Molestation of a Woman - You are your Weapon!

Image: Genderacrossborders.com

Have you ever thought of pepper spray? Has it ever occurred to you that your kitchen knife may prove another useful purpose away from home? Have you given a simple piece of blade, a good, hard look?

What would you do when you decide to walk through a jungle, leaving the safety of a Safari ride, out in the open? Well, that is a question that should follow a decision to walk through the jungle in the first place. After all, when you are on a Safari to watch the wild in its home turf, why would you leave the comfort and the protection behind and put yourself in harm's way?

Reality, however, was never designed to be safe. The society that we live in is a jungle, where the laws of the land are only a farce. The rule of the jungle prevails, and the rulebooks are nothing but an academic pursuit.

It was hardly a couple of months back that a girl was molested in Assam. The incident was caught on camera and it was good fodder for the news bugs for a while - and the culprits were caught. But, how many cameras could present themselves at every such juncture? How many such incidents get reported as and when they happen? What justice do girls like Ritika Rupali have when they decide to walk into the wild, unprotected, ill-equipped, and caught completely off-guard? How many of the girls who get molested in the so-called civilised society would dare to come out in the open like she has? And how would you, your sister, your mother, your wife, your daughter, your girlfriend or your friend react when they find themselves being groped and raped in public by unknown beasts who know they can get away? 

You are part of this society - and you are not insured against risks. You do have a choice to make, however. You can hide away from the dark and pretend to be safe, or you could afford to stray into the wild, armed and protected.

Being forewarned is being forearmed. If you lived in an illusionary world that made you believe that all was well, do a reality check. The world is bad. Period. It's good to be optimistic, but it is wise to be realistic. And it is even better to have your armoury ready, for you would never know when you may need it badly.

You do not get into a battlefield without protective gear. Even sportsmen do not enter the arena unless they are covered for their risks. How covered are you when you walk through lecherous arms and lustful eyes?

Have you ever thought of pepper spray? Has it ever occurred to you that your kitchen knife may prove another useful purpose away from home? Have you given a simple piece of blade a good, hard look?

What could you do with these when you get caught in a crowded train as the girl was caught in? Well, pierce the skin of the hand that touches you. Wield your knife to cause a little friction when dirty arms look for a smooth pass. Spray some pepper in the air to show them there are bad things in life even for bad souls. Let there be some blood!

Yes, you would hurt the wrong guy too when you use your weapons indiscriminately in a crowded place. But that's the cost the society has to bear. That's the lesson that the society has to learn. Why should the victim bear all the cost? Why should the loopholes loom larger than the laws themselves? 

Girls, be gentle and kind to those who understand your language. For those who would listen only to action, do not waste your words. You do not have to scream your lungs off or beg for mercy. Swear words have no meaning for those who know they deserve them. Go on the offensive, and you would have space around you. 

And walk away. Do not stay on to confront those whom you have just fought. This is a jungle - and your safety is never secured unless you are out of it. If it were you on the train, you ought to have wielded your weapon, demanded your space, and walked away at the next opportunity when the doors opened, through the space that your armoury created. Let the beasts fend for themselves after they realise what hit them.

But then, you cannot fight to perfection unless you have thought over it. You cannot win unless your mind has prepared for the battle. When you step out of your comfort, realise that you are never too far from danger. You cannot have the system protect you wherever you go. There is no Super Hero out there waiting to launch himself into action, take on the villain and protect the vulnerable. 

You are your Weapon!

President Pranab, 2G Spectrum Scam, Dynasty Politics and Democracy

It is not about scams, it is not about corruption, it is not about Dynasty Politics - it is about the system - a system where the few privileged can have their way and rise above the majority.  And in a country with more than a billion people, you could easily wade through the few brains that raise uneasy questions. The rest are mere heads that have been conditioned to nod.  

President Pranab Sworn In. Image: Economic Times

President Pranab Mukherjee has taken office. As an Indian citizen, I am expected to respect the post of the President of India, the first citizen of the Republic. And why wouldn't I? The Commender in Chief of the Armed Forces of the mighty institution that a country is, naturally deserves respect. President Pranab has been chosen by the legislators who have, in turn, been chosen by the people of India. When I, as a citizen, have chosen my legislators, who have chosen the President, it turns out to be my own choice. Shouldn't the respect and regard be spontaneous?

Despite all the effort to be convinced of the grounds to respect the President, despite the expectations surrounding an average citizen to hold the post in high esteem, something seems skewed. I wonder why there is no spontaneity in the way I look upon the 13th President of India for inspiration. And I find that there could be many reasons why something seems to be out of place.

Mr Pranab Mukherjee's experience as a politician cannot be taken lightly, by any stretch of imagination. As a seasoned politician, Pranab has been a key player in the political landscape for decades, having served in ministerial capacity under different leaders over the years. But, when the question is that of the highest office - though the role is more of a figurehead than that involving actual leadership of the nation - the need is not for a politician but for a statesman.

So, the question is if President Pranab is a statesman of stature worthy of the post of the President of India. And, if the President is someone who can inspire young minds to unite under the institution of a Nation by his sheer presence and personal charisma.

Pranab Chidambaran 2G Note Joint Statement. Image: The Hindu

The 2G spectrum scam, one of gigantic proportions, rocked the country last year. In what was known as the 2G note controversy, the note from the Prime Minister's Office was more of a document implicating the then Finance Minister, P Chidambaram, of his tacit approval of the way the 2G spectrum was auctioned off ,than anything else. And it is this 2G scam that led to the scapegoat called A Raja, the Telecom Minister, being arrested and jailed for months together, among others, before being released on bail.

The 2G note controversy was 'resolved', if the verb actually translates into how the ugly situation was handled, after a string of emergency meetings and clandestine discussions led to the trouble-shooting exercise of a joint statement by Pranab Mukherjee and P Chidambaram, stating all was well in the Government. Following the statement, Mr Chidambaram seemed to have patched up with Mr Pranab Mukherjee, with a terse response saying "I am happy with the statement made by my senior and distinguished colleague" 

It is tough to believe, from the perspective of an average citizen that I am, that a scam that rocked the nation, which saw heads rolling, which threatened the very sustenance and survival of the Government, and which led to the uproar that translated into the movement led by Anna Hazare and his team, has fizzled out into nothingness in a year's span. Some of the influential names who were seen behind bars are now out in the society, on bail. Mr  Chidambaram, who was literally living on the edge, with activists like Subramanian Swamy falling just short of going for the jugular, is back to work as usual. And Mr Pranab Mukherjee, who was at the centre of the 2G note issue, has been sworn in as the President of India. 

Political Families - Nehru Family. Image: Listverse.com

Questions remain. The 2G scam is the mere functional part of the equation. The questions lie deeper, at the systemic level. There is ample proof, over the years, that the system called democracy can be held to ransom if you are powerful enough to reach the top echelons of the political and social circles. Fortunately, the positive aspect about democracy is that you wouldn't be held to account and penalised for criticising the system - if democracy is a farce, I could call it so. 

But that doesn't make it fun to be part of a joke. It was never mentioned, in any of the books that taught me as I grew up, that Dynasty Politics was part of the democratic system of running a nation. Rabri Devi, wife of Lalu Prasad Yadav, would rank high in Dynasty Politics, when she had to morph from being a petite home maker into being the Chief Minister of a State, overnight - and she is all set to introduce her children into politics. But then, Rabri Devi is by no means the exception. Every corner of the society smacks of politics having turned into family business. 

So, it's no wonder that Sonia Gandhi wields all the influence that she can in the Indian political arena. What would Sonia have been, had she not been wedded to Rajiv Gandhi - Son of Indira Gandhi - Daughter of Jawahar Lal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India? 

Well, there is no point asking hypothetical questions, when the reality is that she can manufacture Presidents and Prime Ministers. And Pranab Mukherjee is yet another manifestation of her absolute powers. 

That brings me back to the original aspect of Pranab Mukherjee, the politician turned President, who was the insider to the 2G scam, who was party to some of the crucial details about the scam being pushed under the carpet, and who has been hand-picked by Sonia Gandhi, the King-maker of India, the largest democracy in the world. Dynasty politics has implications that go deeper than just the dynasties in question.

We the People - Sheep. Image: Theprevailingethos.com

When I look back, I realise that there is much more to it than just a lack of spontaneous regard for the highest office in the Republic of India. There is much more to it than what Anna Hazare sees as things that ail the nation. It is not about scams, it is not about corruption, it is not about Dynasty Politics - it is about the system - a system where the few privileged can have their way and rise above the majority. 

The kind of games people play depends on who the people are. When you have risen above the threshold, beyond the political atmosphere, you would no longer be under the cloud. You could manipulate what the satellites pick up and reflect the distorted image that you would want the people down below to see. And in a country with more than a billion people, you could easily wade through the few brains that raise uneasy questions. The rest are mere heads that have been conditioned to nod. 

London Olympics 2012. Image: 1080hdwallpaper.com

And yes, in other news, the London Olympics 2012 have kicked off in style.  

Young Girl Molested in Guwahati, Assam: No Country for Young Women

Welcome to India, the land of Goons and Thugs, where young girls are molested in highways and city centres!

Image: India TV

You would be considered our special guest if you came with your young wife, sister or girl friend, because we like you that way. And you would be treated even better if you chose a night out along some of the busiest areas of the city, say, along a pub.

And if you are a woman who has dared to come to the country without any male escort around, we would be delighted. You could feel the elation that we feel for you, if you chose to go for a walk alone at night. No, you would not have to walk through some of the shady areas of some remote corners of the city - we would just be fine as long as you strode along some of the busiest areas of the city, and particularly so, if we guys are present in a gang then.

We tease, we ogle, we glare and try to make you feel at home in the first place. Once you are comfortable with us around, we try to grab you as gently as a bunch of hungry dogs would get to a helpless chicken caught alone in their midst. Yes, we would try not to hurt you as much as we could as we first grope you by your shoulders, but then, when it's at night, when we are high, and when you are alone, you see, things may just be off the mark. 

Image: FirstPost

If you are minor and are yet to be officially labelled an adult, we would be pleased at it. Yes, we do realise that you may be a bit tensed up seeing all of us, well set to hit the mark. But do not worry, we do not indulge in gang rape - at least, not yet. And we only help to ease you into the process. If we strip you when we touch you all over, it's just to let some fresh breeze in when you may already be stressed up. But at the end of it, we would make sure you have been blessed by all of our filthy hands. 

Image: India Today

If you thought you would receive this treatment only in Guwahati, rest assured, we are everywhere. Every city is the same for us and every girl that we see is a treat for us. We encourage you to step out alone at nights, but if you would prefer the day instead, we might just consider your request and cooperate.

Do not worry about the cops. They would have been bribed already and arranged to stay away from the bash till we have all had a taste of you. And they would most definitely arrive late, but you know the kind of cops we have, don't you? If you are still in doubts, you may want to check out an illustration of the way women are handled, safely and securely, by our dutiful policemen in the picture below.

Image: The Australian

That was Pinki Pramanik, one of our athletes, who was being escorted by the policeman with all the responsibility that a father would have towards his daughter. They can't get gentler or more sophisticated than that, could they? 

And to add to the cops' credit, of the 30 plus male predators who descended down heavily on the hapless woman in this news post on Monday night, four days later, just four have been arrested. Isn't that encouraging enough? After all, the police have long been our friends, and they let us act the way we wanted. Money speaks, honey!

The media may call it 'Girl Molested'. Let them be whatever they want. But we are just proud volunteers of this Great Nation that has traditionally worshipped women in the names of Goddesses. We are the representatives of Indian culture, in a nation all geared up to take a shot at the G8 and label itself a Super Power very shortly.

Image: NDTV

Keep watching this space for further updates on how India unveils itself in all its glory on the global stage. 

The President of India, The Common Man and The Perspective

It's confusion all over - fire in Mantralaya at Mumbai, the way the Presidential Polls are poised with differences among political parties, the in-fighting among UPA and NDA cadres with regard to Presidential nominees . . . things do seem to be heating up, aren't they? 

Clearway has not yet got into the serious mode that it is used to - after the break, that is. Is that a reflection of some strategic re-think, or a new-born realisation of the futility of being serious about serious issues? After all, how has the office of the current President of India, for instance, under the able leadership of Prathibha Patil, affected the life of the common man? And how would the growing ranks of the middle class and the lower strata of the economic society respond to withdrawal from the Presidential contest by Dr Abdul Kalam, or to the choice between PA Sangma and Pranab Mukherjee? The common man may, perhaps, even be reluctant to invest his thinking faculties into the fate of the Prime Minister's chair, leave alone the President. Is this disenchantment with governance going to turn on its head with the arrival of the new President on to the arena? "Hope"! The essence of life that costs nothing!

Well, I never wanted Clearway to get this serious right away. Isn't it time to warm up and stay cool, taking a leisurely stroll in the early morning breeze with a cup of steaming hot coffee? It takes a different perspective of things to appreciate what goes on in the backdrop of what is normally on public display. That brings me to the lighter note of what it looks like to be behind the model. We are all so used to looking at the ladies through the lenses that it makes one wonder, 'is it time to look at the lenses through the lady'? This picture of Katherine Jenkins caught my attention, though its appropriateness to the post is definitely questionable. In any case, this post was supposed to be a different take on serious issues - and that allows for anomalies to be the norm! And she does look more graceful than all the men in blue and grey put together . . . 

A Different Perspective

Privacy in the Virtual World

To what extent would these online advertisement folks go?

I was working on a writing project that had to do with Finance and Insurance, more specifically, health insurance and investments. Content writing takes research and references, from books, journals and from the web. And when I had opened a page for my references, I found a couple of advertisements, one of them static on the left and the other, flashing across the monitor before it settled in its allotted spaces, one at the top and the other at the side of the page that I was visiting.

The surprising aspect was that one of the advertisements was about an investment plan, while the other was about 'health insurance'. Apparently, the advertising folks have been at work. Talk of the bull's eye! However, as an individual, I had reasons to be bothered about, with the kind of precision that on-line advertising has been able to achieve.

It would have, perhaps, been fine had the page I opened had something to do with finance, investments or insurance. But that was nothing but a humble, harmless dictionary, where I was checking out one of the correct forms of phrases to be used. To find two advertisements, one on Finance and the other on Health Insurance, when I was writing an article on Health Insurance and Investment, obviously could not be brushed aside as mere coincidence.

I could understand if it were one of Google's Advertisements within my GMail inbox, or perhaps one of them among search results, or even one of the associated advertisements in a finance journal, producing advertising messages relevant to the webpage content. But how about the exact advertisements related to the stories that I was working on, in a webpage unrelated to the subject and where the search term was not related to finance or insurance?

Yes, I would like to have related content suggested, but how would you feel if you had just been walking down a street, discussing your favourite food with your pal, and being served exactly that the very moment you enter a restaurant even before you had considered what to order?

Hello virtual world, would I have any privacy at all?

Back from the Ashes

It would have had to wait till the 26th of June, 2012, if my idea was to make it a '6-month' hibernation. But I have never been fussy about such intricacies, so decided to break free earlier than the scheduled resumption after the break.

So much water has passed under the bridge in a span of over 150 days. And nothing has changed because Clearway refused to record the flow of events during the course of the break. What a shame! 

This post is not to recall every event that went unnoticed by Clearway, starting with New Year 2012 through Sachin's 100th century, Baba Ramdev, Mayawati, Dravid's retirement, recession, more bad news, Viswanathan Anand, petrol price hike, IPL 5, down till growth in Australia and Spain's bailout. These events shall be revisited as and when deemed fit in the posts to come.

This post is sort of an appetiser, so to speak. And a brief re-introduction, not on the lines of "Clearway Defined" and "Clearway Explained", though. Those were, I should say, looking back, days when the idealists were marching forward, with their engines firing on all cylinders. So, what transpired between now and then? Well, the sun beamed across the horizon.

I have three remarks to make in this post:

1. To do justice to my remark about a 'brief re-introduction', I have become an acknowledged 'Freelance Business Writer' these days. So, what do I do? Well, management Guru's invented theories - I re-invent them! Will post some of my stories in this space, or elsewhere, when I find them fit.

2. The second remark in this post is sort of worldly wisdom. For people who are searching for Justice in this bad world - Good Luck! 

3. And my final remark in this 'Re-born - Yet Again' post: Thanks to 'Lak' and her prodding me to swear publicly, I resolved to write16 posts in the year 2012. Well, that was one of them. And I waited till there was another comment to the post (how logical!) - and here I am! (If anyone is really out of work and is interested to know if I lived up to my own words, please do the math when it's 31 Dec 2012.)

And they changed my url from clearway.blogspot.com to clearway.blogspot.in? Bloody Bloggers!

So, let's catch up! 

Anna Hazare, Indians and the Political Class: A Reality Check

Anna Hazare's Fast against Corruption Fight against Corruption may not be an earth-shattering change in the political landscape, but is a milestone nevertheless. 


The much anticipated week is on. Anna Hazare has had his destiny written in red, and is all set to fast, again. Anna hazare's fasting has been getting so regular that some may wonder if it may not make news any more - just like corruption was accepted as a way of life in the ancient, culturally rich country, before Anna Hazare decided to take on the bad guys. 'Ancient' alright, but 'culturally rich' may get a few eyebrows raised, especially among those caught among the many different 'cultural' forces that are in operation in India these days. But then, that's beside the point. It's time for Anna Hazare to steal the limelight again, by occupying centre stage and foregoing his meals.

Of course, it is much more than just a matter of foregoing his meals. Of late, the youth have had the opportunity to get a glimpse of history, with some of the terms traditionally referred to, recorded, and read about only in history books, coming to life. "Quit India" and "Jail Bharo" were the bastions of Mahatma Gandhi, weapons in his armoury of non-violence, which he wielded strategically to get the huge country together, mobilise their strength and channelise the public anger towards a common cause - to gain Independence from the British Rule. Till a few years back, the country had largely relegated these historic events to the libraries and the public archives, with the terms having gone out of common usage and having been accorded 'cultural heritage' status. 

The youth, who were deluded with a whole lot of inputs, claims and perspectives from diverse channels and had been verging on disillusionment, getting caught in the run of the mill, searching for a career and an identity, and caring a damn about whatever happened in the dirty sphere of politics, got a shot in their arm. Till a few months back, if anyone had asked what united the diverse lot of Indians, separated by States, languages, cultures, traditions, castes and religions and a whole lot of geographic and demographic factors, the unanimous answers would have been 'Cricket' and 'Bollywood'. That changed with a series of terrorist attacks, blood baths, security lapses, gory visuals, and profuse losses of lives, when terrorism came into the agenda and started to touch a raw nerve in the Indian psyche. But there has not been anything as electrifying as Anna Hazare and his 'India Against Corruption' movement that redefined protests and made heads turn. 

There is no dearth of intelligentsia in the country, nor is there a leadership vacuum. In fact, there has been a problem of abundance when it comes to leadership and cult figures. The issue, however, was that there was no figurehead who could mobilise the intensity and the heat that the youth were capable of generating. The energy was frittering away in non-productive or purely economic pursuits, when the politicians had a jolly good time, abusing their powers and making hay while the sun was still shining. Getting back to the initial claim that Anna Hazare's role has been much more than just that of foregoing his meals, what he has done is to show the way forward to the youth who were getting increasingly disillusioned with the status quo and were growing increasingly indifferent to the gross abuse of power and the deteriorating standards of living of the middle class and those who struggled below the poverty line. They almost started believing it when the Government promised through its propaganda machinery that India was actually shining!

So much for what Anna Hazare and Team Anna has achieved. What about the team's original objectives? 'Eliminating scope for and eradicating corruption through Legislation' - that would be like pumping out the bad blood and filling the system up with good blood. That is an ideal motive beyond any scope for argument. The question is about feasibility. To quote from a previous rant on the same subject, "Without the last citizen in the queue educated, informed and empowered to deal with their life on their own terms, the political machinery, with its artificial intelligence that it has now got used to, would take every opportunity to strike back - with vengeance." 

The keywords here are "Political Machinery" - and it is no ordinary structure that Anna Hazare and his team are dealing with. The Indian political system is a beast, and a wild one in that, which has been having its way for decades now - and has got deeply addicted to power and all the goodies that come with it. Team Anna has been out to tame the beast. Unfortunately for the team and for the old man, however, they have set out to tame the beast with a leash and a cage that the beast itself has to provide them. In effect, Anna Hazare and company are fighting to get a legislation through by the political bosses, which would sanction the design and formation a cage to get the political bosses locked themselves up in. He could as well have asked them to file FIR's against themselves, try themselves in the courts of justice, line up behind bars, and hang themselves! And they are talking of the mere act of getting a legislation passed. Getting the system up to speed to the new reality, cleaning up the system, clearing the filth, and getting in the 'good blood' are in the distant horizon. It makes one wonder, how many times Anna Hazare might have to fast before he sees that day when corruption is actually eliminated and eradicated by the force of a piece of legislation!

Well, Anna Hazare will fast on the 27th of December, while the political bosses would debate the Lokpal Bill. And debates are nothing new to the power mongers who have made their way to the top through bickering, quarrelling, clambering, plotting, and cutting their teeth in the system using every trick in the book. And the show will go on. Anna Hazare may have had his dream and his objectives, But in Clearway's view, it is the by-product that is more important. Someone had to channelise the youth and orient their powers towards a tangible, credible objective, to make them get genuinely interested in the political process and in the state of affairs, and more importantly, to make them think. Team Anna has achieved the objective with flying colours. Discounting the lack of coordination that an ad hoc team is naturally expected to experience, and the negative publicity that some events involving the team have generated, Anna Hazare has done what no one else has managed to do ever since Mahatma Gandhi was shot. The only exception would, perhaps, be Kamal Hassan in Shankar's 'Indian'.

Image: 88 Reviews

It's unfair to ask much else out of the patriot who has put his life on the line for the greater good. His destiny was to keep fighting and to light the fire in the hearts of the youth. Change had to begin somewhere  - and it has begun in all flamboyance, from a spark in Ralegan Siddhi. As for the political class, the fighting has just begun for them too. But they would do what they do best - to play politics and stay afloat. And yes, they would definitely succeed in that. Anna Hazare is not the first challenge they have faced in their political career - nor would he be the last. But at least, they now have something to take serious note of, in an otherwise one-sided game, where the system has been the defending champion and its people, decidedly underdog. People would still remain so for the foreseeable future - what they have now is a ray of hope, an awareness that corruption could indeed be a dirty word, and some sense of direction in the dark world defined by the ruthless political class.

Related Posts:
Corruption in India, Lokpal Bill and Mahatma Gandhi
Anna Hazare: Lokpall Bill and Beyond
Anna Hazare, India Against Corruption and the Political System: A New Beginning

Life . . . and Death

The contrast was jarring. Two pictures that were shared, the same day, on Facebook, and they couldn't be farther away from each other. Unfortunately, they both belong to the same planet, and they constitute our world!

Gold, Glitter and Wealth

Famine and Death

Mayawati Interview: WikiLeaks and Julian Assange

Image: http://bit.ly/pZNduQ

Mayawati is back in the news - and how! This time, having run out of chasing the same people over and over again, she has sought to go for a target of a different breed - Julian Assange! Assange is her privileged, chosen opponent for now. 

It was in March, 2010, that Mayawati had given her exclusive interview to this reporter, when she made news with her garland made of currency notes. Now, the reporter had to get back to her for another exclusive from Mayawati, in the light of the current not-so-happy relationship that she has developed overnight with Mr Julian Assange. Here we go:

Reporter: Hello Mayawati Ji, Thank you for agreeing for this exclusive interview.

Mayawati: My Pressure! Er . . . I mean, my pleasure. What do you want to ask? Ask me quick, I'm in a hurry.

RP: Sure Mayawati Ji, I understand you would be busy with meeting so many people. To start off with, I hope your garland is safe?

Mayawati: I am not in a mood to comment on the garland now. I am busy using Google to read what this Juliet Assault is talking about me.

RP: You mean, Mr Julian Assange?

Mayawati: Yes yes, the same person. Do you think I don't know him? I know both him and his lover. Romeo. But I cannot understand why he is talking of me now. I'm sure he is mentally retarded and needs asylum. 

RP: Well Mayawati Ji, let's get to that. But is it true that you sent a Private Jet, empty, to Mumbai to buy sandals?

Mayawati: Ridiculous! I was supposed to go to Mumbai to complete a sandalwood deal. And at the last moment, I forgot to wear my sandals. So, I got down from the flight. But the pilot did not know that, and he left me and went to Mumbai alone. And the press people twisted the story, and the US people tilted it again!

RP: Oh! Alright. But, how did the pilot leave without you?

Mayawati: That's what I'm saying! The rear view mirror in the plane had broken, so the pilot did not see when I got down, and he went up without lifting me!

RP: Ahem! That sounds logical. By the way, you mentioned of some Sandalwood deal. What is that Mayawati Ji?

Mayawati: Sandalwood deal? When did I mention about that? That Juliet Assault is mentally retarded, and you are physically retarded! You hear things that I never said!

RP: Well, possibly so. Anyway, so, the pilot returned empty again?

Mayawati: Then what? He went empty, so, if he had to transport me back from Mumbai, I should take another flight to Mumbai and come in his plane. But then, my second plane will come empty, will it not? That's why, I asked him to bring a pair of sandals instead of me. If you know Ramayana, Bharath worshipped Rama's sandals in Rama's absence. Similarly, my pilot took my sandals instead of me. What's wrong in it?

RP: But you said you had forgotten your sandals before you left for Mumbai, that's why you did not go to Mumbai and the plane went empty. How did the pilot get your sandals from Mumbai then?

Mayawati: Exactly! That's the reason I asked the pilot to get a new pair of sandals from Mumbai, because both me and my sandals did not board the plane!

RP: Perfect! Anyway, WikiLeaks reports that you have 9 cooks and two tasters . . . 

Mayawati: That's again ridiculous! The 9 people are not my cooks. I ask them to cook for the entire Uttar Pradesh State, and send food to all my party workers in the State. The USA and WikiLeaks have misinterpreted my generosity and have said they are my cooks alone! Anyway, how can I eat what 9 people cook?  

RP: How generous! And what about the two tasters?

Mayawati: They are wasters, not tasters! They were my cooks who wasted a lot of food when they cooked. So, I dismissed them and called them "Food Wasters". The media, again, they twisted and the USA tilted the story!

RP: So, you had 11 cooks earlier, not 9!

Mayawati: Is 9 plus 2 equal to 11? Then 11 means 1 +1 = 2. So, I had only 2 cooks, not eleven. And even those two cooks were food tasters, I mean wasters. So, I had no cooks at all. It is all media hype and creativity!

RP: You had no cooks? But you said you cooked for the entire State using those 9 cooks . . . 

Mayawati: I don't have time. Finish the interview fast. Next question please . . . 

RP: Did you ask some politician to do sit-ups because you were not happy with his behaviour?

Mayawati: Yes, that is true!

RP: Wow! So, you accept that?

Mayawati: Of course! See, this guy was putting on a lot of weight. And he never worked, always sat and became lazy. So, I asked him to do sit-ups to reduce weight, because I was not happy with his behaviour of putting on weight.

RP: Hmm. Wonderful. WikiLeaks has also claimed that you are a 'paranoid dictator'. 

Mayawati: First of all, let me clarify, I don't have paranoid or any other disease. And I used to dictate letters to my secretary. So, I was a dictator, but I was not paranoid.

RP: But Mayawati Ji, Paranoid does not refer to any disease. Paranoid means . . . 

Mayawati: How many questions more?

RP: Well, almost over. Mr Julian Assange has said that he would be happy to come to India if you send him a plane, and he has also said he would get you 'a range of finest British footwear'.

Mayawati: Did he say that? But, I did not find it in WikiLeaks . . .

RP: Well, Mayawati Ji, you can't find these things in WikiLeaks.

Mayawati: See, this exposes that Juliet Assault. His own website will not publish what he says. If I say something, even Google will publish it!

RP: Well, Actually, Google does not publish anything. It only . . . 

Mayawati: You don't know anything my Reporter. Google publishes whatever I say. Even before I came here, I checked with Google, and it had published every word of mine.

RP: Well, as you say, Mayawati Ji. But, what do you have to say about his offer?

Mayawati: Well, if he wants to buy me some British footwear, why would I oppose it? 

RP: But he says you have to send your private jet for that.

Mayawati: To UK? Why not? First, let him tell me what kind of sandals he has bought for me, then I will send my jet to bring them here.

RP: And how about Julian Assange? 

Mayawati: I can bring him here only if he comes with another garland. And he has to delete all my details from his website and publish good news about me in WikiLeaks.

RP: But that is not what WikiLeaks is about.

Mayawati: Then it's fine. I can manage with my Mumbai sandals. And I will keep publishing news about me in Google. And I will make room for both Juliet and Romeo in a mental asylum here.

RP: Well, I can't take it any more. Will come again when Google publishes about you. Thank you Mayawati Ji.

Mayawati: Good bye. It's time for me to go to Mumbai again.  

Anna Hazare, India Against Corruption, and the Political System: A New Beginning

Image: BBC

Finally, it has happened. The most eagerly awaited, the most dreaded and the most unexpected, have all happened in a flash. It was just when nothing remained but a glimmer of hope, when all was forgotten but a few annual rituals and public holidays, when the constitutional system, the reckless youth and the rotting middle class were all written off, when the status quo came to be taken as the perpetual reality, and when democracy verged on the anarchy, the history of non-violence and the culture of Satyagraha that were relegated to museums and history books, were brought back to life by a movement in all its prowess, in a show of strength of dimensions beyond imagination.

It was a long forgotten folklore that the Parliament existed for its people. It was as if the systems invented to serve the humans, developed their own 'Artificial Intelligence' and started enslaving their masters. And the masters were beaten to believe that they were the slaves, and that the machines were designed to rule over them. It was the stuff that Matrix and the Terminator are made of. The political class assumed supremacy, and the citizens became their subservient servants. While the ruling class enjoyed their lives, the people were kept in the dark, blind-folded. And the bureaucrats were able to get away with it all. The machines made the rules in their own favour - and broke them at their own will. And it became the way of life, and the way things worked in here. And, as is typical, the youth were reckless, the elite were careless, and the middle class, hopeless. When corruption began to rule, the people were left searching for a leader. As corruption spread far, deep and wide from within, the system was left with a hollow core - and the vacuum was felt all around. People knew Mahatma Gandhi was History - and accepted that the modern age was all about frustration and desperation. 

APJ Abdul Kalam was a ray of hope in a dark cloud with no silver lining. But he was in a system that showed no mercy to the exceptional. When Mumbai came under attack, it was as if the nerves had transmitted a weak signal in a monster in deep slumber. Some sparks here and there, and a few days later, it was business as usual. When Anna Hazare was in the news initially, the news channels found it an opportunity to flash something short of a sensation. And no pundit, back then, would have predicted him, an ageing, worthless man with nothing to lose, to become a brand to reckon with, and to weave a dream in every Indian's eyes. But what has transpired when a simple man put himself on the line and threatened to give his life - virtually his only possession - away, for a cause that he believed in, was unbelievable. The Parliament was forced to do its duty. The law makers were forced to draft the rules. The politicians were forced to go to work. Every bureaucrat was forced to turn back, sit up and take notice - with alarming concern, noting that this time, people were putting him under the scanner. For the first time in a long while, corruption started seeming to be a dirty word!

There are many signals that the unprecedented event in Free India has sent across to all quarters of the social and political scheme. And every actor in the play would be taking home their own lessons from the famed Ramlila Maidan, or Ramlila grounds, which the poor patriot, Anna Hazare, had made his home of late. And he did have more than his share of visitors to his new home. Hectic parleys, discussions and debates, heated altercations, arguments, accusations, they all had to give way when a protest turned into a movement like never before. 

Some may call it revolutionary, some may baulk at it as setting a dangerous precedent in arm-twisting the big brother into action, and some may hate Anna Hazare with all of their lives' assets and properties. This is the success of an impeccable person with his heart full of willpower and literally nothing to lose in life, and of branding a campaign and coordinating it to precision, aimed at making the system take notice and respond. However, there is virtually anything that Team Anna could make of what is nothing but its initial break through. The nation may be filled with Euphoria, celebrating what they may see as their victory over the oppressors. But what the team makes out of the very beginnings of a movement, is entirely up to the team that made this happen. With Anna mentioning of Electoral Reforms even as the Finance Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, had just initiated the debate on Lokpal Bill, the bureaucrats may have a hard time going to sleep peacefully, for the first time in a long while. 

The reality, however, is that the problem has just got its share of attention. And the problem runs much deeper than what it may ever seem from the outside. The celebrations mark the beginning of a new phase in the Indian political history, but change is still at a distant horizon. It would be naive to think that what flew out of the Pandora's box would creep back grudgingly into it with the stroke of a legislation or with the coming of age of an apolitical system called the civil society. The common man, about whom this has all been about, is still out there in the fields and along the vast country side, reading about and discussing Anna Hazare, and counting his hard earned daily wages, as he gets ready to cast his vote to the political party that would pay him the most or would gift him the goodies. To him or her, New Delhi is a different world, and Anna Hazare could well end up to be someone who adamantly refused to eat for two weeks while sitting in the open grounds. Without the last citizen in the queue educated, informed and empowered to deal with their life on their own terms, the political machinery, with its artificial intelligence that it has now got used to, would take every opportunity to strike back - with vengeance.

Related Posts: 
Corruption in India, Lokpal Bill and Mahatma Gandhi 
Anna Hazare: Lokpal Bill and Beyond
Anna Hazare, Indians and the Political Class: A Reality Check

Mumbai Blasts

"We will get to the bottom of this
 This was a pre-meditated terrorist attack
 We will not tolerate this kind of violence
 This is a terrorist attack and cold-blooded murder
 Mumbaikars have always stood up to this kind of attack
 We strongly condemn the attacks
 I am proud of the people of Mumbai
 I appeal to the people of Mumbai to remain calm and united
 I have asked the Home Minister to provide all possible assistance to the State
 The perpetrators of this horrendous attack will be brought to book"

Anna Hazare - Lokpal Bill and Beyond



Image: Ummid.com



Is the Centre capitulating under pressure or is it trying out tactics that would see the pressure on Lokpal Bill rescind?

Hope was all but lost. Then came along Anna Hazare! For a nation that has shown the world, the way forward with Non-violence, Anna Hazare was just the face that the youth were searching for. In a country where rampant corruption has been spreading its tentacles far, wide and deep, where the toiling section at the bottom of the hierarchy, grumbling middle class and the indifferent elite would get together only when Mumbai is bombed, the Taj is held to ransom or when Team India lifts the World Cup, it is moving to find people uniting for a common cause, under a leader who dares the bad guys with virtually nothing to lose!

Whenever the Lokpal Bill has been discussed, it has been shoved under the carpet under one pretext or the other for decades together. So, when the Jan Lokpal Bill was crafted by the civil society that has been growing increasingly impatient with the status quo tainted with corruption in various facets of public life, it was path breaking in its own right. It's as good as tossing the question straight in legislature's face: If you could not enact a bill for four decades in the face of burgeoning corruption that has taken giant proportions over the years since Independence, why shouldn't we draft one for you without charging a penny for our services?

The ruling class and the bureaucrats can only be expected to get jittery with the voice that has started resonating across India. And the reverberating force of the newly unified voice has already taken its first casualty, with Sharad Pawar deciding to go into oblivion with regard to GoM on Lokpal bill, rather than face the music and have his stained image tarnished further. That is more than convincing an evidence that when people speak as one, the public servants have to listen.



Image: Deccan Chronicle



With the Nation having sensed its lost identity, the question is, how far should the United Front of Anna Hazare, staunchly supported by other prominent faces like Kiran Bedi, Arvind Kejriwal, Shanti Bhushan and Santosh Hegde, push this forward? The Government has been striking notes of conciliation, indicating the grave concern and the urgency underlying the thinking in the corridors of power. Is this a movement that has reached a critical mass, rocking the foundations and the core of the nerve centre of the politics of corruption? Is the Centre capitulating under pressure or is it trying out tactics that would see the pressure on Lokpal Bill rescind?

What this agitation would have reminded those who have been clinging to their chairs by their sheer lust for power than anything else, is that they are, ultimately, accountable for their actions. But there is more to this issue than what meets the naked eye. The breed that we have let grow all over the country is not something that can be corrected or eradicated with the stroke of a single bill or legislation. All said and done, they are the system, and they are the ones who would have to enact and enforce a draft of any kind that is legislated. What Anna Hazare has achieved with his agitation is something to reckon with, and the Government would not risk its stakes in such a tricky situation. However, let us be reminded that it takes strategy, than sheer force, to leverage the situation and engage the government in dialogue with the civil society. Anna Hazare and his team would have to use this opportunity to make the Government get into discussion mode with the people. Threat of action is more powerful than action itself. And tactical pressure has to be maintained over a period, constantly reminding the bureaucrats and the politicians that they have been elected by the people to serve the people. This is the time, not to go full throttle and all out for the jugular, but to check the pace and cruise along with measured control.

As has been rightly pointed out by Anna Hazare, he has to stay out of any position of responsibility and should remain a strategist, a consultant, and more importantly, a figurehead who would be perceived as a constant threat to those who are willing to cross the line. We have not reached the critical mass yet. But we do have sufficient force to start nudging the system in the right direction.

Related Posts:
Corruption in India, Lokpal Bill and Mahatma Gandhi
Anna Hazare, India against Corruption and the Political System: A New Beginning
Anna Hazare, Indians and the Political Class: A Reality Check

Corruption in India, Lok Pal Bill and Mahatma Gandhi

When currency notes are traded by our multi-faceted leaders, why should it be Mahatma Gandhi who goes on sale?

This topic needs no introduction. With the Cricket World Cup fever settling down after India won the World Cup 2011 in style, now is the time for some earnest stock-taking, not in sports but in other, more important, walks of life. The Lok Pal Bill has been living on the edge for decades now, bouncing from the walls of the Parliament back to the drawing board like a tennis ball - this is one place in India where tennis is preferred over cricket - as the cricket ball would wear down when made to bounce off the walls as many times as the Lok Pal bill has been made to. The Bill that was first introduced in 1969 has been walking back and forth along the corridors of power for over 40 years now, but has still not seen the light of the day. 

It should come as no surprise to those who are in the know, that politicians are still found debating the bill that could have serious implications for their own breed. Voices from the civil society, led from the front by Anna Hazare and other prominent faces like Santosh Hegde and Kiran Bedi, are out to make a difference to the way things are handled by those in power, calling for a strict (caustic?) version of the Bill rather than the watered-down version that is preferred, and currently being proposed by the Government of India. They also demand that members of the civil society be made part of the anti-corruption panel. Another issue is the proposed inclusion of people in the panel, who have had tarnished images. Anna Hazare has been vocal and direct in his attack on Sharad Pawar, the Union Minister of Agriculture, whom the Government has proposed to lead the Panel against corruption. The irony is stark, says Anna Hazare - how could we have the corrupt leading the panel against the corrupt?

Image Courtesy: Rediff.com

Anna Hazare has entered the second day of his fast unto death if the bill is not accepted in the form as drafted by 'India against Corruption', the movement by the Civil Society that has come up with terms of the draft that really matter. It remains to be seen as to what effect the 'Gandhian style' fast would have on politicians, in these days of high-flying corruption, where millions and billions in kick-backs are the order of the day. Talking of Mahatma Gandhi and the way the Indian currency is losing its value, both monetarily and morally, the issue should be sparking another debate off, if Mahatma Gandhi should still feature in the Indian Rupee note, which has increasingly become the "symbol of corruption". When currency notes are traded by our multi-faceted leaders, why should it be Mahatma Gandhi who goes on sale? Anna Hazare should perhaps be starting off with his demand to either eliminate corruption from the country, or replace Mahatma Gandhi with someone else's face on the Indian Rupee. And given the mood of agitation that he is in right now, he may even nominate Sharad Pawar as the 'Figurehead' for the role.

Related Posts:
Anna Hazare: Lokpal Bill and Beyond
Anna Hazare, India Against Corruption and the Political System: A New Beginning
Anna Hazare, Indians and the Political Class: A Reality Check

Burning the Koran, Pastor Terry Jones and Barack Obama: Time to Act Tough

Image Courtesy: Daily Mail, UK

Ever since Pastor Terry Jones first announced his outrageous intention to burn the Koran, in a bonfire coinciding with 9/11 anniversary, religious intolerance seems to be hitting a new low with every passing day. Tension has always been in the air, all around the world, where such incendiary action is only expected to lead to widespread demonstrations, protests and inevitable violence. And when he finally made good on his intentions and burnt the Koran after a mock trial, there were outbursts of anger and emotions in places that have anyway been sensitive spots with a fragile state of affairs, finally culminating in the slaughter of UN officials at Mazar-e-Sharif in Afghanistan.

While such violent reactions were predicted as a direct result of burning of Quran, there can be no justification of either action. The difference between the despicable act of burning a sacred religious text and a savage reaction to the act in Afghanistan lies not in the scale of hatred involved, but only in accountability for the actions. Pastor Terry Jones is responsible for spreading hatred through incendiary remarks and deeds, while none can be held responsible for mob action of violence. What both the incidents do achieve, is to widen the gap and increase the divide between two communities. Each one could blame the other and hold the each other responsible for the violence that ensued, resulting in meaningless loss of lives and fuelling growing enmity, forming further grounds for fresh negative acts. But, where does the cycle end?

To quote an old adage, 'With great power comes great responsibility'; there can not be many doubts as to where the power in this equation lies. If the US considers it its duty to get involved in international affairs, as it did in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya, and if it wants to enforce global peace, the responsibility for the current unrest lies squarely with the United States of America. It is never easy to run a democracy, and there would always be conflicting elements that stoke hatred among religions and communities that form the very basis of democracy. However, such provocative actions as the one done by Terry Jones need to be condemned and controlled with utmost urgency, to send a message that would be in line with the signals that the US wants to send across the world, to the international community. With its forces still at work in the Middle East, and with the region being more fragile than ever, given the scale of social uprising that the monarchs of the regions are having to deal with, there is more than ethical and moral responsibility that should make the US take decisive measures to stop the likes of Pastor Terry Jones and his Dove World Outreach Centre. There are practical reasons for the US to take the initiative and make such people pay for, and realise the gravity of their deeds. 

President Obama has tried to bring in the much desired 'Change' and is seeking re-election in 2012. One important facet of the 'Change' has to be the way the US is perceived around the world. If someone can do it, Obama can do it. If it has to be done, now is the time!

India Wins World Cup 2011 - "We Are The Champions!"

This is the first time, in almost 6 years of existence of Clearway, that I have felt compelled to write three consecutive posts on Cricket. So, at the outset, let me emphasise that this is not a Cricket Blog. But, the occasion is such that 2nd April 2011 is to be etched in Indian minds forever! India winning the World Cup was never a serious prospect, perhaps, till a few weeks back. And I, personally, did not pay focussed attention to World Cup 2011, even as the Flagship event of world cricket kicked off in February. And now, here is the Indian team, beaming across the world with the prestigious Trophy in its hand, pride and joy writ all over its face! 

People of my generation have grown up listening to stories of the Indian Cricket team winning its first ever prized treasure, way back in 1983. And given the swift pace of the modern world, 1983 would have semblances of the pre-historic era, especially to the cricket-loving current generation of the country. "Cricket-loving" is an under-statement. In a buzzing nation coloured with splashes of boisterous celebrations and emotional festivities, cricket has occupied unrivalled centre-stage, not just in the sporting arena, but in the entire gamut of entertainment and beyond. Cricket is an inevitable part of life for the hundreds of millions, who have grown up listening intensely to radio commentaries, watching matches in black-and white television sets, and playing the game in its numerous forms at schools, in the neighbourhood playgrounds, along roadsides and by the beaches and street corners. For those of us who have vague memories associated with India winning the 1983 World Cup, the ultimate possession that we could dream of, as a nation, is the symbol of unrivalled global superiority in the world of cricket, in an event that is celebrated once in four years. And last night was, by no means, just another night. It was History! A day that, going by the records, happens only once in 28 years! 

What MS Dhoni and his team have achieved, by that standard, is phenomenal! They have not just won a competition. It's not just about emerging victorious in a tournament. It is not a matter of achieving the first place in international rankings. The deal is not about India beating Australia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka on the trot. Team India have pierced the senses, made their way through innumerable Indian minds and have filled a void that has constantly existed in the subconscious. They have made the zealous followers of the sport, who have had cricket ingrained in their elements, realise themselves and their burning desire for something intangible and unexplainable - "Yes, this is what we have wanted all the while!" The fanatics of Indian cricket may well take a few days to realise the depths of what occurred at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, on a Saturday that they have been waiting for in what seems an eternity. It's the feeling of parched land, riddled with self-doubts and inconsistencies, and only powered by a faint ray of hope for some divine mercy, suddenly being flooded with a torrent of celestial bliss by the Gods. And those who grace this religion that cuts across human divides, reign supreme as Demigods! 

Immense in his stature as portrayed by mortals like us, stands tall a man, clad in blue, his heart buoyant with child-like enthusiasm, his face bubbling with charm, his name radiating the charisma of his personality and worshipped by his followers as the supreme among the Demigods. Still, a mortal that he in reality is, he has been part of as many as six of the teams that have set out on a hunt to bring the famed cup back to the country, ever since it slipped out of the Nation in 1987. The 2nd of April, 2011 was, again, destined to be the day that his thirst for the one recognition has remained elusive for more than two decades of his dominance of Indian, and world cricket, was finally quenched. Today, the dream of Sachin Tendulkar, a sportsman with an astounding array of records, with a deep passion for the sport and a quest for the ultimate prize, stands fulfilled. It was a fitting tribute paid by the next generation in the squad to the Little Master, the young battalion who would have grown up motivated by, watching and learning from him on Television and in person, to carry him around the stadium on their shoulders and parading their pride and devotion to their Living legend.

What Dhoni, guided by Gary Kirsten, has infused in the team is immense confidence in their ability to perform as one unit. That new-born self-belief would make them question history - why should it be an event that happens only once in 28 years? Is that an unwritten rule, or have they been deprived of the World Cup for almost three decades by their own oblivious disorientation? Well, that is something that the Indian cricket team would work out in the coming days. For now, they have treated their followers and fans like never before. The next few days would be spent by the common man in hazed disbelief of the intensity of what has just hit him unannounced, before unabashed pride kicks in, and he declares to the world: "We are the Champions!"