Deciphering the Antulay Conundrum

AR Antualy was a name relatively unheard of in the national political scenario, until recently. The Congress Cabinet Minister for Minority Affairs, to put it inomplexly, has simply asked for a probe into the death Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare and two other officers during the Mumbai 26/11 terrorist attack.

Though Mr. Antulay was asking for a probe into the suspicious circumstances of Karkare’s death his remarks have insinuated a conspiracy theory that the Hemant Karkare was deliberately targeted as the organization he headed was for the first time bringing up Hindu names for the in Malegaon blasts. Vague premonitions in the public opinion could find consummation with his remark. This was a theory which many Urdu media pundits were also contending for sometime now.

Mr Antulay’s remark is dealt in the mainstream media in one of it’s pet fashions—politician bashing. Typical media sentiment was that India should not give Pakistan a chance to think that we have dissident voices just as Nawas Sherif is trying to nail President Zardari for restrictions in entering or talking to anyone in Amir Ajmal Kasab’s village in Pakistan. The talk shows are scrupulously scripted so as to avoid spinning the debates to uncomfortable realms. Media which apparently acted as a third party neutral observer pandering to public opinion throughout the 60 hour encounter, is now cautious.

So is the Government. It cannot muster enough will to suspend Mr. Antulay, especially when he has found support along many party lines as his comment found support from Muslim community. With the JD(U) MP Ejaz Ali has also voiced his support for Mr. Antulay, means the Muslim vote bank of one or more allies of the UPA coalition is dented. At the same time, the government is losing it’s diplomatic credentials to leverage Pakistani government to act on LeT camps in its soil. No doubt the government is treading on thin ice.

There is an increasing need in the Muslim community to militate against the insecurity that is plaguing (especially in employment and housing) after the Bombay riots and Barbari Masjid demolition. The condition has worsened with anyone with a Muslim name becoming possible terror suspect. In 2005, Assam United Democratic Front founded by Maulana Badruddin Ajmal won 10 out of 126 assembly seats. The same experiment is also being done in Maharahtra by Badruddin Ajmal. Antulay’s remark makes more sense in relation to these developments.

Even Antulay is mincing words carefully. In the interview with Rajdeep Sardesai in CNN IBN, he said that he is not a fool to say that Hemant Karkare was not killed by Pakistani terrorist, that he was asking for a probe into the killing not only of Hemant Karkare but also that Ashok Kamte and Vijay Salaskar. And he has not even raised Malegaon blast issue. M.J Akbar in his column, ‘The Siege Within’ in TOI (dated 21/12/08), has said that in a democracy there must be a balance between the “freedom of expression” and “freedom of impression” and that a “clever politician is a master chef in cooking up a broth of impression and expression.”

AR Antualy who was an Indria Gandhi loyalist, was the Chief Minister of Maharashtra for a two year term and had to resign on corruption charges. Antulay says he is not eyeing the Muslim vote and that his constituency of Kolaba has a mere eight per cent of Muslim voters. Whether Antulay’s stance help him or harm him needs to be seen. But it is going to bring political upheavals like never before as this conundrum unravels.

The Dog, the Martyr and the Chief Minister

“The more I see the representatives of the people, the more I love my dogs” , said Alphonse De Lamartine. These words reflect public sentiments after26/11 Mumbai attacks, especially after the remarks by Kerala Chief Minister V. S Achutananthan.
Mr. K. Rajeev, relative of the NSG Commando Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan who was killed in the encounter, pleaded with the media to end the controversy over the remarks of the Chief Minister. On behalf of Mr. Unnikrishnan, father of Major Sandeep, he apologized for his unruly behavior at the Chief Minister and his colleagues. With that, ‘the dog’ issue was put to rest.
As the fog created by the media lift, we can clearly see the facts—that a man lost his son and left a vacuum that no words, ex-gratia or musical tribute can suffice. And, greatest of all tragedies, that we as a nation has not learnt from our mistakes. It is banal to talk of media hype and media fuelled controversies. Common man seems to know as much about the media construction of reality as communication theorist does. And it has become habitual for the public as well as politicians to place the onus on the media for their own incompetence and lack of sensibility.
This is not to deny the role of media in the present controversy. They are only the catalyst of the controversy not the fuel of it. At the worst, media can be considered as pesky intruders.
The Chief Minister was replying to a question by a reporter as to what he had to say about being not allowed in Mr. Unnikrishnan’s house. One can easily make out from his words that he felt insulted at the house of Mr. Unnikrishnan . Speaking to the media in Malayalam Mr. Achutanandan said “Karnataka Chief Minister reached his house earlier than us. Was it agreed upon by the two CMs to go together?” And then he uttered those calamitous words “Had it not been for Sandeep, a dog would not have visited the house.” Media immediately capitalized on this as it promised higher TRP ratings. The sentence was promptly highlighted in the subtitle of the video and aired again and again by news channels.
To use a word like “dog” is not becoming of a Chief Minister. Further, there were efforts to clarify the CM’s statement as a colloquial expression. Anyone who knows the language will find these remarks as uncouth. Mr. Achutanandan was simply playing into the hands of the opposition and the hawkish media.
E.K Nayanar was known for his quirky comments and retorts which at times created controversies. When the idol from a temple in Kerala (Ettumannur) was stolen, he was accused by the opposition that the heist occurred because his government failed to ensure police security at the temple premises. Nayanar retorted, “ Does God also need police protection?” It will be remembered not only for the controversy it created, but also for the uncomfortable truth it drove home into the minds of the masses.
Mr. Achutanandan’s words were not just insensible but unhealthy for a democracy. His words could be misinterpreted as comparing the armed forces of a country to a dog.( And this misinterpretation was almost achieved.) Cumulative insensitive comments of this sort could actually weaken the morale of the armed forces. But let us hope that the harm will undone, thanks to short public memory.

Still

Shattered splattered
Still I lie, mute.
Muttering, why I threw my hue around,
And burned my blameless world.

In a blemished world
Still I lie.
Black jig-saws jostle around,
Remance of light that brought the black and old-yellow,
To the ends of my world,
Unto where my leg streches.

Still I lie mute;
But alive.

I have kissed my lot and wished the winds,
Oh, happy times!
Do they still send a wish after me?

Shattered splatterd
Still I lie.
Still true, still beautiful;
With my legs streched to the ends of my flaky world.

Who Said Folk-Music is Dying?

He got on the bus from the IIT-gate stop. And he started playing the his string instrument.(Later when I googled for stringed folk-instruments of India, I found that he was playing 'ektar' one of the main accompaniment of Baul songs of West Bengal.)
He simply stood just behind the bus-driver, leaning against the steel railings. As he played his ‘ektar’ it rang crisply and clearly inside the bus. May be that's when I would have noticed him. Because I never thought that an instrument like that could sound so loud.
After doing up and down from my room to college for an year, by the suburban trains of Chennai, I am used to seeing blind people sing and beg. So much that I recognize some of them. Most of the time, their songs are attempts at arousing pity. Though I don't understand Tamil well, I have observed that people gave money to those who managed to evoke pathos through the lyrics. I consider them a nuisance or sometimes take pity on them, as my whim; but have never tossed even a single coin to them.
I am no music pundit. But listening to him play ‘ektar’ was an intimate and personal experience. It seemed to add life and meaning into the predictable life of mine. I was enchanted. The music seemed to percolate everything around. As bus moved past the Delhi Metro constructions, it added a rhythm into the work in that sultry afternoon. This may be common description of the effect of music, but I experienced it in its full bloom for the first time.
It was pure music. Music without any pretensions. So was the musician--he was just another tramp. Age between 40 to 50, disheveled hair and dirty clothes are ample description of him. His only striking feature was that the tip of his forefinger which was deformed by pressing against the string of ‘ektar’.
He played for twenty minutes before he got down somewhere before Safdarjung airport. There was a sense of generosity that flowed out from him with the music. I said to myself "freely you have received, freely you shall give". There was no haste to collect money and get into another bus. He went to those he saw taking out their wallets or fumbling their pockets. I gave him a generous three rupees. But it took me a little more to realize that he was not a beggar, but a musician. He didn't need no generosity of people like me.
Well, this is not a comparative study of the quality of music among the poor vagrants of India, saying that one should be prudent when giving to them, because economy is in recession. What I am saying is that unadulterated music is sadly missing in popular culture. People are willing to shell out thousands listen to folk music held at a five-star hotels. But it is not just music that is appreciated here, but the paraphernalia associated with such a elite gathering. Who said folk-music is dying? It is well and alive in streets.

Is Money the Root of All Evil?

The mental health of the in America is worsening. Oliver James, a media analyst cites the new disease Affluenza as the cause. James defines Affluenza as "a contagious, middle-class virus causing depression, anxiety, addiction and ennui'. If the virus of reason during modernity said, "god is dead", this virus says, "man is dead." Anxiety, depression boredom and deadness are its symptoms.
He argues that in present system of democracy means the right to vote for people who make you richer. Meaning the cause for the disease is in the society. Many poor Scandinavian socialist countries have good mental health.
James Hillman a couple of decades back argued with similar sentiment that human illness are caused in the violent individual conflicts between human desires to live and think in a rational ways and the requirement of the society that we live and think in ways that are absurd. And not by sexual repressions in childhood as believed by Freudian psychoanalytical school.
The most obvious and clear answer to this argument is that the mental condition is worsening because there are more psychologist in the country. Behaviors which were seen as normal sometime back are pathologised today. Is Affluenza a product of society awash with therapy?
Richard Easterling's research in 1974 shows that the happiness level of American's after the post war boom in 1945, and in 1974 remained the same. Experts at that time ridiculed his work. In 1900's the economist at Warwick University rediscovered his work. They found out that affluence had no-correlation with happiness level. Unemployment and lack of good life style didn't make people any happier. Andrew Oswal reviewing the book Affluenza on national review.com says "On one thing he is right. There is evidence that all is not well. Mental health in the UK is getting worse, according to an annual survey of 10,000 Britons analysed by myself and Nattavudh Powdthavee at the University of London" But points the cause of illness to the childhood poverty rather than the emotional maladjustment and misery because of affluence.
Easterling in his paper Is There an Iron Law of Happiness published in 1995 says that "although genetic factors help to explain individual differences at a point in time, survey evidence demonstrates that over the life cycle economic circumstances, family life, health and work are important in determining the course of happiness. However, life events do not necessarily dominate life cycle satisfaction in different domains and economic theories would benefit from following psychologist lead by incorporating goals and adaptation."

The dream of walmartization

Wal-Mart which has been one of the favorite picks for anti-globalization campaigns, trade union agitators, environmentalist and feminist, is coming to India. Wal-Mart, is to launch it’s first cash and carry or whole sale shop by early 2009. Reports suggest that the first Wal-Mart will be in West Bandra in Mumbai. The retail giant was looking for a close to 100 per cent ownership as in China. But the Indian Foreign Direct Investment(FDI) guidelines prohibit foreign multi-brand operators. And single-brand operators are allowed 51 per cent stakes in the joint venture.

Dubbed as the “biggest retail launch in India”, Reliance has forayed into hypermart and business to business services with Reliance Fresh in 2006. Besides, Reliance would do anti-FDI lobbying to pre-empt the multinational’s entry into India’s retailing sector. To evade these problems, Wal-Mart has entered into a 50:50 joint venture agreement with Bharti Retail, the subsidiary of telecom major Bharti Enterprises.

The higher price of Indian goods and low design quality of its products, had made China a favourite sourcing destination. But, the gradual increase in cost of Chinese goods had made Wal-Mart to source more and more from India. Today, Wal-Mart sources goods worth INR 15,00 cores from India, most of which comes from the states of Punjab and Haryana. The joint venture above all, will serve to boosts its exports from India.

The idea is to open up Bharti Retail franchisees backed by Wal-Mart, simultaneously investing its capital in cash and carry stores, which will cater to the shopping instincts of the urban elites. The cash and carry facility will procure produce from manufacturers and farmers directly and will supply to local retailers as well as Bharati Retail. Wal-Mart which is the fourth largest employer of the world, has one of the best inventory system in gauging what consumers need; besides its costs cutting supply chain management and logistics. The GPS enabled trucks, minimal packing process are some of them. This technological support will build the MNCs presence in India, and serving the purpose of cost-effective retailing. Sunil Bharti Mittal, head of Bharti Enterprises is optimistic about opening 10 to 15 whole sale facilities in over seven years.

Wal-Mart had tough lessons in South Korean and Germany and it will not be looking for an immediate ‘walmartization’ of India. In fact its opening of its shops will be without much fanfare. The Bharti is planning to bring in the chain in phases.

The UPA government is careful to avoid any legislation that will trigger mom and pop shop agitations. With the left allies out of the picture the government has shown signs of easing up FDI regulations. The recent move is, the relaxing of curbs on overseas capital in key areas. Once the inward FDI norms are also relaxed, the Wal-Mart will be move closer to a more strategic alliance with Bharti. This would result in the voluptuous Wal-Mart Inc., controlling even the thermostats of Indian shops from its headquarters in Arkansas.

There had been appallingly shallow comments from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, supporting the joint venture that the coming of MacDonald and KFC has not affected the business of local chat shops. They have seem to forgotten the simple fact that a plate of samosa costs ten rupees, at the most and a McBurger a minimum of Rs. 35. And that one can’t get samosa chat in these Mcshops.

The press-release claims of the transnational agreement that, their cash and carry facilities will benefit local kirana shops, is a lie on face of common-sense. Besides the big-box cash and carry, the chain will also open Bharti retail shops. Coupled with its wholesale supply chain, it will effectively cut-down local competition.
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Organized retail market which accounts only for four per cent of total Indian market, is expected to touch 22 per cent by 2010. Wal-Mart with its effective supply management chain will “organize” India’s retailing market in a more dramatic way than Reliance Fresh has done in two years. Indian local retailers are bound to be displaced.

The cause developmental problems need not be necessarily pinpointed at the policy of the ruling government; it is most often traced to the policy of preceding government.Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had spoken in length about the no-nonsense in opening to globalization during recent ASSOCHAM conference. But, in the present scenario, when the ruling coalition approaching its end of tenure, it is not in the pragmatism of Mr. Singh to be proactive when it comes

Smokes of prejudice rising in Khandamal

The Sangh Parivar, seems to be muddled up with words like christians, maoist, american culture, ten commandments, congress, world vision and bible. Behind the tepid pronunciation of the Kandhamal violence as “regrettable” lies vague and malleable dogma. The typical Hindutva sentiment is that American are sending in money through organizations like world Vision and alluring poor dalits to convert to Christianity. All this coordinated by one single person (probably George Bush). Congress,(the Indian National Congress) and UPA government is facilitating this. And Maoist and Christians have link-up and conduct joint operations for conversion. People who have converted to Christianity will naturally have allegiance to America as Christianity originated in America and most Americans are Christians. And CPI (M) CPI-ML and Peoples Liberation Guerrilla Army are almost same things with headquarters in China. (Prakah Karat must be chief of its operation in India, or is it Sitaram Yechuri?)

Today as I write this fresh violence has broken out in Khandamal. The Hindus are apparently avenging the murder of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswat, on August 23rd, who had been spear heading anti-conversion movement since 1960s. All the Christian quarters have condemned the murder of the seer and one week after the murder CPI-Maoist claimed responsibility for the murder. Azad, spokesperson of the CPI-Maoist, in an interview to an Oriya daily, said, "We killed Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati to avenge his villainous role in Kandhmal". Azad said ever since the December 2007 riots in Kandhmal, Laxmanananda and VHP Secretary General Pravin Togadia portrayed Christians as Maoists and attempted to defeat the revolutionary movement. "Laxmanananda was taking the lead in Hindu fascist activities", Azad said.The Maoist are concerned about diluting its revolutionary credentials among masses by comparing the party to christian missonary work. A few days later a press release warned the VHP of more punishments if it continued its persecution of minorities. Further it called Swami Laxmananand “a rabid anti-Christian ideologue and persecutor of innocent Christians.” After all these the Sangh Parivar likes to believe that Christian missionaries committed the murder.
The Sangh Parivar’s obstinate adherence to this has only one logical conclusion. It is arousing religious sentiments, to gain grass root level workers in view of the forth coming elections. the Shiv Sena and Maharahtra Navinirman Sena(MNS) are not doing any thing different in Mumbai, in the name of Marathi sentiments by picking up Bollywood stars as their targets. By accusing Radhakanta Nayak, a Congress Rajaya Sabha MP and a dalit Christian who heads World Vision in Orissa for backing the murder attempt o Swami Laxmananda Saraswati, in 2007 reveals the outfit’s political inclination. Soon after the murder locals caught the “murderer”, Pradesh Kumar Das, an employee of World Vision and handed him over to police.
Four days later World Vision in a response to the comments made by RSS spokesperson Ram Madhav on CNN-IBN condemned the murder and made it clear that two of their employees were apprehended by a mob and later rescued by the police were trying to flee to Bhubaneshwar because of rumors regarding impending violence as in 2007. The police verified their identity and purpose before they let them go.

Much energy on the inter community dialogue was wasted arguing for and against these misunderstandings. Christian arguments were along the lines that “conversion” is not a challenge to the majority community and that the percentage of Christians actually dropped from 2.8 in 1961 to 2.3 in 2001.Christians also need to do their share of introspection. I personally have heard about conversion in which the missionaries take advantage of the ignorance of tribals. I heard from a missionary himself that in certain areas the tribals are converted just by the change of name of them and their gods. These efforts to increase the Christian population should stop altogether, though all the churches are unequivocal officially that no such means should be employed for conversion
Anti-conversion laws
Presently the states of Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Arunanchal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu and recently Gujrat, has anti-conversion laws. The spirit behind the acts was that conversion would affect the harmony of society and disturb the public order and status quo. These Acts define the terms “government”, “conversion”, “indigenous faith”, “force”, “fraud” and “inducements” By late 1960s it had become clear that the purpose of anti-conversion laws were to keep the dalits within the fold of Hinduism. It is a cognizable offence to convert to any religion other than Hinduism. But re-conversion is not an offence. The Act remains dubious as it says that propagation of religion is not an offence but conversion is. The Acts maintains that Article 25 (1) of the Fundamental Rights does not give the right to expose the tenets of ones religion to convert another person. At the same time a person has the right to choose the religion according to his free will. But propagation of the religion if it results in conversion will amount to infringement on the free choice of an individual.
The Act in practice negates the Fundamental Rights of a citizen not because of the vague definition of the terms “force”, “fraud” and “inducements” etc. But because of the the narrow legal premise on which it is based. The assumption underlying the Act is that coversion happens only through external influence and the person converted has no role in conversion. Further it makes it mandatory for the person converting to produce his reason for conversion before the district magistrate. The Distict Magistate who is empowered to pass judgement on people facilitating conversion and passes judgement on the subjective reason of the person converted. In Madhya Pradesh two priest and a nun were sentenced to imprisonment in August 2002 following charges of forced conversion. But repeated appleals to senior police officials that the conversion was voluntary fell on deaf ears.
Communalism is such a prevalent in India that it is intertwined with politics The Hindutva outfits are just the favourite whipping boy of the media. The Meenakshipuram mass conversion of dalits to Islam in 1981 and has reportedly resulted in the then ruling party Congress(I) to issue notice to all the states to pass anti-conversion laws. It may be maintained that the notice was issued because of the give-us-benefits-or we-will-convert attitude of dalits, it points to the inseparability of India politics and religion.
The smoke of prejudice is so thick against the backdrop of continuing violence that there are no constructive dialogues remain possible.

An apology for mediocrity

What an individual actually needs to dread is neither mediocrity nor excellence but the utter absence of thought. Mediocrity is the stepping stone of originality.

One should have a good grounding in mediocrity to graduate to originality. The articles written here are a part of my graduation process; a part of my effort to learn mediocre views-- only to ‘de-learn’ it gradually. I understand the risk that I take—the risk of getting grounded in mediocre views. But where else I have to start with?

Mediocrity results from a limited knowledge or reasoning. I don’t hold on to reason as the ultimate infallible guide. But I do believe that reason is the only way forward. Reason in my opinion is not wide and limitless. On contrary it helps chart our way and set the limits. Any effort to outwit mediocrity leads to an intellectual void—where reason is sacrificed at the altar of agnosticism. Mediocrity can only be undermined only by first learning mediocrity.

Our world is permeated with superfluous words and actions that excellence is rarely appreciated. Originality is like a pot of gold hidden in earth. One digs on till he finds the gold. The articles I write are like searching for gold. And once I recognize that I have hit the gold, I may not dig any longer. And so I fantasize that one day I will cease to write and “will go for a pilgrimage to Jerusalem or burn up a city.”( like the peasant Dostoevsky describes in Brothers Karamazov )

Bernard Shaw was once asked if he was willing to die for what he professed. His reply was: “No. I may be wrong.” Likewise, I’m under no compulsion to prove or defend my arguments. The articles are only a part of the process of my self-discovery and not the product of my enlightenment or self-discovery. The greatest mistake of the intellectual man is the false-consciousness that he is an intellectual. It is then, that he gets caught with the intellectual snare of mediocrity. So let me assume no assumptions. And let me remain a layman—simple and pragmatic.

A few words about gazing

I am reading Brothers Karamazov.I have identified so much with Dostoevsky's rendition of Dimitry Karamazov that I had intially decided to name the blog Rijo 'Karamazov' Jacob's blog or something of the sort. But equally appealing is Dostoevsky's brief of the Russian painter Ivan Kramskoy's work, The Contemplative. I have unconsciosly and compulsively feinged as a "forlon peasant," and gaze at nothing in particular.
.This blog will intermittently vent the "sensations" I have "accumalted" during the gazings.
Here is the picture (which I surfed out from http://www013.upp.so-net.ne.jp/hongirai-san/yomou/meisou.htmll) and Dostoevsky's description.
The painter Kramsky has a remarkable painting called "the Contemplator": a road with a wintry forest in the background and on the road, wearing a ragged coat and felt shoes, stands a lonely, forlon peasent who has loft his way , and who seems to think hard about something, but actually not thinking at all, but just "contemplating." If you pushed him, hewould give a start and stare at you uncomprehendingly as if you had just awakened him. True he would collect his wits right away, but if you asked him what he'd been thinking about as he stood there, he would be quiet unable to remember. He certainly would remember, however, the inexpressible sensations he exprienced during his contemplation. And these sensation would be dear to him and he would treasure them without realising it himself, indeed, without knowing knowing why or what he would ever do with them. Perhaps, having accumulated in the course of the years a great many sensations he would suddnely leave everything behind and go off on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to seek salvation, or he might just as likely to set fire to his own village, or possibly both. There are many contemplators among simple people.