The AAP - Green Shoots?

For those us who mourned in secret when the AAP self-destructed after Arvind Kejriwal resigned as Chief Minister of Delhi there may yet be hope. It seems that as winter approaches there may yet be a market for mufflers.

Consider the facts. The dear departed Congress has gone into complete hibernation. Unless they decide to jettison the dynasty and embark on the painful process of rebuilding with a new (hypothetical) set of non-geriatric and non-crook leaders they appear to be on the slippery slope to irrelevance. The BJP, of course, is on a high with even staunch nay-sayers having been forced to acknowledge the power of Mr. Modi. Backed by his firepower, the BJP is hoping for a clean sweep in Delhi in the coming assembly polls. However they are operating under several disadvantages that are growing as time goes on:
1. There is a small but growing chorus of criticism about the BJP and its activities. The fact is that they have taken all the schemes and ideas of the Congress Government, dusted and polished them and put them out for public edification. The mantra is ‘good implementation’ not ‘great ideas.’ Unfortunately implementation of major projects at the National level takes a lot of time and the fickle public is unwilling to grant them the indulgence.
2. The hard edge of Hindutva is beginning to show its face. To his credit, Mr. Modi has steered a very clear path in his public statements. However, the likes of Yogi Adityanath and the Sadhvi have muddied the waters and unsettled the Muslim community. The intelligentsia is also concerned by what they perceive as attempts to saffronise history and meddle with the educational curriculum.
3. There is a certain high handedness and ruthlessness that is evident in the way that some of the opposition states are being dealt with. Admittedly Jayalalitha was convicted by a court and the central government had nothing to do with it. However, as a pressure tactic it was quite effective. The drama in Bengal is unfolding as we speak. How do people react to this? For the committed it is a reinforcement of the political effectiveness of the party’s leaders. For those on the fence it may appear a bit too forceful for their liking. For the opposition it may just send a shiver down their spines.
4. At the state level the new BJP Chief Ministers are a bit of a mixed bag. Fadnavis seems to speak the development lingo fairly well but Khattar appears a bit old fashioned for the likes of glitzy Gurgaon. In Delhi, no clear leader has emerged. All the old names being tossed around seem tired and jaded. Perhaps the party can yet pull out a surprise but as of now the lack of a clear leader adds to the feeling of ‘been there, done that.’
5. On the economic front the key driver has been the decline in oil prices. This has brought down inflation and the government has been able to add to its coffers in a rather painless manner. All this has nothing to do with India and its government. There is no progress on dismantling other subsidies. Company performance is still lacklustre and it does appear that the boom in the stock market may yet be an illusion.

In Delhi, there is a growing feeling that local issues are not being addressed. The AAP is, of course, taking full advantage of this and with good reason:
1. Power bills have been further inflated after the AAP Government left. While oil prices and inflation have come down almost to zero this does appear a bit surprising. The much promised audit of the Discoms has also not happened in any significant way. Clearly the current dispensation is not really motivated to pursue such agendas.
2. The issue of women’s safety continues to be of prime concern. Two years after the Nirbhaya atrocity the perpetrators are still under trial and the so called ‘fast track’ case is meandering along. Recent polls indicate that women continue to face harassment on a daily basis and that nothing has really changed. If for no other reason, the current government headed by the Lt. Governor should hang their heads in shame.
3. Traffic and parking is going from bad to worse. Average travel times in Delhi have almost doubled in the last few years and most of the roads are full of encroachments and debris. There does not appear to be any enforcement and Delhi is fast beginning to look like a drab West UP town.

The AAP is also a chastened party today. They made a series of mistakes starting with running away from the Delhi Government to attempting to compete for a national showing in the Lok Sabha. Many of their erstwhile supporters have also left them, perhaps for the better as it makes the party more consistent.

However what endeared them to people was their genuine concern for the common man and his problems. Day to day corruption, sanitation, inflation and women’s issues are what people are really worried about. It does sound grand to say that Obama will be the chief guest for Republic Day but it rings hollow when 97% of women in the same city said that they have been harassed in public or that many people still defecate in the open and have no access to clean drinking water.

It is not enough to make grand speeches and inaugurate big programmes. Social change comes about on the ground – house by house, street by street. It needs the junoon and commitment of an Arvind Kejriwal to actually make it happen in our capital city. Perhaps the ‘green shoots’ of the AAP may yet overcome the winter of our discontent.

Religiosity and Spiritualism

There has often been a debate on whether there is such a thing as ‘Universal Human Values’ It may be argued that human beings have evolved a set of ‘Dos and Don’ts’ or views on what is desirable and what is anti-social behaviour that are almost invariant across societies in time and space. Murder, robbery, infidelity, lying and cheating are considered reprehensible in all societies. On the positive side truthfulness, family values, kindness, generosity, forbearance and other similar traits would be considered desirable almost anywhere. In a sense these traits or behaviour patterns may be classified as ‘Disruptive’ or ‘Cohesive’ so far as society is concerned. Society as defined as a fellowship or group of like-minded people who live, intermarry and work together demands cohesiveness and will tend to oppose disruptive behaviour.

It follows, therefore that those members of society who practice cohesive behaviour are regarded as ‘good’ and their behaviour is worthy of emulation as role models. Mahatma Gandhi would be probably the best example of such a person. While he was a deeply religious Hindu he did not hesitate to oppose some of the religion’s pernicious practices like untouchability. It is important to understand that people like Mahatma Gandhi are not religious figures in the conventional sense or ‘God Men’ in the uniquely Indian phrase. They are ‘Spiritual’ leaders and it would be useful to dwell on this thought for a while.  A Spiritual person by his behaviour, sayings and deeds is someone whom society looks up to and respects. Who does not propagate a blind faith in religion but rather inculcates respect for all humanity. Someone who works tirelessly for the uplift of the human spirit and is in that sense a spiritual person.

The other end of the spectrum is a Religious person. Most religions try to define a cause and effect relationship between your deeds and the end result. If you follow the Ten Commandments you will go to heaven. Similarly you will find Moksha if you feed Brahmins or bathe in the Ganga. In most cases the kind of behaviour that religions wish to foster is broadly similar to the behaviour that a spiritual person would aspire too. In that sense there appears to be little dichotomy between Spiritualism and Religiosity. However there are a few critical differences. There is an element of coercion in religion. If you not feed Brahmins you will not attain Moksha. It is almost as if mankind has to be bribed like fractious children to do God’s bidding. The second key difference between Religiosity and Spiritualism is based on logic vs faith. Spiritualism is logical as it fosters behaviour that benefits society. It is an end in itself inasmuch that the Spiritual person is liked, respected and emulated by his fellow men. That should be motivation enough. However, religion takes a crucial step beyond mere logic. It attempts to provide answers to basic existential questions. What is the purpose of our existence? What will happen to us after we die? There are no logical answers to such questions and the answers that religions provide cannot be subjected to empirical proof. Has anyone ever seen heaven? Or does anyone know what Moksha feels like? The convoluted language and allegories that religious texts take shelter behind are really indicative of the confusion and uncertainty that prevails in this area. The unfortunate side effect of insistence on faith is religious dogma and exclusionist thinking. The conviction that ‘my way is the only way’ and that ‘my religion is the best and everyone has to conform to it’ has unfortunate consequences that we are all too familiar with.

Does it really matter whether you will go to heaven after a lifetime spent in conforming to archaic religious precepts? Does it really make a difference whether you will never be born again and that your soul will fuse with the Brahman after you die?

Is it not better to strive to be a better human being today through your own inner conviction? Is it not enough to be a good and spiritual human being without feeling it necessary to impose your beliefs on others? Surely spiritualism is all that a human being needs to have a good life himself as well as having a positive impact on others.

The Opium of the People

"Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people" – Karl Marx

There is no doubt that religious sentiments and beliefs are becoming stronger and more polarised in today’s world. Whether it is militant Islam throughout the Middle East, Zionism in Israel, Buddhism in Sri Lanka or Hindutva in India, religious belief and dogma are becoming more and more significant. Strangely enough even as material prosperity increases almost universally mankind still seeks solace in the “opium of the people”.

Religion was invented to try to answer the basic questions of life that were not amenable to strictly logical thought. Why do we exist? and What happens to us after we die? Philosophical questions indeed. Worthy of examination by the keenest intellects. Unfortunately, answers to these questions even by the most erudite thinkers are full of circumlocution and obfuscation. The simple fact is that nobody knows the real answers to these questions. All inquiries are met with a dogmatic statement that “you need to have faith – mere logic will get you nowhere” The other unfortunate offshoot of this confusion is the creation of ritual. You need to pray 5 times a day facing in a particular direction in one religion while you need to pray to a particular god on Tuesdays for your wishes to be fulfilled in another! I ask you – can anything be more ridiculous? All this will get to Jannat, Nirvana, or Heaven – take your pick. The names differ but the premise is consistently absurd.

The real question is why is religion gaining ground? Marx has some pointers to the answer. The human condition, moral, spiritual and social is deteriorating. While we are better off materially our lives are becoming increasingly barren on all other parameters. We clutch at straws – the oily Hindu Godman or the wily Mullah who promises us salvation and a modicum of spiritual comfort in return for a ‘small’ consideration mainly in cash! We are like rabbits under the spell of the ferret who with his glistening greedy eyes is waiting to gobble us up.  

Strictly logical thought will not show you the way to heaven. But it will prevent you from acting irrationally. It will point you in the direction of ‘good’ behaviour, of being a rational human being with a mature and sensible outlook to your fellow men and society. In the ultimate analysis this is all we need. Religion and associated irrational behaviour needs to be curbed by society. By all means worship your gods in whatever fashion you want. But do it in the privacy of your own home and don’t let your behaviour impinge on others. Religion like opium is a pernicious social vice and if it has to be practiced let it be in within the four walls of your own space.

Nuclear Power and Bullet Trains

“We have to honestly and deeply reflect on the accident,” says Takafumi Anegawa, TEPCO’s managing executive officer, whose role is to shake up a utility he has accused of cozy relations with regulators and a cavalier attitude toward safety. “We should reset the level we pursue to the very highest. If we cannot achieve that level because of our capability or our culture, it means we are not qualified.” Akira Ono, the plant superintendent at Fukushima Daiichi, is equally blunt—at least in a Japanese ­context—about the need to reassess the nation’s nuclear future. “Because of the accident,” he says, “nuclear energy is an issue that should be discussed again in our country.”

“A Right to Information (RTI) query has recently revealed that 20,000 people died on Mumbai railway tracks in the past five years. That means over 4,000 people per year and, on an average, 10 people per day.”

India has a habit of ignoring reality. Many of us are so self-absorbed and egoistical that we tend to shut out sane and practical voices amongst us. One such unlikely personage is the mild mannered and scholarly Dr. Manmohan Singh, our former Prime Minister. He staked his reputation on opening up a ‘Nuclear Deal’ with the USA that effectively ended the nuclear apartheid that India had been subjected to:

“The framework for this agreement was a July 18, 2005, joint statement by then Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and then U.S. President George W. Bush, under which India agreed to separate its civil and military nuclear facilities and to place all its civil nuclear facilities under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards and, in exchange, the United States agreed to work toward full civil nuclear cooperation with India.”

Let me hasten to clarify that I strongly believe that India has the right to nuclear weapons and nuclear power. The apartheid that India had been subjected to was wrong and discriminatory and in that sense Dr. Manmohan Singh did a signal service to the nation by forcing the door open. The issue is whether India has the technology, discipline, quality orientation and maintenance required for running nuclear plants. Accidents in the USA, USSR and now Japan have demonstrated that even developed economies find the vigilance required for managing nuclear assets difficult to come by. What chance does a country like India have when we find it difficult to even maintain roads, run an airline or keep a toilet clean? It’s a disaster waiting to happen. In the interests of public safety we need to re-evaluate whether we really need a nuclear energy programme. It may be far better to focus on fixing our coal supplies and getting power generation and distribution under control from our existing thermal plants rather than chasing the nuclear mirage.

In a similar vein, our current Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi seems to be obsessed with Bullet Trains. There is something undeniably attractive and symbolic about trains that could cut travel time from Mumbai to Delhi to 8 hours. It signifies a country that has arrived on the technological stage and sounds like a fitting gesture for the triumphant ruling party. However, the grim reality is that 4,000 people die every year on the Mumbai suburban rail network. A nation that ignores such a chilling statistic can hardly aspire for technological or moral superiority. Overcrowding, lack of toilets forcing slum dwellers to use the tracks as a bathroom, few over bridges – whatever the reasons, the number of fatalities are mind boggling. It is a shame that life is so cheap in our unfortunate country.

There is a tendency in India to always look at the brighter side of life. To ignore the grim reality today and yearn for a better tomorrow. It reflects in our tendency to create grand buildings, malls, airports and multiplexes and then forget that they need maintenance too. A Pakistani once said that while people from the two countries were quite similar, they were different in one aspect. He said that while both Indians and Pakistanis were lying in the gutter, the Pakistani had his head facing down in the filth while the Indian’s head was facing upwards looking at the stars!

A great attitude but it does need some practical back up.

A Refreshing Change

After a long time we have a Prime Minister or 'Pradhan Sevak' as he called himself who can actually communicate. Mr. Modi's skills as an orator were never in doubt after his election campaigns but he excelled himself at the Red Fort on Independence Day.

Mr. Manish Tewari of the Congress complains "it is unfortunate that the Prime Minister got bogged down in pedestrian issues without being able to rise to the occasion"

Unfortunately, Mr. Tewari, what are 'pedestrian issues' for you are in fact the most pressing issues for the country at large. Enough has been said about the PM's speech in the media and I do not intend to go over the same ground. I will restrict my comments to the issues that stood out from a common man's perspective.

What was refreshing was a national leader who took on the most serious of women's issues head on. As he correctly put it the nation needs to put a check on it's men folk, or 'boys' as Mr. Mulayam Singh Yadav would call them. The fault for getting raped does not lie with women for heaven's sake! He was equally upfront about the abhorrent practice of female foeticide and our alarming sex ratio. I hope his strident message is driven home in the patriarchal heartlands of Haryana and other states where these practices are rampant.

Mr. Modi said that people may laugh when he talked about sanitation and toilets. He is only taking a leaf from the father of the nation who talked of little else! It is easy to snigger at such a discussion and that too from the ramparts of the Red Fort. I am very sure that those who do so have never faced the ignominy of their mother, sisters, wife or daughters having to use the 'world's biggest bathroom'. Apart from poor hygiene, they are at great risk of molestation and rape. The fact is that India has become a vast cess pool. Our towns and cities are filthy beyond description. Uncollected garbage lies around, roads are never swept and are full of encroachments. Our rivers have become sewers in which nothing can live as we dump untreated sewage in them from all our major cities.

The real issue which I think Mr. Modi recognizes very clearly is about practical and relevant social change. As a society our moral. ethical and social compass has gone awry. Traditional bonds of clan, family and fear of the law have loosened and there is a whole new generation that carries confused messages from the media, internet, bollywood, godmen and their own peer group. Harnessing the 'youth bulge' of India is challenging in any case and it was compounded by our weak kneed, senile and decrepit leadership that could not even begin to understand the 'New India'. Even today the likes of Mr. Tewari would like to hear grandiose pronouncements of intention rather than practical prescriptions for a New India.

As Ayn Rand put it so pithily:

“No principle ever filled anybody's milk bottle” 

― Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged

Saraswati

Saraswati

This article does not contain any original research. It borrows freely from various sources that are acknowledged in individual footnotes. Raja Ravi Varma’s famous painting has been reproduced in several web sites. This version is also taken from the net and so is the Balinese painting at the end of the article.

Fact, fiction and speculation have a habit of blending together when one looks at ancient India. In this article I have put forward my point of view – it is not accepted historical dogma and neither is it original. It is speculative and interesting as it has many facets. Enjoy the read!

ámbitame nádītame dévitame sárasvati, "best mother, best river, best goddess" – Rig Veda

The Rig Veda is generally said to have been composed between 1700 – 1100 BCE[1] by the Aryans who are said to have invaded India from Central Asia around that time.

The Saraswati River is one of the main rivers described in the Rig Veda. It is mentioned several times while the Ganga is mentioned only once.

Geological evidence has established that the river that is understood to be the Saraswati dried up completely around 1900 BCE i.e. earlier than the date when the Rig Veda was composed and earlier than the date of the Aryan invasion.

Strange isn’t it?

Clearly, these dates and events don’t tie up. There are three possibilities:

1.    The Rig Veda was composed earlier than what is the generally accepted date.

2.    The date of the Saraswati’s drying up is more recent.

3.    The river understood to be the Saraswati today is not the river referred to in the Rig Veda.

In order to get a perspective on this conundrum, it is necessary to examine several interrelated facets.

1.    What are the facts about the Saraswati River?

2.    The Aryan invasion – Who really were the ‘Aryans?’ Did they actually exist at all?

3.    The Indus Valley civilization. Where and when?

4.    Rig Vedic rivers and cataclysmal geological events.

5.    When was the Rig Veda composed? How old is Indian civilization?

The commonly held belief today is that the Saraswati River originated in the Bandarpunch massif in Western Garhwal and flowed down through Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat into the Arabian Sea following a course roughly parallel to the Indus. The Sutlej and the Yamuna were tributaries to the Saraswati in those days (prior to 1900 BCE). The river has been identified as the Ghaggar Hakra River which is little more than a rain fed rivulet today near Chandigarh.[2] Around 1900 BCE[3] a series of earthquakes violently changed the topography of the river systems. The Sutlej turned west and eventually became a tributary of the Indus while the Yamuna turned eastwards and joined the Ganga at Allahabad. Gradually, the Saraswati dried up as the flow of water became progressively less. This cataclysmic event had huge repercussions on the development of Indian civilization as we will see below.

Civilization in India began with the Indus Valley civilization also referred to as the Harappan Civilization after one of the principal sites (now in Pakistan). The accepted dates for the civilization are 3300 BCE – 1300 BCE. The civilization was widespread with major sites being found on the Indus River as well as on the Saraswati. In fact the number of sites on the course of the Saraswati are actually far higher than the Indus. The civilization started declining around 1800BCE and by 1700BCE most of the cities had been abandoned. It was initially thought that the Indus Valley Civilization declined due to an invasion from the North West by the so called ‘Aryans’[4] However, that view has now been largely discredited. In fact the whole ‘Aryan Invasion’ theory has been questioned by a number of Indian historians. Maybe they did not exist at all! It may be that our colonial masters[5] thought it expedient to foster the illusion that Indian civilization was a western transplant courtesy the convenient Aryans![6]

What is more likely is that the drying up of the Saraswati and the change of climate (in prehistoric times the Indus valley was far more wet and verdant than it is today. The climate changed to more cool and dry, paving the way to a decline in agriculture and food availability). The inhabitants of these cities (at the peak, the Indus Valley civilization was estimated to have close to 5 Mn people) started migrating eastwards laying the foundation for the settlement of the Gangetic plain.

It is clear from the foregoing that the hymns about the Saraswati in the Rig Veda were therefore composed earlier than what is currently accepted as fact. They must have been composed before 1900 BCE as the river is described as a mighty stream with a lot of water. Who wrote them? And when were they actually written?

It is difficult to imagine that the people who lived on the banks of the Saraswati did not write about it. Instead the ‘Aryans’ arrived and composed the most evocative and emotional poetry after being rough nomads in Central Asia! This is really difficult to imagine. It’s far more likely that the Rig Veda was composed by the Indus Valley people themselves at a time when the bounteous rivers gave them a wealth of benefits. If we are to accept this thought, the date of the Rig Veda gets pushed back at least before 1900BCE. How far back is then the question?

Astronomical references in the Rig Veda[7] as well as correlation with the Puranic lists of kings point to an earlier date for the war described in the Mahabharat. In addition, there are a section of scholars who believe that the Saraswati dried up in two phases. Around 3000 BCE when the flow became insufficient to reach the sea and the river ended in a place referred to as Vinashsthan. Thereafter it dried up completely in 1900 BCE as mentioned above. Since the Rig Veda refers to the river flowing down to the sea it is postulated that the date of the composition is before 3000 BCE. Perhaps the original composition was around that time but was updated and embellished in later years with the astronomical references being kept intact. Suffice it to say that there is enough evidence to support the view that the Rig Veda was and other Vedic literature was composed well before the so called ‘Aryans’ made their mythical entrance into India.

One of the strange features of ancient Indian History as most of us have studied it is that there is a strange gap between the Indus Valley Civilization and the Vedic age[8]. It is almost as if there is no link at all between these civilizations. They were both highly developed and existed with a few centuries gap between them at best. The accepted view, of course, is that the Aryans conquered the people of the Indus valley and that the latter fled towards the South and the West. There is a more tenuous view that refers to them as the precursors to the Dravidian people of South India. The Aryans, after destroying the Indus valley civilization turned eastwards and it was they who settled the Gangetic plain. This view is also relies on the traditional historical view that there is very little in common between the Indus valley civilization and the Vedic age. In reality this is not true at all and there is considerable continuity between the two civilizations.

There are two aspects to this continuity[9], tangible and intangible. Tangible continuity exists in architecture, weights and measures (for which the Indus valley people were renowned) which survived with few modifications till the introduction of the metric system in the 20^th Century! The list is long. Finally the script. The Indus valley script is yet to be deciphered. It disappeared around 1800 BCE and it was only in the fifth century BCE that the first historical script, Brahmi emerged. Most scholars have said that Brahmi is derived from a Semitic script but there are intriguing discoveries in Bet Dwarka and Daimabad that point to an evolution and simplification of the Indus script that could be a transition to Brahmi. Secondly, intangible continuity exists in many forms. For instance the Swastika (held to be an ‘Aryan’ symbol) actually originated In Harappa. Lingas have been found in Harappa and other sites pointing to an early worship of Shiva. Fire worship is another area that holds even today. Yoga originated in the Indus valley.

As B.B. Lal puts it “Even today there is no walk of life in which we cannot discern the grass-roots features of this ancient (Harappan) civilization: be it agriculture, cooking habits, arts, crafts, games, ornaments, toiletry, religious practices or social stratification.”

The mystery of the lost Saraswati is an intriguing tale. Our history has been written by our colonial masters, the British, who obviously had their own motivations and limitations. While most of this article rests on speculative foundations there is considerable merit in focusing more on our own history. There is every possibility that ancient India holds many secrets and learning that has been lost along with the Goddess of learning – Saraswati.

Postscript

The Indus valley civilization had considerable trade with the civilizations of Mesopotamia and others in the Middle East. Indus valley seals have been found there and conversely evidence of trade has also been found in the Indus port of Lothal. Perhaps in keeping with the intangible nature of the Saraswati tale the fact that Balinese Hindus accord primacy of worship to Dewi Saraswati is an indicator that Indus Valley ideas spread even further than their tangible trade.

                                                               Dewi Saraswati – Bali

---

[1] Max Meuller and others quoted in Wikipedia.

[2] A contrary view is held by Rajesh Kochar who believes that the Rig Vedic Saraswati was actually the Helmand river of Southern Afghanistan.

[3] The Lost River – Michel Danino details these geological events.

[4] Sir Mortimer Wheeler propagated this view based on the discovery of 37 skeletons found in Mohenjodaro. However this theory has been largely discredited as of now.

[5] It was actually Max Meuller (a German) who first propagated the Aryan Invasion theory. It found many takers in the British Colonial administration.

[6] The ‘No Aryan Invasion theory’ is certainly not accepted fact. It has many detractors especially since there is a similarity between North Indian languages and those in Europe. There is also commonality between the Zend Avesta of the Zoarastrians and the Rig Veda. The traditional view is that the Aryans while migrating from their Central Asian homelands also went to Iran and Europe and thus there is a common root. The believers in the No Aryan Invasion theory feel that it is equally possible that language and traditions originated in India and travelled westwards not the other way around. It is also possible that language and traditions can travel even without a physical migration of people.

[7] Astronomical code of the Rig Veda – Subhash Kak

[8] Romilla Thapar has said that after the collapse of the Indus Valley civilization, ‘the material culture shows no continuities’

[9] The Lost River – Michel Danino

AAP Quo Vadis?

As a keen supporter of the Aam Aadmi Party their debacle in the Lok Sabha polls and the subsequent internal meltdown has been heartbreaking. However, the raison de etre for the AAP to exist in the first place is still around. The euphoria of the BJP's victory has silenced some of the cacophony that was building up during the twilight days of the UPA against corruption and institutionalized poor governance. However as the BJP will find out in the next few weeks and months a behemoth is not so easy to turn around and control. Rapes in UP, power outages in Delhi and a media baying for your blood can unnerve even the strongest amongst us.

In my view the AAP made two crucial mistakes. One, that they gave up the state government in Delhi too easily. Many of us, including me, thought that their resignation would garner more support for them. It did indeed do so in the short term but the rise of the BJP blew them out of the water. They came to be seen as churlish and immature as they clamored against the Lt. Governor and the courts. Two, the decision to contest so many Lok Sabha seats was bizarre. The AAP leadership (and I suspect it was the persona of Arvind Kejriwal) got carried away by the myth of their own invulnerability. The role of giant killer that led Kejriwal to contest the Varanasi seat compounded the problem as it sucked up precious resources from the rest of the election. Subsequently the bickering between Shazia Ilmi, Yogendra Yadav and Manish Sisodia has added to their woes. Kejriwal's imprisonment due to his refusal to put up bail and his subsequent capitulation has made him a figure of fun. Lately, their petulance against the BJP with respect to the power crisis in Delhi is seen as counterproductive and not adding value in a serious crisis.

The real question is what next? As I see it, the fledgling party needs to reclaim its roots. As a first step, they need to focus back on Delhi in a constructive way. The few Lok Sabha members that they have can continue to perform their duties but cannot be the focus of the party at this stage. Under no circumstances should they accept support from the Congress to form a Government in Delhi - that would be a complete disaster. They have to find new ways and issues to connect with Delhi residents in the run up to fresh elections. Corruption is old hat. Most people believe, however unrealistically, that Mr. Modi will cleanse the body politic by waving a magic wand. Anyone who rails against this oversimplification will be disregarded and ridiculed. Poor governance is also a non-issue now. So what should the AAP be doing and how should they craft their strategy? Their main strength was a genuine simplicity, sincerity and willingness to connect with real people at a grass root level. To solve real life problems for real people. They are not good at a broad statesman like speeches that Mr. Modi is good at or even massive, dreamlike schemes like Mr. Rahul Gandhi. For the AAP to succeed and build back its credibility they need to focus on Mohalla issues that impact the common man: cleanliness, drains, roads, reliable water and electricity, safety and security of honest, simple folk. This is what gave them their mandate and it is this and only this that can win them the people's approbation again.

Check out my book 'Journey to the Hills and other Stories' for a dose of midsummer nostalgia....
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The New India

The BJP's stunning performance is being written about in articles, blogs and social media posts by millions of people in India and abroad. The purpose of this post is to think about what needs to be done if we are to truly recognize 16th May 2014 as a real turning point. The dawn of a new India.

What does the new Government need to do? They must have thought about it but sometimes in the euphoria of victory one can tend to deviate from the chosen path. In the quest for development which is the cornerstone of the new Government's agenda we should not forget critical changes in the way we think and do things. Processes are as important as outcomes as they determine what the soul of the nation really is.

Inclusiveness

• Many people in India whether Muslims, people from the North East, migrants from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka or Nepal are treated as outsiders in their own country. This is equally true of migrant labour (Biharis and UPites in Mumbai and Punjab for example). This needs to change. 
• India does not treat it's women folk as part of itself. They are treated as sexual objects or as an inferior race. Perhaps this is the single biggest biggest failure of Indian society.
• Growth cannot be for the elite alone. It has been proven time and again that growth per se can actually increase disparity. I'm not a great believer in the dole or handouts but we do need to be mindful of the poorest of the poor as the whole country progresses.

Systems and Processes - Simplification, Transparency and Empowerment

• India has a plethora of laws. Some of them are possibly the longest and most  complex pieces of legislation in the world. Complexity breeds opacity which in turn breeds corruption. We need to undertake a massive exercise to simplify our processes and systems. 
• Government bureaucracy is not empowered or at least they don't feel that they are. It is far easier for them to say no or to ask a question than to say yes.

The Role of the Bureaucracy

• Since colonial times, the role of the bureaucracy has been to subdue, control and exploit the native population. Unfortunately for us, independent India's leaders have done nothing to change this. It suits them to perpetuate this role. If Narendra Modi's vision of development is to be realized, the role of the bureaucracy needs to be reoriented to achieve this.
• Non-independence of the police, CBI and judiciary is part of this problem. The current structure does not allow for independent action (with some honourable exceptions amongst the judiciary)

Corruption

• The all pervasive presence of corruption in India has been too well documented to reiterate here. There are two types of corruption - transactional and organisational.
• Transactional corruption is the problem that the common man faces everyday. The AAP had the right idea when they started to tackle this. It is a grass roots issue and needs to be addressed from the bottom upwards. Organisational corruption is at a higher level - whether it is Bofors or crony capitalism or the 2G scam, these are bigger issues. This is equally difficult to handle as the vested interests at this level include the political class.

Enforcement

• Whether it is wrong parking, speeding or drunk driving, India has not been able to enforce it's own laws. These are, of course, very simple and even trivial examples but they are symptomatic of the malaise we are in today.
• Enforcement at a higher level is equally important. Many large businessmen feel that they can bend the rules as it's all a question of money. Obviously the bureaucracy and the politicians play along with it as they all make money.

Millions of dollars will be spent on development projects. There will be a quickening of the pulse of the nation as it shakes off the lethargy of the last few years. My fervent hope is that along with all the activity we stop and introspect about what we have become as opposed to what we would like to be. Let us not lose the nation's soul in our quest for progress.

Kejriwal's Resignation - Nautanki, Naivete or Nicely Done?

The established political parties, media and the glitterati are somewhat confounded by the abrupt resignation of the AAP Government in Delhi. It is probably the first instance of an en mass resignation by an elected government in India on a point of principle. The twittering classes typified by the likes of Suhel Seth are basically saying 'good riddance to bad rubbish' Their delicate sensibilities have been overwhelmed by the odour of the Aam Aadmi up close and personal and it's high time that politics was reclaimed by their own class even if they wear designer Khadi rather than Gucci or Armani. This type of response has been building up ever since Somnath Bharti had his run in with the Delhi Police some time ago. In essence, the elite may profess to want changes in the body politic but are unwilling to soil their lily white hands with the rather messy process of achieving it. Frankly, this response coming from the people that it does is irrelevant. Firstly because these people are are in a microscopic minority even though they wield disproportionate power in India today. Secondly they are not the AAPs constituency. The real Aam Aadmi is quite happy with the turn of events as they unfold. The 'Nautanki' response to the activities of the AAP is therefore highly visible as it's played out on National TV everyday but it's largely irrelevant even as the people who participate in the charade are irrelevant too. Their real fear is that the nation is finally waking up to an understanding of its own strength. When that happens it will be a revolution in the true sense of the word.

The second response is a trifle more charitable. In this scenario, the AAP is perceived to be well meaning but naive. Kejriwal is regarded as a simple minded idealist who came to power in a groundswell of public activism starting with Anna Hazare's movement. The party is seen as a bunch of novices who are unable to govern as they should. Rakhi Birla's midnight rounds were seen as sincere but childish attempts to improve matters for the homeless poor and people questioned whether Kejriwal could read and sign files while sleeping on the pavement.

Nothing could be further from the truth!

Kejriwal and his supporters have been planning their foray into politics for a long time. They realised that the association with Anna Hazare was ultimately leading nowhere and it was important to sharpen their focus by jettisoning some of their more simple minded colleagues from that movement. As of now, every move of the AAP has been carefully planned and orchestrated keeping in mind their main constituency, the Aam Aadmi. They decided to ally with the Congress as it was the lesser of the two evils. If they had refused to form a government, they would have lost out in two ways. One, that they would have disappointed a large section of their followers who had great hopes pinned on their victory. Secondly, they wanted to give a taste to the electorate about what exactly does it mean to have a government of the AAP. In this they have succeeded in no small measure. They have proved conclusively that their brand of 'active' politics is a hit with the Aam Aadmi. They will not sit in their offices and issue esoteric orders that on one follows. 'Management by Walking Around' was a phrase coined for a management style that mirrors the AAPs approach. For better of for worse the other parties have had to pick up some cues from the AAPs style. Hopefully this impact itself will be positive for the country.

Finally the resignation of the government was inevitable given the restrictions on the state of Delhi and the uneasy relationship that the AAP has with the political establishment. In my view it will achieve two very important objectives:

1. The established parties are terrified of a re-election before the Lok Sabha polls. The Congress less so as it has curled up and died in any case. However the BJP is really scared that if the AAP gets a thumping majority in Delhi in a re-election it will have a significantly negative impact on their chances in the Lok Sabha elections. This impact will be negated if the Delhi assembly elections are held along with or after the Lok Sabha elections.
2. Kejriwal is now free to concentrate on the Lok Sabha Elections. There are already rumours surfacing that he may decide to contest against Mr. Modi. Whether they are true or not they add to the larger than life picture that he already has (Muffler and perennial cough notwithstanding) and they add to the confusion and uncertainty in the BJP ranks. On a more serious note, the prospect of the AAP getting 50-60 seats has been significantly enhanced by the resignation of the AAP from the Delhi assembly. If that does happen it will open up some distinctly new possibilities!

All in all, it is fair to say that the AAP has remained true to its constituency and its principles. They are hardly naive and certainly not there for entertaining the public with their antics. They have now time and freedom to concentrate on the Lok Sabha elections and it will be interesting to the see the outcome of their efforts.  

Amartya Sen and the Aam Aadmi Party

The debate between two of the most famous Indian born Economists made for fascinating reading a few months ago. Jagdish Bhagwati was strongly in favour of growth as the key measure of economic success. It almost sounded like 'Growth at any Cost'. Amartya Sen, on the other hand, argued that growth has to be balanced and  inclusive. If it is not, rapid economic growth can actually widen disparities and create social tension between the haves and the have nots. The debate was very intense and often acerbic.

This debate, in a sense, is also being played out in the political arena as of now. One may argue that Mr. Modi clearly represents the Bhagwati faction. His mantra is all about growth and development and the Gujarat model is held up as the shining example of what Modinomics can do for the country. Amartya Sen, on the other hand is supported by a more motley crew. The Congress presents a somewhat muddled picture. There are times when they appear to be doing what it takes to uplift the masses. MNERGA and the Food Security Bill are examples of such activity. However, they falter when it comes to implementation and many of these measures actually create a feeling of dependence and complacency amongst the recipients. The Left and confused centre such as Trinamool Congress, AIDMK and the like largely tilt towards Sen, perhaps because he unwittingly provides a justification for populist, vote catching schemes so beloved of our political class.

Perhaps the strongest supporter of Amartya Sen and his inclusive economics is Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party. The raison de etre for the AAP's existence is the uplift of the Aam Aadmi. As such the policies of the AAP should resonate strongly with Sen's arguments. The purpose of this blog is to analyse some of the strategic decisions that it is leading to and to look at their pros and cons.

1. The AAP's approach to removing corruption is interesting. One, they are approaching the problem from the ground upwards to start with. Most of the other political parties are oblivious of this. In a recent visit to Gujarat, for example, my taxi driver had a pay a bribe at the point of entry to the state for getting an entry permit. He did not think it was unusual but that is the state of affairs in Modi's Gujarat. Many people have praised Gujarat for the ease of doing business and I am sure that that is indeed the case, but 'transactional corruption' continues unabated. The AAP believes that the eradication of corruption must start with the common man. In other words it is an 'inclusive' process. Two, they are gunning for visibly corrupt figures. Their 'hit list' may be controversial and unproven but it does make a specific point. Until Kejriwal took on Shiela Dixit in her own constituency and defeated her, the thought of specifically targeting individuals deemed to be corrupt and keeping them out of public office had not occurred to anyone.
   
2. The strategy behind the redistribution of the cost burden for the power and water charges is again based on inclusive thinking. There is considerable outrage on the subsidies that have been provided for the common man by the Delhi Government but the AAPs thinking is consistent. They are focusing on delivering a benefit to the Aam Aadmi even if it means that more affluent consumers have to pay more. There is also a view that access to clean water is almost a fundamental right and it is the duty of a responsible government to provide for it. The other related point is about the somewhat questionable benefits that have arisen due to privatization. The purpose of this blog is not to make a case for Government control and operation of public utilities but there is certainly a case for maintaining a close check on their operations. Accusations such as gold plating of assets for getting a larger return on investment and sale of power at throw away rates during the lean season abound. These matters are of grave concern especially as the Delhi consumer of power is paying far more than he used to before privatization. Private companies involved with the Gurgaon Expressway and the Airport Express Metro Line have also not exactly covered themselves with glory.
   
   There is a clear difference between populism and inclusive growth. By definition, populism has a a negative, short term connotation (somewhat like the proposed bifurcation of AP where the long term benefits, if any, are lost in short term vote mathematics). Populism creates a feeling of dependency on the part of the recipient and does not result in a long term benefit. Inclusive growth, on the other hand, strives to create sustainable development. It strives to minimize inequality. The US also realized that they could not wipe out generations of ill usage of the black community by normal means. Affirmative Action is what they came up with and whatever one may say otherwise, racial prejudice is less in the US than in most other white majority counties. It is the duty of any right thinking Government to put the interests of its weakest sections first and ensure that the poorest of the poor also occupy their rightful place in the India of the future. Perhaps the AAP can show the way to the more established political parties in this regard.

Unraveling the AAP

The AAP has come under a lot of fire recently for their high handed, uncouth and racists statements and, in general, not behaving like a 'normal' political party should. Kejriwal has slept on the pavement in freezing rain and has shouted himself hoarse while condemning the Delhi police for not doing their duty. Various members of the party are making contradictory statements and there is no attempt to forge a common agenda. This blog will not attempt to justify their actions but rather to understand the ethos and motivation that goes behind all this.

I would like to make 3 points:

1. The AAP today resembles the Congress in pre-independence days. The Congress had a single point programme and that was Swarajya. Apart from that, it had a lot of conflicting ideologies. Nehru and Jinnah, Tilak and Gokhale did not see eye to eye on almost everything and the differences between Sardar Patel and Nehru were all too clear in the immediate aftermath of independence. Similarly, the AAP has started out with a single point agenda, Stated narrowly it is the elimination of corruption in the body politic and stated broadly it is an attempt to reform democratic institutions in India. This idea appeals to a very broad sweep of people. It has definite appeal to the educated middle class (the sort of people who will read this blog) and equally it will appeal to the rehri wallah who has to pay a hafta to the beat constable. Corruption in India is a universal subject. From the so called 'transactional' corruption faced by the rehri wallah to the institutionalized corruption of the 2G scam. It is therefore natural that a movement or party whose main plank is anti-corruption will appeal to all types of people. And therein lies the problem! A Meera Sanyal from an MNC bank may feel just as strongly about corruption as Somnath Bharti who is a street smart lawyer. However on most other matters they are unlikely to agree. This is what is creating the dissonance between statements of various members of the AAP. Eventually, as the party matures it will have to resolve these contradictions. As of now the media and the PR machinery of the established parties is having a field day with attacks on the AAP about these issues. I feel that this is an essential maturing phase for the AAP and they will learn how to handle internal contradictions. It is not a major priority as of now.
   
2. The second point is about methods. Strictly constitutional and conventional methods are rarely successful in solving intractable problems. The established political parties have virtually institutionalized corruption and the attendant issue of shiftless public servants who are unwilling to do their duty. As per the AAP, 70% of the complaints that they have received on the anti-corruption helpline are about the Police. All of us have experienced this even it is a small matter of paying off a traffic policeman for a speeding offence. The fact is that the Delhi police IS corrupt and nobody can deny that. The AAPs approach is based on two premises. One, approach the problem from the bottom upwards and try to address the Aam Aadmi's problems first and two, use direct public action rather than strictly conventional means to solve the issues. According to the Press, Somnath Bharti has become a hero of sorts in Khirki Extension. Whether you like it or not drugs and prostitution were serious problems there and they were being practiced by African residents. It is also true that several complaints by the local residents had not achieved anything. The conclusion, therefore, that the police were being paid off is difficult to escape. Bharti's methods, however crude and unpalatable they are to the educated middle class is the only thing that has worked after years of inaction. Kejriwal is not the first Chief Minister of Delhi to demand that the Police should report to him. Shiela Dixit had the same demand for the last 15 years. She also had the advantage of having the Congress in power at the Centre. However, her gentle, constitutional protests fell on deaf ears. It may need the junoon of a 'mad' chief minister to actually make it happen.
   
3. My last point is about who exactly are the Aam Aadmi? They are hardly the sort of people who will read this blog. They are not the educated, genteel folk who inhabit the corridors of power whether it be in public life or in the private sector. The Aam Aadmi are rough, crude, basic people with all the prejudices and problems that such people have. They have patriarchal attitudes towards women and think that Africans are 'habshis' who eat children. This, whether you like it or not, is the Aam Aadmi. Unfortunately, they don't understand gentle discourse. Rather they are attracted to the crude humour of a Kumar Vishwas. The AAP reflects this reality. Kejriwal and some of his team such as Yogendra Yadav and Bhushan are able to provide a bridge of some sort between what the AAP is really like and what the educated middle class wants them to be. The BJP has handled this by putting a lid on the more radical elements of the Sangh Pariwar - some of their utterances would be a serious embarrassment to the urbane Mr. Jaitley and even Mr. LK Advani. Mr. Modi himself is almost too radical for most of them. It would be a real pity if the AAP retreated from the freshness of their approach. They run the risk of losing their connect with the real Aam Aadmi if they tried to mould themselves in the same way as the established political parties. At best they need to curb vigilantism and expressions of rank prejudice. Other than that if they lose the support of opportunists like Chetan Bhagat and their ilk, it's actually better for them.

The AAP is in the news today. The English media has already started turning against them if Arnab Goswami's News Hour is any indication. However, the real Aam Aadmi has a lot riding on the success of the AAP. They represent the first hope of real change that we have seen in years. The educated middle class may be repelled by some of their tactics but we need to see beyond the obvious. As I said in my previous blog the philosophy that the AAP needs to adopt is of Nishkam Karam. They have to do their duty without thinking of the outcome and the reward. 

Nishkam Karam and the AAP

Nishkam Karam is an action performed according to one's sense of duty without the expectation of results. The opposite of Nishkam Karam is Sakam Karam which pertains to actions undertaken with an end objective in mind and is based on selfish motivation.

Most thinkers in the West and especially those who work with companies are strong advocates of Sakam Karam. Phrases like 'Management by Objectives' and 'Key Result Areas' and so forth are results of this kind of thinking. Performance bonuses and incentives are also an outcome of Sakam Karam thinking. On the other hand Indian philosophy focuses more on Nishkam Karam and indeed our most profound philosophical work, the Geeta is entirely based on this thinking. I feel that Sakam Karam has had a profoundly negative impact on commercial enterprises. It is outside the scope of this post to dwell on how short term, result oriented management ignores value creation in the long term. How 'quarter on quarter' growth has destroyed the core of otherwise well managed corporations. The purpose here is to look for a parallel in the political arena especially with reference to the fledgling AAP.

One of the strongest criticisms of the AAP is that they are politically inexperienced and unproven. This is of course true and is applicable to any young person at the start of their career. In my view this is a non issue. The fact is that both the established national parties in India (not to mention a slew of regional ones) have made a spectacular hash of governance. Even Modi's Gujarat has chinks in its armour and as for West Bengal and UP the less said the better. Hence, there is every reason to look for something new and not keep harking back to the lack of administrative experience of the AAP.

The second criticism about the AAP stems from the seemingly unconventional methods that they adopt. Yesterday I watched an extremely amusing (to me) debate on NDTV in which both the BJP and the Congress tried to belittle the anti corruption helpline that has been started in Delhi by the AAP. While the major parties went all out to criticize this initiative the fact was that the first day got as many as 25,000 calls about corruption! The political establishment is missing the main point. The fact is that our country is simply steeped in corruption and that the Aam Aadmi is just waiting to find a way of expressing his frustration. The Congress in its years of governance in Delhi did not do anything about it and the BJP is not much better. The AAP is at least providing a way forward. It may be imperfect but there is a willingness and desire to do something. One may argue that the multi thousand crore scams that one has got so used to hearing about are not going to be addressed by this help line. That is obviously true, but at least the 'transactional corruption' that Sanjay Jha referred to in the NDTV programme so glibly will get impacted to some extent.

Finally coming to the real purpose of writing this post. The fact of the matter is that corruption cannot be removed by waving a magic wand. Good governance will not descend from heaven. The corrupt edifice that has been created in Indian politics due to years of apathy and neglect will not go away in a hurry. The main thing is for the AAP to follow through diligently on what they undertake. There is no need to worry about results. Results will take care of themselves if they remain true to their ethical and moral philosophy. Most politicians are obsessed with re-election. The AAP should make the most of the time they have got to institute real, sincere and long lasting changes in the body politic. Re election will follow.

The Aam Aadmi Rises

A lot has been written about the Aam Aadmi Party and there will be a lot more in the coming weeks and months. Comments range from the fatuously feminist Sagarika Ghosh who questions why they call themselves 'Aadmi' to more evolved analysis about their aims and objectives.

In 2011 I had written about the Anna Hazare movement. The crux of the matter was that Kejriwal and his team had their eyes on a cleansing of the body politic. Or in a more gory analogy, thrusting a stake into the corrupt edifice that democracy has become in India. These objectives do not sound like evolution. They are revolutionary in intent and scope and that is the purpose of this post.

It is unfortunate that the major political parties have almost become clones of each other. The BJP may have a somewhat more right wing, Hindu supremacist agenda but its modus operandi is no different from the Congress. It was a telling moment when the political class closed ranks against Anna Hazare's movement. None of them really wanted an effective Lok Pal. It is another matter that the bill has now been passed to chalk up a few brownie points for the Government but I am prepared to wager that the effectiveness will be next to nil. The fact is that corruption and the related ills of inefficiency, wastefulness and lavish display have become part of our national culture. The shenanigans at Saifai conducted by the Yadav clan are a case in point.

AAP should not consider themselves to be a part of the political establishment just because they have won the Delhi elections. There is a charming naivete and idealism about the way they have started work in Delhi. This is as it should be. They are more of a people's movement rather than a political party. If they remain true to their original ethos they will achieve great things. A parallel is best drawn with the Bolshevik revolution in Russia. Originally idealistic, it degenerated into totalitarianism in the Stalin era. Kejriwal runs the risk of becoming a fat cat complete with designer kurta pyjamas, SUV and gun toting guards if he decides to compromise on his principles. There will be strong temptation for him to do so especially in the heady aftermath of the Delhi elections.

For his sake and for the country's I wish that he continues to tread the straight, narrow and difficult path for it is the only path that can rescue our country from the morass that it has sunk into. Tagore's inspirational poem about constant, solitary endeavour 'Ekla Chalo Re' should be a beacon light for the organisation:

If they answer not to thy call walk alone

If they are afraid and cower mutely facing the wall,

O thou unlucky one,

open thy mind and speak out alone.

If they turn away, and desert you when crossing the wilderness,

O thou unlucky one,

trample the thorns under thy tread,

and along the blood-lined track travel alone.

If they do not hold up the light when the night is troubled with storm,

O thou unlucky one,

with the thunder flame of pain ignite thy own heart,

and let it burn alone.