Narendra Modi - The Monk who became the Prime Minister of India . . . thrice!

In his third term as the Prime Minister of India, will Narendra Modi walk the path of a Karma Yogi and perform, oblivious of rewards and irrespective of results?

It is only natural that residents of Ayodhya expressed their utter disappointment with Faizabad electing an opposition candidate over BJP's candidate. It was an unexpected anti-climax to the epic saga of the Return of Shri Ram to Ayodhya after centuries of waiting. That Ayodhya could deliver such a verdict on BJP after Modi presided over the inauguration of Ram Mandir just months before elections 2024, defied logic indeed.

In managerial parlance, performance should lead to rewards. When key performance indicators are met, rewards should be forthcoming. "BJP delivers Ram Mandir - Ayodhya should choose BJP"; pretty straight forward equation!

No so much about life is as straight forward as such a simple equation, though. With performance, comes challenges. When key performance indicators are met, challenges galore - it's as if fine performance is deliberately rewarded with fiery punishments. 

If you are true to your intentions, you would perform - your performance is your effort. Rewards - or results - do not automatically follow your efforts, as if by default. Dogmas that dictate performance to tantalise performers with potential rewards are nothing but shams. 

Dharma does not promise rewards - it only demands performance. Karma Yogis actively renounce rewards - to them, performance is the be-all and end-all of life. Rewards belong to the realms of Karma - and Karma Yogis see Karma as distinct from the Yogis themselves. Modi, who had once renounced worldly affairs and sought Sanyasa, only to be directed by his Guru to serve humanity instead, would be aware of this distinction. My first post on Modi assuming office for the first time, in May 2014, questioned his ability to deliver amidst potential conflicting interests.

Five years later, the international media had already started casting aspersions on his governance - neutrality has never been the hallmark of media, especially when it comes to international perspectives on India. My second post on Modi's re-election in May 2019, countered the popular narrative of Modi being a divisive force, uniting a majority that had been kept divided by design, with centuries of foreign onslaught. Modi was rewarded with a resounding success in the elections of 2019.

To expect the two-time Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, to be rewarded with an overwhelming, absolute majority during his third bid for the top post in Indian elections 2024, powered by his vision for development and progress, and celebrated by his presiding over the inauguration of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, was very much in line with what the exit polls predicted. However, this goes against the tenet of Karma and Yoga. That Shri Ram was to re-enter Ayodhya on the 22nd of January 2024 is destiny - just as Lord Rama's birth, His life, His war with Ravana and His ascendence to Sri Vaikuntam after the purpose of His Avatar was realised, were all already destined.

And it was Narendra Modi's destiny that He could preside over the Ram Mandir inauguration in Ayodhya - a feat that so many ardent devotees would have yearned for, but only he was blessed with. His selfless service to the Nation in the capacity of being the prime minister was his Dharma. His dedication to the cause was his Karma. Should any of these - Ram Mandir or his performance that reflected in India's global image, its economy, or his schemes meant for the upliftment of the poor - translate into rewards?

In Dharmic terms, Narendra Modi has been rewarded with a challenge, instead - after two terms of absolute majority, he now has to perform as part of a coalition, restrained with its compulsions and constraints. To have a 400-plus seat majority in the Indian Parliament and to enact laws at whim, is child's play; to perform within constraints is the task assigned. Whatever it is that Narendra Modi desired with his "ab ki bar, char sau paar' slogan, he has been aptly rewarded with the next level challenge in his political game. 

The life of a Karma Yogi is hardly straight forward; nor is it for the faint hearted. To renounce and resolve to walk the path of surrender, comes with its fair share of obstacles, hindrances, and challenges. Life's modus operandi is to teach with tests, to temper with fire. The Yogi's task is to merely walk the path - the results are already destined! 

In his third term as the Prime Minister of India, will Narendra Modi walk the path of a Karma Yogi and perform, oblivious of rewards and irrespective of results?

Related: 

• Prime Minister Modi - The Moment of truth
• Prime Minister Modi - India's Uniter in Chief

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Coronavirus Outbreak – Rewriting the love story between China and the World

With Coronavirus changing the assumptions of globalisation, reinforcing national boundaries, and putting hard brakes on global economic growth, now would be a good time to talk about China, its chequered history, and its equation with the rest of the world!

Very few events have the ability to turn global assumptions on their head. The World Wars, for instance, brought the destinies of countries together on the path towards collective destruction. The Gulf Wars were feared to have had the potential to escalate into global conflicts, though they remained regional, finally giving rise to the global threat of international terrorism, leading up to the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre.

Image: wikipedia

The pandemonium caused by the Global Financial Crisis underscored the fragility of assumptions about the seamless flow of finances and information across the world. Globalisation was still picking up steam when it all seemed to fall apart, as remote nations could feel the tremors of credit crunches and failing institutions far away from their borders. While strong domestic fundamentals of independent nations served as a buffer, preventing the financial seismic waves from taking them down, the network of international finances and borderless markets were questioned briefly, before the world continued on its quest for the perfect and elusive model of global village.

The unprecedented threat posed by Covid-19, a.k.a Coronavirus, which Beijing would desperately beg not to be referred to as the Wuhan Virus or the Chinese Virus, is even more pressing than those of the other pandemics in the history of the world, for the very reason that globalisation has now taken centre stage in world affairs. Economies such as Australia and the USA, among others, have become so addicted to Chinese manufacturing for economic reasons over the years, that China has vastly come to be seen as their own backyard to cook their meals before they are readily served on their tables. Stories of manufacturing facilities being closed down in the developed economies of the UK, Australia, and the USA, where entire communities were virtually rendered into ghost towns, with complete supply chains having been shipped overseas, predominantly to China, and increasingly to India and other Asian economies, have been doing the rounds seemingly for eternity now!

All eggs in the Chinese economic basket - China's chequered history

Image: Wikipedia

China’s willingness to manipulate its currency in international markets to prop up its economy has been questioned time and again. The world has wondered if the Chinese economy has been in overdrive for decades, waiting with bated breath for the bubble to burst, exposing what really lied beneath the glittering hood. China’s ageing population, along with its questionable human rights practices in Honk Kong, its expansionist endeavours in the South China Sea, its brinksmanship with India along China’s borders with the Indian State of Arunachal Pradesh, business practices featuring sweatshops, international dumping allegations, deteriorating air and water quality, the controversial China Pakistan nuclear alliance, allegations of spying and hacking international systems . . . the list of China having been in the headlines would go on and on, even before Wuhan hit the news for all the wrong reasons.

Fundamentally, it would go against basic business acumen to place all of the world’s bets on one country, and more so on one with such a chequered history as China! For instance, Australia is so heavily dependent on China that its retail outlets could virtually go empty if China shut down shop for a few consecutive days! Now, in the midst of the global pandemic crisis with Coronavirus having made its way virtually to every region of the world, the USA is discovering that it would run out of the very medical products that people would be in a frenzy to stock up to protect themselves from Coronavirus infections – sanitizers and other drugs. The reasons are simple – the drugs and / or their ingredients are made in China!

The world still debates if Coronavirus was also "made in China", though there is no dispute on the fact that Coronavirus originated in Wuhan in China, and it does appear that China did hide the severity of Coronavirus for a while, even trying to muzzle whistleblowers, before it turned into a pandemic that it is now. That would seem like the all-important window of the first few days of discovery of the deadly virus, which could have, if China had disclosed and had worked in cooperation with the global community, made the difference between a controllable epidemic on a large scale and a wild pandemic whose very nature and impact is yet to be known!

Revisiting Chinese international relations – can one size fit all?

Image: Wikipedia

So, now would be a good time to analyse, while the medical community and government agencies race against time to solve the mystery of the first pandemic of the 21^st century, if China can indeed be the universal playing ground for global businesses of all shapes and sizes! The world should ask if too many nagging questions have been ignored or brushed under the carpet, with profitability alone dictating the agenda in a very complex network of equations.  

Was the fight for democracy that kept Hong Kong on the edge for months together, a warning sign about China’s oppressive policies, which were ignored? Could China not have been contained by the international community against its aggressive advances in South China Sea? Could India have dealt with China more assertively to restrain China from breaching into its territorial integrity in Arunachal Pradesh? Could the US have imposed penalties more proactively and stood its ground to check China’s alleged currency manipulation and dumping practices? Did the UN fail to take notice of Human Rights issues and other dubious practices veiled in secrecy under the auspices of China's ruling establishment?

Obsession with one nation is never the best idea, certainly not in business terms where shrewd strategic decisions had to be taken with long term perspectives. Was it sound strategy for the world to shift its manufacturing bases to China, just to stay competitive in the short run? Could business systems be sustained in the long run if low cost productions were the only set of decision making criteria? Could complex international supply chains around the world be built with China as the global hub? When branding is all about trust, would it be in the interest of nations to bank on a country that potentially withheld vital information about Coronavirus in the early days of the disaster's unfolding?

Judgement may well be reserved till when all the panic surrounding the pandemic has ceased and when the Covid-19 dust has hopefully settled. But if the right lessons are not learnt now, when the world is battling its worst uncertainty in ages, when the very premises of globalisation are being questioned, when human civilisation’s proud march towards progress has been put on an uncertain hold at very short notice, when basic assumptions that dictated international business decisions are having to be revisited, the global community may be in for an even greater shock the next time, when an even graver disaster strikes at the core of global belief systems and deals an even deadlier blow, rendering it virtually impossible for the world to recover from! The international community and its leadership would be held accountable then for not having acted in the hour of the greatest crisis of the century yet, despite a cacophony of warning bells ringing for decades before they finally culminated in the pandemic of Covid-19!

There may still be time to act - but the time to ask is now!

Narendra Modi - India's Uniter in Chief!

Modi is back!

The last I wrote on Prime Minister Narendra Modi was five years ago, when he first assumed the humongous responsibility of running the affairs of a country as diverse and complicated as India is. India has come a long way since, with Modi's reelection speaking for itself.

Now, Modi 2.0 is back, with much to do in terms of completing the tasks that he set out to do in NDA's first term, and taking India further ahead. It is no easy task to get the diverse country grouped together, progress and match up expectations, not just because of the enormity of carrying over a billion dreams on a larger-than-life image, but more so on account of the collective unlearning of the past and unwinding from the misdoings of the colonial era that stretched beyond India's independence into the decades of rule by the Indian National Congress (INC).

The sorry state of Rahul Gandhi and Indian National Congress

The BJP's was in no mood to relent its charging 2019 election machinery against the Indian National Congress - INC has been reduced to being more of a regional player than the party of first choice that it once was, and Rahul Gandhi, the last ray of hope that INC has been banking on for years now, had to seek refuge in a so-called safe seat in Wayanad, dominated by the minority communities of India. And this, after Rahul was thrashed from his home constituency of Amethi by Smriti - could there be a safer constituency than home? Apparently, there is, for Rahul, in Wayanad, his new home away from home.

Rahul Gandhi Wayanad Campaign - IUML Flags
Source: https://www.organiser.org/Encyc/2019/4/3/Dont-use-Muslim-League-flags-in-Rahuls-rallies-in-Wayanad.html

However, the safe seat of Wayanad doesn't come without compromises for Indian National Congress. Scenes of IUML flags being flourished during Rahul Gandhi's election rally in Wayanad would haunt the Congress Party, which tries desperately to project what Shashi Tharoor would call "soft Hinduism" as against hardline Hindutva, up north.

Redefining Hindutva

Clearly, INC is rattled and wants to go down the same path of confusing Hindus through fake posturing, and propagating the media-peddled distinction between Hinduism and Hindutva. If it calls Rahul Gandhi's temple hopping as Hinduism, what would it call the fledgling dynast's embracing Wayanad in a desperate, last-ditch measure to survive in the harsh terrains of Indian politics?

You are either a Hindu, Mr Gandhi, or you aren't. If skullcaps were what you were after, how did you hope to find them through temple hopping and posturing to mislead Hindus? You should have headed straight to Wayanad and wagged the green flags instead.

This infirmity on the part of INC, fundamentally, is what has gifted the BJP a landslide victory that could well mark a historic turn in Indian politics. While the Indian National Congress has been playing between its minority appeasement politics and half-baked Hinduism, when Rahul Gandhi has been searching for his identity between temples and mosques, and as the Tharoors of Congress have been trying hard to draw a non-existing distinction between Hinduism and Hindutva, Modi's reelection campaign has featured a clear message of unifying Hindus - elections 2019 are as much about Rahul Gandhi's green flags as they are about Narendra Modi's saffron robes.

https://www.aninews.in/news/national/general-news/after-2km-long-trek-pm-modi-reaches-kedarnath-cave-to-meditate20190518173233/

So, were the elections polarised? Yes, they were. But was Modi the divider in chief, as Time would like to declare?

Modi, the Uniter in Chief!

Modi has successfully united India's majority who have been divided for centuries by onslaughts from the Middle East Asia, and from the East India Company in the West, a feat not accomplished by any leader in Indian history over the years of pillage, plunder, and bloodshed. Indian National Congress had taken the wrong lessons from their colonial masters, dividing Hindus again, and appeasing the minorities to such an extent that major demographic changes have occurred in states like Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, parts of Tamil Nadu, and the North Eastern states. For instance, Hindus are expected to become minorities in Kerala as early as in 2025!

The divisive games have been on for centuries in India, so it is surprising that the Time magazine sees divisions in India as news in 2019 - for, it refuses to look beyond Modi for divisive forces.

The takeaway from elections 2019 is clear - the decisive Hindu has spoken from the land of Dharma! He has realised how he had been treated over the centuries, announced how he has been deprived of his right to self-respect through concocted history and malicious propaganda, resented how he was made to feel inferior for even being a Hindu, and declared how Hinduism deserves its rightful place in the land of Dharma!

https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-bjp-starts-regrouping-to-repeat-2014-victory-in-2019-lok-sabha-polls-2696150

Those who look at Indian elections 2019 in isolation as against a flow in time may deliberately not want to know how history shapes the future. Those with a divisive agenda may want to call Modi the "Divider in Chief". Those who resent the election results 2019 may call him just a marketing machine and not much else.

Notwithstanding the multiple opinions in a diverse nation grounded in Sanatana Dharma, history is shaping the future of India right now, as Modi's swearing in ceremony for a second term is set on the 30th of May 2019.

Modi's responsibilities as a leader remains just the same as they were after 2014 elections - Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas, with an emphasis on winning the confidence of the Indian population through Sabka Vishwas. He would be accountable to the people of this great nation, and committed to the interests of all sections of the society.

But the decisive Hindu has spoken of his right to reclaim his place in time. 2019 elections are as much about the future as they are about the past!

Save Sabarimala - Sacrificing Hindu Traditions on the Political Altar

With over 2000 Hindu protesters arrested by the Kerala Government and a controversy refusing to die down anytime soon, the real Sabarimala issue is not about equality or justice.

Image Courtesy: Karan Acharya

The Sabarimala issue over the past few weeks and the Supreme Court judgement allowing women of all ages to enter into Sabarimala temple is an example of how the judiciary could stray into the religious beliefs of the majority community of India, Hindus. While the majority status of Hindus in the state of Kerala has been dwindling with thriving religious conversions over the years, Hindus still form the majority in India (though the quantum of such majority is questionable due to statistical reliability errors and possible misrepresentations).

It is no secret that India has been one of the prime targets for religious conversions. Christianity has been at the forefront of religious conversions since the 1990s, from the initial focus on Islamic conversions in the 1980s. The nationalist BJP government in power for the past 4 years, and the impending Indian general elections in 2019 featured by lack of consensus on a serious opposition contender yet to match the stature of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have apparently rattled the opposition, who may want to maximise havoc to reap political dividends.

South India in particular, has been a hotbed of caste-based politics, ironically, all in the name of eliminating caste. In Tamil Nadu for instance, Dravidian forces have started creating petty differences to reinforce distinctions based on caste. Caste divisions are typically made to look deeper and graver around elections to draw mileage against an otherwise united Hindu majority, and this election would be even murkier, in an effort to dislodge the ruling BJP.

Coming back to the Sabarimala issue, over 2000 Hindu devotees who protested against the Supreme Court judgement last week have been arrested, with over 500 remanded to judicial custody. The same Kerala Government that refused to honour the Supreme Court verdict and filed a review petition on the Mullaperiyar dam case is now intent on upholding the SC verdict on the Sabarimala issue. The Communist government’s hardline stance against religion seems to be at play in acting against the core belief structure of Sabarimala Ayyappan temple. It is yet another issue as to how the powerful arguments made against the litigation in the Supreme Court were discarded and age-old traditions were done away with in one fell swoop by a landmark verdict.

Now, it is up to the Ayyappa devotees of Sabarimala to fend for themselves in what could be described as an emergency-like situation in Kerala – Sabarimala devotees are being hunted based on videos of protests held over the past few days. There have been hundreds of peaceful marches organised in Kerela against the Supreme Court verdict on Sabarimala. The irony is that there are videos that clearly show devotees protesting peacefully being targeted by the Kerala police in a heavy-handed manner.

In a nut shell, an age-old tradition is broken and Hindu religious sentiments are hurt. The judiciary tampers with religion when some of the original petitioners themselves have expressed solidarity with the protesting Hindu devotees, non-Hindu women are facilitated into the temple who allegedly indulged in sacrilege, protesting devotees are targeted by the state machinery with police indulging in violence, and now, over 2000 protesters have been taken into custody.

Spurious "Devotee" Rehana Fathima; Image: 24News

The timing of the controversy that has been deliberately raked up, smacks heavily of political overtones. And as the countdown to 2019 general elections in India gets underway, the political game in India would increasingly resort to fanning religious hatred, hurting religious sentiments, creating and widening existing caste-based fault lines, pandering to minorities, and dividing the people, particularly the majority community, in an unscrupulous quest for power.

The British laid down the rules of the divide-and-rule game, and the Indian politicians have perfected it to a fine art. It is now up to the Hindus to stand by Dharma and refuse to be taken for a free ride in the great Indian political circus.

Delhi Polls: Fool me once, shame on Kejriwal . . .

It's time for Delhi to mean business, again. It was last year that Arvind Kejriwal, the famous revolutionary who came riding on the shoulders of Anna Hazare, took the Delhi electorate by storm and took to the reigns with much fanfare. There were new ministers, new MLAs, a new Chief Minister, and Delhi elections gave a new formula for politics that the world was fascinated with.

Fast forward to the 50th day after the swearing in, and Kejriwal was gone - but not for good. After the cameo came another shot at governance - and this time, at the national level. And it was not too difficult to see the designs of "Aam Aadmi Party", the new kid on the political block that was powered by the disillusionment of the common man but was controlled and directed by hidden agenda and vested interests. Kejriwal took the gamble, and had not much to lose anyway - it was only a matter of time then before Congress found a reason to trip AAP down, and if he clicks, it could be a shot at the Prime Minister's Office.

It is history that AAP could not ride the Modi Wave, and was virtually left with just a hollow structure, with many prominent faces revolting, some jumping ships, and many questioning Kejriwal's leadership style and capability.

Back to the present, Delhi votes today. Many would have written the Aam Aadmi off, for the blunders that Arvid Kejriwal and his ad hoc team have done for self-serving purposes and to suit, obviously, personal ambitions and, not-so-obviously, vested interests. Could a political party and movement form, survive and sustain spontaneously unless it was deliberately and persistently directed? But then, here is AAP, apparently giving BJP a run for its money. The Aam Aadmi Party, after all, is the common man only in name - it is nether common nor honest when it comes to the sources of its power and the purpose of its promoters.

And if AAP does snatch Delhi again from the reaches of BJP and returns the national capital to chaotic status quo, there is no point blaming Kejriwal now. Delhi, you have had one full year to judge this guy and know what he is. And if you still vote for AAP merely because Arvind Kejriwal has the gift of the gab to twist facts around and give them political shades, could turn the questions back and deflect them on to the questioner, justify every atrocious stance and all the turns that he takes with unscrupulous sleight, stick to the same rhetoric without offering solutions, resort to blame game and tap into popular dissent with reality, stay in the media limelight and subtly play the communal card, please do not blame him.

There is one mistake that Kejriwal would not repeat this time if he does win the Delhi elections: you wouldn't see his back in 49 days, but you would have to live with his dramatics for five full years - and the cost that it would entail is anybody's guess! If that is what you want, that is what you would deserve. Fool me twice, shame on Delhi!     

Pick of the Month: Conversions and Re-conversions! #Gharwapsi

Of all the tweets, this guy has created a gem! And given the spectacular nature of the tweet, and going by the age-old wisdom that a picture is worth a thousand words, let me keep this post to the minimum, and leave the rest to the reader's good judgement.

When the Indian parliament has been stalled by hopeless hapless opposition, raking up the spectre of "Ghar Wapsi", little did they know that Twitter is faster than mainstream media, or that social media, unlike its traditional counterpart, could not be bought.

For a country that has been a fertile hunting ground and an evergreen pasture for religious zealots from the world over, there is at least one honest "soul" that has announced to the world, what has been happening for well over a few centuries.

Keith Stevens, Pray for our Pastures, indeed!

The PK Controversy

My posts have been dwindling in number these days, and I hardly have time to blog about movies. But this movie did it - PK!

To begin with, let me make it clear - this is not a PK movie review. That the movie has had rave reviews is no news any more; nor is it anything strange that Aamir Khan's movie has been raking in the money for its producers. And it would be utterly unremarkable to state that Rajkumar Hirani has again succeeding in tickling the funny bone in an absolutely subtle way.

But is that the only feat that he has achieved subtly? Here are a few questions to ponder when you have come out happily after watching the latest Aamir Khan starrer.


The movie is named PK. Can you think of any country that is associated with the letters PK?

There are many instances featured in the movie ridiculing Hindu religious practices. The movie is supposed to be driving sense into people, against superstition and the negative tenets of religion. If this is a secular movie as it is projected to be, why have all religions not been equally depicted? Why is Hinduism being meted out special treatment in a movie that parodies religion per se?

We all know how neutral, genuine, secular and impeccable NDTV's reporting is. So, why would NDTV rate PK 5 stars?

Is every situation in the movie justified? One of the scenes that has stirred up controversies, for instance, features an artiste posing as Lord Shiva, getting caught up with the alien Aamir Khan in the loo, and trying to escape the menacing alien by running away from him, desperately seeking help. Would Rajkumar Hirani have had the guts to depict the divine messengers from other religions in this fashion?

The movie plot exposes a Hindu religious leader's chicanery. The movie also proclaims that not every Pakistani is a defaulter. So, why does it not take the pain to clarify that not every Hindu preacher is a conman? And how about preachers of other religions?

PK asks for answers from every Hindu idol and finds no response. Could he have also prayed to every other religious place and displayed his despair? Could he have also posted pictures of missing Gods other religions? Was that so difficult to depict in a self-professed secular, rational movie?

Yes, there are mentions of "building the temple", there are references to terrorism, conversion, etc. But they are fleeting, superficial, and lacking in depth. Of course, the entire story-line of PK lacks depth, with a simple agenda of maligning and ridiculing one cultural group, while seemingly embracing the message of love against separatism. But why has the message not been equitably distributed across all cultural / religious groups?

Is it because the reactions to such misadventures would be so enormous that the very release of the movie could be jeapordised if other religious practices were ridiculed to the extent that Hinduism has been taken on in this movie? Is it because Hinduism has become a soft target that could take any amount of beating and thrashing, or is it because of some ulterior motive?

There are many better ways of spreading the message of religious harmony than this increasing trend of Hindu-bashing. And it may not just end there. There is a depiction of an elderly Sikh man who lies for the sake of his wife's luxury, a scene that is complete out of context and unwarranted.

PK, when he discovers that not every Mahatma Gandhi's picture would get him the barter, throws Gandhi's pictures on the ground, littering it around one by one. Could there have been a better way of doing that than in a way that could be seen as desecrating the Mahatma?

While everyone in India has been portrayed in a bad light (apart from Anushka Sharma, who happens to be the only person to give money to PK the alien than take money), the embassy officials in Pakistan have been shown to be one lovely lot, peaceful and harmonious, sweet and jubilant.

So, that brings us back to the first question: The movie is named PK. Can you think of any country that is associated with the letters PK?

That makes us think further - who is funding Bollywood? After all, a director would want to thank his producer. Subramanian Swamy's tweet aptly questions the funding part of this controversial PK.

PK, the movie, is not just satire. It is not just cheeky in its stated message. It is not just subtle in spreading the message of peace and harmony. To the contrary, it has only stirred up religious sentiments, particularly among the Hindu and Sikh communities. PK is one more of those cunning narratives that camouflages as harmless expression of art, delivering a vicious stab at a culture and belief system, with a knife coated in humour and innocence.

So, Aamir Khan, Rajkumar Hirani, and the crew involved in producing PK, here is the bottom line: Spread the love, be equitable and stay positive. The world deserves better.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi - The Moment of Truth!

Courtesy: http://loksabha-2014.com/

After ages of stagnation that was creating an atmosphere of suffocating toxicity, there is one ground breaking phenomenon that has taken the Indian political, and quite possibly its socio-economic, landscape by storm. Narendra Modi has been invited to be sworn in the 15th Prime Minister of this ancient nation. And the results of the Indian elections could not have been better for a country that has been entangled in the web of a seemingly irreversible route to coalition politics.

Narendra Modi as Prime Minister of India, holds much more importance in the larger scheme of things, to the way India has taken shape over its recent history. While a vast section of vested interests may want to hijack the turn of events by painting a picture of uncertainty, and possible gloom and even devastation, for the minority, it is questionable if squinted views and deliberate vilification could be justified by having such a narrow perspective of what the event signifies.

Well, let the world have its own view - here is what the turn of events mean for India, from the rather superficial vision of Clearway!

Courtesy: http://ridingtheelephant.wordpress.com/

1. It is the beginning of the end of Dynasty Politics in India.

Would someone remind our lawmakers that India is not a monarchy and that it is supposed to be a democracy? If Narendra Modi can deliver on the promised and beyond, this could well be the beginning of end of one of the most nauseating features that could haunt a democracy - the dynasty. Nothing could be more unfortunate than a country of over a billion not being able to find its leader beyond one family.

2. India would now have a Prime Minister!

For the uninitiated, we have had a care-taker Prime Minister for an extended period of 10 years before Mr Narendra Modi fills the gap. Dr Manmohan Singh is an economist; what on earth did he have to do with leading a nation? Having said that, it is fortunate that India remained safe from external aggression for the two terms that India remained without a full-time Prime Minister at its helm!

3. India would now have a leader who could decide - and talk!

Courtesy: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/

Since we did not have a Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh did not have permissions from the High Command to give detailed press conferences or statements. He occasionally broke his silence using terse comments such as "Mind your Negativity" when he sensed adversity in public mood. Modi, on the other hand, has been willing to take the bull by its horns. It is his humble beginnings, the hardships that made him rise to prominence, and the way he has had to counter criticism and bullying by vested interests, that perhaps give him the edge - he does not have to learn to be tough.

4. Vilification has its limits.

 After all, since Ram Mandir is no longer the core agenda for BJP, everyone else had to group around, and latch on to, the massacre in Gujarat. It did not matter that the courts found Modi not culpable; the negative campaign in the country coupled with the United States of America, along with other nations, virtually boycotting him. It is a different issue now as to how the US could extend its invitation to a person who was banned from its territories, while nothing else has changed apart from the fact that Narendra Modi is no longer the Chief Minister of a State but would shortly be declared the Prime Minister of a powerful nation. But then, when did the United States hold principles above political, economic and strategic benefits?

But the case in point is, vilification is not without limits. And there is only so far that propaganda could go.

So, is it all pleasure and no pain? Is there a flip side to the golden coin?

1. For the BJP, the enemy lies within:

It is now that Modi's real test begins. For a party that has been deprived of power at the centre for so long, and for an ideology that is made to look criminal by vested interests, it is easy to be carried away and be swayed by the force of the tide in its favour. The first job for Modi as Prime Minister would be to rein in his own cadre and restrain the over-zealous from needless adventurism. It is good to be vociferous while in the opposition, but governance is responsibility.

2. The country is different from a state:

What worked in Gujarat, or the way it has been featured and projected, would invariably be difficult to replicate in a large, diverse, and difficult country like India. If Modi has stood for development in his state, he would have to prove that it was not by chance, but by good intent and design. He has been blessed with an unparalleled advantage this time - not many leaders would have the freedom of absolute majority, without having to play to the coalition gallery. But then, the very nature of expectation is that it comes with massive scope for disappointments - and portraying larger-than-life images is much easier than living up to it.

 3. A leader has to be inclusive:

And Modi can be no different, especially in an era of information technology and communication, where a new generation of voters is claimed to have powered the BJP to an absolute majority in the parliament. From the looks of it, the electorate has changed - and suppression would no longer be tolerated. It is important for a leader to demonstrate that he stands for equality, and any form of discrimination has to be off-limits. Will Modi demonstrate an undeterred willingness to be inclusive?

4. Calling the shots:

So, Narendra Modi is able to make decisions, he could be inclusive, he would foster economic development, create jobs, appeal to the youth, rein in the rogue elements within, keep enemies at bay, and develop international relations. All good. But how independent would he be in calling the shots, despite the absolute majority? How much influence would the RSS have with time in issues of governance?


It clearly needs not just decisive action on the part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but also a fine balancing act to deliver what has been asked of him. Modi has certainly hit the ground running and set off in style by this extra-ordinary gesture of inviting foreign heads of states for his swearing-in on May 26th. If you are to set the ball rolling in the right direction in the external affairs arena, this is the way to go!

And if at all there was something that was evident from Narendra Modi's emotional speech in the BJP's parliamentary party meet, it was his sincerity of intent and earnestness towards his job.

Is governance much more than emotional speeches? Yes, of course it is. But here we have someone who has a track record to show, one who has had humble beginnings and not from the dynasty, has risen through the ranks, and promises to show earnestness in intent and decisiveness in action.

Courtesy: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/

This is not even day one, and he has a full five years to deliver consistently and try to beat the sky-high expectations. Given the controversies that have mired his past with views and counter views, given the mixed signals that RSS has managed to emanate over the years, considering the sizeable and complex challenges that lie ahead, and given the fact that there are more detractors hoping he would falter than any of the other recent Prime Ministers of India have had, Modi has to walk a long distance, and a tight rope in that!

But then, if you would not bet on this guy, who else would you bet on?

Mind Your Negativity: From Bofors to Robert Vadra, All is Well!

Sorry Prime Minister, it's our selfishness to blame, not your incapacity!

The national mood has not slumped to such negativity in recent memories. Clouds of gloom have descended on the sensitive citizen who is aware, on the responsible person who cares. When the Prime Minister talks of mindless negativity, he does have a point. 

India against corruption has become larger than life. And the nation is beleaguered, if the Government were deemed to represent the nation. But then, it's been a long while since the government assumed responsibility for the nation. At least, that's the popular belief, and the message that goes out to the common man. Corruption in India has long been an issue, with publications accounting for corruption in British India. But that was perhaps because the state was in a state of flux, with changes rampant and things transient at their best - the British rule was challenged by Indian patriots who were determined at winning freedom at any cost. Friction creates room for negativity. When the rule of autocracy is established, there would be forces that undermine the rule, and there would be insiders who would indulge in profiteering from the resultant friction.

But it's been 65 years since India got its freedom from colonialism. And democracy is no autocracy. It is supposed to be representative of every citizen, give shape to every dream, and provide a common vision for progress. Did the Indian state achieve such lofty ideals in a period of over six decades? Forget lofty ideals, now it is a question of mere ideas. Does the state have ideas? Does the government have a plan? Is the system functional at all?

To be able to run a government and manage a country is not a joke. It becomes an even more serious affair, when the country in question is India, with its tremendous population and population density, enormous languages, diverse religions, various philosophies, and intense politics. Any issue that is discussed in the parliament has the potential of turning into a sensitive issue. And any party that dreams of forming power at the centre has to be 'mindful' of this reality. Is the government mindful of it, or is it mindless?

While it is difficult to manage a coalition of partners who have their own individual agendas, and their own personalities, what could be said of a government that is relegated to a minority and is literally held to ransom by its allies? With the queen from West Bengal, a former ally, having openly declared war against the ruling coalition, you would expect a skilful politician at the helm to manage the deteriorating state of affairs. Is there any hope left at all?

Image: Updatednews.ca

Surprise! The Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was branded an underachiever, well before things turned this bad. "How does it matter?" ask the Congress. "We would brand Obama an underachiever", retaliates the Indian media. The immediate question that arises is, "Does it really matter? Why this mindless negativity?"

Dr Manmohan Singh is an academician, a bureaucrat, but not a politician by any stretch of imagination; and far less is he a leader by any standards. Are we a leaderless country?

"That's fine", some may say. "There are advisers to the Prime Minister, who would guide him through". An article refers to the "Chanakya", Ahmed Patel, personal adviser to the Congress President, Sonia Gandhi. When a country is whacked badly from all sides, eaten by the pests within, rotten by the "mindless negativity", and well in the process of going to the dogs, who is on the lookout for a Chanakya who could help the politicians cover their back sides? We need a warrior who could fight for the nation, not for the politicians. It's War!

And that's what Arvind Kejriwal and Company are up to. When the system is corrupt to the core, when the leadership is drained of its intellect and resolve, when the allies have all but deserted, when the government has been a victim of its own making, all that we could look up to are people like Arvind Kejriwal and his "India against corruption" movement to become the saviour - somehow. This is not the time to measure Mr Kejriwal, to study his personal ambitions, to reflect on his credentials. Salman Khurshid may be more interested in knowing what Arvind Kejriwal's background is, and how he gets his funding. However, that, in reality, would be "mindless negativity".

Image: Indian-scams.com

The ruling coalition once looked like a pack of buffoons. Now, they look like ominous forces in sheep's garb. The list of corruption cases never seems to end, making even Bofors look dwarfed. (By the way, does anyone know Ottavio Quattrochi's whereabouts?) One scam after the other keeps pouring out of the closet. If 2G Scam was huge, the mining scam was monumental, the alleged nexus between Robert Vadra and DLF is phenomenal, the entire "politician-bureaucrat-real estate industry" network that seems to be unravelling in Haryana is only picking up steam, and the alleged wrongdoings of the law minister, Salman Khurshid, is out of this world! Kejriwal did pull a coup in the Robert Vadra episode, what with "Mango People Banana Republic" having become iconic. Would the Congress use the slogan for its election campaign? But then, hey, are we not verging on mindless negativity again? 

Sorry, Prime Minister, but looks like we have been conditioned into negativity. It's not your fault; it's just that we have not been fortunate enough to have a strong leader who could reign in the negative forces. We have not been savvy enough to elect an honest government. We have not been educated enough to read the differences among the good, the bad and the ugly. We have not been responsible enough to say no to corruption. And we have been too busy with our own lives, being so naive to believe that elected representatives would look to our interests, not theirs! It's our selfishness to blame, not your incapacity.

Image: Amarjit.info

Finally, the Robert Vadra saga seems to have taken a back seat for now, with Salman Khurshid's scandal coming into the limelight. But hey, wait! Is it indeed a scandal, or it is a spectacular display of Salman Khurshid's loyalty to Congress and its President? The law minister has said he was ready to die for the Congress President. So, perhaps, Salman Khurshid and his wife decided to distract attention from the on-going all-out attack on the Sonia family by manufacturing irregularities in their NGO accounts so that the media could take its eyes off Robert Vadra! Should the CAG focus his investigation from such an angle and probe if the irregularities were intentional? Bravo, Salman Khurshid, you have passed the test of loyalty, and your services to Congress would stand the test of time. 

For once, Mr Prime Minister, we have been able to see the positive side of a scandal, and get done with our mindless negativity!

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!