:: Blog@Uttiya ::

So now we have a new scam – the dal scam. I am surprised with the huge number of scams being reported regularly in the media. Looks like the NDA is doing a great job in destabilizing the UPA.

On the other hand, we had a lot of fasts, the “jokepal” bill and the whole Swami Ramdev controversy – all geared towards handling corruption. In the end though, due to constand bickering in Delhi and the painfully slow indian judicial system, the accused end up getting out scot free, while we, the tax payers bear the burden. Maybe its time we followed the China model, especially for elected representatives and government officials in India. Execution – the fear of losing your life due to corruption. See the Chinese response to corruption here – China executes two former vice-mayors

So, if you are a national level sports person and happen lose your leg in an accident, how much is it worth. Apparently, if you are a cricket player, its 34 crores and its national news. However, if you are a national level volleyball player, its 25 thousand and people will struggle to get the facts right on the news.

Thus is the case of Arunima Sinha, twenty three year old national level volleyball player, who was thrown off a train in Uttar Pradesh and lost her leg in the event. Arunima was on her way to apply for a CISF job. The case, as like so many others, had to do with hoodlums in UP trying to snatch her chain.

Brings me to three interesting points. Firstly, what is with the pathetic level of sports management in India? We have good players who can be made great with right support. Instead, our sports persons need to deal  with apaty, poor facilities, sub standard food and equipment and general abject indifference, unless of course they are cricketers, in which case you can pretty much get what you want.We should be recognizing the feats of people like Saina Nehwal, Abhinav Bindra more vocally, while going in for more funding and better management of our other sports persons. 

Secondly, this incident again points to the sorry state of security for female passengers on Indian trains. Mumbai local trains, UP trains and trains through Bihar have an overabundance of incidents of harassment, molestation and theft against women, with regular loss of life and limb. Clearly, the RPF model is not working as expected. Sort of ironic when the railway ministry is headed by a woman.

And finally,I have been noticing the general drop in the journalistic standards in India and it is cause for concern. For a full three hours, NDTV, a broadcaster whom I respect, continued to insist that Arunima was a football player. Facts people, facts. Verify them well before you report. This has been a hallmark of NDTV, but they are losing the touch. The mad rush for headlines taking their toll? Apparently we can get Zaheer Khan and Isha Sharvanis love affair details right, but not the facts in a case like Arunimas

Finally, the chapter on Mexico is closed. Am in DXB, waiting for my flight to CCU.

Mexico closed on a sad and somewhat sour note. Pushed to the edge, I was compliant till the end. Sometimes, the human touch is forgotten behind bottomline numbers. In any case, the world could have been better with the ease of understanding.

Now, with 2 hours to go for the flight and a four hour flight home – things are looking up

Well, could’t think of any other title, especially this is going to be a myriad of ideas all rolled into one post.

Had my Knee checkup follow up yesterday and to my great relief, things are fine. The doc seems to think that everything will be all right, to cannot complain. Phew!!

In other news is M has bought a new flat, as an investment. Its a good one, considering its location and very good price. Am still waiting for tickets to arrive for our trip back to Mexico, having trouble in that. Otherwise, things are fit and fine.

In writing to a friend on myriad topics, I realized that I have evolved in my tastes. I am putting some of my thoughts down on paper, with the appropriate annotations, before the flow is interrupted by the mundane day to day work.

Photography is growing to be my passion, thanks in part to my wife. There is a pleasure in the pursuit of a visual rhapsody, a perfect shot that can channel all your feelings into a 4″ x 6″ print. My travels have taken me to places that come close to a delight in visuals.

However sometimes I do get depressed when I visit different countries and see mere trifles becoming tourist attractions and the vast numbers of cultural and natural landmarks of India languishing in obscurity due to our happily misinformed and culturally bankrupt politicians and inept tourism ministers. We are wasting the immense potential of India and potentially millions in tourism dollars. A country that is full of visual delights and a large English speaking population can do much better in attracting tourists.

Talking about English, I normally do not condone the use of American television for teaching of English language, but then, I had to make an exception when I saw a series called the West Wing. Since it deals with the trials and tribulations of the American President, the language used by the speech writers and the chief of staff characters is amazing. It shows a fluidity and natural use of the nuances of the language to put across a point thats politically sound. The amount of debate, discussion and research behind just a two line speech for the president is worth watching. If you get a chance, do see it!

I am a firm believer in Maslow and his hierarchy of needs. There are numerous events worthy of public commentary that accurately follow this theory. Just as an example, Rahul Gandhi commented to students of IIT Guwahati that “there are more important fundamental issues like education and infrastructure than Ayodhya.”

For the over 10 million people in India struggling for their daily RK & M – Roti, Kapda and Makaan (Gul’s terminology, not mine), Ayodhya is either a political problem they could not care less about, or an opportunity to participate in a rally with the promise of a box of food and Rs. 10 for attendance. For them, just getting beyond the first level is difficult enough, so Ayodhya, a level 4 need is really not in the general scheme of things.

The whole point of the Ayodhya dispute is that there is a need for certain section of Indian society to take revenge for the actions of Emperor Babar in building a mosque on the site of a Hindu temple. What is even more remarkable for me is that this certain section of society devotes significant time and effort to discuss and debate this issue. There is no dispute of the fact that there is a religious sentiment attached to the site for both Hindus and Muslims, but that can hardly justify the immense fallout of this regrettable time in Indian history.

There is a time and place for such debate. However, I respect Rahul Gandhi for speaking his mind and trying to shift the focus back to more important issues which have national significance.

Yet another fiasco in the commonwealth games – apparently the athletes village is “uninhabitable”. There is stagnant water, mud and dirt in the hallways and even excrement in the rooms. This is the welcome we give to 6,500 athletes.

This is what happens if we put politicians in charge. We need to have management professionals running events, who are accountable for results. We are heading for a disaster in the games and we are still hiding behind rhetoric.

I hang my head in shame. For the second time in my life, I am ashamed to be identified as an Indian.

In tweets with a friend, I was reminded of an old friend. A glaring example of what Drinking and Driving can do -
Satish Nalwade (Name changed) was a good friend of mine when I was in Engineering. He was also one of the best students in the course.
I always felt Satish had a story behind his rare sad smiles and quiet determination. I found out why when I visited his family home in Pune. The living room wall had a picture of a young girl and a small trophy and two gold medals in a showcase. His mother told me, “this is Shruti, Satish’s sister”. I must have looked surprised, because auntie asked Satish “Tu tyala sangitla nahi? (You didnt tell him?)”
Shruti was on her way back with her father on a scooter after a junior sports meet in Pune, carrying her two gold medals in sprint and a trophy for the best female athelete. It was about 8:00 PM, the road was dark and almost empty. Suddenly, they heard a loud screech behind them and were violently thrown out from the scooter. Shruti landed on a large stone and the scooter landed on top of her, that broke her neck. She died instantly. Satish’s father had a broken arm and a fractured jaw, but he survived.
The driver of the Tata Sumo was found later in the night. He was still drunk, barely able to stand. He still did not know what had happened. He never stopped to help, because he thought he had hit a scooter with one rider and everything was fine.
Satish’s father is a quiet man, who has still got grief all over his face when he hears the story. The tears have dried up long ago. The only thing Satish tells me – Shruti was a fantastic sprinter. She also broke the junior state record in 100 m and had a scholarship for further training on a national level. India lost a medal hope, but that pales in comparison to what the Nalwade family lost, a chirpy, bubbly 14 year old with a crooked smile and short, curly black hair.
I have nothing against drinking. I enjoy the occassional wine. But, drinking and driving dont mix. I just hope that no one ever has to face what the Nalwade family is facing today, painful reminders of a fateful day when their perfect world was shattered by an irresponsible drunk behind the wheel of a Tata Sumo.

I was reading this article and though this is a real perspective of the freedom struggle. While the non-violence movement was quite strong, I doubt it was the real reason behind the British withdrawl from India.

The real reason will always be a combination of the 1942 WWII strain on the British, the constant push from the Indian National Army and the constant unrest in India caused by the revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh, Jatin Pal and others. Gandhi had little to do with the actual freedom movement, except just using large number of people and gathering them together. Jalianwala Baug is a burning example of the real British intentions.

However, as usual in India, we will continue to ignore the contributions of the real fighters.