Indira Gandhi – 1917 – 1984

Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi - Prime Minister

October 31st, came and went quietly, this year. The paper reminded me about the gruesome assassination that took place exactly 25 years ago. 31st Oct 1984, would have been just another day in history, but for the actions of two body guards, who though sworn to fulfill their duty to protect, chose to kill instead. She had a choice, she was warned, she also knew that there were several who wanted her dead. True to her spirit, or could be considered foolhardy in today’s world, she chose to keep her body guards even though, several followers of the Sikh faith were most unhappy with her decision to bombard the Golden Temple.

I still remember knowing about her death, late in the afternoon. The only television channel and radio service, both of them, then controlled by the government, had not put out any information. But before noon, it was quite clear that she was dead, the BBC radio service available but feeble in parts, were reporting about the assassination. The phones were ringing off the hook at our house, from friends and relatives, rumours and news spreading from far and wide. In far away Madras (now Chennai), reverberation were being felt. I was home, my early morning classes were done by 9, and my classes at the college were only in the evening. I rode my bike to a local market place (aminjikarai) to see if i could get the evening newspaper, with limited luck. By evening official news was being delivered by Doordharshan, about her death. The country was in mourning.

She was liked by thousands, many looked to her as goddess or mother, just as there were many who hated the ground she walked on and wouldnt shed a tear at this loss. She was killed because she chose to act, to cleanse a situation that she had fostered for a long time, but when she chose to do it, she was firm and also brutal. What started as political infighting, now was war, within the nation, and amongst its own people. Irrespective of all her faults, she truly believed that the Indians were unstoppable and helped instill a sense of pride in our minds. She also ruled the country during the most torturous times and many of her decisions good and bad are still having an impact on us today.

I believe there will never be another Indira Gandhi in India for a long time. There never was, even then, a person of this stature, who was able to bring the entire country together. She made stupid mistakes that most politicians make, thinking that power is endless and that people will never realize. But she also knew very clearly that her best rapport were with the same people. She won everytime she stood close to them and helped them, and lost when she moved away and let a coterie intervene.

To me, she remains a great person, the first politician i ever looked upto. The first images and realization of this person started with the 1971 war, but i was too small to associate her and victory. But it was during the period of emergency that she started to build on the impression. I guess all the hatred many people were spewing around, only endeared her closer to me. Defending her and the emergency became a constant part of my day to day life. In Madras, the impact of any emergency was minimal, but the positive effects of it numerous. The fiasco of a coalition, that began in 1977, proved that India at this time needed a strong leader like Indira. She did come back to power, voted in by the same people who rebelled against her, fed up with bickering and infighting at the highest office and seats of government. I mourned her death, unable to think what would happen to the country and its people. Looking back, it seemed we, India and Indians were poised for greater glory, to be build on a foundation laid by Indira Gandhi.

Wikipedia is history

The problem with an open for all encyclopedia, where anyone and everyone can edit is that, everybody else can unedit and revert the changes to what existed before. It is common knowledge that history is written by winners, and then many years later,  the loser picks up courage or manages to live, and writes the other side of the story. Now you have two sides of the story. Everybody believing one side and doubting the other.

Wikipedia - The free encyclopedia that anyone can edit !

I had believed (although it was with appropriate caution), in wikipedia as a medium because like democracy and freedom, this free encyclopedia offered a source of information that is different from the established ones. It still does, but recently it appears that the established sources are slowly creeping into this medium too, diluting the efforts to keep it truly free and open. Before you start to think that this a true critical analysis of wikipedia, let me state frankly that it is not. I am engaged in this diatribe, because i was not able to enforce my edits in wikipedia. This is therefore a biased opinion, but i think still very valid, about a encyclopedia that everyone can edit, but really not.

Recently i was spurred by a story i read from my Amar Chitra Katha comics about Rana Beni Madho, to log on to the internet to know more about a song the british soldiers were quoted as singing in the comic.

Where have you been all day
Beni Madho, O Beni Madho!
Why are you so scared of British pluck
Beni Madho, O Beni Madho!
Because to beat you is not my luck
Beni Madho, O Beni Madho!

I found a couple of sites with reference to the song and lyrics and then landed on wikipedia site regarding the 1857 sepoy mutiny, regarded in India, as the First war of Independence. The empty web page was redirected to a more detailed page called Indian Rebellion of 1857. While there was nothing inappropriate about the title itself the article, however, seemed biased towards the english point of view. I attempted to insert a few statements to correct this perception in the intro, but these edits were quickly undone by someone. I researched the person, and my bias was solidified because of their origins (some where in briton). I was referred to the talk page (the discussion page for article), which had a caution indicating that this page contained information which was ‘controversial’, and required a discussion and consensus before being posted and approved.

In view of many Indians, and today’s updated knowledge base, the 1857 mutiny, was more than just another mutiny or rebellion, it was not the first, and certainly was not the last war against the British soldiers or the East India Company. It is regarded as the First war of Independence, because it was not isolated to a state or a small region. It covered several small principalities across the gangetic plains, north/west India, central India etc. The british army and the company clearly had divided the country and fought the rebellion and war, by using Indian soldiers against other Indians. They however were scared that more of these men will rebel, that many european and white soldiers were brought in to fight the war. The rebels were not simply fighting because of a ‘grease’, but that happened to simply be a catalyst to spark the fire of independence amongst many of these people. Many are led to believe that Indian sub-continent was united only, because the british ruled the whole country. Partly true, but the british were not the first to control such large parts of the country, though they were the last. The pan-indian image and culture predates the arrival of the East India Company and the british governance.

In summary, i still think wikipedia is an important source of information. But it clearly is only ‘another’ source. Controversial topics require confirmation like quotes, speeches, writings, which will come only from established sources. What this means is that, in the anals of history  or atleast for sometime to come on wikipedia, Beni Madho and his exploits will remain a mere myth, compared to the so called recorded truths by british soldiers and company officials. These written statements have more value, only because of the same thorn in the flesh of history, that it is always written by the winner.

A Novel Prize for Obama

The Nobel peace prize awarded last week was a surprise. It should read shocking, but then according to me this is not the first time the Nobel committee that selects person, that it thinks competent to receive this award, has done something weird or egregious. I first thought or understood about this, in 1983, when it chose Lech Walesa, for the peace award. I remember wondering why they would choose a person who was essentially striking against a government employer and the associated system, while another person was in prison and was not found worthy, even though he was fighting a curse to humanity. Could it be that one was white and the other black, could it be that one was fighting socialism, and the other just racism. I am referring to Nelson Mandela.

This was not the only place where i think the Nobel committee erred in judgment. It erred again, in the context of the same Nelson Mandela, according him the peace prize, to be shared jointly with the head of a racist government. Earlier too, Henry Kissinger of the US, was selected for the same prize, because he helped negotiate a cease-fire with Vietnam. Ironically this shared prize was rightfully rejected by Le Duc Tho. An equivalent in history would have been Hitler and Stalin being selected for the peace prize for negotiating a non-aggression pact. A casual glance through the list of all winners till date will raise enough eyebrows. In this context, the award of this year’s prize to Obama, should hardly cause a ripple.

Obama, is undoubtedly a star on his own, given that he was able to convince the people of USA, to elect him as the President. His tag line, ‘Audacity of Hope‘, is a good reflection of his thinking and his perseverance against odds. He deserves commendation for all his efforts big and small, after being sworn into office this January; reaching out to people of middle-east and Islam, message to Iranians on Nowruz, closing the prison in Guantanamo Bay, reconciliation with Cuba, his approach and belief in UN, climate change, etc. While he is engineering action and change at home, he has been presenting a different America to the world, and this alone deserves acclamation. For all these, he is held in great esteem by more people outside America, than inside.

Irrespective of all that he has done till date, i dont not think his statements and gestures made for international cooperation and those in particular about reducing nuclear stockpiles, warrant an award. Having said this, i have to conclude that the committee that chooses candidates for these awards have made stranger decisions. It is best for people to realize that this is not an indication of achievement, but more of appeasement by a small group of people. That perception should bring peace to poor souls who fret and fume about these decisions.

Siddi

An inquisitive mind, can find answers and always learn. Advertisements are not always based on falsehood. Couple of takeaways from this past weekend sojourn at home.

It all started with a recent advertisement by Bajaj for their new campaign on the Discover bike. Among the three advertisement shown on TV, the first i saw was intriguing, it showed, what were clearly people of African native, that were speaking Gujarati, and were apparently living in Jambur, Gujarat. I quickly dismissed this as some gimmick, but the next one showed a village in Karnataka that still used Sansrkit as a spoken a language. The third i saw was the Magnetic Hill, in Ladakh, which i knew existed. I quickly presumed that there must be truth in the other advertisements too. It only took a few minutes of time on the internet to discover some interesting details.

Siddi is small, but of significant size, community that now inhabits Gujarat mostly, but also in Maharastra and Karnataka, and even Kerala. They were brought to India, mostly as slaves by the Portuguese. They come from different parts of Africa, but mostly Ethiopia and Sudan and tribes spread over most of East Africa. I got most of my info from wikipedia and one represented in Pambaazuka. Their life has not been easy by any means, and continues to be an uphill struggle. Recently it appears (based on search that showed other articles) that some progress is being made. Here is one story of hope and success.

This is not the first of such foreign people finding a home in India. There has been scores of writing about the lost tribes of Israel who wandered to India, as also of Chinese settlers who only know of India as their home, Parsi’s from Iran, and so on. Recently i also read an article in India Today, and later an abstract of a press briefing about a genome study conducted in India, helps show that maybe man migrated from Africa into Indian sub-continent before moving to other parts of the globe. Cursorly glance of tribes (or adivasis) in Kerala, Andaman etc., will clearly show negroid looks. But that shades in comparison to the fact that African natives like Siddi now belong to India. Their settlement in India is recent, less than 500 years, they clearly came in small numbers first, unlike a mass migration.

These kinds of tidbits truly help make the statement Incredible India, a perfect way to explain or define this land. It never ceases to spur imagination or cause wonder to its own people or people around the globe.

Opinionators

There used be a time, when I turned to the TV or the newspaper for news and also views. And then you read books and magazines for in depth opinions and some exposition. In India, there was The Hindu, and when it came to world news, there was the BBC, before the Doordharsan started carrying news by independent producers. When i arrive in the US, in 1991, i got hooked on to Peter Jennings’s evening news on the ABC. Unfortunately for me Peter Jennings will remain the bearer of bad news, because for almost 6 full months during the winter of ‘91, i listened to him bring us news about the downward spiraling DowJones Index and other news about the economy. I guess that is why, i probably found a home in CNN for sometime.

But the cable news era was soon to change the way news was being consumed. I stand corrected, it changed the way news was being disseminated. I think it began with the introduction of MS-NBC. One would have wondered that a new channel will fill the gaps and better the coverage by then leading CNN within America. However, instead it started a race for market share, by producing news that was colorful and full of debates. Not very different from what CNN was doing, but definitely increased the decibel levels. Soon the news channels were filled with jobless opinion providers, who slowly but steadily start making appearances even during regular newscast. Then with the launch of Fox News, things moved to no holds barred, free for all. The ultimate winners being the advertisers and the ‘professional’ opinion providers or opinionators.

Opinionator Noun
1. a person or thing that offers an opinion about anything or everything.
2. a person or thing that annihilates opinion.

Yeah. I use the term opinionators, for want of anything better to define these people. At one point they were jobless, but soon there was a breed of professional opinionators. Their only job it appears is to offer opinion, to anyone and everyone, anywhere and everywhere, about anything and everything.

Interestingly the concept was only foreign to the rest of the world media. But having international media moghuls like Murdoch, and the global reach of CNN etc., quickly ensured that the rest of the world followed suit. And the so called marketing heads in India, also followed the same plan to gain or establish market share, in an already crowded field.

All of this hasnt done anything to improve reporting or newscasting. Oh yes, there is technology, and it is admittedly interesting to see it being applied in this field more than anything else. It has enabled more opinionators to be simul-casted (broadcast simultaneously) from anywhere across the globe. The quality of news and reporting is inversely proportional to the number of opinionators used by a news channel for highlight a news or view. Today it is difficult to believe anything put out by any of the major news channels and interestingly even some newspapers. Every bit of news, has more than two sides, and we have to hear them all, and be equally or more confused than we were before the news was broken.

History – Truth or Fiction

During my school days, when we had to study history as a subject, i used to wonder ‘why we needed to know so much of detail of what, why, how, when things happened’? The boredom only increased manifold, in trying to track names and dates, the before and after etc. Appreciation for this subject didnt hit me till i actually started working and i guess when i felt i will never have to study this or another subject again. Another facet of this study started intriguing me, that facts changed. Well, it appeared that geography was not the only thing that changed in a land, its history too changed, based on who wrote it and when it was written.

For almost 20+ years in my life, just like many others, i believed that Christopher Columbus, discovered America, by accident, in his attempt to find a different sea route to India. Well, thats a load of humbug now. And just like the facts sorrounding Columbus, many other factoids continue to be changed and rewritten every single day. The white man, specially the english speaking variety, was quick to pass judgements that resulted in his superiority over any others. Thanks, to english being the most widely spoken language on the planet, people tend to believe everything written in english is closer to truth, than in any other language. This alone contributed to the largest amount of ‘history’ being crafted to the taste of particular sect of people.

Recently though, things have begun to change, several things for that matter. The internet, even though it is again dominated by the same language, has helped in playing a role of an equalizer. The global economy has changed, shifting power center, even though not fully, but atleast balancing it out. And a new set of numbers have rocked the very foundation of many people across the globe, like 9/11, 3/7, 26/11, 13/12, 7/7 etc.

source - The Hindu

Inspite of all the facts and findings before, newer revelations, shifting powers, history continues to be a victim, suffering from truth vs fiction more than ever. It is becoming even more difficult to believe something, because it is bound to change soon or some important fact or theory was overlooked. It is important to look at the source of the information, which will then help you understand their perception of this history. Yes, unfortunately it appears,  history belongs predominantly to the creator, taking on the shape of a fiction novel more than ever. I wonder if the usual disclaimer is appropriate ‘any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental’.

Further reading: “Mohammad Ali Jinnah as The Hindu saw him“

King Khan visits the US

The recent visit of Shah Rukh Khan or King Khan, as the reigning star of the Bollywood and perhaps the most recognized name and face in India, to the US, set off a major news trail in India regarding his ‘detention’, and additional questioning at the port of entry. This is a pretty routine matter in the US, and while most officers are pleasant and polite, there are enough, more than a few, who look down upon the person in the queue as a potential vermin (aliens another official term used in the US), attempting to gain entry into the country.

Here is a quick sequence of what has happened till date:
- SRK is stopped and moved to a different area for secondary questioning.
- SRK talks to the press and media about his ‘detention’ and treatment. The apparent reason he was chosen was because of his ‘name’.
- SRK is allowed to enter after the intervention of the Indian diplomatic corps.
- US Diplomats scurry with a contradictory message about the happenings.
- Ministers and other officials in India, proclaim that this treatment is unacceptable.

In all of the happenings, i found the reaction of the Indian government and officials the most funniest, not about helping SRK through the port of entry, but to proclaim that this treatment is unjustified. Only recently some nitwit board or organ of the US Congress issued warnings or raised questions about religious freedom in India. The country and its officials again made all the required noises and went about their business. This recent outburst about treatment of Indians and people with muslim names also falls in the same category.

I’ve lived in the US for a long time and through the 9/11 ordeal. I have also seen that the treatment to foreigners and muslim have only gotten worse, meaning that discrimination is nothing new to the US border patrol. One cannot completely blame them either, they have been tuned to react (even though their training may attempted to correct this) as they do. Again, its not all, but a sufficient number that taints the process enough. The best part of all this, is that, there is no complaint process. No one dares to complain against a border patrol or immigration officer, worrying about the consequences to faced at the next time of entry. The immigration agency (has changed its home many times in the last decade), does not actively collect or seek to find out about how their staff behave and treat visitors to the country.

What is more shameful or amazing is the behavior of the Indian government and authorities?? Each news of this kind should embolden our government and its officials to take our security seriously. Instead they bend over backwards to treat foreigners as royalty, and even bypass laws of the country when it comes to ’star’ or special visitors. Why cant an officer follow the rules in India? And on the other hand, why cant an officer in the US, be a little humane?

Banana – statistics and other facts

I read this article couple of days back. The fact that India has become the largest producer of banana kindled the pride in me, specially given that for a long time India has been trying to break the shackles of a still developing country. However i am also now a more knowledgeable on the workings of industrial machinery involved in achieving these levels of production and success. Success it is, but surely comes with a price.

Massive cultivation, mimics industrialization in many ways. The profits of the corporation are prime importance, compared to the lives of the food crop, the farmers and the longevity of the food itself. All of the people involved are working to maximize short term goals, over the interests of long term sustenance. Nothing in the article gives any evidence of this. And also, industrialized or plantation culture for food crops though relevant in India, it is still not controlled by large private enterprises. Instead the trade and cultivation is controlled by a large group of middle men and medium size enterprises, all of them however, sharing the same mindset of the large MNC like Dole or Chiquitta etc.

The rise and success of the banana crop (as is similar to other crops and forms of cultivation) also means that only a few specific varieties are planted, cultivated and traded, killing off the several other domestic and indigenous forms of the same crop. In some sense there is nothing wrong with it, because it feeds the theory of ’survival of the fittest’, that has served this planet well since its inception. However, the twist in the tale, is the active contribution of inhuman corporations (i like the choice of word, inhuman, not exactly the opposite of human, but conveys very different and perverse meaning). More than the active contribution, it is the rate of the contribution. Humans have always actively contributed to the survival of the fittest theory, be it breeding animals or crops. Today, he is able to increase the pace of destruction of the not-so-fit varieties, leaving little breathing room to correct any mistakes. So simple mistakes, so commonly seen in other crop breeding practices are also seen in the banana plantation and trade. It is a different matter, if the government, trade and farmers associations in India have learnt from previous mistakes or simply repeating them.

Like it was heard somewhere, ‘Some of us learn from other people’s mistakes. Some of us have to be the other people’.

The Hindu: ‘India, the world’s largest producer of banana….’

victims of ‘rape’

The last couple of days, comments from an Congress politician in India, caused a furor there, resulting in an arrest and the usual filing of charges for defamatory speeches. It was uttered by one woman to another, about a crime that is peculiarly hurting to women only, ‘rape’.

Taking a dig at the compensation being doled out to rape victims in Uttar Pradesh, Ms. Joshi had said: “M ain kehti hoon phaink dain Mayawati ke moonh par aur kah dai ho jayai tera balaatkar toh mein ek karod rupayae doongee (I say throw the money on Mayawati’s face and say if you are raped, I will give you Rs. 1 crore).”

According to me, rape is a crime that does befit a death penalty, but that would only result in the rape victim, also being murdered more often. So then the only lesser punishment acceptable would be castration. But then, i am not the law maker, and not loud enough to influence public opinion. I am just a blogger in some far corner of the world, airing my frustrations.

In my opinion, the speech was not defamatory, but the person uttering did deserved to be punished, because in her anguish she had also possibly propagated the same crime as punishment to another woman. Even if she was angered by the apparent attempt to appease the rape victims by a some inconsequential and ridiculous redressal. Government and officials continue to belittle the crime, but not being stricter with the punishment against the perpetrators of the crime, and instead attempt to mollify the victims with money. Its as if, money can solve the problems, and erase the horrors, because they are poor.

Gay = Happy

I have been exposed to the gay rights movement, thanks to living here in the US. I have seen the highs and lows of this community (more on this later). From the time Clinton took office, promising to treat them as equals, giving hope and a sense of pride to people who profess love to the same gender, and then being let down with the minimal changes introduced, which dashed their hopes and did nothing to their pride. To now, when Obama has taken office speaking a similar or more evocative language of equality in the eyes of law. The people who profess to be gay (i use this term loosely to include gays, lesbians and others), are today enjoying a slightly better class of life, than they have about two decades ago. But that is only in America, and a few western countries. In the rest of the world, they are still criminalized, prosecuted and punished for behaviour, which according to them is as natural a mother loving a child.

The recent ruling by a Delhi High Court, in India, is significant, but still a small step. The historic significance cannot be underplayed, if the Supreme Court follows-up and rules that the this Delhi High Court, currently applicable only in the state of Delhi, will be applied across the country. The court has not granted any special status to the gay people. But only ruled that they should not be persecuted, if the sex in consensual between adults, no matter, how unnatural they may appear to be. This and many other laws in the Indian Penal Code, borrowed from the British, as part of their gift during independence must be removed and or cleansed. But that’s is a different matter, for a different day.

It is unfortunate that even today, we chose to divide people by religion, color, race and their sexual preferences. I have come across several references to the word ‘community’, when trying to club them together. While they can be associated together by the definition of gay, there is no creed or code, but one, that they live by, which is different from the rest of humanity. This singular difference is their choice of life partner, appears to be from the same gender. Save this, they enjoy and suffer from all other pleasures and tribulations that afflict the rest of us. It is mere hypocrisy that some people would behave like them in private but then be upright and straight in the public.

The law must be equally applied to all, irrespective of individual preferences. Their act is neither immoral or unlawful, and deemed so, only because at one time it was considered inappropriate. But the fact is this lifestyle was practiced then as it is now. Their percentage or following has not increased, because of a change in law or outlook. The equality before law, will allow them to profess this in the open, giving it an appearance that numbers are increasing or have increased suddenly. This lifestyle is dictated more by biology than by another science we know off.