Youth in revolt, and on the ballot!

2011 marked a watershed year in terms of the global outpouring of youth aspirations and expectations. While a plethora of revolts swept across much of the the autocratic regimes in Northern Africa, and the still incendiary state of Syria, a number of advocates demanding more from the youth in shaping the events of the 21st century came to the forefront. These were people with a vision, demanding accountability from the governments yet proposing bulwarks against which the young demographic could contribute to improving the socio-economic conditions of the world. The fact that we demand a lot in return for no commitment is a potent argument, especially considering that today's societal structure is more open and fragile than ever before. The need of the hour is strategic rebuilding and prioritizing the aims for this generation and the future ones. 

One constant in the ever evolving fate of human civilization is the timely emergence of the new guard to replace the old one. This cycle of leadership keeps us from becoming stagnant in the transient moment that we are in, and helps us in articulating a vision for the future. A recent New York Times article chronicles one such young leader, Camila Vallejo, a nose-ringed college student straight out of a Nirvana concert, who was till recently leading a well-orchestrated movement against the burgeoning cost of education in the strongest economy of Latin America, Chile. The more famous examples of Wael Ghomin and Jigme Khesar Namgyel provide reminders of young leaders who are willing to rise to the occasion and set out a path for their countries. 

Once look at Indian politics would be enough to decry any proponents of the expanding role of youth leaders in our polity. While it is easy to single out a few names like Rahul Gandhi and Anurag Thakur, or the more infamous ones like Kanimozhi and Jagan Mohan Reddy, the structural ascension of the next generation of young leaders is sorely missing, especially somebody with a concrete vision of shaping our destiny in this century. Why is it that we are so apathetic to participating in our politics? The oft repeated answer is that it is a sludge of corruption, infamy, and back-scratching, that rewards the undeserving more than it should. Case in point being Team Anna's rancor over the right to recall, that attempts to totally bypass any existing democratic norms enshrined in our constitution. But are we actually willing to test it for ourselves? More than half of our 1.2 billion citizens are estimated to be under 25. That's a figure that should bring optimism to any face. Imagine if 200 of them can make it to the parliament once they turn 25, the minimum age of qualification for the office of an MP!  

There are signs that our country is trudging towards replacing the current version of the lower house with one that focuses on all-around economic and social equity. One that will replace the partisan vitriol with spirited exchanges over competing visions of the educational policy. The voting numbers have gone up in all states, thanks to the concerted efforts of the Election commission to ensure free and fair voting for all. Governments like the one of Nitish Kumar have been voted back to power with overwhelming majority, a sign of gratitude for all that he has done to ameliorate the plight of his constituents. As we become more aspirational, and start demanding more accountability, it is just to give something in return, like our time and energy to strengthen our democracy and infuse some fresh ideas in the parliament. A quid pro quo works, at least in most cases! 

PS: Here is a speech that turned a little known first-term senator into a prospective presidential candidate of the USA. Barack Obama, 43-years old then, at the 2004 DNC.

Here's to you Santa!

Dear Santa,


While I fully understand your predicament at this commercially attractive time of the year, I was sincerely hoping that you would take some time out from your sledge surfing (I still believe a leopard would be a far better option that those poor reindeers- just imagine the sheer awesomeness of you perched on a leopard in a Mattel store!) and have a look at my wish list for this Christmas. While I agree to adhere to the North Pole's law book, that this wish list cannot be back-ordered like the one on Amazon, nor can it be sweetened with some last minute tomfoolery by a frustrated customer service agent for Verizon, I pray that you give some consideration to my pleas for the betterment of me and me only. I am not a selfish person, but the principle of rational distribution in a linear set of wishes demands that I focus on my odds of receiving something in lieu of demanding a 100 different things. Who knows, with 4 billion people demanding everything from the iPad to a reunion of Pink Floyd, you could probably spread the love out with my fellow bargainers. See, I am being altruistic here. Okay, back to the list:


1. Get rid of all the parks


Honestly Santa, as much I love the rays of fading sunlight fall on the leaves and turn it into a hue of poise, I feel bad for the poor gardener and his extended clan who have to redo the lawn after every outburst of public sentiment, more so these days with the Lokpal campaign and Occupy Wall street protests. Before I get lambasted by anybody for trying to question our unquestionable right to freedom of expression, I propose that we turn all parks into community centers with clean and hygienic sanitary facilities. We can always alter the landscape so as to maximize the space available for convening a meeting, while having a high-rise in the rear to provide comfortable lodging options for the night. It's a win-win proposition Santa- the government doesn't have to worry about the inconvenience caused to those who wish to take a leisurely stroll in the park, and the protesters can keep shuffling their band of slogan-raising humans so that nobody feels homesick. You can also figure in the advertising revenue to offset the costs of construction, and the cost benefits of letting the private sector sharing a piece of the pie!


2. Create a smarter Facebook


Santa, while you would agree that a lot of people really speak their mind on their walls, how about something which really taps into the mind of an individual? So that facebook would no longer have to politely inquire-"What's on your mind?", rather just publish and say-"Oh, so you didn't like the latest Mood Indigo Livewire night but are just praising it to appear cool to  other metal heads!" 


3. Get rid of money, and replace it with points


Santa, money is the root cause of all problems. Not when you have a lot of it, but then there is no limit to how much is enough. Everyone has a different take on it, from the Tea Party to Mukesh Ambani to Kapil Sibal to daily wage laborer working on the next high-rise in Shanghai. I would certainly not mind making more during grad school. How about we get rid of money all together, so that people have one less thing to complain about on their agenda. We can instead have skill-based remuneration system, something that awards points or something. For example, somebody who can jump 4 hoops at a time gets more points than somebody who can only do 1, or pipetting 1ul accurately should have more value than 1.1ul. Wait, that's how the currency system was born. Oh well, you get the gist of it Santa. Just figure it out using all that wisdom you have accrued while dying your beard starch white.


4. Find another Earth for me


Seriously Santa, these space scientists are driving me nuts with all their talk of Goldilocks zones and Earth-like planets. Every time they come up with an interesting revelation, I get my hopes high of space travel and meeting an alien who will confer superpowers on me a-la Jadoo or E.T., and then it fizzles out. Okay, we have water on Moon, and Mars might have once been home to microbial life, but where is the fabled planet where Spock resides? 


Till next year!


PS: It's the season of holidays, and what better way to celebrate than through the words of John Lennon.

A sham masked as legitimate

Statement after statement emanating from 7 Race course road or the Congress headquarters speaks of the virtues of parliamentary supremacy and traditions, and how it is absolutely necessary to uphold them in the face of every vindictive attempt to drag their name into ignominy. There is a popular maxim in Hindi which goes like- Naach na jaane, aangan teda. Essentially, it means that if you fail at something, you try and find faults with the system which plays only a secondary role in your success. This is exactly what is going on in the ensuing drama between the government and the civil society leaders on the contentious subject of the Jan Lokpal bill. Many of us have been watching with bewilderment the brazen manner in which this current government, perhaps also one of the most corrupt and spineless in recent Indian history, is trying to stifle public opinion and protect the parliament's 'supremacy' over all matters related to national policy. Can you please get to the real issue?

As educated Indians, we are all in consensus that the parliament is indeed the seat of our vibrant democracy and a place for a billion people's voices to be represented in an organized manner. But any attempt to bypass those billions and forcing an oligarchic view of things that a group of parliamentarians see as legitimate, is rubbing salt into the wounds of the already hapless common man. Let's face it, irregardless of the reports from the IMD or the World Bank or McKinsey, Indians are facing an uphill battle to protect their right to a decent living right now. The poor are already overwhelmed; their misery cannot be sufficiently described in a blog post or a news channel debate. However, with rising inflation and all-pervasive corruption strengthening its hold on the system, even the middle class is starting to feel the brunt of government's inaction and blunders. All of us have had our tryst with corruption, while most of us await our tryst with destiny. It is a malaise that spreads like a cancer and preys on the minds of the corrupt and the corruptor.

And what exactly is this sanctity of the parliament that we are trying to protect. Last year, an entire session was wiped out due to a stand-off between an united opposition and an obdurate government. 2008 saw bundles of currency notes being displayed in the parliament as if it were a badge of honor. Scenes of disruption are an everyday sight. In fact, the government respects the parliamentary traditions so much that it objected to permission granted to the leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha to speak on the issue of the Lokpal. Please, stop fooling us, stop this drama. Get on with business, or quit. We are more than capable of voting in a new government, albeit with a mandate of aspiration and transparency. Laissez faire can't go on anymore!

Hello PM! Welcome to the orientation

Dear Dr. Manmohan Singh, I formally welcome you to your orientation as the prime minister of the Republic of India. I understand that you have not just assumed office, but surprisingly, have been at the helm for more than 7 years now. Therefore, as the famous maxim goes- Better late than never, we have decided to conduct an orientation for you to bring you up to speed with the fabrics of Indian democracy and parliamentary system. Well maybe we can leave out the latter, since that is all you and your cabinet seem to be adept at. But in our deliberations, we have concluded that it is of utmost importance that you also take some time out from your frantic consultations with Rahul baba to refresh your class 9th History & Civics.

Let's get started. So dear PM, it seems that you believe anything can only be done efficiently if it is completed in a time bound manner. Of course, your well grounded research of macroeconomic theory and your time at the helm of the Reserve bank of India can be attributed to have led you to this cementing of principles. Unfortunately, economics seems not to work that well in real life, as is evident from the runaway inflation plaguing the country at this moment. You also want to abrogate any attempts to impose pre-conditions on others, especially those who intend no harm to the country and are simply exercising their rights. You remember a certain man known as Mahatma Gandhi? He did it all the time, and the british, as gentlemanly as they were, never resorted to anything more than to arrest him and his followers. Yes sir, that is your government's prerogative, though you might want to balance it out considering we are an independent nation now.

Also, when you say that it is the parliament's prerogative to formulate policies and draft laws, you could not be more correct. But dear sir, as you must have been trained to do in your days as a grad student, you need to incorporate ideas to make them more effective. Your version of the Lokpal bill appears to be a portmanteau of what Raja would like and what Anna would dislike. You can't possibly be taking on two strong personalities, one who loves to taint his cabinet and the other who loves to serve his country. That is simply bad PR! And also, when you are giving important speeches, for example the national address, you must understand that you are not sitting in an auditorium of 50 people, all over 60, who came to discuss some deep lemma in the Keynesian model of economics. You need to show that you are the man in the driver's seat. For reference, check out Atal Bihari Vajpayee's speech on the Kargil war. You'll understand what I am talking about. And please, don't be shy of the media. They've made your party men stars, there is no reason you should allow your generosity to encompass the PM-public contact.

I hope that this session has been fruitful. The next session will be on how to keep a leash on the disruptive elements in your party, who like to have their foot in their mouth all the time!

Peace out.

PS: Arun jaitley shows Abhishek Manu Singhvi who's the boss.