The Sleeping Republic

Walking along the outer circle of the Connaught Place on the sixty third anniversary of the republic day, I could not help wonder why it still resembled the remnants of a bombed out place, despite the (in)famous common wealth games being over more than two years ago. While one appreciates that the rampant loot during the games ensured the failure of the attempts to revive the glory of the round market place named after the duke of Connaught, what one is unable to fathom is the inability of the city government to finish the job even after a lapse of over two years, despite repeated promises made by none other than the chief minister of Delhi.

With half hearted restoration efforts having been launched almost two years before the games began the time period that has since elapsed is exactly equal to what it took to build the market place from scratch during the period 1929 to 1933, almost eighty years ago. The Duke of Connaught would indeed be turning in his grave at the plight of the place named after him.

Eighty years of nothingness! And what a downfall and that is what saddens the heart of every nationalist who still walks on the soil of the nation that was once regarded as the richest in the world in terms of wealth, culture and civilization.

A nation brought to its knees by its very own government elected by its own constituents and what does it indicate? Perhaps our inability towards self rule, otherwise why should one witness, day in and day out rank incompetence in almost every sector of governance, irrespective of the party in power. The rampant loot that the politicos and bureaucrats indulged into during the commonwealth games, that otherwise should have been an occasion of national pride is ample evidence of our inability to govern our own nation. Beggars on the street, abject poverty, lack of basic infrastructure, rampant corruption and lack of value systems in the society at large are symptoms of a nation that is yet to arrive on the world scene.

That mere consumer goods and a glamorous parade on the Rajpath does not make a nation is what all of us have yet to learn to appreciate. We also have to realize that mere criticism would not take us forward and the only way ahead lies in all of us setting an example in delivery and value systems irrespective of the rot that one witnesses all around.

Long live the Republic!

A nation sans value systems

The sentencing of an ex chief minister who also heads an important political party of the country comes as a beacon of hope for all of us who had all along been silent witness to the escape of the powerful from the clutches of the law.  That the president of the national opposition party had to resign in the wake of income tax raids was literally the icing on the cake. Probity in public life appears to be conveniently missing cutting across the political and bureaucratic spectrum.

Yet the moot question remains, whether the powerful Haryana baron would also escape the noose as has been the case with all those who had been involved in the innumerable “G” series of scams that rocked this nation not too long ago? Is this verdict also going to be a shroud behind which the powerful guy that he is would make his silent escape? These and many other similar questions would be jostling the minds of many right minded citizens this wintery morning.

It is indeed strange that “Ceaser’s wife should be above suspicion” an ancient saying is not finding acceptance even amongst the doyens of the national party that claims to be different based on virtues that are generally not visible to the common man. The blatant exploits by its generals south of Vindhya and in the state of Uttarakhand, and the tacit acceptance of the same by its top leadership for a long time also strengthened the universal perception that no party is different and that almost all politicians with rare exceptions have their hand in the till.

The overall scenario remains grim. The issue of corruption continues to occupy center stage with new exploits finding their way in newspaper columns with amazing regularity. Incidents of moral depravity are also on the rise with the recent incident involving Nirbhaya shaming the entire nation.  Moreover on the economic front and the human development index, our rating as a nation continues to be low. Yet the nation continues to excel in the consumer goods scenario.

Can a nation sans value systems regard itself as developed? Perhaps there is a need for all of us to introspect and then do what we can to restore the glory and pride of our motherland!    

India's Tianamen

The Tianamen square of India, the sprawling Vijay Chowk was today erupting with people, people who were anguished and angry at the same time over the ghastly rape incident that has shocked the nation. The ordinary citizens of India who identified themselves with the victim were shouting slogans against the high and mighty of this nation, the so called leaders who have distanced themselves from the ground realities and the men they ostensibly represent.

Standing at the Vijay Chowk, I wondered whether a governance machinery that does not feel the pulse of the nation that it governs, has a right to exist. Continue it shall as in banana republics, for want of a leadership that can make it efficient responsive, accountable and also sensitive to public opinion. Yet it is indeed sad that peaceful and spontaneous protests by ordinary citizens have been met by water cannons and lathi charge by the same police, whose inept conduct has led to such shameful incidents of lawlessness.

I am shocked at the inability of the leaders of this nation to face their own constituents at moments like these. Is interaction with the masses reserved only for the election time? Avoiding even the idiot box to allay the genuine concerns of their own constituents is a reality beyond comprehension for a civilized society. And that leads me to wonder as to whether we can indeed be classified as civilized. Even the president of the united states comes forward and faces the nation whenever catastrophes afflict the collective conscience of the nation, but our leaders are yet to display symptoms of such exemplary conduct.

Perhaps and I may be wrong in my assessment that while the delhi police is blameworthy for its inefficiency, insensitivity and callousness, but holding them fully accountable for this ghastly incident may not pass the test of fairness. It is indeed true that almost the entire sarkari tantra is inefficient, unresponsive and insensitive and therefore needs to be collectively held responsible for the mess. With many having their hand in the till, the common man has hardly any options. 

While the government may or may not draft and implement laws that deter such incidents, the only course left for all of us is take a pledge that whenever we see a lady in distress on the road or in the organization we work for, we shall without fear of violence, harm, harassment or inconvenience come forward to help and shall not later offer, excuses for inaction.

With hope we live!  

No right to differ!

A worrying trend being recently witnessed across the nation is the inability of the powers that matter to accept that other human beings can have an opinion that is different from theirs and also perhaps that of the establishment. The very recent incident of arrests of two girls at Mumbai, merely for voicing an opinion at variance with the sentiments that flowed and the arrests of cartoonists for drawing caricatures found unacceptable by powerful people are pointers to the widespread surfacing of intolerance even amongst those from whom tolerance is generally expected as a mandatory virtue.

The leaders of yesteryears were towering and also witty personalities who would have borne the sarcasm or a differing viewpoint in such harmless exercises if any, in their stride. Even Nehru, the tallest statesman that this nation has produced was often the butt of many caricatures and satires, but never did he lose his cool or express his annoyance in retaliation. Well that is what differentiates a true leader from the rest, yet our major issues being societal in nature, the “rest” alone cannot be held fully accountable for the torrid state of affairs. 

With bureaucrats it is different. The petty ego that they have been preserving since the beginning of their careers with care flares up at the slightest pretext and a difference of opinion by a subordinate is definitely a major pretext to get annoyed. Fortunately however, while the bureaucrats can create a scene or at best spoil confidential reports and the career of those subservient to them, the politico can manage violence and arrests as recently witnessed. One attempts what he is capable of and there is definitely no case for a moral superiority of one over the other. 

Ego is at the core of the issue. “The bigger the ego, the weaker the performance” is a true saying yet never appreciated in the real sense or perhaps the priorities are more practically poised. It is indeed the misfortune of the nation that for the majority of the politicos and bureaucrats, “ego” is their sole prized possession and hence the passionate struggle for its preservation at the cost of the nation. Petty ego of the powers that matter has with passage of time emerged as the hallmark of developing and underdeveloped nations to their detriment. 

Perhaps it has much to do with being in the league of developing nations even after over sixty five years of existence as a free nation. The inability to make a difference in a system designed to rule and control leads to a loss of pride and self esteem and what better way to restore it, other than by belittling others. And so we have seniors who are unable to accept even minor differences of opinion with the masses that they ostensibly represent and the fleet of bureaucrats literally following in their footsteps.

We as a society need to grow up in the real sense. That the seats of power are a tool to serve the society and the nation and not merely means of self aggrandizement needs appreciation. And regarding a different set of opinion as a sign of dissent is definitely not in tune with the democratic principles of governance.  Moreover the hunger for power merely for raising ones stature and means of sustenance is also not a quality that one looks forward to from those who are meant to govern, not rule the nation.

Good governance is the crying need of the hour and it is indeed sad that it appears to be a utopian concept in the present times.

Times Now Debates

The hotly contested "Times Now" debates find more than adequate viewership. The subjects are relevant to the times and the entire debating session is also well handled. The choice of speakers also does not leave more to be desired.

While the content is good and appreciable, what really stands out as a jarring note is the acrimony between the speakers. With daggers drawn out, the speakers attack each other as if they belong not to different parties but to different gangs whose only wish is to eliminate their rival.

It is a big change from the days of Jawahar and Patel, when mutual respect for the opposition was at the core of the working of the parliament. Even during Indira days, Atal compared her to Durga, when Bangladesh was liberated.

Gone are those days. We now have the likes of Tiwari whose pedestrian ways has considerably lowered the image as well as the dignity of politicians and political institutions. We have so called eminent people on the panel who opppose for the sake of opposition, who have no morals or character and who are more a bunch of chamaleons than responsible politicians of a democratic nation.

Perhaps the Anna Hazare crusade may result in the creation of a better nation and a saner political environment. It appears that the nation is in for good times now!

Taste of the society

It is indeed gratifying that in this land of Balwa, Kalmadi, Raja and Kanimozhi, we also have leaders like Mamta Banerji, a person of unflinching integrity. A person who can defy the conventional norms of our thoroughly corrupt society and yet command the unflinching support of her constituents.

The elections in the state of West Bengal, besides propelling to the top chair, a person of impeccable integrity have also given hope to the citizens of this nation, a hope that cries out loud that despite the all round degradation, all is not yet lost. That one can still sweep elections on the wave of charisma alone, a charisma that emerged out of total commitment for the downtrodden and a burning desire to improve the nation, is a reality that gladdens the heart. The state of West Bengal is now on the threshold of a golden era.

But what about the nation? The large number of hi-fliers, politicos and bureaurats alike who strut about in the courtyard of Tihar these days is indicative of the state of the nation. People who were masters of our destiny till very recently are now busy cooling their heels in the holiest abode of the scum of the nation - the Tihar jail. And this is just the beginning. If the "just" course of action continues, in the near future one would witness many more powerful people finding solace within the confines of the premier jail of the nation.

What however surprises me, is the reluctance of the people to accept the state of the nation as it is. Almost all of us, including those whose contribution in things unsavory is substantial, crib about the imperfections in the social structure and also the created environment. Crib, in the hope that someone else shall set matters right, for they are uncomfortable with the taste of the society.

After all one cant' escape the taste of the society one has helped create.

Digging into the common wealth

And why not? It is common wealth and so all those who are a part of the CWG, directly or indirectly consider it to be their right to partake of it freely and merrily.

I am not surprised at the fact that there is corruption in the organizing of the CWG. I am however amazed at the sheer extent of it. India has set new records in the sport of corruption, whether it is able to set any new records in the games or not is a different matter. I am now firmly convinced that our prowess to indulge in corruption is much greater than that for genuine sporting events.

I recently had the occasion to attend one of the CWG dinners, ostensibly in the honor of visiting security personnel. Disgusted is a mild word to express what I really felt during the party. It was shameful to witness senior politicians attired in white kurta pajama dancing with scotch glasses in hand. If such is the character of the powers to be, the loot that is happening in the name of CWG is perfectly understandable.

CWG was meant to be an event of national pride. Rather it is emerging as an event of national shame. Till now only natural calamities were regarded as a bonanza for local officials and politicians. Now it appears that sporting events have overtaken natural calamities as they provide a much bigger canvas for extensive loot. How the hell can the nation and its citizens accept and condone the blatant loot of national wealth in the garb of CWG. And why should we? After all it is the taxpayers money, not the personal wealth of a couple of corrupt politicians and bureaucrats.

From newspapers reports it appears that the national govt has put its foot down in the matter of hosting the Asian Games. I hope it does the same for Olympics also, which if organized in India would enable a much grander loot of the national wealth by the corrupt. Their future dreams now lie shattered.

Till very recently I could not understand why a nation that has miserably failed in providing even basic necessities of life like water, electricity, sanitation and housing to its citizens, even in its own capital, should indulge in such transient extravaganzas. The recent reports in the media has perhaps provided all the answers.

Disease or symptom

The rot is total. Be it the bureaucrats or the politicians, almost all at the helm of affairs are contributing their wee bit in concretizing the rot, by putting one more nail in the coffin.

A few months back, I remember I was invited to attend a meeting on building world class infrastructure. I experienced a sense of revulsion on hearing the subject. When we are a total and proven failure in even literal sweeping of the muck and dirt, we do not have a right to even debate such issues. When we are aware of the rampant corruption in "State" bodies and often are a party to it, actively or passively, we do not have a right to indulge in sheer rhetoric. But rhetoric helps, in creating a momentary euphoria, euphoria created without an iota of deliverance and that is the beauty of it.

It was only a week back when the Bhopal Management Association invited me to deliver a talk on building India of our dreams.Yes it is true that we shall forever remain dreaming about building India, for we lack the basic competence required to deliver. We as a system and also as individuals lack the guts to decide. Deliberate - Yes, Procastrinate - Yes, Decide - No is our motto.

Some may argue that even developed countries have corruption and corruption is not the IPR/USP of India. Well justifying corruption even if it is justifiable, is an act of dishonesty towards oneself and the nation. Anyway it is only our motherland where every single interaction of its inhabitants with the governmental system, except for the super wealthy and the powerful kind is laced with greasing of palms. And the system of corruption is so strong, that the corrupt does not even spare persons of his own ilk, persons who are part of the sarkari tantra like him. Well this is what I call the pinnacle of corruption and that is what I witnessed after reaching Delhi.

Yet I am convinced that corruption is only a symptom, of a deep rooted malaise called "Lack of Leadership" displayed in abundance by all those who matter in the matter of running the governmental machinery in the nation.

And we talk about building an India of our dreams. What bullshit.

Random musings

I often wonder why the present sarkari systems in the country lay more emphasis on loyalty to an individual than on loyalty to the organization or the nation. My tenure in MP was unique in that, the government - bureaucracy and politicians alike, appreciated the latter and therefore results flowed out in rapid succession. I wish other sarkari setups also appreciate and also inclucate in employees feeling of loyalty to the nation through the organization they are working for. But the wish is bound to remain a wish, that I am pretty certain of.
Our systems, sarkari ones have a trademark. They are characterized by sloppiness. And that is pretty much evident in the environment they radiate. And then everything else becomes a symptom. It becomes pretty difficult for someone not in love with the organization to differentiate between a disease and its symptom and so one keeps on running around a tree ad-infinitum without reaching or even having a hope of reaching the goal post.
But it keeps everyone busy. Busy like hell and it leads to a false sense of satisfaction, a satisfaction that is as temporary as it is fragile of having delivered. True satisfaction is different, but very few, perhaps the lucky ones like me are able to relish it.
HR is the issue, always talked about and flogged but rarely handled properly. And why not? Human relations and behaviour are the most simple as well as most complicated amongst all issues. Simple because everyone knows how he as an individual would like to be handled by the system as well as others and that the others are also individuals like him. Complex because despite knowing the same, people generally do not apply the same yardstick and measures while handling or dealing with others.
Enough for today.

The predicament of the common man

I often wonder at the predicament of the common man in this nation of over a billion people. This is because I now stand fully conviced that our great nation has with passage of time emerged as a haven for only three categories of people. First is the politician, who with his single minded focus on loot for self and his cronies, friends and relatives has firmly enconsed himself in this country. The second category is that of people like me, the bureaucrats and also the lowly government servant. Being part of the power circle, this category has sufficient avenues to amply look after and take care of its breed, a job that is being carried out to the utmost satisfaction of this tribe. And the third category is that of the rich class, people who have an stupendous excess of income over expenditure. This class is able to purchase whatever it desires, especially from the government sector, where everything, repeat everything is on sale, provided ofcourse the price is right and the service provider, by a quirk of fate is not one of those rare honest government servants.
Then what does the common man do. The common man of this country, from whom almost all of us from the three categories expect sensitivity on all issues including preserving our heritage and dealing with others, is totally powerless and clueless. he is able to barely meet his basic necessities of life. His life is definitely not an envy of others. His major drawback is that he cannot, repeat cannot get anything done from the sarkari system without the conventional greasing of palms. And he accepts this situation without even once crying out loud for his legitimate rights. And he also regards those from the sarkari tribe as honest who do the work after taking a bribe. Dishonest for him is the one who takes a bribe and yet fails to deliver.
And that is where the difference lies between India and the other countries. Here the survival of the common man is at stake, there even the commonest of the common man can easily survive.
How much I would hate to be reborn as a common man in my own country!

The koda factor

The recent scam unearthed in Jharkhand, involving an Ex Chief Minister has rattled the country. The scale of operations, pegged at over Rs 40,000/- per minute, non stop for over two years can only be termed as mindboggling. The tremendous focus that Mr Koda displayed, in amassing ill gotten wealth is however praiseworthy. If only he had displayed a fraction of this focus in building the state, things in Jharkhand would have been much different.

Many people sympathize with Koda, not because they think that he has been wrongly framed, but because he has been caught, while most of the politicians generally go scot free. I however personally feel that the biggest factor emerging out of the Koda episode is that he has upped the benchmark. Post Koda, any politician whose illgotten wealth is less that say a thousand crores, would develop an inferiority complex and regard himself in the category of a poor politician.

Politicians, cutting across states and party lines would now stand divided into two categories - one who have amassed over a thousand crores and the other who have less than a thousand crores. The lesser ones would struggle hard to achieve a semblance of respectability by quickly amasing wealth, obviously by looting the nation and crossing the thousand crore benchmark.

Corruption would now achieve greater heights and the country would also jump to the big league by having almost all its major politicians in the thousand crore plus category. India would also acquire fame for having the maximum number of multi billionaires.

The Koda episode has definitely given the politicians of this nation something to cheer about. Long live Koda.

A failed state

India is never referred to as a failed state. In fact, the rest of the world generally regards it as a superpower in the making. How follish the rest of the world can be. A free nation for over 60 years still half of whose population survives on less that 50 Rs a day! Is it something to be proud of? We have failed at building roads, generating and transmitting enough electricity or in providing any kind of water to its populace and in almost every other sphere of governance.
Cities that resemble large dustbins, cities that we have failed to even keep clean and villages, the lesser said about them the better. India has emerged as perhaps the world's largest mess, a gigantic mess that only our focussed politicians and nincompoop bureaucracy can be proud of.
Is it not sad that India finds a place at the bottom of almost all global indices, be they refer to the purchasing power, the human development index or the corruption scenario. Perhaps the most corrupt of all nations, where every interaction of those governed with those governing is laced with bribery. Every service of the government is on sale for those who can purchase it.
India has now emerged as a nation that is genuinely not for its citizens. It is liveable only for the rich or for bureaucrats and government servants.
Perhaps we a nation are not fit enough or mature enough for self rule. And therefore India is a failed state.

Independance Day

Today the 15th of August 2009, the main topic of discussion is corruption. Even the Prime Minister in his address to the nation talked about it. In the official function held at Paryatan Bhawan, Janakram Advani, the Vice Chairman of the corporation caused quite a ripple when he lambasted the politicians in general for their corruption.
Is this talk of eradicating corruption fuelled only by the momentary feelings of national pride that occasions like the Independance day and Republic day generate in us indians. The 16th of August and the 27th of January are unique because the feelings generated on the previous day have totally evaporated by then and the business of corruption again takes on speed after a one day speedbreak.
This leads me to ask whether we are really serious? Or are we really mature? If everyone loots will there be anything left to share? If some people devour everything what shall happen to the common man? Or whether the common man has any right to survival?
This independance day, I am again convinced that this country is not for its countrymen. Our great nation is only for the rich, the powerful, the corrupt and the unethical. It is also meant for the manipulative, the thieves and the crooks. It is definitely not meant for the "aam aadmi".
The politician of today, who represents the society from which he has evolved is definitely a very important constituent of today's India. His primary focus is self gratification. Secondary focus is at times development, but the sincerity for the same is often not genuine. He is focussed in his efforts to help his family, friends and relatives or whosoever can give him greenbucks for his efforts. Well such focus shall definitiely take the politician places, but not the country. The country shall continue to bleed with such focussed efforts of politicians, ably assisted by a fleet of sarkari mulazims who are also thriving at the cost of the ordinary countrymen. Well there are exceptions. There are politicians, many of whom I see in my state, who are in politics for a cause, the cause of nation building and service to the society. They give hope, but they are generally in a minority. Their numbers can be counted on fingertips. Similarly we also have many honest bureaucrats who are committed to their jobs and are busy delivering. They also give hope, but both these categories are generally overwhelmed by the corrupt and inefficient class.
This brings us to the basic question of whether we should start accepting corruption as a way of life. Whether we should give up on things like integrity, values and welfare. No doubt, corruption has been accepted by the society at large, but it can never get the respect that true acceptance from the heart begets. We have evolved into a society that gloats in corrupt practices but also overtly criticizes corruption. Therefore I am convinced that corruption shall forever continue to be indulged into surreptitiously by a very large chunk of all those who really matter in the running of the nation. God bless this nation.

Corruption control is quality control

Building World class infrastructure is the talk of the town. Everyone in the sarkari sector cutting across state boundaries talks about building world class infrastructure. It is akin to someone driving a dilapidated "Fiat" car talking about winning the "Grand Prix".
When shall we ever learn? Or shall we ever learn? Or Will we ever learn? Or Do we want to learn? What is the right question? The answer is "None of the above". The talk is just to impress the hoi polloi and also the "not so hoi polloi". Fortunately or unfortunately we live in a country where a mere statement is adequate to impress people, to get awards or to win elections. The tragedy is that no one is serious, cutting across state boundaries, cutting across political boundaries or cutting across bureaucratic fiefdom in improving matters including building world class infrastructure. This is and shall remain pure rhetoric.
The omnipresent cloud of corruption that has almost engulfed everyone who has a say or hand in matters relating to the state is responsible. The engulfing is so effective that even the corrupt has started blaming the system for his corruption. The corrupt individuals have lost all uneasy qualms they may have earlier had about themselves. Well they are not be blamed. The system conveniently takes all the blame.
Deal with the sarkari tantra as an ordinary citizen and then one would know the real power of the government, a government that has everything on sale, be a transfer, registering your house, an electrical connection, registering an FIR or getting a clearence for setting up an industry. I would also taste it after 10 years when I retire, But the taste shall not be real for we government servants, maintain vestiges of our power after retirement till we die.
But why this omnipresent corruption in the sarkari sector. Is the compensation provided by the job alone not enough? Obviously it is not! Probably the lack of pride in the organization one is working for leads one to seek gratification in the form of greenbucks. And the loot is really on. All rungs of governments cutting across state boundaries and political divide are partaking of the loot. Well there are exceptions of curse, but they are exceptions in the true sense of the word. And therefore new roads give up at the onset of the first monsoon, all excise departments sell excise licenses, all RTO's sell licenses and permits, all transport checkposts at the borders indulge in free loot, all property registeration offices do not register unless they are heavily bribed and so on and so on. But mind you everyone demanding and taking bribes has an excuse. He is not corrupt but is indulging in it as he has to satisfy those above. And so the loot is on. When everyone loots, will there be any bounty left behind? The answer is "No".

Goodness still exists

We all honored Kallu yesterday. The entire staff and management at the corporate hqrs gathered to honor Kallu, the lovable waiter who works at the Dodi highway treat on the Bhopal Indore road. Kallu had displayed a very high sense of personal integrity when he returned to a visitor his bag that contained cash and jewellery, cash and jewellery that was enough for any normal human being to sacrfice his ideals for. But Kallu the waiter was not tempted, even in the present age of kalyug. kallu even went to the extent of refusing the cash award that the owner of the bag wanted to give him after receiving his bag.

Kallu is a big man. Big not in the eyes of the society, for the indian society equates bigness only with position or wealth, but in the eyes of God and also those who value values in life more than anything else. How I wish the indian society, especially the politicians and bureaucrats emulate the kallu example more than anything else.

Rampant organised extortion

Are only well established gangsters, settled in Karachi, Dubai and metropolises the real dons? Do only the “hafta seekers” in metropolises like Mumbai and Delhi, qualify to be called as the real extortionists? Yes it is true that they are extortionists and criminals whom the people fear and who deserve to be eliminated for the benefit of the society. But is it not true that many Governemnt offices, cutting across state boundaries, with exceptions off course, also act like extortionists? It is a nightmare for an ordinary citizen of this country to approach any governmental agency for getting an approval, registration, license etc. We are all aware of the harassment a simple citizen faces in getting a house registered, getting a driving license, getting a ration card, getting an electrical connection or even a life/death certificate from a government agency. Getting anything done from the Government system is a nightmare. Yet no senior government functionary, a politician or a bureaucrat would take sincere action to set things right as he remains thoroughly insulated from the malaise of the system and therefore has no stake. A common man, not a powerful government servant cannot get any job done within a government system without bribing a government functionary as well as massaging his ego. If you are an entrepreneur, be prepared to adequately take care of a battalion of extortionists under the garb of a variety of government functionaries who shall visit you or make you visit them with amazing regularity. It is as fact that every restaurant owner in the nation’s capital has to keep specified amounts in envelopes every month for the local police, the sales tax guy, collectors from the food department, the municipal authorities and many other leeches of various kinds. And Delhi is one city in India. Just imagine the extortion money only from restaurants. Try getting a gun or a bar license, without giving bribes. Try getting and then executing a big civil contract without being robbed of the fixed percentage. The list is endless. A corrupt breed of men in the garb of government functionaries on a perpetual extortion spree!

Yes there are exceptions. But one has to be either really lucky or really powerful or really rich to bump into one.

Come to think of it. While real extortionists, the official and licensed extortionists, the sarkari functionaries function under the safety of the law, under the garb of officialdom from their official chambers situated in official buildings. The masses look upon these extortionists with awe and pray that their children are able to occupy such seats of power when they grow up. This organized extortion is now an accepted practice with eyebrows being raised only if the extortion becomes unbearable. And the pack of jokers, the corrupt politicians and the officialdom alike who form the bulk of the system have the cheek to talk about development, values, integrity and the nation. Bullshit.

Attempts at becoming immortal

I am now seriously contemplating having an inaugural ceremony at my residence, the next time I purchase a Television, Music System, Refrigerator or any costly household appliance. The ceremony will be replete with an inaugural plaque mentioning of-course my name in bold, which will be stuck to the equipment. After all being the boss of the house I shall be doing the honors almost every time. At times I may also invite senior neighbors for the ceremony and their names will also be displayed on the plaque in an appropriate capacity, generally as the Guests of Honor.

Sounds strange, to the extent of being ridiculous. Well a similar scenario is what we indulge in regularly during the course of discharge of our official responsibilities. So what is strange about it if we extend the same to our homes.

Jokes apart, my wife and daughters have just now warned me that my plan is outright foolish and they would go to any extent to prevent me from putting it in action. They are certain that my scheme is going to make me not “amar”, but a laughing stock in the railway colony. If engraving names on foundation/inaugural plaques started conferring “amaratva”, on the person so named, then perhaps I would have been permitted to indulge, but not otherwise. My daughter also sarcastically reminded me that Gandhiji and Pandit Nehru are “amar” not because of their names having been engraved on plaques, but because of their contribution to the society they lived in.

My recent visit to Simla shocked me. Worthy attempts at glorifying heritage bridges by placing granite plaques mentioning the significance of the heritage structures, had fallen terribly short of the professed objective because the plaques also glorified the officials responsible not for building the structure, but for putting the plaque. Again crude attempts at sycophancy and also attaining “amaratva”. Well think of a scenario 100 years hence when it would appear that the names on the plaques are those of the builder. History would then stand rewritten and the engineer who was born 50 years after the bridge was built would come to be identified as the builder of the bridge. I am also reminded of an inaugural ceremony held in Delhi a couple of years back when a minister inaugurated a “dustbin”. I was told that the ceremony itself attracted a lot of sniggers, but what are few sniggers on the road to “amaratva”. But one occasion which was really the cause of great entertainment for the participants was when two ministers jointly inaugurated a toilet block at a public place.

We have become a nation of inaugural and foundation stone ceremonies. Open any newspaper and you find innumerable instances of public figures vying for amaratva. Full page advertisements announcing inaugural or foundation stone ceremonies have become common. The ceremony itself becomes larger than life and the very cause of the ceremony becomes insignificant vis-à-vis the Chief Guest. Omnipresent sycophants contribute in no small measure by leaving no stone unturned during such occasions and well after the event is over, the cause can go to hell. Very often it so happens that first it is decided to “maskofy” a public figure and then the foundation or inaugural ceremony is suitably evolved. Well on a more sombre note, comparing the two, I am supportive more of the inaugurals because they signify completion of an activity even if it is a dustbin, a toilet block or the plaque itself. What really annoys me however are the foundation stone ceremonies, which are a dime a dozen these days and no one really has even the foggiest of idea of the day when the foundation stone would get consummated. You lay a foundation stone with great fanfare, achieve amaratva and then conveniently move on to another ceremony elsewhere. But think of the positive side. Every activity has so much potential for ceremonies and there are so many petty activities to be performed. Everyone who is a somebody can always remain busy either cutting ribbons or marking attendance during these ceremonies. The potential is immense and I am confident that we as a society will leave no stone unturned in lapping it up ad infinitum.

I just am not able to appreciate this great national pastime of laying foundation and inaugural stones for almost about everything under the sun. Is it not the job of Governments to provide roads or say public toilets or say railway lines?. Why the hell do we then lay foundation or inaugural stones for carrying out routine obligatory functions. Or is it that the Indian society has become so bankrupt of achievements that even a toilet block or a new dustbin is considered a national achievement which should be celeberated and whose builders should be immortalised in stone for posterity. I am not deriding these stones totally. Definetely we should lay foundation and inaugural stones for long 8 lane highways or new power stations, fertiliser plants or if I let my imagination run wild, say a new quadrilateral for the railways. These would definetely be achievements of stature and the builders or dreamers of them deserve being immortalised in history, but not those of toilet blocks, dustbins or even boundary walls.

We ape the west in almost every sphere of our life. I once asked a Britisher whether in his nation they have such ceremonies as frequently as in India. He smirked and said that such ceremonies send a signal that the nation is bereft of real achievements. It is sad but it is the truth, a truth which dawns on me every day when I open the morning newspaper. Besides the routine and the sensational stuff, there are news stories about cultural events being held, CD’s being released, exhibitions being inaugurated, petty structures being renovated and many other insignificant events trying to rev up our national pride. What is glaringly missing are significant achievments in any sphere of activity, achievements which would make a positive contribution to the growth of the nation. Does it mean that we have become a nation of non achievers, the conformists or the status quoists. Again sad but true. A very high acceptability of the status quoists by the Indian society is what is ruining the nation. A society which feels uneasy with achievers is what we have become today. And therefore the foundation and inaugural stones, which give a false sense of achievement from mediocre run of the mill accomplishments.

If my point of view were to prevail, I would place an immediate ban on laying of any type of stone other than the tombstone. Let people be known and remembered for what they have achieved in life or contributed to the society, rather than by having their names engraved in granite or marble stones for petty activities.