Indian politics has seen many changes, which has resulted in uncomfortable situations for different political parties. Therefore, politicians have resorted to ‘dynastic rule’ in order to recover from debacles in elections.
The mechanism works well as the most important factor that comes with one’s own kin is trust. Since politicians trust their kin, they don’t have any difficulty in handing over power. This change is being witnessed across the political strata. A look at the regional parties depicts the ongoing trend. Whether it’s Abdullah in the north or Karunanidhi in the south, Thackeray in the west or Lalu in the east- all of them have relied heavily on their families to run the affairs of the government.
However, these inheritors may get the power easily, but carrying the legacy forward in an effective manner is a challenge that still remains. The second generation of politicians has failed in fulfilling their forefathers’ dreams, bringing in a lot of instability in political spectrum.
The debate thus revolved around- Is the dynastic rule healthy for the democratic fervour of our country?
Friday, May 18, 2007
Thursday, March 1, 2007
Women: Time for Reflection or Celebration
Women, the better half of the more dominant species i.e. men, are still facing the basic question- Are they still better off? Before answering that question, it is very important to understand its contextual relevance in this fast changing world. In present era, which is being governed by the dictum of Globalisation, the opposite gender has made its presence and importance felt considerably. But still, a lot more has to be done in order to bring them at par with men so that they can enjoy the same respect and rights.
In the “shining” India of today, the issue of women empowerment has taken the centre stage and every nook and corner is being looked into in order to provide a strong foundation for the development and empowerment of women. We can celebrate the fact that some things have changed because of the relentless campaigning and struggle by women's groups in India. For example, despite efforts to kill them off before they are born, and after they are born, girls in India are surviving and growing up into confident young women; more girls are now going to school with many of them topping board examinations; women entrepreneurs and managers are making their mark in a world of men; despite the stubborn nature of male politicians with regard to the Women's Bill in Parliament, more women are visible in the political spectrum and in the run up to the general elections. This is just a rough list of the celebrated achievements of the female force in which many others can be added. These clearly reflect the changing persona of feminism in our country that has not remained within the closed walls and has come out to take on the world. It has become a force to reckon.
But, there is also a flip side to this hunky-dory atmosphere. When we sit back and reflect on the rocky road that lies ahead for the majority of the women, we come across some worrying situations like the numbers of women as compared to men continue to decline in India; despite progress in science and medicine, millions of Indian women die each year giving birth; despite changes in the rape laws, the convictions for rape are few and far in between while the incidence of violent crimes continues to grow; despite mountains of words about women's right to participate as equals in politics, the Bill to reserve one-third of the seats in Parliament for women dies an unnatural death in the Lok Sabha. These factors continue to hamper the path of development for the women. So, if the women really have to reach the pinnacle, they have to overcome these.
Fortunately, there have been some success stories that give a glimmer of hope. Recently there was an interview of the daughter of a taxi driver of Mumbai on TV. She, to the amusement of all, spoke in English about her dream of joining the media after her studies, her family and how she plans to fulfill her dreams. Thus, there is not only the likes of Arundhati Roy, Anita Desai or Kiran Bedi who represent the face of the Indian women, it is girls like these that clearly show signs of improvement. Such underprivileged daughters are the real source of inspiration for all those who are not so well off or does not enjoy a good social status. Stories like these drive the development process from the grass root. Yet, the glow from these stories of success, of girls and women who have overcome obstacles to achieve something, should not hide the continuing areas of darkness. The "feel good" motto of the ruling coalition has rubbed off on the media. There is a lot of writing about the achievements of individuals, including women, and institutions. Yet, you hear little about the women away from the media glare, for whom things are not going so well. As a result, it is easy to build an illusionary world, one that highlights the successes without balancing them with failures.
Therefore, we will have to look at both. It is only if we have a real sense of what is happening with women, all women, rich and poor, young and old, can we hope to arrive at strategies and solutions that can make a difference and go beyond rhetoric and tokenism. "Real women" have no problem dealing with both — the celebration and the reflection.
In the “shining” India of today, the issue of women empowerment has taken the centre stage and every nook and corner is being looked into in order to provide a strong foundation for the development and empowerment of women. We can celebrate the fact that some things have changed because of the relentless campaigning and struggle by women's groups in India. For example, despite efforts to kill them off before they are born, and after they are born, girls in India are surviving and growing up into confident young women; more girls are now going to school with many of them topping board examinations; women entrepreneurs and managers are making their mark in a world of men; despite the stubborn nature of male politicians with regard to the Women's Bill in Parliament, more women are visible in the political spectrum and in the run up to the general elections. This is just a rough list of the celebrated achievements of the female force in which many others can be added. These clearly reflect the changing persona of feminism in our country that has not remained within the closed walls and has come out to take on the world. It has become a force to reckon.
But, there is also a flip side to this hunky-dory atmosphere. When we sit back and reflect on the rocky road that lies ahead for the majority of the women, we come across some worrying situations like the numbers of women as compared to men continue to decline in India; despite progress in science and medicine, millions of Indian women die each year giving birth; despite changes in the rape laws, the convictions for rape are few and far in between while the incidence of violent crimes continues to grow; despite mountains of words about women's right to participate as equals in politics, the Bill to reserve one-third of the seats in Parliament for women dies an unnatural death in the Lok Sabha. These factors continue to hamper the path of development for the women. So, if the women really have to reach the pinnacle, they have to overcome these.
Fortunately, there have been some success stories that give a glimmer of hope. Recently there was an interview of the daughter of a taxi driver of Mumbai on TV. She, to the amusement of all, spoke in English about her dream of joining the media after her studies, her family and how she plans to fulfill her dreams. Thus, there is not only the likes of Arundhati Roy, Anita Desai or Kiran Bedi who represent the face of the Indian women, it is girls like these that clearly show signs of improvement. Such underprivileged daughters are the real source of inspiration for all those who are not so well off or does not enjoy a good social status. Stories like these drive the development process from the grass root. Yet, the glow from these stories of success, of girls and women who have overcome obstacles to achieve something, should not hide the continuing areas of darkness. The "feel good" motto of the ruling coalition has rubbed off on the media. There is a lot of writing about the achievements of individuals, including women, and institutions. Yet, you hear little about the women away from the media glare, for whom things are not going so well. As a result, it is easy to build an illusionary world, one that highlights the successes without balancing them with failures.
Therefore, we will have to look at both. It is only if we have a real sense of what is happening with women, all women, rich and poor, young and old, can we hope to arrive at strategies and solutions that can make a difference and go beyond rhetoric and tokenism. "Real women" have no problem dealing with both — the celebration and the reflection.
Terrorism: The Changing Face
“Terror terror burning bright, striking the world with all its might!!” This word sends chills down the spine of each & every single human being. Today, it is the most talked about phenomenon across the world. These terrorists have gained considerable power over the years & are today in a position to run a govt. on their own. These minnows of the past have become belligerent giants which are ready to engulf whole of the world and are poised to end the human race if something is not done very soon.
Tracing its origins, etymology takes us to the Latin from where the word Terrorism has been derived. In Latin, it means ‘Fear’ and that is the nucleus around which whole concept of Terrorism revolves. If there is no fear, there will be no Terrorism. The terror gurus know this and that is why they keep on striking in one part of the world or the other to fuel their aspirations and to remind us of their presence. Now when we try to define the term Terrorism, it becomes very difficult in modern context due to various connotations which have evolved over the years by many of our Ignited Minds. Traditionally, anyone resorting to unlawful use of force or violence to coerce any other towards fulfillment of their own goals is termed as an act of Terrorism. But some sections of people argue that “One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.” Going by this definition, no one is a terrorist then. Strange?? But its true. If we consider use of force as an act of terrorism, then what will happen to our martyrs-the freedom fighters? The likes of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru & Sukhdev- all of them will then be branded as terrorists. Therefore, it will be apt to define terrorism as Premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against non-combatant targets by sub-national groups or clandestine state agents, usually to influence an audience. Now, shocks of this influence have been felt all over the world through the large scale attacks carried out in order to make their presence felt.
The first example of large-scale terrorism was the 1972 attack on Israeli athletes when all of them were killed. There are loads of other such examples like 1976 Raid on Entebbe, 1979 Assassination attempt against General Alexander Haig by the RAF & the latest 9/11 attack on WTO, New York which clearly describe the wrath which mankind has to bear due to such violence. Going by these incidents, some very important questions arise as to ‘Why these terrorists do this?’ ‘What do they want?’ The answer lies in the fact that these notorious crime masters want publicity & Attention. And what a spectacular way to grab it. The criminal acts are executed by informing the media in advance so as to get a live, spectacular coverage which is viewed by millions across the world. It helps in disseminating their ideology among the frightened, the lonely people who, after watching it, either become insecure or turn towards this heinous profession.
What Next??
The last century has witnessed a phenomenal growth in terrorism & related activities. But the 21st century has more in store! It is standing on the brink of a vicious web of many inter connected terror attributes like WMD, Asymmetric warfare & Information warfare. WMD or the Weapons of Mass Destruction consists of a whole arsenal of Atomic & Hydrogen Bombs and other sophisticated weaponry which are the most serious threat to the human race. USA’s intrusion in the soil of Iraq was backed by the theory of WMD only. Asymmetric warfare is nothing but indirect warfare. It goes by the philosophy that if you cannot defeat your enemy directly, give it a thousand cuts & bleed it white. This is again a very widely used philosophy these days by some of the weaker nations to take on their mighty opponents. And lastly, Information warfare is a pre-cursor to the Cyber war. As almost all of the information today is kept on PCs, so intruding your PC & taking out vital chunks of information is a very good way to make the other side bargain in accordance with your terms and conditions.
Thus, it is seen that once the traditional field of Guns & Bombs, terrorism, has progressed leaps & bounds to reach a level where it has become imperative for whole of the human race to quickly think of some effective measures to stopping spreading of this dreaded plague and give our future generation a better place to live.
Tracing its origins, etymology takes us to the Latin from where the word Terrorism has been derived. In Latin, it means ‘Fear’ and that is the nucleus around which whole concept of Terrorism revolves. If there is no fear, there will be no Terrorism. The terror gurus know this and that is why they keep on striking in one part of the world or the other to fuel their aspirations and to remind us of their presence. Now when we try to define the term Terrorism, it becomes very difficult in modern context due to various connotations which have evolved over the years by many of our Ignited Minds. Traditionally, anyone resorting to unlawful use of force or violence to coerce any other towards fulfillment of their own goals is termed as an act of Terrorism. But some sections of people argue that “One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.” Going by this definition, no one is a terrorist then. Strange?? But its true. If we consider use of force as an act of terrorism, then what will happen to our martyrs-the freedom fighters? The likes of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru & Sukhdev- all of them will then be branded as terrorists. Therefore, it will be apt to define terrorism as Premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against non-combatant targets by sub-national groups or clandestine state agents, usually to influence an audience. Now, shocks of this influence have been felt all over the world through the large scale attacks carried out in order to make their presence felt.
The first example of large-scale terrorism was the 1972 attack on Israeli athletes when all of them were killed. There are loads of other such examples like 1976 Raid on Entebbe, 1979 Assassination attempt against General Alexander Haig by the RAF & the latest 9/11 attack on WTO, New York which clearly describe the wrath which mankind has to bear due to such violence. Going by these incidents, some very important questions arise as to ‘Why these terrorists do this?’ ‘What do they want?’ The answer lies in the fact that these notorious crime masters want publicity & Attention. And what a spectacular way to grab it. The criminal acts are executed by informing the media in advance so as to get a live, spectacular coverage which is viewed by millions across the world. It helps in disseminating their ideology among the frightened, the lonely people who, after watching it, either become insecure or turn towards this heinous profession.
What Next??
The last century has witnessed a phenomenal growth in terrorism & related activities. But the 21st century has more in store! It is standing on the brink of a vicious web of many inter connected terror attributes like WMD, Asymmetric warfare & Information warfare. WMD or the Weapons of Mass Destruction consists of a whole arsenal of Atomic & Hydrogen Bombs and other sophisticated weaponry which are the most serious threat to the human race. USA’s intrusion in the soil of Iraq was backed by the theory of WMD only. Asymmetric warfare is nothing but indirect warfare. It goes by the philosophy that if you cannot defeat your enemy directly, give it a thousand cuts & bleed it white. This is again a very widely used philosophy these days by some of the weaker nations to take on their mighty opponents. And lastly, Information warfare is a pre-cursor to the Cyber war. As almost all of the information today is kept on PCs, so intruding your PC & taking out vital chunks of information is a very good way to make the other side bargain in accordance with your terms and conditions.
Thus, it is seen that once the traditional field of Guns & Bombs, terrorism, has progressed leaps & bounds to reach a level where it has become imperative for whole of the human race to quickly think of some effective measures to stopping spreading of this dreaded plague and give our future generation a better place to live.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Indian cricket- Is performance based payment justified?
Cricket is the only sport that Indians are fanatic about. It is worshipped as a religion all over the country. The players of our national team are considered as heroes. This is the reason why every other person, willing to choose sports as his career, wants to come into the game of cricket. Due to such a high value of the game, it attracts a lot of politics, money, fame, etc. These things make the players associated with the game fall into the vicious web of earning lot of money through endorsements and advertisements. It directly affects their performance on the field and brings shame to the country. There had been innumerable examples of debacles and disasters which our national team has had just because of the amount of glamour involved in the profession. This glamour factor affects the players in a negative manner. It seriously hampers the concentration level of the players. They lose focus. To get out of this, a serious overhaul is very important. And the most sought after answer is Performance based Payment. Since the time the phrase gained currency, it has generated heated arguments among followers of the game. Now the crucial question arises- Will this system help overcome the odds to ferry the team to victory? The answer is yes. And to prove the point, following questions can be put forward.
Performance based payments would kick the players into putting their 100% into performing on the field. This will make them accountable and hopefully less lax. If its performance based they will surely strive hard with the bat as well as the ball. Then at least they will follow the adage - “Practice as if you are the worst, perform as if you are the best.” But it should be remembered that this policy will bear fruit only if it cuts both ways i.e. payments should have incentives for good performances and pay cuts for bad ones. No one should be allowed to rest easy thinking they have a contract which guarantees them money. For example, imagine the scenario when Sachin and Rahul failed in a particular match and were not paid while the junior members like Gautam Gambhir performed well and were given the bonus. So, it will definitely hurt these senior members’ ego and they will want to prove themselves like never before. Therefore, the system will help in infusing the Killer Instinct which is lacking in the team.
Apart from that, it should also be remembered that incentives are common in the world of sport and one often hears of huge bonuses announced for feats such as winning or making commendable progress in the World Cup football tournament. But, a performance-based system of payment would serve as a bonus as reward for a good act. It could also serve as a penalty for a bad performance. Apart from that, all our cricket heroes should be banned from doing any modeling, ads etc. like any government employees, once they are employed they can't pursue any business nor any work. When this is done, then I think Indians will eat, drink, breath CRICKET in a real sense.
Thus, in the end, it can be concluded that the performance based system will help our cricketers to adopt a professional attitude towards the game. This will make them more accountable and responsible towards the nation as a whole. Also, it will help them to cope up with pressure and perform well in such situations.
Performance based payments would kick the players into putting their 100% into performing on the field. This will make them accountable and hopefully less lax. If its performance based they will surely strive hard with the bat as well as the ball. Then at least they will follow the adage - “Practice as if you are the worst, perform as if you are the best.” But it should be remembered that this policy will bear fruit only if it cuts both ways i.e. payments should have incentives for good performances and pay cuts for bad ones. No one should be allowed to rest easy thinking they have a contract which guarantees them money. For example, imagine the scenario when Sachin and Rahul failed in a particular match and were not paid while the junior members like Gautam Gambhir performed well and were given the bonus. So, it will definitely hurt these senior members’ ego and they will want to prove themselves like never before. Therefore, the system will help in infusing the Killer Instinct which is lacking in the team.
Apart from that, it should also be remembered that incentives are common in the world of sport and one often hears of huge bonuses announced for feats such as winning or making commendable progress in the World Cup football tournament. But, a performance-based system of payment would serve as a bonus as reward for a good act. It could also serve as a penalty for a bad performance. Apart from that, all our cricket heroes should be banned from doing any modeling, ads etc. like any government employees, once they are employed they can't pursue any business nor any work. When this is done, then I think Indians will eat, drink, breath CRICKET in a real sense.
Thus, in the end, it can be concluded that the performance based system will help our cricketers to adopt a professional attitude towards the game. This will make them more accountable and responsible towards the nation as a whole. Also, it will help them to cope up with pressure and perform well in such situations.
UP Elections
Uttar Pradesh elections. Gosh! Very crucial event in our country’s political arena. Whole of the country’s eyes will be fixed on the outcome of this politically volatile state. But, it is pretty hard to predict who’s going to win the race. Winning the political battlefield here is not a piece of cake as many factors come into play like muscle power, money power & of course, the electorate. The state has seen many ups & downs, numerous setbacks & bitter power plays by the political giants in order to win the booty i.e. Right to Govern. The major players in the political arena are Congress, the BJP, SP, BSP & other minor regional parties which come in handy in swinging the final result.
No government in UP has lasted a full term in the last two decades. Mulayam Singh, whose current innings began in 2003, has had the longest unstinted run. But, yet again, stirrings of change have begun to surface. It is not about any external threats, but the serious undercurrents that are sure to give him a serious blow. The threat comes to this SP govt. from what has been his stronghold in the state- the Dalits, the Backwards & the Muslims. Mayawati’s BSP & V P Singh’s Jan Morcha has been working overtime to make sure Mulayam does not retain power. Apart from that, the general image of the govt. among its subjects is also not very satisfactory. The people are generally apprehensive about the deteriorating law & order problem in the state, unbridled corruption & very little development. So, the Mulayam govt. is losing its hold in the state.
Apart from that, the Congress & the BJP has also started gearing up for the decisive battle. Congress President Sonia Gandhi had launched her election campaign as early as last year when she resigned from the post of the Chairman of Rajiv Gandhi Foundation under the Office of Profit row. She had done so keeping in mind the assembly elections of UP. After that, she also contested the Rae Bareilly seat, Congress’s traditional hold, to win over the hearts of the people. But, apart from Rae Bareilly & few other pockets, Congress is not a dominant force to be of any threat in the poll battle. Similarly, the BJP hopes to revive its fortunes in the state with its age old agenda of building Ram temple in Ayodhya which has very few takers. On top of that, they still believe that the party can make govt. on its own without resorting to any coalition. This, again, is a claim which has lost its relevance in today’s times, especially in a state which has so many communal biases & is divided on so many ideologies that a single party rule is next to impossible.
Keeping in mind these factors & considering the nature of the electorate, it is, therefore, a safe bet to forecast that the state will throw up a fractured verdict. No single party commands such a support so as to form a govt. So, the real battle will start after the results have come in. They will test the political bigwigs as who is better networked into other parties & who commands the best & the biggest financial resources to swing the final verdict his way and in this regard, Mulayam is having an edge over others with his leading strategist Amar Singh & banker friend Anil Ambani.
No government in UP has lasted a full term in the last two decades. Mulayam Singh, whose current innings began in 2003, has had the longest unstinted run. But, yet again, stirrings of change have begun to surface. It is not about any external threats, but the serious undercurrents that are sure to give him a serious blow. The threat comes to this SP govt. from what has been his stronghold in the state- the Dalits, the Backwards & the Muslims. Mayawati’s BSP & V P Singh’s Jan Morcha has been working overtime to make sure Mulayam does not retain power. Apart from that, the general image of the govt. among its subjects is also not very satisfactory. The people are generally apprehensive about the deteriorating law & order problem in the state, unbridled corruption & very little development. So, the Mulayam govt. is losing its hold in the state.
Apart from that, the Congress & the BJP has also started gearing up for the decisive battle. Congress President Sonia Gandhi had launched her election campaign as early as last year when she resigned from the post of the Chairman of Rajiv Gandhi Foundation under the Office of Profit row. She had done so keeping in mind the assembly elections of UP. After that, she also contested the Rae Bareilly seat, Congress’s traditional hold, to win over the hearts of the people. But, apart from Rae Bareilly & few other pockets, Congress is not a dominant force to be of any threat in the poll battle. Similarly, the BJP hopes to revive its fortunes in the state with its age old agenda of building Ram temple in Ayodhya which has very few takers. On top of that, they still believe that the party can make govt. on its own without resorting to any coalition. This, again, is a claim which has lost its relevance in today’s times, especially in a state which has so many communal biases & is divided on so many ideologies that a single party rule is next to impossible.
Keeping in mind these factors & considering the nature of the electorate, it is, therefore, a safe bet to forecast that the state will throw up a fractured verdict. No single party commands such a support so as to form a govt. So, the real battle will start after the results have come in. They will test the political bigwigs as who is better networked into other parties & who commands the best & the biggest financial resources to swing the final verdict his way and in this regard, Mulayam is having an edge over others with his leading strategist Amar Singh & banker friend Anil Ambani.
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