Independence Day - More hopeful than happy?

As our corruption friendly Dr. Singh (irony - you cannot call him corrupt yet) would unfurl our national flag and deliver the speech today for the 8th time, everyone is wondering what the speech would contain specifically in terms of corruption management.

Though contentious I maintain that this time our Independence day gives me more hope than happiness. It's not "scam a day" that has been breaking was a dampener but the way we reacted for the last 3 years and how we are trying hard and misgovern ourselves to the brink.

Some thoughts on this issue are as follows:

1. UPA tends to boast that the growth for the last few years has been closer 9% and the highest ever by any government.

I agree but just wanted to highlight this fact that growth is given in India as a factor of life during this period. Let's instal president's rule for 5 years and see what's the growth. We would still have a growth % closer to this sans the stupid political issues. This is agood smoke screen to hide behind. 

2. Lok Pal bill and Anna's campaign is unconstitutional.

Experts say that the Indian constitution has been changed / fine tuned many times over. (Heard it is 150+ times since independence) When the Kashmiri interlocutors can suggest that Indian constitution should be changed to solve Kashmiri issue, which is tacitly accepted by this government, why can't this be changed for the better.... For addressing the corruption issue.

3. Anna's movement is undemocratic.

Not sure what else could be called democratic. When people assemble for the protests leaving back their daily business (in many case their livelihood for the day), when people gather without any daily incentive for attending meetings (very unlike political meetings), when people fast for many days without any compulsion, when people brave bad weather and risk of injury during gatherings. When they come around with their families to protest, when things are completely ground up... It's participative democracy and nothing else.

4. Lok pal bill alone cannot stop corruption.

Among the reasons this seems to be most valid. Agreed that this is not the sufficient condition but a very necessary condition which is hidden in that statement. If an ineffective law is not be enacted then how will we know that the law is ineffective even before implementing. Also if currently ineffective laws have to be repealed then tell me which of our laws would stand the test in India today. Take the simplest of the laws ~ traffic laws. One of the most ineffective laws can this be repealed? Unfortunately our media also does not want to ask difficult questions about the key people at high levels who are behind corruption. We are in a media frenzy where the energy is spent on catching  low hanging fruits like Raja and Kalmadi.

5. This government talks about programs like NREGA where close to 70000 cr are being spent.

Many studies have been conducted that out of every one rupee spent by government only 5 to 15 paise or even less reaches the poor. Even I assume it's 15% only should we appreciate the government for a 10000 cr effective program or a charge them with a 60000 cr loot.

6. Fiscal deficit, growth and inflation.

Our debt to GDP ratio is over 70% which is as close as some of the developed economies which are considered broke or almost broke now. Despite this, most of our eminent economists are saying that we can afford this fiscal situation because we are growing at 8%+. The fact which i wanted to highlight based on this growth argument is Greece. Greece was the fastest growing economy last decade in Europe but is financially broke now. Few economists from Greece should have also thought that the fiscal situation is OK as long as there is growth like we do now. But growth can reverse in a small period of time not leaving enough time to repay our debts. Here i see we are blindly walking down that path and would be one of the economies in the near future where we invite another 1991 situation upon us. 

I think we need to overcome 3 barriers....

1. Priority barrier:

I believe we have got our priority wrong. The order of priority should be:

a. Governance reforms (not on policy and investment reforms as popularly understood). This includes judicial reforms, political criminal nexus mitigation and obviously an independent authority for oversight. If the last one is about Lok Pal then it is independent Lok Pal. Please note that our growth %s did not increase till we had an independent election authority - this is a factor not highlighted enough. 

b. Security reforms - Be it Maoist, terrorist, naxalites or a petty thief - we need a sense of security. Today this does not exist and there are too many areas to tie up here.

c. Third comes investment reforms. Putting this ahead of the other two is not only inefficient but also self serving for those who benefit from bad governance.

2. The conflict of the interest barrier

Conflict of interest between people who create governance reforms and the ones who benefit from misgovernment is very strong and obviously the fruits of  bad governance are sweet for them, keeps them going in their political life and more importantly the deterrents are not very strong.

3. Lack of will as a barrier

If there is a strong will then there is a way. But its lack of will that creates an impasse on the bill. Our governments response seems to be on a familiar line "Ignore - Denial - Discredit - Delay - Disrupt - Be forced - Try to take credit for the outcome". I wish they change the strategy - be less defensive and develop the will. Some say that this is the first barrier to be broken.

With these mixed emotions I am not happy today for what we are today considering where we could have been. Yet I am very hopeful of our country and our future not because that our political parties can get their act right but as a country we have seen many ups and downs and have a past of coming out of successfully. This time the issues are created by ourselves not by someone from outside and i am hopeful of the past repeating itself.

I wanted to list 2 of the Thirukural that is very apt for the day:

வேலன்று வென்றி தருவது மன்னவன் 

கோல தூ உங் கோடா தெனின்.

This essentially means that king's armor (can be added as military or police might) cannot help him endure success to his might but only because of his lawful reign. We are seeing this happening in many places across the world that when people rise because of dissolution against the monarch none of the forces can stop them.

அல்லற்பட்டு ஆற்றாது அழுத கண்ணீரன்றே
செல்வத்தை தேய்க்கும் படை.

The tears of the citizens of the country enduring woes (because of  bad governance) shall wear / file away that reins prosperity and influence. This means that the army of tears is stronger than  anything else. 

So here i am wishing all a very hopeful Independence day and a happier future.


Yours hopefully!

Ten rules for being Human

• You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it's yours to keep for the entire period.

• You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called, "life."

• There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of trial, error, and experimentation. The "failed" experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiments that ultimately "work."

• Lessons are repeated until they are learned. A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it. When you have learned it, you can go on to the next lesson.

• Learning lessons does not end. There's no part of life that doesn't contain its lessons. If you're alive, that means there are still lessons to be learned.

• "There" is no better a place than "here." When your "there" has become a "here", you will simply obtain another "there" that will again look better than "here."

• Other people are merely mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects to you something you love or hate about yourself.

• What you make of your life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you. The choice is yours.

• Your answers lie within you. The answers to life's questions lie within you. All you need to do is look, listen, and trust.

• Does not matter how many times you read this, "You will forget all this".

PS:

ho Letto - mi è piaciuto - i distribuire

Secret of Happiness!

It was 5.30am today morning when my alarm clock was nagging like a girl friend (Shrill, non-stop, not bothered in what state i was in) sort of complaining against me not to cuddle between the sheets, probably thinking that the bed was my another girlfriend and wanted me to separate from her then and there. There are many gadgets which are more intelligent than average humans but was surprised that there has not been any innovation in the alarm clocks over these years.

Why can't intelligence be built into alarm clocks that understands what did i do last night, why did i sleep so late, check the current state of my bliss and finally realize there is no point in screaming now?  Least it can be designed to be kind. Is some one hearing?

Nevertheless i had a flight to catch and any of the above innovation would have certainly screwed my day. I was quickly ready and was reading a book where i came across this beautiful poem on the "Secret of Happiness" which i thought i would share:

THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS..... by Burleigh


I followed happiness to make her mine,
Past towering oak and swinging ivy vine.
She fled, I chased, over slanting hill and dale,
Over fields and meadows, in the purpling vale
Pursing rapidly over dashing stream,
I scaled the dizzy cliffs where eagles scream;
I traversed swiftly every land and sea,
But always happiness eluded me.
Exhausted, fainting, I pursued no more,
But sank to rest upon the barren shore.
One came and asked for food, and one for alms;
I placed the bread and gold in bony palms;
One came for sympathy, and one for rest;
I shared with every needy one my best;
When, lo! Sweet Happiness, with form divine,
Stood by me, whispering softly, “I am thine.”

Some how i felt so good reading this, I was tempted to translate it in Tamil and here is the scribbling below, which was completed in about an hours time during the flight. The concept i have taken is Giving (Sharing) and Love are the mother and father of happiness, correlating that if you have unconditional love and exhibit the same by dedicating your life to others then happiness is a natural offspring. You MAY like it if you can read தமிழ் :) ...

இன்பமென்ற இனியவளை 

காதல் கொள்ள எண்ணினேன்!

காசு பணம் பெருக்கினேன்

காடு மலைகள் ஏறினேன்

கடல் கடந்து தேடினேன்

நாடு நகரம் மாறினேன்

நதியில் நன்று நீந்தினேன்

கணினி ஊர்தி வாங்கினேன்

புதிய மனைகள் புகுந்திட்டேன்  

நாடினேன் ஓடினேன்

தேடினேன் வாடினேன் 
காதலியை காணவில்லை !
காதல் செய்ய யாருமில்லை !!

உச்சி மலையில் நின்றாலும்

ஊடகத்தே சென்றாலும்

வணிகத்திலே வென்றாலும்

வகை வகையாய் தின்றாலும்

உறவுகள் பல கொண்டாலும்

மஞ்சத்திலே வென்றாலும் 

கோவில் குளம் நடந்தாலும்

நதியில் சென்று மூழ்கினாலும்

மனைவியுடன் இன்பத்திலே

பிள்ளைகள் பல பெற்றாலும் 

காதலியை காணவில்லை !

காதல் செய்ய யாருமில்லை !!

நாட்கள் பல ஓடின

நாற்பதை நான் தாண்டினேன்

தேக பலம் தொலைதிட்டேன்

காதலியின் ஆசையிலே கனவை 
மட்டும் தொலைக்கவில்லை !!

ஓட ஓட ஒழியவும்

நாட நாட நழுவவும் 

உண்டென்று கொள்ளவும்

இல்லையென்று தள்ளவும்

இன்பம் ஓர் கானல் நீர்

என்பதை நான் உணர்ந்திட்டேன்! 

ஆடி அடங்கும் வாழ்கையின் 

தத்துவம்  அறிந்திட்டேன்! 

களைப்புடன் உளைச்சலும் நாற்பதின் நண்பராய் 
கசப்புடன் நினைவுகள் அழையா விருந்தாளியாய்
என்னை ஆட்கொள்ளவே ஆசையாய் அணைக்கவே 
ஓட்டமில்லா ஓசையில்லா ஓரிடத்தில் ஒற்றையில்
மாற்றமில்லா மறுப்புமில்லா மனதுடன் இருக்கையில் 
வாட்டமுடன் வறுமையுடன் விழியிலே வலியுடன் 
கையை ஏந்தும் சிறுவனுக்கு நாலு காசு தந்திட்டேன் 
விழியிலே வலியுடன் வாழ்வின் வழியும் மிளிரவே 
ஈய நானும் தளர கண்டேன் எந்தன் மனதின் பாரமே!
உடலில் ஊனம் உடையரும், கருணை வேண்டும் உயிர்களும்
மனதில் ஊனம் உடையரும், அன்புக்கேங்கும் மனிதரும்
சிலரின் கவலை குறையவே வாழ்க்கையை வாழ்ந்திட்டேன் !!
இளமையில் வறுமையும், ஆற்றுணா கொடு நோயும் 

இல்லா உலகம் இயக்கவே இயன்றதை செய்திட்டேன் !!

கல்வி என்ற வித்திட்டு

விநயமென்ற உரம் சேர்த்து 

ஈதல் என்ற நீர் நிரப்பி 

பகுத்தறிவு மரம் வளர்த்து

தவமென்ற இலை தழைக்க 

அன்பென்ற மொட்டரும்ப 

தரும மலர் பூத்திட்டு 
அமைதியென்ற கனி பழுக்க 

வாழ்க்கை என்ற போக வனம்

பற்றின்றி வளர்த்திட்டேன்!   

அவ்வனத்தில் ஓர்நாளில் 
இன்பமென்னும் இளமங்கை
சரணடைந்தேன் நின்னையே 
நின் நீங்கா நிழலாவேன் ! 
உனை அகலா வினையாவேன்
ஏற்றுக்கொள் எனை என்றாள் !!


இன்பமென்னும் இனியவளை நாடினேன் தேடினேன் 
அந்நங்கை என் வலையில் என்றுமே சிக்கவில்லை!
அன்பென்ற மொட்டரும்ப போக வனம் தன்னிலே
அழையாமல் வருந்தி வந்து எனை விட்டு அகலவில்லை!

நல்வாழ்வின் முதற் பாடம் அன்று தானே புரிந்தது
என்வாழ்வின் பயனதுவே என்றுணர்ந்து இனித்தது ! 
அன்பு என்ற தத்துவத்தின் அடிமை தானே இன்பமே !
ஈதல், காதல் அம்மையப்பன் பிள்ளை தானே இன்பமே !

அன்பு என்ற தத்துவத்தின் அடிமை தானே இன்பமே !

ஈதல், காதல் அம்மையப்பன் பிள்ளை தானே இன்பமே ! 


Happy reading!