This appeared in The South Asian Times today.
Whether you have any new tricks up your sleeve this Holi festival or not, many do. The women prisoners of Tihar jail have made edible handmade colors that you can play Holi with. Edible - now that's revolutionary. You won't have to devour that someone who carelessly thrusts a bout of color in your mouth. Parachute hair oil is running ads with a special hair oil that won't damage your hair despite gulal. Our gals would be so relieved. The number one cause of depression amongst the fair sex post Holi day always seems to be damaged hair. And the Mayor of Mumbai has promised the residents extra water supply on the d-day. How we all need those endless showers and incessant scrubbing to wash it all off. Very thoughtful gift.
The colors of Holi, by its very definition, seems like an oxymoron to me. White, the purest and most colorless of all colors, being the unspoken dress code, is predominant on this day. I always wondered why people would want to ruin their whites. But what other color can take a multitude of color so well? What other color can make the other colors sparkle so much?
There is a variety of elements to Holi. Something for everyone. No wonder it's one of the most popular festivals. The elderly enjoy going in circles around the sacred fire and narrating its significance and stories to the young lot, the young ones love getting drenched in colored water and returning the favor to their counterparts, the youngest ones enjoy silly games like water balloons fights and related pranks and the festival even tends to bring out the worst from the violent and evil souls who get away with casually dragging unsuspecting strangers into it. But it’s all good. After all, what is Holi without a few street fights?
I have so many memories of Holi… some I think of fondly and some others, not so much. I still remember slapping a little gutsy boy who'd taken the liberty of drowning me in a tank filled with some yucky foul smelling color that stained my skin for days. How cool would it be if he still remembered? And we all know a neighbor’s kid who would invariably return bruised from all those water balloons that he would easily become a target of by random people. Of course seeing the uncles lose their sanity along with sips of bhang was entertaining to say the least and I’m being mighty polite. But my most favorite one was in the land of colors, Rajasthan. The glorious Krishna temple of Nathdwara was lit up beautifully, the bright neons that delightfully draped all the Rajasthani women and adorned the heads of local men added a lovely touch and heaps of colors brought out on silver trays were soon in the air making every face in the crowd indistinguishable. Folk music in the background was chocolate slivers on the cake.
Holi is a festival that unites like no other. Once the color is on, all bets are off unless you can tell one person’s smile from another. Whether you’re celebrating Holi at a temple or at a beach on foreign soil or on a crowded street in India, I hope it brings you immense bliss and joy. I’ve been letting the Holi Garba flyers just lay on the floor – but that’s an option. Perhaps I’ll just dab an extra dose of the blue shimmery eye shadow that I’m so in love with and give the colors a pass this year.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Road To Rio
This appeared in The South Asian Times yesterday.
Sao Paulo looks like any other metro in India at a first glance. It’s a concrete jungle. Houses in every color you can imagine, construction sites as messed up as any others you might have seen in India, clothes hung to dry in the balconies of high rises, two wheelers, street hawkers and people; lots and lots of people. Its enormity easily makes it one of the largest metros in the world and sky scrapers make it Mumbai-like, difficult to spot where the downtown is. But once you enter downtown, you know it; graffiti covered walls unmistakably set up stage for those crime stories you might have heard about the country. Traffic is so dense that it isn’t uncommon for those with heavy pockets to move around in choppers. Known as the fashion capital of South America, Sao Paulo definitely has a lot of color; in fabrics, on people and in general. Also hard to miss is the love for soccer in the natives; from spotting it on the country’s flag to spotting it in the eyes of bouncy teenagers, it is ubiquitous. If you’re traveling from any cold country, weather is to die for in February; warm and humid, just the way I like it. The biggest challenge though is the language. Not a word of English; I mean it. Luckily, I figured out nine magic Portuguese words that helped me get veggie food, travel through metros, ask for things in my size while shopping and bargain hard. The locals are a warm lot so just a few words in their lingo do the trick.
Before I could get enough of Sao Paulo, I was on the road to Rio. Rio De Janerio; just the name has such an intoxicating ring to it. I’d forgotten notes from my history class and presumed Rio to be the capital of the country. Wrong. Brasilia, the capital, is known for its futuristic buildings and is a relatively new city. Back to the Rio story. They say sometimes the planetary configuration is such that no matter what you do, you end up doing things wrong. I did, several times over. It all started with a harmless decision to drive a distance of 230 miles in a country where I didn’t speak the language. Everything that followed was a thrill. Enormous tolls (forty Reais each way), indecipherable highway and street names, no exits for miles and stick shift rental car with no GPS added up to quite a bit of adventure. Driving inside Rio took that adventure several notches up. The city is carved out of mountains and has a breathtaking landscape. The gorgeous view of Christ The Redeemer (Cristo Redentor) statue made on the peak of a tall mountain hits you just as you enter. It’s easy to spot areas of poor-quality housing and slums that are usually located on the city's many mountain slopes, juxtaposed with middle-class neighborhoods. For driving to my hotel, I had to count my blessings. Endless tunnels with several parallel highways made me feel like I was trapped in a cob web. I feel highly indebted to Google. If not for their iPhone navigation, my imagination fails me on where I would have landed up. Even if one hasn’t seen Blame It On Rio or Cocktail, one has definitely heard about Copacabana. It’s one of the most famous beaches of the world located in Rio and boy did I feel like I was on cloud nine! Swimming in the bluest waters with the hottest bodies in the warmest weather is a sin one must commit.
The most sinfully inviting thing about my trip was the Carnival. For most of the week, samba is the call that brings people together, with daily parades setting off from various locations. One can either see it in grand samba dome or participate in one of the authentic street celebrations. A common misconception is that Carnival is a Rio thing. But one can practically go to any city and be a part of it. Sao Paulo carnival is just about as grand as Rio’s, with hundreds of majestic floats with mind boggling set up, samba dancers of all ages and at all stages in life with creative costumes, topless beauty queens with glamorous feather wings and sparkling heels preceding every float, beats that make even the laziest feet dance and lyrics that you can sing along with despite the language. It’s all about celebrating the spirit of the people. A spirit that lingers on in the air even after the carnival is long over. A spirit that is so contagious that one can’t help but get painted in. A spirit I’m bringing back with me. Chow chow.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
On board AA
Tuesday got off on a rough start. I woke up at 5 when I really could have managed it all even if I had hit snooze on the alarm set at 7 a few times. Then a very inefficient American Airlines rep made me shell out a whopping $450 out of nowhere for the little one (who’s under 2 for the record) for a ticket category that she totally made up on the spot – lapticket, which for the gullible means free ticket, sure but you still gotta please Uncle Sam. And they say we’re not frighteningly close to being a socialist country. Yeah right.
On the short 3 hour flight to Dallas, I was doing the usual – familiarizing myself with environment. A guy on expense (who immediately bought in-flight internet and wine and spent a majority of time playing online poker amidst sending some e-mails from Outlook), an obese woman (admiring her double cheese sandwich), a hippie traveler (with large hair and several piercings who didn’t mind the air on her with full force when everyone else (I) was freezing), an Indian nerdy gentleman (with thick glasses who kept himself busy with thick reports) and the guy who slept with his mouth so wide open, I could have slid a giant koi into it.
As I flipped a page of the novel I was reading, I read something interesting. One of the characters, a strategy consultant was recommending his client, an airline, that they use intelligence to assign seating to their customers on the flight. It’s no secret that at the click of a button, we all become a bunch of demographics – female, under 30, single, no kids, 125k income, property range of 250-500k, domestic traveler, orders home gym shopping catalogue, you get the point. The airline had built their business on price alone and the consultant was convincing the airline that it’d do wonders for them to market the idea of ‘human togetherness’. Which basically translated into seating like-minded people together without their knowledge to create a better travel experience. I couldn’t help think if it was to get implemented. Yes I might learn some new tricks of handling toddler tantrums if I was automatically seated next to another mommy and yes our kids could collectively cry in unison and no one would give us a dirty look but what would happen to all my fun observations? I need variety to survive! Don’t you?
I opened the flimsy plastic window shade to look out. The brightness from the thick cloud layer almost blinded me. With a mouth so dry that I couldn’t even swallow, I kept wondering. It didn’t look dreamy. The infinite vastness of the space made me uneasy. I think I might like confinement more than I think I like it. It was a slightly shocking realization. May be I just need some sleep and my $450 back. There’s so much I could do with that money. Aah the possibilities.
The little fat thing bounced on me one more time. Time to sign off. Have a safe one.
On the short 3 hour flight to Dallas, I was doing the usual – familiarizing myself with environment. A guy on expense (who immediately bought in-flight internet and wine and spent a majority of time playing online poker amidst sending some e-mails from Outlook), an obese woman (admiring her double cheese sandwich), a hippie traveler (with large hair and several piercings who didn’t mind the air on her with full force when everyone else (I) was freezing), an Indian nerdy gentleman (with thick glasses who kept himself busy with thick reports) and the guy who slept with his mouth so wide open, I could have slid a giant koi into it.
As I flipped a page of the novel I was reading, I read something interesting. One of the characters, a strategy consultant was recommending his client, an airline, that they use intelligence to assign seating to their customers on the flight. It’s no secret that at the click of a button, we all become a bunch of demographics – female, under 30, single, no kids, 125k income, property range of 250-500k, domestic traveler, orders home gym shopping catalogue, you get the point. The airline had built their business on price alone and the consultant was convincing the airline that it’d do wonders for them to market the idea of ‘human togetherness’. Which basically translated into seating like-minded people together without their knowledge to create a better travel experience. I couldn’t help think if it was to get implemented. Yes I might learn some new tricks of handling toddler tantrums if I was automatically seated next to another mommy and yes our kids could collectively cry in unison and no one would give us a dirty look but what would happen to all my fun observations? I need variety to survive! Don’t you?
I opened the flimsy plastic window shade to look out. The brightness from the thick cloud layer almost blinded me. With a mouth so dry that I couldn’t even swallow, I kept wondering. It didn’t look dreamy. The infinite vastness of the space made me uneasy. I think I might like confinement more than I think I like it. It was a slightly shocking realization. May be I just need some sleep and my $450 back. There’s so much I could do with that money. Aah the possibilities.
The little fat thing bounced on me one more time. Time to sign off. Have a safe one.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Voice of youngistaan
I don't know what it is. I can't put a finger on it. But I feel the force. I feel the power. I feel the emotion. In the world of marketing, this would pass as a brilliant campaign. In the world of patriotism, this is a phenomenal campaign. Its ROI may not be tangible but its essence is there for everyone to experience.
In case you’re still wondering, I just saw the newly created and majorly overhauled "Phir Mile Sur..." song released on the Republic Day eve by Amitabh Bachchan. It's been over 2 decades since the original one, which was an instant hit and had quite an impact with its ‘Unity in Diversity’ message. This one is the latest 16 minute run to hit the tube where the glitterati take you across several locales of historical significance within the country with a very special message delivered in an eye-catching and foot-tapping manner. Several known faces from various walks of life, be it super stars, be it musicians, be it sportsmen; all singing the same tune calling upon the nation to unite using extraordinary yet simple poetry.
What I loved about this one was the breathtaking visuals shot with new age techniques, several new variations of the first two lines of the songs and the undertone which subtly points to a new, young India. Like Anushka Shankar's manicured fingers on sitar instead of Ravi Shankar's, like Shreya Ghoshal singing in an open bus while letting the wind blow her hair instead of Lata Mangeshkar in front of a dated microphone in a studio and Shahid Kapur pulling off a rock star act as opposed to a more understated Amitabh-Jitendra-Mithun trio displaying the bonds of brotherhood. The seamless contrast between tabla/santoor/sitar and guitar/fingerboard/piano is striking. And of course I loved the goose bumps it gave me. Some things never change though; like Amitabh's aura, Sallu bhaiya's MIA shirt and Aishwarya's acting (yes she did emote!). All the next door faces in the original version have been replaced by popular ones though making it a tad too Bollywoody but going by how crowded Bollywood has become lately, a lot of them are indeed next door faces. Which also means it feels like a mini movie, going by the length of it but who’s complaining?
Whether you’re chilling or slogging away with no time to breathe or on Prozac or just not in the mood for anything, go watch this. It’ll perk up your spirits. And you won’t feel left out when everyone on Facebook and Twitter is talking about it.
In case you’re still wondering, I just saw the newly created and majorly overhauled "Phir Mile Sur..." song released on the Republic Day eve by Amitabh Bachchan. It's been over 2 decades since the original one, which was an instant hit and had quite an impact with its ‘Unity in Diversity’ message. This one is the latest 16 minute run to hit the tube where the glitterati take you across several locales of historical significance within the country with a very special message delivered in an eye-catching and foot-tapping manner. Several known faces from various walks of life, be it super stars, be it musicians, be it sportsmen; all singing the same tune calling upon the nation to unite using extraordinary yet simple poetry.
What I loved about this one was the breathtaking visuals shot with new age techniques, several new variations of the first two lines of the songs and the undertone which subtly points to a new, young India. Like Anushka Shankar's manicured fingers on sitar instead of Ravi Shankar's, like Shreya Ghoshal singing in an open bus while letting the wind blow her hair instead of Lata Mangeshkar in front of a dated microphone in a studio and Shahid Kapur pulling off a rock star act as opposed to a more understated Amitabh-Jitendra-Mithun trio displaying the bonds of brotherhood. The seamless contrast between tabla/santoor/sitar and guitar/fingerboard/piano is striking. And of course I loved the goose bumps it gave me. Some things never change though; like Amitabh's aura, Sallu bhaiya's MIA shirt and Aishwarya's acting (yes she did emote!). All the next door faces in the original version have been replaced by popular ones though making it a tad too Bollywoody but going by how crowded Bollywood has become lately, a lot of them are indeed next door faces. Which also means it feels like a mini movie, going by the length of it but who’s complaining?
Whether you’re chilling or slogging away with no time to breathe or on Prozac or just not in the mood for anything, go watch this. It’ll perk up your spirits. And you won’t feel left out when everyone on Facebook and Twitter is talking about it.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
2009 the year that was…
This appeared in The South Asian Times on Saturday.
How does one write about a year that is coming to a close? Like everything else if you generalize and take a high level overview, then the graph would have similar patterns, with spikes and dips in different places. From a macro perspective this could be remembered as the year when the global financial system came to the brink of disaster. Or it could be remembered as the year that resulted in one of the most fantastic rescue efforts from all the major central banks. But the story is much different when you get into the details. That is where life takes place. It's not in the statistics that get reported on the GDP growth rate, the unemployment numbers and the dozen of percentages with a negative sign preceding it. But it is in the day to day struggle of families, people who lost their jobs, for whom the unemployment rate is nothing but 100%. Here’s the year through my eyes and from my memory.
The year started off as one of the scariest times to be employed in the US. Amidst the news channels blasting comparisons with the Great Depression and predictions of everything collapsing, there was little to smile about. One came to realize how truly interconnected the global economy is these days. A crisis that started off in the US financial system quickly brought the global economic machinery to a screeching halt. I guess this is what Thomas Friedman meant when he said that the ‘World Is Flat’. It was the year when I had to see some of my close friends and colleagues let go of the stability factor in their life, not for any real cause of their own. It brings to mind the question - do we really control our destinies? Somebody once told me that life is like a game of poker. The key is not the hand you get dealt with, but your decision afterwards - whether to fold or to play on.
2009 was the year I saw one of the most eloquent personalities take office of the President of the United States. It was a landmark event for my host country and I personally felt very proud of it. In my opinion there was no one more deserving to take that post at such a time of crisis. After all the man exudes hope and optimism. Where it did go overboard was the giving of a certain prize that I had vowed never to talk about again but just couldn’t help myself. I guess it's just not me who wants to cling onto something positive at times of crisis. The jury is still out on whether he will prove himself worthy of it, but if I were to wager I would say he would come out shining when all is said and done. (Mr. President, hope you are listening!!!)
On the tech front, iPhone makers probably understood what Amitabh Bachchan meant when he said the world is made up of two kinds of people; in this case, the iPhone users and the rest (losers?) It found unmatched popularity with new models alright but not without the birth of its potential contender, Google's Android. The real war will begin this year and I’m already hooked. Google employees probably spent hours trying to develop it, just as scientists spent hours trying to develop a flu vaccine and as for me, I spent hours trying to fight cellulite and the Conflicker virus, the later a definite victory for hackers inc. Oh and China has one more star in it’s kitty, like it needs any more, with the most dazzling celestial phenomenon of the year and of the 21st century, the total solar eclipse, being completely visible in parts of the country. China 1 – India 0 on that.
This year unfortunately was the time to say good byes to many of my beloved personalities like Michael Jackson, Patrick Swayze, Farrah Fawcett, Ted Kennedy and Britney Murphy amongst others. But we’ve survived and emerged stronger, haven’t we?
2009 was also the year I saw a very confident, young and ambitious India make its presence felt on the world stage - be it the in pro-growth policies of a young breed of politicians coming of age, the leadership shown by the country with its 7-8% GDP growth rate or the stance we took at the Copenhagen climate summit. I see this as a fore bearing of great things to come from that region.
And best of all, to close out the year Aamir Khan decided to give us one of the most brilliant movies I have seen in a long time. The message couldn't be more apt for a year like this "Jab life ho out of control..."
In the end for me 2009 was the year of great change and promise for a bright future. In the last few days I have had the time to reflect on the year gone by and when I look at the sheer pleasure my 19-month old daughter gets out of simple acts, the good things far outweigh the not so good ones.
In life, irrespective of the cards you get dealt with you always have to play on. That's the only way I have learnt to live and that's the way I plan to welcome 2010.
Have a great year folks!
How does one write about a year that is coming to a close? Like everything else if you generalize and take a high level overview, then the graph would have similar patterns, with spikes and dips in different places. From a macro perspective this could be remembered as the year when the global financial system came to the brink of disaster. Or it could be remembered as the year that resulted in one of the most fantastic rescue efforts from all the major central banks. But the story is much different when you get into the details. That is where life takes place. It's not in the statistics that get reported on the GDP growth rate, the unemployment numbers and the dozen of percentages with a negative sign preceding it. But it is in the day to day struggle of families, people who lost their jobs, for whom the unemployment rate is nothing but 100%. Here’s the year through my eyes and from my memory.
The year started off as one of the scariest times to be employed in the US. Amidst the news channels blasting comparisons with the Great Depression and predictions of everything collapsing, there was little to smile about. One came to realize how truly interconnected the global economy is these days. A crisis that started off in the US financial system quickly brought the global economic machinery to a screeching halt. I guess this is what Thomas Friedman meant when he said that the ‘World Is Flat’. It was the year when I had to see some of my close friends and colleagues let go of the stability factor in their life, not for any real cause of their own. It brings to mind the question - do we really control our destinies? Somebody once told me that life is like a game of poker. The key is not the hand you get dealt with, but your decision afterwards - whether to fold or to play on.
2009 was the year I saw one of the most eloquent personalities take office of the President of the United States. It was a landmark event for my host country and I personally felt very proud of it. In my opinion there was no one more deserving to take that post at such a time of crisis. After all the man exudes hope and optimism. Where it did go overboard was the giving of a certain prize that I had vowed never to talk about again but just couldn’t help myself. I guess it's just not me who wants to cling onto something positive at times of crisis. The jury is still out on whether he will prove himself worthy of it, but if I were to wager I would say he would come out shining when all is said and done. (Mr. President, hope you are listening!!!)
On the tech front, iPhone makers probably understood what Amitabh Bachchan meant when he said the world is made up of two kinds of people; in this case, the iPhone users and the rest (losers?) It found unmatched popularity with new models alright but not without the birth of its potential contender, Google's Android. The real war will begin this year and I’m already hooked. Google employees probably spent hours trying to develop it, just as scientists spent hours trying to develop a flu vaccine and as for me, I spent hours trying to fight cellulite and the Conflicker virus, the later a definite victory for hackers inc. Oh and China has one more star in it’s kitty, like it needs any more, with the most dazzling celestial phenomenon of the year and of the 21st century, the total solar eclipse, being completely visible in parts of the country. China 1 – India 0 on that.
This year unfortunately was the time to say good byes to many of my beloved personalities like Michael Jackson, Patrick Swayze, Farrah Fawcett, Ted Kennedy and Britney Murphy amongst others. But we’ve survived and emerged stronger, haven’t we?
2009 was also the year I saw a very confident, young and ambitious India make its presence felt on the world stage - be it the in pro-growth policies of a young breed of politicians coming of age, the leadership shown by the country with its 7-8% GDP growth rate or the stance we took at the Copenhagen climate summit. I see this as a fore bearing of great things to come from that region.
And best of all, to close out the year Aamir Khan decided to give us one of the most brilliant movies I have seen in a long time. The message couldn't be more apt for a year like this "Jab life ho out of control..."
In the end for me 2009 was the year of great change and promise for a bright future. In the last few days I have had the time to reflect on the year gone by and when I look at the sheer pleasure my 19-month old daughter gets out of simple acts, the good things far outweigh the not so good ones.
In life, irrespective of the cards you get dealt with you always have to play on. That's the only way I have learnt to live and that's the way I plan to welcome 2010.
Have a great year folks!
Friday, December 25, 2009
End or re-birth of democracy?
This appeared in The South Asian Times today.
The government of Gujarat has recently adopted an interesting Bill that makes voting compulsory in local body elections thereby making it the first state in India to do it. Which means all registered voters in Gujarat will be required to vote. No excuses, no backing out. Sounds rather unsettling on the surface. Those absent will be asked to submit a valid reason with proof and if the reason ain’t valid, it could lead to suspension of benefits. Love the idea. Reminds me of middle school. Love the public and political reaction to it even more. Reminds me of college. Apparently this move has come as a way towards eradicating electoral irregularities. Oh and of course eradicating the black money that buys votes (which is not going anywhere, if you ask me). Modi optimistically has termed it a “historic move to strengthen democracy”.
Supporters are so happy that they think it should be extended to Assembly and Parliamentary polls too. Wishful thinking? You never know. The Election Commission doesn't seem too convinced though and has termed the idea ‘impossible’. But an appalling statistic reveals that a staggering 40% of the voter population (30 crores out of 70 crores) is a no show on the big day. And then we complain. And we complain. And we complain some more. It seems to have become our favorite pass time to not contribute where we can and later feel helpless when unpleasant situations crop up. Sure voting is our right, and it should be discretionary by its very nature but when that right is not exercised, can't it be enforced and what is so wrong if it does get enforced?
Needless to say, it has been the cause of a major national debate. Some believe democracy and compulsion do not go hand in hand. Others believe less stricter options like educating the voters should be considered. But that education, even if in its understated form has been ongoing for decades and the results are there for us to see. It's been the same strategy on auto play. Engage the youth, particularly school and college students, get them to do street plays, distribute literature in economically backward areas, give a few TV and radio interviews and then what? Status quo.
It’s not an innovative idea. Some 32 countries have done it before and have witnessed a steep increase in their voter turnouts. I see a number of good things about it. It can be looked upon as an essential step to tackle the decline in voting. It has the potential of bringing people’s attention to politics which translates into better informed voters. The outcome would be really representative of the masses and not just a segment of the society and ultimately it would lead to better quality of decisions.
Like any new proposal, it has a not-so-bright aspect to it as well. First off, you’re infuriating that certain percentage of people who neither care not understand politics. Making it compulsory for them might do no good. Also, a good amount may vote with no knowledge or information about any candidates which can skew the numbers. In some sense, it is a denial of people’s freedom.
How practical and useful this decision turns out to be, remains to be seen. But for now, more power to people!
The government of Gujarat has recently adopted an interesting Bill that makes voting compulsory in local body elections thereby making it the first state in India to do it. Which means all registered voters in Gujarat will be required to vote. No excuses, no backing out. Sounds rather unsettling on the surface. Those absent will be asked to submit a valid reason with proof and if the reason ain’t valid, it could lead to suspension of benefits. Love the idea. Reminds me of middle school. Love the public and political reaction to it even more. Reminds me of college. Apparently this move has come as a way towards eradicating electoral irregularities. Oh and of course eradicating the black money that buys votes (which is not going anywhere, if you ask me). Modi optimistically has termed it a “historic move to strengthen democracy”.
Supporters are so happy that they think it should be extended to Assembly and Parliamentary polls too. Wishful thinking? You never know. The Election Commission doesn't seem too convinced though and has termed the idea ‘impossible’. But an appalling statistic reveals that a staggering 40% of the voter population (30 crores out of 70 crores) is a no show on the big day. And then we complain. And we complain. And we complain some more. It seems to have become our favorite pass time to not contribute where we can and later feel helpless when unpleasant situations crop up. Sure voting is our right, and it should be discretionary by its very nature but when that right is not exercised, can't it be enforced and what is so wrong if it does get enforced?
Needless to say, it has been the cause of a major national debate. Some believe democracy and compulsion do not go hand in hand. Others believe less stricter options like educating the voters should be considered. But that education, even if in its understated form has been ongoing for decades and the results are there for us to see. It's been the same strategy on auto play. Engage the youth, particularly school and college students, get them to do street plays, distribute literature in economically backward areas, give a few TV and radio interviews and then what? Status quo.
It’s not an innovative idea. Some 32 countries have done it before and have witnessed a steep increase in their voter turnouts. I see a number of good things about it. It can be looked upon as an essential step to tackle the decline in voting. It has the potential of bringing people’s attention to politics which translates into better informed voters. The outcome would be really representative of the masses and not just a segment of the society and ultimately it would lead to better quality of decisions.
Like any new proposal, it has a not-so-bright aspect to it as well. First off, you’re infuriating that certain percentage of people who neither care not understand politics. Making it compulsory for them might do no good. Also, a good amount may vote with no knowledge or information about any candidates which can skew the numbers. In some sense, it is a denial of people’s freedom.
How practical and useful this decision turns out to be, remains to be seen. But for now, more power to people!
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Change on wheels
This appeared in The South Asian Times today.
Something about the world is changing. There’s snow on the streets in the perennially sunny state of California, the man who defines 'ideal' is now a playboy with 11 mistresses, Indian politicians have discovered this winter that we just do not have enough states in the country with crazy names, Kareena Kapur is being spotted wearing Kanjeevaram sarees and the apology of 2009 has come from pigs and not the president.
Change is good. Change is inevitable. Change is the only constant. We've all grown up letting those concepts make an impression on our frail minds. But today I ask, why change what is already the best, what is already ideal, what is just right? Different people, different answers. Boredom, lack of thrill, the desire to try something new or just plain simple look-n-learn approach. Tiger Woods would probably choose all of the above. Kareena, the same. Indian politicians, I still have to ask and I really hope its absurd logic so I can feel better about my suspicion. As for Obama, I doubt he'll get away without an apology at the end of the year unlike Bush. If not for healthcare reform proposals, if not for deploying more troops and delaying the exit timelines, if not for bringing over our friends from the Guantanamo Bay prison and dumping them in US, if not for being extremely prematurely elected for bagging the Nobel and even accepting it, he might just end up apologizing to those of us who truly live for fashion for making us live through his wife's fashion icon image.
Then I read a nice article lately by John Kehoe who teaches the Law of Constant Change. The Law states that everything in our life is in constant change, constantly in the process of becoming something else. Nothing stays exactly as it is. Nothing. Movement and change constitute the reality of our being. Our finances, our friendships, our career possibilities, our life opportunities, our health, our relationships, our daily activities, our insights, all are forever changing and becoming something else. Sure we all know that but how easy or hard it is to embrace change.
Changes in life are always followed by consequences. Some major, some minor, some inconsequential but consequences can bring instability that can be daunting. I hope drinking spicy tea and eating some chavanprash everyday can gear me up for chote mote adjustments in life!
On that note, the year is about to change soon. It’s almost 2010 and I wish all the readers of South Asian Times a great new year full of surprises, twists and turns. After all, what is the fun if you can predict it all?
Something about the world is changing. There’s snow on the streets in the perennially sunny state of California, the man who defines 'ideal' is now a playboy with 11 mistresses, Indian politicians have discovered this winter that we just do not have enough states in the country with crazy names, Kareena Kapur is being spotted wearing Kanjeevaram sarees and the apology of 2009 has come from pigs and not the president.
Change is good. Change is inevitable. Change is the only constant. We've all grown up letting those concepts make an impression on our frail minds. But today I ask, why change what is already the best, what is already ideal, what is just right? Different people, different answers. Boredom, lack of thrill, the desire to try something new or just plain simple look-n-learn approach. Tiger Woods would probably choose all of the above. Kareena, the same. Indian politicians, I still have to ask and I really hope its absurd logic so I can feel better about my suspicion. As for Obama, I doubt he'll get away without an apology at the end of the year unlike Bush. If not for healthcare reform proposals, if not for deploying more troops and delaying the exit timelines, if not for bringing over our friends from the Guantanamo Bay prison and dumping them in US, if not for being extremely prematurely elected for bagging the Nobel and even accepting it, he might just end up apologizing to those of us who truly live for fashion for making us live through his wife's fashion icon image.
Then I read a nice article lately by John Kehoe who teaches the Law of Constant Change. The Law states that everything in our life is in constant change, constantly in the process of becoming something else. Nothing stays exactly as it is. Nothing. Movement and change constitute the reality of our being. Our finances, our friendships, our career possibilities, our life opportunities, our health, our relationships, our daily activities, our insights, all are forever changing and becoming something else. Sure we all know that but how easy or hard it is to embrace change.
Changes in life are always followed by consequences. Some major, some minor, some inconsequential but consequences can bring instability that can be daunting. I hope drinking spicy tea and eating some chavanprash everyday can gear me up for chote mote adjustments in life!
On that note, the year is about to change soon. It’s almost 2010 and I wish all the readers of South Asian Times a great new year full of surprises, twists and turns. After all, what is the fun if you can predict it all?
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