The Anatomy of 'Bandh'

              
           If one has to study the changing context of Indian Polity from independence, one aspect that could hardly be forgotten is the culture of 'Bandh'. In past few decades it has become integral part of almost every political party, specially with the one in opposition. 


There are logical reasons why Bandh is so popular among the Parties.
 First, it is more effective than conventional struggle as the Government can not ignore the protests. 
Second, it  is a swift action as of any military operation, so it doesn't take long drawn out battles, which the parties are clearly unwilling to fight.
Thirdly, in the age of media overreach, it attracts immense publicity. 
Last but not least, the sheer nuisance value parties possess to disrupt the everyday life of people, protects their irrationality from uncomfortable questions. 

In the analysis of outcomes, Bandh are equally effective and grossly ineffective. They are grossly ineffective in finding solution for the problem. But, they are far more effective in providing mileage to the political parties.
A 'Bandh' for day solves no problem, seeks no solution, rather it blocks any consensual and democratic solution. Bandh arises from a mentality of blackmailing the government to yield to and threatening the people to yield in. 


The very nature of Political ideologies of parties, from far left to far right, has an element of intolerance and irrationality as the core basic. So, when a party is in power, it prefers unilateral decisions rather than consensual, and the one in opposition seeks Bandh than cooperative struggle.  


Babasaheb Ambedkar, while describing Civil Disobedience called it 'Grammar of Anarchy', which has no place in constitutional India. Perhaps, his India does not believe in his grammar of constitution and the Disobedience is not Civil.


So, the very basics of Bandh is the underlying 'Anarchy' just to prove your point. It undermines all the constitutional and democratic tools available, it legitimizes the intolerance and it adds more misery to the already suffering poor, who loose a day's job as well as a day's meal.

Zeroing in to the Universal Chaos

The Universe that we know today, was created billions of years ago with an explosion, The Big Bang. Few billion years after, life evolved on one of the planet, the Earth, i.e. our habitat.

As the mankind evolved, it started to wonder about the world around it. The  man couldn't understand how there's light for some time and no light for rest of the time. How rain falls and how earthquakes occur. So, man began the universal quest to  understand the forces of nature.

Quest about the origin and afterlife.

Quest about Birth and Death and the afterlife.

At the same time, Human was living in the harsh atmosphere of the surrounding Earth. So there was an imminent need to overcome it to survive. The life, itself is creation of fusion among two of its constituents, i.e. male and female. So the surroundings made it imperative on his part to socialise. Concurrently, the change in food habits and advent of agriculture gave impetus to the process. So man began living in groups and those became integral part of his life. (So is the case with many animals, specially those who are vulnerable to surrounding)

Now, in that group, or we may call it a civilisation (though incorrect technically) needed a set of rules so that all can live well within the group. i.e. need of a harmonious way. That created institutions of administration as well as that of 'Religion'.

The religion necessarily was a tool to create (or bring) order to that group of humans, for the greater good. But then arose the problem of the enforceability of the rules. 

Then mankind made the greatest conceptual fusion of all times. He fused the Religion with the Non-understood parts of universe together, to give credentials to the theory. Then the rains and thunderstorm became curse of god upon mankind (Mongol). Earth became flat and sun revolving around it (Christianity). All the natural phenomenons were deified, personified and worshipped (Greek Paganism  and Hinduism).  Most important was the invention ( and I repeat 'invention') of Heaven and Hell.(Universally prevalent). 

It was the simplest answer to all those things he couldn't understand. Mankind created the cloak of that imaginary world to cover an extremely vulnerable truth. The truth, that there are some things we do not understand and foresee, and we probably we cannot. 

Then began the worst period of Mankind's quest of the Universe. All the rationality that we posses was overshadowed by the foolish conceptions written in some of the religious scripts. Our wisdom and truth was branded as 'Blasphemous' and the pathways of exploring the world were shut completely.   Also the quest of betterment of life was disallowed in the name of preserving the 'true Religion'. The cloak we wore, turned into an steel frame, which continuously refused to let humans expose the contemporary limitations of human brain and Knowledge. 

The Religion didn't stop there either. The extent of Religion to undermine and dwarf the mankind encroached every aspect of human life. It even began to issue orders ,involving massacres and carnages of the groups of other religion or that of the non-believers. t was the same Religion which meant to bring stability and harmony in life.

The Religion had consolidated its hold over Humanity for long time until something fabulous happened in the Europe. Renaissance! It changed the way we look at the World, Universe, Nature and most importantly Humans itself.

Thereafter we began to think and expand our knowledge refuting that cloak of 

Religion. Then began the true progress of mankind.

Even today Religion and Religious Scripts are integral part of every aspect of human life in most of the world. Lets analyse it's truth.

Consider the following facts that 

a)we are the only (maybe) living species in the known universe, which comprises of Billions of Stars, Planets, Galaxies and trillions of other space objects;

b)life needs extremely vast (practically infinite) set of delicate and complex condition to evolve;

We are the luckiest of all among the planets around us. (It is analogous to you getting the Jacket thrown up in air by Shakira in an open concert! ). 

So, life was created on earth mere by a chance or luck. Or perhaps we do not know the actual process that culminated in the birth of life. Religion surely had no role in it. So what the religion has preached so far, is completely absurd and a deliberate lie, which was spread to continue it's hold over the humanity.

I do agree, that there exist some things, by virtue of which Religion has been successful in bringing the order to Human life. Unfortunately the price we paid, was much higher. Also the order, that religions have created, is far from perfect. It is status quoist in almost all religions. And they have brought civilisations and Human quest to a standstill.

So, whatever has happened in the Universe is absolutely by chance and no Earthly or Godly power has done it. So the Ships of Venus 'seen' by Christians as well as the universe in the mouth of Krishna seen by Yashoda (Mata) are eually absurd. 

To conclude please try to fuse following thoughts.

An interesting hymn from व्यासोपनिशद,

ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात् पूर्ण मुदच्यते

पूर्णस्य पूर्ण मादाय पुर्णनेमा वशिश्यते.

(Aum, This is complete and That is complete. From Completeness, Completeness arises. Taking Complete out of Complete, what remains is also Complete)

Second one is,

Ideology is the false consciousness.

The Religion is opium to masses

-Karl Marx.

(I know many will disagree to it. Those who do, are welcomed to challenge it.)

9/11. A Decade. What India need to learn?

Its been 10 years since the planes slammed into World Trade Center and the world changed outright. Nothing remained as it was before.


Lets rewind the clocks ten years ago and analyse the facts.


10 years ago Indo-Pak relations were same as they are now. Except the fancy terms like 'Confidence Building Measures' and 'Contagious and Non Contagious issues' nothing has changed on ground. Pakistan's fate is still doomed at the hands of the Corps Commanders and India still expects the Pakistani Army (and ISI) to book the perpetrators of 26/11. 


But Pakistan-US relations have changed to a very great extent. US finally understanding the real 'Strategic Blunder' to make Pakistan as the prime ally in the 'Global War on Terror'. Assassination (Murder!) of Osama Bib Laden in the heartland of Pakistan and in backyard of Army has finally raised the real question mark on US strategy in fighting the terrorism and choice of alleys. But still the American Af-Pak strategy is tied to the cooperation by ISI and Army in conciliating with the 'Good Taliban'. Pakistan who once proudly fathered the Islamic Extremism  is now suffering heavily from its menace. Still they show no signs to learn anything out of it.


Meanwhile Indo-US relations have significantly improved post 9/11. After declining India's support in the war against terror, US now recognises the importance of India to maintain its lost control over the region. In the wake of rising China, falling hegemony particularly over the Muslim world, Pakistan's incompetence (or Complicity) to control insurgency and rising cost of the war, US is giving India more importance to maintain Balance of Power in the region.
Post Civil nuclear deal in 2005, Indo-US cooperation has risen to a new height, where US looking at India as their Britain in Asia.


What we need to learn out of the incidents and shift overs in the last decade?


First and foremost. US could neither buy Pakistan Amry's support by over $20 Bn, nor it could punish the insurgents with super developed technology like Predator Drones. So, there is no way India could do it. We must hope that one day god will be kind to us to ordain an authority in Pakistan which is sensible and strong enough to talk peace with India. We can not and should not interfere in Pakistan's domestic politics directly but should facilitate all the  ways possible to bring a good government there.


In 2014 when the US troops will withdraw from Afghanistan, there seems a great possibility of Taliban again coming in mainstream politics. The world has already started talking with the 'Good Taliban'. India should also do the same. We should not be concerned of who will run that country but should befriend any faction that will take over when US leaves. Taliban could not be ousted with two Trillion dollars and a million troops. We are not in a position do anything of that sort. So Conciliation with Taliban, good or bad, is the way forward.
Also we need to make sure of our presence to be felt in SCO, OIC. We should make more friends inside as well as outside GCC to tackle Pakistan post US withdrawal.US is a good ally as long as they have their troops stationed in the sub continent. But when they'll withdraw, it will be us to face the Taliban not the west which is thousand miles away from them. So it is immensely necessary to make truce in this war before it begins.


Third and most important, we have to improve our anti terror infrastructure at home.  The recent bombings in Pune, Mumbai and Delhi have left no clue and the investigating agencies are trying round the clock to unearth the plot. We have to secure our boundaries and coast lines for any cost that may require. Surely India does not want its land to become Pakistan or Iraq or Afghanistan where explosions come up with the sunrise and gunfires break with sunset. We have already paid huge price fighting the insurgency.We will have to pay a high price in coming future. Let the price only be Rupees and not in Blood.


The world has travelled long securing itself from the fanatic zeal of suicide bombers and the time bound of the IEDs. We can not ignore the reality of the path ahead. So we must remember, A pint of Sweat today will save a gallon of Blood tomorrow!

बिन जेवणाचा तमाशा...

The talks failed again.
This Govt. does not seem to understand the gravity of situation. And the civil society does not seem to understand the complexity of the matter.


Anna wants the 'Lokpal' to be delivered in the 3rd month the gestation period, and the Govt does not to want to make it happen, not out of the natural dangerous, but the technicalities involved.  "Jor se bolo 'jai mata di'. "


Lets review it in Newton's perspective.


Action: One man, of clean character, wearing khadi, sitting to fast demanding a strong anti corruption bill. 
Reaction: Govt. arrest him first, then send him to Tihar. Then he arrests the govt,. Then govt. doesn't  pay attention for a week. Then sends some representatives. Then at 12th day, discusses the issue in parliament even without informal voting.


So, in politics for every action there is not always equal and opposite reaction. In fact in India, For every action, there is equal and consistent reaction.
Because if Anna is destabilising the democracy, what else is Govt doing?
If they ended up discussing the issue in the Sovereign and Supreme 'Parliament' ,Why on god's earth it was not done on Day 1. 
There seems a crisis of Rationality among the ruling class.


The civil society is also adamant on such kind provisions, that any govt can not implement.


All this is resulting in a Dead (Hungry) lock.



दरारे दरारे हैं माथें पे मौला,
मरम्मत मुकद्दर ही कर दो मौला......

Anna and his Candlelight brigade

I wrote down my agony on the paper.

N.B. : Anna allowed to fast at Ramlila ground.

Death of Democracy

I am certainly referring to arrest of Anna Hazare and the subsequent ‘Tamasha’ both by Government and ‘Team Anna’. 

What the hell is this going on? To what end we are marching?

I am certainly against the corruption and agree that the Cancer of corruption needs to be tackled on priority basis. But it is very important how we propose to tackle it. By creating a Leviathan? Creating a supra constitutional authority unaccountable to anyone? Undermining the Constitution and Democracy itself?

First let me be clear, on what issues I oppose Jan Lokpal bill?

I think PM should not be under the purview of Lokpal.

2.  Secondly the Higher Judiciary also should not be kept under his purview.

There are strong reasons for them. First PM is and elected person directly or indirectly, by the people whom we directly elect. PM being the ‘Elected’ supreme executive head of the nation should not owe his accountability to and ‘Appointed’ person. If he has to be accountable to someone it must be the people of this nation.

 And please stop putting the words like “Mera Neta chor hai”. Those who do think India as ‘Banana Republic’ and corrupt democracy they might want to have look at the recent electoral turnouts and results in the provincial assembly election of Tamilnadu and Bengal. We are a republic and a democracy, that too in better state comparatively, considering the starting point of democratic process and/of neighboring countries.

Our constitution has given a kind of Immunity to Legislature, Judiciary and Executive. We need to respect that. We are taking the fundamental assumption that all our elected representatives are essentially corrupt and should be hanged!

 Please remember the fact that corruption is not a phenomenon to be separated out, it is the outcome of shortcomings in corrective mechanism. So to eradicate corruption we need to correct the system not adding one more Leviathan to it.

Indian democracy had seen extreme highs and lows. It has gone through much turmoil to reach here. Let’s not undermine that.

Fundamental cause of Corruption in India is unaccountable centralization of power in the hands of statesman, aggravated by complexity of laws. By any means Jan or whatever Lokpal is not tackling it. What we are attempting is even centralization of power and complexities of rule.

And it seems Anna Hazare and his Candlelight Battalion want to have only their Lokpal bill passed and that too within this session. They want to have Lokpal delivered (cleared!) in only the third month, without paying attention to the Due Process of law making.