Friday, January 27, 2017

Teflon Manmohan Singh

Manmohan Singh has been doubly fortunate. When he was the finance minister in Narasimha Rao's cabinet, we entered the era of economic reforms which were initiated by the prime minister. The credit however went to Manmohan Singh. Singh never had the courtesy to acknowledge that Narasimha Rao was the trigger. Singh basked and continues to bask in the reflected glory.

From 2004 to 2014 when Singh was the accidental prime minister, many scams took place, most of them criminal. Whenever a crime became public, some ministers or officials were deemed guilty. Singh was always deemed innocent . He would never be investigated. The dictum was: "The king and Singh can do no wrong."

Manmohan Singh's apparent involvement in the Vijay Mallya scam is now the talk of the town. The NDA government which came to power promising good governance and punishment for the guilty does not deem it necessary to investigate the teflon leader. Norms of accountability require that Singh is investigated without any further loss of time for his malignant role in many misdeeds. The reason is simple: 1) If he proves that multiple shenanigans were committed at the behest of somebody else (almost everyone believes Sonia Gandhi was the initiator / beneficiary of several scams), that somebody has to be identified and punished by law, 2) If it is proved that Singh himself was responsible for venality, he has to be put behind bars and 3) if Singh was totally uninvolved in all the scams, he needs to be reprimanded for callous inefficiency.

Whatever be the facts, it is ridiculous that ten years of misrule were tolerated by the nation and law is made to appear helpless. Narendra Modi, despite his assurances of fair play, is setting a bad precedent in letting the former prime minister go uninvestigated and therefore unpunished. We can find out who was responsible for multiple scams only if Singh is investigated thoroughly. However, this is not going to happen. Singh and Modi seem to have a tacit agreement. Modi has to realise that letting a criminal go scot-free is a crime in itself.

Thursday, January 26, 2017

Bravo, Rahul Dravid

Rahul Dravid, a consistent batsman deservedly hailed as the Great Wall for successfully stalling the efforts of opposing teams, has graciously declined to accept the honorary doctorate that the Bangalore University decided to offer him.

Dravid undoubtedly ranks among the topmost cricketers who deserve accolades. His humility that he would rather earn a doctorate is eminently praise-worthy. He has gone up several notches in our respect for the achiever. At a time when everyone is craving for praise and compliments, deserved or more likely undeserved, Dravid's action serves as a beacon. Our netas, particularly politicians, are unlikely to follow him.

Dravid's modesty and gentlemanliness have always stood out. Therefore, his latest action is typically 'Dravidian'.

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Trump - Modi conversation

Donald Trump and Narendra Modi had a fruitful telephonic conversation for 30 minutes between 1800 hours and 1803 hours (IST). During the conversation Trump spoke for 45 minutes.

NM: Trumpji, thanks for calling me. Am I the first leader you are calling after you became POTUS?

T: Yea, I told Nawaz Sharif also the same. I do not change my statement, you know.

NM: We are willing to promote our mutual cooperation. You want more IT professionals from us?

T: I am delighted by your policies. 'Make in India' - fantastic. Please help your professionals make more in India. Don't send them here. Your demonetisation - absolutely fantastic. Demonetise all rupee currency notes and have $ instead. I like your Hideutvaa policy very much.

NM: What? Are you referring to Hindutva?

T: Yea, Hideutvaa. You are successfully hiding people's suffering as sacrifice (yagna)! When you want to hide real issues, you are able to whip up patriotism. I am learning from you. Fantastic! I am sending Barron Trump as our ambassador to your great nation. Please show him Taj Mahal and other tourist spots.

NM: What? Barron Trump as your ambassador in India? He is only 10 years old.

T: Doesn't matter. India is a great country and you are a fantastic leader.

NM: Are you really serious? (NM suddenly remembers Robert Vadra)

T: Yea, I will come up with even more serious proposals to strengthen our relationship. Nawaz Sharif is a fantastic guy.

When Modiji wanted to discuss other issues, Trump hung up.


Saturday, January 21, 2017

Universal truth

World over, there is growing scepticism about politicians. Donald Trump in his inaugural address said,

"We will no longer accept politicians who are all talk and no action -- constantly complaining but never doing anything about it.
The time for empty talk is over. Now arrives the hour of action."
This applies to jallikattu, corruption, black money or any other problem. Trump has echoed everyone's angst. Will he deliver or join other politicians?

Thursday, January 19, 2017

Jallikattu


The 'movement' seems to have multiple nuances. 

The 'marina movement' proves, however feebly though, that people can voice their views even without political intervention. Emotional upsurge has enabled passionate parts of society to 'bulldoze' their ideas on society. Duterte, Brexit, Trump and now Jallikattu are clear examples.

It is difficult to say whether this is a welcome development or not. But it is certainly an interesting development. Passions can bypass politics and judiciary in the short run. Politics and judiciary will be waiting to have their revenge.

Insensitivity to inequality

Oxfam report on growing inequality around the world was released only a few days ago. It captured the worsening inequality that is as disturbing as it is obscene.

Just 8 individuals own the same amount of wealth as half the population of the world (that is 3.6 billion people).

58 % of India's wealth is owned by the richest 1% of Indian population. There are many more disturbing data like these. It is unfortunate that in these worrisome circumstances a WIPRO executive has made an insensitive comment at Davos:

Report from NewYork Times:

mie Tsang
People are angry at the economic elite.
So the economic elite have gathered in the Swiss Alps to discuss this.
And what do they suggest? People who have not benefited from globalization need to try harder to emulate those who have succeeded.
“People have to take more ownership of upgrading themselves on a continuous basis,” Abidali Neemuchwala, the chief executive of the information technology and consulting company Wipro, said at one event.
Little discussed ideas: bolstering the power of workers to bargain for better wages and redistributing wealth from the top to the bottom.
“That agenda is anathema to a lot of Davos men and women,” said Joseph E. Stiglitz, a Nobel laureate economist and author of numerous books on globalization and economic inequality.
If that remains the case, the global populism insurrection may continue apace.

Insensitivity to inequality

Oxfam report on growing inequality around the world was released only a few days ago. It captured the worsening inequality that is as disturbing as it is obscene.

Just 8 individuals own the same amount of wealth as half the population of the world (that is 3.6 billion people).

58 % of India's wealth is owned by the richest 1% of Indian population. There are many more disturbing data like these. It is unfortunate that in these worrisome circumstances a WIPRO executive has made an insensitive comment at Davos:

Report from NewYork Times:

 "Amie Tsang
People are angry at the economic elite.
So the economic elite have gathered in the Swiss Alps to discuss this.
And what do they suggest? People who have not benefited from globalization need to try harder to emulate those who have succeeded.
“People have to take more ownership of upgrading themselves on a continuous basis,” Abidali Neemuchwala, the chief executive of the information technology and consulting company Wipro, said at one event.
Little discussed ideas: bolstering the power of workers to bargain for better wages and redistributing wealth from the top to the bottom.
“That agenda is anathema to a lot of Davos men and women,” said Joseph E. Stiglitz, a Nobel laureate economist and author of numerous books on globalization and economic inequality.
If that remains the case, the global populism insurrection may continue apace."

Wednesday, January 18, 2017

Is fight for jallikattu a social movement?

Agitation for restoring jallikattu in TamilNadu seems to be seamlessly transforming itself from a political issue to a social movement. What was considered a fringe play has metamorphosed into a mainstream movement with full-blown social and cultural implications.

Even those who were initially against jallikattu are now becoming its protagonists. Zaka Jacob, anchor in CNN Channel, and Radhakrishnan of Frontline magazine come to mind immediately. Kris Srikkanth is aggressively batting for it. Kamal Hassan with his provocative oneliner, "Why not ban Biryani also", has been supporting jallikattu from the beginning.

The evolving consensus now appears to be that jallikattu, an ancient rural sport, is not, and certainly need not be, inclusive of violence against the bull. The theme of the sport is to hold the bull's hump as long as possible. It is a test of physical stamina, understanding of bull's mind and one's own resilience.

Many may wonder how this has caught the imagination of many IT professionals in Chennai, the city that is not home to jallikattu. The reason is straightforward : Most IT professionals in Chennai hail from rural and semi-urban areas and their nostalgic emotions have been activated. 

Sunday, January 15, 2017

Fragile Justice

CJI Mr.Khehar has publicly announced that a friend who is very close to him will not be allowed to argue in his court. This move is perhaps to preclude charges of partiality. The intention is good. How practical is this as a guarantor of fairness in justice delivery?

Other judges now know that this advocate is close to CJI. Human as they are, will they ensure that no special treatment is meted out to him? After all, as the popular saying goes, "A great lawyer is one who knows the law. A successful lawyer is one who knows the judge."

This is not to say that there is cronyism in entire judiciary. This only shows the difficulty, if not impossibility, of avoiding personal bias while hearing cases. Cronyism may not subvert justice. But it certainly tilts justice in favour of the friendly, the known and the accommodative.

Bias arises not only due to friendship, but also due to cultural and social factors. E.M.S.Namboodripad controversially observed, “between a well dressed pot-bellied rich man and a poor ill-dressed and illiterate person the judge instinctively favours the former”. 

Thuglak's 47th annual meeting

The not-so-eagerly awaited 47th annual meeting of Thuglak readers took place on January 14th at the Music Academy. Surprisingly, it was well attended despite the unfortunate absence of CHO.

Purpose of this meeting was only to pay tribute to the memory of the unique satirist. Readers were not allowed to express their sentiments. 'In keeping with the solemnity of the event', only the five on the dais spoke. They were Padma Subramaniam, N.Ravi, G.Viswanathan, Rajinikanth and S.Gurumurthy.

Padma Subramaniam spoke of her family's long relationship with Cho's. She repeatedly broke down, but was able to regain her composure immediately. N.Ravi, deputising for N.Ram, was matter-of-fact just like The Hindu. He referred to Cho's strong espousal of freedom of expression.

G.Viswanathan, educationist, eulogised Cho's quality of listening to views contrary to his before tearing them apart. He acknowledged Cho's contribution in his electoral success.

Rajinikanth proved that he is a talented speaker. His gesticulations (mannerisms?) added value. His talk was as witty as it was profound. Gurumurthy said that Cho had identified him as the next editor of Thuglak as early as 1989. He promised to continue Thuglak as a fearless magazine. He acknowledged the contribution made by every employee of the magazine.

Can Gurumurthy maintain the enviable standards set by Cho? It is too early to comment on this. Gurumurthy has safely hedged his position saying that Thuglak is what it is because of its staff members. So the burden of living up to the benchmark is not on his shoulders alone.

The meet culminated in a live video-talk by Narendra Modi who confirmed that like others, he also benefitted immensely by Cho's sagacious objective advice.

Saturday, January 14, 2017

Is normality a disorder?


What is Normal?

Paul Verhaeghe is a Belgian Professor of clinical psychology. I was surprised to see the title of one of his bestsellers: 'On Being Normal and other Disorders - A Manual for clinical psychodiagnosis'. I thought that being normal is now treated as a disorder. I was wrong. It was always treated as a disorder. The book was written in the year 2004!

Friday, January 13, 2017

Is Chandra the answer?

Musk deer emits a peculiar fragrance, but does not know it does. Eager to find the source of the fragrance, it keeps jumping up and down till it tires itself out. Natarajan Chandrasekaran, hailed as a befitting choice for chairmanship of Tata Sons has now been identified after a world-wide search for replacement of Cyrus Mistry. The solution was within. The 'search committee' spent time and money to find the obvious solution. Or, is it an obvious solution?

Reports are that Chandra is smart, diligent, humble and friendly. At 53, age is on his side. His doctor is supposed to have 'prescribed' walking for him, and he has taken the advice seriously enough to participate in marathons. There are obviously many positives about him.

But, does he possess one quality that is desperately needed to retrieve the Tata group from the reputational crisis it has recently stepped into? He has grown with TCS. Someone brought up in the Tata Culture (though I am unable to figure out what this culture really is ) may find it difficult, if not impossible, to be impervious to pressures, covert and if necessary overt, from Ratan Tata. If he has been chosen for his performance, it is to be welcomed. But if the consideration has been to continue the Ratan Tata legacy and to avoid the risk of yet another Mistry, it spells further trouble for the group. The million dollar question is: Will Chandra be empowered to do what he thinks is correct?

Added on January 15: Chandra is the youngest of three illustrious brothers. The first is N.Srinivasan, Director (Finance) in Murugappa Group companies. N.Ganapathy Subramaniam is the COO of TCS.

Wednesday, January 04, 2017

Ignorance and Superior Ignorance

Every new discovery happens to be a humbling experience. Physiologists and anatomists have now discovered that 'mesentery' which connects the abdomen to intestines is integral and not a mishmash and therefore qualifies as a human organ. Gray's 'Anatomy', the Bible for anatomists, has thus been revised to note there are 79 organs in the human body.

Some critics speculate that doctors, particularly gastroenterologists, have so far been treating digestive disorders without having a comprehensive knowledge of the organs and processes involved. (This is not to suggest that other doctors are doing a better job.) It is hoped that with a better appreciation of mesentery, we are in for better diagnosis and treatment.

As our knowledge widens, appreciation of our ignorance deepens. The laity is aware of its ignorance. The professionals are deluded by their superior ignorance and hence are  unable to comprehend their own unawareness.

Sunday, January 01, 2017

Modi's announcements

Demonetisation, despite its theoretical merit, has inconvenienced the layman enormously. So, the prime-mover, Narendra Modi, had to come up with some pacifiers to lull people's anger at least for some more time. Thus we now have interest subsidy (subvention) on some housing loans, conversion of Kisan cards into Rupay cards, interest waiver on some agricultural loans for 60 days (!) and 8% interest deposit scheme for senior citizens.

Modi has dared to commit his political capital for the bold move of demonetisation. RBI has let him down terribly by dearth of planning for introduction of new notes. Modi's new year-eve announcements are not a free lunch.

It is not clear how long the subvention on home loans (upto Rs.12 lac) will last. Those gullible borrowers who do not factor this uncertainty in their calculations may end up under-estimating their EMIs for the longer period. This may lead to sub-prime crisis. It was funny to note some TV channels mistaking 3% interest subvention as 3% interest rate on home loans. That would have been a bonanza for borrowers.

8% Fixed rate interest may look attractive for senior citizens now. Once inflation reasserts itself and interest rates resume their northward journey, depositors may feel tricked and trapped in a low-return long-term investment. 10-Year period for deposit is too long for depositors' comfort.

Modi is caught in a cleft stick though his bold moves are interesting and justifiable.