The gentle west wind hums/ As it blows in from the lake/ Over the fields and swaying palms/ The soul songs of the waves.
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Friday, August 15, 2008
HAPPY INDEPENDANCE DAY
WE,
the People of India shall overcome
the bigots, separatists, communalists, terrorists,
regionalists, sycophants, the corrupt, the self-serving,
Abraham, If "the bigots, separatists, communalists, terrorists, regionalists, sycophants, the corrupt, the self-serving,..." are removed, there will very few left in India today!
My late cousin who took part in independence movement obeying the call of Mahatma Gandhi and went to jail frequently, which added upto 16 years in jail and who later became a business man in Madras was disgusted about corruption and nepotism taking roots in politics. That was 1963. School and university grades were earned then and not bought and politicians were reasonably clean, but still my cousin was concerned about the dirt creeping into politics and the society at all levels. I know what he would think of the politics, politicians and society today and what would be his thoughts on 15th August. Others like my father and relatives were also freedom fighters who took part in non-coperation movement then. They too were disgusted like my cousin. I was raised to believe in independent India and the effort needed from all of us to make this young independent country which had such rich history prosperous, self-sufficient and the societies in it caring and compassionate. After working for a decade in India, I too was disillusioned. I left India in 1970s when I could no more stand the shenanighans of officialdom, and corruption and nepotism that was becoming an inseparable part of the society.
I used to visit India periodically and every time I returned with disgust, having strongly felt the tentacles of all you list above. I keep away these days.
My late maternal Great grandfather, like everyone of his generation, who supported the independence and self rule movement, once had this to say,” people of your generation should tie us to a mukkali (tripod) and flog us for fighting for independence”. Such was the disappointment they felt at the subsequent state of affairs. What we have now is rule by unscrupulous politicians for them, by them, of them. Just look at Hong Kong. How much more developed was Hong Kong when it gained it’s independence from the same so called colonial power 50 years after we got ours. We Indian’s do not deserve democracy; we behave well only under authoritarianism. The comparative peace and tranquillity experienced in Kerala during the emergency days vouch for it.
The lucky few who could go to the more secular and 'non-corrupt' nations think of India as corrupt and filthy.
India has its own problems in poverty, an ever rising population and crime and corruption and many more..
But on the other side of the coin..
Recently we saw the Worldbank chief being 'axed' for unduly favours for his girlfriend .
Mr Tony Blair wrote to Adrian Nastase, the Romanian prime minister, to help Mr Mittal clinch a £300 million deal a month after the tycoon gave Labour Party a donation of £125,000.
And many many incidents.. so we need to be mindful... these issues are not just restricted for we Indians...
A common man wouldn't dare walk through downtown Newyork or LA or Moscow or London as freely as he might walk through Mumbai streets for instance .
Perhaps some among the freedom fighting generation dreamt of the perfect 'Utopia' where there will be no crime or injustice , milk and honey flowing from heavens kind of scenario..
In the last 50 years our country has progressed a lot, and in the coming years we and our coming generation will see and reap the benefits...
But in reality, through the ages.. there were injustice and corruption and all kind of evils.
Brave men fought against and tried to make a difference, others made advantage of it.. the majority (like myself) tried to blame the society for the evils, and kept worrying without even trying to raise their voices atleast once ..
I would like to quote Mahatma Gandhi in this case.
"Mr Tony Blair wrote to Adrian Nastase, the Romanian prime minister, to help Mr Mittal clinch a £300 million deal a month after the tycoon gave Labour Party a donation of £125,000"
You do not have evidence for the above, only what you have read. Do you have an inside information what Mr Blair wrote and why the Romanian Prime Minister has to donate that money? In any case, £125,000 is insignificant amount for a party. Blair's party had to declare its origin and reasons for all donations, failing which consequences would have been lethal for him and his party. Voters, unlike in India would not re-elect corrupt political leaders again. Comparing this to utter corrupt political and societal situations in India is both cynical and ignoring the reality of extent of corruption in India. Please talk about Karunanidhi' tens of crores or Devegowda's tens of crores of personal wealth, I will listen.
I did not have to bribe any one in the West to get my job or my promotion. My children's grades were not bought. There is no quota system based on caste. No caste wants to be considered as backward and indeed, there is no pressure to declare a caste as backward, a scandal which can happen only in India. Who would want to be 'backward' except in India as my good friend Narayana Murthy once said. I am not sure whether you have met any ministers or know them. I see them in dozens landing here in the West every few months and where would they get so much money to buy the branded goods of every description? The wads of dollar bills they pull out is simply mind-boggling. A few offered me $20,000 if I could get their sons into MBA's in any top university in the West. I said to them $20,000 is not much anyway, and in any case, bribery of that kind does not work.
Even if you raise your voice singly or collectively, would it be heard? My cousin did that way back in 1963, not very long after India became independent. He was influential in ministerial circles and no one would listen to him! The result was that those ministers who were with him in jail during independence movement cut their links with him!
Lastly, a close relative of mine , a top official in LokAyukta department was put under so much pressure (mainly threats to his life) to drop the corruption investigation he was conducting against an organised syndicate controlled by the home minister of a Southern State that he had no option but to take early retirement and lives in the West not far away from us. I showed your comments to him. He simply smiled!!
India maybe less than perfect..what did you do about it?
What have you done to change this?
Rather, you preferred to migrate abroad and complain that India is corrupt? thanks for that.
I hope the education you earned in India helped you to qualify for your current status.
Maybe you were disgusted with your Indian passport and "earned" a foreign passport, swearing allegiance to protect your new motherland.
I know a number of people who have migrated to the West, bragging about having had to work in McDonalds and car washes...will you ever do that in your homeland? I bet no. You can't serve your own kind.
Legalised corruption is corruption...OJ Simpson got justice too..
Hi anonymous, First, have some courage to say who you are even with an assumed name. I do not reply for those who hide behind anonymity, to me that s cowardice.
I have been reading posts in this blog, I am surprised that it has so less association with Mysore. I am not criticising Abraham whose very good post on 'South Parade' in Bangalore was very illuminating.
Abraham gives a list here which I am sure is what makes India today. No use in shooting messengers like 'Ram'. I have seen those who say 'Mera Bharat Mahan' still send their sons and daughters to USA and visit them at least once a year. Some hypocrisy. About OJ Simpson's justice. It is not India where Sonia Gandhi can influence the judges. O J was tried and the jury released him. That is what happens in a real democracy. The President of USA or Governor of California did not instruct the judge and the jury what verdict they should arrive at. I did read 'Ram's' comments and he says that he worked for 10 years in India before he went abroad. I know a quite a few families where their sons or daughters are bundled up and sent to USA soon after their graduation by getting a son-inlaw or daughter-in law in USA. Is this 'anonymous' person, one such parent?
I was born in Mysore and live in Bangalore. Last month alone, I was asked bribe on 10 occassions -The police inspector who stopped me and wanted to charge me a pedestrian, but not the car driver who went straight through the red light thus endangering my life, the engineer at the electricity board who said he could speed up testing the distribution unit bringing electricity to my house which I suspected was faulty, the railway reservation clerk who would give sleeping birth to my old mother as she was booked to travel to see her daughter, my young son's college head clerk to get a certificate for my son in 1 houretc.. etc.. Lastly, My father used to say that the late Chief Minister of Mysore (there was no Karnataka then) Nijalingappa was elected unopposed during two elections from his constituency and became Chief Minister. His opponents on those occassions withdrew their filed candidacy applications at the last minute. Later they were found themselves as MLCs, members of State Public Service Commission and one even as a Vice Chancellor! Makes one wonder!
In two days, I have to approach the Corporation as my water supply has become a trickle. I know what to expect if we need the supply!
In my opinion even the colletive prophets of all religions and the thousand Hindu Gods all combined cannot cure the ills that Abraham lists. What can poor 'Ram' do.
In the aftermath of our independence day, and after listening to our president (the Sonia's proxy), I just looked at the Olympic medal table which appeared in our TV. China with 35 gold medals with total 61 medals, tiny South Korea with 8 gold medals with 22 total medals, and in the case of 'Mera Bharat Mahaan' just 1 gold medal in an obscure rifle event. China's 61 against India's 1! Watching with me, my son asks,what happened to crores sunk in Indian Sports Administrations and Indian Olympic Association? What happened to India's Hockey? Did the crores reach the sportsmen in these organisations? How were these sportsmen selected? some thoughts along with Abraham's.
Thank you for your comments from South Africa. Blair is a good friend of Mbeki and Mandela. I would be careful.
Your 'Vande Matharam'greetings would be controversial to a very large population in India. It was not chosen as the national anthem of India for that reason alone.
"A common man wouldn't dare walk through downtown Newyork or LA or Moscow or London as freely as he might walk through Mumbai streets for instance" or Johannesberg which is more dangerous in my friend's experience than walking through Harlem in NewYork. He a soccer fan says that the FIFA is worried about 2010 world cup in your city.
Mr Ram, I think , I have my own right to greet in 'Vande Matharam'. AR Rahman paid a tribute to the same essence a while back by releasing an audio album.. So kindly put aside the notions of controvesy aside..
Then on Johannesburg, I have walked through the streets and places in Johannesburg where an avg malayali dare not imagine. I have been through the so called dangers ..
Kariyachan, Your experience about Johannesberg is different from that of Jacob Zuma who is going to be SA's president. We asked him recently about Johannesburg, its violence and Football World Cup. Jacob Zuma has the opposite view of yours about Johannesburg. So has Jay Naidoo who we know well. These two leaders know more about their country. Hence comparing Johannesburg violence with LA and London is ridiculous. Indians do not want to recognise the depth of moral deprivation the country has sunk to, and argue that this is not exceptional and point to minor problems in other Western countries. Hence the silly comment about OJ Simpson who was tried by an independent judiciary and McDonalds. Chintamani Rao has responded well. Abraham has rightly listed a sample and it is for those who defend the case against India to stop sleep-walking and consider Abraham's list as unique to India. It is time to reflect on them in the aftermath of independence. No use in arguing that India is a democracy (I worked as presiding officer of polling stations in two elections in 1970s and know a thing or two about voters , intimidation , communalism, casteism etc..)looking at China's achievements.
Mr Ram; I think we deveiated form the main point and is getting a bit personal. I respect your choice and opinions. But There will be more than one opinion in a Democracy.
14 comments:
happy independance day to you too!
Vande Matharam!!!!!!!
Abraham,
If "the bigots, separatists, communalists, terrorists, regionalists, sycophants, the corrupt, the self-serving,..." are removed, there will very few left in India today!
My late cousin who took part in independence movement obeying the call of Mahatma Gandhi and went to jail frequently, which added upto 16 years in jail and who later became a business man in Madras was disgusted about corruption and nepotism taking roots in politics.
That was 1963. School and university grades were earned then and not bought and politicians were reasonably clean, but still my cousin was concerned about the dirt creeping into politics and the society at all levels. I know what he would think of the politics, politicians and society today and what would be his thoughts on 15th August. Others like my father and relatives were also freedom fighters who took part in non-coperation movement then. They too were disgusted like my cousin. I was raised to believe in independent India and the effort needed from all of us to make this young independent country which had such rich history prosperous, self-sufficient and the societies in it caring and compassionate. After working for a decade in India, I too was disillusioned. I left India in 1970s when I could no more stand the shenanighans of officialdom, and corruption and nepotism that was becoming an inseparable part of the society.
I used to visit India periodically and every time I returned with disgust, having strongly felt the tentacles of all you list above. I keep away these days.
My late maternal Great grandfather, like everyone of his generation, who supported the independence and self rule movement, once had this to say,” people of your generation should tie us to a mukkali (tripod) and flog us for fighting for independence”. Such was the disappointment they felt at the subsequent state of affairs. What we have now is rule by unscrupulous politicians for them, by them, of them.
Just look at Hong Kong. How much more developed was Hong Kong when it gained it’s independence from the same so called colonial power 50 years after we got ours. We Indian’s do not deserve democracy; we behave well only under authoritarianism. The comparative peace and tranquillity experienced in Kerala during the emergency days vouch for it.
The social decay in our system.. who is to blame?
Us, or our fathers who fought for the freedom?
The lucky few who could go to the more secular and 'non-corrupt' nations think of India as corrupt and filthy.
India has its own problems in poverty, an ever rising population and crime and corruption and many more..
But on the other side of the coin..
Recently we saw the Worldbank chief being 'axed' for unduly favours for his girlfriend .
Mr Tony Blair wrote to Adrian Nastase, the Romanian prime minister, to help Mr Mittal clinch a £300 million deal a month after the tycoon gave Labour Party a donation of £125,000.
And many many incidents.. so we need to be mindful... these issues are not just restricted for we Indians...
A common man wouldn't dare walk through downtown Newyork or LA or Moscow or London as freely as he might walk through Mumbai streets for instance .
Perhaps some among the freedom fighting generation dreamt of the perfect 'Utopia' where there will be no crime or injustice , milk and honey flowing from heavens kind of scenario..
In the last 50 years our country has progressed a lot, and in the coming years we and our coming generation will see and reap the benefits...
But in reality, through the ages.. there were injustice and corruption and all kind of evils.
Brave men fought against and tried to make a difference, others made advantage of it.. the majority (like myself) tried to blame the society for the evils, and kept worrying without even trying to raise their voices atleast once ..
I would like to quote Mahatma Gandhi in this case.
"Be the change you want to see in the world"
"Mr Tony Blair wrote to Adrian Nastase, the Romanian prime minister, to help Mr Mittal clinch a £300 million deal a month after the tycoon gave Labour Party a donation of £125,000"
You do not have evidence for the above, only what you have read. Do you have an inside information what Mr Blair wrote and why the Romanian Prime Minister has to donate that money? In any case, £125,000 is insignificant amount for a party. Blair's party had to declare its origin and reasons for all donations, failing which consequences would have been lethal for him and his party. Voters, unlike in India would not re-elect corrupt political leaders again. Comparing this to utter corrupt political and societal situations in India is both cynical and ignoring the reality of extent of corruption in India. Please talk about Karunanidhi' tens of crores or Devegowda's tens of crores of personal wealth, I will listen.
I did not have to bribe any one in the West to get my job or my promotion. My children's grades were not bought. There is no quota system based on caste. No caste wants to be considered as backward and indeed,
there is no pressure to declare a caste as backward, a scandal which can happen only in India. Who would want to be 'backward' except in India as my good friend Narayana Murthy once said.
I am not sure whether you have met any ministers or know them. I see them in dozens landing here in the West every few months and where would they get so much money to buy the branded goods of every description? The wads of dollar bills they pull out is simply mind-boggling. A few offered me $20,000 if I could get their sons into MBA's in any top university in the West. I said to them $20,000 is not much anyway, and in any case, bribery of that kind does not work.
Even if you raise your voice singly or collectively, would it be heard? My cousin did that way back in 1963, not very long after India became independent. He was influential in ministerial circles and no one would listen to him! The result was that those ministers who were with him in jail during independence movement cut their links with him!
Lastly, a close relative of mine , a top official in LokAyukta department was put under so much pressure (mainly threats to his life) to drop the corruption investigation he was conducting against an organised syndicate controlled by the home minister of a Southern State that he had no option but to take early retirement and lives in the West not far away from us. I showed your comments to him. He simply smiled!!
India maybe less than perfect..what did you do about it?
What have you done to change this?
Rather, you preferred to migrate abroad and complain that India is corrupt? thanks for that.
I hope the education you earned in India helped you to qualify for your current status.
Maybe you were disgusted with your Indian passport and "earned" a foreign passport, swearing allegiance to protect your new motherland.
I know a number of people who have migrated to the West, bragging about having had to work in McDonalds and car washes...will you ever do that in your homeland? I bet no. You can't serve your own kind.
Legalised corruption is corruption...OJ Simpson got justice too..
Mera Bharat Mahaan.
Hi anonymous,
First, have some courage to say who you are even with an assumed name.
I do not reply for those who hide behind anonymity, to me that s cowardice.
I have been reading posts in this blog, I am surprised that it has so less association with Mysore. I am not criticising Abraham whose very good post on 'South Parade' in Bangalore was very illuminating.
Abraham gives a list here which I am sure is what makes India today. No use in shooting messengers like 'Ram'. I have seen those who say 'Mera Bharat Mahan' still send their sons and daughters to USA and visit them at least once a year. Some hypocrisy. About OJ Simpson's justice. It is not India where Sonia Gandhi can influence the judges. O J was tried and the jury released him. That is what happens in a real democracy. The President of USA or Governor of California did not instruct the judge and the jury what verdict they should arrive at. I did read 'Ram's' comments and he says that he worked for 10 years in India before he went abroad. I know a quite a few families where their sons or daughters are bundled up and sent to USA soon after their graduation by getting a son-inlaw or daughter-in law in USA. Is this 'anonymous' person, one such parent?
I was born in Mysore and live in Bangalore. Last month alone, I was asked bribe on 10 occassions -The police inspector who stopped me and wanted to charge me a pedestrian, but not the car driver who went straight through the red light thus endangering my life, the engineer at the electricity board who said he could speed up testing the distribution unit bringing electricity to my house which I suspected was faulty, the railway reservation clerk who would give sleeping birth to my old mother as she was booked to travel to see her daughter, my young son's college head clerk to get a certificate for my son in 1 houretc.. etc.. Lastly, My father used to say that the late Chief Minister of Mysore (there was no Karnataka then) Nijalingappa was elected unopposed during two elections from his constituency and became Chief Minister. His opponents on those occassions withdrew their filed candidacy applications at the last minute. Later they were found themselves as MLCs, members of State Public Service Commission and one even as a Vice Chancellor! Makes one wonder!
In two days, I have to approach the Corporation as my water supply has become a trickle. I know what to expect if we need the supply!
In my opinion even the colletive prophets of all religions and the thousand Hindu Gods all combined cannot cure the ills that Abraham lists. What can poor 'Ram' do.
In the aftermath of our independence day, and after listening to our president (the Sonia's proxy), I just looked at the Olympic medal table which appeared in our TV. China with 35 gold medals with total 61 medals, tiny South Korea with 8 gold medals with 22 total medals, and in the case of 'Mera Bharat Mahaan' just 1 gold medal in an obscure rifle
event. China's 61 against India's 1! Watching with me, my son asks,what happened to crores sunk in Indian Sports Administrations and Indian Olympic Association? What happened to India's Hockey? Did the crores reach the sportsmen in these organisations? How were these sportsmen selected? some thoughts along with Abraham's.
Kariyachan,
Thank you for your comments from South Africa. Blair is a good friend of Mbeki and Mandela. I would be careful.
Your 'Vande Matharam'greetings would be controversial to a very large population in India. It was not chosen as the national anthem of India for that reason alone.
"A common man wouldn't dare walk through downtown Newyork or LA or Moscow or London as freely as he might walk through Mumbai streets for instance" or Johannesberg which is more dangerous in my friend's experience than walking through Harlem in NewYork. He a soccer fan says that the FIFA is worried about 2010 world cup in your city.
Mr Ram, I think , I have my own right to greet in 'Vande Matharam'. AR Rahman paid a tribute to the same essence a while back by releasing an audio album.. So kindly put aside the notions of controvesy aside..
Then on Johannesburg, I have walked through the streets and places in Johannesburg where an avg malayali dare not imagine. I have been through the so called dangers ..
Kariyachan,
Your experience about Johannesberg is different from that of Jacob Zuma who is going to be SA's president. We asked him recently about Johannesburg, its violence and Football World Cup. Jacob Zuma has the opposite view of yours about Johannesburg. So has Jay Naidoo who we know well. These two leaders know more about their country. Hence comparing Johannesburg violence with LA and London is ridiculous. Indians do not want to recognise the depth of moral deprivation the country has sunk to, and argue that this is not exceptional and point to minor problems in other Western countries. Hence the silly comment about OJ Simpson who was tried by an independent judiciary and McDonalds. Chintamani Rao has responded well.
Abraham has rightly listed a sample and it is for those who defend the case against India to stop sleep-walking and consider Abraham's list as unique to India. It is time to reflect on them in the aftermath of independence. No use in arguing that India is a democracy (I worked as presiding officer of polling stations in two elections in 1970s and know a thing or two about voters , intimidation , communalism, casteism etc..)looking at China's achievements.
Mr Ram; I think we deveiated form the main point and is getting a bit personal. I respect your choice and opinions. But There will be more than one opinion in a Democracy.
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