Every idea has a time and the time and need for a strong and compelling Lokpal for curbing corruption in public life has come and hopefully will be a reality soon. It was envisaged 45 years earlier, had many intermediate failed attempts, nevertheless today is a historical moment for Indian Democracy, today the Indian Parliament stood up and took on the challenge posed by Anna Hazare and the civil society. They have debated the issue brilliantly and passed a near unanimous resolution for an effective Lokpal. By doing so they have instilled confidence in a billion people that they are sensitive to their aspirations.
However there were discordant notes on the methods used by Shri Anna in achieving the outcome, some in parliament were uncomfortable that they are being driven to act by the civil society. Some MPs tried hard to impress upon the supremacy of the parliament in making laws. Some of them are scarred that the civil society will resort to the same tactics to achieve their objectives. For once they are at the receiving end. They had to climb down from their high horses and surrender to the will of the people. But isn’t it democracy all about, for the people. As the Prime Minister said post the session that the “Parliament spoke for the people”.
But in the whole episode there was disappointment in terms of the leadership shown by the congress, they failed to seize the moment, they were defensive, more concerned about the opposition scoring brownie points, they lost the plot and may lose in 2014. Opposition did not do better but recovered well and were sensitive enough to understand the pulse of the people. Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley were brilliant in the debate, the congress member’s rebuttal was weak. Once again they were defensive and addressing the opposition rather than the nation on their stance on Lokpal and corruption. It was an opportunity lost for Mr. Rahul Gandhi too, his lecture missed the point, he should have been advised better. Leadership is about rising to the occasion and he has missed a brilliant opportunity to put himself in the race for the country’s leadership. Kudos to his cousin Varun he was extempore and relevant.
It is a historical day in our democracy and it was thrilling watch the proceedings’ on TV both in the parliament and at the Ramlila maidan, there was a sense of expectation throughout, in the end democracy did not fail us. It is still vibrant though imperfect.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Fight corruption not Anna
Ask the government to make a mess of straight forward issues, post the dis-agreement with the governments version Anna has announced that he would be back with his protest by Aug 15 if the government does not revise its version (read make it stricter), instead of engaging him government chose to ignore him, they underestimated his resolve and his popularity, they hit him below the belt making wild allegations. They are paying the price. He is running away with the popular mandate.
They treated the old man with dis-respect, but this old man is no ordinary person he can run after 3 days of fasting, he is simple and uncomplicated in his demand (pass Jan Lokpal bill), he is not as intellectual as some of the cabinet ministers and congress spoke persons who are trying to besmirch him. He is the proverbial David in David vs. goliath. He does not understand technicalities like Parliament is supreme blah blah, he just wants his bill to be debated in the parliament, he wants to see if our great elected class has the courage to come out openly against corruption, they are terrified with his version, they are talking vague legislative terms but not able to convince the citizen why it is so difficult.
Anna’s Jan Lok pal may be on the other extreme but there needs to be a debate on what is the most effective bill (so called middle ground). Anna has touched a chord with the youth and middle class of the country. Is this a water shed moment for India to get rid of the corruption in public life. All sorts of intellectuals are debating and are pointing fingers at Anna, they are saying he is arrogant, he is highhanded, his ways are undemocratic etc. I agree, may be his methods are not exactly democratic but for a common man he is a messiah, the citizen is tired of the corruption in the system.
Life is hell for the common man, all interactions and interfaces with the government are troublesome, there is no transparency, they hound you for money for all transactions. The government and political class are not in touch with the ground realities, folks it is tough to live in India, inflationary conditions for over two years, high prices, 600 million BPL citizens who find it hard to have a square meal, we let food grains rot but not distribute it to the BPL families, there is no accountability in the system. Hence we see the spontaneous reaction to Anna’s call, it is genuine, and it is needed. If not now it may take 60 more years. Government should act now, next in line should be electoral reforms.
Anna all the best, your methods I don’t know but your intent we are with you.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Changing Equations
The Egyptian uprising had Facebook as a medium (Wael Ghonim from Google used it to reach out to youth in the country) to mobilize opinion and crowds, back home response to Anna Hazare’s fast against corruption generated tremendous support in towns and cities across the country and that too at a rapid pace (less than 24 hrs), one thing that is common to both mass movements is access to information by the citizen and how it is challenging the government. In this social networking world information is no more a privilege of a few, it is getting difficult for the governments to control it. (In perhaps the most secretive anti-terrorist operation in the world, we saw a commoner tweeting innocently that something is not right dead at night). There is nothing secret in this world anymore.
For 60 years Governments and bureaucrats in India could hide and while away time withholding information from the public, this of course lead to entrenchment, corruption and under development. Today the momentum in the country is against these evils and the enabler has been access to information. The RTI act, aggressive visual media and mobile penetration is leading to dramatic resurgence in public reaction to issues that concern the nation. Indians who have given up hope on development, corruption, education, health care etc can now aspire to live in a better India by forcing governments to act.
The response of government to Ramdev’s fast against black money is an indication of the new found eagerness to address such sensitive issues faster before it gets out of hand. Of course there is a counter argument if the methods adopted by Anna and Ramdev are proper in a democracy. I am not sure about the pros and cons of such information lead mass movements but I am sure the elephant called Indian democracy will start moving.
For 60 years Governments and bureaucrats in India could hide and while away time withholding information from the public, this of course lead to entrenchment, corruption and under development. Today the momentum in the country is against these evils and the enabler has been access to information. The RTI act, aggressive visual media and mobile penetration is leading to dramatic resurgence in public reaction to issues that concern the nation. Indians who have given up hope on development, corruption, education, health care etc can now aspire to live in a better India by forcing governments to act.
The response of government to Ramdev’s fast against black money is an indication of the new found eagerness to address such sensitive issues faster before it gets out of hand. Of course there is a counter argument if the methods adopted by Anna and Ramdev are proper in a democracy. I am not sure about the pros and cons of such information lead mass movements but I am sure the elephant called Indian democracy will start moving.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
This Urban Medical center (UHC) is bang on the periphery of the affluent IT district in Hyderabad. We went on a visit to the center after knowing through the news media that such a center catering to the daily labor and the surrounding slums is defunct.
The place is desolate and looks like a place to catch a disease rather than to get rid of one. There are some 5 contract nurses who have not been paid for 16 months whiling their time away. They give medicines for minor ailments to the occasional visitor. The facility itself is big one with decent infrastructure which is unused and rusting. No doctor visited this facility for 5 months. There was a young house surgeon who is mandated to spend 2 hrs/day for a month in the facility, she was looking at her watch to get out of the center and probably get into one of the swanky private hospitals to learn more about her trade.
So much for the governments focus on primary health care. We need not even talk about the PHCs in the rural areas, conditions must be depressing there. It is unfortunate that health care and education are not serious political issues in the country as yet, hence we see no political party interested in putting these on their agenda except for an occasional stir. They do not win and lose elections on these issues. Therefore there is no accountability in the system. 80% of the country does not have reach to primary health care, they are forced to go to the Private clinics and pay beyond their means.
The government is pouring so much money into health care the impact of is not quantified and measured, they keep throwing data on HIV,TB, cholera cases but no significant improvement is seen in the infrastructure on the ground. It is a messy relationship between the government and private hospitals; one of the government schemes “Arogyasri” allows BPL citizens to get medical care in private hospitals (this in principle worked to some extent) but the usurious private hospitals loot the exchequer with higher charges and conducting needless procedures on the patient. Definitely not a way to handle health care for 800 million poor citizens of the country.
There is utter despondency in the area of health care. We will file an RTI and get this center up and running for a while but who will do it for the country, who will wake up the sleeping “Health Ministers”.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Bengal between rock and hard place
Mamata’s victory is a welcome news in west Bengal after 35 years of indifferent rule by the communists. At the end of 35 years communists are leaving a state which is dilapidated and ranks low on most developmental parameters.
The communist’s significant achievement is the land reforms act “operation barga”. The small farmer (share cropper) was given ownership rights and much of the land which was under cash crops like jute was brought under food production, making the state self sufficient in food. This ensured their longevity.
For an outsider West Bengal is a poor state where there are frequent bandhs and government does not work. Post liberalization West Bengal is one of the big states which has lost out in putting the state on fast track (look at Maharashtra, Gujarat, AP, TN etc). The lefts dogmatic approach to privatization and inviting private capital for development ensured that all the engineers and other professionals left the state to pursue jobs in other states.
The current chief minister tried to change the thinking in the communists and pushed for reforms but it was too late. They made a mess of the Nandigram, Singur and the Netai incidents which meant the left has become arrogant and lost touch with the common man. The urban voter has deserted the communists’ long time back, with the above incidents even the rural voter rebelled against the high handed behavior of the left.
Beyond the land reforms the communists mishandling of vital issues of state - like industrialization, education, the centre-state relations etc alienated the people. Prakash Karat and gang harassing the Manmohan singh government on the Nuclear issue and forcing a vote in the parliament was not taken well by the people and is a reason for its downfall.
One is not sure if Mamata is the right alternative to the communists, she too has copied the lefts tactics of bandhs, hartals etc to beat them in their game. Her handling of the Railway ministry is nothing much to write about. Can she put West Bengal on the path of rapid development, can she shake up the lackadaisical administration and push other important reforms? One needs to wait and see, but she definitely needs to be congratulated for breaking the lefts grip on West Bengal.
The communist’s significant achievement is the land reforms act “operation barga”. The small farmer (share cropper) was given ownership rights and much of the land which was under cash crops like jute was brought under food production, making the state self sufficient in food. This ensured their longevity.
For an outsider West Bengal is a poor state where there are frequent bandhs and government does not work. Post liberalization West Bengal is one of the big states which has lost out in putting the state on fast track (look at Maharashtra, Gujarat, AP, TN etc). The lefts dogmatic approach to privatization and inviting private capital for development ensured that all the engineers and other professionals left the state to pursue jobs in other states.
The current chief minister tried to change the thinking in the communists and pushed for reforms but it was too late. They made a mess of the Nandigram, Singur and the Netai incidents which meant the left has become arrogant and lost touch with the common man. The urban voter has deserted the communists’ long time back, with the above incidents even the rural voter rebelled against the high handed behavior of the left.
Beyond the land reforms the communists mishandling of vital issues of state - like industrialization, education, the centre-state relations etc alienated the people. Prakash Karat and gang harassing the Manmohan singh government on the Nuclear issue and forcing a vote in the parliament was not taken well by the people and is a reason for its downfall.
One is not sure if Mamata is the right alternative to the communists, she too has copied the lefts tactics of bandhs, hartals etc to beat them in their game. Her handling of the Railway ministry is nothing much to write about. Can she put West Bengal on the path of rapid development, can she shake up the lackadaisical administration and push other important reforms? One needs to wait and see, but she definitely needs to be congratulated for breaking the lefts grip on West Bengal.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Sell it or Shut it
There is no one reason for the mess in Air India, it is a combination of mis-management, political interference, employee hostility and lack of conviction on part of the government to either make it a successful business, divest it or lock it down.
From buying aircraft, over-expenditure and general mis-management there is nothing going right at Air India. The latest CAG report slams Air India for 'wasteful expenditure', 'inefficiency', and 'excessive delays' in repairing and overhauling its fleet's engines, resulting in huge losses for the airline.
The merger of Air India and Indian Airlines to create a company called NACIL is a marriage between incompatibles said the Parliamentary committee, the combined entity turned out to be as loss making as the separate entities. ”The Maharaja had become a pauper a long time ago,” said Capt Gustav Baldauf, who was brought specifically in to oversee the merger of Indian Airlines with Air India. He has been kicked out for asking the government not to interfere in his job.
With total accumulated losses of USD 3 billion, bank loans worth USD 10 billion and millions more to be paid to the oil companies it is a story of throwing good money after bad.
It definitely has a social role to play, flying to non-profitable domestic routes and provide help in evacuating citizens during calamities. But we have a situation where the airline management has opted out of profitable routes. Is there a surreptitious attempt to make the airline unprofitable to kill it; is there an attempt to aid the private operators by doing so? A particular minister was suspected of hobnobbing with private airline owners. It was the top carrier in the Indian skies a decade ago today it share is a pathetic 16%.
No one seems to own the beloved Maharaja, neither the politicians, nor the management, and not even the unions. Everyone has their own vested interest and no one is serious to save it.
Can Air India be profitable ever? It is basically a management problem which can perhaps be addressed and a turnaround made possible but only without political and government interference. Is that a possibility?
The next question is can the government find a buyer for the loss making airline? The economic environment will be a deterrent for potential bidders. Should the airline be stripped down and sold in parts and let the government run a smaller corporation to address only the social obligations. I think this is possible solution.
As long as the government keeps inducting equity into the airline without a radical shift in its strategy of running this business it is throwing money down the drain, we need all this money to build schools, hospitals and Infrastructure in the country, not to keep feeding this white elephant.
From buying aircraft, over-expenditure and general mis-management there is nothing going right at Air India. The latest CAG report slams Air India for 'wasteful expenditure', 'inefficiency', and 'excessive delays' in repairing and overhauling its fleet's engines, resulting in huge losses for the airline.
The merger of Air India and Indian Airlines to create a company called NACIL is a marriage between incompatibles said the Parliamentary committee, the combined entity turned out to be as loss making as the separate entities. ”The Maharaja had become a pauper a long time ago,” said Capt Gustav Baldauf, who was brought specifically in to oversee the merger of Indian Airlines with Air India. He has been kicked out for asking the government not to interfere in his job.
With total accumulated losses of USD 3 billion, bank loans worth USD 10 billion and millions more to be paid to the oil companies it is a story of throwing good money after bad.
It definitely has a social role to play, flying to non-profitable domestic routes and provide help in evacuating citizens during calamities. But we have a situation where the airline management has opted out of profitable routes. Is there a surreptitious attempt to make the airline unprofitable to kill it; is there an attempt to aid the private operators by doing so? A particular minister was suspected of hobnobbing with private airline owners. It was the top carrier in the Indian skies a decade ago today it share is a pathetic 16%.
No one seems to own the beloved Maharaja, neither the politicians, nor the management, and not even the unions. Everyone has their own vested interest and no one is serious to save it.
Can Air India be profitable ever? It is basically a management problem which can perhaps be addressed and a turnaround made possible but only without political and government interference. Is that a possibility?
The next question is can the government find a buyer for the loss making airline? The economic environment will be a deterrent for potential bidders. Should the airline be stripped down and sold in parts and let the government run a smaller corporation to address only the social obligations. I think this is possible solution.
As long as the government keeps inducting equity into the airline without a radical shift in its strategy of running this business it is throwing money down the drain, we need all this money to build schools, hospitals and Infrastructure in the country, not to keep feeding this white elephant.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
A mystic, demigod or a god
I have been a distant observer of the Saibaba phenomenon over the years and my feelings swung between, is he a real god to ok let me not be skeptical he is doing admirable social work.
There were claims that he is a charlatan, trickster etc. but his phenomenon was always on the rise, to his credit none of the allegations stuck to him. He deftly evaded most challenges thrown at him by rationalists and went on to build his credo spreading his simple message of universal love. He was dogmatic and took into his fold all castes,creeds and religions with open hands.
Needless to say that there is something special in this man who could attract Presidents, Prime Ministers, Judges, Ministers and Doctors to his fold. I had an opportunity to see him in his Bangalore ashram, a diminutive figure in a wheel chair was rolled into the hall, he had a soft gleaming skin, I instantly could feel he is different from the rest of us but I do not know in what way. They say one should be “connected” to a guru to experience his warmth and love and that is what his followers might feel in his presence. Perhaps rest of us do not have such experience since we have not yet surrendered to a guru.
Over the past 2 decades Saibaba has used his trust funds well to serve the public and used his money generating power in executing projects which government couldn’t do. Drinking Water projects to the parched district of Anantapur and Chennai city are significant as also the super specialty hospitals in Puttaparthi and Bangalore. His trust has poured crores of rupees into these endeavors. He is indeed a god to many who go to his hospitals to get their surgeries done free of cost. He is a god for the denizens of Anantapur and other districts where his projects delivered drinking water. Saibaba has stepped in where governments failed.
He has left an empire worth anything between 40,000 to 100,000 crores and it is up to the trust to deliver on the ideals of service that Saibaba preached. India is a land of mystics and god men of all sorts; we are naturally attracted to these mystics for various reasons. Some of them are frauds, some of them are genuine and some in between, Satya Saibaba has definitely left a positive legacy with his work for the society and a role model for the rest of the spiritual gurus on how to harness their energy towards social good.
There were claims that he is a charlatan, trickster etc. but his phenomenon was always on the rise, to his credit none of the allegations stuck to him. He deftly evaded most challenges thrown at him by rationalists and went on to build his credo spreading his simple message of universal love. He was dogmatic and took into his fold all castes,creeds and religions with open hands.
Needless to say that there is something special in this man who could attract Presidents, Prime Ministers, Judges, Ministers and Doctors to his fold. I had an opportunity to see him in his Bangalore ashram, a diminutive figure in a wheel chair was rolled into the hall, he had a soft gleaming skin, I instantly could feel he is different from the rest of us but I do not know in what way. They say one should be “connected” to a guru to experience his warmth and love and that is what his followers might feel in his presence. Perhaps rest of us do not have such experience since we have not yet surrendered to a guru.
Over the past 2 decades Saibaba has used his trust funds well to serve the public and used his money generating power in executing projects which government couldn’t do. Drinking Water projects to the parched district of Anantapur and Chennai city are significant as also the super specialty hospitals in Puttaparthi and Bangalore. His trust has poured crores of rupees into these endeavors. He is indeed a god to many who go to his hospitals to get their surgeries done free of cost. He is a god for the denizens of Anantapur and other districts where his projects delivered drinking water. Saibaba has stepped in where governments failed.
He has left an empire worth anything between 40,000 to 100,000 crores and it is up to the trust to deliver on the ideals of service that Saibaba preached. India is a land of mystics and god men of all sorts; we are naturally attracted to these mystics for various reasons. Some of them are frauds, some of them are genuine and some in between, Satya Saibaba has definitely left a positive legacy with his work for the society and a role model for the rest of the spiritual gurus on how to harness their energy towards social good.
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