THE TIMES OF INDIA, NEW DELHI 20 COMFORTING THE AFFLICTED AFFLICTING THE COMFORTABLE FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2016 A thought for today Show Us The Blueprint Resurrection is a leap into a whole new way of thinking

DEEPAK CHOPRA For our cities to deliver growth and jobs, we need to deliver good systems for our cities

Amitabh Kant ments. If cities are measured well, they Mission Mayawati will start getting managed better. Over the next three Thirdly, states need to attract top of the decades, India needs to line talent to manage and deliver on the Exodus of senior leaders dulls her dream sustain a high growth city blueprints, especially from a project trajectory of over 7% management standpoint. Our cities of staging a big comeback in UP GDP growth accompa- possess world class talent in financial nied by massive job services, information technology, he sudden departure of Mayawati’s close aide Swami Prasad creation to deliver good quality of life to infrastructure, etc but few of them work Maurya from the Bahujan Samaj Party comes as a major all citizens. Such a high economic growth towards building our cities. We need to embarrassment for the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister. rate and scale of job creation would create opportunities for our best talent to T necessarily depend on the manufacturing contribute to our cities, beginning with What has worsened the situation is that Maurya, hitherto the leader and services sectors. Global experience the cities where they live. Fellowships, of opposition in the state assembly and BSP’s second most visible especially since the industrial revolution lateral hires and short commissions for face, has accused Mayawati of auctioning tickets, describing her as has been that job creation and growth in projects, internships, etc can all work well daulat ki beti rather than Dalit ki beti. Though Mayawati was quick the manufacturing and services sectors to ensure governments and citizens work to dismiss Maurya’s allegations, he is the second senior OBC leader heavily depend on cities. together for this national cause. More after Jugal Kishore to quit the party in recent months. Senior leaders All the flagship programmes of this importantly, only these mechanisms can jumping ship months before the crucial assembly elections confirm government – including Make in India, provide government with the specialist Skill India, Digital India and the Smart skills required in the short-term in the claims that all is not well within BSP. Cities Missions – are aimed at fast field of urban management. BSP has been treading slowly but steadily on the path to resurrec- tracking economic growth, job creation Lastly, we will need to urgently fix the tion after the 2014 fiasco when it failed to win a single seat in the and delivery of good quality of life to all municipal skills and staffing problem for general election. In November last year it made a citizens. Cities will be central to the the long-term. Short tenures of municipal strong showing in the panchayat polls. In a bid successful delivery of these programmes commissioners, rolling stock of employees

to extend her support base among urban and schemes. In today’s world it is not rowe on deputation from the state resulting in countries but cities that compete for lack of a coherent organisation culture, voters, Mayawati announced she would resources and investment. Chad C lack of specialised contemporary skills no longer construct parks and statues, As per Census 2011, India has close especially in respect of engineering, instead focus on governance. This seeming to 8,000 cities of which over 50 have a Indian cities have largely scored 4 or less planning, financial management and transition from aggressive identity population in excess of 10 lakh. Put on a scale of 0 to 10 compared to 9+ by revenue optimisation and human resour- politics to more development-centric together our cities are estimated to have a London and New York. CMs need to draw up city ce management, asymmetry in span of issues is a welcome step. population of over 400 million which is What needs to be done by the Centre blueprints with the vision control with less than 5% of the employees expected to touch 800 million by 2050, and states under each of the above in Grades A and B, large number of staff But while Mayawati enjoys the reputa- making India 50% urban from today’s 30%. city-systems is critical. But the “how” for 20-25 years, fix clear vacancies, etc are all big challenges. tion of being an able administrator, she This mega wave of urbanisation will has received relatively lesser attention ownership for delivery These challenges have emasculated our may be banking too heavily on the assumption need to be managed well so that cities compared to the “what”. How something and publish quarterly municipalities over the past decades. that anti-incumbency will by default propel her to power again. A can attract investments and create jobs can practically get done within the Adequate number of skilled employees serious concern for BSP is that its social engineering formula of on a large scale, become hubs of growth, government is as important as what performance reports and well-managed municipalities and Dalit-Muslim-Brahmin is coming under threat from both BJP and talent, creativity and innovation and needs to be done, especially in a civic agencies are a sine qua non for good thereby vibrant habitats where millions democracy with a federal makeup. needs to be done in terms of both infrastructure and public services in SP, who are assiduously wooing upper castes and Muslims, respective- of citizens can fulfil their dreams. Firstly, our chief ministers need to infrastructure projects and governance our cities, and therefore also a ly.To maintain momentum in the face of this challenge, BSP needs Principally, there are four systems recognise cities as a priority for their reforms needs to fall within this rubric of fundamental reform agenda. We need to move on from the traditional, narrow narrative of caste to a that are key to good governance in our states. They need to draw up city blue- quantified objectives, roadmaps with qualified town planners, engineers, waste broad, popular championing of governance – loud and clear. cities: urban planning and design, muni- prints which take into account the vision milestones, ownership for delivery and management professionals, finance pro- The ruling SP will bank on chief minister Akhilesh Yadav’s youth cipal finances and staffing (essentially for a city for a 20-25 year timeframe, transparent performance measurement. fessionals and others to even get started appeal and developmental works while BJP has made deteriorating capacities and resources), effective quantify sectoral objectives for a 3-5 year Secondly, we need to recognise our cities on the four city-system reform agendas. political leadership of a city and lastly time period, draw up detailed roadmaps to as distinct units of governance and econo- All of the above is within the realm of law and order as its central theme. Mayawati needs to become more transparency, accountability and citizen achieving the objectives with well-defined my. We need to start tracking the perfor- the possible. The spirit of cooperative visible and boost the morale of rank and file, just like she had done participation. Each of these four areas milestones, fix clear ownership for delive- mance of our cities in terms of GDP, job cum competitive federalism that this in 2007. The crown of Lucknow will eventually belong to the party are important reform agendas in them- ry and publish quarterly performance creation, private and public investments, government is pioneering should which has the broadest social base. BSP is at the cusp of being able to selves, and are inter-dependent. Janaag- reports to build trust among citizens. consumption, etc. Today, none of this data extend to our cities too. City-systems achieve that, but the desertion within ranks spells trouble. Maurya’s raha’s Annual Survey of India’s City- Many of our states are past the is available at a city level. It is either not and city blueprints need to find a place in exit should serve as a wake-up call for Mayawati; she must tighten System, an annual ranking of cities based tipping point of urbanisation and the tracked at all at a city level or is fragmented our national lexicon. on quality of urban governance, reveals rest are fast approaching the same. What across civic agencies and state depart- The writer is CEO, NITI Aayog ship if in 2017 BSP is not to run adrift as in 2012 and 2014. Embattled Song ‘Salman’s remark sexist ... India at flashpoint on women’s rights ... Amjad Sabri’s killing is a huge blow Bollywood’s scared – but younger guys are free thinkers’ for subcontinent’s Sufi tradition Singer, composer and songwriter have carte blanche to say and do know their place. the future that the younger lot of actors Sona Mohapatra is one of the few whatever they please. These people are These ideas were never acceptable to are mostly chivalrous gentlemen. n a huge loss for the subcontinent, famous qawwal Amjad Sabri artists working in Bollywood who raised on a pedestal – they stand for the me – i don’t have too many allies within It was also a brilliant example was shot dead in Karachi by motorcycle-borne gunmen. A faction criticised actor Salman Khan’s ‘felt most regressive, sexist values while our the business but the ones who’ve worked when Virat Kohli stood up for Anushka of the Taliban has claimed responsibility for the killing, hitting like a raped woman’ remark. Speaking supposedly liberal, progressive peers with me share the same values. Sharma after she was viciously trolled. I with Srijana Mitra Das, Mohapatra shut their eyes and ears to obviously vile I’ve received support discreetly, Ranveer Singh is another fine example at the heart of the Sufi cultural tradition of India and Pakistan. discussed the vicious trolling she’s faced, remarks and actions. especially from the younger of a true gentleman, a modern, Amjad was the son of Ghulam Farid Sabri, who along with his brother hypocrisy in the film industry, misogyny It’s just so convenient. generation. free thinker – who’s okay with equal was part of the legendary Sabri Brothers qawwali duo. In the 1960s versus manners – and younger, cooler I’m a thinking person The response from outside women around him. and 1970s the duo redefined the qawwali genre, and even now their role models: and a committed citizen – has been much more heartening – We need more male role models powerful compositions can be heard at Indian Sufi shrines every i believe engaging people openly stood with me. like them. ■ ■ day. Their rendition of Amir Khusrau’s kalam is particularly You criticised an icon – were with the socio-political We share concerns about rampant Meanwhile, why does adulation environment, having renowned. Indeed, their voice left an indelible you not afraid of a backlash? misogyny in our country – and believe blind fans to obvious flaws in stars? Not really. The backlash is a point of view and Bollywood’s unwittingly added to it. And will social media improve imprint on the subcontinent’s Sufi tradition. something i expected as i’ve se- sharing it is critical It’s time for a course correction. public expectations? The Sabris’ musical lineage stretches back to en other women mercilessly to my existence as ■ What fuels this misogyny – just Well, the problem in India is our need the 16th century and they claim to be descendants trolled on social media – but i an artiste. when women are more professionally to deify celebrities. of Tansen. It’s this legacy that Amjad was did not expect it to be as vicious ■ What responses active than before? Everyone must be held to the same carrying forward in his own capacity as a qawwal. as it got. have you got from I think we’re at a flashpoint with the standard – but our celebrities, especially within the film However, the message of love, tolerance and From profanities, rape issue of women’s rights in India. actors, are given a pedestal because the threats, morphed naked industry? There are more women working virtues of their on-screen personas brotherhood that Amjad and his family propaga- pictures, ageism, sexism, I’ve never than ever before – but i don’t think men are attributed to them. People confuse ted didn’t conform with the worldview of Islamist misogyny, bullying, warnings been part of any have quite figured out how to deal with characters written by someone else, extremists. This is not the first time that those who identify them- about being put out of ‘work’, industry – i don’t it. There’s a loss of ‘tehzeeb’, manners, propped up by costumes, sets, dialogues, selves with a moderate, inclusive version of Islam have been targeted the trolls made this a circus! even see it as an in our culture, which is making the somebody else’s epic music, to be the in Pakistan. The suicide attack at Lahore’s Data Durbar Sufi shrine Coming back to the silly industry. It’s more conversation between the genders person themselves. like an extended in 2010 that killed 50 people is a case in point. remark made by a serial more complicated. The argument that charity makes offender, i have to say – there family business – Bollywood used to help cultivate them special is also dubious. Charity is Add to this the constant attacks on Pakistan’s minority Ahmadiyya comes a point where this which is why no one ‘tehzeeb’ through wonderful, witty not a ‘goodwill ATM’ – you don’t get and Shia sects. It’s clear that the Islamist extremism plaguing kind of stupidity becomes ever speaks out banter and a civilised code of conduct. It redeemable points for charity, which you Pakistani society today seeks to eliminate any interpretation of the sickening and having your against one of ‘their taught men how to be sophisticated – can encash against bad behaviour. Islamic faith that deviates from an orthodox, fundamentalist father apologise for you is own’. until it all collapsed sometime in the 80s. We need more role models from ■ doctrine. Towards this end, the extremists desire to sever Islam absolute cowardice. The industry is You mention the 80s – is there now various fields of life – the media really propelled by fear from its roots in the subcontinental cultural milieu. This is what I had to speak out – it a generation gap in the film industry, needs to start looking for personalities disturbed me that our and a strong with younger artists showing a more outside the standard Bollywood tropes. motivated the attack on Amjad. And this is precisely why the people ‘industry’ keeps mum on hierarchy – where modern, real mindset? Or we’ll be left with a vacuous, of the subcontinent should unite to fight extremism and hate, and selective issues. Some people everyone must I think so – it gives me great hope for superficial, celebrity-obsessed Gen-Next. keep alive the Sufi spirit that binds us. dilbert Sacredspace Self-Appraisal Get it write You are the only common People are going back to school to rediscover denominator in everything the lost art of penmanship that has happened to you in life, be it good or bad. Jug Suraiya To learn and grow from Have we lost the ability to write? No, i don’t mean we’ve been these experiences, you must afflicted with an epidemic of mass illiteracy. What i mean is accept the role you played that, thanks to the digital revolution, we’re losing, or have already lost, the ability to write longhand. in each of them. Before the dawn of the computer age, kids in school were A C Anderson taught the craft of penmanship, the skill of being able to write clearly and legibly in longhand. There were ruled exercise books specially designed for the purpose. Implements called fountain pens were used to execute the act of writing. The most prized brand of fountain pen was Parker, closely followed by Wilson. Magnetism And The Power Of Association The fountain pens were filled by capillary action with ink, the most popular brand being Quink (Don’t say ink, say Quink!), Sulekha being a sort of poor Nayaswami Jaya Helin autobiography and my life radically magnet. The first is to place a bar of normally moves towards the senses and country cousin. changed course. It was as if a door had iron in close proximity to a strong outward involvement. Through daily Not just schoolkids but everyone wrote, all the time. People handwrote long alking past a bookstore in opened, inviting me into another realm. magnet. In time, the bar, too, becomes practice and living in harmony with letters to each other, kept journals and diaries, penned messages in greeting Guangzhou, China, a lady i Swami Kriyananda too had a similar magnetised simply by being in Nature’s Laws, the yogi withdraws his cards for festivals and birthdays and other special occasions. Wknow glanced at the display of experience and later he asked association with the strong magnet. attention from bodily senses into the All this handwriting spawned a special industry newly released books in the front Yogananda about the book’s influence. For a spiritual aspirant, the lesson is inner spine and from there, directs his called graphology, which claimed that you could discern window. Her attention was drawn to a “Yes,” the Master said, “It’s because I obvious; put yourself in the company of life force upward towards the brain and jugularvein the character and personality of people through the picture of a longhaired man in robes. put my ‘vibrations’ into it.” those who are spiritually strong and superconscious bliss. way they wrote. Stopping, she studied the face more What did Yogananda mean your own strength increases. Magnetism is the secret of all Then computer keyboards happened, and the internet, and mobile phones closely and spontaneously began to by that? Just as we know spoken There is a second way to spiritual and material success and is and SMSs, and all of a sudden handwriting vanished, along with fountain pens, weep, overcome by an unexplained words convey a speaker’s create a magnet. By rotating a within our power to increase or Quink, letters and graphology. emotion. Composing herself, she consciousness, so too does the current of electricity around change. We draw to us those people, Today, the only writing that’s done is the signing of cheques. And technology continued her walk, but within a short written “voice” reveal an an iron bar, the bar’s molecules circumstances and opportunities with will soon devise electronic signatures which will be the final nail in the coffin distance she stopped again and was author’s character. Some get aligned in a uniform which our karma resonates. of penmanship, RIP. drawn back for a second look at what immediately attract us like north-south polarity to create a Ask yourself, “To what am I Or will it? According to a recent report, a number of special handwriting had so moved her. Again, tears came to iron filings are attracted to a magnetic field. Applying this magnetically attuned?” Prosperity and schools have sprung up in Delhi and other parts of the country teaching mature her eyes as she entered and purchased a magnet while others do the principle to meditation and health come not by karma alone but students like IAS officers, accountants and other professionals how to use a pen. copy. That book was the ‘Autobiography opposite, repelling us. That the pranayama gives us the science also by our power of attraction. Change However, such training institutes might also have to teach their pupils how of a Yogi’. woman in China was sensitive of Kriya Yoga. your magnetism and you will change to spell. Because, thanks to telephonic texting and the shorthand it employs, Dramatic as this story is, it’s not to Yogananda’s “magnetism” speaking Subtle pranic currents your life. apart from the ability to write we’ve also lost the ability to spell. unique. I’ve heard similar accounts and, tree which awakened long buried associated with the breath are ‘Change Your Magnetism, Change Your Had he been around today, Hamlet might well have tweeted: 2 B r nt 2B, tht is in fact, my own introduction to the book feelings and “memories”. rotated around the central “bar” of the Life’ free workshop with Ananda Sangha’s d ? What would graphology make of that? was much the same. A recent graduate The analogy of a magnet is particu- spine, thereby aligning our scattered Kriyacharya Nayaswami Jaya, June 26, [email protected] from college, i had been drifting larly apt in the study of yoga. From energies to create a magnetic pull upon 10am-12pm, Alliance Francaise de Delhi, http:/blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/jugglebandhi/ aimlessly when i came upon the physics we learn of two ways to create a the outward flow of life force which Call: +919899267698/ 9899200605.