O Lord, Save us from economic progress
(original in hindi by Shantilal Jain, Indore)
- Adapted and abridged in English by Anurag
The bus had gathered momentum. I was sitting with farmers and labourers on the very last seat. We were fed up with the bumpy road. Each time the bus passed over a pothole, the pain in our empty stomachs doubled. We bumped our heads into each other whenever the bus bounced over bumpers. Head-banging had acquired an entirely new meaning. I narrowly escaped banging my forehead fatally twice. As the situation was, I went in front to complain to the driver.
By the time I reached him, the bus had transformed into the government. On the driver's seat was the most important office-bearer of the government. I said, "Sir, could you please slow down. We are facing life-threatening circumstances at the back."
He said,"This is just a small price to pay for progress. Can't you see the bus of economy is running at a speed of over 9%?"
"That's very good. Can we come and sit in the front?", I inquired.
He gave me a puzzled look as if I had said something unforgivable. "Those are reserved. For Ambanis, Tatas, Mittals, Bajaj etc" he replied.
"That's not a problem. You could drive a little more carefully."
"Days of carefulness and control are over. We need to remove whatever control is still left. A promise has been made to the World Trade Organization. Reforms will not be stopped."
"But the prices are going over the top!"
"We have asked the industrialists to reconsider their prices, but you people should be ready to face a harsh decision."
Just then, the conductor arrived. Wearing a red uniform, he smiled gently. A hammer and a sickle were hanging by his side. Gradually, the hammer began to melt. The sickle faded away.
Realizing my apprehensions, he said, "There are Harvesters. Now, the sickle has become outdated."
"And what will the small-scale farmers do?"
"They can come to the big cities and pull cycle-rickshaws. Masonry, carpentry...the jobs are in abundance there. The bus of progress cannot pass through open fields."
"What about the hammer?"
"We are going to hand it over to the industrialists. When people like you get it on the head, only then will you realize the consequences of opposing capitalism."
The driver's face turned red like the flag of the party. He was in a hurry to leave the lush countryside behind and reach the industrial town. Suddenly, another driver creeped up behind me. "Please take the wheel and bring the bus back into control" I pleaded.
"This is our own economic agenda. If we were in the driver's seat, the Second phase reforms would also have been executed by now."
"But unemployment is increasing!!!"
"There is alrady an Employment Guarantee Scheme in place. The work on it had started when we were in power. Work 100 days, earn Rs 58 daily and enjoy!"
"What about the other 265 days?"
"We are not Superman. We can't feed your entire family just for your 'one' lousy vote. Go back to your seat."
I was scared. Everyone is in a mood to drive the same bus. The uniforms are red, green, blue, tricoloured, uncoloured, discoloured. And the bus itself. It seems it is headed up the path to nowhere. The steering is in the hands of Bharat- The India of yesteryears, gears controlled by the World Bank. The Reserve Bank has its feet planted on the brakes and WTO controls the accelator. As for the fuel, it is made up of LPG. LPG itself meaning Liberalization, Privatization and Globalization. Those who are down are bound to be trodden.
Some time later the bus stopped at a roadside dhaba. The name 'Kake da Dhaba' gave no indication that it was being run by Uncle Sam. We eagerly bought the prepaid tokens aand waited for the tea to be served. A business channel was running on the TV. A leading consultant of the bus company was babbling about about the Velocity of Progress. "We will turn India into an economic superpower" He boasted. Suddenly, the price of wheat went up Rs 200 per quintal on the scrolling news-strip.
"Profit on material goods will not be curbed", he said.
The price of pulses went up Rs 500 per quintal.
"Exports need to be increased, the decision on SEZs will not be reconsidered."
The farmer inside me panicked. I had 3-4 acres of land, now that was gone too.
"Contract farming is to be motivated." 'He won't allot the graves of our ancestors as land to produce cash crops, would he?' I was baffled.
"Foreign investment in agriculture and retail will be encouraged." I panicked again.
'Now I can't even become a roadside vegetable seller.'
"Labour reforms will be strictly implemented." 'No pension, no salary, no home. Everything was gone'
The dhaba owner saw my pathetic state. He switched the channel. Cursed to bang my head for eternity, all I could do was to pray in my mind
"O LORD SAVE US FROM ECONOMIC PROGRESS"
Sunday, December 02, 2007
Saturday, September 01, 2007
Soul Searching
Its been a long time since I posted my last entry. But I do have an explanation.
I was involved in a road accident. This blog entry is dedicated to the incident.
It was just another typical Thursday evening...typical as in just your average,
ordinary, nothing out of the usual middle of the week. My 6 weeks industrial training was finally over and I was quite happy. Joyous, I thought I might as well take my
scooter out for a ride...meet my friends, catch up on the latest happenings
in the neighbourhood etc. At this point I must elaborate that I am a careful rider.
Occasionally, I might try a few stunts but not when there is traffic around. Helmet is a must for me. Doing an easy 50 KM/Hr, I was riding within that yellow line on the road marked for two wheelers. Suddenly, I realized the autorickshaw in front of me had stopped moving. I tried my best to avoid it, but a vehicle in the next lane prevented me from changing lanes. It had rained a few hours ago and the moisture in the air took care of the brakes. The brakes took a fraction of a second more to work. But a fraction of a second was too late!
The rest is sort of a blur. Although I was standing and talking sensibly, the shock
was overwhelming. Injuries I had one, A deep gash on my left arm from a shrapnel. I rushed to my friend's house located nearby, called my dad and went to the Dispensary.
Dad came over and after I was bandaged we went to have a look at the scooter. It was wrecked beyond repair. The chassis had been flattened by the force of the impact.
It seemed doubtful that anyone could have survived the crash. But I had!
The whole night I was tossing and turning in bed, the images of the accident kept
rolling in my mind as if in an infinite loop. Everyone who had seen the accident or the remains of the scooter had just one thing to say; it was nothing less than a miracle that I had escaped with just a cut on my arm. You know, such statements don't
actually raise morale. They made me even more frightened.
The accident had happened last Thursday. One week later, I'm still in shock. I still get the same nightmare. Night after night. Not a day passes without me pondering over it. I ponder, contemplate, think it all over again and again. I'm scared. What if I hadn't been so lucky?
Then again...I go deeper...
What is the purpose of my existence? Are we put here on this lonely planet for a reason? What is the meaning of Life, Universe and Everything?
I haven't talked to anyone about how I have been feeling. Neither friends nor family. I do sound paranoid, Don't I? Then again, I have started to realize that 100 years from
now, it won't matter who I was. What matters is the present. If I put a smile on a face
that had none, I guess my purpose in life will be fulfilled. I guess...
I was involved in a road accident. This blog entry is dedicated to the incident.
It was just another typical Thursday evening...typical as in just your average,
ordinary, nothing out of the usual middle of the week. My 6 weeks industrial training was finally over and I was quite happy. Joyous, I thought I might as well take my
scooter out for a ride...meet my friends, catch up on the latest happenings
in the neighbourhood etc. At this point I must elaborate that I am a careful rider.
Occasionally, I might try a few stunts but not when there is traffic around. Helmet is a must for me. Doing an easy 50 KM/Hr, I was riding within that yellow line on the road marked for two wheelers. Suddenly, I realized the autorickshaw in front of me had stopped moving. I tried my best to avoid it, but a vehicle in the next lane prevented me from changing lanes. It had rained a few hours ago and the moisture in the air took care of the brakes. The brakes took a fraction of a second more to work. But a fraction of a second was too late!
The rest is sort of a blur. Although I was standing and talking sensibly, the shock
was overwhelming. Injuries I had one, A deep gash on my left arm from a shrapnel. I rushed to my friend's house located nearby, called my dad and went to the Dispensary.
Dad came over and after I was bandaged we went to have a look at the scooter. It was wrecked beyond repair. The chassis had been flattened by the force of the impact.
It seemed doubtful that anyone could have survived the crash. But I had!
The whole night I was tossing and turning in bed, the images of the accident kept
rolling in my mind as if in an infinite loop. Everyone who had seen the accident or the remains of the scooter had just one thing to say; it was nothing less than a miracle that I had escaped with just a cut on my arm. You know, such statements don't
actually raise morale. They made me even more frightened.
The accident had happened last Thursday. One week later, I'm still in shock. I still get the same nightmare. Night after night. Not a day passes without me pondering over it. I ponder, contemplate, think it all over again and again. I'm scared. What if I hadn't been so lucky?
Then again...I go deeper...
What is the purpose of my existence? Are we put here on this lonely planet for a reason? What is the meaning of Life, Universe and Everything?
I haven't talked to anyone about how I have been feeling. Neither friends nor family. I do sound paranoid, Don't I? Then again, I have started to realize that 100 years from
now, it won't matter who I was. What matters is the present. If I put a smile on a face
that had none, I guess my purpose in life will be fulfilled. I guess...
Sunday, August 12, 2007
President of the Republic
Pratibha Patil sworn in as first woman President of India. Ye, a reason to celebrate. Finally, a Lady President. Now, we can hold our heads high and say that there is no discrimination in our country on the basis of sex or religion. Our status in the eyes of other nations will increase manifold.
Yeah...right.
I had been following the papers closely about news about the Presidency once I came to know that Respected Sir APJ Abdul Kalam's tenure was drawing to an end. He was a people's President and I hoped that he would be back for another term. But that was not to be. His aloofness from politics; which had brought him closer to the public; also distanced him from the political parties.
The parties were looking for a candidate who, in his right mind, would never think of returning the "Office of Profit Bill" for reconsideration. They wanted a puppet. A figurehead who would meekly submit and obey their commands like a slave(Something like what Giani Zail Singh was to Mrs. Indira Gandhi).
Now, the current government is a coalition of parties with ideologies that are poles apart. Congress, Commies...unlikely allies.
The candidates backed by the Congress did not find favour with the Left. The Left wanted their own candidate in the country's highest office. The situation of Stalemate was threatening to break apart the government.
Then, in a fit of desperation, somebody mentioned Mrs. Pratibha Patil. The Left could not object to a woman candidate. They felt rejecting her would make them look like male masochist pigs. Having a woman President would also elevate their position in the eyes of the general public. So, the UPA nominated the Governor of Rajasthan as their choice for President. Many other parties backed the decision. And then....
Slowly, skeletons began to emerge out of Mrs. Patil's closet.
She was Governor of Rajasthan when Gujjars went on a rampage to be recognised as a minority. The Meenas; another caste in Rajasthan; took up arms against the rioting Gujjars. Vasundhara Raje, the Chief Minister of the state, did nothing. The Governor; Mrs. Patil; did nothing. The country stood on the verge of a Civil War, just because of their sheer inactivity. Thankfully, the situation was controlled before it threatened to rip apart the country.
Then, evidence was found that Mrs. Patil had used her position to influence goverment decisions. Discrete favours made to her family members were revealed. Her involvement in the working of a erratic CoOperative Bank was disclosed. Her family had no answers.
Slowly, it seemed that the decision to nominate Mrs. Patil would blow up in the face of the UPA. However, thanks to the easily delayed judicial system in our country, she contested the elections without any fear of going to jail.
More deserving candidates were left stranded. A mockery of democracy was made. A Governor turned into the President of the largest democracy in this world, ...not because of her qualities, but because she's a woman.
Who says being a woman in this country is a punishment??
After all, the only quality of Mrs. Patil, that made her President of this ancient nation, was her GENDER.
Jai Hind!
Yeah...right.
I had been following the papers closely about news about the Presidency once I came to know that Respected Sir APJ Abdul Kalam's tenure was drawing to an end. He was a people's President and I hoped that he would be back for another term. But that was not to be. His aloofness from politics; which had brought him closer to the public; also distanced him from the political parties.
The parties were looking for a candidate who, in his right mind, would never think of returning the "Office of Profit Bill" for reconsideration. They wanted a puppet. A figurehead who would meekly submit and obey their commands like a slave(Something like what Giani Zail Singh was to Mrs. Indira Gandhi).
Now, the current government is a coalition of parties with ideologies that are poles apart. Congress, Commies...unlikely allies.
The candidates backed by the Congress did not find favour with the Left. The Left wanted their own candidate in the country's highest office. The situation of Stalemate was threatening to break apart the government.
Then, in a fit of desperation, somebody mentioned Mrs. Pratibha Patil. The Left could not object to a woman candidate. They felt rejecting her would make them look like male masochist pigs. Having a woman President would also elevate their position in the eyes of the general public. So, the UPA nominated the Governor of Rajasthan as their choice for President. Many other parties backed the decision. And then....
Slowly, skeletons began to emerge out of Mrs. Patil's closet.
She was Governor of Rajasthan when Gujjars went on a rampage to be recognised as a minority. The Meenas; another caste in Rajasthan; took up arms against the rioting Gujjars. Vasundhara Raje, the Chief Minister of the state, did nothing. The Governor; Mrs. Patil; did nothing. The country stood on the verge of a Civil War, just because of their sheer inactivity. Thankfully, the situation was controlled before it threatened to rip apart the country.
Then, evidence was found that Mrs. Patil had used her position to influence goverment decisions. Discrete favours made to her family members were revealed. Her involvement in the working of a erratic CoOperative Bank was disclosed. Her family had no answers.
Slowly, it seemed that the decision to nominate Mrs. Patil would blow up in the face of the UPA. However, thanks to the easily delayed judicial system in our country, she contested the elections without any fear of going to jail.
More deserving candidates were left stranded. A mockery of democracy was made. A Governor turned into the President of the largest democracy in this world, ...not because of her qualities, but because she's a woman.
Who says being a woman in this country is a punishment??
After all, the only quality of Mrs. Patil, that made her President of this ancient nation, was her GENDER.
Jai Hind!
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Akhil Sir
Back to my college life...
I seriously need to document my cllege life for one simple reason. I hate my college.
Well, hate is such a big word so lets change it to dislike.
Frankly, even though the dislike might soon change to hatred and the first few lines will become obsolete, sometimes something happens which actually makes me believe
that my perspective might actually change.
Meeting Akhil Sir was one such event.
There's a student organisation in our college called ISTE. I won't bother with the
full form. Anyways, in my freshman year, I was bored to death by the sheer inactivity
of the students. For starters, there were no events. If there were events, there would
be no participants.
Life was dull and consisted solely of assignments copied from my friends.
In second year, I decided that I would stand up against the sheer monotony, even bunking classes was boring, to say the least.
One fine day, I saw a notice for an ISTE meeting. The agenda of the meeting was
forming an Organizing Committee for an upcoming event. "Yeah, right", I thought "As if
anyone actually attends one of those." But then, what the heck, I thought it would be
better than wasting my time bunking classes.
There were hardly 15-16 students who turned up for the meeting. That's when I first met Akhil. He happened to be the President of ISTE. The meeting began with his introductory speech.
He is an orator beyond compare. Akhil's words were so well brought out that I finally began to believe that, 'yes. there is life in this college'. He has this amazing knack of of marketing, if there is a person who can sell a fridge to an eskimo, its can only be Akhil.
Needless to say, I was so impressed that I volunteered for the Organising Committee.
I had taken part in quite a few events but organising was something new to me. Akhil Sir was an excellent guide. It seemed that every problem we faced had already been thought of by him. He had the solutions for every emergency that cropped up in the event. An excellent manager, both of material and human resources, he helped me
understand the value of properly channeling the resources for best results.
During the planning phase, Akhil had declared himself dictator. We were supposed to consult him before making any changes to the original plan. This helped us a lot as all of our ideas got the necessary feedback.
Till the last day, Akhil Sir was always there for guiding us.
I believe i owe him a lot. Its a regret that he passed out of the college this year.
Seriously, I could do with a mentor like him.
His friendly nature, that professional approach, time management, resource utilisation,
oratory skills....I could go on about him. Even though we worked together for only 2 weeks, I've learned a lot from him.
Akhil Sir, wherever you are, my best wishes shall remain with you always.
PS. Did I mention what a success the event had been? Its been one of the best organised
that I've seen. Completely by the students and for the students. Thank you Akhil Sir!
I seriously need to document my cllege life for one simple reason. I hate my college.
Well, hate is such a big word so lets change it to dislike.
Frankly, even though the dislike might soon change to hatred and the first few lines will become obsolete, sometimes something happens which actually makes me believe
that my perspective might actually change.
Meeting Akhil Sir was one such event.
There's a student organisation in our college called ISTE. I won't bother with the
full form. Anyways, in my freshman year, I was bored to death by the sheer inactivity
of the students. For starters, there were no events. If there were events, there would
be no participants.
Life was dull and consisted solely of assignments copied from my friends.
In second year, I decided that I would stand up against the sheer monotony, even bunking classes was boring, to say the least.
One fine day, I saw a notice for an ISTE meeting. The agenda of the meeting was
forming an Organizing Committee for an upcoming event. "Yeah, right", I thought "As if
anyone actually attends one of those." But then, what the heck, I thought it would be
better than wasting my time bunking classes.
There were hardly 15-16 students who turned up for the meeting. That's when I first met Akhil. He happened to be the President of ISTE. The meeting began with his introductory speech.
He is an orator beyond compare. Akhil's words were so well brought out that I finally began to believe that, 'yes. there is life in this college'. He has this amazing knack of of marketing, if there is a person who can sell a fridge to an eskimo, its can only be Akhil.
Needless to say, I was so impressed that I volunteered for the Organising Committee.
I had taken part in quite a few events but organising was something new to me. Akhil Sir was an excellent guide. It seemed that every problem we faced had already been thought of by him. He had the solutions for every emergency that cropped up in the event. An excellent manager, both of material and human resources, he helped me
understand the value of properly channeling the resources for best results.
During the planning phase, Akhil had declared himself dictator. We were supposed to consult him before making any changes to the original plan. This helped us a lot as all of our ideas got the necessary feedback.
Till the last day, Akhil Sir was always there for guiding us.
I believe i owe him a lot. Its a regret that he passed out of the college this year.
Seriously, I could do with a mentor like him.
His friendly nature, that professional approach, time management, resource utilisation,
oratory skills....I could go on about him. Even though we worked together for only 2 weeks, I've learned a lot from him.
Akhil Sir, wherever you are, my best wishes shall remain with you always.
PS. Did I mention what a success the event had been? Its been one of the best organised
that I've seen. Completely by the students and for the students. Thank you Akhil Sir!
Taj Mahal...a load off my back
Well, today's the 26th of July and Taj has been crowned first among the
new seven wonders of the world.
On 7th July, India witnessed another one of its cases of mass hysteria as every
news channel was focused at a location thousand of miles away. Lisbon, the scenic
capital of Portugal, was chosen as the place to announce the 7 New Wonders of the world.
The campaign had seen a lot of enthusiasm from India...the reason being that a
publicity stunt organised by a private travel and tourism company was turned into an
issue of nationalism and patriotism. Cell phone companies, websites, newspapers,
television channels were doing their bit to ensure that winning the top honours for Taj became a public sentiment.
Cell cos made a lot of money through unsuspecting subscribers who phoned a "Premium"
number for voting for Taj Mahal, even 4-5 times so that the "Indian Marvel of Marble"
got the worldwide attention it deserved.
If you are among one of those who actually voted, well...its been 18 days since the
results were announced. And..........nothing.
Taj Mahal became one of the seven new wonders, but the news was forgotten within 24 hours thanks to a "United" player and a Bollywood heartthrob. Christiano Ronaldo and Bipasha Basu, if you didn't understand the hint.
Nobody remembers how an entire nation united in a fight...
not against corruption....
Not against poverty....
Not against casteism....
Not against greed....
Not against religious hatred....
but...
Just for an event organised by a private company that didn't even have any authority
on the issue.
But then, that's India for you!
Jai Hind
new seven wonders of the world.
On 7th July, India witnessed another one of its cases of mass hysteria as every
news channel was focused at a location thousand of miles away. Lisbon, the scenic
capital of Portugal, was chosen as the place to announce the 7 New Wonders of the world.
The campaign had seen a lot of enthusiasm from India...the reason being that a
publicity stunt organised by a private travel and tourism company was turned into an
issue of nationalism and patriotism. Cell phone companies, websites, newspapers,
television channels were doing their bit to ensure that winning the top honours for Taj became a public sentiment.
Cell cos made a lot of money through unsuspecting subscribers who phoned a "Premium"
number for voting for Taj Mahal, even 4-5 times so that the "Indian Marvel of Marble"
got the worldwide attention it deserved.
If you are among one of those who actually voted, well...its been 18 days since the
results were announced. And..........nothing.
Taj Mahal became one of the seven new wonders, but the news was forgotten within 24 hours thanks to a "United" player and a Bollywood heartthrob. Christiano Ronaldo and Bipasha Basu, if you didn't understand the hint.
Nobody remembers how an entire nation united in a fight...
not against corruption....
Not against poverty....
Not against casteism....
Not against greed....
Not against religious hatred....
but...
Just for an event organised by a private company that didn't even have any authority
on the issue.
But then, that's India for you!
Jai Hind
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Here We Go
Hi, I'm Anurag and this is my blog....
So much for an introduction. As a matter of fact, although I am quite fluent
in English, there is still a major flaw in me.
I'm an avid..no..voracious..reader. A sucker for fiction novels, I've read many
great classics. But when it comes down to writing some...its a different story.
I simply love Orkut (the site, if you please). It has brought back so many friends
I never thought I would meet again. There's a friend I lost when I was in class III. Another is now settled in Canada. One brainy guy has moved to Delhi. And so on...
But atleast I'm still in touch with them. A big thanks to Orkut!!
The reason I'm writing this blog is because I happen to be quite an introvert guy.
"Yeah, Right!", my friends chuckle. But looking back at the time we spent together
I realized that maybe I should have opened up a bit more. I probably lost the love of
my life because I was too shy to tell her then. And now she's gone forever. I don't
want to repeat the mistake, I don't want to lose any more friends for the sole reason that I keep myself walled up.
So, here's the story of my life. My perspective on the things that really matter...to me
atleast.
So much for an introduction. As a matter of fact, although I am quite fluent
in English, there is still a major flaw in me.
I'm an avid..no..voracious..reader. A sucker for fiction novels, I've read many
great classics. But when it comes down to writing some...its a different story.
I simply love Orkut (the site, if you please). It has brought back so many friends
I never thought I would meet again. There's a friend I lost when I was in class III. Another is now settled in Canada. One brainy guy has moved to Delhi. And so on...
But atleast I'm still in touch with them. A big thanks to Orkut!!
The reason I'm writing this blog is because I happen to be quite an introvert guy.
"Yeah, Right!", my friends chuckle. But looking back at the time we spent together
I realized that maybe I should have opened up a bit more. I probably lost the love of
my life because I was too shy to tell her then. And now she's gone forever. I don't
want to repeat the mistake, I don't want to lose any more friends for the sole reason that I keep myself walled up.
So, here's the story of my life. My perspective on the things that really matter...to me
atleast.
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