BANGALORE DISSAPOINTS

The post poll statistics released by the Election Commission cuts a sorry picture of the Indian citizen forming the electorate from Bangalore.
The overall turnout is less than 50% - meaning that people have voted for status-quo (of minority ruling the majority) instead of the much needed change. Lethargy and apathy appears to be much more deep rooted than the initiators of various aggressive and innovative ‘awareness campaigns’ had assumed. Failure to inspire voters to turnout in larger numbers is obviously a serious malaise. Turnout is lower than the previous election in spite of serious attempts to spread the message to “GO VOTE”.
In depth analysis is required to be undertaken to draw meaningful conclusions for the persistent failure of the ordinary citizen to get involved in the only process which is within his/her private control to make a difference.
This state of affairs is a distressing indicator of the ‘REAL’ failure of the much touted “largest democracy” that we pride ourselves to be. May be it is time to consider alternative forms of electoral process starting with rejecting the “First past the post” principle with “50% + 1” concept.
Part of the blame for the poor performance can be attributed to the Election Commission and the legal frame work under which it operates. Relying on archaic systems and Stone Age tools in the midst of IT/ITES environment possibly highlights the fact that our political leaders want to perpetuate existing failures as their strongest weapon against change to protect their turf with the help of the proverbial bureaucrat.
It is only to be hoped that the tentacles of corruption has not infiltrated the Election Commission whereby ‘names disappear’ from the electoral list instigated by party cadres and goons.
Who will bell the cat? You & Me or the EXISTING SYSTEM CONTINUES WHILE WE REMAIN IN SLUMBER AND LEAVE THE FIELD WIDE OPEN FOR THE CORRUPT MINORITY TO CONTROL OUR LIVES?

INVERTED DEMOCRACY

The RIGHT TO VOTE (I proudly enjoyed today) enshrined in the INDIAN CONSTITUTION has unfortunately been reduced to a farcical exercise riding on tall claims made by the political leadership and the ‘Babus’ of a flawed system.
The glaring failures exposed in the role of the Election Commission are disappointing. Optimum voter turnout cannot be achieved to change things through the ballot box unless the EC becomes more efficient along with strictly upholding its mandate to conduct free and fair elections. An institution which is not in order cannot conduct an orderly activity.
The myth of a “SECURE” Electronic Voting Machine gets exposed by total inept handling of the strangely completely manual procedure which precedes the Voter’s access to the machine. Untrained, uninspiring and ‘forced to work’ human resources pressed into “Election Duty” are a weak link in the system.
The vicinity of the polling stations are a cesspool of dubious party workers openly doling out inducements in the form of ‘tokens’ for breakfast/lunch and other cash/non-cash incentives to vote for their candidates. Police and other security agencies turn a blind eye to this day light corruption in the open under their relaxed nose.
The fact that the voting procedure is full of blatant corrupt practices is indicative of the end result that it generates. The ‘campaigning to voting cycle’ of the system is heavily tilted towards electing dishonest immoral candidates who then spread their dirty nets across the landscape to recover ‘investments’ within the shortest possible time to prepare for the next election, which may happen earlier than prescribed five years depending upon the level to which ‘neta’ stoops on the ‘corruption scale’. This perpetuates the corruption loop - spreading like galloping cancer in our society.
The demand for reforms in systems and need to clean the existing rubbish is of paramount importance if India is to progress and achieve its full potential as the largest democracy and economically strong country capable of fulfilling the aspirations of its citizens.
The revelations in the polling phase is a clear pointer to the murkier post poll scenario (on 16th May) when results throw up shameless winners who will then participate in the race to be part of the government indulging in choosing strange bed fellows and stranger policies performing the ultimate "Corruption Dance" in the name of ‘inverted’ democracy where “MINORITY” rules the silent helpless “MAJORITY”.

RACE BEGINS

The first phase of Elections '09 for the Fifteenth Lok Sabha begins today. The statistics of this massive exercise is mind boggling and a logistical nightmare.
124 of the 543 seats spread across 17 States and Union Territories will be up for grabs today. Incidentally, phase one of two simultaneous Assembly Elections involving 154 of the 297 seats of Andhra Pardesh and 70 of the 147 seats of Orissa assemblies will also be conducted.
It is interesting to know that Indian Elections are the largest democratic activity conducted any where in the world to form a government.
Hats off to the Election Commission to be able to undertake this massive task with a fairly independent and strict monitoring using the electronics voting machine which in itself is another world record!!
The back end of our democracy is convincing and worth being proud of. We now need to put the front end of this process in order to remove the corruption that is all pervading amongst majority of the politicians who slip through to form the government.
Hopefully this election appears to have made a tentative beginning towards a clean up operation considering awareness campaigns and new levels of involvement from citizens who were considered to be full of apathy towards the election process.

PROTECTING ABUNDANCE

Back from a short holiday with nature in its breath taking awesome splendor.
Makes me wonder why we humans remain stuck in petty matters involved with low end of existence in the midst of such abundance!!
A three and half hours drive to our destination (Thekkady is only accessible by road) from the rail head after an over night journey from Bangalore gave an instant sense of liberation as we alighted at the resort in the midst of blue skies full of oxygen rich greenery and pleasant sound of birds.
Kerala is famous for back waters but Thekkady is a different jewel tucked away on the high ranges of the Western Ghats offering unique taste of beautiful landscape amidst fascinating natural wildlife with the man made Periyar Lake created by the British in 1895 from the Mullapperiyar River depicting a harmonious blend with nature.
Can we resolve to ensure that EARTH remains protected from the catastrophic abuse we hurl at it disrespecting the unconditional abundance we receive?

CORPORATE SOCIAL IR-RESPONSIBILTY

We live in the neighborhood of a Tech Park (imposed upon us by corrupt politicians being hands-in-glove with real estate sharks!!) – and silently tolerate a whole lot of nuisance and abuse of the environment on 365/24/7 basis associated with an influx of more than 12,000 persons directly employed by the who’s-who of corporate world aside from hundreds of support staff who make a living from the tech park.
The EARTH HOUR initiative last evening should have been an opportunity for the huge multi national companies (mostly of US and Foreign origin) to show solidarity with the cause in their adopted overseas location by at least switching off non essential lighting on their sprawling premises for an hour. Sadly, nothing transpired and the thousands of lights remained glowing oblivious to the more than urgent need to get involved to protect the very future of their own cash flows!!
It is distressing to realize that we are at the mercy of people who manage companies and enjoy a lot of privileges (some times undeserving) but are so blatantly IRRESPONSIBLE towards the impact of their behavior on the environment. This ‘don’t care’ attitude is all the more devastating when they ignore well publicized efforts (apparently small) like the EARTH HOUR especially since the chosen hour was on a Saturday evening.
May be the bosses were too busy with their single malts and sushi in designer dresses at some well lighted week-end venue relaxing after a hard week’s abuse?

V - ('OTER CARD) DAY!!

On Sunday 22nd March around 20:00 hours obtained the much anticipated VOTER IDENTITY CARD on the Fifth visit to the designated office of the Election Commission!! Considering the level of frustration earlier experienced the fact that the card matured on the FIFTH TRIP became an anti-climax for which I must thank the flawed system. It prepared me for not expecting any thing to happen when I walked into the issuing office – but to come out with a sense of achievement with the treasured card in the pocket!!
There’s a lesson in this for those who want to get things done when inter acting with any agency of the government. Go about the procedure in accordance with the mostly cumbersome system and DO NOT EXPECT ANY OUT COME. The most important aspect is to approach matters with a sense of resigned perseverance!!
By the way, the government also has adequately provided for outlets to vent your emotions. They have a plethora of e-mail IDs with a disguised message which gives the impression that you can approach the senior most Civil Servants to resolve problems encountered while dealing with the system – but they will ignore your mails and complaints/grievances, by the time this realization strikes, the job gets done. This practice works splendidly as a punching bag for your anger, frustration and other negative emotions. E-Governance at its best!!
So next time have a bit of consideration for the subtle manner in which we the citizens of India are protected by the State from the build up of negative emotions which are deceptively destructive for the well being of the Indian!!

THE SIEGE WITHIN - BY M J AKBAR

Sharing the reality check stated in this article published in TOI.
Tale of two nations: Indian order, Pak disorder.
The most dangerous kind of lie is the one that has a tiny bit of truth mixed inside.
As maxims go, that is not very well known. Liars do not advertise their wares, and the truthful are easily seduced. The broad space between honesty and deception is occupied by the gullible. To prey on the gullible is the politician’s art.
Politicians in power have an advantage. They can segue the clout of office with the credibility of the medium to make a sale. The transaction is propelled by a primary rule of advertising: hearing is believing. Shoddy goods are packaged in the glamour of power. There is a catch, though. Those in power lose their capacity to notice when they have become stale, let alone putrid. Asif Ali Zardari has long crossed his sell-by date.
There is striking, albeit accidental, similarity between Islamabad and New Delhi. Both have governments on their way out without any certainty about what is on the way in. The difference in the transition is the story of the subcontinent.
The process in India is natural, orderly and bubbling with excitement of many ambitions. Sharad Pawar is quite correct when he says that every political party can have its own candidate for Prime Minister. There is no divine right in democracy. Pawar is too astute a professional to have made his bid unless he was confident that the present coalition would need radical restructuring, starting from the top. The Congress has said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will continue; Pawar does not think so. Many hearts are beating more quietly, including within the Congress.
The contenders have been encouraged by the sight of NDA dropping a chunk from the side like an iceberg caught in Orissa heat. Every satrap is keeping all options open. Naveen Patnaik may have left the BJP but he has not joined the Congress or the Third Front. Sensible politicians know only one thing, that no one knows what might emerge when the verdict is read out by the greatest jury in the world, the Indian electorate. The array in India is in sharp contrast to the disarray in Pakistan.
Zardari has always used the dangerous lie to great effect. He used it to reach the President’s office and then upgraded a non-executive post into an authoritarian outpost. The same tactic was used with Delhi over Mumbai terrorism; a little truth was fed into a massive cover-up to protect the Lashkar-e-Taiba. He bluffed Nawaz Sharif by promising an independent judiciary and then turned judges into a row of poodles on morphine. They obediently dismissed an elected government in Punjab, triggering off the long march of lawyers and opposition parties on Islamabad and the crisis that woke up the only Uncle still sending Pakistan Christmas gifts. A phone call from Richard Holbrooke in Washington diluted the crisis by reversing Zardari’s orders and castrating his role in government. It also indicated the degree to which Pakistan has compromised its independence. America has become the principal arbiter of its internal affairs.
Leaders depart when their moment is over in any nation, but in a democracy they depart with dignity. Delhi has, in my estimate, the largest collection of ex-prime ministers in the world – and given the likely evolution of politics in the next few years, more are on the way.

It would be dangerous if the victors and the losers of the long march forget that the real danger to Pakistan still comes from the short march. The Taliban is only a short march away from Islamabad. The Taliban did not take Afghanistan in one swoop, but city by city. One is not suggesting that Pakistan is as vulnerable as Afghanistan was in the winter of 1994, or that wars between politicians resemble pitched battles between the various claimants to Kabul. But the fall of the Swat is not a solution; it has become the fortress of a dangerous problem. Shopkeepers in Peshawar selling ‘modern’ clothes for women have begun to get the message and are fleeing to other cities. But is there sufficient space for retreat? Peshawar is less than 90 minutes from Islamabad.
A compromise that keeps Zardari in office but out of power is the application of band-aid when the disease is cancer. Power abhors a vacuum. If it has left Zardari’s grasp, then it can only gravitate back to where it has always been more comfortable: in Army headquarters.