the purpose of using technology is lost. In India, we have not taken enough care to see how a new technology should be introduced into an existing system. Unless we do not take care about these things, we will not succeed in reaping benefits from the technology.

Page 165 of 366 Wikipedia – join the movement

Wednesday, December 07, 2005

“When the mind is without fear & the head held is high.

When knowledge is free………………

Into that heaven of freedom, my father,

Let my country awake”

- Tagore (“Song of free India”)

When Rabindranath Tagore wrote this song, seldom he must have thought that these lines would become a slogan for a technical movement. Today we have embarked a journey where we are trying to make “Knowledge free and create heaven of freedom”.

Most of the knowledge pool in this world has been confined to the libraries of Universities. It was locked in books which were inaccessible. And worst, knowledge was attached a price-tag. People with deep pockets were exclusively given rights to access the information.

The greatest tragedy of humankind was this locking up of information. If anyone today asks- what is the greatest contribution of IT to common man? – The answer is clear. Technology via the computers and Internet has unlocked the information. It has opened the doors of knowledge for everyone.

There was a deliberate attempt by few companies to limit these technologies to few elite. But fortunately, the market dynamics and technical progress has halted this attempt. With the price of computers and Internet access falling down each day, there is every reason to believe that this technology will touch every door one day. To make knowledge free – is one of the cherished goals of a community, which is known for Linux. The FSF (Free Software Foundation) and its guru Richard Stallman, have this one point agenda. And, yes, they are on the right path in accomplishing this goal. The result – wikipedia.

Wikipedia becomes an important technical landmark of our times for many reasons. The main reason why it stands different is because there is no central authority which decides what information will be put in the knowledge pool. Second is because it gives freedom for anyone to edit the existing contents. Third is because there is nothing like this anywhere in this world and lastly it is free.

Skeptics may argue that this “free for all” right may be misused to propagate wrong information. There are also some high profile goofs and false information found in wikipedia. But these are negligible compared to the enormous information it provides. These negative developments can be seen as a passé. People think Linux is the only product of FSF movement. But I feel this project of wikipedia is far important than Linux. That is because while development in Linux demands high technical expertise, contributing to wikipedia does not require that. Anyone, just anyone, can chip in with what ever they know. I hereby passionately urge all of you to get in this movement and help humanity to receive what it rightly deserves – free knowledge.

Page 166 of 366 Resignation as a statement

Thursday, December 08, 2005

The amount of controversy Volker report has generated in Indian politics is nothing new. With Natwar Singh resigning, there is no hope that the drama will come to an end. The opposition is insisting on next casualty in the form of resignation of Sonia Gandhi. No one seems to gain anything from this blame game.

Somehow in India, we equate resignation with attaining moral highness. Every political party thinks that it will come clean by just asking the tainted minister to resign. They think that by resigning, justice will be done. There is no emphasis laid on proper enquiry.

To resign is a good attempt to shy away from media spot-light. And given the short memory of public, it is the best way to bury the controversy. The opposition always is happy by demanding the resignation. Never ever we have seen them insisting on impartial trial in courts.

The accused, his party and the opposition use the resignation episode as a political tool. The accused thinks he has done a great service by resigning. His political party claims he has sacrificed his post for the greater good. The opposition shouts it has gained moral victory by making the accused resign.

Resigning as a means for achieving moral highness in public life was perhaps started by Lal Bahadur Shastri. The famed story that he resigned as railways minister when there was an accident serves as precedence for these cases even today. Everyone keeps referring to this episode when they have to make a point.

But why should a minister sitting somewhere resign when an accident occurs in remotest part of the country? Yes, technically he may be responsible for entire establishment but he cannot be responsible for all glitches in the system. More than resigning, he can better stay and try to improve the system.

To resign is to escape. The resigned minister will no more be responsible for his wrong-doings. The better strategy would be to make him work in the same department. Maybe the lessons learnt in previous mistakes will enable and motivate him to work better.

Political parties also should understand that resigning is not a solution for the problem. They just postpone their worries by asking someone to resign. If they genuinely want to give justice, the trial should happen in court. Enquires by retired judges or independent committees are just an eye-wash.

Opposition, more than anyone, should stop seeing resignation as an end. Their thinking that making someone resign will help them score a point is fluke. They in turn help the accused by forcing him to resign. As noted earlier, once someone resigns, half of the problem is solved because there will be no media spot-light.

In India where democracy is the cherished principle of governance, these kinds of petty political drams are a shame. It is almost frustrating to see politicians fighting in Parliament over these trivial matters. They can better leave these issues to judiciary and limit themselves to matters regarding governance.

Page 167 of 366 This software is sponsored by…..

Friday, December 09, 2005

Bunty is busy looking at the source code. He has to finish his coding by today. He has a release a day later. When his mind is mapping the logic behind the codes, a screen suddenly pops up – “This software is sponsored by …..” The same screen which he saw earlier when tried to copy contents using “Cntrl+C”.

Advertising is nothing new. We are used to it in print media, TV and even in Internet. While watching an interesting scene, it is common that a commercial break creeps in from no-where. In fact we look forward for these breaks these days so that we can switch to another channel or catch a quick bite.

In Internet too, ads are all prevalent. Though it is annoying most of the times, it is unavoidable. Banner ads are ok but pop-ups are real irritation. Fortunately we have browsers (except IE) which can block such pop-up screens. Services like Google and Yahoo depend on this heavily for their survival.

But till today we are spared with ads in software. We have not still seen some ad popping out suddenly when we press a shortcut key or open an application. There are no instances of companies placing banner ads in software. Yes, some of these are there in freeware or trial version.

Bill Gates, when appeared in NDTV was commenting about the revenue model of Google. Whatever people may think, but Google has proved that free service backed by relevant ads works. Many had tried this before (Eg: Amazon) but none were successful like Google.

There are differences in the kind of services Microsoft and Google provide. But then we cannot either ignore the success of Google. It has proved that giving away services free indeed works. So will Microsoft take a leaf out of Google’s success story? Will it think about giving software free?

Maybe not; but given the popularity of Linux and FSF, there is some hope. There is every reason to believe that Microsoft has to cope up with the growing threat posed by FSF. Linux may never replace Windows in user market but if Microsoft continues to ignore this development, it may end up being another IBM.

So is co-branding and ads the future of software? If Linux continues to capture market at a faster pace, then others may be forced to think in this direction. We have to understand that a company like Microsoft needs a stable revenue model. If sales keep dropping, it has to think about alternatives.

Comparing the TV market with software throws some interesting observations. In TV, the content is free, so in Internet. Only the premium content is charged. The same is followed by FSF. You can get the basic kernel free, but you have to pay for add-ons. The future of software may be just this.

When everything from players dresses to mega events are sponsored, there is every reason to believe that software, someday, will also be sponsored. This may turn out to be a win-win situation for both parties. The company which spends money on ads gets recognition and Software Company gets guaranteed revenue.

Page 168 of 366 Thanks, but sorry Mr. Gates

Saturday, December 10, 2005

How can we transform the dynamism of young students into better coding? Teachers all over the world are trying to crack this puzzle for long. From years colleges have tried many ways to motivate the students to learn coding. The emerging best often have contributed lot to the world.

Enter Microsoft- the company known more for unusual profit-maximization techniques. It is searching for best talent in India. Well, nothing wrong till here. From Google to Sun, every major IT company of the world runs such contests. But the latest by Microsoft is unique.

Unique – yes, that is the word. Usually the student contests offers huge cash prizes. But any die-hard coder will tell that the rush of programming is what drives him more than the cash. But none till today offered the kind of “prizes” Microsoft is offering. It is this aspect of this contest which makes it unique.

“An opportunity to work in Bill Gates technical assistant team” – this is the mega prize in this event. Microsoft seems to think that this will be a great motivator for coders in India. The contest tries to find the best talent in India. But is this what the best coder in India expects?

Best coder from India as technical assistant to Gates? And that’s it? This is not a fair game. The guy certainly deserves more than assisting Gates. Probably he can start his own setup and challenge Gates. If he has business acumen like Gates, he can reach higher planes.

This is the problem with all these companies. They are ready to milk the benefits from the system but do not care to feed it. Instead of spending millions of dollars in such meaningless exercise, they can fund research projects in Universities. That will really help the society in longer run.

Talking about the visit of Gates, the whole episode was blown out of proportion. There was no necessity for media to go gaga over his visit. Everyone was keen to know how much he is investing here. More than his philanthropy, it was the investment in his company that was looked out for.

State after state was showering freebies on his company. It is really sad that Karnataka Government promised land and free power to the company. This is not first such instance in recent times. The state made same offer to AMD. Tamilnadu Government responded with more offers and Gates seems to be inclined towards them.

When Infosys got itself into controversy regarding land prices recently, there was a shout that IT companies should not be given these freebies. But those voices were conspicuously absent when Government was making open offers to AMD and Microsoft.

It is well known that Microsoft has not made significant investment in India. Whatever may be the reason for this, Gates cannot neglect the talent here. But the strategy they have chosen – like the code4bill contest – does not serve any purpose. The best coder in India need not code for Gates; he definitely has better options.

Page 169 of 366 Bakra – at what cost?

Monday, December 12, 2005

A young man is busy waiting for bus to reach his work. Suddenly a girl walks up to him and starts asking him why he ditched her. The guy is caught on the wrong foot. Some people join the crowd and are trying to solve the problem. One among them takes the young guy to task.

A villager is trying to persuade a pharmacist to keep his bag in the pharmacy. The villager supposedly has to attend other work and the pharmacist agrees to play the role of care-taker for his bag. Soon after, a policeman arrives in his shop and searches for the bag. The bag is found to have narcotic material.

Would you like to be in such situations? No, you may say. But scores of people undergo these traumas these days. They come in attractive packages called “Bakra shows”. Every channel has something of this kind. The amount of harassment public undergoes due to this goes unnoticed.

It probably goes to the credit of Cyrus of MTV for popularizing this Bakra concept. Certain western channels also have such a program. Such a program in POGO is more dignified, at least they do not annoy the people. The MTV program also most of the times take a gag at people. But it is tolerable.

But the programs which are trying to emulate these ideas in regional channels are not tolerable any more. They have actors/anchors who are at best can be described psychic. These creatures, who act as if they are straight out from mental asylums, harass people to the maximum.

To laugh at someone’s cost is not a good brand of comedy. We cannot keep laughing when we see some Good Samaritan being harassed for nothing. For one, this concept is repeated by these guys every day. They seem to be in no mood to come out of this brand of comedy.

These guys should be told to stop this nonsense. They should instead try concepts where no one is hurt. What they are showing is below the minimum human dignity. They should not put guys who are good hearted into trouble. Most of their so called gags are of these kinds.

To illustrate my point, let me give one more example. This particular episode was shown very recently. There a group of actors tried to stop vehicles in a lonely highway. They asked the person in car to help them carry their luggage. The guy, being a kind hearted person agreed.

The “luggage” turns out to be a dead body. What was shocking was that, the person appeared to be murdered. Now what is the mistake of the person if he denies carrying the “luggage”? Nothing, right. But these guys kept insisting that he has to agree to their demand. And we are supposed to laugh at that poor guy.

The matured audience at once should demand the makers of this program to stop. They have no right to harass people and then take excuse in the name of comedy. Perhaps they have to be given a good dose of classical comedy. Moreover, we have enough of these comedies through crime serials which precede these bakra shows!

Page 170 of 366 Can technology empower India?

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

In a unique attempt “Indian Express” started a new series titled “India empowered”. Here people from various walks of life were asked to give their opinion on ways to make India a truly empowered nation. Here is an attempt to analyze a specific opinion put forward in that series.

The series started fittingly with a piece by Dr. Abdul Kalam. Always a profound preacher of propagating technology, he rightly set the mood by emphasizing the need to create knowledge villages. In fact people like Sam Pitroda and Kapil Sibal further emphasized on this important point.

The surprise package among promoters of technology was Shammi Kapoor. The “original yahoo guy” pitched for the need of Internet & Computers at all levels. Coming from relatively older bollywood star, this was a real surprise. But the point he made was unmistakable.

Though several IT moguls did not discuss this issue in detail (eg: Narayan Murthy, Nandan Nilenkani, Azim Premiji etc), this issue of using technology to achieve social goods needs to be analyzed. In the time where technology is becoming all-pervasive, we can no neglect this.

This aspect of using technology at grass-root levels to promote open-governance and higher accountability is practiced in few pockets of India. The attempts by MSSF and ITC Chowpal are really significant in this direction. Not to forget the “Hole in the wall” experiment of NIIT.

But somehow the discussion of technology is always limited to the use of IT. The public in rural areas in general need much more than IT. The technical solutions should span beyond IT to give them an all-round solution to their every day problems.

Most of the highly publicized use of IT in rural areas comes in the form of establishing “information kiosk” for farmers. The whole experiment of ITC e-chowpal is based on this concept. Even MSSF and Amrita Universityhas done similar experiments. But the success of such experiments is not known.

The major hindrance in implementing such solutions in rural areas is shortage of power supply, lack of internet connectivity and importantly, the rampant illiteracy. Before venturing into any fancy solutions, we should be thinking on ways to put the basic infrastructure in place.

This is where Dr. Kalam has thought immensely. He has understood the dynamics of technical appliance more than any political leader. So he always lays enough emphasis on these issues. In fact in every talk on these matters, he never forgets to mention the importance of having good physical infrastructure in rural areas.

Computing as a resource comes cheap these days. But it will stand useless until it is backed by good power supply and good broadband connection. Only then we can witness the true power of technology. Technology in itself is useless unless it is backed by a great willpower and guided by powerful vision.

Page 171 of 366 Rama Shama Bhama

Thursday, December 15, 2005

Have there been instances where the cinema halls had to be re-furnished for the screening of a particular movie. There may not be. But people, the time has come for such a change. The seats in the theatre screening the movie “Rama Shama Bhama” should be fastened.

Here is a comedy which literally makes you ROTFL. Every single soul coming out of theatre will swear to not watch this film again. Why? Because he cannot go through the laughter exercise again which is quite hard on stomach and legs. Legs, because the seats in the front keep banging to you, since the person there cannot control the laughter!!

There may be a few moments in the history of Kannada cinema which can be labeled “golden period’”. Certainly the past few months in Kannada cinema does qualify for this coveted post. There has been a sudden influx of good cinemas here. This blog itself is witnessing its third Kannada movie review in as many months!

What makes Kannada industry different these days is the sheer variety it is offering. The usual sign of people trying to redo the working formula is not being practiced anymore. They are experimenting on different themes and what amazing pictures are they offering us. It is really good time for audiences.

“Rama Shama Bhama” was a difficult subject in the first place. The audience were already treated with the Tamil and Hindi version of this laugh riot. And there are many films inspired by this theme of infidelity. In fact, the Hindi industry is today witnessing a bunch of such films.

But it goes to the credit of Ramesh to select such a common subject and treat it really in a different manner. More than anything, the treatment was contemporary. The performance of the main characters was nothing short of spectacular. There was no dull moment in entire movie.

The movie would be so different if there was no Kamal Hassan. This guy is just amazing in this movie. One should start wondering what this guy is really capable of. He has done probably all kinds of characters and still continues to hit sixes in every ball! Really he is an actor par excellence.

In “Rama Shama Bhama”, he delivers another spectacular performance. The punch line of his character “Munda….”(what next?) is delivered to such perfection that it definitely leaves a lasting impression on audiences. Considering he has only speak broken Kannada, it is commendable that he has got North Karnataka dialect so well.

While comedy is the forte of the movie, there are some other positives. There are only two songs in the movie but they are really of high quality. In fact the freshness of the first song is too good. The kind of technical brilliance Ramesh has displayed in that song is never seen in recent history of Kannada cinema.

“Rama Shama Bhama” stands out as a classy comedy though it deals with tricky topic. In times where family comedy is being re-defined, this movie reiterates that old formulas do work. The victory of this movie is very important. In that lies the victory of good comedy and good taste of Kannada audience.

Page 172 of 366 Around a murder

Monday, December 19, 2005

How many people get killed in India, particularly in Bangalore, daily? The cold statistics may be available with Police department. But how many murders make it to front pages of newspapers daily? It may be very rare. The murder of a call centre employee becomes important from this aspect.

It must be recalled that Bangalore opened itself to this call center culture quite recently. Today it has been accepted widely in the society. No more do you find relatives gossiping about someone in the family being employed in this “night shift” thing. The city in general is ok with these nocturnal people.

Though it is claimed that night shifts were nothing new, there was something different in this industry. Though it pays, most of the employees themselves are in low esteem. The techies, mainly, want this only this as a stop-gap arrangement. They are constantly looking forward for “real job”.

The point which drives all of them into this job is the money it offers. Forget all those hyped incentives, college like workplace, the cool attitude of the crowd – it is just money which is driving this industry. The added attraction is the fact that qualification no longer matters.

The real implications of these developments are being seen only now. In its primitive stage, there was certain amount of reluctance. Now that the society is open to this idea, there can be a negative side for this. The guys can take academics for granted because they are guaranteed a job in these places!

There has been enough curiosity from all people regarding this industry. There has been detailed research on the different practices such as having pseudo-names, talking in foreign accent and promotion of western culture. The industry is still fighting the allegation against it that it is responsible for erosion of values.

Coming at these times, the murder of one of its employees definitely is a jolt from blue. Though the industry may be legally insulated, it has to answer many questions. Many skeptics are of an opinion that such an incident was waiting to happen. The industry stands accused in people’s mind.

One noticeable point in the entire episode was the reaction of the media. TV channels went over the board anyway, but the print media was also not behind. Even today The Hindu has devoted an entire page for this news! This news has surpassed many important events like Chennai stampede, WTO talks etc in terms of coverage.

But it is unlikely that there will be any sea changes in the industry as projected by media. A few days later, when the heat boils down, it will be business as usual. There is no reason to believe that the industry will slow down. There may just be a small set back that too temporarily.

The industry as a whole need not be blamed for the incident. And people should not use this incident to showcase the weakness of the industry. They should remember that this could happen to anyone. For every Pratiba who was murdered, there are lakhs of women who are safe.

Page 173 of 366 Will Indian Elephants dance?

“Who says Elephants can’t dance” - is the title of a book written by Gerstner. Here we find a personal account of a person who was behind the historic turnaround of a giant company IBM. In some sense, the rise and fall of IBM is one of the most amazing stories of our time.

The monopoly of IBM in earlier times, the confidence it had over its hardware strengths, the mistake (??) it did by allowing Microsoft to license the OS, the rise of software industry, the failed attempts to launch its own integrated OS and now the ultimate tragedy where it had to sell its hardware division – all make up for an excellent case study.

The point here is not to discuss the rise and fall of IBM. The issue is the survival of mammoth organizations in this global economy. In IBM’s story we can find a lesson regarding this. We can clearly find that the organizations which are not flexible have no place here.

Elephants need to dance; and dance to rhythm. If their dance is not in sync with the music of the market, they fall. And losers do not have a place in the act here. They have to dance and match the skills of slimmer deer and cheetah. But the question is - will the Indian elephants dance?

With the arrival of foreign professional institutes round the corner, have the Indian technical institutes sensed the danger? Seeing the situation around, it does not seem so. The Engineering colleges are still grappling with their own problems. They are not yet making attempts to stand up, leave alone dance.

Protocols, bureaucracy and petty politics still rule the corridors of colleges. It is very rare to see an institute which is truly focused about achieving excellence in education or research. Uninspired teachers, bland students and mindless managements – form the dooming triangle of most colleges here.

Change – is the important word missing in their dictionary. In the name of tradition and culture, change is buried deep down. The teaching and learning methods, evaluation system and syllabus schemes all have remained untouched for years. Most importantly, the mindset refuses to change.

The modern teaching techniques are at best dismissed as fancy. Innovation in evaluation is termed sloppy and open-mindedness is termed as lack of discipline. Not one among the stake holders bother to see the winds of change already blowing atop their heads with high speed.

If professional institutes have to survive in these troubling times, they have to change. And more than demolishing the older buildings and building new ones, they have to focus on changing mindsets. This is tougher than raising new age class rooms complete with smart boards.

Will Indian elephants dance? This may not be a million dollar question. But this is a crucial question for the future of India. No country has ever progressed without a sound educational system. If India wants to surge ahead in modern economy, the elephant called education system has to dance; that too professionally!

Page 174 of 366 No fair game this

Tuesday, December 20, 2005

Which brand can boast of 100% rise in 3 years? Not many. But here is one which grew from Rs. 3 billion to Rs. 6 Billion in flat 3 years. Yes, it was not typing mistake. The brand is today indeed worth more than 6 BILLION. Move over IT companies, here is one brand which is worth more than top 3 IT companies put together.

This brand was launched in 1978 and is the undisputed leader in its segment. It has more than 40% of market share. This is five times bigger than its nearest competitor. It is the largest selling product in its category not only in India, but throughout the world.

No, you are not reading the promotional campaign. The brand in question here is “Fair & Lovely”. A Brand which has touched the right chord among the womenfolk so much that it has grown into a mammoth brand. This fairness cream has been creating records in all possible areas.

Here we are not interested in applauding the success of F&L. Such detailed study of this brand was undertaken because there was a need to understand the reason behind its success. The simple reason that people want to look beautiful alone may not be the sole reason for its success.

It may not be the case that F&L was the first product that marketed the idea of being beautiful by becoming fair. There must have been such a psychology of equating beauty with fairness. What F&L did was just to fill the void in terms of a cream that guaranteed fairness and thus the beauty.

Is this wrong? The point of selling a cream is definitely not wrong. But the techniques used to promote that seem to be wrong. Traditionally some brands have used a particular story line to promote their brand. Similarly F&L has been using the upliftment of women as its storyline.

The term “upliftment” should not be understood in general context. In their view, a female becomes complete when she is accepted by a male for marriage. For a long period, F&L used this as its USP. It was telling us that all girls who were dark skinned were rejected by guys. To improve their prospects, they had to use F&L.

Now they have changed a bit. Maybe the opposition from feminists must have forced them to do so. Now they tell us that a woman becomes confident because she is fair. And she became fare because she started using their cream. Previously neglected shades of professional women are now being highlighted.

But can we remain contended by this? definitely no. Because they have still not stopped equating beauty with fairness. There are legal options waiting to be explored. Sec 17(c) of “The drugs & cosmetics act” reads “if the container or label accompanying the cosmetic bears anything which is false or misleading” it is considered as misbranded product and can be prohibited from manufacture and sale. We have been witnessing the campaign of F&L from so many years that it brings fairness and thus beauty. Now this claim is without any research backing. So will someone wake up and invoke the above mentioned legislation against them? May be, not yet. While ladies are anyways busy with F&L, guys are also kept occupied with a new product “Fair & Handsome”!!

Page 175 of 366 Talking about brands

The all time super hit Kannada movie “Kasturi Nivasa” has a good tale on brand loyalty. In that movie Dr. Rajkumar owns a match factory under the brand name “Dove”. In its heydays, it is used by all its employees. But when his friend turned competitor launches “Eagle” brand matches, it is shown to be used by the same people.

In one shot, the directors captured the losing market share of “Dove” matchsticks. But that scene has propelled a powerful question, which is the subject for today. What is brand loyalty and how to define it? More importantly, should the employees be using the same product for which they work for?

Let us consider the first issue. The topic of brand loyalty may be a semester long subject for management students. But as it happens most of the times, management education cannot be complete in classroom. It is better learnt by observation and analysis.

Most of the junta may not hear the term loyalty but they are practicing it for years. Some brands have been in public memory for so long that they cannot think of alternatives. When they go out to buy, say soap, and if they cannot remember anything, but one name, that is the success of that brand.

People are not consciously drawn into using a brand for long. They are made to think about a particular product constantly so that they forget the alternatives. Companies achieve this brand-recall simply by exposing their product more than anyone. Promotional campaigns play critical role here.

If a product has to remain long in public memory, this aspect of promotion is very important. Some products have achieved cult status only because of their campaigns. The trade mark jingle or a constant message definitely goes a long way in achieving the brand loyalty.

When the history of marketing in India is written, two products will find a elevated place in that. One is toilet soap “Lifebuoy” and other is the detergent powder “Nirma”. Both of these products have achieved what others can only dream. They have withstood the test of time.

The story of Lifebuoy is a legend. Introduced here in 1895, this soap has captured the people’s heart and thus the market with remarkable success. Considering the fact that there are more than 300 sops in India, the market leader’s consistent performance is just impressive.

Nirma, on a contrary, is a classic story of no-man capturing market with only quality to back him. The success of Nirma is today a case study in all major business schools. The father of this brand today has diversified into education and has created amazing technical institutes.

Both of these brands changed over times but something remained common. Their signature tunes in ads have not changed. In fact it can be argued that this is also a major reason for their sustained success. In these two different stories we find a common lesson of creating brand value which can be translated into increased market share.

Page 176 of 366 Where did we come from?

Wednesday, December 21, 2005

So, is the matter closed? Can we be contended that Charles Darwin was right when he said that we grew from being apes? The famed court clash between the evolutionalists and proponents of intelligent design (ID) has ended. The court has decided that there is no place for ID theory in class rooms.

Well that was USA for you; A country where such issues can be raised and solved in courtrooms. But what if the same happened in India? Good speculation, but the implications would mainly be political more than anything. Politicians would use this as another opportunity to seize more votes.

How did humans emerge? - is the question which begs to be answered from a long time. Every religion, sect, culture has tried to explain this phenomenon in its own way. For science, this has been an ongoing speculation. Many theories were proposed only to be rejected later.

Today evolution along with big-bang is the widely accepted scientific theory, which can together explain the origin of life in this earth. But it should be noted that this theory was not accepted straightway. Even inUSA, it was only in 1968 that the U.S. Supreme Court permitted the teaching of evolution.

There has always been an opposition for evolution theory. This theory blew a death blow to the age old beliefs that were immortalized through scriptures. But it should also be accepted that this evolution theory is not that compete in explaining the issue it addressed.

But the point of contention is not whether a particular theory is right or wrong. The point is which theory the students should learn in classrooms. People seem to forget that there is always an option to learn things outside the classrooms also. In this information age, textbooks are not the epitome of knowledge.

The fight seems to be more political, where each group wanting to score a point over other. This may be a fuelled by a public opinion pool which said more people in USA believe in ID theory rather than evolution theory. But majority stamping does not grant the scientific validity to any theory.

In India, we have balanced these things in an appreciable way. Here the guys study evolution and all in classrooms. But they are intelligent enough to forget that once they are out from school. Our age old belief that learning in schools is only for examination seems to pay off now.

Once they are at home, they are fed with stories from mythology where there are conflicting accounts about the origin of earth. But as good students, they do not question and they keep accepting all theories. In India, the greatest achievement of our education system is this. We have made our students accept contradicting theories with ease.

There was one Dr. Abraham Kavoor, who left his teaching career because he felt he could not teach the incident of Jesus’ birth to his students in a proper way. He went on to become one of the greatest rationalists. What we need today is not the court cases, but teachers who have this kind of conviction.

Page 177 of 366 An unwanted amendment

Friday, December 23, 2005

The new amendment to the constitution which allows reservations in private non- minority institutes was passed in Parliament yesterday with thumping majority. The ultimate winner in this recent gamble seems to the politics rather than the ideology of uplifting the downtrodden.

The private professional colleges in India were considered to be business houses not long ago. People could purchase a seat here by paying a hefty price. The stories of worthy candidates failing to get a seat because they could not afford were heard. But the situation has changed now.

The regularization of admission process has played an important role in this direction. It was the CET system in Karnataka which heralded such a change. The success should be attributed to centralized and transparent system. The reservation policy plays a minor role.

This is not to argue that the reservation policy is not of much use. On paper the policy looks great. The theory of social justice and all are important. But there is huge difference between theory and practice. In this case, though the policy is great, the implementation is flawed.

Over the years a handful of people have been utilizing all the comforts provided by the reservation policies. They have in turn betrayed their own brethren. A section of people have joined colleges, then got into jobs, got promoted over others – all just because they are born in certain caste.

One of the biggest failures of independent India is this wrong romance with reservation. This experiment which was supposed to last only a few years has survived more than 4 decades. More shocking is that there are no signs of this failed experiment being stopped.

The recent Supreme Court judgment carried some real hope. By ruling that there is no place for reservation in private un-aided colleges, it had ushered a new era. But with the Parliament passing an amendment, this hope has died. The country does not seem to be in a mood to move ahead.

The proponents of reservation policy term the opposition to this scheme as a sign of dominance. But what they fail to understand is that reservation seems to do more harm than good. There are stories abound on how worthy students are denied seats just because there is no reservation for them.

What is urgently needed is a transparent and effective admission procedure. Such a system should not distinguish between students on the basis of their caste. Reservation, as it stands today is a curse on our secular credentials. How can the state dictate admission to certain people on the basis of caste when it is bound by the secular aura of constitution?

The present amendment is not a victory for social justice. It is a hindrance for growth. When the education system in India is facing universal competition, thanks to globalization, such attempts trouble the growth of institutes. It is unfortunate that our politicians do not understand this simple fact.

Page 178 of 366 Problem with superbrands

Saturday, December 24, 2005

Do you plan to buy a pair of slippers to use at home? Can you think beyond the “Hawai” brand from Bata? Do you know any alternative for “fevicol”? In fact the brand called fevicol has become synonym for adhesive. Take the steel wardrobe market. Does anyone refer to them so? No, they say “Godrej”.

Some brands become so popular that they dominate their segment like none other. These “superbrands” present some interesting stories to analyze. They also pose some questions about the survival of alternatives. Their market share will be so huge that it becomes impossible for a competitor to have a break-through.

But in generic product segment (FMCG) alternatives are available. LIC may the market leader in insurance, but there are dozens of other players also. Toothpaste, toilet soaps, detergents, footwear, apparels, and food products – all have superbrands. But across all these areas, there are multiple choices.

This choice is very crucial for the customer. If there are alternatives, the market will be balanced. With choices, comes the power of bargaining. The customer need not ask for it, but the market forces will assure the best deal for the customer. The recent developments in the Indian telecom market are an example for this.

In good old days, everyone here was contended with the monthly free calls allotted by BSNL. Also the reduced tariffs during Sundays and festival season was considered as boon. The situation drastically changed with the entry of multiple players. Today the Indian customer is showered with goodies which he never dreamed.

The point here is very simple. There is nothing wrong in having superbrands. But they should not rise to that position because they are no alternative. A brand should become superbrand amidst tough competition from many sides. Then the credibility of that brand remains high.

The position of being superbrand provides many advantages. They can determine the course of market. But with that also comes the responsibility of giving the best to the customer. With the absence of any competition, the superbrands tend to take things for granted. They just become a dominant boss in the market.

Such long discussion on the issue of superbrands was made with a reason. In computer industry there are some superbrands. Microsoft and Intel – have become so synonymous with Computer that most of the junta cannot think beyond them. It is clear that their position is thanks to absence of alternatives.

To say that Linux and AMD provide genuine alternative to WIN –TEL is just a joke. There are recorded stories of how MS clears its opponents using unethical strategies. They have grown to such levels that providing a competition becomes impossible. Their position gives them the power to crush the alternatives.

Time has witnessed the rise and fall of superbrands. IBM which was once a giant force, is no more. Several superbrands like torino, dixi-cola, promise, rajdoot bikes no more exists. Will the same happen to MS & Intel someday? Well, not in near future. But let’s hope that there comes some genuine alternative for these things.

Page 179 of 366 This software is down – who will fix it?

Wednesday, December 28, 2005

What would you do if your TV is not working? There are multiple options available. You can either take the TV to the neighborhood guy who is trained to repair all the minor glitches. Or you can take it to the authorized service station where complicated repairs are undertaken.

This procedure is followed for all electronic items in our household. Also some what similar corrective procedures are available for other items like furniture, automobiles etc. Even kerosene stoves, slippers and humble cycles have places where the problems could be solved.

Take one more case. Here you are using software and suddenly you find that there is a flaw. Whom do you complain to? Can you complain in the first place? Is there anything similar to cycle shop where you can go and get your software repaired? Or is there a service station for software anywhere in the world?

Strangely, this aspect of software is neglected from its initial days. It may have worked in the days where software was used by a handful of people for a specific purpose. But even now when software is mass marketed, this crucial component is missing from the whole scene.

May be companies are contended by providing patches to software. But the point is only few people are aware about installing these patches. The companies may run help centers but how many people are aware about that? And some local, upcoming companies rarely bother about this issue.

The repercussions of this development can be found everywhere. Imagine what we do when a switch at home does not work. If there is an electrical engineer around, the people naturally ask him to look at the problem. And most of the times he will be competent to solve it.

The same is expected from software engineers. People expect us to solve their entire problem regarding software. But unfortunately, we are not equipped to address these issues. The very nature of software does not permit anyone to look into it, leave alone solving the problem.

This issue may create some funny moments in real life but they also pose some serious questions. Forget the public perception about the incompetence of software engineers, what about the frustration of people like us? Most of the custom made software we use everyday poses problems which we can solve easily.

The common mistakes include the incorrect entry in the database which can be changed easily. Since we do not have the access to source code, even such minimum corrections cannot be undertaken. This inability to repair the software even though one is competent makes one frustrated.

When people are forced to use the software even after they find the errors in it, they feel let down. They tend to hate the technology in general. The solution for this problem lies in using more open source software. That’s when you can repair the glitches in software, as you do with your TV.

Page 180 of 366 Sale! Sale! Sale!

Thursday, December 29, 2005

Akash is a student who is working hard for his class 10 exams. He is preparing like any hard working student. His other passions like cricket and music has taken a back seat these days. His whole family is supporting him in their own ways. He comes from a middle class family who value education a lot.

Vinay is his neighbor and classmate. He also comes from the same social strata as that of Akash. But Vinay is not that serious with his studies. Vinay’s mother constantly tells him to score more than Akash. She wants her son to be the best in everything regardless of the means he takes to achieve that.

After writing the Science paper, Akash comes home dejected. He locks his room from inside and does not come out for long. His mother tries to persuade him to open the door. But he does not relent. On forcefully opening the door later, he is found hanging. One more innocent life is cut short.

The reason for this suicide was quite strange. Akash found that his friend and neighbor Vinay had received the question paper ahead of the exams. When he learnt that it was Vinay’s mother who helped her son to get the papers, Akash was completely broken. He felt that his effort and hard work does not have any meaning.

This is not a scene from fiction. This is a real incident that happened before few years. What made this incident interesting was the behavior of Vinay’s mother. She was so non-apologetic about her act. In fact she defended herself by saying everyone involves in this kind of thing. She in turn blamed Akash for not being practical.

This episode poses some critical questions at the present day system. Often labeled as the competitive age, these days’ children are pushed into unhealthy mindset by parents themselves. The question of morality and righteousness is unfortunately missing from our dictionary. Stories of students losing lives after exams are heard more often.

To tell young people not to worry about the scores is not easy. They see that the world has no place for losers. In a desperate attempt to gain marks, they often take unethical means. What is shocking is the endorsements parents give to these acts of their children.

The parents at large are considered to the moral guides of children. If they start encouraging their wards to carry out such immoral acts, then there can be no hope. It is not the first time that the moral leaders are failing in their acts. Forget parents, some teachers are also actively involved in such things.

It has now become a routine to see teachers helping their students to score well, so that their school gets a good name. Some teachers go so far that they themselves give the question paper to their students who come to them for tuitions. The corruption in education system, if not plugged, can put the nation in dark. If question papers are sold for money before exams, what is the point in having schools and exams? What answer can we give to students like Akash who feel their efforts are meaningless? Can we be contended that we are in right path? Is it not our duty to take others along with us in this journey? What are we doing in this regard?

Page 181 of 366 A crime called apathy

Friday, December 30, 2005

One day while returning home after College, I saw a man lying before my neighbor’s compound. Some drunkard who had too much, I thought. But the man lying there did not look like a rogue. His dress suggested that he is a gentleman. Upon reaching home, I learnt that he was there from morning.

What shocked me was the apathy of my neighborhood community. When someone is found before your house, how can someone turn a blind-eye? Maybe people do not want to involve in all these but someone could inform the ambulance or the police. People made it a point to crowd around him speculating the reasons but they did not bother to help him.

When police arrived on scene, it was probably late. The person was gasping for breath. The point that he is down with excessive drinking was ruled out since there were no such signs. Clearly the man would have drowned due to some illness. If he had died, it was just because of people’s negligence.

This lack of sensitivity among people is a very disturbing trend. When humans lose this minimal courtesy, it is a sure sign of unhealthy society. People who stand mum at such situations surely will condemn the terrorist attacks. They fail to understand that their insensitiveness is nothing short of terrorist’s cold heart.

This incident rushed backed to my memory when I saw the responses to the IISc attack. The media, as usual, was busy enquiring everyone about the incident. The papers ran page long stories about security, warnings and terrorists etc. Bangalore has suddenly become “unsafe” city.

When some murder becomes headlines, there will be a bee-line of VIP’s to the place. Compensation packages are announced, quick reaction is seen and after few days things get back to normal. We saw that happening during BPO employee’s murder. Now the same act is being repeated.

People are at best condemning the attack and asking for more security. With the increase in such acts, there is no real hope that the city police will be in a position to provide fool proof security to all. In such situations, the people at large have a responsibility. But are we ready?

When we are so cold blooded to neglect the person lying in our doorstep, can we resist a terrorist attack? At best we may stand as mute spectators for the event. We cannot be expected to help the injured or cooperate with police. Come on, we are all gentlemen, do you expect us to get involved in such mess?

If there is something crueler than the terrorist attacks, it is this nature of humans. We are becoming so involved in our own small worlds, that some ideals have become empty words to us. We forget that the same may happen to us anytime. And in that time, we cannot expect a better treatment from people. Even we may die at someone’s doorstep.

Page 182 of 366 Kuduremukh: who is the winner?

Monday, January 02, 2006

With the closure of mining activities in Kuduremukh, a section of environmentalists and activists are celebrating their victory. This story indeed is a show-piece in the history of nature activism. Though there are many groups which are still fighting against “mega” projects, this may be the first time activists obtained a complete legal victory.

The saga of mega projects in India started with the vision of Jawaharlal Nehru. By claiming that dams and industries are the temples of modern India, his tenure marked the arrival of major industrialization. The famed Nagarjuna dam heralded the arrival of modern India, filled with large scale projects.

Though some claim that Nehru later lamented the decision of going into mega projects, history has proved that it was such projects which marked the growth of India in its initial years. There can be questions raised against the social problems caused due to these projects but their usefulness cannot be questioned.

Environmental concerns are often raised when the question of mega projects are undertaken. Even today Medha Patkar is leading the agitation against the Narmada project. There are people like Sundarlal Bahuguna who have made fighting regarding these issues their mission of life.

But it should be noted that there are many developments in this regard. The Government of India has enacted the Forest (Preservation) act in 1980 to answer these questions. Rules are framed to protect the bio-diversity of the region where industries are located. Companies are also encouraged to obtain the ISO 14001:1996 certification which taken into account the Environmental Management System of the company.

Industrialization is a requirement of any modern economy. Any country cannot sustain itself without investing on large scale projects. To say that there should be a blanket ban on mining or any large scale industries is foolishness. It is these industries which provide maximum employment to uneducated and non-skilled people.

The present episode of closing the mining activity raises many questions. The reason for closing is not widely reported in the media. If we assume that the reason for closure was the non-conformance regarding environmental norms, then it could be directed to follow them. Why should a profit making company employing more than 1000 people be closed?

On one hand we see Government inviting the foreign companies to do mining here (Eg: POSCO in Orissa) but on the other hand the profit making Government companies are being ordered to close down. Does any one think about the employees working there? Did the Supreme Court mention anything regarding this?

More than environmental concerns, self-interests of some groups seems to be main reason for the present Supreme Court order. There is also a speculation that this order is influenced by the MNC’s who desperately wanted Kuduremukh mining company out of the scene. If this allegation is indeed true, it is definitely the defeat for Indian judicial system.

Page 183 of 366 The plight of Archakas

Tuesday, January 03, 2006

Who draws the highest salary in India? Though there may be many contenders for this, officially it should be the President himself. Anyways, but who draws the minimum salary? And what is that amount. If one reads this piece in Hindu, he can be assured that the minimum salary cannot be less than this one.

In a shocking revelation, we read that the Archaks in the Hindu temples across the state receive a monthly salary of Rs. 1. Wait, there is some solace. The department of Endowment also releases a grant on special occasions like Gandhi jayanti(!!). Again the amount is same Rs. 1

Irrespective of whether one subscribes to the religious beliefs or not, this is not good news. It should be noted that it is this community of Archaks, who are primarily responsible for survival of a culture. If not for them, a glorious culture would be a thing of past.

We see two kinds of worlds in the religious community. On one hand we find cash rich temples, where people continue to flock. The stories of places like Tirupati where people still continue to offer large amounts of money exists with the stories like this one where Archaks are paid a paltry amount.

For every cash rich temple, there are scores of temples lying there to be recognized. Amidst the establishment of “modern” temples, the age old temples are losing their charm. It is no surprise that people today consider the act of visiting temples a part of their lifestyle.

It is now natural for people to expect that the temples also look like shopping malls complete with all entertainment values. Accordingly, temples have also started modernizing themselves. It is common now to find temples which act as a one-stop point for all spiritual needs.

The recent development in the temple scene is that they have started including almost all deities in their campus. Given the different tastes of people regarding their choice of worshipping deities, the temples are becoming more market friendly. They now host all popular choices like Ganesha, Nava-grahas, Nagara-kallu etc.

It is not that all Archakas are completely devoted to the profession. As in every other place, there are people here who just care about the money. It is in fact due to people like this, the whole experience of visiting temples has become horrible these days, atleast in Bangalore.

But the situation of Archaks in rural areas and small towns is not that great. They put in long years of study in a Gurukul before embarking this profession. Usually their income is dependent on the few coins that people put on their plate. In such situations, it is commendable that at least few practitioners have remained loyal to the profession.

It is high time Government start thinking about these issues. But it seems to be too obsessed with matters like acquisition of Udupi temple. Some how there is a feeling among Brahmin community that they are neglected. The negligence of mass media these days regarding the Kanchi Matt may just be an example for this.

Page 184 of 366 Hogwash tales of a Yogi

Wednesday, January 04, 2006

The one book that I wanted to read for long was “Autobiography of a Yogi”. I was surprised to find this book in most of my friend’s collection. People with whom I discuss philosophy were constantly recommending this book to me. Finally I got to read this book written by “Paramahamsa Yogananda”, thanks to “Gutenberg project”.

Let me confess that I have not yet completed reading this book. I have just finished the initial few chapters. But already I have lost interest in this highly acclaimed book. The narration and content is so familiar that I can now easily predict the matter in following chapters.

In the preface itself, the book’s uniqueness is told. This is a book about Yogis by a seasoned Yogi. It looks to me that this book is written more to quench the thirst of foreigners about the spirituality in India; not quite by sermons but through a well weaved story narrated as a personal account.

It is well known that people have fascinations towards the Himalayan Yogis. We keep hearing the stories of people in those mountains who possess immense power. There are also wild stories that we can find people who have lived for hundreds of years. Their almost God-like powers still attract people.

The fascination for such stories has been alive till date because no one has ever seen such a powerful yogi. Ask anyone who talks about this and he promptly replies that he has heard it from someone. This rumor mongering has worked well for years. It gives ample scope for anyone to add his own story to the repository.

Books like this do a good business due to this. The book in question goes one step ahead since it is labeled as a personal account. The episodes narrated in this book are in the same lines what one can expect. People who are accustomed to these kinds of stories do not find anything new.

As with every saint in India, even this man is supposed to have come to earth with the blessing of another all-powerful saint. The story goes that this guy was attracted to spirituality in his young age itself. He even ran from his house in search of a guru. But his elder brother got him back to home.

This guy mentions some amazing stories of mystic yogis. One yogi was so powerful that he re-attached his hand which was cut, all by himself. Another Yogi was present in two different places at a same time. There are some funny Yogis also. One Yogi could create different perfumes at his will.

After reading these many stories, I quit reading. What else should I do? If I had continued for even some time, I would definitely go crazy. I am sure that in coming chapters, more such stories will follow. And there is 42 chapters still left in the book. I cannot bear so much. So here I quit.

Indian philosophy is rich and I do not think books like this can represent this glorious school of thought. This book is not recommended for guys who want to step into serious study about Indian philosophy. On the other hand, books like this can make them think that Indian philosophy is all about mystic Himalayan yogis and their (almost black) magical powers.

Page 185 of 366 Exam papers

Thursday, January 05, 2006

“What is the difference between class and object?”, “What is the difference between user and actor?”- These were the questions given in the term paper of VTU exams recently. Considering the fact that this appeared in the pre-final year paper in an important subject like “Object Oriented Design”, such silly questions are surprising.

The examination process here is as fresh as Hemamalini’s face. They still stick on to the old process of testing the prelims. In most of the subjects, the question paraphrases the major headings from the defined syllabus. Rarely have we seen any probing questions in these papers.

For anyone who has put in hard labor, this is a huge letdown. Students who have really gone deeply in understanding the topic will find answering such questions a waste of time. It is almost impossible for anyone to sustain interest in completing the paper.

More than this, I feel such papers are an insult to the teachers. For the effort which teacher puts in to teach the subject, papers like these do not give any justice. People can get through such papers without really understanding anything. If university is that interested in seeing all students pass, it should better scrap this useless examination process.

Firstly, the teachers have no say in fixing the syllabus which they will teach. Next they are restricted by the academic load and limitations of infrastructure in colleges. This largely prevents them from delivering the lectures in an effective manner. To scrub more salt to these wounds, there are papers like this.

I think it was last year when someone prepared a wonderful paper for “Software Engineering”. But that effort received flank from all sides. The students were anyway cursing the person who set the paper but even some teachers were found part of this cursing crowd. This attitude of teachers was a huge letdown.

It is high time the university bring some drastic changes in the examination process. If this is not done, no matter how much we develop the teaching methodologies; there will not be any visible improvement. It is not that there is no change. But the pace of this has to improve.

One development in this direction was witnessed recently. In the subject “Constitution of India & Professional Ethics”, the university did away with the usual questions and introduced objective type paper. For a subject like this one, this was the right evaluation process.

More than reducing the burden of writing for students, this kind of exams eliminates the delay in announcing results. With OMR sheets being used, there can be no complaints of corruption. Also the teaching community can concentrate more on meaningful jobs instead of bothering about valuation of answer scripts. This can also herald the arrival of online examinations here. This process is waiting to be implemented from long time. Though some exams were conducted online last time, the university should take more interest in this. Only then the teachers and students can concentrate on what they are expected to do - learn and share knowledge.

Page 186 of 366 Can computer save teachers?

Saturday, January 07, 2006

“With computers or without computers, we will have good education as long as we have good teachers. With bad teachers, there is no hope of a great education with or without computers”. These words came from none other than Craig Barrett, the charismatic chairman of Intel.

This comments gains significance because it is made by the leader of a company which is the undisputed leader in the computer chips for long. Unlike many of his colleagues in the industry who aggressively promote computers, Barrett has made a timely and meaningful comment.

Timely, because in India we are now witnessing a new problem. If our earlier problem was reluctance and resistance to technology, the new problem is the over enthusiasm we are showing towards the same. Previously we ignored technology but now we are accepting all of them without proper thinking.

Suddenly India has woken up to the new world where all technology is easily available. Previously, with the Government restrictions in place, India could not afford latest technologies. People had to be contended with obsolete equipment and left to cursing their fate.

With the dawn of new economic policies, latest technology is no more a distant dream here. The dropping of prices and availability of options is making the candy sweeter. That is exactly the problem. The tech-savvy Indian is like a kid in mela; he has money and he has choices.

This situation has led to a peculiar problem here. People are made to believe that technology in general and computers in particular is the only way out. Especially in teaching, there is recent awakening here. Teachers are told to use more of technology in order to reach the students and make teaching effective.

But can technology make teaching better? This question has continued to haunt me from long. Well I think for a certain extent computers can make a difference. But it is not merely in professional education we should be using these amazing technologies. There is a need to introduce them in primary level.

When I see things like Google Earth, I wonder how helpful it would be for a rural primary school teacher. Students there will be immensely benefited by this kind of software. By looking at their own town through that software, their interest in geography will only grow to newer heights.

Most of the times, the use of IT in education is limited to presentations. I have grown to hate these presentations over the years. Every time I see a student presentation which is ill-made, I think the world would be better without them. In fact, using presentations have robbed oratory skills from most students.

The point I am trying to make here is that while technology can be a great help for imparting quality education, the story goes beyond that. The teacher should understand that technology only supports a cause. In itself it cannot solve any problem. And no amount of technology will help a teacher cover up his weakness.

Page 187 of 366 Pink Hutch and Intel NOT inside

Monday, January 09, 2006

These days we have seen two major brands changing their identity and corporate logo. The first one was Hutch known through its orange color and second was Intel which discarded its long popular “Intel inside” logo. Though both of these companies offered different reasons for change, we try to look at both these stories here.

Hutch has the distinction of being one of the most vibrant brands in India. Its commercials are received well by the people. With its dynamic and interesting marketing campaigns, it may have won many customers. The pug ad and its almost absent brand endorsements by film and cricket stars made the brand unique.

The arrival of Hutch in Indian scene was quite different. It quite did not join the crowd by pulling in any star endorser. The brilliant bill boards all the way just said “HAI”. This unique orange splashing campaign announced the arrival of Hutch. The reason for orange, we were told was the brand name under which it existed in Mumbai and Goa.

But the reason for change from orange to pink was not clear. I tried in vain locating the official site of Hutch. The only official response from Hutch was this. Naveen Chopra, corporate vice president, group marketing, Hutchison Essar, said, "The idea is just to refresh the brand, and inculcate a new 'Hutch spirit'."

But insiders say the story is not that simple. Financial Express reports that Egypt’s Orascom has taken19.3% stake in Hutchison Essar’s parent company. Now Orascom Telecom Holdings may be an unknown name inIndia but it is the largest telecom player in our neighborhood - Pakistan and Bangladesh. Experts say Hutch’s decision to go pink is because of this change in management.

Intel, on the other hand announced its new brand identity with a bang. The long surviving logo of Intel with a dropped “e” was dumped for a new look. The line “Intel inside” was also changed to a new line “leap ahead”. The change in the outlook and re-orientation was expected from long time.

The change, as experts say, started with two developments. One was the arrival of Centrino processor and the other having the new CEO for the company. The promotion of Paul S Otellini as CEO raised few eyebrows since he is basically an economist. So Intel had its first non-engineer CEO.

This was bound to trigger major changes in Intel. The company was supposed to orient itself around the marketing strategies with technology taking the supportive role. The announcement of latest Intel “VIIV” digital platform is thought to be an initiative in this direction.

Few people are also questioning the choice of new tag line “Leap ahead”. Their opinion is that this will send a negative image about the company saying that it was lacking behind and now it want to move ahead. Anyway, I do not subscribe to this line. In both these transformations, there is something common; the eagerness to change and respond to newer truths of the market. Companies which follow this mantra of change have always succeeded. And I sincerely hope both of these brands, which are among my favorites, continues to do well.

Page 188 of 366 Narayanmurthy and unemployable Engineers

When Mr. Narayan Murthy recently announced that only 25% of the Engineering graduates are employable, it raised many questions in my mind. Not many newspapers took note that he was actually quoting from a report. Many papers attributed this statement to him.

Anyways, keeping aside the accuracy in reporting, let us focus on the issue in hand. What does this piece of statistic mean to me as a teacher? And how should we, the people involved in education respond to this news? I try not to answer the questions raised by this but to throw in more light into the root of the problem.

This matter of unemployable Engineering graduates was raised in NASSCOM- McKinsey report 2005. The report itself is quite costly (Rs.15000). So we had to contend with the summary available here. Here we get first hand information about this statistic. Again, it is not clear whether this is a part of report or not.

As reported here, Jayant Sinha, Partner, McKinsey & Company, reasons, “the skills and quality of the workforce need to be improved, since only 25 per cent of technical graduates and 10-15 per cent of general college graduates are suitable for employment in the offshore IT and BPO industries respectively”.

Well, whether these comments were his personal opinion or backed by solid data is everyone’s guess. Even if we assume that there was enough data to back up such claims, we have to note the sweeping generalization made here. The word used here us “technical graduates” and not Engg students.

Even if we agree that it is Engg graduates who make up for bulk of “technical grads”, the questions as to why there are found unemployable still remains. We do not know whether the report gives some solution to this problem. Or at least does it give reasons as to why 75% grads are unemployable.

“Merit trac”, a company in Bangalore has released a research report titled “Engineering Graduate Talent Pool in India”. In that report, there is a section where the expectations of industry from fresh grads are listed in the order of importance. This list makes interesting reading.

The things listed here are – Analytical & Logical reasoning skill, Communication skill, Team skill & Technical skill. So according to industry, technical skill gets the last place among the expected traits. The same report also says that there is no co- relation between “Academic performance” and “Test performance”.

If academics do not play a significant role in the selection of candidates, then there is a problem. The solution can be either academics re-aligning itself around the expectations of industry or industry change its selection criteria. Both systems seem to be unwilling for the change.

This is a part of a larger problem. The problem demands more analysis before proposing any quick solution. But in the meantime, people like Narayan Murthy should be extra cautious while quoting such reports. Because there is a possibility that his comments are taken completely true by many and that can project a very negative image about the whole Engg education system.

Page 189 of 366 Lekka – a Kannada poem

Page 190 of 366 Comments on present education scenario

Tuesday, January 17, 2006

There have been few developments these days in the educational system, which, in some way may be a pointer towards the present status of the system. Here is an attempt to see all those developments in a different perspective. These events may have occurred independent to each other but when seen together presents a good picture to analyze.

It is unfortunate that all the events that are discussed here present the dark chapters of present education system. What else can you say about fake degrees procured by professors and question papers leaked before exams? Added to these are developments like scrapping of entrance tests in TN and denial for IIMB to start its branch in Singapore.

It has become almost a practice for students and teachers to blame each other while discussing the dwindling standards of education. In a strange twist to the story, two independent incidents demonstrated that both parties are equally corrupt. Who will bell the cat in such situation is everyone’s guess.

In a startling revelation, the VC of Mysore University said that some professors in their university had obtained post-doctoral degrees from dubious universities abroad. This is really disturbing because if teachers can fall prey to such antics, then what may be the plight of students? The situation becomes sadder if teachers did this with an intention in mind.

But students are a step ahead. They do not fake degrees; but are looking out for authentic degrees through corrupt practices. Question papers getting leaked is not a new phenomenon, but what is alarming is the rate and easiness with which it is done. More shameful is the support this immoral practice is receiving from parents and more shockingly from teachers themselves.

Apart from teachers and students, the third important participant in the education system is the Government. As a facilitator and policy-maker, the role of Government is huge in India. But the steps taken by it these days are not anything positive. After nullifying the Supreme Court decision on scrapping of reservation, it is doing more damage.

The recent one is the development in TN where the entrance test for professional courses is scrapped. This move, coming in the time when students are already confused with tug of war between legislation and judiciary, is bound to herald new set of problems. Considering the fact that there are many autonomous colleges in TN, more legal battles are expected to follow leaving the student to his fate.

In a larger perspective, the denial for IIMB to start a branch in Singapore is a setback for many reasons. When India has open door policy for foreign institutes to come here, why are Indian institutes not allowed to go out? This issue should be resolved at the earliest with some definite policy framework.

On one hand we see teachers and students engaging in corrupt practices and on the other we seen Government being insensitive to the crucial issues. If all the stake holders in education viz. teachers, students and Government are in same dark hue, where is the hope for the future?

Page 191 of 366 Fickle, thy name is politics!

Thursday, January 19, 2006

If Shakespeare were to witness yesterday’s political drama, he would have phrased a more appropriate slogan. But this is what I could do at the best. There is no second opinion that political moves are motivated more by hunger for power than any ideological stands. And yesterday’s developments proved them once again.

My personal favorite episode in politics is what happened prior to 2004 parliament elections. Then every opinion pool was suggesting that Vajpayee would return to power. In this context Rajdeep Sardesai, then with NDTV, gained an audience with Vajpayee himself. When Rajdeep congratulated the veteran, he smiled back saying he will not accept it.

Probably, his long experience must have taught Vajpayee that politics is a fickle game. Here the equations change within hours. What else can you say after seeing yesterday’s development? Within few hours the entire canvas of Karnataka’s politics changed forever.

The stories of sabotage, rivalry and power politics is not new. Even sons revolting against fathers have become a routine affair. From Kerala to Maharastra, this looks like a time for revolting. Karunakaran, Narayan Rane, Raj Thakery, Uma Bharathi, Siddharamaiah and Bangarappa have all revolted in recent times.

But unlike many leaders mentioned above, Kumara Swamy’s revolt is different. Most leaders have parted away and either formed their own outfits or joined other party. But this man has taken majority of his party colleagues along with him. In a sense, he has shifted the power center in his party.

When did Kumara Swamy become a leader? At 1.30 PM yesterday. Why? Because at that time when (probably) the consultations with BJP was almost over, he said very firmly on camera that present government was safe. This is the true nature of modern day leader.

In contrast Deve Gowda fell from his position in the evening when he could not control his anger before media. The way this father and son handled media clearly told who the winner was. By withholding crucial information from prying media until the last minute, Kumar Swamy demonstrated that he has arrived.

If anyone really deserved a pat yesterday, that should be given to UDAYA News Channel. In an amazing way, they telecasted the entire episode with all rawness. This will go down in the history as the first political turmoil in Karnataka which was beamed live to the homes.

Other channels were rather dull in reporting. NDTV had the service of only one journalist which hampered their reporting. Star News did not bother much to report the developments live. Rajdeep’s new venture CNN-IBN was displaying this in their scroll news. The coverage by Etv-Kannada was disappointing.

The story is far from over. There is still lot of drama remaining to be enacted today and in coming days. BJP will be tasting power for the first time. Some from JD(S) have enjoyed it for quite some time. The power politics and balancing game should keep the leaders busy for quite some time. I just hope that this change is for good.

Page 192 of 366 A land without God

Friday, January 20, 2006

Russia has always sparked a sense of curiosity in me. It may be because the country spoke very little about itself. From comics to cheap astronomy books, I have a Russian connection from childhood. Later I added some Tolstoy and Dostoevsky. But still the country remains as an enigma for me.

Chess, Communism, Cold war, Gorbachev and recently lot of young tennis playing girls, Russia presents a variety of pictures to think about. But here I want to discuss an interesting tale from Russia. This story dates back to the communist regime times and is documented in Kannada. One of Kannada’s great humorists Beechi had visited Russia (then USSR) during 70’s. He wrote his memories in a wonderful book titled “Devarillada Gudi” (A temple without God). In that book he describes his experience in a country where everything was under the Government control.

It should be noted that Beechi himself was an atheist. So he must have felt “at home” in Russia, where God was banned officially by Government. Yes, indeed this is the point. During those times, Government did not encourage anything remotely related to religion and God.

May be they had subscribed to the theory of Marx that “religion is opium for mankind”. They did believe that subscribing to religious beliefs resulted in the creation of different classes in society. Being communists, their primary duty was to create a classless society. Hence the ban on God.

Coming back to Beechi, he mentions his chance encounter with a Russian who did believe in God. And that man had knowledge about Indian philosophy and all that. He was shocked to find an Indian who is atheist. Their discussion is interesting because it provides a picture of contrast.

Here was an atheist from a predominantly religious country talking to a theist from a land where God does not have a place officially. Needless to say, their discussion had to be secret. People who were believers found it difficult to get jobs and other Government benefits. Has Russia changed from that position? I have no clue. But here is some interesting observation. See the national anthem of Russia as it was in 1970.

Unbreakable Union of free-born Republics Great Russia has welded for ever to stand, Thy might was created by will of our peoples, Now flourish in unity, great Soviet Land!

Sounds like real communist song, right. Now check the new anthem adopted in 2000

From the southern seas to the polar realm Our forests and fields stretch. You are one in the world! You are alone like that, God-guarded native land!

So, finally Russia has given green signal to God but has reduced him to the job of guarding the country!

Page 193 of 366 A land without God – 2

Saturday, January 21, 2006

Yesterday after writing about the changing beliefs in Russia regarding God, I thought there is enough to write about this closer to home. In India, we have witnessed the same kind of story in different places. Here I take up the case of TN, Kerala and Bengal.

Tamil Nadu is really a state of contrasts. On one hand there is a glorious tradition further enriched by people like Ramanujacharya. Doyens of Karnataka music have contributed to the spiritual heritage of the state. There are temples in every street for every God; even for an actress.

The same state has given rise to some of the staunch atheists of modern times. "He who created god was a fool, he who spreads his name is a scoundrel, and he who worships him is a barbarian." These are the words of “Periyar” Ramaswamy Naiker, who heralded the Dravidian movement in the state.

Stating with Annadurai, the state has been in the hands of Dravidian leaders. But the strong atheist angle of movement seems to be missing. One of their men (MGR) donated golden sword to Kollur temple. His successor Jayalaitha continued this trend and donated an elephant to Guruvayur temple in Kerala.

There is no dearth of temples in TN. Every street and by-lane will house some temple. Even Vivekananda has a connection with temples in TN. Madurai, is known as city of temples. The place also boasts of spiritual leaders like Ramana Maharshi and Aurobindo (who settled in Pondicherry)

Kerala presents a similar picture of contrast. Always top on social indicators, this state has the distinction of selecting the first communist CM in the country. EMS Namboodiripad, the man who had this distinction, was known for his fight against casteism. But the land of thinkers also has well known temples.

Shabarimala and Guruvayur can be counted amongst the famous temples in India. Along with this, Kerala has always been a place known for “Mantrikas” (black magicians). In fact apart from Canara districts in Karnataka, Kerala is the only place where “Bhoota Aradhane” (worshipping spirits) takes place.

With Kerala, Bengal is one more place where communism and temples go hand in hand. Bengal is the adobe of Kali and there is a rich tradition of Kali worshipping there. Calcutta boasts of “Kali-ghat” and “Durga-puja”. In fact this the best known image of Calcutta.

Bengal is also the place where many influential spiritual gurus emerged. Paramahans, Vivekananda, Chaitanya, Prabhupada (of ISKON fame), Paramahans Yogananda (of “Autobiography of Yogi” fame) have come from this land. Here saffron and red have existed peacefully.

In the stories of these 3 states, one can read the hidden story of India. Even though India never experienced restrictive communist regime like Russia, the scaled down experiments of same kind are done. It is a tragedy that Dravidian movement in TN and Communism in Kerala & Bengal could not continue with the spirit of atheism.

Page 194 of 366 Mukta - not just a serial

Monday, January 23, 2006

Will Manmohan marry Arundathi? Will CSP display his brilliance again to prove the innocence of Madhavi Patel? Will Chabria & Rane be punished for their crimes? Will Shivakrishna Desai herald a change in the state by becoming CM? – These are the questions that are important for an average Kannadiga more than the real political drama in the state.

If you cannot make sense of the names mentioned above, you better continue reading. Others can sit back and contemplate about the questions. Well, the popularity of the Kannada serial “Mukta” beamed in ETV is nothing short of miracle. The magician behind this is T N Seetaram.

Mukta recently celebrated its 500’Th episode of success. The man himself has proved his mettle as a director (and also as an actor) in earlier serials like “Mayamriga” and “Manvantara”. In fact T N Seetaram also tried his hand in directing films. His “Matadana” was a decent attempt though not very successful commercially.

The landscape of serials was (is) dominated by family sagas, extra-marital and pre- marital relationships. Completely devoid of logic and full of over-the-board- sentiments, most serials drive away any sensible man. After the large success of Ramayana and Mahabharata, Indian TV has not seen a serial which can be labeled as “super hit”.

T N Seetaram has been successful in bringing back a particular section of crowd who were away from TV, thanks to “K-brand” serials. This crowd which compromises not only the housewives (who are the major audience for any soap opera) but also working men and professionals of every kind.

One of the main attractions in T N Seetaram’s serials is that it speaks about the real issues. Undoubtedly, there have been many instances when he has educated a large section of population through his serial. In fact the court scenes in his serials have immensely helped in my ethics classes.

Mukta becomes significant in the present context because it analyses the response of a middle class family in a rural village during these times of globalization. Also the wide range of contemporary issues discussed includes naxalism, CET, invasion of MNC’s in farm sector etc.

The high point of Mukta was probably the plot involving a widow called “Gowri” and a young and educated swami “Niranjana Satadeva”. The issue of their marriage became a matter of controversy. Somehow I feel the decision of T N Seetaram that they should not marry was correct.

As a viewer, what I like in Mukta is definitely the battles in court. If given a chance, I would limit the serial to only this. It is not the drama which unfolds in the court that interests me. It is the analytical process which writers use to draft those scenes. I really appreciate the effort of writes in Mukta.

I also observe that the team of Mukta pays much attention to the minute details whether it is set property or briefing to artists. The materials shown in the court like

Page 195 of 366 the property documents, bank account details, government records, news paper clippings – all appears so realistic. This adds to the overall effect of the serial.

It will be unfair if I do not write about the artists in Mukta. In fact I fell (and many echo) that it is casting which has played a crucial role in the success of Mukta. From a mall role of driver to CM, the characters in Mukta are so perfect that you cannot think otherwise. Even T N Seetaram plays the role of a lawyer with perfection.

The other aspect of Mukta, which is appreciable, is that the actors in this serial are well aware about their role. They understand the dilemmas of their role and can substanstiate the stand of their role when asked to. The “Mukta samvada” wonderfully demonstrates this aspect.

I do not know of any serial which conducts a program similar to “Mukta samvada”. The response these people get when such interaction programs are held, even in small towns, is amazing. And what is appreciable is that people across the state echo the same warm sentiments towards the serial and artists.

Mukta becomes important for me because it portrays that positive resistance will work. The kind of awareness it has created among common people regarding some complex legal issues is amazing. I have myself witnessed how even old people really look forward to watch this serial.

Mukta has also initiated a dialogue amongst educated people regarding key economic and moral issues. It has sown the seed of hope in many hearts. It will only be fair for T N Seetaram to continue this process. He should think of using this energy in a proper direction.

After Mukta, it will be befitting that he either come to politics or think about any meaningful movement. T N Seetaram is no stranger to politics. I definetly think he should return to politics. That is the only way he can reach the logical end of the movement which he started through his serials.

Page 196 of 366 Few random thoughts on teaching

Tuesday, January 24, 2006

Teaching, as a profession, has caught my imagination from many years. Now that I am in this profession for quite some time, I think I can put forward my views regarding this. Perhaps this may the only profession in this world which is very high in the respect scale and low in pay scale.

Personally, I hate being called a teacher. I dislike this whole idea of someone teaching to other. Because, many a times, the teachers assume that they are in the superior position compared to students. Their superiority complex often does more harm than good.

I think teachers should think themselves as “advanced learners”. For one, it will remind them that their learning process is not yet over. It will also help them think about their profession differently. My firm belief is that teaches and students are both seekers of knowledge.

The beauty of this profession, according to me, lies in this fact. A teacher should relish his position where he has the chance to share his knowledge with fellow learners a.k.a. students. In the process he also gets to learn lot of things. This whole process of learning and sharing is the greatest high being a teacher.

The two words I often hear from my colleagues is respect and discipline. Many teachers are of an opinion that respect to teachers and discipline in class are something they expect from student. Most of the problems involving teachers and students stem out from these two issues.

For me these words sound empty. Respect, as in calling someone as “Sir”, standing when teacher walks in to class, throwing away the cigarette the moment one spots the teacher – does not come under my definition of respect. Nor does discipline mean remaining silent in the class.

Respect, for me, is not what one expects by the virtue of his position but through his knowledge and work. I expect my students listen to me not just because I am teacher, but since my talking makes sense to them. I would be rather happy if they break their silence in class to point any mistakes I commit.

Questioning, is perhaps the one thing we have almost forgotten. In my experience as a teacher, this is probably one thing that has continued to worry me. Students rarely get up in the class to question the teacher. Probably the teaching community itself should be blamed for this.

It is quite common to find teachers who get upset if a student questions them in the class. I have myself suffered hugely during my school days due to my habit to frequent questioning. I feel the teachers at school; especially the science teachers should encourage this habit from early days.

I have never found a student who is short of enthusiasm. If there is anyone who is short of motivation, it is the teacher. If only teachers gear up a bit, the whole education system can be uplifted. I don’t know who said this, but I feel the following statement is completely perfect - “A student is as good as his teachers are”.

Page 197 of 366 My A-Z list

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

I do not remember where I saw this first. But somehow this matter has remained in my mind for long. The exercise involves writing one word for each alphabet. That word should reflect one’s self and should be written as fast as possible. I have attempted this here.

At the start, the experiment may look silly. But as I discovered it can be quite heavy on brain. For some alphabets, many words will flash instantly. To pick the most appropriate word may be a bit tricky. At the same time, for some alphabets nothing may strike for long.

So here goes my list. I just went on adding the terms and later wrote the explanations. I really enjoyed the whole exercise since it gave me an opportunity to think about various facets of my life. Maybe if I have to write it again, I may write a completely different list. Anyways, let me put the list as it is.

A – America (awe, respect & hate)

B – Bollywood (mirror to India)

C – Cigarette & Coffee (energy boosters)

D – Death (ultimate truth)

E – Education (mission of life)

F – F**k (obviously!!)

G – GOD (sworn enemy)

H – Happiness (not goal but journey)

I – I (what else is this world but I)

J – Jnana (title of this blog)

K – Krishna (teacher of Bhagavadgeetha)

L – Love (something entirely missing)

M – Mukta (endu aadevu naavu Mukta?)

N – Nirvana (teaching for me)

O – Oh! (joy of learning)

P – Paycheck (greatest tragedy)

Q – Questioning (only path to Jnana)

Page 198 of 366 R – Rationalism (philosophical inclination)

S – Software (all-encompassing)

T – Truth (continued quest)

U – Urgency (hallmark characteristic)

V – Virajpet (home)

W – Winner (never one)

X – Xmas (home town festival)

Y – Y (generation label)

Z – Zahoor (dedication to work)

Page 199 of 366 Happy Birthday, my dear Blog

Thursday, January 26, 2006

So, one year for my blog. Though I had read a few blogs before, I had thought that it would be a difficult job to set up one. But I was pleasantly surprised with the easiness of starting a blog. So on Jan 26 last year, this blog finally arrived. From then onwards it has been a wonderful journey so far.

Starting the blog was easy. I had to just give a name. The word “JNANA” flashed to me instantly. There was no brainstorming done to select the name. But somehow, even after a year, I feel this name is quite apt for this blog. Not in the sense that I give Jnana but I have learnt a lot through this blog.

After creating the blog, I was left wondering what to write. You see there was complete freedom here. And this freedom can sometimes kill you with options. There was a need for me to find a particular style; a voice which I could say mine. I am not very sure whether I am able to find that even after a year.

Initially I tried writing personal experiences. I remember I had written about my early days, college life etc. But then I thought this is very ridiculous. So I deleted all those posts and on Jan 31, 2005 posted my article on Patents. That set the tone for my blog.

The later posts were marked with the same journalistic tone. I was too averse to write about me. In fact in my first 100 posts, the word “I” appeared only once. Even now I cannot write in a very personal tone. Maybe even after writing 200 posts, I don’t think there is a need for me to change.

Page 200 of 366 A writer, according to me, has to overcome two kinds of weakness. One is obviously the reluctance to write but the second is over enthusiasm to write. While writing in this blog, I have experienced both of these problems. Sometimes for days together I will not feel like writing. But sometimes I have to control the urge of writing.

As a teacher, I know that majority of readers are my students. Initially I was very much cautious about this fact. But now I do not write for anyone. Anyways since the blog is in public domain, there can be no way one could guess who will read this blog. So I am unperturbed by this fact and write only for myself.

The most powerful aspect of blog is the support it provides for commenting. As with every blogger, even I was totally involved and obsessed with comments earlier. I would reply to comments and worry about them also. But now I have stopped that. As a principle, I do not reply to any comments, however harsh they are.

What have I achieved in this one year of blogging? I do not know. I did not start this blog with any grand purpose. So I think I need not worry about this. This blog was a channel for me to let my creative thoughts free. And I am happy I have done that day after day.

In 1 year, I have written 200 posts. That means I have missed writing for whooping 165 days. I firmly resolve that in next one year I will not miss these many days. It is a promise that I make for myself that in next one year I will write 300 posts so that I take the count to 500 by the time this blog celebrates its second birthday.

Page 201 of 366 Dead dialects & Parishat

Advichanchi 17 Atavika 3 Badaga 85,463 Bijapuri 2 Budubudike 14 Chettibhasha- Kannada 711 Golari-Kannada 307 Halian 2 Haranshikari 191 Holiya 3,093 Kadubhasha 688 Kannada 17,305,629 Karandi 37 Karnataka 75 Kattunaichen 1 Konavar 2 Koracha 3,467 Korama-Kannada 845 Kuruba/Kurumba 8,798 Kuruva Kannadam 215 Lingayati 49 Madari-Kannada 3 Manglorese 325 Mochi 6 Montadenchetty 1,690 Mysore 1 Nagari-Kannada 2 Maiki-Buruba/Kurumba 1,167 Pallakkal 3 Solaga-Kannada 1,931 Urali 1,078 Vani 12

If you are wondering what the above list is all about, it is the list of various dialects of Kannada which is listed in 1961 census. The number which follows the dialect is the count of people speaking that particular tongue. According to this list, there are 33 variations of Kannada.

How many of them have survived till date? Many dialects had less than 10 people speaking that language then. It is impossible that they might exist today. So will the same trend continue in coming years and will Kannada seize to exist? Maybe not, anyways, this article is not about survival of languages but something else.

One more Kannada Sahitya Sammelana has been celebrated with all regular pomp and grandeur. This year the show was marked by the absence of political heavy- weights (except for Mr. M P Prakash). So literatures must have rejoiced as they could devote more time for core discussion.

The outcome of the Sammelana is usually decided by the resolutions that are passed at the concluding session. This year there was no path breaking directions to Government; just the usual ones. But one thing that was interesting was the emphasis on Kannada software.

The Sammelana, probably recognizing the importance of software tools in Kannada has called for more attention in this direction. But will its job end here? Being the flag bearer of the literary interests in the state, doesn’t it become its responsibility to draw a road map for this issue?

On its part, the state Government has tried few things in making this possible. The establishment of Kannada Ganaka Parishat was an effort in this direction. It has given us NUDI but lot is desired from them. The Parishat should work instead of engaging in fights with literary figures.

Coming back to Sammelana, anyone would be surprised by the absence of great names missing from the meet. No report coming from Bidar spoke anything about this. When we have 2 Jnanpeeta awardees and many other senior literatures amongst us, why were they missing in this all important meet?

Lets keep that aside. At the beginning of this article, there was a list given about the various dialects of Kannada. Now the question is what has Parishat done to ensure that survival of these tongues? Parishat and Government (Kannada and culture ministry) is answerable for this.

Page 202 of 366 Apoorna - a poem in Kannada

Monday, January 30, 2006

Page 203 of 366 Childhood robbed

A young boy weeps as he is dragged away from his home. No, he is not abducted by strangers nor he is persuaded to go to school. He is supposed to go to the local “Mutt” where he is about to be christened into the order of “Sanyasam”. Even his parents bow his head before the child as the boy continues to wonder why this is happening to him.

This is a scene from a Malayalam movie (name forgotten) which speaks about the tradition of “Bala Sanyasis”. The procedure of initiating the children into the tough order of renouncement can be cruel at times. There are many instances how the childhood is robbed from them mercilessly.

The selection of Dalai Lama is also on the same lines. When the present Dalai dies, the search for next one begins. After various tests, a small boy, born in conditions prescribed by their holy texts, is selected. What happens next? The child’s playful life is lost and he is forced to live the life of Lama.

In Nepal, somewhat similar procedure is followed in selecting the “Kumari” – the living Goddess. A pre-pubescent girl is chosen through various tantrik procedures and then worshipped as Goddess. After she becomes women, she has to lead a normal life. And marrying an ex-kumari is considered evil.

In the name of religions, children are made to suffer. The worst crime is that they are robbed of all their childhood pleasures. To preserve the sanctity, these children are isolated from others. This practice of keeping children hostage under the name of tradition should be banned.

Children are also abused in a different way once someone points a talent in a child. There is never ending list of child prodigies in India. The stage shows and talent exhibition these children have to give is bound to put pressure on them. Under the weight of talent, their childhood is lost forever.

Child artists in TV and films attract lot of attention. These days lot many commercials use child artists. There should a group of parents who are ready to market their children to these purposes. We should remember that lot of force goes on in making these kids smile and give all those cute expressions.

Master Kishan has suddenly become the darling of media because he is directing a movie. He has the distinction of becoming the youngest director in the world. In a recent press conference in Mumbai, he was found weeping and was asking for his mother. What else can you expect from a kid?

Children should be left to do what they enjoy. To put them under the strict diet of studies without the quota of play and fun is cruel. Under the name of competition, their heads are filled with all sorts of facts and figures which are useless. Add to this is the pressure of performing in extra and co-curricular activities.

We have laws against child labor. But it does not include child-sanyasis, children who act in cinema and children who are forced to display talent. The unspoken stress on children in these places should also be covered under proper laws. And importantly, they should be enforced with true spirit.

Page 204 of 366 Karnataka Politics

Tuesday, January 31, 2006

Page 205 of 366 News Channel Wars

Wednesday, February 01, 2006

The wait is over. From yesterday we were allowed to “feel the news”. The much awaited launch of “TIMES NOW” happened yesterday. They have added one more headache to Pronnoy Roy whose NDTV is already facing stiff competition from CNN- IBN. In a way he should feel happy that all his competitors were his colleagues sometimes back.

I found no difference between NDTV and CNN-IBN till date. They both are so similar that if you blur their logos, it is hard to distinguish between the two. May be Rajdeep is paying tribute to his mentor Prannoy by keeping the things similar to that of NDTV. Or maybe he cannot think anything different.

The first thing that struck me when I saw CNN-IBN a few weeks ago was its logo. I felt that the logo was similar to that of NDTV. But yesterday I was further amused to see even the TIMES NOW logo looking the same way. All 3 channels have white letters in red background. Coincidence! May not be!

I started tracking all 3 channels from 7.30 PM yesterday. This is the time where NDTV runs its Cricket show with Sidhu. CNN-IBN anyways runs same kind of show with Srikanth at same time. But even TIMES NOW ran its sports show at the same time that too with an expert (Ramesh!!)

Why do these guys stop thinking? The NDTV show is running successfully from long time. Though the anchors in the show are not that great (except Sonali), Sidhu manages the show with his wit. Srikanth or anyone does not carry the required charisma to take on Sidhu. But still they deny switching to other programs.

8.00 PM is considered as prime time by all news channels. In a recent change, this crucial slot is allotted to Burka Dutt, the star journalist of NDTV. This show was matched by CNN-IBN and TIMES NOW with similar shows. It looks other channels don’t even bother to chalk out new programs. They just imitate NDTV.

The big story of yesterday was the modernization of airports. Admittedly everyone was keen to get the exclusive with aviation minister. He, being intelligent, appeared on every channel repeating the same words. Yet every channel kept telling us that he had told so and so “exclusively” to their channel.

It was at 9.00 PM when the stewards took control. Rajdeep in CNN-IBN and Arnab in TIMES NOW both appeared at this hour. If Prannoy also appears in NDTV, it will be difficult choice for viewers. But it is heartening to note that both Rajdeep and Arnab have remained same even after quitting NDTV.

I have to say a bit on the breaking news of TIMES NOW. It was the tape of Abu Salem instructing someone to kill. Now I hardly found that sensational. We are used to all these now a days. Even today’s big story involving Renuka Chowdary also does not appeal to me.

TIMES NOW has to gear up and think differently if it wants to leave its mark. Otherwise it will go down as one more news channel like CNN-IBN. I do not see any compelling reason to stop viewing NDTV. It is still best channel we have here. But in college, I hook on CNN-IBN, because it gives streaming video free unlike NDTV.

Page 206 of 366 Beyond TRUE and FALSE

Friday, February 03, 2006

“Ram is not a good guy.” When we hear this statement what is the conclusion we make? Is it that “Ram is a bad boy”? Most of the times we do conclude so without giving much thought to the premise stated at the beginning. Carefully observe the initial premise. That is just a rejection of a state; it does not assert anything.

So what, we may argue. After all, if Ram is not good then necessarily he should be bad. It is the classical 0 and 1 logic. If not 1 then it is 0. But here we will see that there is something more to the whole story. In computers everything may exist in dual state but not everywhere.

“This statement is false” – is one sentence which you can ponder over if you have ample time to spare (Someone truly said that leisure is the mother of philosophy!). This statement will really make you scream “what is this?” like that Cyrus in the biscuit ad.

Let us try to assign a truth value to the above statement. If the statement “this statement is false” is TRUE then the assertion of the statement should be right. The assertion here is that it is false. So the truth value should be FALSE. Hey! What is this!!

If that is the case, then let us assign the truth value as FALSE. Now the assertion of the statement should be false. But it claims that it is false. So it is something like (~(~A)). But we have learnt in logic that (~(~A))=A. so the truth value should be TRUE. Bhagwan! What is this…!!!

This is a classic example for what is known as “Liar Paradox” in philosophy. Some statements are constructed in such a way that assigning truth values for them becomes extremely difficult. TRUE and FALSE states appear to enter into an infinite loop without settling down anywhere.

There are some interesting instances similar to this which we normally use. “Chicken and egg problem”, “Seed and tree problem” are all of same colors. In general usage, we also use some statements which can be self-contradictory in nature and thus set up a case similar to liar paradox.

“Epimenides Paradox” is one such case. Epimenides, a philosopher is supposed to have said that “The Cretans are always liars”. The paradox was set because he himself was a Cretan. So his statement that Cretans always lie should be applied to this statement also. That sets a paradox like the one we discussed above.

I feel even Shankara’s Advaita statement that “Jagat mitya, Brahma satya” also is a similar paradox. If this Jagat is mitya, then the people and their words also should be false. So the statement by Shankara also should be mitya! I do not know how far I am right in concluding so.

Anyways, there are few artists whose work also reflects some ideas discussed here. I am including one work of M S Escher here. This work titled “Waterfall” is unique because if you trace the source of water, it looks perfect. But in larger picture, the water looks like moving upwards. Which is true? Think………

Page 207 of 366 Page 208 of 366 Censorship and Government

Saturday, February 04, 2006

The issue of oppression against freedom of speech and expression has again raised its ugly head. Suddenly the Danish newspaper “Jyllands-Posten” is in news for all wrong reasons. After it published 12 cartoons involving Prophet Mohammed last September, things have gone horribly wrong.

For those who are interested to see those cartons, you can find it here. I am just giving one carton here for reference. I found it really meaningful in the present context. The artist has brought out the irony of Muslim community by showing prophet with eyes painted black. The women in burkha are left bewildered which is evident in their eyes.

Expectedly, there is a wide spread protest against the cartoons. Amidst steps of banning Danish products and other things, the stand of Danish Government is laudable. On its part it has rejected appeals to censorship and has refused to call the newspaper to account.

The act of Danish Government needs to be commended for several reasons. When there is a long history of Governments taking authoritarian stand regarding censorship, this stand is really welcome. Probably this tough stand has softened the Muslim community. They are said to have given up the claim for apology from newspaper.

In India, we have our own troubled history regarding censorship. There are many instances where films run into trouble because they dare to speak the truth. Apart from Government and its agencies engaging in ban, there are people who actively take the role of “protectors” of a particular culture.

Notable among this crowd are groups like “Bhajrang Dal” and “Shiv Sena”. When the film “Fire” was opposed by Shiv Sena, its leader Bal Thakery had said that he will not have problem with the film if the names of protagonists in the movie is changed from Sita & Radha to Shabana & Saira!

Painter M F Hussien also has his share in these kinds of controversy. His painting “Saraswati” ran into trouble because he had depicted the goddess in nude. People failed to understand that the worshipping deities in many temples and many sculptures in India depict goddesses’ as nude.

Page 209 of 366 Taslima Nasrin is one author who is known for her books which are banned. Surprisingly her books are banned even by the leftist Government of West Bengal. Leftists are usually known for their support to freedom of speech. But even they are tempted by this issue of censorship.

It is very difficult to find a case where Government was taken to task by the Courts regarding Censorship issues. One such rare case involves an organization called SAHMAT and Delhi Government. In 1993 SAHMAT was accused of depicting Ram and Sita as sisters in one of its posters. So Delhi Government had banned it.

After 8 years of legal battle, the Delhi Court pronounced that Government’s ban was “null and void”. It also noted that “everthing was pre-designed”. It was a victory for freedom of expression in this country which declares this as a fundamental right. It is unfortunate that people have to fight legal battles to protect this right.

Page 210 of 366 Left should act right

Monday, February 13, 2006

After the unexpected results of the 2004 parliament elections, the left parties took the decision of supporting the Congress –led UPA from outside. At that juncture, this was thought as a good development. The left was expected to be the conscience- keeper of the Government.

The Congress is known for its liberal economic policies. The process which was started by Dr.Manmohan Singh during his tenure as Finance Minister in Narasimha Rao’s Government was expected to get a big push. But there was a hope that the liberalization process would be under check, thanks to the hold of left in UPA.

But the developments which have been unfolding in recent times can better be described as depressing. The UPA Government appears to be pursuing a single mantra of LPG (Liberalization, Privatization & Globalization). Even if we accept that these are the realities of the present world, the pace and rush towards implementing these policies are dangerous.

It is not to say that the present UPA Government is pursuing anti-poor policies. Information Act and Rural Employment Guarantee Act are surely progressive policies. But the total balance sheet of the UPA till today has more lapses than gains. And left has to accept part of the blame for this.

Left enjoys an enviable position in present day politics. It has the numbers to arm- twist the UPA and also has the option of opposing it in public. Due to such positioning, it is trying hard to distance itself from key policy issues. But mere sloganeering will not help it in long run.

Take for example, the new Patent regime opened by this Government. When the bill was introduced in the Parliament, the Left had made it clear that it will not support it. But the bill was anyways passed and the new authoritarian patent regime is a reality in India today.

The same scene was repeated when the Seeds Bill was introduced. This act which deprives farmers from their traditional rights over the seeds they use for agriculture had to be opposed. The act gives unparallel powers to Seed Inspectors and Police to raid, search and confiscate any farmer’s house if they are sure that the law is broken.

This anti-farmer, pro-MNC act had to be resisted inside and outside the Parliament. But apart from a handful of individuals and NGO’s none took the task of protest. The Left, with its power within the UPA had the moral obligation to stop this, but alas, it did not.

There are two recent examples on how Left forgot its primary role. One was when Airports were opened up for modernization (privatization!!) by private players and second regarding the vote against Iran. During the Airports issue, the left organized huge demonstrations and all that but nothing worked. The entire episode now looks like a big joke.

Iran issue is still not resolved. The issue is supposed to come in the Parliament next month and Left has promised that it will raise the issue & put the Government in

Page 211 of 366 dock. But given the past experiences, there is no real hope that Government will trace back its steps. In such situation, can we expect Left to stop Government from pursuing the plans of FDI in retail and other key policy issues?

Left parties have negligent existence in entire country. But their participation (maybe indirectly) in the present Government is a ray of hope for many like me. But if it limits itself to protests, strikes and sloganeering very little can be achieved. It should make its presence felt in issues like Iran and FDI in retail to restore our faith on the left ideology. Its time Left to act right.

Page 212 of 366 The big ban of Coke

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

What should be the reaction of a University when it finds that a particular vendor is following unethical business practices? That too when it is doing business worth $1.4 million annually? In USA, the University simply bans the products of that company from its campus.

That is a heartening development amidst the dark stories of large scale violation of human rights and environmental degradation by companies. The company in question is Coca-Cola. It is a moment of great happiness to note that some Universities have banned Coke from their campus.

The reason given by Universities in this regard may vary but there is an underlying sentiment that Coke has violated human rights and has not taken much care about environmental issues. That the alleged violations have not occurred in US but in Columbia and India has not deterred the Universities in implementing the ban.

The reactions of “University of Michigan” can be found here. It is amazing for me to see how much care is taken is taken by the University to describe its policy decisions. The elaborate Code of Conduct for University Vendors is a well drafted document which can be emulated by the Universities here.

The whole issue started there by a complaint by a student body. Now that the University has given patient hearing and held enquiry leading to the ban of Coke – all based on student’s complaint is really amazing. It may be very difficult to find a story parallel to this here in India.

New York University banned the Coke products in its campus because Coke failed to constitute a third party enquiry committee to look into the allegations against it. After giving sufficient time for Coke, it finally took the decision to ban its products. The details of this can be found here.

It is said that few more Universities and Schools in US have also banned Coke due to similar reasons. InEngland student unions are reportedly pushing for the ban on Coke in its campus. Considering the fact that these students are fighting for issues not directly related to their country, these developments are heartening.

But what is the situation in India? When Universities elsewhere are exhibiting their solidarity for the cause of environmentalists and activist in India, here there is complete silence. I do not know any University here banning Coke. May be it is just not possible in India.

I was recently talking to the canteen manager in our campus. I asked him what would happen if we banned Coke from campus. He promptly replied that if at all there is ban, then he would better close the canteen. He said majority of his income comes from these beverages.

But my canteenwalla need not worry. There will never come a time where Coke or any such product will be banned in our campuses. Our students are very busy to think about these trivial matters. Come on, they are busy discussing about next movie they will watch in multiplex amidst sipping their choice of poison, Coke!

Page 213 of 366 “Nenapirali” & “Mata”

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

There seems to be a new spirit in the Kannada Cine industry. Newcomers are storming the scene with bright new experiments. The audience stands to gain a lot from this renaissance. Two recent additions to this category are films “Nenapirali” and much expected “Mata”.

“Mata” is released after long wait. The first time I heard its director Guruprasad speak on TV, I was impressed. The director seemed to be sensible and the promos of the films were outstanding. It also received good reviews from press. There were zillion reasons why one should watch it.

The movie reminded me of Upendra in his initial years. Using lot of metaphor and symbolism, the director tries to tell much more than what you see on the screen. But the audience at large seems to miss the point. They have not grown to understand the multi-layer story telling strategy.

The language of popular cinema is difficult to interpret. Direct storytelling attempts are sidelined as regular stuff. Any different attempt is expected but largely neglected for being so. “Mata” dares to be different but seeing the response in theatre, it may not last long.

There is innovation in every department with minimalism as the guiding principle. The most appreciable effort was the cinematography where consistency is maintained in lighting. Dialogues, costumes, choreography, script and performances were something new to Kannada cinema.

In spite of all these I cannot term the film as good. It is neither bad but I hesitate to label it as good. The reason for this is the rawness in dialogues. Though the story requires this rawness, the treatment is so very non-professional. Also the climax is not convincing at all. The film can at best be labeled “bold and different”.

Compared to this “Nenapirali” was a refreshing experience. Again here you see a thinking director “Ratnaja”, who appears to be more of a poet. He has created a visual poetry in this film. The film stands out with its strong story telling technique combined with visual appeal.

The songs in this movie were shot in a very effective manner. All songs were interrupted with relevant dialogues and this worked well. The dialogues, straight from the pen of poet, appeals with its honey like sweetness. The costumes in the movie were also trendy and sophisticated.

Though it is not fair to compare films of 2 different genres, my vote goes to “Nenapirali”. Maybe “Mata” leaves much to think to its audience whereas “Nenapirali” fills your heart with emotions. Both these movies deserve special applause because they have tried something different.

It is hearting to note that the era of directors is back. After Upendra forgot that he is director, S Narayankept remaking and Desai back to exile, the Kannada cinema was expecting new directors to take lead. Both Ratnaja and Guruprasad have proved that they are ready to take over. Congrats!

Page 214 of 366 Farmer suicides and wheat imports

Friday, February 17, 2006

I am not related to agricultural business in any way nor am I well versed in the topics of agrarian economics. But the recent reports pouring in newspapers regarding these issues continue to disturb me. One is the ongoing series on Vidharbha cotton crisis and another is the decision of Government to import wheat.

I have always appreciated the way P Sainath covers some of the pressing issues regarding agriculture in “The Hindu”. Before a few years, he had covered the crisis in Waynad, a region once famous for cultivation of coffee. In a way I could relate to this story since I had witnessed the same in Coorg.

Now he is writing a series on the plight of cotton farmers in the Vidharbha region. The number of suicides reported from this area is really shocking. According to the official reports the count has crossed 300. In a country where agriculture is still the main driver of economy, this is really saddening.

The reason, as Sainath points out, is not poor productivity. The farmers have witnessed bumper crops and that is the reason for their worries. The acts of Governments like reducing the MSP, withdrawal of advance payments to farmers are causing more deaths.

More chilling is to discover the nexus between poor quality seeds, ineffective pesticides and low paying local buyers. The sustained exposure to pesticides combined with non-availability of nutritious food is pushing farmers to death bed. Their incapability to pay hospital bills is depriving them quality health care too.

When one starts to analyze the root cause of this problem, he can see the clear impact of liberalization on agrarian economy. In the name of free trade, the farmers are deprived of any Government support. This is forcing them to end their life. How many more deaths are required to make this Government understand the problem?

If one sees this chart, one can learn that the stock of wheat in this country is going down from many years. So Government decides to import 1 million ton of wheat this year, that too duty free. That means, the farmers have to be contended with the lower price offered by the Government.

The list of export and import details of agriculture goods can be found here. As one can clearly see, the export has come down and import of key products has shot up. The reason for this, many say, is the withdrawal of farm subsidies. In the name of free trade, the Government is withdrawing support to farming community.

But arguably the freest market, the US, has not stopped giving subsidies to farmers. In the year 2004 itself, $12.5 billion was paid as subsidies. 90% of this money is supposed to be paid to farmers growing wheat & cotton among other things. What a tragedy!

On one hand, in countries like ours, the Government asks farmers to compete on their own and continues to withdraw its support to these sectors. On the other hand, countries like US continue to pump in billions of dollars to farm sectors. Our farmers are caught in this vicious circle.

Page 215 of 366 Spiritual business in India

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

How big is the spiritual market in India? I do not have any official stats but am sure that it should be really huge. Maybe it is more than IT biz of India. If the increase in numbers of spiritual gurus holding meets in this city is any indication, they should be doing a roaring business.

The spiritual market is organized sector in India in every way. They run their show professionally and gurus who spearhead the movement command huge following. They are into every other business and are dominant in education scene. These new age gurus go beyond simple preaching.

If one teaches yoga and makes pots of money by selling ayurvedic medicines many others have been offering different forms of meditation. Few make hugging a business and some teach you how to live. Few tell to dance to reach god while others offer you pranayamas which will help you live better.

All these new age gurus have not been able to reduce the business of old lions in the business. The traditional temples never complain of dwindling income. One can see that the crowds in famous temples towns are increasing every year. So how does this happen?

The other traditional rivals to new age gods are the local priests who are possessed with the spirit of god or sprits. If one observes even their numbers are in a steady rise. In places like Bangalore, one can find a person who will be possessed by demi- gods in every corner.

The demands for astrologers are also increasing. Despite the rumor that there is a new planet that is being discovered which will make astrology redundant, the demand for astrologers have not really come down. In fact the story of horoscope matching between the likes of Aishwarya and Abisheik is becoming big news.

The local festivals (grama-habba) conducted in each village and town is also becoming grander over the years. The celebrations of festivities in urban areas never seem to go down. The worshipping deities in almost all temples are completely covered in gold. Surely these are bumper times for spiritual business.

But apart from a handful of temples, others do not really bother about the obligations they have towards the society. Though Government has taken over most temples, many are still run by mutts and private boards. They seem to be interested in only collecting donations from devotees.

Good business in temples means temple-towns growing into commercial centers. The exploitation of devotees in these cities is really disgusting. In India, the average middle class family wants to spend its holiday by visiting some temple. In a way spiritual tourism is a huge industry in India.

But everyone seems to be worry about the money devotees bring. Gurus charge astronomical amount for darshan, the same is followed in many temples. Even the chance to inaugurate the Mahamastabisheka was given to highest bidder. God, now, is accessible only to wealthy; poor have to find an alternative!!

Page 216 of 366 The death of weekly market

Thursday, February 23, 2006

Have you been to market today? Well, this should be a dumb question for many. After all we have so many markets here. They come in all sizes and colors. From places like Malleshwaram 8’th cross to Cottonpet, Chikpet, V V Puram – we have markets everywhere.

Add to this the new age places which sell all things under one roof. From supermarkets they have graduated into hypermarkets and malls. We also have our own neighborhood kirana shops which cater to almost all of our needs. There is no dearth of market places now.

But the same question “Have you been to market today?” might have been a wrong question in small towns before few years; or maybe even now. Because, “market” is not an everyday phenomenon in many small towns. Even as I remember “market” was an event that would come once in a week.

The concept of weekly markets must have made sense to people in those days. The traders were usually found visiting all towns on the market day. I now wonder how synchronized the whole system was. No two neighborhood towns would share a common market day.

The market which suddenly came up in the designated area one day in a week would provide so much variety to buy. There was a whole economy set up around the weekly market day business. It was also the day when most of the labors would get a day off from work.

People used to keep their entire shopping list ready for the day. There would be real anticipation as to what new things would come to the market that week. Vegetable stalls would receive their fresh stock on that day. Even the film theatres used to change the films screened on that day.

But this picture of local market has now become part of my memory. In my recent visit to my hometown I discovered that now the market does not draw as much crowd as it used to. Now even the site which used to host weekly affair has become a daily market.

So now there are no more villagers storming to our town, no more movie change and no more excitement. People need not wait for a particular day to buy their favorite things. They can go to numerous shops and pick whatever they need anytime. Weekly local markets have become extinct.

To understand the importance of these in the social life, we should see the trend of towns being named after days on which markets were held in those towns. The examples for this trend can be found in Kodagu where there are towns named “Somavarapete” and “Shanivarasante”.

Local markets had their own place in India. It provided the platform for selling local goods. By its fastened disappearance, the market for local products is dwindling. While one studies the emergence of new economy, I think one should think in this direction also.

Page 217 of 366 Socialism in India

Friday, February 24, 2006

Socialist parties in this country have come a long way. Many people who are today in political parties like Congress, BJP and Janata will trace their roots to some socialist movements. History tells us that Socialism was once a really powerful movement in this country.

People like Ramanohar Lohia, it appears, were able to question the greats like Jawaharlal Nehru about his socialist credentials. The debates in parliament during those days regarding the expenditure of PM make real statement about the nature of socialism.

It is almost unbelievable that people at that time thought it is necessary to discuss the details of the PM’s trip during electioneering and holidaying. We do not witness any such debates today. Socialists during those days mainly raised questions regarding women, caste issues etc.

But see where they have come in these days. The socialist leaders cannot be found in a common platform. Using the names of great leaders and socialist principles, they are into all kinds of lavishness. Socialism as a political movement has lost its place in Indian political scene.

Make a list of Socialist leaders in India today. You won’t be able to find one credible leader. Mulayam, Lalu, Mayawati, Ram Vilas Paswan, Deve Gowda, Bangarappa, Siddharamaiah – the list includes people who are present across a wide spectrum of political parties.

But their current behavior does not have an inch of socialist influence. Take Mulayam Singh Yadav. He is guided by this Amar Singh who seems to have more friends in Business and Bollywood. The glitter in his lifestyle is hard to miss. His relations with the likes of Ambanis and Bachhans are legendary.

Its political rival BSP is headed by Mayawati. The man behind her rise, Kanshi Ram, is today an absent figure. She is also known for celebrating her birthdays in a lavish way. The story of she trying to sell the land surrounding Taj Mahal is now part of folklore.

Less talked, it is better, about Lalu Prasad Yadav. Sometimes he appears like a messiah but the heights he reached in corruption are not easy for others to ascend. One of the greatest comic relief of our times, he has been successful in breaking all the socialist principles which was once his climbing ladder.

The stories of other leaders are not any different. In Karnataka we have a rich tradition of socialist movements. Gopal Gowda was the forerunner in this direction. But his followers have now merged with other political parties. The guys who are holding the socialist flag seems to know nothing about its cherished principles.

Socialism as a political theory is integrated in our national thinking. Providing social equality in all aspects has been the principle of every successive Government. But the goals are not yet reached. The need of the hour is having a genuine representative for socialist principles who can truly implement its ideology.

Page 218 of 366 BLACK – triumph of a teacher

Monday, February 27, 2006

I had watched “BLACK” when it was released in theaters. The movie had shaken me so much that I had no fuel left to write about that. The movie was more than a form of visual entertainment. Normally I take an objective view whenever I watch a movie. But here I could not afford to be so.

Here was a movie which moved you beyond normal tears-stage. It left you in great sense of disbelief and depression. For one I did not find this movie as inspiring even though the end was supposed to be one. I was left deeply sad after coming out of theatre.

Some tragic movies leave you with such despair. I can count “Sadma”, “Ek Duge Ke Liye”, “Setu” in this category. Even after reading some books you will feel the bitterness in the mind. “Mandovi”, a translation of Garcia’s novel “Love in the time of Cholera” was such a book.

If an issue has to touch you deeply, then it should have a personal connection. The story of BLACK had a very personal connection to me. My owner’s son was suffering from the same condition as Michelle in the movie. So I could feel the inner layers of the story.

BLACK for me was an over-stated optimistic story. I thought it gave a wrong impression to parents of such children that everything can be all right. They plight of immediate family is more traumatic than portrayed in the movie. That aspect had to be highlighted in the movie.

Instead the movie gave wrong optimism based on the character of the teacher. This character played to all-most perfection by Amitab Bacchan is the life line of the movie. If you ask me, I see the movie not as the victory of Michelle but as a story of triumph of a teacher.

There are reasons to believe in this argument. For one, the story of Michelle would come to an early end without the timely intervention of her teacher. So it was her teacher who was responsible for her ultimate victory. The part of she actually trying to save her teacher hold little relevance for me.

There was quite a debate on that kiss scene between Michelle and her teacher. I feel the teacher had to go through difficult moments in deciding whether or not to satisfy his student’s request. If at all he kissed Michelle, it is purely to perform his role as teacher and so it should not be considered bad.

The underlying dilemma is greater than what is portrayed. The absence of teacher after that can be called escapism but the teacher had no other option. I feel that the story writer got this one right. Had he stayed longer he would have to face many tougher requests.

For me, BLACK symbolizes the triumph of a dedicated teacher. It portrays the true spirit of a teacher. It shows the obsession he has in making his students learn what he knows. This is probably one movie which aptly shows the satisfaction a teacher derives from teaching new things to his students.

Page 219 of 366 Can’t students see their answer scripts?

Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Valuation of answer scripts is one of the difficult tasks any teacher has to undertake. The test papers are ok, because the content will be less. But valuating the answer scripts of exams can be really painful. Though I have no first hand experience in this, I know the pains a teacher has to go through.

The students, it looks, take exams as a chance to take revenge against their teachers. What else can you say about the different writing styles a teacher has to read while evaluating? Add to this is the torture of different kinds of handwritings which is no better than Doctor’s prescription.

Valuation centers are one place where students should never go. No, I do not fear that students will influence the teachers. But if students see the way their hard written papers are valuated, they will lose all their zeal to study. The valuation centers can best be compared to a market place.

The examination process in India leaves lot to be desired. The whole process is totally unregulated and one of the greatest weakness in the educational system. The ultimate suffers in this whole exercise are students. But there is some reprise available to student these days.

Is a student permitted to see his answer scripts? Yes you may say. Our university has been very generous in this regard. It gives the students a chance to look at the valuation scheme. This, we may argue, gives enormous power to students as he is informed about things which shape his future.

But not many think so; especially if the examining body is a Government agency. Even the famed RTI (Right To Information) Act will not help the students in this direction. Two cases in recent times are disposed by CIC (Central Information Commission) which denies students this basic right.

The case in question is that of a Post Woman in Kerala named Ms. Treesha Irish. She had appeared for departmental examination hoping that she will get a promotion. But when the results were announced, it was known that she could not make it. She tried applying to get her answer script.

She had applied for the information to the PIO (Public Information Officer). But her plea was rejected on the grounds that the particular information did not serve any social purpose. So the lady approached the Information Commission. But the Commission also rejected the plea.

The reason given by the Commission was that the examination body and people who take examination are in a fiduciary relation. And according to RTI Act Section 8-1(e) any organization is not obliged to provide information unless the authority is satisfied that larger public interest is involved.

The complete judgment can be read here. The point here is very simple. A powerful law like RTI should not have such major exclusions. Things like this only make people lose faith about using this law. That is a real threat for the ethos which this act represents.

Page 220 of 366 Engg education - more stumbling blocks

Saturday, March 04, 2006

Till now we have seen how the absence of quality control mechanisms has impaired the right functioning of engineering education system. Here I want to discuss two more issues which I think is important. One is the question of entry barrier and other is the evaluation criteria.

Entry into professional colleges in general has become a huge issue today. Students are particularly feeling the heat of this. In an academic year they have to write as many as 3 different entrance exams in order to gain any reasonable chance of gaining admission into good institute.

It is a normal practice in many countries across the globe that the institute itself admits the students. The admission procedure, which has much bearing in the entire process, is usually the domain of the host college. Or maybe the university decides on this. But here the situation is quite different.

Here the entrance tests are usually conducted by a consortium of colleges or a government agency. This body, usually, does not have any direct relation with the professional education. And it allots the students to colleges. So colleges do not have any say from first step itself.

Entrance tests should never be generic. It should test the aptitude of student for any particular course. But here there is a great deal of generality about the entrance tests. A person takes up an entrance test like CET and then he has the passport to get to many courses like medicine (western, ayurveda, unani, homeopathy etc) and engineering (again many areas) etc.

This is really not a good way to import students into a course. The problems which become visible at a later stage have its roots here. That’s why I consider this as a point of stumbling. So screening of students for different courses should be streamlined.

The second point is the evaluation systems. I have written about this earlier. But now let me put it in a formal way. Benjamin Bloom has given us the taxonomy which can be used in preparing questionnaires. He says the questions should essentially test 6 skills namely – Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis & Evaluation.

But unfortunately, we have been limiting our evaluation to first two categories. Vincenti had categorized Engineering knowledge under 6 categories namely - Fundamental Design Concepts, Criteria and Specification, Theoretical tools, Quantitative data, Practical consideration and Design instrumentalities. This important theory again is not followed by our syllabus framers and evaluators.

I consider the non-recognition of Bloom’s Taxonomy and Vincenti’s principles in engineering education system in India as next stumbling point. If teachers cannot control the first issue discussed here, it is understandable. But the second issue directly is in their control. They should try to at least remove this stumbling block which is preventing the future progressive march of engineering education system.

Page 221 of 366 Salute those teachers

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

When I was writing on the plight of teachers in engineering colleges, I was haunted by a sense of guilt. The guilt which grows the moment I think of the plight of teachers in schools; especially in Government primary schools. I cannot but feel sorry for them after seeing their situation.

The Government employs people in various departments. Mostly Government job is synonym with non-working. At times the various perks that come with the job make it appealing. That’s why one has to pay a lot of money as bribe to get a Government job.

I have heard that even a Lecturer’s job in Government engineering college comes with a price tag of 5 lakhs. The posts in “fat” departments like excise, tax, and police will surely have an astronomical price attached to it. It is ok in these departments because there is a hope of getting it back. But teaching?

Paying to get the job as primary school teacher does not make any sense. Now there is no way any primary teacher may get it back, unlike an excise officer or police inspector. More over the kind of tasks the Government extracts from teachers make them the most exploited species in entire Government workforce.

Consider this. The teachers in primary schools have to teach students in a class which is ill-equipped in all sense of the world. Then these days, they have to overlook the mid-day meals program. They have to prepare their students for all cultural events to entertain politicians visiting the town.

The primary school teachers may the most used (or abused) Government employees. Come on, when other Government servants do not even bother to work from 10-4, these people are forced to do all extra services to the Government. That too all free of cost.

Have you seen anyone apart from teaches undertaking the tedious job of census? No, it is impossible to convince any other Government employee take up this job. Teachers have been the foot soldiers in this important national task. Remember, their job does not end in visiting houses.

They have to consolidate the data collected, create summary reports and complete a lot of other formalities. This, they are expected to do in addition to their teaching load. Add to all these, the trouble of non-payment of salaries and harassment from seniors. Surely, an ordinary primary teacher is the most hard-working Government servant.

I often feel that these primary teachers, majority of whom are women, should be initiated into using Computers. It can really lessen their burden. They can effectively teach their subjects using computers and also it can help them in this record keeping business. When I hear the word “teacher”, I can only recall the faces of my primary school madams. Their selfless service is very vital for the overall progress of the country. They should not be involved in doing all data-collection. They should be left to do what they are best at – enlighten the young souls with new knowledge and make them enjoy the whole experience of learning.

Page 222 of 366 Learning, not teaching

This series on teachers seems to be going very well. Till now I have explored some issues regarding the plight of teachers. Today, I want to put down my thoughts regarding teaching. Most of these ideas are influenced by related studies in the field of educational philosophy.

How does a person learn? Perhaps this is one question which a teacher should know an answer for. A teacher should understand the inherent differences people have in learning. Every person has a unique pace, method and style in which he learns things. A teacher firstly should understand this.

This factor is important because teachers always seem to make generalizations regarding learning styles. They will have their own style of course delivery and think all students in class can follow them. They fail to recognize the individuality in the learning styles of their students.

Once they understand this basic difference, they will learn that classroom forms a very small part in the entire learning process. The student has many learning experiences and may be some are better than classroom. So a teacher should try to give him all those learning experiences.

Bur unfortunately, we have been giving too much importance for classroom studies. Not that they are unnecessary, but there are alternatives. A teacher need not have to be in classroom to give lessons to students. There are other alternatives and a teacher should recognize that.

That’s why I feel there should be a paradigm shift in the thinking of teachers. They should stop thinking that teaching is their main goal. Instead they should realize that their main goal is make students learn. This change in attitude has lots of significance in today’s world.

When a teacher starts thinking that his primary job is to make students learn, he will look out for ways in which his students learn better. Then he may find that classroom teaching does not appeal to majority of his students. So he may set up discussions, quizzes, hands-on session or something different to make learning experience better.

This basic thinking has been implemented in primary school teaching. But teachers in professional colleges are not ready to implement these ideas. For them, there is no substitute for classroom teaching. I better dismiss this argument as non-willingness to accept changing scenario.

Another reason why people are not willing to accept this truth is the comfort zone they have created for themselves. Now that they have studied in such environment, they feel secure. Change, in any ways is unacceptable. Even students are mentally oriented towards learning in classrooms.

But things are changing. Learning, today, is not limited to classroom. There is a constant need for everyone to upgrade their skill set regularly. Learning is becoming a life long process. And in these times, teachers have to recognize their changing roles. They have to act more as learning-enablers than being traditional teachers.

Page 223 of 366 More on teaching

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

I think this article should be the last one in this series on teaching. In this article, I want to discuss the topic which I left midway in earlier article. That was the reluctance of teachers to adopt themselves to changing situations. We saw one reason for this for this reluctance i.e. their unwillingness to come out of their comfort zones.

This factor is true for even some seasoned professors. They will be teaching the same subject for so long that feel at home only with that subject. The notes they would have prepared in their initial days comes handy even after long years. They will be unwilling to move out of this and try something different.

Students, on their part, also have a certain comfort zone attending classes. They feel that they get to learn (only) in classrooms. When they enter the door of classroom, they are psychologically prepared to receive instructions from teacher. A sudden shift from this accepted and much practiced path may be difficult for them.

There is also this thing called interaction in classrooms. People who propose that there is nothing parallel to classroom teaching often forward this argument. They say that the students learn not only the content from the teacher but also learn the body language, interaction styles etc.

There is also a great deal attached to how a teacher can get instant feedback by seeing the reaction of his students in the classroom. It is often said that nothing can replace this experience of teaching. Sometimes, I feel this argument concludes by establishing teaching as a performing art.

I think both of these arguments have limitations. It may be true that a student is influenced by the non-verbal behavior of his teacher but powerful content delivery backed with authoritive knowledge can put this issue into background. Teachers who have good knowledge but not so good delivery style gain acceptance because of this.

The thing about teacher gaining a lot through instant feedback from students also falls short. How many teachers can really change their styles depending on the mood of students? Don’t most of the teachers think that teaching is their job and understanding is the sole responsibility of students?

The point which I am trying to make here is that teachers have to start thinking beyond chalkpiece-blackboard-classroom kind of teaching. They should realize that classroom teaching has certain limitations. In my case, I teach to a class of 60 students. Yes, in one course, there are 130 students in ONE classroom (it’s another story that all do not turn up to attend classes)

When a classroom has such huge numbers, there will be no scope for individual attention. So teachers should look into ways of improving their teaching efficiency. As I proposed in last piece, teacher should focus on improving learning experience of all his students. How can teachers improve themselves? I am not proposing any cookbook solution for this problem. I have just proposed the various issues a teacher should consider while defining a workable solution for this persistent problem. Unless a teacher tries to solve this individually, he cannot make any significant impact on the learning experiences of his students.

Page 224 of 366 Live programs & dead anchors

Thursday, March 09, 2006

With the introduction of new channel called U2, Kannada viewers have choice on hand. Now they can call this channel most of the times in the day and request the song they want. I have been following this channel from the day it was started. And now, I think the time has come for me to punch down my impressions.

In a city like Bangalore where there are multiple local players in cable segment, the audiences were already treated with many such programs. In a larger scene, channels like SS Music & Sun Music did the same thing. May be after Sun Music tasted success, they repeated that experiment in all languages.

U2 started with a bang. The channel has its advantages. Compared to local cable channels who telecast the videos of poor quality, these guys have an appreciable collection of original videos. And they had the experience in handling logistics associated with such programs.

The great letdown for U2 is its anchors. For a channel which has to survive on good communication skills of anchors, this is a great setback. It looks like they have hasted in selecting the anchors. In fact, the few regular anchors in their sister channel Udaya are far better than these guys.

U2’s counterpart, Sun Music, has some wonderful anchors. Some people like Hema have already received much attention from public. Some anchors are so very knowledgeable about music, its pleasure to listen to them. One guy who was anchoring a show on Sunday with a leading Tamil singer bowled me over through his understanding of music.

It is anchors like this who are badly needed. One does not like to always see a dumb character always. In U2, some anchors are so uninteresting that they ask same set of questions to every caller. It makes the whole experience boring. Many people even do not have proper diction.

It is ok to mix few English words when you are speaking. But some anchors speak in such a way that it looks like they are speaking English and they are just sprinkling few Kannada words in between. This habit should be first shed by the anchors. They should work hard on their diction.

The second thing they should remember is that TV is a visual medium. Unlike a RJ whom audience cannot see, VJ’s should have a visual appeal. I am not saying they have to look like models, but certain minimum standards are necessary. U2 has to go a long way in looks and dress sense departments.

There is one more serious issue regarding U2. If you observe the calling pattern in U2, you will see that all the callers are from North Karnataka. This may not be a coincidence, since this is happening from the day U2 started. I see something fishy in the whole deal. Its time for U2 to wake up and get its act straight.

Page 225 of 366 Keeping pace with tech

Friday, March 10, 2006

The rumor circulating in the tech world is today confirmed in the newspapers. Microsoft has revealed its plans of launching the new device for mobile computing. The news comes at the time when Samsung also announced the release of its own next generation computing device.

There is more to expect this year. Later half of this year is marked for the release of the much expected new operating system again from Microsoft. The product, whose beta release itself was quite news, is supposed to change the nature of computing forever.

It is an accepted fact of our times that technology grows so fast that it is impossible for anyone to keep pace with it. But the impact of these changing technologies is not seriously studied at least in Indian situation. But this study has become very crucial because of India’s continued romance with technology.

Gone are the days where it would take decades for a new technology to reach India. Today India is a huge market which no company can neglect. Simultaneous release of products in India along with big markets is a reality today. But the question is – is India ready for this?

Imagine a situation where the Government starts the computerization drive of its machinery. Now such large scale project will take its own time to be completed. In most cases, the machine and software will be obsolete by the time the project is completed. What next, another round of computerization drive? Can we afford this?

This issue takes a serious turn when we think of computer education. It must be noted that the knowledge of computers implies teaching how to use OS. If the manufacturer thinks he will be releasing new versions every now and then to boost his profits, what can we do?

Can we afford to upgrade the knowledge of mass all of a sudden? In a country like India, where there is growing enthusiasm to learn computers, this provides a huge business opportunity. What results is the spurring of dubious street-corner computer coaching centers which con people.

The same is true with the introduction of new processors. Seriously speaking how many people upgrade their systems because there is a need? Most of the junta can work with Win 98 and simple configuration. But they upgrade because there is so much euphoria around this whole issue.

It is normal for all machinery and technology to become obsolete after few years. But the fast rate in which computer machines and software become outdated is worrying. Its impact in a country like India needs to be analyzed from various angles. Roughly - Government establishments, computer literacy programs and not- so-computer-literate common man are the victims in this mad drive. This is not to say we should not change with technology. Nor am I sidelining the power new tech brings. But I am just cautioning regarding the mad rush towards embracing any new technology. This, when done without proper thinking, results in sheer waste of money and underutilization (abuse/misuse) of the power technology brings in.

Page 226 of 366 Two tales on 434

Monday, March 13, 2006

I am surprised by the fact that this blog has not seen even one post on Cricket even after surviving for one long year. I really do not know why I never wrote about Cricket in my 200 odd posts. Anyways, today that stigma will be cleaned. Who can resist the temptation of writing about yesterday’s match- not me!

434 – Is no more a number. It signifies the importance of the phrase “Anything is achievable”. It will continue to haunt Ricky Ponting all through his life. The poor man should be appreciated for his generosity and sportsmanship. When he declined to accept man of the match award, sports was the winner.

Move over Lagaan, we have a more powerful drama to narrate to our next generation. People need not think of adding dramatic elements into this story. The unfolding script had so much excitement in it that a person with a weak heart would die in end moment.

Sports have its share of legends, people who have fought against all odds. I remember a gymnast, who in Olympics, landed gracefully (and won gold medal) despite breaking her bone midway. But the way South Africa managed the show yesterday will make people forget all legendary stories they have heard so far.

Cricket is a game which has its share of anticipation and drama. Hirwani-Miandad episode and “That Six”, Kambli’s tears in Eden Gardens in 1996 world cup, Venkatesh Prasad-Sohail duet in Bangalore – there are numerous dramatic moments etched in my mind. But Boucher’s final blow yesterday will be remembered for a long, long time.

The heat of the match was so high that even Star News began to show the match Live. When people are looking for high-pitched events, matches like this are sure to make headlines. This may be the greatest story of all times; maybe more than England’s victory in recent Ashes.

434 –was also in news for a different reason. It was remembered when Anil Kumble reached 500 test wickets. I remember the euphoria that surrounded Kapil reaching 434. I even have the special edition of Sportstar which was devoted to him. But nothing like that awaits Kumble.

When someone is labeled as “genius” even before proving in all occasions, popularity has strangely eluded Kumble. I fail to understand the reason behind this. He may be a perfect case-study for marketing students. They can sit and analyze why the “brand Kumble” never made its mark.

The only big news about him was how Malayalam heroine Shobana was interested in him. In a way rumors are a measure of one’s popularity. Even the brands which he sponsors can be counted easily. In this world where cricketers do everything apart from cricket, Kumble is truly a gentleman.

I wish we get to see more people like Kumble. Also would like to see more close matches like the one played yesterday. Stories like these are necessary to keep us glued to this game. After all this game is more than religion for majority of Indians. I am not an exception!

Page 227 of 366 The Shahrukh saga

Much before rains lashed Mumbai last year; I had written that Kannada film industry cannot have a superstar. The reasons which I gave for such argument was the limited market of Kannada films and the constraints it poses on production and marketing costs.

The phenomenon of Superstar itself is a strange one. It is not simply the popularity of a hero, nor is it the appreciation of his acting skills. There are numerous instances where some people have defied the traditional definition of superstars but still managed to remain one.

The Hindi cinema industry has its own list of superstars. Depending on who your favorite is, you can come up with your own list of superstars. Personally I have not seen much of Dileep Kumar, Dev Anand and Rajesh Khanna , who people say were superstars of their times.

From what I have seen, Amitab Bachhan (AB) and Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) are the two superstars who continue to deliver despite being around for so long. Discussing about AB needs more space, so I will skip it. Lets today focus on SRK and see why he reached where he is.

To say that he is the greatest actor of our times may not be right. There are people like Aamir Khan and host of others who can be the contenders for this. In the looks department, Salman Khan was way ahead of SRK. Then what is that which makes him click?

It is surely the right mix of everything. He reinvented himself after being branded as fit only for obsessed lover. The romantic image he developed stood different from the lover boy image of heroes of his times. And he has, may be consciously, acting in family dramas.

If one observes the films that made him a household name, one can see that they were all set in large families. He has been projected as an obedient son, caring brother, romantic lover, loving husband and adoring father. This family-perfect depiction of his characters has helped a lot in making him a superstar.

But we have to note the inherent differences between hero-worshipping on both sides of Vindhyas. While in south, people spare no efforts in equating their heroes with Gods, Hindi cinema does not witness such euphoria. The superstar is equated with guaranteed collection and saleable commodity.

Seen in this perspective, SRK is truly a superstar. His films come with a minimum guarantee and he sells. The count of products he endorses goes beyond anyone’s imagination. From soaps to computers he sells everything. Whether the products he endorses sells or not, he sells.

SRK may be the superstar today. But who is the next? This question was asked many times in recent times, but we did not find an answer. Few guys looked promising, but SRK is not replaced. That brings one important question – is SRK the last superstar of Hindi cinema? That’s in my next post.

Page 228 of 366 No more superstars

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

In the previous post, the analysis of Sharukh’s popularity was undertaken. The reasons given to his popularity was his (intentional) projection as a family freak and romantic hero. Then the question of whether he is the last superhero of Hindi cinema was asked.

There are reasons why this question should be asked. One is that people who were projected to take over SRK failed terribly short. Take Vivek Oberoi, he is nowhere today. Apart from his alleged links with Aishwarya Rai, there is nothing special about him. He has reportedly fallen out of that too.

Hrithik Roshan was another person tipped to become next SRK. But he looks like to be waiting for his father to deliver hits for him. He claiming the coveted position of superhero is out of question. He may be a better dancer and fine actor but a superhero - No.

The old war-horses like Aamir Khan and Salman Khan must give up any realistic hopes of being one. Aamir will go down as one of the greatest performers and Salman will be lover boy number 1, but superhero post eludes them. The reasons why they cannot claim to be one are different.

Well, the absence of heroes is one of the reasons why there will not be any superheroes in future. There are some other reasons also. Important among them is the changing definition of cinema and altered grammar of language of Hindi cinema. The emergence of multiplexes also contributes to this.

With the establishment of multiplexes in all metros, the landscape of cinema has changed forever. Multiplexes have provided space for small budget movies, experimental and alternate movies. The success of films like “Jhankar Beats” and “Iqbal” are pointers for future.

Multiplexes have generated whole lot of new audience for cinema. The audience in multiplexes demands certain quality standards and sophistication in the cinema. And being market friendly, the popular cinema has to respond to the demands of audience. What we see today is exactly this.

Gone are the days where the hero used to smash dozens of goons, deliver chest- thumping dialogues and project a toughie image. Today’s hero knows one thing or more in latest fashion trends leads a posh life and also weeps at times. In a way, he is projected as one among us.

This situation cannot give rise to a superstar. The small, savvy audience can keep the box-office ringing, but they won’t worship any hero. They may appreciate his dress but won’t imitate it blindly. They may applaud the performance but won’t come back and stick his poster at their home.

This audience cannot breed a superstar. The changing demography and grammar of Hindi cinema does not encourage the emergence of one. And more importantly, people seem to keep cinema in its right place and not bother about it unnecessarily. Moreover, they no more need a superstar.

Page 229 of 366 A decade after SSLC

Friday, March 17, 2006

When I saw the photos of students writing their SSLC Exams, I was suddenly rushed with a new enlightenment. Hey! A decade has passed since I wrote my SSLC exams. It was the same month in 1996 I went through this ordeal. And how much has the world changed since.

1996 was also the year when Cricket World Cup was held in India. The matches were held in the months of Jan and Feb. I remember the difficulty we had in following the match while our families forcing us to study. SSLC till today remain a family affair here where all members doing their bit to help the person taking exams.

It was also the year which saw one of the worst electricity crises. The power cuts would go beyond the specified time. And mind you, the regular load-shedding was anywhere between 6-10 hours a day. Add to this was the unannounced power cuts. The whole reading had to be done under lamps.

The exams were not really nerve-cracking because no one really understood the significance of that stage. I am sure none of my mates at that time had a concrete idea of where they would land. I feel exams were looked up as a passport for college where one need not wear uniforms!

Also college meant something at that time. It sounded better than school and definitely carried more respect. SSLC meant nothing more at that point of time. And yes, there was nothing like coaching centers. There were few guys who were giving tuitions which people attended casually.

Exam tension – was the word I don’t remember hearing during those days. Not to say that everyone was relaxed but there was nothing like people committing suicide and all that. Students in places like Virajpet at that time were not exposed to outer world much, which made them feel safe in their own small worlds.

I understood the importance of SSLC in a strange way. When I was shown my birth certificate, I noticed that my birth date was entered wrongly. I had to take great deal of trouble to rectify that error running through Government offices. In India, SSLC marks card is still considered to be a valid proof for birth date.

My experience in SSLC is dominated by the opposition I made to my science teacher. For god’s sake, she had also taught my father and had problems accepting my arguments. I had to face her fire all through the year and that set the tone for all my future rebellious activities.

I can’t stop without referring to the incident which has grown to stamp our batch in St. Anne’s. It involved our classmate slapping one of our teacher in the classroom. The farewell party for us was cancelled and we at that time had strangely felt that it is an achievement.

Below are some photos of St. Anne’s High School where I studied for 14 long years. The church complete its 200’th birthday in 1992.

Page 230 of 366

Page 231 of 366 SummIT' 06

Saturday, March 18, 2006

So the “summIT” has been scaled. For the uninitiated souls, SummIT is the techno- cultural event of VoISE (Voise of ISE) the student community of ISE dept in MSRIT. It is good to note that the fest is growing each year in terms of magnitude and grandeur. The students of the department have made it a mission of thier student life to see that summIT is a roaring success each time it is done.

This year the summIT managed to reach new heights. I was traking the developments from the point of start. I was happy to note that students are trying hard to bring in sponsors. This was something that was missing in previous summIT's. Thier hard work paid off. The fest saw some big names sponsoring the event. This also meant that summIT' 06 had a budget which was unimaginable in all these years.

The effort of students was visible in the way they made the fest posters. One poster which was fixed in the main entrance of our block really set the tone for the entire event. More sponsors meant good prize money. Probably finding such mega sponsors was the greatest achievement of volunteers. The big prize money ensured quality participation from other colleges.

The event which began on Mar 15(Wed) saw some intersting events. The contest like Su-Do-Ku receving more than 100 entries was a great thing. The face-painting contest saw this amazing entry which I thought was the "picture of the day". This spirit of students is what makes fests like this a success. There were other events like the 20Q which was attended well. The surprise element in this fest was the Kannada quiz. It was nice to see that students took the initiative of organizing such diverse events in the current fest.

The event which had maximum prize money was "Business Wizard" contest. Again cheers to students who thought of such innovative event. This event went on well and we were surprised by the quality of business plans we received. The finals was fought keenly and the judge Dr. Sandhya did a wonderful job in analyzing the cases.

Page 232 of 366 Another event "Group discussion" was also innovative. Usually in college fests people do not like to include such events. But our guys carried this event wonderfully and the quality of debate was appreciable.

There was something more special in this summIT. The main auditorium was fixed with special lights (disco lights!!!) and that smoke-emitting machine (which gives the feel of heaven). The crowd pullers such as Indian light music, antakshari and dance were held here under the "effects". And that was great!. One more new thing this time was that we had professional people playing all the instuments for these events.

The events like paper presentation (which was a disaster last time) was a big thing this year. It was nice to see people going back with mp3 players and home theatre system after they won gaming events. Also the participation in the events like OSP and debugging was decent than any previous fests. It was good to see an event like web-designing getting recognition in student fests.

DC, Aircrash and mad-ads are events which truly bring the out the creativity of the students. Usually these events are the most sought out in colleges like ours. Anyone who witnesses this event for the first time may feel surprised at the level of comfort students display in these things.

What you see at the right side is the photo of a dance item titled "Dashavataare". It was enacted by the students of PESIT and was an instant success.

Page 233 of 366 The credit for the success of summIT'06 entirely goes to the students of our department. They have made the things which earlier seemed impossible. They managed every aspect of the fest themselves and performed an amazing job.

SummIT' 06 will go down in the history of ISE department as the most well organized event. Kudos to the students who made this as a memorable fest.

Page 234 of 366 mukthi 6.03

Sunday, March 19, 2006

It is nice to be in campus these days. These are fest days in MSRIT. Fest means lot of hard work, enthusiasm, planning (which will never work completely) and then a sense of relief. Well, we just got over summIT’ 06. Now we had mukthi 6.03 on Friday & Saturday. mukthi was different from other fests for a single reason that it was a pure technical fest. I do not know whether I can use the word “fest” to describe mukthi. The festivities and celebrations were there, but it was not like any college fests. Here were a bunch of students who loved a technology and they were celebrating it.

Obviously no one would like to celebrate windows. It was Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) which was in limelight for these two days. And yes, people came in large numbers. And they came from as far asMysore to attend the lecture series. The event was hosted by our own Linux User Group (VRLINUG).

I am immensely pleased to see the enthusiasm of students in celebrating FOSS. Being technical students, they should have a natural inclination to understand and celebrate technology. And Linux thrives on such unconditional love and support from student communities across the globe.

It was nice to see that students attended the event after paying a nominal entry fee. This is important because it goes on to prove that students are interested in Linux and FOSS. VRLINUG should now make increased efforts to tap the growing enthusiasm among student community regarding Linux.

I deeply respect the philosophical foundations of FOSS and support it. For me, FOSS is a natural extension of humanism. Activists who take up the issues like democracy; human rights etc should support FOSS. They will find their sentiments echoed in Stallman’s gospel of FSF.

A documentary titled “Revolutionary OS” was screened on Friday. The movie gave an opportunity for us to listen to people like Linus Trovalds, Stallman, Apache guys and many other pioneers of FOSS movement. It was an amazing experience to watch it in our seminar hall (Can someone take initiation to start movie club in college. The seminar hall is no less than PVR cinema!!!)

The regular faces of FOSS like Atul Chitnis, Biju Chacko & Shanker Balan made it on second day. It is amazing to see how these guys remain passionate in advocating the cause of FOSS. The students may be really inspired by listening to them. Probably they may even think of being loyal to Linux.

Page 235 of 366 I wonder why quiz is such a major draw among students in college like ours. I should write about this “quiz syndrome” sometime in this blog. Personally I think the highlight of mukthi was the announcement of starting 3 focused clubs in our college. This was required for a long time.

I hope the initiations VRLINUG has taken will be carried on well by the students. After seeing guys working tirelessly for mukti, I have no doubts that VRLINUG is in safe hands. I salute the entire VRLINUG team and K G Srinivas (mestru) for making such a meaningful event a grand success.

Page 236 of 366 From schooldays to fests

Monday, March 20, 2006

When Google did not exist, when Manmohan Singh was just the Finance Minister of India we were celebrating what was known as “Schoolday” or “Annual day”. Of course in PUC, I do not remembering celebrating anything like “College day”. Then here in Bangalore, we only have “fests”.

Well, everyone will have distinct memories of their “school day”. It was one event which gave an opportunity for teachers to display their creative talents. Yes, I have got this one rightly. It was not students who did creative things. They were just puppets in the hands of teachers.

Schooldays were for teachers. At least that’s what I thought in those days. They used to take the whole trouble of deciding what programs students should enact that day on stage. And every time they wanted to do something different but land up doing same dance, parades and skits.

But their innovations were really marvelous. I remember a teacher who took the trouble of dressing us like butterflies with all those giant wings. Remember, we were a small town locked amidst hills and nothing was available there. The teachers used to take all the trouble of preparing the props.

And yes, there used to be parental pressures to see that their wards get due attention. Parents were keen to see that their child be made stand in the front row during group dances and near the microphone in group songs. The teachers must have had tough times satisfying everyone there.

School day, in our town used to be an occasion for celebration for entire town. Now our school was by and far the oldest and only one for long time. So everyone there had the relation with the school. And they made it a point to attend the function even if none of their wards studied in the school.

The items that were presented in the school days were quite standard. A couple of group dances, solo performances if the students is a well known student (a.k.a son of famous person of the town), group songs (this would sound mostly like our church choir) and a skit.

The skits used to be mostly mythological. Now since we were a Christian school and our school days used to be held during Christmas, the skit would be regarding this only. But yes, I remember some other skits like Buddha being played by students. And one more important activity during school day would be prize distribution.

The school day would begin by a nice parade by NCC, scouts & guides, house (pink, blue etc. what was that??), bicycles etc. It used to fun to watch this even though the same was repeated every year. I last heard that this parade is stopped in these years.

Today even my school’s annual day celebrations are dominated by bollywood dance numbers. In cities likeBangalore, many schools do not even have big grounds to hold parades. For them school day is just another function organized in town hall or Ambedkar bhavan.

Page 237 of 366 Dr. U R Anathamurthy

Tuesday, March 21, 2006

The decision of eminent literary figure Dr. U R Anathamurthy (Dr. URA) to contest the Rajya Sabha elections has created quite news these days. Dr. URA is invoking the name of Kannada and pride of Karnataka as the reason why he should be preferred over others. Well, that’s the point we are discussing here.

There are no questions asked about the literary genius that he is. His skills as an eminent story-teller are proved through his wonderfully written works such as “Samskara” and “Ghatashraadha”. Though personally I feel his short story “Clip joint” is more important than any of his other works.

Well, I have not seen the writer in Dr. URA. By the time I began to read him, he had virtually stopped writing. Even today, I do not think he writes much expect for some contributions to newspapers. I am not telling that he is a spent writer, but it should be accepted that he is no more an active writer.

But his legacy fails to die down. He is the person who has given this language one of its seven “Jnanpeeta” awards. He is prominent figure now in all book releases (that’s what I see) and also is consulted to comment regularly on many issues ranging from Gopalkrishna Adiga to Belgaum City Corporation’s controversial decision.

Dr. URA is one literary figure in Kannada, who has maintained his activist’s stand till today. The other names which immediately flash to me in this category are Champa and Baragooru Ramachandrappa. These people speak out their mind irrespective of what you may feel about that.

Dr. URA, who was once famous as an anti-Brahmin writer was facilitated by none other than the Udupi Mutt not long ago. Considering the fact that he came from a traditional Brahmin Agrahaara, his anti-Brahmin image was quite interesting. To add to this, he married his student (who was a Christian).

Recently Dr. URA made news when he associated himself with the “Datta Peeta” controversy in Chickmagalur. Ravi Belagere (of “Hai Bangalore” fame) had recently alleged that Dr. URA managed to get a site from the then Congress Government (during S M Krishna’s rule). I do not know whether this is true.

Overall, Dr. URA has maintained a colorful profile. Though he is no more active in writing these days, he makes his presence felt during important times. That he has affection towards Kannada and its culture is not questionable. What is questioned is his declaration that he is the genuine representative of the land.

What would have been more credible is asking parties to support him based on his own credentials. What Dr. URA is doing, I think, is pure blackmailing. He is threatening the political parties that they either support him or be projected as “anti- Kannada” parties. This is not fare.

Everyone has a right to contest elections in this country. I am not fighting this point. But what I am protesting is the arm-twisting and emotional-blackmailing Dr. URA is engaging to garner votes. I feel he has proved his capabilities as a writer and it will be fitting for him to ask votes on his strengths. He need not bank on emotionalism for getting elected.

Page 238 of 366 A drop of Life

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Today is World Water Day. Supported by UNESCO, this event which is now more than a decade old is becoming highly relevant in these years. And continuing its practice of deciding on the theme for each year’s celebrations, it has chosen “Water & Culture” as the theme for this year.

The choice of the theme is apt for several reasons. The resource “water” is closely related with the culture of the land. In India, the revered place given to water is nothing short of a worshipping deity. From birth to death, every occasion which has some rituals uses water in various ways.

In place like Kodagu (Coorg), people just worship the water. For them the only worshiping deity is river Kavery. In Hinduism too, rivers are considered sacred. The place given to river Ganga by people of this country is incomparable. Water was always something revered in this country.

The stories of Kings who built tanks in their places for their subjects are legendary. Even in my town, there is a small tank called “Chatra kere”, which people say was built by King Veeraraajendra for the benefit of travelers. I can remember people keeping drinking water (in earthen pots) in their shops. My grandmother would keep water in coconut shells during evenings and sparrows would come in large numbers to drink and play in that water.

The point that I am trying to make here is simple. Water was never considered to be a private property here. Water was one resource which people never hesitated to share. People expected that others fetch water from the wells they dug. In this land, water was never sold!

In fact if someone told me that water could be sold before a decade, I would laugh at them. Though we knew that water was available in bottles, it was just a laughing stock for us. I remember we used to joke saying that one day even oxygen would be available for money. Now I think even that day is not far.

But it happened. Water is today sold in market. And a liter of water costs same as a liter of milk!!! Somewhere, something has gone wrong. This country which worships water now does a roaring business out of it. And yes, this is the same country where farmers commit suicide because they do not have enough water for irrigation.

The report from UN says 6000 people die everyday in this world because they cannot get proper drinking water. In India there are places where women have to walk for 8 kilometers to get clean water. This is a country where people die in thousands both due to scarcity of water and floods.

Water management has not got its due in policy making. The budget allocation for rural development in this budget has increased. But will it mean people in rural places will get drinking water for free. No, there is a dangerous trend catching up Indian society – privatization of water.

State after state is trying to give primary life supporting resource such as water into the hands of MNC’s. More on this in next post.

Page 239 of 366 Privatizing water

Thursday, March 23, 2006

The previous post has set the necessary tone for carrying the important discussion about privatization of water supply. The early signs of state Governments going in this path is really troubling. There are documented evidences on how privatization of water has not helped in other countries.

And really there is no need for us to see statistics to make a point here. It is well known that corporate houses are least bothered about the marginalized community. “Social Responsibility” is a mantra they chant for getting all kinds of exemptions in Income Tax. They are driven by profit and other things hardly matters to them.

The fact that the privatization of water supply will start from metros raise many concerns. One is the availability of water in these mega cities. From Delhi to Bangalore, every major city is very thirsty because of swelling population. They are drawing water from as far as 100 kilometers to quench this thirst.

Now the Governmental agencies may be inefficient but they have a social concern. They cannot pass on the financial burden of drawing water from remote sources directly on customers. But will the private companies do the same thing. No, they will see quick ways of getting their investment back, whatever it means.

The urban poor are often the neglected lot. A lot of Government policies for poor are deviated to small towns and villages. People who live in slums do not possess any documents. Considered by every Government agency as illegal settlers, they are denied all benefits.

It is this section of population which will be the first casualty of privatization of water. The middle class population who don the demography of any city will be the next victims. Can you expect paying some 200% more for water every month? This will happen once water is privatized.

And what about water resources? Will Government sell them too? Maybe, because, if private companies have to supply water, they have to take it from somewhere. Right? Where will they go for that? They have to depend on ground water (aka more bore wells) or draw water from natural water bodies (lakes, rivers etc)

Now here come some disturbing questions which Government has to answer before allowing private players to distribute water. How will Government regulate the usage of ground water by these companies? We have the case of Coke in Kerala where they have over-exploited the ground water resources.

Some state Governments are coming out with “innovative” methods to preserve water resources. See this- the Govt. of Maharastra introduced the “Maharastra Water Resources Regulatory Authority Act, 2005”. Nothing wrong in this, you may say. But consider this.

This act says anyone who has more than 2 children should pay one-and-half times more over his water bill. If you remember that Maharastra has witnessed maximum farmer suicide cases in last 1 year, this seems ridiculous. For one, the farmer there does not have water. And the water that is given to him by Govt. comes at much higher price. Imagine what will happen if he buys it from private players!!

Page 240 of 366 CET has collapsed -1

There used to be a time when CET in Karnataka was considered to be a role-model for admissions to Professional Colleges. It was being studied by other states to strike a balance between the requests of money-thirsty managements and social demands. For a long time, CET was functioning efficiently.

It was an experience to go through CET procedure. The CET office was somewhere near Central Jail (any special significance!!) and the facilities inside were not great. But the procedure, once you get in, was so streamlined that there was no need to panic. Even the first timers felt “at home” there.

Before CET was introduced, the seat selection was a chaos. The single-window kind of an entry provided by CET provided much needed hope for students and parents. But as the number of private colleges began to rise, there was troubles boiling everywhere.

From the last 2 years, CET has become a great mess. The whole system is plagued by court litigations and endless legislations. Once any legislation is passed, someone will appeal against that in court. This will start one more round of legal battle. No one understands the trauma students have to undergo.

Every year, the problem reaches newer heights and somehow there is a compromise at the last moment. Students of that year are spared but the drama will unfold the next year. It looks like no one bothers about the CET issue unless it reaches the boiling point.

This year’s CET brochure is out. This year’s CET heralds a new era. There are 2 important changes in the CET structure this year. One is that the marks of CET exams alone will be considered for awarding marks. And second only Government & Aided Colleges are listed in the brochure.

Awarding the rank solely on the basis of CET tests raises many questions. The validity of whole 2-year course will be questioned. The simple fact is why should students attend classes for 2 years when they are told that the exams which they attend at the end will not help them?

You could see the repercussions of this development yesterday. There was a news that in Jain College, the management had refused to give admission tickets to over 100 students because they did not have attendance (even CM’s son was one among them). This scene will be more frequent from now on.

The PU Colleges should shut down and start CET Coaching centers. What else can they do? The students will do what is more beneficial. They cannot be blamed if they do not attend classes. The resulting scene will be that the students will be found mugging up all those CET-type questions and not bothering about comprehensive answers. Maybe even the laboratory exercises are also neglected. And these people will later enter professional colleges!!!

The issue of number of seats available through CET this year is equally worrying. That issue will be discussed in next post.

Page 241 of 366 CET has collapsed -2

Friday, March 24, 2006

We are analyzing the impact of new changes in the CET system. As mentioned in the earlier post, the two changes that are mooted by Government are - one – considering only the CET marks for awarding ranks and second- limiting the number of seats available to students to few hundreds.

We have seen how the decision of relying only on CET marks will be a huge mistake. The whole point is that the 2 year PU studies will become redundant. And the coaching centers which are already creating tons of money each year will continue to do roaring business.

The other point is about the number of seats available to students through CET. At one point of time, the Government and private management had agreed on 60:40 sharing ratio. As the court cases progressed, this ratio was changing at rapid pace. Today after the recent Supreme Court judgment, the Government seems to have given up all hopes of convincing the private managements on taking students from CET.

The result, as seen in this years CET brochure, is pathetic. The brochure lists 4 Govt. Medical colleges with the total intake of 383 & ONE Dental college which can admit 51 students. In Engineering, the numbers are encouraging. Because even though there are only TWO Govt. colleges, there are at least NINE Aided colleges and ONE University Engg. College. So the total intake here is 4189.

There may at least a lakh students writing the CET exams. Agreed that all may not have the required aptitude to join professional colleges. But the ratio of number of students appearing to CET and seats available is dismissingly low. Come on, the Govt. cannot give medical seats only to 383 students. This is unfair.

But there is something funny here. CET cell seems to think that people will come for counseling despite small number of seats available. It has scheduled counseling dates for even those students who secure ranks between 20,000 & 30,000. Now, frankly how many of them in this rank range have realistic chances of getting a Govt. seat?

Are there no hopes? Should the students write CET, COMED-K, AIEEE, JEE and scores of other entrance tests in order to have a realistic chance of getting a seat in a professional college? I do not think so. Having seen some the fate of some private management colleges in places other than Bangalore, I have some hopes.

But the Govt. is definitely to be blamed in this crisis. It has failed to bring in a legislature which will sing an end to all these confusions. Irrespective of the Government in the ruling party, this problem fails to be resolved. We shall wait and watch what Kumarswamy will do this time.

But as I said earlier, I have some hope. I base my hope on the insecurity facing the private managements in many colleges. They may surrender their seats to CET just for the sake of survival. I will write more on this may be some other day.

Page 242 of 366 Kannada TV industry

Monday, March 27, 2006

There seems to be some positive developments in Kannada TV industry these days. Soon after Udaya came with its second avatar (U2), ETV Kannada has steeped up its innovation. We have hearing that ZEE is launching a Kannada channel. Also heard is the news that own CM Kumarswamy is also planning for one.

ETV Kannada has always remained different from Udaya. It has always been giving far superior programs (intellectually). One can never expect programs related to literature and arts in Udaya. But ETV Kannada has artists like S P Balasubramanyam, C Ashwath and host of others who give programs exclusively to them.

ETV Kannada also hosted some one like Jayanth Kaikini, who was doing a loveable show called “Namaskaara”. He went on to do some of the most important series on Jnanapeeta winners like “Rasarushige Namaskaara”, “Kadala Bhaargavanige Namaskaara” & “Bendre Maastararige Namaskaara”.

Now that program is continued by Chandrashekar Aloor, who is equally sensitive. Only that he has work on his screen presence. Jayanth was lively on screen; Aloor should do something like that. Also, ETV Kannada hosted some important directors of our times.

There was “Grihabanga”, and then “Moodala Mane”. Both of these serials marked the departure from usual tear-jerkers. ETV Kannada also gets the credit of hosting some successful comedy serials like “Paapa Pandu” & “Silli Lalli”. It also hosts the only talent shows in Kannada screen – “Ede Tumbi Haaduvenu”.

But it is serial like “Mukta” which makes ETV Kannada too very special. I had written about this serial sometime back. Everyday I get to listen to a new story about its popularity. The kind of reach it has been able to reach is something incomparable. It is the jewel in the crown for ETV Kannada.

TV watching on Sunday’s was really boring. But this Sunday ETV Kannada changed it all. I do not know the reason how it changed so drastically and so fast. Maybe the management saw the need for the change and introduced new people. Maybe they infused new life into the dull Sunday programs.

The list of programs on show on Sunday was impressive. The “street magic” by Ramesh, “Burude Bavishya” by V Manohar (Chinna Kasargod as anchor) and a la “walk the talk” by Sadashiv Shenoy was really good. The other programs were also given a new looks. The much needed TV news (read info about TV artists) is welcome.

ETV Kannada seems to be far ahead of its competitor UDAYA presently. The later seems to be happy with the same old “Aadarsha Dampatigalu” and “Haadigondu Haadu”. Will someone tell Srinath that these things no more work? Time that they learn a lesson or two from ETV Kannada.

Page 243 of 366 Public Library

Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Public Libraries held a very distinguished place in every town till a few years back. It was a place where people would meet to discuss the developments in the county or comment on the cricket matches played. Library provided a perfect opportunity for children to explore a new world altogether.

Where else could you get a chance to read 10 different newspapers? Library was a place which demonstrated the democratic ethos of our society. Where else could you see people from all backgrounds come to read the latest developments? Regulars would have an advantage over others in solving daily crosswords, though.

Here was a place which gave you access to those books which you had only heard. And the membership charges were (and are still) very cheap. For a mere Rs 10, you could carry your favorite books home. Even if you had problems with paying that, you could read the books free of cost.

Such libraries which shaped countless minds are neglected today. Or should I say we are neglecting it. Just recall when the last time you visited a library was. If you were avid library visitor in your childhood days, you will miss them dearly. We are no longer dependent on libraries.

In small towns, people may still go to libraries but in the world which I know, library is a place where “we used to go”. The inhabitants of this whole new world read newspapers online, download e-books and read them during their spare time and buy book if they want one.

Look at the number of bookshops which have come up in Bangalore in these years. Surely there may be people buying books, why else they will be here? Book shops have also changed their looks. They are more “posh”. This, I think, has also made us move away from libraries.

Recently I read that in USA, the local Governments are establishing Wi-Fi networks in their cities. What is special is that the Internet access through this is given free to all people. The local Govt. gets enough support from people like Google, to give these services free.

I think the future belongs to this kind of development. When we are dependent on Internet to do most of our reading, Govt. can think of diverting some of its library funds in this direction. Digital Libraries are the future and Govt. should think about this.

Recently I had been to the library in my place. I found that most of the titles were the same as it was before a decade. There were very few new titles added to the list. If Govt. cannot do anything, let it think of converting these libraries into “knowledge centers” by providing Computers to these libraries.

Page 244 of 366 Where should our children study?

Friday, March 31, 2006

This is admission time again. Parents all over are thinking overtime about the school where they will get their children “admitted”. One of my relative who has a child in this age group told me that he is admitting his child to a particular school. Why not St. Anne’s, I asked him. The response was shocking.

His funda is that schools like St. Anne’s promote western values more than any other schools. He did not want to send his child to this “Christian school”. Instead he wanted his son to study in a new school opened by a not-so-famous mutt in our place. The numbers of people who think in this line are increasing.

I object to this line of thinking on two grounds. One is that it is wrong to brand the schools on the lines of religion and second it is a mistake to think that our children should study in a school affiliated to our religion. Rejecting one on the basis of religion and appreciating other for the same reason is puzzling.

What should children learn in school? They may learn anything, but certainly not religion. I mean religion is so very private affair that there should be no reference to religion in schools. Not at least by teachers while referring to students. Religious practices have no place in schools.

Even I have studied in a Christian School. I never thought it to be so. For us it was just a school which had church in its campus. And yes, we were asked to pray when the church bells rang in the afternoon. But it was a harmless prayer with no mention to Christianity. And no, we were not forced to attend the mass on weekends.

There used to be the photo of Jesus in classrooms. Christmas was celebrated in the school. We never thought it was anti-Hindu to do so. On a contrary, we involved enthusiastically in putting up a Christmas-tree in our classrooms. As I remember there used to be some competition regarding this also.

Nuns (sisters as we would call them) were engaging classes for us. I used to find that there were no different from any regular teachers. I may say that they were more dedicated and kind-hearted than others. There was never a hint of influencing us towards their religion.

The morning prayers were also not something straight from church. They were all written by our own teachers and did not reflect any particular religious ethos. On a contrary, students were encouraged to read from all holy texts on important days. Truly, it was a secular environment there in our school.

I do not understand why a school should be doubted after 200 years of its existence. And I fail to understand why our children should study in schools established by “our people”. The quality of education should be the criteria and this is overlooked for trivial issue such as religion!

When there are fights all around the world about the interpretation of secularism in schools, we are witnessing this development where people want their children to study in a school that subscribes to their religion. Nothing can be bad start for a budding life than this.

Page 245 of 366 Annavru!!

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

This cannot be true! I was in the class when one student announced that Dr. Rajkumar is dead. I said I hope this is not true. Now I am back from class and everyone has confirmed the news. I hear that he died in our hospital (M S Ramaiah Memorial Hospital). I am still in college and can’t confirm this one.

It is really easy to be philosophical and say that everyone should die one day. But with someone like Rajkumar, it is very difficult to digest the news. Many pictures flash in my mind. Not a day passes without seeing his face on TV. Every time I see him on screen I wonder how he could do all those emotions to the perfection.

From acting as God himself in many films there was one kind of character where, I think, he did his best. That was being “bhaktha” in numerous films like “Bhakta Kumbara”, “Santa Tukarama”, “Navakoti Narayana”, “Kanakadasa”, “Bhakta Vijaya” etc. Being “bhaktha” was probably something he did best.

Analyzing his entire career will take time. I am hearing news of huge crowds gathering in our campus. We are told to go home as there are fears of violence. I hope these things do not happen. I am also overtaken by emotions. I will try and write something more later.

Page 246 of 366 Dr. Rajkumar – few personal impressions

Thursday, April 13, 2006

Dr. Rajkumar is no more with us. Amidst the mayhem his body is taken out from his home. The destination and cremation details are not yet made public. The city has shut down and there is a sense of loss everywhere. I think this is time for me to punch down my impressions about the man himself.

I did not grow up seeing Rajkumar’s films. The reasons for this were many. By the time we were growing up, Rajkumar had virtually stopped making films. And in my town Kannada films were a rarity in theaters. So my quota of Rajkumar films came through DD.

But we used to hear a lot about Rajkumar from our family elders. Stories about his fan following, rivalry with Vishnuvardhan, domination of Parvathamma, rowdism of his children and many more donned my childhood. For a boy in a small town like me, Rajkumar’s popularity was an enigma.

I began to see his films a bit late when we got a video cassette player. The films which I saw in those days were mainly devotional. I was swayed completely by his acting in “Kanakadasa” and “Bhaktha Kumbara”. Tears would flow down my cheeks whenever I saw these movies.

Whenever I used to visit Udupi, my mind would be filled with his portrayal of Kanakadasa. Till today it is my firm belief that Rajkumar was at his best when he portrayed these devotional roles. His acting combined with PBS’s singing created a new magical world for me.

Then there were historical movies which were a treat to watch. The sword-fighting scenes in those films were such an excitement for me. I remember watching his dialogue delivery in “Babruvaahana” (in battle scene) over and again to by-heart them. I also liked “Mayura” for its sheer entertainment value.

I was in college when Rajkumar was kidnapped. I remember those days very well. I was staying in college hostel then. That evening we took a protest march around the hostel area. We burnt an effigy of Veerappan and some chest-thumping dialogues were delivered.

The city was burning. Curfew was imposed. We, in the hostel, were facing the heat. After 2 days our warden announced there was no enough stock of food grains. Even the cooking gas was getting over. There were no vegetables and we had to be contended with real simple food cooked outside.

Those were difficult times but it helped us understand what Rajkumar meant for the entire state. There was a new awakening among us in the hostel regarding Rajkumar. We used to get his CD’s and watch it together. The joy his comeback received was something I can never forget.

And then came a day where I saw him in person – close and straight. He had come to our college when the shooting of his son’s movie “Appu” was going on. That was the first time I saw him in person. I managed to say something to him. And I really felt that he was a saint like personality.

Page 247 of 366 He continued to come to shooting and we had a feast of seeing him in flesh. It was something very special for me personally. One thing that flashes to my mind when I think about those moments is the strong but nice smell of his perfume. He smelled as if he was soaked in perfume.

I am proud to say I have seen almost his entire movie collection. I can claim that I have seen all his movies which are released in VCD/DVD. To pick up a favorite in the big list is impossible. It is hard to delete any movie. But “Saakshaatkaara”, “Kasturi Nivasa”, “Bangaarada Panjara”, “Kalidasa” are some of his performances which are personally close to me.

I can also not forget the English lines he rendered in “Eradu Kanasu”. I was pleasantly thrilled recently when I saw his song “If you come tomorrow…” being played in Channel V. It was amazing how he sang those English songs also. He just happens to do everything what you can think off about the range of an actor.

And there is a recent relation of Rajkumar with this blog. When I wrote about the CNN-IBN poll, it received much attention. I was shell shocked to see the traffic reaching 200 those days. It was all because of that one article. So Rajkumar made my blog accessible to many people.

Now that Rajkumar is dead, I want some truths to come out. The entire episode of his kidnapping has been clouded in mystery. Veerappan is long dead. Rajkumar is no more. Nagappa is untraceable. Now either Smt. Parvathamma or S M Krishna should speak the truth.

We cannot allow the truth to bury deep sown with these people. I think Rajkumar would have spoken the truth the day he was released. He was speaking openly with the media. He was about to speak something when Smt. Parvathamma intervened. Now at least she should come out with truth.

I am really pained after seeing the behavior of people today. It was a shame to see them torching vehicles. Laying siege on the vehicle carrying Rajkumar’s body was distasteful. So was mobbing their house. The Govt. also made a mistake by changing the venues where the body will be kept.

Rajkumar was goodness personified for us. He was a man who represented the culture of the land better than anyone. He was our brand ambassador. For many years to come he will continue to educate and entertain all of us as - Rama, Krishna, Shiva, Sheenivasa, Arjuna, Babruvaahana, Mayura Verma, Krishnadevaraya, Pulakeshi, Ranadheera Kanteerava, Kalidasa, Tukaram, Kabir…………..and many more.

Page 248 of 366 Bangalore’s shame

Was it complete failure of law and order situation or was it genuine display of love by the admirers. It may be difficult to decide. But personally I felt police failed miserably to control the crowd. This was not the kind of last respect we expected the state to pay to the great actor.

It is understandable that people wanted to have the last glimpse of the actor and all that. But where was the police? Yesterday itself I was feeling bad after seeing the crowds storming into the house of Rajkumar. Police should not have let the situation get so worse.

Today it was worst. The crowd management in the Kanteerava stadium was pathetic. The procession was such a bad idea. I thought taking the body in helicopter would have been a better. Govt. should have sensed trouble after seeing the crowd yesterday.

Once the place was decided, why didn’t police take any precaution? Why was the place not cordoned off? They had all the time from morning. But they did not seem to make any arrangements to control the crowds. There was no barricades put and police were not seen in enough numbers.

The whole burial was total mayhem. It was unbelievable that people lacked total sense and crowded the place. I felt so sad for Rajkumar’s sons who were pleading with people to allow them to carry on the services. But at the end, it was all chaos. This should not have happened.

To say that Police failed is a small complaint. It was in complete shambles. Whether they did not act or were they ordered not to act should be questioned. I severely criticize the CM for failing to provide proper security in the burial ground. After seeing the pictures in TV, couldn’t he arrange for more policemen?

Forget him, where was Yediurappa? He was missing on the whole day. This is so very not done. The great man like Rajkumar deserved a better farewell. At the end, even his wife and children not getting enough privacy was so sad. Even media was acting in haste and reporting all nonsense.

Today I feel sorry to be a Bangalorean. If Bangalore does not know to draw line between love and chaos, I am sorry to be part of this city. Some miscreants have brought great disgrace to the name of the city and the man himself. I will never forgive the present Govt. for failing to arrange proper farewell to the greatest son of this land.

Page 249 of 366 Voluntary Bandh ??

Roads filled with kids having good time, markets emptied, shops closed, and curfew like situation but with people wandering around – this is the scene of Bangalore from past two days. Newspapers and TV media is calling it “voluntary bandh”. But everyone knows the reality.

No sane businessman ever wants to close shops for more than a day without reason. But all the shops closed soon after the news of Rajkumar’s death spread. Was it respect? No, not really. It was a sense of panic. The thoughts of events when Rajkumar was kidnapped must have forced people to roll down the shutters.

I cannot understand why we should call off the business for so long. Even I respect Rajkumar like anyone, but stalling business forcefully is something not good. Tomorrow (Apr 14) is Vishu. We celebrate the day as the first day of new calendar year. So do Malayalies and a section of Tamils.

But the markets are closed. People are deprived of celebration. This is not correct. Also the cable operator has blacked out all the channels except news and Kannada channels. Someone dictating their choice on others is wrong. I strongly oppose this move.

What we are witnessing today is people trying to create an artificial environment of sadness. By forcefully shutting down the shops, stalling the markets, burning buses, stoning offices, blocking channels – love cannot be expressed. If this was love, then Rajkumar would have never wished to have such admirers.

Page 250 of 366 Fan frenzy – only here??

Friday, April 14, 2006

When will these media people learn? Can’t they be bit matured. I am tired of commenting on these polls and their analysis. They indulge in all sought of silly discussion in the name of analysis. Its time they learn to be a bit more mature. The nation is watching!!

Today there was violence in Bangalore. And all this was due to idolizing of a film star. NDTV thought it had an issue and started discussing this “serious” matter. Is this phenomenon limited to South India? NDTV was asking the nation. The studio was lined up with guest to provide “insights”.

What NDTV missed was even when they were discussing this issue; other channels were showing images of fans rejoicing Salman’s return from jail. Now in a city like Mumbai fans celebrate the return of a convict and NDTV does not notice this. It is busy analyzing fan frenzy in South India.

Ramchandra Guha was explaining why superstars in south India attain larger than life image. His theory was that the languages here face the threat from other “powerful languages”. In order to face this opposition each language comes up with own “hero” to establish its identity and face the opposition.

I agree with him partially. I do believe that guys like Rajkumar have given cultural identity to Karnataka. But I do not think the need for superstars arise because we have to face treats from other languages. I think the phenomenon of superstars should not be simplified to this level. It’s much more complex than we think.

I repeat what I had written a few days back in this blog. It will be a great mistake for people to compare Amitab with Rajkumar. Or for that matter even MGR & NTR cannot be compared with Rajkumar. If they cannot understand and appreciate the differences, they should better leave it.

And will someone teach these national channel people to pronounce the local names correctly. It was pain listening to Rajdeep pronounce “Kanteerava” wrongly throughout the program. He better learn because CNN-IBN looks serious in its attempts to capture southern part of India.

Page 251 of 366 Ramayana Mahasatra

Ramachandrapura Mutt is making news again. The mutt who was earlier famous for conducting “save cattle” campaigns is now engaging in another big event. They definitely seem to have a penchant for mega events. The “Ramayana Mahasatra” is arranged with all pomp and grandeur.

1500 saints, 11 Yaagashaalas, 250 kilos of ghee, 3 lakh visitors – the numbers are great. But the aim as said is to establish that Ramayana is not just an imaginary epic but a historical account. It is also said that the effect of smoke emerging from Yagaas will also be “scientifically” investigated.

There is always this set of people who keeping telling us that Ramayana and Mahabharatha are not just stories. I had read a book where the author explains that “Pushpaka Vimana” which was supposed to have used by Ravana was an engg. design.

Every town in this country will have something related to these two epics. I still remember the fascination created by the “discovery” of bridge supposed to be built during Ramayana to connect Rama to Lanka. I presume in present Srilanka there may be places designated as place of Ravana as we have Ayodhya here.

My personal opinion regarding these things is clear. Rama and Krishna may not be exact historical characters. They may have been the rulers of that time. Their accomplishments were exaggerated and recorded. This happens everywhere and these people are no exceptions.

It will be foolish to “establish” the truthfulness of a fiction. Belief has its place but this new attempt by the mutt is sheer waste of time and other resources. Instead of that they could accept the truth that Ramayana is a beautiful piece of literature. And try to appreciate the characterization of Rama.

Page 252 of 366 Russell’s Best – a Review

[Russell’s Best: Edited by Robert E Egner]

There are always some problems reading the great authors. Primarily since you know that they are famous, your mind will be “preset” to accept the words in the books. Also you will be prejudiced by the impressions you have developed about the author through previous readings.

Your problem multiplies when you read Bertrand Russell. A man who is today considered as a great thinker was officially declared unfit for teaching!! Eventually he also won the Noble prize. His definition of “agnostic” has influenced me a lot. His “What is an agnostic” is what I keep reading over and again.

Russell’s has written too much that I find it impossible to read and understand all his works. Many of his works are available free in Internet. “The Project Gutenberg” has put up some of his books. I am currently reading one of his books titled “The problems of philosophy”.

For a person like me who has not studied philosophy formally, Russell’s writing is quite complex to understand. Though he writes very convincingly, it takes time to digest the arguments. The same problem may be faced by many others like me who want to understand Russell but do not know where to start.

Fortunately, for guys like me, there is a solution. The well edited “Russell’s Best” solves our problem. It contains all the major opinions of Russell categorized into various sections. The reader can get the overall idea of what Russell was writing once he read this one.

Since the book is supposed to have been reviewed by Russell himself, one cannot question the validity of this book. But as I found out one cannot read through the book. One needs to spend enormous time thinking about the lines and only then it can be understood.

But one should not be content reading this book. It will be a mistake to create impressions on Russell after reading this book. For that one should try to read the entire literature. This book should be the starting point for that long journey into understanding Russell.

Page 253 of 366 Vishu Greetings

Saturday, April 15, 2006

The arrival of New Year is celebrated in different ways in different parts of India. Though we all belong to the same state called Karnataka, Ugadi is not a festival for us. We celebrated the New Year today (Apr 14). “Vishu” as it called by us is a dominant festival of Kerala.

The fact that Canara districts share a long cultural relationship with Kerala is well known. This relation goes very deep in terms of traditions and religious beliefs. Not only Hindus of Canara districts and Kerala share common culture but also the Muslims.

This commonality is surprising because the languages in these two places are not same. While the Hindus & Muslims in Kerala speak Malayalam their counterparts in Canara speak Tulu. This makes interesting study because people share traditions and culture but not language.

But Christians in Canara are more influenced from the Goan culture rather than their brethren in Kerala. This is very peculiar considering the fact that Hindus and Muslims in these two regions share commonalities. Someone should investigate this matter a bit more deeply.

Speaking on “Vishu”, there is a story to support the celebrations. It is associated with “Bali” who offered his own self as a place for “Vamana”, an incarnation of “Vishnu”. But I think as with “Ugadi”, this also should have been a harvest festival. Traditional celebrations reiterate this point.

It is so amazing that in India, we celebrate New Year as the arrival of new season. It is the time when man celebrates his relation with nature whether it is Pongal, Baisaki or Vishu. But when these festivals are celebrated in concrete forests, what remains is just nostalgia and dry formalities.

Page 254 of 366 Five point someone – a late review

[five point someone – chetan bhagat]

I had heard about this book more than once. But since I consciously avoid reading fiction, the book never reached my desk. Thanks to Biswa, I read this book this weekend and completed it in one breezy session. The storyline, though nothing spectacular, will hold your attention.

The book is written well and helps you relate to the storyline especially if you are an engg. student. Though the “junta” need not go through the troubles as IIT guys, there are some parallels one can find. Especially the language used is something very different from the regular Indian-English fiction types.

I should say that this one is like a bollywood script. You can say this is a readymade screenplay complete with all details. I mean there is a bit of everything – sentiments, drama, action, romance and lots of youth adventure. Any producer will jump to make this into a movie.

All said and done, this is a light piece of literature. Do not expect anything path breaking here. Just sit, read, relax and forget everything. May help you recall “those golden days” you spent with friends in hostel. The whole thing is like a David Dhawan meets Yash Chopra kind of story.

Page 255 of 366 One night @ the call center – a review

[one night @ the call center – chetan bhagat]

It’s not everyday that you read two books of the same author on a single day within a span of few hours. Now that I have read Cheatan’s second book, I feel I can make some “expert” comments about the author. I feel he is going Chase’s way – same storyline with different situations and characters.

For one, the story is something that happens in a night at a call center located in Gurgaon. While his earlier book had 3 IIT’ians and a Prof’s daughter as main characters, this one has 6 call center employees (from different backgrounds) working as a team under a nasty boss.

If his earlier book was a bit bollywoddish this one is a complete bollywood material. I think this guy visualizes the entire script as one happy-ending movie. But somehow the characters behave in a predicted manner. It adds the fast pace but at times becomes monotonous.

The characterization here is similar to the previous one. The boys think they are useless creatures while girls are crying all the times. Even guys join this crying business every now and then. And what is that with alcohol. All the characters in both novels are drunkards irrespective of whether it is guys or girls.

And this one has a rather philosophical (or inspirational) tale of GOD calling these drunken characters. And what more, GOD sees everyone out of all their problems, although not directly. More surprising is that the story itself is supposed to be narrated to the author by divine power in night long train journey!!!

After reading both of his books, I vote for the “Five point someone”. That was fresh. And I don’t expect he writes one more book on losers and how they shine ultimately a la-bollywood istyle. And Chetan, next times please make your characters cry a bit less and cut down on their alcohol supply.

Page 256 of 366 Objective question papers

Monday, April 17, 2006

There is a conscious move by our university to get into the objective-type assessment mode. At the start, it may appear easy for both students and teachers. Students can rely on luck if they don not the answers and teachers can get rid of valuating job which is damn boring.

But there are some problems as I discovered recently. I prepared my first objective- type question paper for my ethics classes. It was an experience which I do not wish to go through again. I think I took more time in setting paper than students answering it.

And the valuation process was so mechanical. I mean I had to check the sequence of “A..B..C..D” in the answer paper. This was ridiculous and a machine is better equipped to do this job. Humans should do something more than this routine stuff. Teachers will become more rusted if this process continues.

I feel assessment of a student should be left to the teacher. He should decide the valuation scheme for his subject. Having a uniform marking scheme doesn’t work. If I ever get a chance, I would include lot more interesting stuff than the regular exams in my valuation scheme.

Page 257 of 366 Who won?

The game seems to be over. Or should we say the drama is over. Well it will be difficult to say who was playing drama – Medha or Modi. See what we are terming this whole thing as. This issue has seized to be the fight between development and human interests. It is now power play between 2 individuals.

I read the GoM report which was published in “The Hindu”. I somehow was convinced that the rehabilitation was done as it was required. But I was not shocked because I know that’s the reality here. We have grown accustomed to Government apathy.

When I heard Medha speak after she broke her fast, I was not that impressed. First of all she did not look as weak as I expected her to be. And I thought she spoke more as politician and less as an activist. I do not doubt her intentions nor am I being cynical about this whole fasting thing. But its just I am not impressed.

Narendra Modi has become a forgettable character in Indian politics. Whatever he does, no one takes it seriously. His fast did not make enough noises. And when Supreme Court said the obvious, he ended his fast. I seriously cannot understand what he gained by all this.

I do not understand the jubilation of both sides after Super Court’s orders. To be frank, it did not do anything. It just passed on the buck to PM. The next hearing is due on May 01. It has just said that neither the dam work nor the rehabilitation should be neglected.

So who is the winner here? This is like this story where the winning lottery number was 79 and two idiots rejoiced as if that they had won when they had tickets numbered 70 & 69. When told about the winning number they told “Hey look, we have at least one digit common with the winning number”. What else can you say about Medha & Modi?

Page 258 of 366 Speak & Earn

There were always these sets of people who made their living out of talking. You can consider the traditional “story tellers” (HariKatha Keerthanakaaraas), artists (on stage & screen) and even politicians in this category. Speaking never pays well, ask teachers and you will know.

But suddenly it appears to me that speaking makes good business sense. If you can speak well, sky is the limit. Do you know anyone who gets paid in lakhs per hour? Meet Arindum Chowdary. This flamboyant guy from IIPM is charging 3 Lakhs per hour (!!) for speaking.

I am not cooking up this story. Take up Monday’s newspapers and you will see the guy’s ads in all newspapers. They not only published the amount they charge but also the maximum number of participants per session. Some of his colleagues who charge about 1 – 2 Lakh Rupees per day had limited the number to 25.

Some questions pop up in my mind when I hear these numbers. One is what these guys speak to charge such huge amounts. Obviously it will not be something that worthy. And second is how they will manage time. I mean this guy has to speak for one hour. If he speaks less, audience may ask money back (for his “unspoken time”). If he overshoots the time, will he charge more from audience?

I have more than 1000 hours of speaking experience in classes. If you ask me, I will tell you it is almost impossible to fix the timing for talking. If you want to achieve this, you have to say the practiced (by-hearted) words. And this does not give enough happiness to the speaker as much as impromptu speeches gives.

Page 259 of 366 Violence in classroom

Today’s “The Hindu” carried some horrifying news for teachers. It said how the violence on teachers is increasing. Yes, you heard it right. Violence on teaches by students is said to be increasing. But we have no reasons to worry much. This is happening in far away England.

I am tempted to add few personal observations regarding this phenomenon. Generally in this part of the world teachers are still respected. Though they have cooled down a lot teachers are known for their classroom violence at least at lower levels. At higher levels there are always complaints of favorism and harassment by teachers.

But it is rare that one listens to the story of role-reversal. Students assaulting teachers are rarely reported. Sadly I did witness this thing in my school days. When we were in SSLC, one of my classmates (name withheld!!) slapped one math’s teacher (male) after some scuffle in the classroom.

This created quite news those days. School administration punished us by denying the farewell party. When I came to this college, I heard a story of students in 80’s being very rude with Lecturers. Our college was notorious in those days and I have heard some stories from that time.

One student had supposedly chopped off the finger of a Lecturer. This happened when the Lecturer stopped that guy from copying in exams. There were equally disturbing stories of students coming fully drunk to the classes. One can expect the scene in classes when students come drunk.

I hope these are isolated incidents. As a teacher I do not expect that my students behave like this in my classes. And I seriously pray that my students won’t turn violence in classes. God! Where will I turn to save myself if 6” students try to bully me in classroom?

Page 260 of 366 Gelathi- a poem in kannada

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

The visitor count in this blog today crossed 10,000. I thought a poem will be a better way to celebrate this occasion.

Page 261 of 366 Actors as activists

In a country obsessed with Bollywood, every move taken by a blockbuster actor will be hit. What else can you say about the whole nation raving about the support Aamir Khan has extended to NBA? The point that Rahul Bose has also supported the same is missed by many.

Is it the first time actors don the role of activists? In this side of Vindhyas we have seen actors becoming successful politicians after they fought for a cause. Take the case of MGR, Karunanidhi & Jayalalita in TN. They converted the Dravidian movement into political powerhouse.

We have our own Dr. Rajkumar who was at helm of affairs during the Gokak agitation. This movement is said to have gained momentum after Dr. Rajkumar entered the fray. But his later involvements in recent issues did not evoke much response.

Even in Bollywood, Shabana Azmi is known for her intense participation in many movements. So why should someone question Aamir’s support to NBA? We should understand that even he is entitled to have his own opinions on any topic. Let’s congratulate him for airing his views.

As an actor let’s judge him through his performances. What he does outside should not be related to his on-screen persona. And his views on issues like NBA should not be a reason to reject his films. We should understand that Aamir as an actor and Aamir as an activist are two different persons.

Page 262 of 366 Govt. ads

Thursday, April 20, 2006

Have you seen the recent ad series on AIDS awareness that is aired in TV? The ad urges all pregnant women to have AIDS test. The point is simple and very important. But the execution of the whole program is very pathetic. The important message is lost under poor production.

I do not think there is any shortage of funds for programs like this. Every major international donor from World Bank to Bill Gates spends Billions of dollars in these programs. But it looks like the Govt. machinery still does not want to create appealing publicity materials.

From print ads to TV commercials, Govt. productions are known for their poor quality and low appealing levels. Take the print ads. You can hardly see the text in them. The space will be covered by photos. It looks like Govt. releases ads to just publish photos of everyone from PM to last named local leader.

This habit of shabby production has not left even Govt. owned enterprises. See the ad of “Mysore Sandal Soap”. These guys roped in DHONI as their brand ambassador. But see that ad and you will regret. I mean a guy like DHONI can do something better than catching soaps and uttering few words.

There was a time when Govt. ads used to sound better. During DD days, the “Literacy Campaign” ads were catchy. Can we forget the songs telecasted by Bangalore DD on environmental protection? But after the cable revolution, Govt. ads in TV media have lost appeal. When they are speaking on social issues, they should pull all stops to make it more appealing.

Page 263 of 366 Group culture

When the mob ransacked Bangalore last week, how many of us felt it was someone amongst us? Was there any sense of belongingness? Certainly no. Somehow we all felt that the mob was disconnected from us. We were not ready to associate ourselves with the group which was claiming to be hurt after their favorite hero’s death.

This points towards a very significant yet neglected aspect of group dynamics. It is always taught in classrooms that team working is the mantra for the success in today’s world and all that. But there is a flip side for this group thing. When there is success everyone wants a share but come failure, you will try to disown yourself from the group.

“It’s me” is what people say when the group gets a good name. “What would they do without me? “ - Everyone likes to think in the group. “I did everything, but see even others who did not do anything gets the credit” is the normal complaint. When the ship overcomes the storm the captain gets the credit.

Let the group fail. Suddenly people are trying to pass on the buck on others. From “It’s me” the mood changes to “Not me”. Slowly they try to disown the group. Worst, they try to bring in the sense of group culture by pronouncing “We” meaning everyone should take equal responsibility for failure.

Group thinking is a difficult thing. It is not natural for humans to work as a group unlike some animals. To teach them share success and take responsibility of failure is difficult. That’s why teachers like us have difficulty in teaching the importance of group working and team spirit for our students.

Page 264 of 366 Me and only me

In the earlier post, I was writing how difficult it is for a teacher to teach the importance of group working to his students. I think the reason for lack of group culture comes from our childhood. We are rarely taught to work as a group and sharing/collaborating has never been a part of our psyche.

From our early childhood we are told to be competitive. Even kindergarden students are awarded ranks and told to “fight” the nearest competitor. If a child has a neighbor who is also his classmate it is again tough. The poor child will be pushed by the parents to get at least one mark more than his neighbor classmate.

This practice continues even at later stages. Students do not exchange notes and rarely do combined studies. They are fed with “this is competitive world” mantra from early days. Stating ahead matters most even if it means running over fallen guys.

People say cricket is a team game. I do not completely agree. I mean the level of co- ordination one requires in a game like football is never required in cricket. There is always the individual batsman or bowler who dominates the team. That may also be the reason why cricket is popular amongst us.

So when a person grows in this environment, how can one expect him to work in a group? Every major IT Chieftain makes it a point to say that team working is a trait they expect youngsters to develop. But how? - Is the question which no one is answering. I think to develop the group culture there is a need for a complete cultural overhaul.

Page 265 of 366 Blogger’s dilemma

There was a time when the borders were drawn clearly. There were few people who would get their work published and there were many others who read it. The writer- reader delimitation was distinct. The path to become a writer was quite tough. Only the chosen ones would reach the readers.

Having money to publish one’s own work was not enough. Typically someone publishing his own works was not looked up as a genuine writer. Every writer had a story to narrate on how his initial works were rejected. Budding writers were asked to first get something published in “Letters to editor” section.

Now the rules of the game have changed. With the arrival of blog phenomenon, it is possible for anyone to write anything. There is a difference between earlier dot-net boom and this blog thing. If one had launched website, he had difficulties in making it available to everyone.

Theoretically any website is available for anyone, anywhere to see. But unless the site is available through a search engine, it is useless. The blog thing makes sense because it automatically feeds the contents to search engines. This has made accessibility really global.

But I think there is a flip side for this. Since anyone can write, there is a fear of total lack of readership. One wonders if there are any “serious” readers for all these blogs. People may just scan the contents, punch in their immediate response and forget it. There may be no scope for deep analysis or discussion.

And since blogs provide the feedback mechanism which is faster than traditional system, there is always a fear that writer may change his style to meet the popular demand. Obsessed with getting maximum visitors, he may write on things which do so. Or in the other extreme, he may lose enthusiasm if there are no feedbacks from readers!!

Page 266 of 366 Re-launching my Kannada Blog

Saturday, April 22, 2006

I had not posted anything new in my kannada blog for quite some time. Thanks to Prof. M S Sriram (IIM-A), I have started to write again. This time I am using UNICODE. So I think everyone should be able to see the contents.

I hope I will be lot more regular this time in posting my kannada articles.

Page 267 of 366 De-Colonizing!!

“My Lord” is out of Indian legal dictionary. At last people thought this kind of colonial practices should be stopped. But sadly many things still persist. It is time we take note of these things also. Certain kind of dressing etiquette and some addressing styles can really be discontinued.

I am specifically asking to think more on our addressing styles. What is so special about the Governor that he should be addressed as “His Excellency”? We know that now the post of Governor is reserved for jobless political heavyweights and retired bureaucrats.

And from when the Mayor of city like Bangalore became “Worshipful”? The Mayor is mostly the stepping stone for many to reach further heights in politics. And anyway their tenure is so short that by the time we prepare to “worship” them, they are out of office.

Can we stop these things also? I am not asking to change everything. This should not go beyond certain limits. I am not for renaming “Cubbon Park”. Though its name is changed, I still prefer “Infantry Road”. For me these things are immaterial but addressing schemes are.

Page 268 of 366 Happy Queen & Sad King

Sunday, April 23, 2006

At one part of the world, a Queen celebrated her 80’Th birthday. Somewhere else a King reluctantly agreed to hand over the executive powers back to the people. Both countries have a long history of monarchy but exhibited their relation with present reality in different ways.

It is generally agreed today that Monarchy is not a feasible Governance option. Though England celebrated its Queen’s birthday with all pomp, many were not happy. As reported by newspapers some want this system should end with the present Queen. I do not know the law there, but am sure that the Queen there has a symbolic presence only.

The situation in Nepal is quite worrisome. Again I do not have any first hand knowledge on the issue. But seeing the images that flash on TV screens, I feel the King should be doing something drastically wrong to force people to come on to the streets. Whether the King is evil or not, it is important for a nation to have an elected Government.

In India, we have managed the situation admirably. Though the erstwhile Kings do not enjoy any position officially, they continue to carry on their tradition quite privately. Engaged mostly in hospitality biz these guys get due respect by people. Many have even become successful politicians.

Perhaps royals in England & Nepal can learn a few lessons from us. Who knows, the next PM of these countries may be a member of royal family!!

Page 269 of 366 Books Day

This is the first time that I have heard that something called as “Books Day” is also celebrated. For a person like me who opened his eyes to see books all around, this one comes as a surprise. But as with all days this one too give another reason to cherish some moments which are long forgotten.

My first impression about books is the Ramayana that was housed in our house. I remember my mother reading it for us every evening. When I used to force her to go on, she would angrily tell me to read if I am that curious. I started reading early because I wanted to know what happens next in Ramayana!!

From then it has been an undivided romance with books. I remember reading all periodicals in my childhood from “Illustrated weekly of India” to “Chandamama”. Some of us friends made a decision to visit our library quite late but once we went there, our lives changed.

We had made a decision of reading whatever our hands lay on. We did not make a conscious choice of reading only a certain kind of literature. This, as I discovered later, helped me much to understand the breadth of literature. Somehow English fiction never really attracted me.

Today reading has taken a new meaning. Reading through computer has become the norm. But I still love walking through the narrow passages between books in Sapna Bookhouse (Kannada Section) and glancing through the wide variety it offers today. I would love to live my life like how Ambedkar dreamt – “In the lonely forest, amidst lots of books”.

Page 270 of 366 Saree ads

Just watch the Tamil Channels for some time. Irrespective of whether it is Sun, Sun Music or KTV you can see the ads of cloth showrooms continuously. Everyone has 3- 4 floors in their showroom with all amenities like basement parking, central AC and so on.

What is amazing is these guys seem to pull every other film actors to endorse their brand. You name anyone in Tamil film industry; they will be featuring in one of these brands. If one has to pull such saleable film stars, it is clear that they are doing roaring business.

The same goes even to gold shops of Chennai. Most of the times, the same place will offer both gold jewellary & clothes. But even sole gold traders seem to strike diamond in their business. Like the cloth showrooms even they release mega ads in TV roping in every film star.

Now we can see at least 2 saree showrooms regularly giving ads in TV here in Karnataka. Also. Feauting in these ads are some retired/semi-retired heroines. Probably in coming days we may see leading ladies of Kannada cinema posing for them. But there is a problem – will Rakshita ever wear a saree?

Page 271 of 366 Aamir’s asliyat

Tuesday, April 25, 2006

For all you people who were swayed away by the charisma of Aamir Khan here is a bit of reality. It was told that the NBA got a new high when Aamir Khan declared his support for its cause. Many said it is the hangover of “Rang de Basanti”. Whatever it was he supported Medha. But what is this?

He is seen with a bottle of Coke again. A bottle of diluted poison which is gulped by everyone from school kids to toothless old people in this country. Doesn’t Aamir Khan know that Medha unilaterally opposes these soft drinks? Does Aamir Khan support only NBA and no other principles of Medha.

Aamir Khan always remained with Coke. Shall we appreciate his loyalty? Or shall we pity him for not knowing the facts. It is well known that this is a company which got water for mere Rs.0.25/liter and made soft drinks which sells at Rs.10 per bottle. Does he know any thing at all regarding Coke?

This company sucks the ground water, packages that in fancy bottle and sells it at astronomical price. Because they suck so much from the land, we are denied our right share in ground water resources. But these guys first deny us water and then sell us the same water at higher price. There cannot be a bigger fraud than this!!

And this gentleman Aamir Khan supports them. When he just visits the dharna spot and makes some sound before TV cameras, the nation supposedly awakens!! There are talks about him becoming activist and all that. I hope people who went overboard celebrating Aamir Khan just take a moment to think on this line.

Page 272 of 366 Hostile World

Do you think whatever Bal Thakery says is rubbish? Are you the one who does not believe in the “Akand Hindu Rastra” concept of Sangh Parivar? Do you think “Kannada Rakshana Vedike” guys just create public nonsense? Do you believe that today’s world does not know boundaries?

Please see what is happening in UK. It recently changed the immigration rules. Now the Doctors who go to UK with a dream of training there and later get some good job are in trouble. The Government in UK has decided that the services of immigrants will be availed only if “home grown” Doctors are not available.

There is more shocking news. The British National Party (BNP) which is a far right wing political organization in UK is supposed to gain more votes this one. This is the party which says “Britain for British” meaning all others better leave the place. Now this is horrifying.

There is this backlash against immigrants in many places. What’s happening in UKmay be the pointer for future. Will the world turn into a hostile place where no one entertains foreigners to come and settle in their land? Does that mean “Karnataka Rakshana Vedike” & “Shiv Sena” which are stressing on driving off the “outsiders” will gain upper hand here also?

Horrifying thoughts - isn’t it?

Page 273 of 366 Nepal Crisis

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

How many times can you see the complete revolution as described in Marxist literature? Nepal has come close to that. The courage of the crowds who defied curfew orders and braved the bullets was awesome. The way they finished their task in few days is unbelievable.

Wondering whether anything similar can happen in India? Will Indians get frustrated with the administration and political parties here and start a revolution? Don’t say the situation in India is different than Nepal. Even if we do not have a monarchy, we have equally suppressing political parties.

Don’t we have the inheritance policy in our politics? We have 3 generations of same family ruling this country. And the country (supposedly) still wants more “service” form that family. Will our countrymen rise against this and start a revolution?

Amazing is the courage of Nepalies. They have even commanded the political parities to give them good administration. Even their PM designate was warned that if he does not fulfill their promise, he will be hanged!! Now that’s what we call complete revolution.

Will this ever happen in India?

Page 274 of 366 Student uprising

Friday, April 28, 2006

What the medicos have achieved in Delhi is something really appreciable. When the whole student community in this country was silent on the reservation issue, they have taken the issue to the forefront. Their courage is something other students should imitate.

Last year when the VC of Anna University in TN imposed dress code to engineering students, they protested. But their protests did not last long. Even in our university, when there was ban imposed on mobile phones, not one college students organized at least symbolic protests.

For those who thought that student protest (for a cause) is a thing of past, the Delhi medicos have provided some hope. Here were a bunch of young people determined to challenge the system because they thought it was not right. And reservation being such a sensitive issue, you need lot of guts to openly oppose that.

But there were some questions that remained unanswered. The reservation saga affects not only the medical colleges but even IIT’s and IIM’s. Surprisingly they were silent. Even a day after Delhi medicos came on streets, not even one IIT or IIM students have come openly to support them.

This is surprising! Are these people in IIT and IIM just bothered about placements and astronomical salaries? Are they insensitive to issues like this?

Page 275 of 366 Tear votes

What do you do when you are the widow of notorious brigand? If you are inIndia, you fight elections. That’s precisely what Muthulakshmi is doing. She is the wife of Veerappan who has now become a metaphor for political-criminal nexus in this country.

The character of Veerappan was shrouded in mystery. Why was he always available to a group of people (mainly journalists) and remain at large to police is still unknown. As many doubt there may be a possibility that he was a small time smuggler. The politicians of the regions must have used him as a mascot for their operations. Mystery even surrounded his death.

When he died, there was a news that his wife Muthulakshmi has launched a outfit to protect the rights of the tribals. She owed at that point of time that she would not enter politics. But as always, saying NO should be considered as first step in politics. She is contesting as independent candidate from Pennagaram constituency in Dharmapuri district. She is even expected to win after PMK extended its support.

Stories like this where the widow/children contest election hoping to win with sympathy votes is nothing new in India. When a politician dies, people look at their kin as natural candidates for contesting elections. This may be because our psyche is used to accepting inheritance in ruling.

I wonder whether same would happen anywhere else. Like if Bush dies suddenly, will Americans press for his son/daughter to take over?

Page 276 of 366 Wheat imports

Though we did not see the miracle, we had heard about it. When the country was importing food grains in 1960’s one man declared “Importing food grains is like importing unemployment”. This man revolutionized the agricultural landscape of this country. From importing wheat and rice, we were in the position of exporting them.

That miracle-maker M S Swaminathan will today be a worried man. For his dreams of achieving self-sufficiency in food production is not happening. That’s what the Government is telling us. It is importing wheat again this year. That too it is importing 3 million tons after paying Rs. 2000 crores.

What’s more? The Government has announced that it is contemplating on permitting the private players to import wheat. These people include biscuit and bread manufacturers. What is not told is that majority of these private companies are engaged in selling packaged wheat flour.

This trend is worrisome because there is no big shortage in wheat production. Government keeps insisting that it is the failure in “wheat procurement” that is prompting it to import wheat. That means wheat production is not hampered. It is only that Govt. cannot buy it.

This is because private buyers are paying more than Govt. prices. The failure of PDS has fuelled the growth of private players in food distribution. Do you remember when was the last time you went to Govt. ration shops (called Nyaya-bele angadi !!) to buy your monthly quota of food grains?

So the private market in wheat is heating up. Consequently they control the price. And Govt. spills its hand and imports wheat. It may look like Govt. is doing good by importing wheat. At least it is trying to control prices and give us food. Think! There are some hidden agendas.

Firstly, Govt. says it cannot pay more to farmers. But see this. If Govt. pays Rs. 650 per tonne for our farmers, it pays Rs. 900 for the same when it imports!! It does not

Page 277 of 366 require a Princeton economist to tell you that if the same or something less is paid to Indian farmer, they will readily sell their wheat to Govt.

Secondly, the timing of the wheat import raised questions. Just before George Bush visited India, the first announcement of wheat import was done. Many say that US is forcing India to buy wheat form them. Because of huge subsidies in US, their farmers can afford to sell it cheaper. So goes the argument.

Thirdly, the Govt. permitting the private players to import wheat is not logical. If Govt. cannot buy wheat it’s because private parties are buying at higher price. So now, if they are allowed to import wheat then even those prices should shoot up. So what will Govt. do then? Will it continue to import to import wheat at much higher prices?

So it looks like Govt. has taken the decision to import wheat not to help our farmers but to satisfy the demands of hidden hands. These things should be discussed in relation to our privatization policies. For now the fear is whether all this will lead to wheat farmer’s suicide. Let’s hope this fear remains in letters and never comes true.

Page 278 of 366 Vikram Buddhi

Saturday, April 29, 2006

I think the Vikram Buddhi case is important from several aspects. For starters, Vikram’s case is making headlines because he is an Indian student who is jailed in USA for threatening to kill Bush and others. It should be noted that his “threats” are some messages he posted in public forums.

This case is being discussed in many angles. One is to question the nature of “free speech” in US. The country was known to be tolerant for different voices. But this case is proving to be very difficult because it involves an Indian student who is pursuing Ph.D in Purdue University.

Secondly, this is seen as an example of new found worry among US administrators about their security threats. Their security watchdogs have reached new heights and no one is outside the suspect list. It is claimed that the hatred towards immigrants is being manifested in these ways.

Finally and most importantly, I feel this is a good case for computer security students. There is a feeling that if anonymity is a hallmark feature of cyber world. Little do people know that their identity can easily be unveiled by some intelligent ways. This case is an example for this.

One can download the entire criminal complaint lodged against Vikram from here. The case sheet runs like a defensive warfare textbook. Some techniques on how to trace the source of anonymous e-mails are also spilled out here. I strongly recommend this one to all engineering students.

Page 279 of 366 Career Ladder

Saturday, May 06, 2006

Promotions were very strictly defined in old economy. Whether it is in Govt. offices or in educational institutes, promotion is a closed issue. Everyone knows when their next promotion is due. Age and number of years in years in service was the lone parameter for promotion; not anymore.

Today’s employees in software world see promotions faster than anyone. Yearly appraisal can give you a promotion and so is your performance in a particular project. If client is happy with your service you may get promoted and so when your boss is happy at your work. Promotions today come easily.

This is not to undermine the amount of work people put in. Nor am I telling that they do not deserve them. I am just wondering where all these promotions will lead into. I mean in the old economy things were fixed. If you joined as teacher in a school you would retire as Head Master.

But today people get promoted to managerial positions quite early. What will they do next? Is there any scope for future promotions? Can everyone be CEO or President? This is the question we need to answer. Probably IT industry is not thinking in these lines because there are hardly any “veterans” in this industry.

Since the industry itself started in India in around 1980’s, even the beginners must have put in 25 years of service. Most of who started their journey in those days are now in top positions. What about people who have started the carrier now? Where will they land up?

Clearly not everyone can end up in top positions plainly because there will not be that many vacancies. So where will they be accommodated? Not everyone who is working now will continue in this field for long. As we have seen, the number of persons who are quitting their jobs is increasing.

This promotion thing will become stagnant at some point of time. It will fail to motivate people after reaching a certain level. Today the challenge for IT companies is to find suitable candidate for top positions. Tomorrow it may have to face the problem of surplus. Is the industry ready for that?

Page 280 of 366 Language no bar

Monday, May 08, 2006

How many times have you felt that you should break your head after listening Ramya speaking in Kannada? Chances are few because she rarely speaks in Kannada. Now it’s just a fashion for all our local heroines to speak in English though they are interviewed by DD CHANDANA!!

But do not get confused when Puri Jaganath or Meher Ramesh (who directed Puneet starter AJAY) speaks in English. Chances are that they sincerely do not know Kannada. But these guys do not find this as a handicap while directing Kannada movies. Well if Udit Narayan can sing in Kannada why not these guys?

Just check out the hit songs in Kannada from past 2 years. you will rarely find a song sung by Rajesh Krishna or Shashidhar Kote. Most of the hits are delivered by Udit, Sonu Nagam and even Kunal Ganjawala. Even female voices come from outside. The mistakes these guys commit while singing is something unforgivable.

Even the music directors cross language barriers. Remember Anu Malik scoring tunes for “Love”. You can always argue by saying that even Rahman does not know Hindi well but he provides music to bollywood blockbusters. Music, you can pardon because it is much above words.

But direction? I wonder how someone can direct a movie in a language one cannot speak. If you say the script and screenplay will be written by someone, then what is the job of the director? If these guys claim that they can direct the movies in Kannada without knowing the language, then I think even Shakespeare should be given Jnanapeeta award for his contribution to Hindi literature!!

Page 281 of 366 Election promises

I was in Chennai last week when heat of elections was overtaking the sun’s burning powers. The elections in TN this time is supposed to be absolute thriller. But how far we can rely on exit polls is the question especially after the spectacular defeat of NDA in last assembly elections when everyone had predicted their victory.

This election, as I see, is no different. There may be huge cries about the promises made by DMK and matching/more promises delivered by AIADMK. But frankly I am surprised by the whole media reacting hysterically to these things. Tell me, is there any election in India which goes without promises?

We all have heard the “Garibi Hatao” slogan which was supposed to have helped Congress win elections. We have also witnessed BJP climbing to power on the promise that they will build the Ram Mandir. Eliminating poverty and unemployment, providing drinking water – every party’s manifesto promises you this.

But we have matured enough to understand that these promises are just to be heard. We know it should never be considered seriously. For that matter, you can consider politicians are “promising people” – those who make promises but never bother to fulfill them!!

If we have to control this, there is only one route. Make the politicians accountable. When the party comes to power and does not deliver the promises that it made, then they should be pulled to court. Cheating case should be lodged against them. Only then we can control this “promise syndrome” which catches politicians during election times.

Page 282 of 366 Lok Paritrana

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

With the completion of elections in TN, one new chapter in Indian politics has opened up. That is the emergence of new political party “Lok Paritran”. Started by the educated foreign-returned and mostly IIT’ans this party is making news. Their progress will be watched keenly in coming days.

Their story made headlines because it was projected as IIT-young guys-party. But their candidates for elections do not necessarily reflect this image. Take their candidates Rajamany who is 56 years and Prema Kannan who is 56 years. The former is a NRI businessman and the lady is a home maker.

In fact, none of the 7 candidates contesting elections this time are IIT’ans. But that does not make their act less important. What is interesting is they come from various backgrounds with expertise in areas like wireless communication. More than anything the awareness they have created is impressive.

I have received first hand information on how the student community in Chennai is supporting this party. I think this is important. Once they are able to create a solid base among the student community, they can look forward. Winning, I know, may not be their priority right now.

Over the years, as the popularity of the party grows, they may have to address new issues. They cannot rely on the 18-25 aged urban, educated guys forever. Indian political terrain is far more complex than we can understand. So they may have to change their priorities later.

Lok Paritran is an interesting experiment. Firstly because some one from urban middle class society has decided to plunge into politics which was hitherto a strict no-no for that class. Secondly seeing the response they are getting from the ground, there is a reason to believe that they will survive for long.

When most of us simply kept talking about the need for change in the present political system, a bunch of guys have started the process. It will be better for the

Page 283 of 366 health of the country to support such alternatives. I wish they will continue to survive for long and create some impression in the political scene of this country.

I want to sound a word of caution at the end. Politics is a power game where money and muscle power write the laws. These two things bring along corruption which forces people to misuse their power. And election has become a trade which is kept at distance by urban middle class.

Paritrana has to learn to tackle these issues if it is serious in its business. Educated class cannot be the mainstay of any political party in this country. To deal with the money power of the existing parties will the difficult task for them. They have spoken at length about ethics in public life in their manifesto. This country has witnessed many ideologists turning into corrupts after attaining power.

I sincerely hope Paritrana will be an exception for this trend.

Page 284 of 366 Killing a Town

There was this Tamil movie CITIZEN starring Ajith released before few years. It narrated the story of a person trying to bring out a hidden truth. One village was erased from the official records and this man was determined to tell the story of how this horrifying incident happened.

This story flashed in my mind when I heard that SOMVARPET is being deleted from assembly constituency list. There has been an attempt to revise the list and some places are vomited from the list. SOMVARPET which is one of the three assembly constituencies in Coorg is included in this list.

To say I am shocked may be an understatement. I am angered and deeply hurt by the apathy of politicians towards Coorg. This is a place which has 3 seats in assembly and 1 seat (VIRAJPET) is a reserved constituency. Now if SOMVARPET is deleted, Coorg will be left with only one general seat in assembly.

Deleting an assembly constituency is a crime. I fail to understand how anyone can discontinue an existing seat. Bifurcation makes sense because there is always upward growth in population. But deleting? I do not know how anyone can substantiate this move.

Coorg has always been neglected in political circles. It does not have a parliament member representing it. Coorg is merged with Mangalore constituency for parliament election. The arithmetic favors the candidate from Mangalore region. So invariably Coorg does not get a genuine representative to voice its concerns inDelhi.

As I know VIRAJPET does not have a sizable SC/ST population to support the reservation of that assembly seat. We have seen political parties bringing outsiders to contest elections because they cannot find suitable local persons. The policy of rotating the reserved constituencies is not followed.

Now with SOMVARPET being deleted from the list, only MADIKERI will be able to send the genuine representative to assembly. I really pity the people of Coorg. First they do not have voice in Delhi and now their number in Bangalore is also cut down. If the situation continues like this Coorg may well become extinct in political books of this country.

It is steps like these which force people like me to speak for separate state for Coorg. We hope at least by being dissent, our voices will be heard by the concerned. I mean for how long we can take this humiliation without speaking out. Mind you, it is this kind of intolerance among people in Punjab and Kashmir which forced them to take arms.

Page 285 of 366 Govt. Websites

We seem to be in an impression that development is a word that is never heard in Government corridors. Talk of anything new in Technology or management philosophy; we think these things can never be implemented in Government bodies. We think they are isolated from advancements in this world.

Improving profits, we think, is again something which these bodies never bother about. That is why we are surprised when we hear about the huge profits Indian Railways have made this year. We believe that Govt. agencies are there just to provide services in subsidized rate; even efficiency is expected to be subsidized here!!

But one may be surprised to see the extent of computerization in these Govt. agencies. They are probably the greatest customers for automation work in India. From Indian Railways to Local Panchayats, computerization is happening in full swing.

Take for example the Govt. of India portal. It provides the links for all Govt. bodies in a clean layout. One look at the President’s website is enough to understand the extent of automation. Even different departments have maintained their websites pretty well.

These websites are storehouses of information. From the site of Loksabha and Rajyasabha one can get the bills passed in the Parliament. One can also look into the debates that happen in Parliament. It can prove to be important source of information for serious researchers.

The Right to Information Act has changed lot of things. Among many, it has forced the various departments to disclose most of their data (including the meeting details). Govt. of India and National Informatics Centerwhich implemented this should be commended for this job.

But there is a flip side for all these. I was disappointed to see the salary and other perks given to the MP’s. The Salary Act is something which gets passed in Parliament without any debate. The entire act is availablehere and also here. It makes depressing reading.

I feel the Government agencies are far ahead in automating than many private bodies. Many colleges and companies take little trouble to update their sites with concurrent data. Though some sites of Govt. are poorly maintained, the overall maintenance is more than satisfactory.

Considering the size, bureaucratic nature and redtapism that exist in Govt. agencies, this step is extremely welcome. I hope RTI will further push these organizations to disclose more information and improve transparency. Transparency, as we know, is essential for smooth running of Democracy.

Page 286 of 366 Kannada Poem

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Page 287 of 366 Bengal & Left

I am not a psephologist but as every person in this country I am trying to make sense of this election. Among all the results announced today, my imagination is caught by the Bengal results. Here is a state which just does not want to end its romance with left.

Bengal may be the only place in this world where Leftists have been so very successful. I mean usually the trend is that Marxists “march to power” through revolutions. But here there are returned to power by a democratic process! However contradictory it may appear, Bengal has proved Democracy and Communism can coexist.

Unlike Kerala which is another state where Left rules, Bengal has always stayed with Marxists. It is amazing that they win around 200 seats more than their closest competitor. This kind of clean sweep makes the mandate more credible. But the question as to why only left in Bengal remains unanswered.

Few say it is divided opposition and few say it is the flexibility Left has demonstrated with regard to liberalization. It is said that their CM is eager to get Wall-Mart into Kolkota!! Left holding privatization cards may appear little out of place but that is happening in Bengal.

As many see it is the deep intellectual nature of Bengalies which is keeping Left afloat in Bengal. Unlike other parties, supporters of Left will always be intellectuals who have read, understood and approve Marxism. As it is widely believed Bengal Universities still preaches enough of Marx to keep the movement alive.

Page 288 of 366 I believe that this argument has some teeth. The street of Kolkota, as I have witnessed has the aura of Leftist sentiments. Though people of other states are also politically conscious, Bengalies seem to be more sentimental regarding the intellectual appeal of Leftist theories.

Intellectual chauvinism, I think, is the reason why Bengalies continue to support Left even after keeping them in power for almost 3 decades.

Page 289 of 366 Scapegoats

Thursday, May 11, 2006

One of the things I remember from my school days is running to school office every hour to fetch a piece of chalk for that class. And I recall the office superintendent hesitating to give more than 2 pieces of chalk for each class and our mathematics teacher always had problem with this.

And duster was something I never knew was available in market. We were asked to prepare dusters by filling waste clothes into neat cloth in square shape. This when stitched with a “handler” would become duster for our teachers. It was only when I came to Bangalore I realized the real form of duster.

I never knew the reason why teachers asked us to make dusters or why the office guy was grumbling while giving a piece of chalk. But recently I came to know that this is happening because the school does not get enough funds to buy required stock of chalks and dusters.

The yearly contingency amount released by Government to schools is less than monthly pocket money college students carry these days. It is utterly shameful that teachers are denied the basic amenities needed to teach in classrooms. To deny a chalk to teacher is utterly disgraceful.

Every Government tries to change the educational policies once it comes to power. And primary school teachers become the experimental species’. So when Govt. decides every kid should attend school, these teachers go around in bus stops and slums looking for any kid who misses the classes.

Page 290 of 366 Do you know that primary school teachers in Karnataka are made to sing and dance before the houses of poor people? That is because through their dance and song routine, they are supposed to remove the fear among the parents regarding punishment in schools!!

The teachers in Govt. schools (mostly who are women) are asked to spend one night in the school with the students. This, Govt. thinks will increase the relation between the teachers and students. The plight of teachers in Govt. primary schools is probably the worst among all Govt. employees.

Education is a holy business and teachers expect minimum freedom in their jobs. If Govt. insists that it will cut the salaries of teachers if their students fail in exam, what will its impact on the working of teacher? Amidst cooking meals to students, conducting numerous surveys, dancing in front of parents – teaches of Govt. schools will really not get any time to do their job - teaching.

Page 291 of 366 Follow the Losers

Friday, May 12, 2006

The elections are over and media is patting itself for predicting the outcome correctly. We are being treated with the pictures of jubilant celebrations all across the country. Hidden from the eyes of the media are the losers. Though Mamta Banerjee did speak to media, Jayalalitha did not.

But that is not my problem. My question is why is media is silent on the performance of Vijayakanth in TN? Even THE HINDU did not say anything about the party started by him. If I recall correctly, his party was supposed to get some 10% seats. Did he get that?

I do not know. No prominent news channel has given out these details. The same holds good for LOK PARITRANA. I do not know what their vote share is nor am I aware about any candidate winning under the party’s ticket. I squarely blame the apathy of print and TV media for this.

The other irritating development these days is seeing the same faces in all major English news channels. I mean have you seen anyone apart from Kapil Sibal, Singhvi and Jayanthi Natarajan speaking for Congress on TV? The same goes for BJP. Even they have the same faces doing rounds to all TV channels.

Media should understand that not all viewers are interested in just knowing the winners. There will be at least few who are even interested to know the details of losers. After all for them, news is not only about winners; Even losers matters!!

Page 292 of 366 TV Astrology

It was only after coming to Bangalore did I realize the demand for phone-in astrologers. In my home town, astrology was something confined to seeing the auspicious dates. Though there were some palmists and on-the-fly astrologists who stayed in lodges for months, they did not receive much attention.

There was one such astrologer who stayed close to our house. I did notice that crowds thronging his house were mainly Muslims and particularly the female folks. Once I did manage to enter his house. He wanted me to help him in installing the astrology software in his newly procured computer.

He did share with me some of the finer aspects of this profession. He was straightforward in accepting that he was providing some relief and hope to his “patients”. It is other point that I did not approve this argument because I always felt that the hope which these people give is mostly false.

Though people did make a beeline to meet him, there was not a good opinion about the guy. People, especially the middle and affluent class, kept away from him. His operations limited to the poor, uneducated guys who lent not more than 10-20 rupees for his advice.

But in Bangalore this profession seems to have gained new heights. Come weekends, you can see many astrologers engaging in “real time consultation” with their clients through local channels. I see these programs with amusement. The way these guys handle the situation is quite educative.

There are astrologers who feed your details to computer before predicting, there are few who analyze your name and then there are some genius guys who do not require any detail. You call them and they start offering you suggestions to improve your failing health, broken marriages, sinking business and what not.

There can be little doubt that these guys are just there to fool gullible people and milk as much money as they can. But it is surprising that so many of them keep calling these guys. Is the world around me so foolish that it cannot identify the uselessness of these things?

Page 293 of 366 I have a question for all these people who believe in numerology. These guys suggest changing the spelling of everyone’s name for better luck. Now, if I write my name in English, I can change the spelling. But what is I am writing my name in Kannada? They can ask the spelling of SITA to be changed to SEETHA. But when I write it in Kannada (or any Indian language) it still remains the same.

But people do not seem to bother about these simple things. They continue to pour in their hard earned money into the pockets of these frauds. If by wearing gems, chanting names, performing poojas or changing spelling one’s luck would change, then the world would have no losers at all.

Page 294 of 366 One world

Saturday, May 13, 2006

There was this Tamil Song which suddenly became a chartbuster. It featured a singer who is wearing black sun glasses and whose assistant is holding mike to him. Young actress Malavika dances to his tunes. The song, dance and the whole setup appears rather crude and rustic.

The sudden success of this song surprised me. Determined to find the reason behind its success, I contacted my cousin in Chennai. He was rather embarrassed at my query. He opinioned that this song was not approved by members who belonged to his world – guys who speak English and work in IT companies.

This dichotomy seems to exist in every society. One section still tries to hang on to age old values and other embraces the new world with enthusiasm. The presence of two contrasting worlds in a society is a problem every civilization has to go through. From small village in remote India to Beijing, this problem has troubled everyone.

Yesterday there was an interesting program in NDTV which covered how Beijing was preparing itself for hosting Olympics. One of the main things they are doing is teaching Chinese to speak English. Form Taxi Drivers to Housemaids, everyone is given English training in a mission mode.

Teaching English is not an isolated activity. I always feel that the language is closely linked to ones culture. So when you learn a foreign language you just don’t learn new words but adopt a new culture itself. Now this is what is dangerous for any society.

But this seems to be inevitable these days. The world is becoming flatter and global corporatization is making sure that national cultures are ironed off to create a uniform looking world. We seem to drink, eat and see same things irrespective of where we are in this world.

Is this the new interpretation of our age old proclamation – “Vasudaiva kutumbakam”??

Page 295 of 366 Expensive Education

Recently my college decided that it will not entertain CET students from this academic year. This means that COMED-K was the sole entry point for students of all categories. While the college is mum about reservations, it appears to me that it has also not taken any decision on fee subsidization to meritorious students.

This effectively means any person wanting admission in our college should shell our more than Rs.1 lakh as fees every year. Quite shocking amount for me! I think I would never enter this college if this was the price tag. But again this may change if Govt. decides to take over certain percentage of seats.

But this horrifying price tag may not surprise many. I recently learnt that a neighborhood school charges Rs.2500/- as monthly fee!! That too for kindergarten classes!!! The same management supposedly runs another school where the monthly fee is cool Rs.5000/-

If parents are ready to pay so much for nursery schools, I think 1 lakh/year price tag for engineering education is not much. But how many can afford these prices is the question. I wonder why the price of education has gone this high. We are not teaching anything drastically different from what we learnt to justify the high price.

The question here is about the validity of such huge price tags attached to education. With rampant privatization in education sector and increase in demand for English education in primary level and later in professional education, this was bound to happen.

In a privatized world like ours, can Govt. take necessary policy decisions to check the growing prices of education is an interesting question to ponder over.

Page 296 of 366 Shocking SSLC Results

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

This year’s SSLC exams heralded the arrival of a new era. By introducing the multiple choice questions, many argue the quality of exams was diluted. Amidst the debates about the scheme of examination, the results are announced. And this has further fuelled the arguments wanting the new scheme to end.

The undivided South Canara (Dakshina Kannada) always stood apart due to its high academic standards. The education imparted here was considered to be better and this was reflected in the annual board exam results. I do not remember any instance where Canara failed to secure top position in SSLC exams.

This trend continued till last year. But this year came a real shocker. Canara was pushed to 15’th position. Districts which were hitherto considered notorious for malpractices in exams were occupying top 10 positions. The state also witnessed record pass percentage, thanks to better performance to these districts.

Everyone knew the reason behind this. For people involving in malpractice it was good season. Now copying was lot more easier. Can anyone forget how ETV Kannada had successfully caught the teachers helping the students last year? Those teachers would have rejoiced this time since they were no more required to write answers on board. It was far simpler this time!!!

The results this time have proved that the objective type exam for SSLC encourages malpractice. If people who follow unethical means in exams get away with flying colors, the morale of hard working students and dedicated teachers will be hurt in a long run.

This present exam pattern for SSLC is a farce on our education system and it should be discontinued right now.

Page 297 of 366 A New Beginning

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

I had deliberately taken some time off from writing this blog. I used this time to critically analyze my writings. Needless to say, I am not that happy with it. I feel the time has come for me to rethink on my style of writing in this blog.

In these days I have been seriously thinking on one issue – Can blogging be considered as a separate form of literature (like poetry, novels etc) or is it just a new publishing medium?

Most of the bloggers seem to consider blog just as another publishing medium. They write whatever they want; whether it is poetry or short stories, opinion based pieces or formulating new theory – and then publish it in blogs. Because blogs gives people the ultimate freedom to compose the articles (with photos), blogs seem to hit more as publishing medium.

I think the time has come for us to think whether blogging is a separate literary form in itself. To answer this question, we need to understand the limitations and strengths of this medium. A small background understanding on the differences between various literary forms may also be helpful.

Every writer will tell you that no two forms of literature share anything in common. I mean when I have to write poetry, I “see” a poem. It is not that an idea gets down into lyrics and forms a poem. Similarly when an author listens to two characters speaking to each other, a story emerges. (It is said that the great saint-poet Valmiki had this power and thus emerged Ramayana. It is also claimed that he had the power of understanding the conversation a character has with itself. )

Anyway, if blogging is indeed considered as a separate literary form, then I have to think on ways to make it different from say – essay writing or opinion based pieces. More often than not, my writings in this blog have followed these two styles. Now if I have to establish blog as a separate literary form, I should try to break this style.

From now onwards, this will be my job. To explore the wide array of opportunities blogs provide and fuse them with different form of writing. Through this blog, I intend to see whether it is possible to invent a new form of creative writing which goes beyond the definitions of established literary forms.

Whether this experiment will succeed? I do not know. Will this blog be different? I think so. But I think I have begun the new journey through this piece itself.

I have also decided that I must give more importance to my Kannada blog. There are reasons for this. Since I mostly think in Kannada, it is better for me to start my experimentation there. From now onwards, my Kannada blog will be of primary interest to me. I have already written my first new kind of article there. I hope to remain active there more than here.

Blogging as a creative form of writing is extremely tough. The public scrutiny you have to face when you make your writings public can be frustrating at times. Since it is simple to write and publish, there is also fear of being addictive to writing.

With all these new thinking I am starting a new journey in blogging.

Page 298 of 366 Opposites can meet- the power of debating

Thursday, May 25, 2006

It is not often that you find two people with different philosophical beliefs engaging in conversation. It is often thought that two competing philosophies can never reach a common ground. There have been instances where wars have been fought to establish the supremacy of a particular belief.

The clash between beliefs is one of the serious problems of our times. There are very few people today who feel they can resolve the differences through dialogue and discussion. This time around I want to write on various instances in our history where such attempts were made.

The first case I will take up is the famous debate Sankara had with Mandana Misra (and his wife). Second is a case of Dr. Flew who let down the entire atheist community by declaring that he has changed his position after talking to Habermas. The third is an interesting dialogue between Goparaju Ramachandra Rao (Gora) and Gandhi.

There is a reason why I have picked up these cases. All the three cases present the fight between intellectuals. Both parties in these debates were enlightened souls and greats in themselves. When two people, both who are committed to their ideology meet, there can be interesting dialogue. The greatness of these people, as we will see, lies in them accepting other’s viewpoint.

One more reason for picking up these cases is that they involve intense debate about theism and atheism. Maybe the first case is an exception for this. Sankara – Misra debate was about 2 braches of philosophy. But the later two cases are debates between theists and atheists. More often than not, theists dismiss atheists as arrogant and senseless people. In this regard, people like Gandhi listening to a hardcore atheist like Gora gains significance.

With this introduction let’s come to the matter.

India has a rich history of learning through enquiry. Throughout our epics, mythology and history we see people relying on questioning to gain new knowledge. In Upanishads we see a small boy NACHIKETA who started questing YAMA. By restoring to the method of questioning, the young lad understands the complex phenomenon of life, death, afterbirth etc.

In Mahabharata, we find instances on how people used conversation to gain new knowledge. What is Bhagavad-Gita but dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna. Through his questions Arjuna forced Krishna to reveal the information on different forms of Yogas.

Even during the days of Buddhism, this practice of understanding through dialogue remained. Though I cannot recall the name I remember the story of an aged Brahmin losing a debate on philosophy to a young Buddhist monk. It was told that the Brahmin did not think twice on becoming the disciple of that monk who was much younger than him.

Karnataka witnessed one of the greatest revolutions in 12’Th century under Basavanna. The “Anubhava Mantapa” which they created was also a forum to settle

Page 299 of 366 issues and exchange ideas through dialogue and debate. I have heard that during British Raj, people belonging to 2 communities arranged for a public debate to decide the correct way of wearing sandal paste in forehead (horizontal or vertical). I remember reading that the particular event was cancelled by the Raj fearing violence.

So it is clear that debate and dialogue have remained a method to gain knowledge. Even in Bhagavad-Gita,Krishna says “tatviddi pariprashnena” (4:38) meaning “learn through questioning”.

At least now, I think I can start the cases I want to discuss.

Sankara’s dialogue with Mandana Misra started because Shankara had disturbed Misra while he was performing some religious activity. When Misra started abusing Sankara, he challenged him for a debate over philosophy. Misra, a known proponent of Karma Meemamsa set a difficult bet for the debate.

If Sankara lost, he had to accept “Grihastashrama” (become householder) and if Misra failed he had to accept sanyasa that too from his wife. The debate was umpired by Misra’s wife Bharathi. (Bharathi is said to be the cursed goddess Saraswathi).

Bharathi is said to be great philosopher in herself. She did not bother to listen to their arguments which went on for many days. She put a garland on both of them and said loser will the one whose garland fades first. And she engaged herself with household chores.

Misra’s garland began to fade and he conceded defeat. By then Bharathi declared that since she is the wife of Mandana Misra, Sankara’s victory comes only after defeating her. Sankara took exception of arguing with a female. But Bharathi did not give up.

The resulting debate between Sankara and Bharathi resulted in no winner. Then Bharathi began questioning Sankara on sexual matters. Sankara, being a sanyasi, could not answer them. It is said that Sankara then went into the body of a dead king and learnt all that. When returned back, he won the debate.

Page 300 of 366 Mandana Misra was named “Sureshwara Acharya” after receiving sanyas. It was this man who later took over the Sringeri Mutt as its first Peetadipathi. It is said that even Bharathi accompanied Sankara to Sringeri.

Now this case is interesting to me for two reasons. One is because it appears that parts of this story relating to Sankara getting into dead king’s body is cooked later to increase the appeal of this story. But more importantly I feel the story celebrates the Indian spirit of debating even if it means deserting their age old beliefs.

While Sankara was a theorist par excellence when propagating Advaita, he was also practical. This aspect helped him to establish his thoughts far more effectively. What happens when one does not back his theory with working ideas? The next case will tell us.

This is a case of pure atheist Prof. Anthony Flew who shocked the world by changing his position in 2004.

Prof. Flew was a distinguished atheist. He was the person who told that atheism should be presupposed until the proof for existence of God unearths. Western Philosophers have been proposing many theories to establish the existence of God. (I have analyzed almost all of them elsewhere in this blog). Flew went to disprove all these theories.

Flew’s debate with Gary Habermas on the issue of resurrection of Jesus is considered to the source for Flew’s change of stand. Flew and Habermas discussed this issue publicly many times starting from 1985. It is said that both maintained good friendship despite having differences in opinions.

Page 301 of 366 In early 2004, Flew reportedly informed Habermas that he had become theist. Subsequently Habermas interviewed Flew. This interview which was later published with the title “Atheist Becomes Theist - Exclusive Interview with Former Atheist Antony Flew” is something which shocked the world. (It is said that Flew agreed to this title)

Here was a man who was the mascot for atheist movement suddenly turning the sides. Though I was not aware of Flew in 2004, I was pretty surprised after reading this interview. Though he does not accept the concept of God in religions such as Christianity and Islam, he nevertheless, accepts the possibility of his existence.

To be specific, Flew declared that his position can be identified with Deism. Deism advocates that while reason, mainly in the form of arguments to design, assures us that there is a God, there is no room either for any supernatural revelation of that God or for any transactions between that God and individual human beings.

So Flew did not accept the personal god. As he himself asserted in that interview he accepted this position because of apparent impossibility of providing a naturalistic theory of the origin from DNA of the first reproducing species. He felt God should be looked up only as “First Cause” (a theory which says everything has a cause and this cause-chain should be limited. Since nothing can cause itself, it establishes the need for a creator. God, it is argued, is such a creator)

What interests to me in this story is the change Flew made in his stand. Was he influenced by Habermas? It does not look so. Because Flew did not accept life after death nor did he accept that resurrection of Jesus was a historical event. So why did Flew change?

I think he changed because atheism was just another theory to him. A theory which could be discarded the moment he was not comfortable with certain issues in it. If one sees the reason Flew gives for him accepting the existence of God, it is purely theoretical. The failure to convince others about atheism forced Flew to change his stand.

I do not think atheism failed because Flew conceded defeat. If one is true to his convictions, he can never fail. The next case which I take up is an example in this direction.

This is the case of Goparaju Ramachandra Rao (Gora) probably the most influential and practical atheistIndia has seen till date.

Page 302 of 366 Gora was born in an orthodox Brahmin family. He studied up to M.Sc. in the time before independence. His first step towards atheism was removing the sacred thread. His inclination towards atheism grew as he encountered more opposition from the society. By the time he started teaching in college as lecturer, he had already become a complete atheist.

His stand regarding atheism was more positive. It looks like he wanted to establish value based society devoid of all social evils. And atheism was the way for him because most of the social problems were related to religious beliefs. His achievement lies in making people around him understand his philosophy.

In his autobiography “We become atheists”, he explains how even his parents who were orthodox accepted his theory later. He had persuaded his wife to follow atheism and his children also took his path. This I feel is an achievement in itself considering the hardships he had to face in his life because of his atheistic beliefs.

He was removed from his job not once but twice on the grounds that he was propagating atheism. The path he took to brave this trouble was awesome. He started living a public life. Meaning he gave up all private property. From the hut he lived to his children’s education everything was supported and funded by well wishers and general public.

I do not any person apart from Gandhi who led such life. For Gandhi this should have been easy because of his popularity. But a person like Gora, who being atheist, led his entire life through public support. This is what I find amazing.

Gora did not limit himself to preaching and establishing Godlessness. His main intention for social reform and that he did with great devotion. His experiments with cosmopolitan dinners where people from all castes ate together should be considered as a social revolution. He also engaged himself in adult literacy, widow remarriage etc which was very relevant at that point of time.

When atheism was used as a powerful political tool in Tamil Nadu by Periyar and others, Gora used it for a social cause. (It is said that even Karunanidhi had this practice of saying “there is no God” three times before starting his speech. One more political stunt in the name of atheism) For Gora, atheism was not just another philosophical theory; it was a way of life. For those who feel that atheism means living without morals, his life can be an example.

It has been widely claimed that the belief in God is important for the society to have morals. The punishing power of God, people argue, forces people to take moral path. Gora systematically disproved this theory by establishing an entire village which did not require God for its well being.

Page 303 of 366 Gora was very much attracted towards Gandhi’s philosophy. But there were differences in their approaches. For Gandhi the belief in God was an integral part of the freedom struggle as well his social reform movement. But for Gora, social reform without the belief in God was possible and he had proved that.

The meeting between these two seemingly opposite poles happened regularly, though for small durations. It has been recorded in the book titled “An atheist with Gandhi”. The books finely etch the character of Gandhi as a compassionate soul ready to embrace even his toughest opponents.

Gandhi’s face-off with some famous personalities is a well recorded history. How Gandhi handled Ambedkar and even Bose is discussed even today. Gandhi’s cold feet towards the casue of Bhagath Singh and friends have been debated fiercely. But they were all opposing his political workings.

But Gora had differences with Gandhi regarding his philosophical beliefs. He was never interfering in Gandhi’s political work. In fact it appears that Gora was in Congress until Gandhi died. Later Gora associated himself with Jayaprakash Narayan during his historic “Sarvadaya” movement. He was also later promoting “partyless democracy” in India.

Anyway, the meeting between Gora and Gandhi as recorded in the book, appears to be an event which went on pretty smoothly. Though Gandhi said to Gora - “You have tried atheism sufficiently long. Now, you give up the term atheism. It does not help your work”, he urged him only to remove term “atheism”; not his work.

This stand taken my Gandhi is really appreciable. You can find many more instances in the book where Gandhi became more accommodative to Gora’s ideas. When Gora wanted to dissect a frog in his class, several ashramites objected on the grounds that it violates the “ahimsa” followed in Gandhi’s ashram. But the man himself agreed to it saying “it is not wrong to cut frog it is the only way to learn its heart”.

Both Gora and Gandhi knew that they could not change their respective positions. But that did not come in between their friendship. This kind of dialogue is what was missing in Flew’s case. I feel had Flew been practical atheist he would not accept theism so easily.

In these 3 cases you can find three distinct ways of debating. All these things flashed to me because of one reason – blogging.

Blogs have created spaces for people to debate and discuss. Now whether this is happening is the question. To debate does not mean posting comments. I have presented 3 models for debating. They are

1. Do anything to win the debate as Sankara did 2. Habermas’s approach of influencing the opponent to change his position 3. Gandhi and Gora’s method of accepting differences and still remaining friends

Bloggers should think on which way they will proceed.

Page 304 of 366 Teachers as Judges

Thursday, June 15, 2006

Judging is no simple task. Every professional from Doctor to Engineer basically acts as a judge. A Doctor Judges the health condition of the patient. He can judge the situation by the knowledge he has gained through his studies. The experience he has collected over the years also comes handy. The same is true for all professions. They all have fixed procedures for judging the situations.

Nothing better can explain this than the legal system where the decision making procedure is somewhat mechanical. The decisions to be taken are well documented and all complex conditions are taken into consideration by the law makers. In addition to various codes, the previous judgments are also referred to. Over all the task of judging is fairly simple since the procedure is well documented.

In most of the professional scenarios, the judging mechanism is simply applying “if- then-else” logic. This is what I call as mechanical judgment. Here the individual preferences have no place and the judgment is considered to be fair. The person who is judging also need not suffer from a moral dilemma since he can substantiate his decision making procedure.

Have you wondered one thing? None of the sports really have a judge who decides the winner. In all sports events I can think of, the winner “emerges”. The role of judge (like umpire, referee etc) is just to see that everyone follow the rules. All sports are designed in such a way that after a while, one party loses the game to another. This is a good concept since it avoids the concept of judging completely.

But not all situations are like the above. Most of the judgment we do in life do not follow a fixed procedure. Take for example those countless competitions (talent- hunts) in TV these days. Every competition needs a judge and invariably there will be one celebrity judge (meaning he/she does not a clue about what’s happening there on stage). This leaves the burden of selecting a winner to other recognized judges.

In most of these shows I have found that the person I am backing never really wins. I am not really trained to judge music but most of the judges who feature in TV also do not. But still I have found that my decision never really matches with the judges. I take console in the argument that TRP rules the decision taken by them and not really the talent (not to speak of looks and oomph factor).

Anyway it can be really tough to judge these kinds of events. I had an experience before few years where I was called as a judge for an elocution contest. The competition which was held for high school students attracted nearly 60 candidates. The worst part was all were speaking on same issue. I really regretted my decision for agreeing to be the judge and vowed never to repeat the same.

How can one judge the performance of anything in a given setting? It may be interesting to see into these aspects. But now I am not interested to discuss these things but focus on one aspect of judging. Teachers have this burden of judging the students performance. Being a teacher for some time now I have some thoughts to share. Since I teach the undergraduate engg students my writing here will reflect the happenings of only this world.

Page 305 of 366 Many universities abroad give the flexibility of choosing the evaluation scheme to teachers. Regular evaluation methods like surprise quizzes, term papers, take home tests are tried. It is a general understanding that teacher is the best person to decide the evaluation scheme for his subject. But somehow in India the university prescribes a general evaluation schema applicable to all courses.

In the system in which I am working teachers have to evaluate the performance of students at 3 stages. One is the written test (internal tests and exams), practical tests (including projects) and technical seminars. Though given the chance I would get rid of written tests, unfortunately I cannot. Anyway I want to discuss on all these three evaluation mechanisms today. But before that there are some basic issues.

A teacher acting as a judge is rightly expected to be impartial. But any teacher worth his salt will tell you that it is almost impossible to be so. I mean it is not that you simply throw away marks once you find your favorite students paper or something like that. Though content should get preference over presentation, it is common knowledge that handwriting and neatness always scores over excellent content scribbled in paper.

Likewise in an opinion oriented piece, it is natural for a teacher to award more marks to the student who has taken his side. This cannot be simply dubbed as favoritism. And we have to remember that evaluation is always done in a relative scale. A teacher judges the answer of the student w.r.t the knowledge he has on the subject. So the judgment made by the teacher is never absolute.

Before speaking on evaluating the written papers, it is important to know one related thing. That is setting the question paper itself. I have always been looking for some theories/studies regarding this topic. My search has not yielded anything meaningful till now. Meanwhile I continue to experiment in setting different types of question papers.

All the while I have hated the concept of including the so called “important” topics in my paper. My logic for this goes as follows. What is the basic purpose for conducting the test? According to me it is to see whether the student has gained sufficient knowledge in the subject so that he can be certified that he has learnt that subject. Now, the keyword here is “understand”. So the paper which I give to my students basically aims to test this understanding more than anything.

Of all the question paper patterns, objective types are the simplest ones to evaluate. But as I have experienced it is toughest to prepare. Come on, if it is multiple choice questions, you have to search for 4 different answers for a questions (which all look quite correct). I often think that this one takes more time to prepare than answer. Anyway I also feel that for certain subjects, this objective type papers are not the right choice simply because there is no element of judging here and it leaves much to fate.

That leaves us with the usual essay type questions. Among the humanities students, it is almost a rule that they will get the marks in accordance with the number of pages one writes. Not many understand the burden a teacher has in reading these scripts. I for one had to read nearly 240 scripts last semester (for every test) and it can be really tiring. Given the huge strength and time constraints how effectively one can judge each paper is debatable.

Few universities have an elaborate evaluation procedure. In one such document which I recently studied, the grading scheme was explained in detail. The criteria for awarding various grades were as follows –

Page 306 of 366 D - No thesis or else it has one that is strikingly vague, broad, or uninteresting

C - Has a thesis, but it is vague and broad, or else it is uninteresting or obvious

B - Well organized, it presents a worthwhile and interesting idea, and the idea is supported by sound evidence presented in a neat and orderly way

A - Has all the good qualities of the B, but in addition it is lively, well paced, interesting, even exciting

Now how far can you understand this? And even of you understand will you be able to apply it? As a teacher I will firmly say that I cannot follow such cookbook recipe for awarding marks for my students. But mind you, the above grading system is not of a dabba institute but of HARVARD University!!

What I mean to say is evaluation is not such a simple thing and giving a formula for valuation even makes the situation complex. A teacher is a best guy to decide these issues and his freedom to do so should be upheld.

Though it is somewhat easy to evaluate practical tests since there is a expected result to be achieved, things can become complex when there is an element of design involved. Take for example an algorithms lab. A given problem like “Traveling Sales Man Problem” can be solved in multiple ways. Now should the teacher deliberately think over the best (optimal) design or simply see whether the intended result is achieved? Many take the safer route of later thereby avoiding any confusion.

Projects present a different set of dilemma. Project, by definition, has a fixed problem which it intends to solve. In a project viva, the basic question is to see the relevance of the project and this can be really complex. What criteria I may have in my mind for a BE project may be is completely different from my colleagues. In the absence any guidelines, I really face a very tough time deciding on the marks to be awarded for these projects.

Compared to all these, judging the technical seminars is quite simple. Somehow after listening to a person for few minutes, you will know the marks he should be awarded. I think the physical presence of the student plays an important role in quick decision making. If I am given the full powers of deciding on the evaluation criteria, I would surely give more priority to this aspect.

I have often heard criticisms such as “why don’t teachers give more marks? After all they are not losing anything by giving more marks” or “this teacher does not give more marks to me because I do not behave in his class”. I feel any teacher will think twice before being corrupt while he is judging (of course there are culprits everywhere). By and large teachers in this country (whom I have seen) are still strong in their professional ethics and it is not fare to blame them for poor scoring.

At this time two stories flash in my mind. I will end this long write-up by sharing them. One is a Hindi story which I read in school days. It was titled “Panch Parameshwar”. The story was about how Panch (village head/judge) can never lie or be partial once he is in that post. In the story there is this person A who is the Panch and he penalizes B for dong something wrong. This person B nourishes grudge against A and waits for an opportunity to take revenge.

He quickly gets the chance when A is accused of something and when the case comes before the Panchayat, B is made the judge. Now A was asked by the

Page 307 of 366 panchayat whether it is ok for him if B is the judge (given their old tussle). Then A says that Panch is like Parameshwar and there is no reason why he should doubt anyone who is Panch. This largely influences B who had the intention of punishing A. He acts impartial and releases A after he finds the allegations against him were false.

This story applies to most teachers and once anyone becomes teacher he/she will understand that every mark they award to student carries certain value. Therefore they will be very judicious in giving marks. Though they do not lose anything personally, they care for the dignity of marks and therefore do not throw away the marks.

The second story is filmed by Puttanna Kanagal. If I am not mistaken the story was by Giraddi Govindaraju. This movie by Kanagal was an experimental one featuring 3 small stories. This story was the first one where G K Govindrao acted as a University Professor. In that story the Professor is in pressure to award marks for a student who happens to be the son of a rich man. The wealthy father makes personal visit to the house of Professor to bribe him which the Professor rejects.

In a strange twist to the story the child of the Professor becomes ill and every attempt by the Professor to get medical treatment fails. The rich father learning this situation brings his family doctor and does everything necessary. This brings in a strange moral dilemma to the Professor. The upright Professor begins to think whether he has submitted himself to the rich man by accepting his favor.

This story catches my attention because it tries to capture the moral side of teachers. Every year we hear the stories of students who commit suicide for getting less mark. But does anyone think about the other side of the story. The burden of judging can be really tough on teachers. It’s high time our universities draw up a comprehensive plan to train the teachers in this regard.

Page 308 of 366 Online behavioral psychology

Monday, June 05, 2006

My interest in psychological aspects regarding Computers started when I was a student. Faced with a unique situation where I was not drawn to programming but analyzing the impact of IT, I came across a very interesting book titled “Psychology of Computer Programming”. This book tries to understand the reasons behind why certain person’s programming is considered to be superior to other’s programming styles.

I am not aware of any attempts done in this direction these days. It should be interesting to study the impact of high speed changes in programming terrain on the minds of programmers. But one area of IT which has received much attention from psychologists is Internet. They try to understand the cyberspace as a world complete with all details found in the real world. And they try to explain the slightest behavior of individuals in the cyber world through their deep understanding of human nature.

This makes very interesting reading. For most of us who spend much of our daily times online, the explanations these psychologists give can be a real revelation. In order to understand this phenomenon completely, I have been actively observing the different socializing groups in Internet from few weeks. Communities like ORKUT and services MYSPACE have been observed by me with special interest for the purpose of this write-up.

I have to make a special mention of one person whose writing has influenced me more than anyone. It is Dr. John Suler. His understanding of this subject seems to me much more superior to his peers. Though people like Norman Holland have written quite well on the psychoanalysis of cyber world, it is Suler’s writing which gives us a clear picture of the topic. In fact much of what I write in this article has been influenced (formal word for plagiarism!!) by his works.

The topics such as anonymity and accountability in Internet have not only been the subject for study in Psychology. It has also received its share of attention from law makers. With the growth of e-commerce, these issues have become vital. Attempts have been made to combat anonymity in cyber world through technology. They have proved futile with hackers finding ways to remaining untraceable in wired world.

There have been some interesting arguments by human right activists to consider anonymity in Internet as a basic right. They base their argument on the grounds that law permits authors to remain anonymous if they wish so. But opponents are quick to point out the possibility of miscreants using the anonymity as a weapon to commit crimes in cyber world. Crimes such as credit card fraud, identity theft, impersonation, online harassment have been attributed to the nature of Internet to support anonymity.

In the course of this article, I will not be interested to discuss these matters. Rather, I would like to take up the following issues pertaining to psychology of online behavior. The issues I will discuss will include analyzing how different cyber world is from dream world and how differently we behave in Internet and why. I will also be discussing the impact of text messaging (a feature of most Internet communication mediums) on the minds of people.

Am I a man who just dreamt about being a butterfly?

Page 309 of 366 Or am I a butterfly who now dreams about being a man?

Long ago a magazine called THE WEEK did a feature article on a man who was engaged in a peculiar profession. He was giving people alternate identities. That is if you are tired being who you are, he would create a profile for you which you like and arrange for all legal documents (illegally!!) you require to start a new life, probably, in a different country. It was noted that his business was in much demand and why not?

People always want to be different from what they are. There may be very few people in this world who are happy the way they are. Some may want to change their skin complexion; others may want to alter their skills. If one wants to become richer other may want to be more beautiful. This need for change which is present in everyone manifests in different forms in different people.

A person who is poor but wants to be rich may try to emulate the lifestyle of affluent even if it means falling in debt. People obsessed with perfect looks may go in continuously to surgeons to have facelifts and other beauty enhancing procedures. People who are not comfortable with their bodies may become cross dressers. In extreme cases they may even change their sex permanently through surgical procedures.

Normally each one of us has multiple roles to play. We are sons, brothers, friends, partners, parents to someone. We play these roles differently and that is the one way of satisfying our wish to lead different life than what we have. What is correct to me as a teacher will be the same thing what I would have rejected when I was a student. We “perform” these roles effectively and strike a balance in our lives. But many cannot cutoff these roles from one another. The emerging complex psychological situation is termed as “multiple personality disorder”.

Many others try to live this different life which they want in other ways. Why people get attracted to fiction is because of this reason. Many readers will confess that they try to live out the characters which they read in novels. The super heroes in our epics may be the manifestation of this wish to be different from what we are. It also may be reason why many like comic heroes with superhuman capabilities. But above all this there is one way which humans undertake to live their hidden wishes.

Dreaming, many psychologists argue, is necessary because of this reason. Dreams provide us an opportunity to live the life the way we want. Dreams are liberating in the sense that it frees us from all rules that govern our real life. It may be the rules of physics which say we cannot fly or the rules of economics which say I cannot own a private jet; all these rules can be broken in the dream world. When I dream, I live

Page 310 of 366 the dream. To say it is false may be incorrect. Because many times we use the phrases such as “it was a nightmare”. Many other times we feel “satisfied” after a dream. So dreams surely influence us in some ways.

Now the question is whether cyber world is an alternative to this dream world. There are reasons for undertaking this comparison. One is that even in cyber world we can bend the rules that are found in real world. And second, we tend to understand that the experience in cyber world is real like what we feel regarding the dreams. Lastly, like dreams we will be in a position to control the experiences we want to receive.

How many times have you felt completely absorbed in the cyber world? Heavy Internet users (addicts!!) will confess of such moments of nirvana where they completely lose their identity and reach a stage of nothingness. A stage where you are just there floating amidst jungles of words pooping out there on your computer screen. Analysts say this is nothing short of a dream where you lose yourself and be a mute spectator.

In some cases, especially when you are communicating with the other person over Internet, you sometimes become so absorbed that you enter into a separate world where there are only two persons – you and your partner. You just shut yourself the world out of your space. This is other aspect of dreaming in the cyber world which can be easily compared to normal dreaming.

As told earlier, one of the reasons why people (should) dream is to give a vent to their ambitions to be different from what they are. This aspect of acquiring a different identity has been made possible by Internet; that too very easily compared to dream world. In dream world, the dreamer wakes to find that his acquired identity is lost. Whereas in cyber world the person can acquire his identity whenever he wishes and this adds to the complexity of understanding this phenomenon.

People are dependent on Internet for communication more than ever before. As with any new communication channel, Internet has also created a new socio- psychological sphere for humans for engaging in communication. Some of the features of Internet have opened up new possibilities of using Internet for communication.

This is what we see in the next section.

Of all Rudras I am Shiva, of all vasus I am Agni

Of generals I am Karthikeya, of all sages I am Bhrgu

People today are looking like reliving the saying of Krishna in Bhagadvadgeeta. In cyber world they can really be all-controlling people. They can be omnipotent and omnipresent and live like Gods. They can have multiple identities online. And

Page 311 of 366 interestingly they can live with all identities. They can easily cross the restrictions posed by the laws governing the real world. They can create things from nothing and control the things they create just like God.

Most of them are dependent on Internet for official works. Here we do not see any discrepancies. Even when people use Internet to connect to family members and existing friends we do not see any problems. But when they try to move beyond this, we see a pattern where the real world identity and cyber world identity of a person does not match.

This phenomenon is termed as DISINHIBITION. People tend to do those things online which they would never do in real life. That may include using abusive language while communicating online or showing extra concern for people whom they have never seen. Disinhibition may work in both ways. People may turn extremely rude or very helpful while in cyber world. But what is noticeable is that they exhibit unusual behavior online which is not in sync with their real world nature.

Discussing the phenomenon of disinhibition, Dr. Suler lists several reasons for this. Among them I will be discussing the following three – Anonymity, invisibility and Disassociation.

Anonymity is quite tough to interpret. In the real world people have to take some trouble in order to remain anonymous. It may include changing the physical looks which call for some effort. But in cyber world remaining anonymous is perceived to be easy. It amounts to getting a user name which no one can relate to you and communicating with others using that id (identity anonymity). Or furthermore it may involve using pseudo or proxy servers to access websites so that others cannot find where you are accessing from (location anonymity).

In cyber world you can remain anonymous also by not disclosing much information about yourself. But any geek will tell you that the identity in wired world is easy to establish. But there is a catch here. Pundits can trace the source of any online activity to a machine which was used for that activity. The last mile between the machine and the man using it is difficult to establish.

Page 312 of 366 But many do not know this. And this (artificial) sense of anonymity forces them to use Internet to do those things which they always wanted to. It may be changing their identity and being someone else or engaging in things which they would never do in real world. If this phenomenon of changing identity works as a therapy, it is fine. If people use this as a substitute for dream world to live the life they always wanted to, then there is no problem.

But more often than not, we see people misusing this feature of Internet. What could have become an ideal platform to discuss matters which are otherwise difficult to discuss (like radical political thinking) has been misused by larger public. And one feature of Internet which along with anonymity is forcing them to take this (mis)adventure is invisibility nature of Internet communication.

When we are communicating with someone in the real world, we “listen” to their nonverbal cues also. We have an uncanny knack of understanding the silence between spoken words. But text communication robs us from this precious thing. Here we are limited to understanding the words. But somehow we have also learnt to “listen” to words.

Is there an inherent difference between the way you read a letter (snail mail) and a digital message (email)? As far as the content goes - no. But digital communication adds a lot to the value of the letter. It can now be saved (theoretically forever), it can be distributed and reproduced in the same way as it was received. It also reaches fast though the communication is still asynchronous. In digital communication (chatting and email) we have developed a way to incorporate the emotions we find in verbal messages. Use of emoticons and changed style of language usage (like the usage of dots in hi………) has somewhat compensated the lack of emotions in words.

But the invisibility factor does play a role in influencing the people’s behavior online. Because they know they are invisible to others, they feel more “secure”. This gives them a hope to experiment more in the cyber world. This effect, though misused, can be helpful in providing consultations and counseling to people (if they do not like to reveal their disease fearing social stigma)

Anyway more important than anonymity and invisibility, the reason for disinhibition is dissociation. People think that their online behavior is just far removed from themselves. They do not feel responsible for their acts in cyber world. Maybe they do it for fun but even in case of extreme cases, they feel their acts are morally neutral.

Many people have pondered over this question. Imagine you are playing a combat game in computer. Your job is to kill as many “enemies” you can. Now does this act of killing your opponents have any moral implication? Just because there is no physical agony, should you be indifferent to the situation? One argument to this is that more than the act, the mentality to kill is more dangerous. So people should be

Page 313 of 366 held morally responsible for their online acts. (But even the path breaking committee under American Association for the advancement in science decided that online behavior is value neutral!!)

Till now we have discussed the concept of cyberspace as dream world. We saw the parallels between the two. And then we tried to see how differently people behave in cyber world and tried to analyze the reasons behind this.

In the concluding part, I want to take up a topic which is slightly disconnected (but interesting) from the original topic we are discussing. That is about the relation between humans and computers. Though the subject like Human computer Interaction (HCI) has become formal part of Computer Science studies, here I am taking up the discussion from the psychological perspective.

I want a girlfriend (wife) who is like my mother

Now how many men think like this? Dr. John Suler says most of the humans think so. He explains this through a small experiment. Make a list of qualities you find in your friends, partners or anyone you like most. Now see how many of these qualities can be seen in your father, mother, siblings or close relatives.

Surprisingly, you can find that many of your chosen relation (friends, companions) have qualities that are found in members who are your blood relation. This is not a surprising thing. Psychologists from the times of Freud have tried to establish the influence of childhood experiences on our later life. We have this subconscious mentality to recreate our childhood environment in all our relations.

This can be found in many of our activities. Even when we are in town, we try to create the atmosphere in which grew up by say planting flowers which are found in our place or doing something similar. It is found that males want their wives to have the qualities which their mothers possess. And so the daughters want their men t be like their fathers. This is because we feel “safe” in the environment we grew up.

And as said earlier, we try to emulate this in all our relationships including our relations with Computers. This throws up some interesting observations which we will discuss now.

Humans connect to their computers at four levels. In one relationship they try to put computer in the shoes of their parents and they act as children. In the second type of relationship, they don the role of the parents and treat computers as their children. Or they try to see their computer act as an ideal parent or son. The fourth

Page 314 of 366 type of relationship is the one where some try to stamp their identity on the computers. For them computers are the extensions of their self. We will see these 4 relationships in detail.

Have you seen people totally intimidated by computers? These guys hesitate to try anything new in computers and timidly agree to whatever computer says. For them the computer is the master who can never be wrong. And they are just following the instructions given by the machine. Psychologists analyze that these people are those who are abused by their parents in their childhood. The fear mentality which was installed in their minds then refuses to go even while working with computers. For them computer is just like their parents who are bossy.

In the extreme end, they can care for their computers just like they care for their weak and old age parents. Few children who have grown caring and nursing their sick parents tend to treat their computers same way. They take all precautions to see that the computer does not stop working. These guys install latest anti-virus software and double check everything twice to see that their computer is in good shape. Basically you as a child caring for parent tend to be protective.

Why do some people seem to be abusing their computers like putting the computers to its maximum use, not cleaning the machine etc? Well these may those guys who were abused in their childhood. Their suppressed feeling gets manifested in these ways. Here they treat their machines as their children and they don the role of abusive parent. This is the second type of relationship we are examining.

As some people abuse the computers because they were abused others may just shower unconditional love on computers just as their parents were doing for them. These guys will be extremely caring and over protective about their computers. Maybe it will go to the extent of not allowing others to work in their computers. Some may also take pride in giving the best to their computer like the latest video card or upgrading the RAM quite often. In anyway they are just emulating what their parents did for them.

But not many get the parents whom they wish they had. These people whose parents behave differently from their expectations may establish a different kind of relationship with computers. They may behave like their “wish-to-be-parent” with their computer. That is if they wanted their parent to be caring (when they were abusive) they will be affectionate towards computers. In summary they try to play the role of their ideal parents to their computers. In a way they try to compensate for their loss by doing this role play.

Page 315 of 366 The last type of relationship is the one where people try to see computers as the extension of themselves. They try to stamp their dominant personality traits on to their computers. It may manifest in the form of wallpaper, screen savers, software skins they use in their computer. Few may even choose their computer and software consciously to reflect their personal self.

Everyone has a different way of using the computer. This difference stems from the influences one has in his life. Studying the way one uses the computer and Internet may give several clues about his personality. I have not taken some important aspects regarding choosing email address names, behavior in chat rooms etc. But whatever has been discussed, I believe, throws enough hints on the point that psychological of computation and behavior studies in IT should be taken seriously.

So are you yourself while you are in Internet?

Or is there someone in you who wakes up when you log on to Internet?

Page 316 of 366 They knew their death

Saturday, July 01, 2006

[Rajkumar photos from Roopataara

Judas photos from National Geographic Channel

Gandhi photos from Official Gandhi eArchive]

One of my cousins stays very close to the place where Dr.Rajkumar is laid to rest. She told me that it has become a daily routine for her to visit the place everyday. But surprisingly she has not entered the place still. She limits herself to the outer boundary of the place which today is a “must-watch” place for all visiting Bangalore.

The reason she gives for not entering the place is quite interesting. Being an educated cosmopolitan woman she does not like to join the brigade which today considers that place as a temple. People remove their footwear, carry flowers and pray before the place where Rajkumar is buried. The mass hysteria, she says, is unbearable.

People may argue that this is something common here. After all one can see a beautiful monument in Madikeri (Coorg) where the urn containing Gandhiji’s ashes are kept. Remains of Buddha have been worshipped all over the world. So what is the fuss if people start worshipping Rajkumar?

If one looks at the post-Rajkumar era one can see two kinds of developments. One is the attempt by few people to make quick bucks from his popularity and second is the exercise to raise him to sainthood. Interestingly both these developments are linked to one other i.e. people who are trying to make money are the ones who are trying to project him as enlightened soul.

Page 317 of 366 From last two months the Kannada cinema magazine “Roopataara” is running a story on Rajkumar. The crux of the story is to say that Rajkumar left the body at his will. He is supposedly had extraordinary powers which he attained through the practice of Yoga (Hata Yoga).

The story is told through the eyes of his Yoga teacher. That man claims that Rajkumar had mastered some tough feats in Yoga that included ability to leave the body at will. So Rajkumar did not die a natural death but had simply chosen to leave the body at his will.

The magazine goes all the way to prove this point. It meticulously documents the last days of Rajkumar with enough details to prove that he knew his death. Each word he spoke and every gesture he made on his last day has been attached with special meaning.

According to the magazine the man knew his end had come and instructed his wife to look after the family. He had also cheerfully spent his last day with his servants, even posing with them for photos telling them this was their last opportunity. More importantly, he had even left his body before once.

Page 318 of 366 His Yoga guru tells the magazine that Rajkumar had left his body one day but decided to “come back” since it was some important day. This time there was no such pressing engagements. So the matinee idol simply decided to leave his body. It looks like this story will continue in coming months.

Whether or not Rajkumar knew his death, some guys surely knew what to do to earn some quick bucks. The sale of the magazine has reached new heights because of this story. The story has given new interpretation to the personality of Rajkumar who till yesterday was only a superstar.

There has been no dearth of people who are quick enough to cash on the sentiments of people. Recent days have seen 3 mega releases of books relating to Rajkumar. In the absence of official autobiography or biography of Rajkumar, people are trying to write as much as they can to cater to demanding public.

Even when Rajkumar was abducted by Veerappan there were attempts by few people to milk some cash using audio cassettes. Among the many cassettes released that time one drama titled “Kaadinalli Kannada Ratna” (the jewel of Kannada in forest) is available in ka.com

One should listen to the voice of Dhirendra Gopal and Sarigama Viji in this drama to understand the sentiments of those times. The popular attempt at that time was to paint kidnapping as an attack on Kannada nationalism. Whether the present attempt also has such motives will be an interesting question to ponder over.

Rajkumar the saint will definitely have more market appeal than the Rajkumar the superstar. As many argue Rajkumar the superstar was the necessity of those days when Karnataka as a political unit was emerging. What Rajkumar provided in those days was a collective identity for Kannadigas cutting across regional differences.

But in present days Rajkumar as a superstar has limited role in the society. So the market invented a new role for him – a saint. It was easy to put across the idea of Rajkumar’s yogic powers since everyone knew he was a yoga freak. But the easiness with which the story is being cooked surprise me.

Page 319 of 366 Anyone having preliminary knowledge of Yoga will testify that Asanas is one thing in Yoga and attaining super natural powers is other. Yoga at one level is physical exercise which is performed through yogic postures. This is what is demonstrated by the like of Ramdev and this is what we saw in Rajkumar.

But to equate the ability to perform asanas with having super natural powers is the danger we are facing. Just because Rajkumar could bend his body to perform some difficult asanas does not mean he had power to fly in air! While asanas can be mastered by long practice same cannot be said about attaining special powers through Yoga.

I have just heard about the possibility of igniting the “kundalini” which is supposed to give one the extraordinary powers. People claim that one can fly in air, know the future and even time their death if kundalini is awakened. But the validity of these claims is not tested.

So to equate the ability Rajkumar to perform asanas to having supernatural yogic powers should be dismissed as pure gimmick. Otherwise there is a danger of these lies being established as facts in future. And as with many other historical characters, the legends gain acceptance more than cold facts.

To prove my point on why such attempts should be stooped I am taking up the case of Gandhi.

Hey Ram!

I recall reading a story somewhere about Gandhi. This is a story of two friends who went to see Gandhi when he visited Karnataka. They were told to wait since Gandhi was in toilet. The young boy could not believe that Gandhi too went to toilet like them! Because he always though Gandhi to be someone who is above all humans.

This incident mirrors our attitude towards historical characters. Our inability to accept great people as normal humans makes us believe on fiction more than facts. And we make conscious attempt to build that super human image of our heroes in our minds.

One example for this is the final utterance attributed to Gandhi. According to the popular belief Gandhi final words when Godse shot him was “Hey Ram!” He is

Page 320 of 366 supposed to have deiced what he had to say if he were to be assassinated. In his words “Even if I am killed, I will not give up repeating the names of Rama and Rahim, which mean to me the same God. With these names on my lips, I will die cheerfully”.

So did he foresee his assassination? Surprisingly Gandhi’s story runs similar to that of Rajkumar. Gandhi supposedly knew his end was coming. He is attributed as saying “I do not want to die... of a creeping paralysis of my faculties.... An assassin's bullet may put an end to my life”. Even on his day of death he is recorded as saying “Who knows what is going to happen before nightfall or even whether I shall be alive?”

We somehow have developed the uncanny knack of portraying the heroes the way many people like – omnipotent. So it is not surprising that we learn in our school that Gandhi said “Hey Ram” when bullet pierced his body. It is not that alternate theories have not emerged. But they are not heard as clearly as “hey ram” story.

Gandhi’s secretary Pyarelal wrote that his last words were “Rama Rama”. Gandhi’s niece Manu recollected that Gandhi’s last word was “Hey Ram, Hey Ram”. Gandhi’s personal assistant Venkata Kalyanam said Gandhi did not utter any word when the bullet was fired. But these versions have not gained much popularity as “hey ram”.

Page 321 of 366 One should carefully study the impact of each of these versions on the image we have developed about Gandhi. If Gandhi cried with pain when bullet hit him, he would be like us! The image of Gandhi as a hero would be dented severely. So he was made to say some beautiful phrase.

To say “Rama Rama” was beautiful but as Mark Lindley say it would be total surrender to Rama. “Hey Ram Hey Ram” would be interpreted as helplessness which again was undesirable. But “Hey Ram” provided all the dignity and cinematic finish to a great man’s death. With such beautiful words his image would sit in public memory as saintly figure.

This kind of euphoria is not only present in India but can be seen everywhere. A recent controversy regarding the gospel of Judas can be examined to further understand this point. The documentary regarding this was recently telecasted by NGC. Even their website has wonderfully documented this work.

As with all great men even Jesus has seized to be a normal being. The details of his regular life looks to be erased carefully and only the images that further stamp his super hero image is retained. Coming in these times the gospel of Judas is a real revelation.

Forgive them, Father!

The portrait of Jesus as we know is that of a compassionate person. Even when he was nailed in cross he was supposed to have said – “Forgive them, Father! They know not what they do” thereby epitomizing love for others. But even the last words of Jesus are not same in 4 gospels accepted by modern church. Here is what they say

Page 322 of 366 Mathew & Mark– “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Luke – “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit”

John – “It is finished”

One should note the attempts by the people to dramatize the ending of Jesus. Can a man nailed to a cross withstand all pain to utter these poetic words cannot be questioned. Because Jesus is not like us; he is a super human. So he has to speak such words or in other words we expect that he speaks such words.

Whatever it is NGC has further fuelled the controversy of hidden gospels. With Da Vinci Code raising questions on the basic tenets of Christianity, Judas gospel has carried it forward.

What this gospel by Judas essentially says is that Jesus chose Judas to complete an important task “You will sacrifice the man that clothes me.” So Judas is no more a traitor.

I personally feel this story should be accepted by church as official since it has advantages for them. Because it proves that by telling that Jesus himself chose his means to end his claim to divinity can be further strengthened. Otherwise atheists like me always question why Jesus (if he is so powerful) did not know that one of his disciples will betray him!!

Page 323 of 366 It should be noted that gospel of Judas does not do anything harm to the divine status of Jesus. In fact it takes this to all new level. The fact that Jesus was all knowing still prevails.

This is the story template normally followed while writing any great person’s story. Whether it is modern west or the rural India, every saint is pictured in the same fashion. Remember that even today sainthood is an accepted practice in Christianity. Buddhists believe in incarnation of Buddha as Lama. It is better not to speak about such things in India.

The point I am trying to make through these stories is simple. I am strongly opposing the idea of painting Rajkumar in new colors. The idea that he knew his death beforehand (or saying he left his body at his own will) is a dangerous theory. If unstopped, these people may say that Rajkumar was an incarnation of God himself.

I think even Dr.Rajkumar would be happy if people looked up to him as great actor unlike the present developments where he is projected as super human possessing mystical yogic powers.

Page 324 of 366 The Dutch Masters

Tuesday, July 04, 2006

[All paintings from The Art Renewal Center]

This painting which was published in THE HINDU recently brought back the memories of a college quiz contest. In that quiz this painting was shown as a series to clues to guess a particular character. It was there I discovered the strange relation between this 17’th century Dutch painting and arguably the most popular cartoon character Calvin (of Calvin & Hobbes fame).

Also this painting gives a chance to discuss about religious symbolism in European paintings. The material we will see in the course of this article is enough to write one more novel in the lines of Da Vinci Code. But before discussing all these issues let me elaborate on the topic that I have chosen to write today.

I will be focusing on two Dutch painters of 17’th century. There is a reason why I have chosen these two guys among many famous painters of that age. Pieter Claesz(1597-1661) and Willem Claesz Heda (1594-1680) belonged to same period and have done similar kinds of paintings.

Their paintings stand out from their counterparts for a different reason. While the painters of that time largely focused on portraits or landscapes, these guys chose “still-life” paintings. Their paintings are so realistic that it looks like a frozen photograph. Apart from their technical superiority there is a rumor that their paintings contain a hidden message.

To analyze their paintings it is important for us to understand the political situation of Netherlands at that time. History records 17’th century as the “Dutch Golden Age”. Netherlands at that time was rich and housed many artists who catered to the never ending demand for paintings. The popular legend is that there were more painters than butchers at that time.

Page 325 of 366 The reason for the enormous wealth in Dutch during those days is attributed to the supremacy of that country in trade. It not only dominated the trade across different continents but also within European countries. The Dutch East India Company which was established in 1602 ruled the trade with Asian countries for almost two centuries.

Along with this the eighty years of war with Spain also ended during this time (1648). This war known as “Dutch Revolution” had many implications. One was the rejection of the divine rights of kings. In times where monarchy was considered to be granted directly by God, Dutch war proved that people could take power from King if he behaved against the wishes of public.

This change in political economy enabled the emergence of wealthy merchant class. The national economy of Netherlandssoared with the establishment of new ports and sugar refineries. With the improvement in agriculture and diary farming Dutch was completely a wealthy nation. In fact one of the earliest banking institutes of Europe, “The Amsterdam Exchange Bank” was started in 1609.

This was a time when the liberal arts, science and literature scene in Dutch got a fillip. It is said that the wealthy merchants of that time prided in having large mansions. And painters were in much demand because they had to decorate the walls of their houses.

But there is one more development which changed the painting style of Dutch painters. Usually it is the monarchy or church which patronized the painters. Accordingly the paintings were influenced by Biblical characters as they adorned the walls of church. If royal patronage was obtained then painters would normally paint the portraits of royal family. Historical paintings also would be encouraged.

With the new found political independence of Netherlands, the painters were denied the royal patronage. Their main buyers were wealthy businessmen. Accordingly their subjects also changed. Though portraits of rich were done, landscapes gained prominence. And the “still life” genre which we are discussing today also emerged as a prominent form.

Page 326 of 366 You may be wondering where the relation between Calvin and Dutch paintings is. Well, let me explain. Till now we have seen only one angle of Dutch revolution. There is one more angle to it which is far more important. That is the decline of Catholicism in Netherlands and the emergence of Protestantism.

In the mid 16’th century whole of Europe was gripped under the reformist movement. The reformists decried some of the practices of Catholic Church. Prominent among their beliefs were denying the authority of Pope and believing in more pure form of Christianity.

Among various schools of Protestants, Calvinism (proposed by John Calvin) gained dominance in Dutch. In fact it accepted Calvinism as state religion during that time. This meant that arts could not be used as a means to means to celebrate divinity. It is said that the Churches at that time kept the wall white because Calvinists believed in simplicity.

This new found division between arts and church resulted in a new genre of painting called “still life” which we are discussing here. So if not for John Calvin we would not have these paintings. By now you may have discovered the relation between cartoon Calvin and our protestant Calvin.

The cartoon character Calvin was named after John Calvin. It was because of Calvin’s inherent belief in fate which is same as John Calvin’s teachings. So here goes the relation between Calvin the toon character and Dutch paintings.

Now that we have understood the political and religious context in which the paintings were done, we will quickly see other painters’ works before taking up the specific paintings of two Claeszs.

Page 327 of 366 As mentioned earlier, with the onset of new religious thinking in Dutch the painters began to move away from Biblical influences. They began to increasingly focus on everyday life of Dutch. In this genre, Johannes Vermeer reached the new heights. His paintings usually were influenced from real life characters.

The important aspect of Vermeer’s paintings is his detailing. Most of his painting consist human characters (predominately female). Their daily chores such as writing letters, playing instruments are depicted in his paintings. He has also done a series on various professionals such as astronomer, geographer, painter etc.

His paintings have been subjected to much analysis. There are attempts made to understand the musical instruments of those times using his paintings. In addition to these portraits he has also done lot of landscapes. Overall Vermeer’s paintings can be a good point to understand the Dutch of those days.

But one form of still life painting I am obsessed with isOntbijtje. Ontbijtje in Dutch means “simple breakfast”. This genre of painting was practiced by Pieter Claesz and Willem Claesz Huda. Even Floris Claesz van Dijck had done paintings in this style. Here the artist just focused on the objects on breakfast table and painted them.

Page 328 of 366 There is a belief that breakfast paintings came as a counter movement to banquet paintings. Banquet paintings (banketje) depict copious arrangement of food items representing rich life style. Whereas Ontbijtje represents simplicity with everyday breakfast items assembled on table.

Is this simplicity influenced by the principles of Calvinism? May be yes. Because Calvinism stressed on simple thinking and these paintings may be just representing that. But interestingly these paintings follow a particular pattern which is hard to miss.

All paintings of Pieter Claesz and Willem Claesz Huda run on a fixed line. They all contain same objects. The typical objects are Roemer (17’th century wine glass), silver utensils, half peeled lemon, some fruits like grapes and apple, bread, cheese, nuts all assembled over a breakfast table covered with neatly ironed white cloth.

The typical observation anyone would do is why is that roemer will always be half- full, lemon will be half peeled (very less often sliced), silver utensil (mostly a flower stand) will be lying on its side. The table cloth rarely looks to be in place. Also looking at the table it looks like someone has already eaten some items.

Another important observation is that the table always looks to be beside a window. The window which will be at left of the table is a consistent feature in all paintings of Claeszs as well as that of Vermeer. I strongly feel there is some meaning behind all painters placing the window (the only source of light) in left in all their paintings.

Now the question is why someone should consistently paint the same objects over and again? Why should silver vas be depicted as fallen? Why should the glass be half full? What is the special meaning for grapes and bread in these paintings? We cannot dismiss them as coincidence because they are present across large number of paintings.

There is a theory that the painters were sending religious signals through their paintings. Remember the strong relation between grapes and bread with Jesus. Analysts say that presence of grapes and bread signifies this. But what about fallen silver? Why is that so in all paintings?

Page 329 of 366 I have not got any theories for this. But my assumption is that silver being a costly metal its fallen status signifies the principle of Calvinism to reject lavishness. It symbolically represents the religious thinking of Calvin to renounce worldly pleasures. The same can be said about the lemon which is present across all paintings.

My guess is that lemon symbolizes the control of lavishness. Since lemon is used as digesting agent, its presence signifies that people should control their material urges. Probably this can also explain why the white table cloth never appears orderly across most of the paintings.

Am I correct in predicting the symbolism of these paintings? I do not know. But I strongly believe that work of arts allows for multiple interpretations. Whether it is music or painting, everyone interprets a piece of art with the help of their own understanding of the subject. And this is my interpretation.

Irrespective of the interpretations, I just admire the level of detailing and the sheer beauty of these paintings. I salute the masters who have given us such masterpieces which still inspire people to appreciate, analyze and understand them.

Page 330 of 366 Dhyaana

Monday, July 10, 2006

Page 331 of 366 Insanity

Saturday, July 29, 2006

My reaction to blogspot ban/blackout

Page 332 of 366 The PC is 25. So what!

Monday, August 21, 2006

[The blogspot is still in blocked state. It is very unfortunate to see VSNL not giving any explanation for the blockade. I wanted to restart writing only after the ban is removed. But there appears to be no hope. There is a sense of anger in me for not able to do anything regarding this.]

One fine day in Aug 1996 I had my first date with Computers. Though Computers was taught to us in school from 1991, I was not keen about that. Few of my friends were really hooked on it for playing games and that did not interest me. It was only after my 10’TH that I decided that I will continue with Computer.

My decision to take Computer in PUC was influenced more by my hatred towards Biology than my love towards Computer. From then it has been a wonderful journey with this machine. User, Programmer and now Teacher – I had the opportunity to interact with the machine in different roles. And being an insider to the Computer profession I think I can now comment on certain issues surrounding this.

PC has completed its 25 years in existence (Aug 12). To ask what Computers have done to us in these years can be stupid. Think of it! This industry has given us the richest man in the world, has provided employment to millions directly and lot more indirectly, has helped economy move upward and has created a generation which think world is really flat!

If you be a bit liberal and link Internet to PC revolution (though it is difficult to say whether PC fuelled Internet revolution or is it vice-versa) you can see that we have established a whole new world order. WhatIndia could not achieve in previous hundreds of years, Knowledge industry has managed in 2 decades. If an economic impact audit of IT on India is done, there is no doubt that the report card will have only A+.

Has IT managed to improve the living standards of Indians in general? Do they feel more empowered due to IT? There will be people who will answer in affirmative. After all, a whole new generation with huge disposable income is created, thanks to IT. If increasing number of sprawling malls, designer boutiques and other lifestyle stores are any indication, IT has created a paradise.

But forget not that only a tiny fraction of Indian population is enjoying all this. The impact of IT on general Indian public cannot be studied by looking at the huge bank balances of few people. We have to see how IT has touched the lives of common man here. And I dare to say that this audit, unlike the previous one, is not healthy.

So do I belong to that clan of activists who protested when IBM wanted to come to India in 80’s (that included George Fernandes)? No, I am not. I am simply taking a critical view of misses than hits that we managed. And maybe I am hoping that people will take some leads and try to fill the huge gaps that we have created down the years.

My first complaint about the Computer is that it has remained an elitist technology. You can turn cynical and say that all technologies basically try to create more bourgeoisie as witnessed by the history. As Marxists point out capitalist regime during Industrial revolution was possible because rich class could invest in

Page 333 of 366 technology. They used technology to amass wealth which was used in turn to exploit the proletariat. So the basis for social/class division though was based on wealth could also be traced to technology in some way.

Has Computer retained some of the capitalist traits associated generally with technology? Yes it appears, in some way. Take for example the exploitation of private players in the Computer education market. I myself have been a victim of one such institute in my younger days and so can comment on this with command. The stories of how these institutes made money based on media hype are now well known.

But unfortunately street corner shops continue to exploit people even today. It is a shame that Government has not taken any steps in regulating this area. In cities like Bangalore they loot gullible students who come from places across India with a hope of landing in an IT job. In fact brand Bangalore is so famous that I had seen a Computer center in Kolkota named as “Bangalore Computer Institute”!

In the absence of any effort by the Government to teach Computer to common man, these private institutes have a large role to play. That is the reason why they should be regulated, if possible through legislations. Their disregard for quality in teaching and infrastructure will prove a great stumbling block in carrying the knowledge (and thus the benefits) of IT to common man.

Second issue that concerns me is the lack of rules governing the Computer education at college level. There are at least 3 kinds of undergraduate programs (BE, BCA & B.Sc[Comp]) which teach similar subjects. The only differentiating factor is the fees you pay to these courses. Less spoken is better about the program labeled as MCA.

The utter carelessness of educationalists, governing bodies and state has resulted in making India(specifically southern India) a fertile breeding ground for IT professions sans quality. So when one NASSCOM survey reveals that only fraction of these are actually of employable quality, questions are raised.

The repercussions of long negligence can be seen now. With large number of seats in Engg colleges remaining unfilled (10,000 in TN this time) the future of engg education in this part of Vindhyas is not that encouraging. Add to this the squabble between management and the state every year and the ever increasing fees, you have perfect recipe for disaster.

The great dot com depression left some lessons behind it, but rarely has there been any serious attempt to study the failure model. People take solace under successful names often forgetting the fact that not more than 1/5’Th of companies survive in Bangalore for more than 3 years.

When top 5 companies eat up 80% of IT revenue in this country and when there are thousands of companies waiting for rest of the share you know there will be bitter fight for every tiny share in the pie. The result is cut-throat competition among companies which follow the mantra of “cost savings” meaning you get peanuts for your back breaking work. And what’s more – you dare not to put out your woes pubic for this is supposed to be hi-tech industry.

Before a few years I had undertaken a survey to understand the benefits common man has reaped through IT. I could locate 52 projects in all and the stories were great to listen. Several ones like BHOOMI, the showpiece IT project for Karnataka Government, e-Chowpal, MSSF Knowledge Centers raised some hope but they their

Page 334 of 366 impact has been very small. Compared to Satellite TV or even mobile phone, the reach of Computer in India is far from satisfactory.

But I keep wondering why any middle class household should invest in PC? I keep seeing the parents eyes glow when they say they want to buy their child a Computer so that he improves in studies. But alas! Who will tell them that their child will play more games and surf useless stuff using the Computer which his parents think is an instrument which will end their woes?

We are doing one more mistake here in India. We are once again failing to see the future. We caught the PC bus quite late and now we are failing to disembark from the falling bus. None other than Microsoft is accepting that the PC era is over. But Indian households are still busy exploring the merits of “Home PC”!!

Mobile computing, wireless broadband – the future is already here. But India is again caught napping. In computing yesterday is referred as Stone Age and last hour is industrial age. When technology is growing at maddening speed, it is difficult for any one to cope up. But there is no way out. You have to move with tide or get thrown away to some remote shore.

What we have not done is localization. I think we have been little too slow in localizing the operating system. A computer which can be operated as easily like a TV is still a dream. Though the cost factor is coming down the PC is not accepted. And development junta is not understating the simple reason behind this failure.

If TV becomes damn cheap will the people buy it unless they know they can see good programs? Definitely no. Similarly if Computer costs come down, it has to be supplemented with useful programs for people. And do we have them in plenty? – No. So why will anyone be interested in Computer.

Yes Internet is a reason but not anymore. You do not need a PC for accessing Internet. The days of PC as an Internet accessing device are ending. So what is the future for PC? There will come a day when the PC’s of today will end in museums and that day is not far.

I thought I should end this article with a high note by picking up someone who has used IT in India to reach the last man possible. And who will get that appreciation? None other than my favorite IT implementer – Indian Railways. It is they who have creatively used IT resources to achieve something which we as Indians can really be proud of.

Their story to me is far more important than any IT company because they reach so many people every day with efficiency that can claim to be in SIX SIGMA range. And what’s best about them? Their programs were not written by MNC’s but departmental guys who worked under the same red-tapism which we are fond of ridiculing at every drop of hat.

I earn my daily rice-sambar thanks to PC. And there are lakhs of people like me. For all of us life without PC is unthinkable. But we should look beyond the present uses and think of harnessing its power for the larger good.

Page 335 of 366 i18n and l10n Friday, August 25, 2006

[ I am still using proxies to access blogspot. So I have designed this logo and decided to carry it in all my future posts as a mark of protest till VSNL gives me the reason for blocking or removes the blockade. ]

“For me it is a matter of pride to see my language on web” thundered a Professor when internationalization (i18n) and localization (l10n) were being discussed in Indian context. I think that sums up the reason why we need l10n and i18n here. But we are failing to understand the complexities of things. Here I try to present some of my concerns regarding these issues.

As I remember there was a survey done by IIIT Hyderabad (I am not sure whether it was Hyderabad or Bangalore) about the market for Indian language software. This was in 1999. It concluded that the market was so small that commercial players may not be interested in that. The reason quoted was huge investment needed for research & efforts for standardization, font rendering etc.

And it is not that standards were not present then. ISCII was prevalent at that time and it had provided standards for representation of several Indian languages. But even then there were not many takers for Indian language software except perhaps the DTP guys and universities engaged in linguistic studies.

Compared to those days, today we have a host of Indian language solutions floating around. Though word processors (and generally the office suites) are found more than any other class of software, somewhere the wheel has stated moving. Does this mean there is a new market now for these things?

I would love to think so. Because of explosion in Indian media combined with increasing access to Internet, the demand for representing content in Indian languages is rising. And there is small market out there for Indian languages in mobile phones. I am pretty sure this one will grow in coming days.

It is true that Indian language computing does not come anywhere near the market for English. And this is the reason I often hear from private players when asked

Page 336 of 366 about their interest in Indian language software. But that does not mean that there is NO market at all. There is an intuitive feeling in me that this is similar to “rail paradox”.

For uninitiated, railway paradox is described thus. The people of a town appealed to railways to stop the train in their station. Railways sent a team to study whether people were really waiting for that train in the station. Now since the train was not stopping there, there were no waiters. And since there was no one waiting, the railways decided not to stop the train there.

This is how we are dealing with Indian language computing. Like the people in the town, even we are waiting for language tools. And software companies are behaving like railways and claiming that there is no market. I know of a few companies in Bangalore who work extensively in foreign languages. But they don’t seem to care much about our languages.

But there are some organizations which are obligated to try out these things. For example NIC has done some good work in automating land records. Now it is focusing on land registration. They have made it a point to introduce local language in their solutions. Some other government portals are also available in Indian languages.

For a long time local language computing has been taken up by research agencies, universities or interested user groups and sometimes even motivated individuals. And this model has worked most times. Some of the tools we have today for Kannada did not come by organized development (except NUDI) but from motivated individuals or groups.

But as with any unmanaged activity, Indian language computing has suffered with problems. The key areas of concern are – interoperability and continued support. Largely the problem could be traced to lack of suitable standards in critical areas like encoding and rendering.

UNICODE has partially solved the problem. Even I had first hand experience with using UNICODE for Kannada. When I first started writing my Kannada blog, I was using NUDI fonts (since NUDI had govt. stamp). But then I discovered that UNICODE was far better option. And now I am pretty happy with it but issues remain.

I want to give an example. The first letter of my name is transliterated as “kRu” in Baraha. But when the use the “Baraha Direct”, I cannot do this. In fact combinational keys are not easy to come in Direct. The problem is not only of Baraha but has to do partially with browsers and W3C standards also.

I do not want to discuss these technical issues here. The policies and processes for making Indian languages available on net are already undertaken. W3C India, Dept of IT (Govt. of India) and lot of institutes like C-DAC and NIC are working on standardization required for these things.

There are many issues surrounding localization that are discussed these days but I take up one issue. That is providing domain names in Indian languages. Now I have understood that this will be possibility in near future, I am expressing my concerns regarding this. Hope these issues will be resolved in coming days.

My first question is whether in future we can see a complete Indian www? That is whether I can write the complete URL (including http://www) in local language? Or is

Page 337 of 366 it that I enter only the domain name in Kannada but enter www and http in English? If it is the later, then sorry, I am not interested in that.

Let me explain why. We should first understand the need for Indian language domain names (iDN). I think the argument is that the people who do not know English should also be able to surf, so we need iDN. But see the catch – one has to enter http and www in English, use keyboard which has English alphabets, operated in a PC which has an OS with English rendering and we are talking of helping people who do not know English!

This argument for iDN is flawed. But that is not the only reason for me to take a tough stand. There is one more serious technical issue. Do you think “xyz.com”, “XyZ.com” & “xyZ.com” should be different websites? Are you thinking that I am a fool because every kid knows that case differences do not matter in URL?

But in Indian languages “rAma” and “rama” are different names. So when these two site names are registered, they should be separate. The ways to handle this is being worked out but the point I am making is there is a need for us to look at things differently. And there is a problem in having an input engine.

The support for iDN must come from many corners. The browser companies should do some changes. At present the space available for entering URL in most browsers are not sufficient for displaying the Indian scripts. So we need their support to do this and many such things.

Through a synergetic interaction between standardizing agencies and IT companies such things can be a possibility. But there are 2 more concerns I have about these localization efforts in general. This is not to say that I do not support these activities. Being a participant in some areas, I do contribute to these efforts in my own way. But I should spell out some itchy things that trouble me.

My linguistic identity is a thing I am proud about. I speak Tulu at home and consider Kodava equally close to me. Kannada is a language of my mind. Like many I use English in my profession. Tamil and Malayalam came to me through my surroundings. And Hindi and Sanskrit is what I learnt through formal training.

This is not my case alone. Lot many of them have such multiple linguistic identity. When Kannada gets its place on web I start thinking about Tulu and Kodava. Imagine someday even these languages get represented in web. You may say it is the matter of time this gets done since both these languages share Kannada script. And since Kannada scripts are available in UNICODE, the job is simpler.

But the issues are much deeper. There are words in Kannada and say Tulu which sound same (and written in same way) but mean different. If iDN’s becomes a reality and if everyone stakes claim for that, then we should know how to solve this issue. This is a technical issue and so somehow we can solve this but my next concern is philosophical.

Remember China and (somewhat partially) Japan had attempted something similar. They created “their own version” of www. The result was that they were left out from global view. They are (still) disconnected from main stream if you think the idea of www is seamless exchange of data across the globe.

I sometimes think whether we will also become “islands” of users in www disconnected from “global” www. Again this is just a speculation. I keep wondering

Page 338 of 366 what will happen if one day I am able to open my laptop and see everything in Kannada. Will the local www limit my knowledge bandwidth or be more useful since I comprehend more easily in Kannada?

When I posed this question to few people I received varied responses. One interesting possibility some one told me was the complete translation being in place. Extending the use of locale data, it is predicted that the www will someday look the way you want. So it no longer matters whether the site is in English or Spanish, it all appears to you in Kannada!!

We as technology evangelists have the habit of overestimating the technical leap in 10 years and underestimating its progress in say 2 years. The complete semantic, auto translator-enabled web may be far away but I do not think iDN needs time. There are reports that some companies (VeriSign??) are accepting domain names in some Indian languages.

So time is running out for us to finalize the standards (for input, rendering and related things) and get those standards accepted by all stakeholders (W3C, UNICODE, Browser developers, IT solution providers). There are also questions about the availability of development tools (for authoring, validating etc) in Indian languages.

India has 22 official languages and more than 1000 dialects. Accommodating everyone in the journey is an exiting challenge. Most of the languages have standardized their typefaces. But in few cases there is still ongoing debate (Konkani). As I see it there is no much hope of commercial software houses being involved in these things. This is still a research area and as usual the government agencies and academia may have to completely involve themselves in this interdisciplinary work.

But more than anything it is the pride of one’s language which will make individuals take up this challenge upfront. Earlier experiments in open source projects has proven that community based development (“bazaar model” according to Eric Raymond) can work efficiently compared to managed and centralized development (“cathedral model”). I do not see any reason why the same cannot happen with respect to Indian language computing.

Page 339 of 366 Writing and Reading History: Analysis of Tippu Controversy

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

[Tippu Sultan's portraits from http://www.tipusultan.org/

Virajpet Clock Tower photo from http://commons.wikimedia.org ]

The recent comments by our Education Minister Shankara Murthy on Tippu Sultan have renewed the battle which was fought many a times before. I often wonder if it is really worth commenting on this issue. Anyway without being cynical let me try to analyze this problem from my own perspective.

When Shankara Murthy says that he is ready for debate, the question is – who will be in the opposition benches? Girish Karnad stakes claim for this post and rightly so because he has authored a play on Tippu. But minister’s side gets a boost from S L Bairappa who recently wrote a nice article in a Kannada newspaper supporting the claims of aristocracy of Tippu.

So is the stage set for one of the greatest debate in Kannada soil? The very idea of having a debate is laughable. Are you telling me that the literary stalwarts in Karnataka who were recently involved in referring to each other as poisonous creatures will sit opposite to each other and discuss things seriously? I find this hard to imagine also.

Even if we accept for a moment that there will be serious debate on this issue, can we expect that there will be any conclusions? Is it possible for people to step back from their positions and accept ideas with an open mind? Can you give me an instance where history is written with the acceptance of all?

At the heart of this debate is the question of how one records history and how others should interpret it later. People who write history are always blamed for recording only its selective portions thereby glorifying or degrading personalities. Allegations of political beliefs of writer influencing the interpretation of history are also abounding.

Page 340 of 366 In this case also the two questions rose namely - whether Tippu was tolerant towards other religions and second whether he patronized Persian language at the cost of Kannada are answered essentially by the way you interpret the recorded history.

That history is the account of winners is known to all. The relation between politics and history and the influence the former has on later is also well recorded. The rewriting of history is mostly dictated by political class rather than discovery of new evidence. The debates on interpretation of history have always been clashes of personalities and their ideologies.

In the present case also S L Bairappa has made a direct attack on Girish Karnad saying that Karnad is a Marxist playwright and his plays are influenced by his beliefs. To whitewash Muslim rulers, it is alleged, is a preoccupation with Marxist historians. I am waiting to see whether Karnad will in turn label Bairappa as “agent of saffron brigade” as it is always done to people who take up to Muslim bashing.

When I was following this controversy, I could recall some famous debates that went on before a few years on similar lines. Coincidentally THE HINDU (and FRONTLINE) was the battle ground for all of them. And as it always happens, these debates did not conclude and each party remained in their earlier position without moving an inch. It will be worthwhile to recall these debates to easily predict where this Tippu controversy will end.

The first case refers to Dr. N S Rajaram's claim that he and his team has made sense of inscriptions found inIndus Valley. When his book under the name “The Deciphered Indus Script” was released, Michael Witzel, a Harvard University Indologist, and Steve Farmer, a comparative historian wrote a piece in FRONTLINE titled “Horseplay in Harappa” .

Dr. N S Rajaram is a typical example of people who are not professional historians. He is referred to as expert in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics. His interest in ancient Indian history resulted in he becoming author of many books including the above mentioned one. But the so called leftist historians have rejected his theories and Witzel's article was an example of how academicians fight usually gets personal overtones.

It is interesting to note that Rajaram and other so called “revisionist historians” suddenly came into picture once BJP came to power in center. Though people like Sita Ram Goel and Koenraad Elst have been forefront among people who wanted to rewrite history from “nationalist” perspective, it was only after BJP assumed power, their voices became more louder.

Their theme of writing follows a familiar path. Muslim rulers are always painted in black and supporting material for this is usually given from either folk tradition or selective reading of records. The acts of local Hindu rulers in resisting the Muslim invaders are glorified almost to legendary levels. They also make it a point to voice protest at all things which they think will defame the glorious history of India.

Curiously Michael Witzel was in news quite recently when he was involved in what was called as “California Hindu Textbook Controversy”. When there was an objection in US regarding certain references to Hindu Gods in the local textbooks, it was Witzel who refuted these claims. He was in fact supported by many Indian Historians at that point. Romila Thapar was one among them.

Page 341 of 366 Romila Thapar, has been involved in a long battle with “right wing historians”. Her piece on Somanatha temple invasion by Mohammad Ghazni and her authorization to the theory of Aryan invasion has always put her in the center of controversy. When she was elected as First Holder of the Kluge Chair in Countries and Cultures of the Library of Congress, it was alleged that he does not have required qualifications to hold the coveted chair.

So the community of historians writing on ancient Indian history is divided right at the center. On one side are Romila Thapars who are alleged of whitewashing the barbarism of Muslim rulers in India. On the other side are Rajarams who in turn are accused of exaggerating the small troubles committed by Muslim invaders.

This allegation and counter-allegation has left no place for open minded discussion. If one goes through the material available on net on the fights of these two camps one feels let down. The language they use to accuse each other can be at best described as rogue. Both fail to acknowledge the points raised by opponents and turn a blind eye to the evidence others put before them.

[ While I was writing this I was also remembered a famous fight between Ramachandra Guha and Arundhati Roy again in THE HINDU. Responding to a lengthy and emotional piece written by Roy on Narmada issue, Guha had suggested that Roy better stick to fiction. This raised questions on (celebrity) writers as activists. If I remember correctly Shashi Deshpande had supported Guha. Though Roy did not respond directly, she clarified many things and mocked at Guha in a interview given to N Ram who was Editor of FRONTLINE. One more instance of academicians and writers satisfying their personal ego.]

This whole discussion has an interesting connection to the story we are dealing today. For interested people, I suggest reading this book titled “Tippu Sultan – Villan or Hero”

This book is published by “Voice of Dharma” whose affiliated authors include the names which I had mentioned earlier as right-wing historians including Dr. Rajaram. It was nice reading this book but it had same material repeated by different authors. The crux of the book is to prove that Tippu had committed serious crimes against non-Muslims especially in Malbar region.

The episodes listed above involving Rajaram and Witzel should convince you that writing history (and reading it) is never an easy task. So even the book in question cannot be taken as it is and should be viewed with suspicion. But the problem is people who suspect and question this book will have their own prejudice. Eventually we will be left with more questions than answers.

Page 342 of 366 So question of whether Tippu wanted to promote Kannada or wanted to establish a Islamic Kingdom is a question which, I think, can never be settled. Theories and counter theories will continue to emerge. At the end of the day, it is your personal belief and ideology which will shape your sense of history.

Part of the problem lies in the fact that history writing has never really achieved the level of sophistication that science has reached. Experiments, proofs are accepted in science and theories change. Rejection of planet status for Pluto is a prime example on how scientific world works. But the field of history is still reluctant to accept this. So history writing has become a battleground for supremacy among ideologies which historians believe in.

Let me end this piece with a small personal reference. In fact I wanted to write on this issue because of the connection my home town has with Tippu. It is recorded that Tippu was responsible for my home town “Virarajendrapet” (now Virajpet) to be started by a King upon whose name the town exists. Here is how this story is told.

In 1790's Tippu had made it a mission to convert everyone in his kingdom to Islam faith. His eyes fell on Christians from Konkan (Mangalore) region. He forced them to come to Mysore to be converted into Islam. They began their jouncy to Mysore through the present Kodagu (Coorg).

When they were passing by, the local King Virarajendra was moved by their story. He promised them a place to stay. Thus built was the settlement between two hills which is today known as Virajpet. The King also built a Church for them and even got a priest from Goa. In fact the contributions made by the King are remembered till today.

This Church which is named after “St. Anne's” also started a school where I studied. In 1992 the Church celebrated its bi-centenary and the school its 150’Th anniversary. So Virajpet was born because Tippu forced conversion.

If Shankara Murthy and Bairappa learns this fact, I know they will be delighted. Let me add more delight. The temples of Bhagamandala (where river Kavery first appears after Bhagamandala) still carry the marks of aggression shown by Tippu's

Page 343 of 366 troops. The stone elephants and other sculptures here are disfigured allegedly by Tippu.

So am I in the “right” side of this debate. This is the problem. You spell something and you are branded as right or left. If my previous statements have favored right, let me now take a “leftist” stand.

I somehow accept the argument which was put forward to say Mangal Pandey was a accidental hero. As it was said in this argument, Mangal did not have the idea of India as motherland. For him, motherland meant the state he belong to (more precisely the kingdom he lived in).

The same argument can be applied to Tippu as well as all Kings and Chieftains who ruled India before invasion. For them all people who invaded their land were opponents. They did not distinguish between a neighborhood King and British empire. In an attempt to save their motherland (read kingdom) they fought the invaders. That the invaders happened to be British is just a coincident.

Take for example the story of Onake Obavva of Chitragurga. While naratting this story, Hyder Ali is described as Villan. But in the struggle against British, he becomes Hero.

So let us forget painting people in black and white. Let us stick to objective narration of history. When Tippu is explained to children let it be told that he committed x y and z crimes along with a b and c good works. Let us stop judging historic figures based on isolated incidents.

But are Shankar Murthys, Bairappas and Karnads ready to listen?

Page 344 of 366 google - a poem in kannada

Friday, October 13, 2006

Page 345 of 366 Appraisal

Thursday, November 30, 2006

“Have you filled the appraisal form?”

“No ma’am, I am doing it. Will be over in next half an hour”

“Please come to me once it is over ok”

“Why ma’am? any problem?”

“No, I just want to speak something”

“Why? Anything serious?”

“Just like that...generally”

“Ok ma’am, will be there in next 20 minutes”

“See you in my cabin then”

------

“Hi ma’am. What’s the matter?”

“Did you complete the form?”

“Ya...I did”

“Did you submit it?”

“No, Why?”

“ Nothing…Hmmm.. What do you feel about the new section that has been introduced there?”

“You mean that buddy review section?”

“Yes, the same section”

“I find it quite interesting. This is the first time I am doing this kind of thing. My earlier company did not have anything like this”

“Did you fill that section?”

“Yes…but why are you asking me this”

“Well I am interested to know your opinion regarding Vikram”

Page 346 of 366 “Why specifically about Vikram?”

“You tell me your opinion first. I will explain you other things later”

“I have not interacted with him much. But I think basically he is a nice guy”

“Have you written the same thing there in the sheet?”

“Not exactly, I mean there were specific questions there right. I have answered them. But my general opinion about him is this”

“OK, tell me specifically what you have written for – Does your buddy help you in your project work?”

“Wait let me see……….Yes there. For Vikram I have written that – Occasionally Yes”

“What do you mean? Has he helped you anytime during this project?”

“We have started this project only last month. We have to still allocate the work”

“But still”

“He is ok…I mean nothing special…but ok”

“What do you think about his behavior in last review meeting?”

“Are you referring to that layoff episode?”

“Exactly. Do you think it was right in his part to question me in that manner? After all I am the lead here.”

“That’s right……”

“And moreover he keeps bitching about me in the canteen area. I have sources who report to me regularly”

“…….”

“I have also noticed he loafs around in the cabin when you guys work so hard”

“Yeh……He is bit lazy when it comes to documentation”

“No, Not only that. He basically thinks too much about himself. He thinks he knows programming more than me. And he makes it a point to insult me in meetings”

“………..”

“I think if he thinks he is smart enough let him go. There is no dearth of people here”

“………….”

“I don’t think he even talks to you guys. I know you guys work hard. I do not want you people to suffer because of him. So I called you over here”

Page 347 of 366 “…Why ma’am?...... ”

“You people….everyone….just write that he is not working in the appraisal papers. I will have a strong case against him to present before management”

“But ma’am………”

“No, you do not fear. I will not leak your names. I promise”

“…………………………………”

“Don’t think he is the only great guy around. Have you heard about Sharath? I have talked with him. He is so simple and humble. We will ditch this guy”

“But ma’am Vikram is crucial member in our team…..He has…..”

“No, No, Wait. Don’t go by his words. He thinks he is irreplaceable is it? I can find 100 such people in half an hour”

“We have started our work ma’am…..and he was present in all client meetings also… now if he goes…”

“No problem. You don’t worry. I will convince the clients. They will understand these things. What do you think? Did they give us this contract because we had this guy? I got this contract and I will see that we deploy this on time”

“……………………”

“What do you think?

“So what I should I do now ma’am?”

“I want all of you to write that this guy does not do anything”

“Ok…I can write it…But others….”

“That’s why I called you. You tell the thing to others. Let me be frank with you. This guy should go. Otherwise you will have to witness unprecedented events happening here.”

“I understand ma’am”

“Try to understand. I am telling you all this because I do not want all of you talented people to suffer. I do not have any personal grudges against Vikram. But he is little arrogant. And I want to teach him that this industry does not entertain this. “

“Yes, I think he is bit arrogant. The other day I was struck in a place while coding. This guy comes around, looks at my code and just corrected it. But when he went past me, I saw a crooked smile on his face…..”

“That’s what I am trying to convince you. Yes he may be helpful. But he helps because he wants to give an impression that he knows everything. What does he think? Can’t we solve small bugs in our code?”

Page 348 of 366 “Exactly ma’am. Even on that day I could have solved even without him”

“Now you understand right. This guy is a little skewed and we need to tell me that we are here”

“Yes ma’am…I agree with you. So what can we do for this?”

“See now we have a golden opportunity with us. You people just write that Vikram is not co-operative and always disturbs you while you work. Then I will do what I should be doing as PM”

“Ok ma’am I will do this”

“Tell others about this. See that Vikram dosen’t get a clue about this”

“No ma’am. I will be careful”

“Finish the work by noon.”

“Yeh sure….I will leave now ma’am”

“Ok…..good luck…see you at lunch”

------

“Howz the day?”

“As usual Vikram. Nothing special”

“What do you mean nothing special? Chatting with ma’am for so long”

“Usual stuff”

“Forget it…Haven’t you filled the form”

“Oh! The form! It’s there. Will check out later”

“Busy with design?”

“Have to finish it soon”

“Do you think that client guy will understand all this? They are just what they are – miserly dogs who want to save money. They are least bothered about your technically sophisticated design. Just tell them whether it will save then Dollars and they are happy”

“Not everyone is so Vikram”

“Yes not everyone is same. But all clients whom our management brings to us are like that. They are least bothered about aesthetics of programming or clarity of design. What they need is just that cost-cutting, people like who work for Rupees and don’t complain about all this”

Page 349 of 366 “Hold on Vikram…I have no mood to listen to this lecture…Not today”

“It is because of people like you that we are today working for one-fourth the salary which we deserve. If only people like PM realize this we would be ruling the IT world by now”

“Stop Vikram, What is bad about our PM now?”

“She is a dumb head, you know that. I wonder whether she has ever written a line of program in her entire life”

“But why should she prove her coding skills now. She is a manager and she does that well”

“Yeah….I understand. She spends half of her time chatting it others and call it meeting and then rest of the time busy messaging. Is this the way to manage things in a tech company?”

“Ok. So now you have problems with her managing style also”

“I always had problem with her. I think all of you also have. But you guys don’t talk. I open my mouth and…….”

“And you will pay for all this one day”

“….What do you mean…..Will they remove me….”

“I didn’t say that”

“You were hinting at something like this”

“No”

“…..I don’t mind. I am not the person who will cry over spilt milk. I know I can survive anywhere”

“Ok baba….you are the greatest coder in this world….ok…happy”

“Yes. Be like that and I will write nice words about you in buddy review”

“Thank you very much my lord. I am blessed”

“You are welcome. Fine, I’ll move. Finish your work fast and fill the form ok”

“As you say my lord”

“Bye”

“Same here”

------

Tring…Tring…..Tring………..

Page 350 of 366 “Hello”

“Hai…..this is me”

“Arrreeeyyy……what a surprise. I thought you will be busy with ma’am and that Vikram for the whole day. What’s the chakkar?”

“Stop fooling. I want to speak with you urgently. Come down to Café”

“Just a minute….will complete this one and come”

“I know what you are doing there. Just come down. The matter is serious. I am keeping the phone down”

“Ok…Now tell me who is your problem. Vikram or your Maaaaaam?”

“Frankly speaking I am confused”

“Why, what is the matter?”

“Ma’am called me today morning”

“Yeh..I know….You two discussed for a long time”

“Yes, the matter is serious”

“Vikram….is it?”

“Exactly. How did you guess?”

“Come on….it’s simple. The way that guy spoke in the meeting last time. It was bad”

“You also believe that”

“Ofcourse. What do you think? If I were to be in ma’am’s place I would have thrown him out then and there”

“So do you think he deserves to be out?”

“Definitely. Without any doubt. I mean..how can ask the senior like that in an open meeting?”

“But he spoke sense”

“What rubbish? What were we discussing that day?”

“Final release dates”

“Right, release dates, then what was the necessity to raise all that issues”

“It was related, I mean, the issue of layoffs was related to release”

Page 351 of 366 “I understand that. Some people were removed because those guys sitting in US think they should save money. Be practical, we get work because we come cheap”

“But that does not mean you remove people in crucial stages”

“See that was needed. But remember we were given hikes. Even that Vikram got handsome hike”

“But what Vikram told was not this”

“No I know. He said that layoff should not start at lower level and all that…”

“It is correct…It makes sense”

“Are you mad? I mean there is this lady who is in this industry for so long. And you make a speech saying that people who are struck in COBOL should be sent home. I mean that is too much of an attack”

“But he did not mean ma’am when he said that”

“How do you know that? I feel he always targeted that poor ma’am. I understand that she has not improved in her skill set. But her basics are strong, stonger than any one of us”

“So you feel Vikram said that purposefully”

“Without an iota of doubt”

“So you think he is arrogant”

“In a way…. Yes he is arrogant”

“But he is intelligent also”

“Come on, in this industry intelligence is something which everyone has or at least everybody pretends they have”

“So what about Vikram? Ma’am says of all of us write negative remarks on him, she will remove him”

“As in what? Will she suspend him and all that? Vikram will not take this easily. We should move carefully”

“No, ma’am has said she will take case about everything”

“Yes, she may know all this HR stuff. Afterall she is here from a long time”

“So we write all wrong things about him?”

“See we cannot cook up things. We will write what we have experienced. Let ma’am do the rest”

“Ok…that I think is right”

Page 352 of 366 ------

By the order of Management

It is hereby informed that Vikram, who is working as Software Engineer, is discharged from his duties with effect from today. This decision has been taken after the committee submitted its report on the alleged inability of Vikram to discharge his duties as expected by him in this company

The management herby takes this opportunity to warn all employees not to show any indiscipline in workplace. That all employees should work up to satisfaction of immediate supervisors and thereby the management and ultimately the clients should be understood by one and all.

(Sd/-)

Page 353 of 366 Decision

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

It was not until teacher talked about it did he think about this issue. More than the matter it was the teacher’s tone that made him worrisome. It was like - two plus two is four and you will be a doctor. It was as simple and straightforward to her, but, not for him.

He was a regular guy who never thought about all this before. He was happy the way he was and that’s it. To think of becoming a Doctor was something beyond his present level, but not completely impossible. After all his father and grandfather were doctors.

His grandfather was the first trained Doctor of his town. Everyone seemed to know his grandfather. He had heard them say that his grandpa had left the Army to come back to his town. Over the years he had managed to know so much about his grandpa that he had no doubts that his grandpa was a good man.

His father was also a Doctor. His grandma used to tell him that his papa always wanted to be a doctor. She used to tell him the stories of his father when he was a small boy. So he knew that his father studied medicine, came back and continued the job which his grandpa started.

His father had turned a small clinic into a sprawling nursing home. He used to go there with his mother once a while. Though he used to hate the smell, he liked the way nurses and other Doctors treated him there. He felt like a king and so he went there whenever he could.

It was one such day he saw his teacher in nursing home. He was curiously looking at needle box and suddenly his teacher arrived from nowhere. He was caught unaware and just managed to mumble “Hello Madam”. His teacher seemed too happy to catch him in action. She told the sister who arrived just then “See here sister, he is already preparing to become doctor. Like father, like son”

It took him a while to recall that he was just peeping into an empty syringe box before a few seconds. He did not, even for a moment, realize that this small step by him could make him eligible to be a Doctor. Along with the teacher, the sister who used to usually ordered him not go there and here, smiled and added “After all, he is our future boss. His father has built such a big nursing home for him. He will not forget this old sister who looked after him, right baba?”

He nodded his head. What else could he do in that situation? It was so funny to think that he will the boss of this stout sister. She terrified him a lot. She was the one who prevented him from having all the fun in the nursing home. She would shout when he went out to play in the lawn, she would stop him from opening the box which contained white bandage.

It should be fun to be a Doctor – he thought. It was not a bad idea to become a Doctor and stop this sister from doing all things which she was doing now. But what else can one do after becoming Doctor? He had very little idea. His father was a Doctor but he had hardly seen his father in action. But first it was important to know whether his friends wanted to become Doctors. After all he and his friends did

Page 354 of 366 everything together. So if his friends did not become Doctors, there was little point in him becoming one.

He began asking his friends, one after other, about what they wanted to become. Everyone had already thought about this before. They all gave him their firm opinions. It was as if he was the only guy who did not decide on his future. There was no need for it also. Everyone had already concluded that he will be a doctor.

Why? Because your father is a Doctor- everyone said. Among his friends were people whose fathers were shopkeepers, bank employees, planters and all that. And they did not want to continue their father’s job. They all wanted to be Engineers, Pilots. Lawyers and some even wanted to become Doctors. Only he seemed not to have any say over his own future.

But he was happy that some his friends decided to become Doctors. At least they would spend some happy time in nursing home together. But that will happen only after he became a Doctor. Suddenly he felt he did not want to become one. And he told the same to his mother.

She just smiled at him. Why? What else do you want to become? He did not have any answer. He simply did not think about it. But he was sure that he does not want to become Doctor. His mother explained that it was his responsibility to carry forward the lineage. See your father; he made your grandpa so proud. You should do the same – she told him.

He knew his grandpa was a great man. When he died lot of people had come to their house. He knew that the main road of the town was named after his grandpa. He used to feel so proud when he walked through that road which had his grandpa’s name.

His grandpa always stayed at home. He had never seen his grandpa going to clinic like his father did. He could hardly say that his grandpa was a Doctor because he had never seen him in white coat like his dad and he never carried the stethoscope. But he had to believe when he saw the photos of his grandpa in the book released after his death by his father.

Though he never knew correctly, he thought becoming Doctor should not be a bad idea. After all, the Principal of his school used to come every year to his house to meet his father and collect the donation cheque. He used to feel that his father was more powerful than his Principal. He too wanted to be that powerful and becoming Doctor seemed only way for it.

He thought it is high time he decided what he wanted to become. He sat in his study and began the process. In a sheet of paper he began writing the jobs which he liked doing most. By writing all things he thought he would get a proper idea of what he wanted to do all his life.

Filling the list was not as easy as he had initially thought. He wanted to do so many things. He liked the way rotis were tossed by that skinny man in the restaurant. So he wanted to start one so that he could toss it all the time. He loved his cartoon books and had envied his friend who owned the book shop. To open a book shop is not a bad idea, he told himself.

The list kept growing long. Because he loved playing with coffee beans, we wanted to own an estate just like his friend. He wanted to be a driver as he could drive the car

Page 355 of 366 wherever he wanted. He wanted to play hockey and also wanted to own a huge playground where he and his friends would play hockey without being disturbed by the stupid high school boys.

After writing all the choices he wrote DOCTOR boldly at the end. Now that he had written all the choices he had to pick one. Instead of selecting the best one, he thought it would be better to start eliminating the bad choice. So finally he would end up with one thing which he will surely become.

So he began the process of elimination. He thought he could drive even after being a Doctor. His father used to drive whenever they went for holidays. So becoming a driver was nothing great. Therefore he eliminated that from his list. He knew he father played tennis everyday. So becoming doctor could not prevent him from playing hockey. Hockey player eliminated.

Soon he discovered that everything could be done even after becoming Doctor. He decided that he will become a Doctor. He ran to his mother to tell her about his decision. He saw his father having food on dining table. His mother was also sitting beside him. “I want to become Doctor” he told rather loudly. His father just lifted his face, gave a blank look at his mother and said “Of course! What else can you become?”

He felt very disappointed. All his efforts to take decision just seemed to be waste. It was as if he was trying to prove the obvious. No one seemed to recognize that he had taken this decision after much thinking. But now that he had decided to become Doctor he had to. So he asked his father “How can I become a Doctor?”

Page 356 of 366 my world - a poem in kannada

Friday, December 29, 2006

Page 357 of 366 Oh! This blog is getting older!!

Thursday, February 01, 2007

“It is a promise that I make for myself that in next one year I will write 300 posts so that I take the count to 500 by the time this blog celebrates its second birthday.”

Well that’s what I wrote last year while celebrating this blog’s first anniversary. Now that the day has come, I know I have not done that. But it’s ok. I take this opportunity today to just put in some of my thoughts about blogging which have changed ever the years.

Do I write for someone to read? That’s the question every writer will ask himself at some point of time. Well it is not the problem only with writers. I think every performer displays his skills in public for that one “rasika” who can appreciate his art. Similar to marketing people who try to create a “customer”, creative persons imagine a perfect audience who will listen to them any time they perform.

Blogging, by and large, depends on this notion of “participating audience”. Through comments, they are provided with a channel to send their responses. Will the singer sing better if he receives more applause on stage? Seasoned singers may say that best thing a singer can do is to sing for himself. Well, not everyone can reach this level of detachment. Mere mortals like us do get happy when someone appreciates us (and vice-versa).

In this context, blogging is an interesting medium. A writer who has the habit of publishing his works in printed form often knows the frustration he has to go through waiting to know the response of audience. But blogging provides an easier way to this. Theoretically, anyone has the freedom to publish anything he wants and get responses from entire world.

That is what we say about blogging. In fact, when I started blogging before 2 years I too believed this. It was believed that bloggers will soon replace the more traditional ways of news reporting. There was no stopping of views due to editorial stands. There was an option of “debating” also.

But over the years I have recognized that this “debate” does not help much. I am not rejecting the age old practice of accepting only by questioning. But I have developed hatred towards what is normally called as “intellectual debates” fuelled by media (mainly news channels). In fact I have totally stopped giving my opinions on anything under sun, which I was doing earlier.

Now I am using this blog only as a publishing medium. Yes, reader feedback does matter to me but I have grown to overlook some of them. The obsession with number of hits and quantity of posts has stopped. I take these as natural developments.

For someone like me who suffer from “compulsory writing disorder”, blogging is a good therapy. For now I do not feel any need to stop blogging. It is fun writing here and would like to continue as long as I like it. And yes, no promises for next year.

Happy birthday blog!!!

Page 358 of 366 RTI Works - I used it!!

Friday, March 16, 2007

My opposition to colas (Pepsi and Coke) stems from my ideological beliefs. I have for long believed that consumption of these drinks should not be encouraged. Moreover I strongly believe that people (mostly) do not drink them to quench their thirst but to make a statement.

The attempts to ban the use of colas in my college campus were met with stiff resistance. The canteen people told me that they will better shut down the shops rather than stop selling colas. Frustrated by their reluctance, I approached the members of my college canteen committee. They were sympathetic towards my views but were not ready to issue necessary directions to canteen authorities.

The canteen committee members asked me to support my claims with evidence. I started searching for newspaper reports regarding this matter. I got one in “The Hindu” dated Thursday, Dec 21, 2006 in this address. It very clearly noted that –

“Mr. Ashok said the Government, which issued the earlier ban on soft drinks on August 9 under the Food Adulteration Act, withdrew it on December 15 because of legal problems. Now it had imposed the ban under Article 162 of the Constitution that provided executive power to the State in certain matters “

But the canteen committee members were not ready to act on the newspaper report. Fair enough, I thought. I then tried to persuade canteen authorities explaining them the negative effects of soft drinks on the health of people. They seemed to be very obliging when they listened to me. But to my utter disappointment, they continued to sell colas.

I then thought of tacking the issue at a different level. I tried contacting the distributor who was supplying colas to our canteens. That guy talked very rudely to me. When I told him that there was a ban he contested saying it was withdrawn. I tried explaining him that earlier ban was under different act and now the fresh ban is imposed from December 18, 2006. He was adamant and was having the proof to prove his point. The proof happened to be a newspaper clipping about lifting the ban.

When I tried to tell him that after this there was a fresh ban, he was in no mood to listen. What followed was a heated argument between two of us. Then I firmly resolved that I should take this issue to its logical end. I had to get hold of that Government Order dated Dec 18. I started looking for the website of Health and Family Welfare. I was not able to trace it. So I devised a algorithm (after all I am a Software guy!!) to track the Government Order (GO) which looked like -

• Contact THE HINDU office and speak to journalist who filed the report which I referred above • If I don’t get the GO there, go to all major Government Hospitals in Bangalore (Because the same report said colas were banned in Hospitals also) • Go to Vidhan Soudha and contact the Health Minister • Contact Chief Information Officer

So, today morning I started out with this big plan. What happened in the day, I will record in chronological fashion –

Page 359 of 366 9.45 AM – I was in THE HINDU office. The security person asked me to wait till 10.00. I waited till 10.05. He then asked me whom I wanted to meet. I did not know any name. I just said I wanted to meet any reporter. He asked to come after 11.00 because everyone comes to office only at that time. I had time. So I went to next spot

10.30 AM – I reached BOWRING & LADY CURZON HOSPITAL. I was inside this place for first time. Not knowing whom to contact I just wandered a little reading the boards. Surprisingly I saw a board which read “May I help you” just left to the main entrance. I wanted one desperately, so I went to that table. There was an old gentleman who was reading files there. I asked him what I wanted. He answered me very nicely telling the directions to the administrative block. I went to the place. People were hardly seen in the chairs. One elderly gentleman nodded his head in negation when I questioned him about this GO. I asked him whether they sell colas in their campus. He said there is no question of that because Hospital does not have a canteen!!!

11.00 AM – I reached Vidhan Soudha. Today is the Budget day. I was told to meet the SI to get permission. When I went there, there was a long queue of people who wanted to get in. Police there were asking for passes. I thought I should go back because I did not have one. But I just remained in queue hoping for best. When my turn came I explained what my intention was. The police let me in. I was very happy. But when I reached the main entry point, I was told that no ministers would be present at this time because of assembly session. The police there also was very nice to me. He told me to come back at 3.00 and told there should be no big hassles in meeting the minister.

11.30 AM – Since I had time, I thought of going to VICTORIA HOSPITAL. Now I knew where to go. I landed there and asked directions for administrative block. The Secretary of the hospital entertained me and heard my story. He sent me to concerned person in the office. But the lady in question was not there. Apparently she had gone to attend a marriage function. People there promised me that she would be back at 2.00. Despite the wait, I had some good news in store here. The secretary confirmed that they have that GO. So I was ok with waiting

12.05 PM – I knew that VANI VILAS HOSPITAL is adjacent to this one. So I thought of visiting that place. IfVICTORIA had the GO, I was confident VANI VILAS will also have it. On reaching there, I just checked the hospital canteen. To my relief there were no colas in the display area. Happy and elated I went to administrative block. I met a very interesting fellow there. He showed keen interest in the matter and ordered his subordinates to give me the information. I asked whether I should apply for the info under RTI. He said no it was not required. We discussed lot of philosophy! Meanwhile his junior got the file. That contained the office order and not the GO. After receiving the GO, the hospital had issued orders to its canteens to stop selling colas. But I wanted GO. The man there was helpful. He traced the file number which contained this GO. He then asked me to go to Directorate of Medical Information as they are the nodal agency.

12.45 PM – I thought I will go to BANGALORE MEDICAL COLLEGE. I knew that should also ban colas in campus. To my utter disbelief the staff in the college said such orders would be lying somewhere in dustbin as no one cared for them. Asked why such negligence towards GO, he said they do not have canteen from past 3 months!! So where is the question of banning colas?

Page 360 of 366 1.00 PM – I could make out that students and staff of BMC missed college canteen as I went to nearby restaurant for lunch. There were white aprons all around me. I had lunch and checked back at VICTORIAHOSPITAL

2.00 PM – The lady whom I was expecting in VICTORIA promptly came in. Being very accommodative, she instantly pulled out the file which contained the GO. I was in heaven when I saw the file. But unfortunately that was the Aug 14 order. I knew this was not GO I was looking for. But anyway I had some success. I asked for a copy of it. The lady told me just to write a request letter and get it attested by hospital secretary. I promptly did this and yes, they gave me a copy. I offered to pay for Xerox but they denied. A special mention has to be made about the staff there. They were really nice and respected my views.

2.30 PM – I came to HEALTH & FAMILY WELFARE OFFICE situated in Anand Rao Circle. I managed to make my way to a swanky building which was labeled as “Information Centre”. The staff there informed me that this particular facility was not completely operational. But it looked great. When it gets going, I know where to go for such information!! They guided me to Personnel Department. I went in and checked with secretary to director. He said very confidently that PUBLIC HEALTH INSTITUTE (PHI) will have this information.

I was just roaming around in that building when I saw the Directorate of Medical Education office board. I went there to enquire about this GO. The people there were not aware of this matter. They too directed me to PHI. So I started to proceed there.

3.00 PM – I just checked into Directorate of Collegiate Education. The manager there took trouble to check with all files and finally told me that they have not received any such order. So my last resort now was PHI

3.30 PM – I entered PHI asking for anyone related to HFW department. I was directed to many places. That place is filled with so much lab equipment that I was completely lost. Finally I was asked to meet one chief chemist. She happened to be very nice lady. When I told what I want, she promptly called and asked someone to get a copy of that GO. No RTI required? I asked. She said it was not required as it was published in Gazette. I was in seventh heaven when I received a copy of it in next 2 minutes. Finally I had the copy of GO which I was looking for.

As I write this piece, the joy inside me is unexplainable. The PHI guys have told me to inform them in case my college authorities do not stop selling colas in campus. I feel my college administration will promptly agree. Or else I know whom to call!!!!!

It has been such a rewarding experience. All the reluctance I had to approach bureaucracy is gone. I was mentioning RTI in all offices and people were reacting to it. It is a good sign. As in my case, in many places people do give information without hassles. I am happy to say that I did not pay even a paisa to get what I wanted. No one asked me for bribe.

I think people in government offices are not all that bad as people say. I mean, my interaction with government machinery is very little but I think it’s not that brittle. What have I learnt from this episode? I now have very little reluctance to approach government offices for information. I know there are ready provided your approach is correct.

Want to see the GO I have? Try yourself…….you now have an optimized algorithm!!!!

Page 361 of 366 Indian team or BCCI team

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Now that the World Cup debacle of Indian cricket team is discussed at length by everyone from pappu to parliamentarians, I want to put forward a critical question – “Is Indian cricket team really INDIAN?” This question is important for me because I am fed up listening to people who are referring to team’s early exit as national shame.

Since BCCI does not have a official website, we have to rely on other sources to know the nature of BCII. According to information available in Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (Government of India), BCCI was formed in December 1927 with its headquarters in Delhi. The same site says that BCCI got affiliated to ICC in 1929.

The Wikipedia entry for BCCI says that it is a society, registered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act. According to the affidavit submitted by BCCI to Supreme Court in 2005, it said it was a non-profit making, autonomous association restricted to its members.

Well, whether BCCI makes profit or not is not my concern right now. My question is this – If BCCI is autonomous body, then how is the team that it selects becomes national?

In a significant ruling in 2005, Supreme Court ruled that the BCCI was not an organ of the "State" but an autonomous organization. They also noted that the BCCI could not be held a State only because of the popularity of cricket in the country.

Please read the affidavit of BCCI which says clearly that “It is governed by its own rules and regulations independent of any state...it organizes matches with its members or the team members of the International Cricket Council (ICC), which is also an autonomous body….”

What does all this mean? Well for the starters, what we call as Indian team is really a BCCI team. Just like your local club, BCCI too is a private and autonomous body. As per Supreme Court it is not the organ of state. So there is nothing remotely Indian about the team it selects except for the fact that it is registered in India.

It takes players by contract and they play for BCCI. No where is it mentioned that players “represent” country. The matter is simple. The state (Indian Government) does not pay them, BCCI pays them. So they represent BCCI as they are its employees.

So wake up guys….don’t bring in patriotism and national sentiments in the game. It is just another private affair between private clubs. So please stop equating BCCI team with INDIA.

Still not convinced…..Ok…I think you have heard that Subhash Chandra will start India Cricket League. Now if this becomes big in international scene, then will you call the team from India as INDIAN team? Then what about BCCI team?

Page 362 of 366 Encourage Copying

One thing which constantly irks the teaching fraternity is academic dishonesty. From straightforward copying in exams to submitting assignments directly taken from net, cheating is one phenomenon common across all kinds of educational institutes. Universities have been trying to cope with this problem in many ways. But none of the known solutions are effective.

So I am starting to think that cheating should be legitimized. In a way the system of education which we are following is responsible for this problem. We overemphasize on individual achievements and so students try to reach super achiever status by all means. By using a common yardstick we try to measure each student’s ‘capability’.

But we know each student has a unique trait which makes him special. So why tell him to leave his individuality to meet the success parameters set by us? Can’t we think of alternate evaluation mechanisms which take into consideration the diverse abilities of our students?

Perhaps we can. Think what we expect from students once they come out of college. In workplace, we want them to find answers to questions as a team. To know where to get the answer from or whom to ask is more important skill. But this is academics is called ‘cheating’.

What we can do is tell students to get the ‘best’ answers from wherever they can. Tell them to search everywhere for answers. In the class let them disclose the sources. In that way the knowledge can be shared. Over a period of time, students will not only know where and how to get answers from but also know the criteria for good answers.

Cynics may question the validity of such logic. Won’t this system create students who know where to get answers and will not be able to problems themselves? No, I am not completely rejecting the existing system. What I am suggesting is encouraging students to adopt “cooperation” strategy instead of “competition”.

Page 363 of 366 Why Guru is not my hero

Thursday, April 19, 2007

When I watched Guru, I was completely carried away by its narration style. This was so different from the earlier movies of Mani Ratnam. I quite liked the character Gurukant Desai till one stage. The villager becoming visionary was good; but visionary wanting to become winner at any cost was not. Then I began to take sides with Shyam Saxena and Manikdas Gupta. I somehow felt letdown by Guru and soon Shyam was my hero.

The much famed climax irritated me a lot. I could not make sense of the argument Guru put forward before the commission. Though it could be appreciated for its cinematic values, I completely reject it. For me the better ending would have been a transformed Guru accepting his mistakes instead of trying to defend his awful business tactics.

Equating his act of bending rules to Gandhi’s fight against British was stupid. I do not know how one can accept this. Gandhi broke law for larger social good. But what Guru did was only to meet his ends. If breaking law for one’s good is accepted then we will witness a completely anarchic state.

Guru says it is not only he who made money. He proudly says that he benefited his shareholders. So he is making them as partners in crime. This is to say that a thief should not be prosecuted if he shares his booty with poor people. Every bad man wants to project himself as Robin Hood!

I read someone saying that Guru personifies new, global, confident India’s attitude. I do have problems projecting Guru as role model for wannabe entrepreneurs. I do not teach entrepreneurship but I talk about some issues regarding this in my class. I am not comfortable telling my students to follow Guru’s way.

Guru, in his final argument, asks the commission why he is punished. He wants to know whether making first quality polyester is a crime. Certainly not; but from what I understood from the movie, Guru seemed to evade taxes and overrode certain licenses granted to him. Should he go unpunished for breaking laws?

Though there was a sense of balancing in story by announcing fines on Guru, the larger picture was that he emerged victorious. By asking commission to mouth lines such as - “What else can we do? We can’t hang him, can we?” the director signals that they concede defeat before Guru. By later projecting Guru as speaking to his shareholders and filling them with new dreams, the director further glorifies the character.

It is precisely this part that was not acceptable for me. I did not like Guru being celebrated despite everyone knowing that he did evil. That showed people do not feel guilty by following any route to make more money. Guru says India is moving forward with him. If this is progress, I do not want India to part of this.

Page 364 of 366 A new era in Technical Education

Saturday, April 28, 2007

14 Engineering colleges in Karnataka have received financial assistance of more than Rs. 10 Crores each. Though the program in question called Technical Education Quality Improvement Program (TEQIP) is initiated by Government of India, large part of the funds has come from World Bank.

The broad vision of TEQIP is quite appreciable. It aims to help institutes achieve their own set targets for excellence and sustain the same over long time. One of the interesting clauses in this program is that the institute cannot spend lot of the funds in civil works. Instead they are encouraged to acquire excellence in specialized areas and emerge as world-class institutions.

One of the paths set to achieve this is by granting autonomy to institutes. The process for autonomy is already underway and come next academic session, these institutes will become academically autonomous. There is a visible excitement in these campuses regarding the newfound freedom.

But how many colleges are really geared up for this enormous task? Faculty, who till now had to teach according to a given syllabus, now have to face the task of preparing one. How many of them are up to the challenge? There is a belief that curriculum will fix the loopholes and match current trends. Will that happen?

One of the main objectives of TEQIP is to help institutes network and share the resources they have. In the coming days this will be very crucial. There is (at least theoretically) the possibility of transferring credits between institutes. But given the present situation where even the colleges in same city do not interact much, the above mentioned level of cooperation looks impossible.

With hardly few months to go into autonomy, there is no signs of colleges coming together to discuss some common framework for framing syllabi. In the absence of any discussion between institutes, we may end up with institutes teaching different subjects for the same program.

At the institute level, each college needs to frame syllabus for all programs, set the evaluation process and do so many other things. These tasks have been traditionally done at university level and college faculty (save a few) does not have any exposure regarding this.

I am quite skeptical whether this era of autonomy will achieve anything substantial. I fear that colleges will blindly accept the existing norms regarding syllabus, evaluation and other things; may be with minor changes, for the want of time and expertise. If that happens, we will be committing a historical blunder.

This is critical time for technical education in India. What happens in this academic year will impact the state of engineering studies in times to come. It will be interesting to see how colleges will react to their first brush with autonomy. By utilizing their newfound freedom properly, they can take India to leadership position in technology. Let’s hope they’ll do it.

Page 365 of 366 Thursday, May 24, 2007

The End

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