Legal Coup

Every five years, we drive down to a school, stain our index finger and overthrow the ruling authority. While the universal franchise is still a novel concept in some corners of the world, this act would be nothing short of a coup by the largest group (not essentially the absolute majority) in India less than a century ago. We call it democracy- a fiction that was fathomable for the non-monarchists post the French revolution. As Yuval Noah put it in Sapiens, the way you convince everyone to believe in imagined realities is by denying that it is imagined. Once you are invested in the idea, you start believing in it either by nurture or by nature of pure self preservation, depending upon which socio-politico-economic order you fit in.

We had that fiction play out in various corners of the country last month while the virus was launching its own coup on our healthcare system. The die was cast and the game culminated this weekend. I had the opportunity to play my part in this coup this time and am still second guessing if I played it right. The amount of thinking we do while choosing the button is very limited and is a combination of family, friends, caste, religion or admiration for the leader primarily and seldom is it based on the analysis of the performance of the individual member or the manifesto. Most of us take a decision faster than we would buy a timepiece, from a mind-space perspective.

While growing up, sitting through those civics classes, it felt like a huge responsibility to be a part of the democratic system. But alas, once we are out in the real world, the impact you can achieve is very less unless you are motivated enough to take it up as a vocation. Even if the system doesn't change you before you change it, the results aren't guaranteed.

As is with everyone of late, when I wonder how did we enable the powers that be to reach their positions, I am reminded that it is due to our own sheer lack of enthusiasm and complete indifference to the entire government apparatus. Having been fortunate enough to not be found in need of essentials, I never thought I should choose to cast based on someone who can ensure there is enough air for me, when the time comes. That is the stark reality as we struggle to smuggle oxygen cylinders for friends and family in different parts of the country. 

How did we let ourselves be fooled by fictions bigger than democracy- that of vision statements, yojanas, manifestos, clarion calls of patriotism? 

Is it because we were indifferent? 

Is it because we were ignorant?

Is it because we were too self centered in choosing our individual representative based on caste, creed, and so on?

Is it because of the lack of a viable alternative or hatred towards the available alternatives?

Is it because the dopamine hit of a tweet is much better than actually staining the finger?

Whatever the reasons be, the next time you get a chance to pull off a coup, think longer than your pizza delivery time!

Positivity amid scary positive rate

Anyone looking at the timestamp would be acutely aware of the context for 'positive rate'. As the virus rampages across the country bending the healthcare ecosystem to its will, there is an upsurge of citizen governance with private individuals pooling in resources to help each other. It is a lone graceful sequence of events amid this horrific toll on life and economy.

As always certain sections of the citizenry, companies and parties try to lever the story telling for their own benefit that runs counter to the larger good which are at the best parasitic and at worst pathetic. Unsurprisingly, majority catch the tail of such well spun narratives giving it the momentum to gain traction. One such event prompted me to put down my thoughts here after years!

A startup offered an opportunity for its users to cash in pseudo-currency held in its books against monthly payments to support its initiative in supplying oxygen to the hospitals. At the outset, it was a wonderful initiative, that prompted me to cash in all my chips that I haven't ever used before and share the initiative with a friend who has a similar utilitzation rate for the said app, who judiciously cashed in his too. It gave a sense of gratification that we did a small bit to solve for the ensuing pandemic. 

Only to wake up next day to see scrolls of social media feed of people showcasing their certificates, which wasn't wrong as it was also the very intent of the company to achieve brand traction and hopefully some goodwill- which again isn't bad or wrong as they do have a fiduciary responsibility. But here is where it gets interesting. As is with anything in the spotlight, it attracted lots of eyes and resultant envy, jealousy, resentment-call it what you want. Soon, there were analysis of the donation numbers which ridiculed the certificate and the people who shared them. 

Yes, the company wasn't transparent in its logic of calculating the actual oxygen supply or the timeline over which that would happen. Yes, people felt good by sharing about their contribution. Yes, the magnitude implied vs realized was  significantly different. And yes, the company received huge publicity by democratizing the spend across its users' dopamine and by directing it towards a good cause instead of spending it on a single cricketer or actor.

I believe the last piece gave those who either didn't use the app or those who just wanted to take down people a peg or two an ammunition. It makes me wonder, why? To what end? One of the estimates said, each donation was worth, no more than 50 bucks. So what? if 1 lac people did it, that's 50 lacs! - no measly amount either.

Needless to say, negativity attracts engagement and thanks to the minions of Zuckerberg, majority is tuned to achieve maximum engagement at least cost, sometimes ignoring the price

Why are we so sudden in our response? Is it the affordability due to ultra speed networks and super connected social media that amplifies the Shadow in us? (- couldn't avoid the Shadow & Bone reference ;)..)

Last couple of weeks have been abysmal, with the virus spreading its wings into everyone's inner circle giving the pain of helplessness in its wake. If anything, the martyrdom of front liners and the contributions of the well intended should humble the Shadow in us, rather than enrage it at the slightest trip. 

As the friend whom I shared the initiative learnt the logic behind the company's gimmick, he texted me, visibly irritated at the lack of transparency and what not. We chatted and it was a note to ourselves to rein in the Shadow!

Someone said, wisdom is worth sharing, so here it goes!

The fourth pillar

Couple of days back, a friend of mine asked 'How can we verify if a particular news article is true?', and it struck me Why should we have to verify in the first place? Isn't that the job of the journalist?. This led to a long conversation about the concept of news, the tv series  The Newsroom, discussions about recent political and other issues that were in the limelight. Post which I thought to myself I have got the subject for my next blog 😜. So here it goes.

Media is touted to be the fourth pillar of democracy that offers a medium for the three essentials (Legislature, Executive and Judiciary) to connect with the masses and balance out each other. Also it played a commendable role when any one of the branches of government tried to overplay its hand like in the case of The Emergency in India in the mid 1970s. Journalists reached far and wide to find the the truth often risking their life, not for the  monetary compensation but these were the people who believed in what they did. They were not confined to their studios bullying others in shout matches and did not use the opportunities that mass media offers to enforce their opinion on others. They were involved in a much bigger and nobler cause - finding the facts and reporting them just the way they were/are(some journalists are still doing amazing work). There was a place for established and experienced journalists to foist their opinions and it was labelled rightly as Opinion, Op-ed, or Editorials. The crazy thing is, of late these centre page (if you are a fan of reading The Hindu like me) articles have found their way on to the front page headlines or more importantly prime-time news.

Increasingly now, journalists are replaced by correspondents and content writers. And even worse, fanatics who have access to internet and know to type. While social networking and community platforms were good for what they were meant to do- stay connected and socialise, nowadays it has turned into a medium through which more and more people consume information (public and political). Indeed its good to know about a cyclone coming your way via social media but its not so much fun when a 16 year girl is trolled for taking a meeting with a Chief Minister (lets face it, how many of these trolls would have gotten such an invite and if they did, how many would've turned it down?). The worst part is that as and when such bizarre incidents gain traction on social media, the mainstream media feels obligated to debate about it in prime time for an HOUR (seriously??).

But still, I admire the profession of a journalist, thanks to The Newsroom. The show is based on research around several real-world cable news programs and I recommend it to everyone who is political, opinionated and moved by public issues. A couple of incidents wherein incorrect information was telecasted by ratings driven radio jockeys and twitter users were picked up by the news centres have been captured in these episodes in an amazing manner. The first episode talks about the essence of NEWS and also shows how an actual information is vetted and verified before bringing it to the public. That is what we need in this day and time- vetting and verifying. As the world is retracting to closed borders and ultra nationalism after a few decades of globalisation, I believe retracting to old ways of news consumption - buying newspapers and supporting the institutions that do credible journalism - wouldn't be so bad after all.

Even Facebook is spending resources on a third party fact checker in Germany after accusations of fake news influencing US elections found supporters in the German political landscape where elections are due this year. But is it imaginable to regulate posts by over a billion accounts (not people essentially) by a few hundred fact checkers? So next time you read a status update or a blog, treat it as what it is - a single person's expression of his/her opinion, and not as facts. Most importantly, before sharing a post next time, take a moment to ponder whether you actually believe that and think of the impact that information would have on those who consume it or those who are under the scrutiny in that post.

The fourth pillar is indeed required to hold the roof (country) but its essential to identify when it starts faltering and reinforce it as and when required.

Read more: The curious case of responsive journalism.

India's options post Uri - Common man's opinion

The attack by militants on the Indian military base in Uri has once again stroked public anger and vitriolic rhetoric in the political spectrum. While calls for military action and responsible restraint by India is being advocated for by different sides, this is a piece elucidating the understandings of a common man.

One, it is certain that the government has to react. Otherwise its inaction could fuel conspiracy theorists and worst of all, Pakistan's claims that this attack is a distraction from the recent unrest in Kashmir. While I don't (want) to believe in it, just words and no action from a government with absolute majority and that which had come to power chiding the previous establishment's restraint, raises questions.

Two, lets be honest that an all-out war is not in India's interest. Sure, Pakistan and the terrorist institutions within have to answer for the deaths of our soldiers but are we in a position to take home the victories even if we win the war? The war will never see the end with absolute surrender of either party. It is bound to invite third parties for mediation between the two nuclear-powered neighbours. India would have definitely put Pakistan in its place but the impact on our economic development would be huge right when India is trying to wield its influence in a multi-polar world. Also, the threat of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal falling into extremist's hands ensures the survival of the arrogant Army-ISI power play in Islamabad. It doesn't help that China has huge vested interest in Pakistan's territories now which might draw it into battle. Also, its never good to be the first one to offend for our 'responsible power' status in the global standing. Cut them at the knees and goad Pakistan to mount an offensive that bars China from stating terms to india and instead negotiate with its side-kick.

Three, war is not the only option. While special ops to take out leaders of extremist organisation is a great alternative, the feasibility of the same is beyond my understanding. Diplomatic offensive is necessary, not just to isolate Pakistan but also to try drive home the point that Pakistan is in the wrong and that India's non-military offensives (as I explain below) are justified. The latter is very much important given that India's is trying to project itself as a power centre for the 21st century. A (potential) growing superpower can't have the majority of the world thinking it is arrogant unless it has the economic and military might to continue to grow despite being aggressive - case in point China.

Four, lets start doing what is in our power instead of waiting for the opportune moment. For starters, take Pakistan out of the (one-sided) Most Favoured Nation status and end trade with the irritating western neighbour. The government must be motivated to take this step given that the traders in Punjab have offered support to such a shutoff. India shouldn't just boycott the upcoming Saarc summit in Islamabad but also get the other nation's in the 8 nation bloc to shun the meet. It helps that Pakistan has (probably) decided to skip the Saar anti-terrorist experts meet, Afghanistan has expressed interest to stand-by India to boycott the summit and Bangladesh has chipped in to the narrative by calling Islamabad out for its support to terrorist organisation. Remember how Modi was successful in chastise Pakistan in G20, ASEAN and East Asia summits recently without offering an opportunity for it to rebuke for the sheer lack of its membership in these groups. The same could not be said of the recent NAM session in Venezuela. India should leverage its geographical, economical and political advantage in its neighbours, convince them to express solidarity and ensure an absolute boycott of the Saarc summit in November. Finally, pull the straw by tearing up the Indus Water Treaty. Actually, India should have torn it off years ago just for the sake of spite & economic advantages but the current situation offers a (politically)justifiable reason. 

Five, its not enough to initiate action, the real power is in sustaining these actions. While the recent incidents and the honey-moon with the US has gained us enough leverage for most of the afore-mentioned actions, it is likely China (and even US) might be pushed to persuade(force) India to stay its hand. This is where the government's actual diplomatic weight will be gaged. The narrative in point Three above and the demography & market that India offers could be the game-changers in such a stand-off with the giants. Access to the Indian market (or lack there of) could be the carrot (or stick) in these negotiations. The huge trade deficit with China is India's brahmastra. Just like we raised import duties on metal to support India's manufacturing industries in the recent past, the threat of such a raise on electronics & other commodities would send cold chills down the Chinese business spines (and the Communist Party).

There will be economic repercussions, India will not have a sweet ride on this path either. But the effect on our economy will be minimal and the pressure on Pakistan will be significantly higher teaching it a lesson and potentially solve the Kashmir issue once and for all. We should have the restraint to avoid getting into another 'Shimla Agreement' at the end of this tunnel, otherwise all would have been for nothing. Whenever I read about the 1947 war ending in India approaching the UN or 1971 war ending in the Shimla Agreement, I question the logic behind such a move, probably external pressure. Let's be clear that despite being the good boy in this duel with Pakistan we haven't been able to gain much traction to our narrative or settle the score. So, lets be the pragmatic power for once and change the focus of our history books forever.

Legal Awareness! Did you ever think about it?

With the government pushing the Digital India initiative and shifting its focus from literacy to digital literacy, information dissemination has taken a huge leap in India. Successful implementation of these initiatives will lead to a well-connected populace that accesses millions of bytes of data every second and becomes more aware.

In this digital era, corporations & media houses have been able to push their ideologies and notions in a well-concealed manner than before through native advertising (or what you may call content marketing). But is this the objective behind digital literacy & digital India? I would like to believe not.

Actual empowerment happens when the citizens start availing the government services through this medium & leverage it to protect their rights (not just freedom of expression).

While on one hand our judiciary is overburdened with millions of pending cases, on the other hand seldom does a common man resort to a legal course of action when caught in a dispute. We have grown to be more adjustive to day-to-day unlawful activities. For instance, did you ever question a shopkeeper selling a water bottle for higher than the MRP? or did you ever question someone who was riding on the other side & caused an inconvenience? The answer is mostly 'No'.

You can't be blamed since the efforts required to initiate a legal action is more cumbersome than adjusting to the inconvenience. Or is it really so? Actually, we as citizens are not aware of the rights & systems in place to resolve disputes legally and hence presume it to be complicated & unwarranted.

We have definitely come a long way in at least consumer dispute redressals but a lot more needs to be done. 

As I once read somewhere: 

"Power comes not from the barrel of a gun, but from one's awareness of his or her own legal rights".

The adventures of Hate'ism

We can call it racism, casteism, and what not, but the root cause of all lies in the bedrock of hatred and insecurity against diverse cultures, traditions and customs. Seldom do we try to understand the second person's predicament and jump to judgements based on their appearance. Well, before I bore you with my interpretation of such hate'ism let me tell you why I was moved to do so. The attack on a Tanzanian student in Bengaluru-a city supposedly progressive and pluralistic. There was the Dadri, Hyderabad and million other incidents which sparked the Intolerance debate but this happened in a city admired for its acceptance of varied cultures & customs and surprisingly none of the moral police and political honchos raising alarms at the raising intolerance were visible anywhere around the Bengaluru incident - maybe because it is too small a vote bank with no voting rights here.

With all the hue and cry over Indians facing discrimination in the Australia, US and other countries, we ought to be a bit more accommodating when interacting with foreigners in our soil. Although I don't intend to justify the mob's reaction in either case, but the worst part was that they attacked a Tanzanian for an accident caused by a Sudanese. Would the crowd react in the same way if an American had crashed the car and a Canadian came by an hour later? Despite suffering colonialism for over two centuries, are we still not out of our school of thought based on colour?

The genesis of this hatred lies in the insecurity over one's own self. The fear of losing out opportunities, the fear of losing control over the system and the fear of losing a pseudo-social ranking wherein one ranks higher than the other person compound and transform into animosity and grudge.

It definitely gets TRP and attention when someone starts talking about intolerance but very rarely the debates address the root cause of the issue or appeal to the viewer's conscience but are leveraged for scoring political points or staying in the limelight with ludicrous statements. At the end of the discussion it fills the viewers with more prejudice against the other side of the story than before.

It is time viewers started holding the journalists accountable for their presentation of facts and reporting for these are the people offering a platform for the representatives to score political points rather than arrive at a solution.

Chennai Sinks! Will the State too, next summer?

The 'cyclone moment' is not new to chennaites. Almost once every year, the city receives Indra's blessings, albeit a bit more than it desires. But in 2015, Tamil Nadu faced the wrath of nature with the rainfall breaking a century-old record. Let's not forget that a century back, the city and nearby districts were not so densely populated with concrete carpets. So the effect would have been as cruel as in 1918 with less than 50% of then record rainfall and hence the calamity is incomprehensible.

Every chennaite is proud of the IT corridor and the manufacturing sector that has blossomed around the city but all that pride was washed away by the realisation of the city's bad planning, or should I say non-planned growth. The Winter of 2015 will live in our memories for longest. It will haunt us for years to come with every big investment taking a page out of this calamity to move to nearby Andhra Pradesh which saw the CM getting on the ground to monitor the relief and rehabilitation in the cities bordering its southern neighbour.

All the goodwill the current administration had garnered with the investor's summit earlier this year and a plethora of social welfare schemes launched in the last four years has been shattered in a week's time. Chennai is the neural center with arteries leading to every district in the state, so it would be naive for the ruling side to underestimate the effect of rains in other parts in May 2016. Less than a year away from the assembly polls, political bickering has already started with the opposition using the winter struggle to win the summer battle.

Social Media has turned out to be both a boon and bane when the downpour struck us. While it helped us look beyond ourselves and assist those in need, it also created a platform for the so-called philanthropes to play their vanity and false propaganda. The incorrectness of information had hampered the relief operations and reduced the efficiency. 

I will not shy away from confiding that I am a sympathiser of the current dispensation, although my conceptions have been shaken a bit by the irresponsiveness of the administration during the deluge. But is it cause enough to vote against it? Or vote in favour of a party neck deep with corruption charges and record of poor management (let's not forget the 20 hour power-cuts in 2010-11)? or empower a coalition of multiple small parties with no leader? My answer would be a definitive 'No'. Let's not forget the fact that the calamity was of disproportionate magnitude and no government could have solved the problem in a week's time although the current one could have been more pro-active. So, let us not jump to conclusions and pass decree on the administration today for the harder part comes tomorrow. Millions of lives have been jolted with thousands homeless and entire districts under the fear of epidemic in the days to come. The government's efforts in putting people back on their feet will have to be observed and give it a chance to prove its calibre.

There are some things in life, especially politically driven that one can't help but look at in despair when information dissemination is biased (TRP based) that could lead to the establishment of unsavoury and inefficient governments. Of course, my hate for the opposition supersedes my dislike for the government's ineffectiveness in the last month, so take this piece with a pinch of salt.

In the Game of St.George's, Summer is coming!