Author Archives: SV Rao

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About SV Rao

Insurance professional by day. A teacher by choice. A sports-buff, traveler, movie-nut, bookworm, and, a lover of vintage Hindi-film songs, seeking sense within all this noise. Welcome to my take; a fistful of salt is recommended.

Captain Kohli

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Virat Kohli alongwith MSD is the biggest sporting hero in the country today. He is simply all over the place- on TV, Twitter, Instagram, You-Tube, magazines and of course, the Manyawar ads. He is the youth icon married to a glamorous film star. His is the face of Success. The hairstyle and carefully trimmed beard are the rage in upmarket salons and at downtown hair-dressers.

He is at the top of his game. Already rated as one of the greatest batsman the world of cricket has ever seen. Across all formats-Tests, ODI’s, T20’s. He is getting even more dominantly consistent.

He is also the Indian cricket captain. And therein hangs the tale.

The first warning signs came when the impetuous young man forced the BCCI to sack Anil Kumble as team manager in favour of his own man, Ravi Shastri. There was muted criticism from some sections of the media and from some ex-cricketers. Nobody dared to take  the young prince head-on. After all the powerful Board had pathetically caved in before their eyes. Why jeopardise their own chances of jumping on to the gravy train. There was the glaring example of popular commentator Harsha Bhogle who was sidelined for a season. He had to toe the line. Join the club to reap the rewards.

Ravi Shastri fits the bill. Over-rated for his cricketing acumen, he was more the brash and loud establishment cricket expert. A complete loyalist who knows which side his bread is buttered. He has evolved into a side-kick, glorified chamcha and cheer-leader for Kohli.

With the gross IPL culture kicking in you need seasoned and grounded people to lead the national cricket team. The MEN IN BLUE. The pride of the country. Yes, the fitness and fielding standards have remarkably improved. Our youngsters are no longer awed by the Aussies or the West Indians. But the money and glamour have exacted a heavy price. The pride of wearing the India cap is not what it used to be. When a Rahul Dravid walked in to bat you could see the tricolor fluttering in all its glory.

The Hardik Pandya-KL Rahul episode on a chat show gave an insight into the rot which has set in. There is no moralising here. It is the crassness, the insensitivity, the arrogance of privilege and entitlement, the sheer irresponsibility which is abhorrent. It gives a disturbing insight into the team culture. There is no captain or coach or manager to rap their knuckles, counsel them or rein them in.

We cannot ape, say, the Carribean life-style and deliver consistently at the top tournaments and over-seas tours. The discipline, the focus which motivates truly great teams is simply not there. Yes, our guys will have their moments in the sun, win an occasional series abroad but will not make that special cut- an all-time great team.

A master batsman and superb out-fielder need not be a great captain. The best player in the team is not nessacarily the only choice for this critical role.

Virat, the captain, is incompetent if you see through the aura around him. His mis-reading of pitches has become a regular feature. On a dry Southampton wicket on the England tour he opted for only one spinner, a half-fit Ashwin. The hosts played Moeen Ali and Rashid. The Impact player-Moeen. Likewise,at the new Perth stadium our skipper packed the team with four fast bowlers-taken in by the history of the ground. The Aussies had Nathan Lyon who gave the man of the match performance. In the first match of this IPL season he again mis-read the turner at Chepauk and the RCB were roundly thrashed. He also gets critical things like the dew factor wrong in the shorter formats of the game and puts the team at a disadvantage.

The other serious concern is the frequent chopping and changing in the side which undermines player morale and team spirit. For instance, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar was summarily dropped from the Centurion Test after a good all round outing in the first Test of the South Africa tour. Pujara has been dropped thrice despite being our most dependable Test batsman with a sterling over-seas record. Ajinkya Rahane had a fine run from 2013-15 but is now a shadow of the player he was because of the inexplicable and ad-hoc approach of the captain. Then, there are those who continue to be in the playing XI despite their inconsistencies and weaknesses exposed for all to see.

Last but not the least is the famous Virat temper. This unrelenting intensity may be firing-up the batsman in him. However, this constant state of tension is unhealthy for the team in what is essentially a team sport. Where team-spirit, strategy, camaraderie and every little contribution counts. To have your captain constantly on edge must be pretty un-settling for the Indian players. The confession of the young Rishabh Pant is revealing-‘ what he fears most is the skipper’s anger’.

It is his misfortune that he steps into the huge shoes of MS Dhoni. Captain Cool. The player’s man. The Motivator. The Finisher. One of the most successful skippers ever. The de-facto leader when both are playing together. The MSD shadow must be over-powering.

Let us rejoice in the supreme skills of Virat Kohli the batsman and cricketer. Let us cheer on his inevitable progress into cricket’s hallowed Hall of Fame. However, let him be freed from the burdens of captaincy. The torch should soon be passed on to someone better suited to the leadership role albeit he be a lesser player than the master.

Finally it is the performance of the Indian cricket team which matters to us. Their success and dominance is what ultimately fuels the passion of the fans. And drives them in droves to watch the IPL circus. Fortunately,RCB is in line for an early exit from the IPL. India needs Virat Kohli firing from all cylinders on the biggest stage- the World Cup. And with Dhoni behind the stumps, who knows???

The Biryani-Vodka Brigade

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Biryani-Vodka Brigade

You all know whom I am talking about. That cabal of people who try to dominate and drive the narrative through the media-space, politics, academics and even the arts and literature. Who became very influential during Mrs Gandhi’s time and continued to enjoy special privileges in decades of Congress and UPA rule. Why, these self proclaimed intellectuals even evolved into “fixers” for the Congress. Check-out some of the tapes on You-Tube.

Under the garb of cultural exchanges, these very same people cross-over to Lahore or Karachi at the drop of a hat, be it a Lit Fest or a mehfil or simply for a biryani spread. The Pakistani establishment has played them skilfully and now it plays out “as a people to people contact”. The Pak hostilities since Independence do not seem to bother these regular Indian guests. That this neighbour has provoked four wars does not seem to matter.  Constant shelling and tensions at our borders does not make any difference. That Pakistan is a global exporter of terrorism with our country as a prime-target is shrugged away by this coterie. That we have lost a large number of security forces and innocent civilians in these heinous terror attacks is not acknowledged. These are the people who have seriously undermined our national security and sovereignty for decades. They have insidiously contributed to making India a soft, lumbering State.

Which other self-respecting nation would have remained silent after 26/11. The world knows that it was handled and directed by the ISI from Karachi.

Once the denials from Pakistan as a terror-hub had moved past its shelf-life, the new spin emerged. The country is itself a major victim of terrorist attacks. Sure, this monster has wreaked havoc on Pakistanis but it is a monster they have created. Principally, the Taliban has been responsible. The other non-state actors like the Jaish and the Hizbul and the Lashkar have been nurtured by the Pakistan military and Intelligence services as anti-India forces- to keep our country bleeding and confused. It would be foolhardy to mess with India in a conventional war, so let’s unleash proxy actors to keep the pot simmering on the borders and especially in Kashmir.

The civilian government has never truly ruled Pakistan. The Army and the ISI call the shots. Imran Khan is a puppet. But the biryani brigade would like to project him as a powerful voice for peace. If nothing else just to diminish Modi. During his campaign, this ex-cricketer shared the stage with many extremists and fundamentalists and talked their talk. And he turned to the army to fulfil his dream.

This group of so-called intellectuals, with disproportionate power and influence has gravely undermined our nation. Because of their presence within and proximity to the government, they have shaped our weak policies and strategies over the years. As Indians, we have paid a heavy price for it.

Where does the Vodka part come in? The leftist angle, my friends. Comrades and Advisors to the Congress governments for years. Enjoying power much beyond their representation. You will see portraits of Mao, Stalin, Lenin, Castro and more recently of Chavez in their offices and at certain college campuses. Dictators who have butchered millions in their time. But these folks present a superior, patronising, human rights activist façade whilst one of their beloved leaders has famously uttered- “Power flows from the barrel of a gun”. Their hypocrisy is sickening.

Yes, it is right and just to call out the Rohingya massacre in Myanmar and cow-lynching incidents in our country. But are there no words about the goon-army which helped them retain power in West Bengal for 30 years? The mercenaries who en-bloc shifted their loyalties elsewhere. Total silence about the million Muslims incarcerated in Xinjiang province of China. No discussion about Putin’s crackdown on all media and public criticism of his government in Russia. The bill has yet to become law but it is a done deal. Nothing to say about Chinese arms being smuggled to prop up the Naxal movement in some States in India. These talking-heads only talk about selective issues which serve their cause.

For the last 4 years, the space for the Biryani-Vodka brigade has shrunk and they have become strident to get attention, even dropping all pretensions about their agenda.

Take the case of the movie, “Uri – The Surgical Strike”. First, they questioned whether it actually happened. Casting aspersions on our Armed Forces! Do we really need external enemies? Then, some critics panned it for jingoism. How else would they want an officer to charge his commandoes for a life or death mission? Probably with a “Let’s go and play the game, boys.”

This true-life story was lambasted as a propaganda film for the current BJP government. The heroism of the Indian Armed Forces be damned. Do we need to politicise everything?

The answer is simple. If the mission to take out Osama Bin laden happened during the Obama years, so be it. Obama and his key team will obviously be shown and mentioned in every film and book based on the mission.

And, where was Osama found? At Abbottabad, near the capital Islamabad and near a military campus. So much for Pakistan and their fight against terror.

As Aditya Dhar, the director of Uri, succinctly put it, “The surgical strike happened under the current dispensation. They took the hard decision.”

Despite these biased reviews, the film is continuing in its ninth-week breaking all records. In box-office /ROI terms it has become the biggest hit ever. As for the critics-well they have rotten eggs and a lot else on their faces.

The same agenda was in plain sight after the Pulawama outrage. A former Chief Minister of J&K certified that Pakistan had nothing to do with it. That the Jaish claimed it and the global intelligence chatter supported it did not matter. The Security Council’s singling out the Jaish and Pakistan did not count.

The swift retribution by the IAF in destroying the Balakot terror camp took our friends by surprise. The story had to be shifted. Providentially for them, one of our brave pilots, Wing Cdr Abhinanadan was shot down, captured and released by the Pakis within 60 hours. His release was turned into a made for TV spectacle by our neighbour and Imran Khan was saluted by these pandits for his “noble gesture”.

The huge international pressure and unexpected snub from China was cleverly relegated to the background. These news channels and newspapers also did not mention the enemy F16 being shot down by our MIG21 pilot. It did not suit their script.

These elements represent our own deep State. They have their own nefarious and selfish designs. But their goal is clear- to regain their lost status of unfettered power and privilege.

‘Tis the political season, after all! The anti-Modi brigade have him plainly in their sights.

By all means focus on the faults and blunders of the BJP Govt. The De-Mo fiasco which only helped them to win the UP elections and stopped stone pelting in Kashmir for months as Pak stooges did not have the cash. The disappointing delivery on their tall promises on development. Also the fault lines developing because of the Hinduvta ideology. The continued erosion of certain institutions like the CBI with the ugly Verma-Asthana spat. The undermining of the RBI Governor post…

Take all the shots you may like. However, please do not put your own Armed Forces in the dock to score some petty political points. National security is sacred and cannot be trifled with. And India’s global stature and standing cannot be compromised. Irrespective of which party is in power at the centre.

SANJU-The Art of Manipulation

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“Sanju” is his fifth block-buster in a row and Raj Kumar Hirani is being justifiably feted as the film-maker with the Midas touch. His formula of injecting emotion ,drama or laughs into every other scene has paid off handsomely. His creativity is being discussed across TV channels, news media and at other forums.

It is a clever film. The performances of Ranbir Kapoor in the eponymous role and Vicky Kaushal as his close buddy are excellent. The screenplay and editing is sharp and keeps the audiences engaged. The tabloid type serving of masala has hooked the cine-goers.

But does it qualify as a credible bio-pic. ‘One Man….Many Lives’ is a good tag-line. However, the movie faithfully spins Sanjay Dutt’s take on his own life. He is this well-meaning guy with a big heart- a victim of unfortunate circumstance, a fall-guy for a sensationalistic media. Hirani becomes a willing accomplice to this project. After-all the star has been his friend and collaborator over three successful films, going back to that first hit-‘Munnabhai MBBS.’

To get sympathy for his seriously flawed protagonist, Hirani performs a delectable sleight of the hand. We are quickly introduced to the two most likable characters –the noble father and the endearing friend. The redoubtable Sunil Dutt and the very funny Kamlesh play the perfect foil to the troubled Sanju and down-play the dark sides of his personality.

The producer-director-writer strongly rebuts that he has’ white-washed’ the character. He has shown the ‘drugs , guns and girls’. What more do the critics want?

Let’s start with the drug addiction to which a considerable amount of screen-time is given. Sanju cannot come to terms with the tragic loss of his mother and falls prey to an unscrupulous, drug-traffiking friend. His father being a strict disciplinarian does not help matters. Give us a break! Sanjay Dutt is a privileged, spoilt star-son and a weak person. Period.

Next. The illegal possession of an AK-56 for which he went to jail. He procured this assault weapon to protect his family. Threatening calls after the Mumbai riots had left him with no other option. So say Sanjay Dutt and his friend Hirani. What is left unsaid is that the weapon was supplied by the underworld, which masterminded the bomb blasts in the city. Yusuf, whom Sanju appeals to recover the gun from his house and destroy it was sentenced to 5 years behind bars for this helpful deed. The real Sanjay Dutt has shown his fascination for guns and hunting in TV interviews. His close bond with the underworld is in public domain. Listen to his recorded conversations with gangsters on You-Tube. He is on comfortable, first name and even family terms with some of these criminals.

But Hirani chickens out. The only bizarre reference is to a Hindu hoodlum who wants Dutt’s presence at a Ganpati Mandal event which he is organising. The film-maker again goes for the soft target. He does not have the guts to call-out the real underworld dons who are now notified as international terrorists.

The film hits other narrative lows especially when Sanju admits to an author (Anushka Sharma) that he has slept with more than 300 prostitutes and sundry more women. Anushka’s (a surrogate for Hirani himself) broad grin is cringe-worthy. It is as if our hero has done something medal-worthy. His frankness deserves our admiration. The light music in the back-ground makes light of the situation-trivialising this objectifying and conquests of women.

He continues with this wink and shrug approach. When Sanju sleeps with the girl his friend Kamlesh wants to date, he passes it off with, “She is not fit to be my Bhabhi (sister-in-law).” Look, who’s talking!

The film is already one of the biggest hits of all time. Hirani is laughing all the way to the bank. At the small cost of compromising on his professional integrity.

Raju Hirani will be reuniting with his ‘Sanju baba’ soon. For the third instalment of the lovable Munnabhai  franchise.

The New Normal

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Wien_-_Donald-Trump-_und_Kim-Jong-un-Graffiti_von_Lush_Sux

Josef Goebbels, Hitler’s propaganda minister, famously said that if you tell a lie a hundred times it becomes the truth.  Those were strange and abnormal times. We are reliving them today.

Vladimir Putin is a throwback to those sinister times. An ex-KGB officer, he is a master of intrigue. A master of spin. His is the ultimate macho-image, a bare-chested leader on horseback for the cameras.  The billionaire oligarchs are part of this Mafioso culture sworn to do his every bidding. The interference in the US elections and the poisoning of the ex-Russian agent are straight out of a spy’s playbook. Even the shooting down of a Malaysian passenger plane by a Russian missile and the outrage which followed was met with a shrug and a raised eyebrow. His popularity in Russia is huge- after all he is bringing back the glory days of the Soviet Union.

The Russian Boss also has some hold on Trump. The erstwhile reality show host is a purveyor of blatant lies, lies and half-truths. But he is a saviour to his core constituency. This master of deal making has filed for bankruptcy four times (Or is it six times? Does it even matter?), and not released his tax returns. Sex scandals, shady financial deals, racist comments, and the Russia probe – nothing sticks to him. He is made of Teflon. You can fool some of the people all the time and Donald J Trump is a hero and an unfairly targeted victim to his voter base.

Three decades after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the world has become a dangerous place. Despots like Erdogan from Turkey, the Filipino Duterte and Kim Jong Un of North Korea are now described as “Strong Men” and featured in a TIME magazine cover story. Right wing and ultra-nationalist parties have come to power in Italy, the Five Star Movement, Hungary and made big gains in Germany and France. Brexit is another assertion of sovereignty and nationalism. The BJP’s rise to power in India also is partly powered by this same undercurrent. Russia’s annexation of Crimea and its invasion of Georgia have led to sanctions but no solutions.

China’s strongman Xi Jinping – Supreme Leader for life-has imperial ambitions. His adventures in the South China Sea have raised alarms. The grand initiative of resurrecting the old Silk Route with the One Belt-One Road project is one with this dream. It will drive many poorer or smaller countries into the Chinese hegemony and debt. The Chinese Empire is taking shape.

Elsewhere, Saudi Arabia and Iran are fighting proxy wars to achieve dominance in the Arab world. Yemen is one such cursed country, which seems to have fallen off  the world map. Nobody seems to be interested in resolving this acute humanitarian crisis. The Syrian war has gone on for 7 years but the numbing impact of the TV images has not led to peace. Who is fighting on whose side? It is a veritable jigsaw puzzle. The actors in this inhuman conflict fill a big round table.

True, in the 90’s the Balkan wars dragged on for nearly a decade. Remember  Croatia, Bosnia, Slovenia and Serbia of the former Yugoslav Republic? But international efforts for a resolution were genuine and consistent. It was finally the NATO bombings that ended the war. Also many at the forefront of the genocides were dragged to the International Court at Hague.

The massacre of the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar reeks of ethnic cleansing. The silence of the Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi is baffling. The rise of Hinduvta fundamentalism, the Chinese crack-down in Xianjing province, the perennial African hotspots all point to a disturbing trend. A world simmering with tensions.

Geopolitical, religious, ethnic, ideological, racial issues keep the pot boiling. A more globalised and connected world should have been a better place. Instead it has only become more complex and insular. We are not learning our lessons from history.

Compounding matters is the growth of both global and home-grown terrorism. Recruits for the cause are being brainwashed on the internet. The ISIS may be on the back-foot in Syria and Iraq but it has expanded to East Africa as Al Shabaab and in Indonesia as ISIL. Boko Haram holds sway in parts of Nigeria and the Philippines has also been battling the terror scourge for the last decade. Al Qaeda and Taliban are familiar names in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Egypt. Deadly individual terrorist attacks have taken place in many European cities, a vehicle replacing the bomb as the weapon of choice in some instances. Chilling!

And meanwhile the media, the Fourth Estate, has lost its venerable status. Fox News and Sean Hannity openly champion the Trump agenda. “Deep State”, “Fake News”, “Witch Hunt”, “Liberal Conspiracy”- the new phrases are lapped up by the conservative core base. The rest of the media is tying itself into knots trying to come to terms with this new alternative reality. In their attempt to be fair and neutral no one is calling the bluff. In their misplaced efforts to analyse the latest Twitter tirade, the real issues of health-care, DACA, immigration, racism, tax-cuts are relegated to footnotes.

In India too, the media channels and news outlets have aligned themselves with either the previous Congress regime-the Opposition or the BJP led government. There is no attempt to seek the truth or present facts in a balanced manner. No commitment to present an unbiased narrative. In their quest for the sensational, the worst stories and soundbites are being played out.  Social media has followed suit with each party presenting its version of the truth. A negative, divisive atmosphere is being built up with each power-broker thinking this will work to their advantage.

Duterte the Filipino strongman comes across like a mob-boss. So does the secretive Putin and the Trump team. In your face. In the US, well- meaning politicians, news anchors, business leaders, academics are struggling to wrap their heads around these new situations. No tough questions are asked. Only the Late Night hosts have got it right, having the gumption to call out this bull-shit. But are they being taken seriously?

You can see how weird the world has become when the US President shares the stage with the brutal North Korean dictator, who commands a nuclear arsenal, and calls it an honour. Trump’s only agenda is the Nobel Peace Prize. Kim Jong Un aka the Rocket Man walks away with most of the spoils. What is wrong with the multilateral Iran Nuclear agreement which the USA has walked out off?

As for the Strong-Men! Well, we have, the world over, bought into their lies and their megalomania. Being corrupt, tyrannical, ruthless, repressive, immoral, manipulative and even incompetent does not matter anymore if you have a loyal fan-base.

This is then the New Normal.  Bizarre, unpredictable, erratic, unstable, scary. And we are all adapting to it instead of trying to confront, change and correct it.

The Flickering Torch of the Statue of Liberty

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Photo by tom coe on Unsplash

USA.

The name conjures up images of Silicon Valley and Ivy League colleges, NASA and the Pentagon, the White House and Capitol Hill, New York and Wall Street, McDonald’s, the NBA and Levi Jeans. It is the wealthiest country in history and a mighty military industrial complex. American soft-power is unrivalled and it is a magnet to millions across the world. A land of opportunity, built by immigrants.

Only China can share the stage today with this superpower.

Look closer. Reality does not quite match the hype. It is not the land of the free and the brave. Racism is back in the open. Under Trump, the clock has been turned back to the days of the KKK and the civil-rights movement. Black Lives Matter is the cry on the streets in 2017. Fuelled by the cold-blooded shootings of unarmed blacks by white cops across many cities. The Republican Party (the party of Lincoln) does not even pretend to be politically correct on this issue anymore. The focus is on appeasing its core base which brought Trump to power and is critical for their re-election prospects.

The USA today is a highly polarised and divided country. Not a beacon of democracy or the global melting-pot. Its President is a corrupt, racist, misogynist, egoistic deal-maker. A type earlier found in banana republics and despotic regimes.

Next, take the case of the NRA (National Rifles Association) and its powerful gun lobby. Students in schools are massacred and thousands have marched for gun-control. The politicians make sympathetic noises and hide behind the Second Amendment- freedom to bear guns in the late 18th century with private militias and the New Frontier and the Wild West. Does it have any relevance in 21st century America with its powerful DOJ and vast law and order network?

Most of the Senators and Congressmen are bank-rolled by powerful interests. NRA or big business, health-care majors or Wall Street. We talk about crony capitalism in India, an evolving 70 year old democracy. There is no difference between us and them other than the suits and the gloss.

The USA is the only country in the world which has actually dropped nuclear bombs. First on Hiroshima and then Nagasaki. It controls the biggest nuclear arsenal but sanctions countries like Iran even after a multilateral agreement is in place. It is the biggest supplier of arms and deadly weaponry to all the hotspots across the world- from Africa to Saudi Arabia, Israel, Egypt, Pakistan and South Korea. And there are 800 American military bases around the globe. War and strife are key to American business. Not peace.

More bombs were dropped in Vietnam than in the entire Second World War. Napalm scorched the earth and rivers were poisoned to kill thousands of innocents. But do you hear any talk of war crimes? No. The Americans have controlled the narrative since the 1940’s.

This great flag-bearer of democracy has not held the flag high on numerous instances. Dictators have been supported in the name of geo-political or international interests. Think Shah of Iran, House of Saud, Marcos or Hosni Mubarak. Latin America is full of such stories. The democratically elected Allende from Chile was killed in a US sponsored military coup. His crime- to shut down US companies which were tapping into his nation’s natural resources.

We know of the imperial British Empire, the French and Spanish colonies. The United States has been doing this clandestinely for decades- installing its puppet regime in many countries. These vassal states have been given loans by the IMF and the World Bank and driven into debt.

If you have watched Narcos on Netflix or tuned into Trump’s Mexican Wall, you are told about the DEA’s Great War on drugs. What goes unsaid is that whether it is Colombia or Mexico, the major consumers are Americans.

Let us look at this great economic engine. It has huge trade deficits with other major players, be it China or Japan, Germany or France. Balancing the US federal budget is a lost cause. It continues to lead the world economy as it is the largest consumer market in the world. The dollar is the primary global currency. Remember Nixon’s masterstroke of making the dollar the petro-currency. The other advanced countries have huge investments in the USA- be it in Treasury bonds or real estate, NYSE or the big corporates. They simply cannot afford to pull out.

The financial crises of 2008 revealed the glaring flaws in this massive capitalist economy. Decades of de-regulation had made the top companies fabulously rich and influential but unaccountable.  Money, greed and valuation overpowered everything. When the biggies went down, the Government stepped in to bail them out. Too big to fail. The top honchos walked away with fat bonuses whilst the average Joe’s lost their pension funds and their hard earned money.

Even today, tax breaks have been given to the rich and the stock markets make them even richer. The top 1% controls everything. The wealth gap keeps on growing. For the first time, today’s average real income is lower than what it was in the mid-eighties. Even in key areas like access to health-care and higher education, the US lags behind most of the countries in Europe.

The Indian fascination with everything American is well-known. The US is home to a large Indian diaspora who are doing well and millions more travel out with student and work visas. And obvious comparisons are made. The oldest democracy and the largest democracy. The multi-ethnicity and diversity of both nations.

The purpose of this blog is not to pull down the capitalist US as an ideologically driven leftist may do. Communism is also a God that has failed. The US remains a powerful engine for technology, research and innovation. It remains a leader in breakthrough ideas and thought. Not to forget its huge foot-print in music, entertainment and culture.

The object is to look at its position and influence through a clear lens. Not through rose-tinted glasses. Not getting swept away or seduced by the overpowering imagery.

India is a work in progress. Widely tipped to be the next economic power. It too is increasingly acknowledged as a soft-power through its movies and music, yoga and spirituality, cuisine and culture. And yet, there are things to learn from the US experience. That if we are to chart our destiny, it’s not enough to be a great military or economic power. We should also aspire to be a better, happier nation of 1.2 billion people.

Padmaavat without the I

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The recent Padmavaati controversy sadly represents India, circa 2018. Is the all powerful government losing the plot? Will India be third time Unlucky?

The controversy surrounding the film sadly represents India, circa 2018. A little known outfit, ostensively to defend Rajput honour, stirs the political pot and gets four State Governments to ban the film. The media goes into a frenzy looking for the most vicious sound bites. They get it when some politico announces a bounty of Rs 5 crores to whoever beheads the lead star, Padmaavati aka Deepika Padukone. Sounds familiar? A sign of the times.

The Supreme Court effectively steps in and “freedom of expression” triumphs over “hurting the sentiments of a people”. Also thankfully, the Censor Board under its new Chairperson finds nothing objectionable in the movie and certifies its release. Imagine if the previous gent had been in the chair. As a laughing-stock, our stock would have soared further.

The movie itself, not much to speak about, is breaking box-office records. A 100 crores or so is thanks to this self-styled Sena. Ironically, it glorifies the “Aan Ban Shan” of the Rajputs whilst over-dramatizing the tragic custom of Jauhar. Also the four States which had abjectly surendered are grudgingly falling in line for the release of Padamaavat under tight security.

It is a pity that the majority government at the centre has again succumbed to the threats from some fringe elements. The Baba Ram Rahim episode is still fresh in memory. The powers that be do not seem to realise that even their genuine achievements are being drowned in all this unnecessary intimidation,noise and confusion.

Cut back to 1972. After the Bangladesh war, Shrimati Indira Gandhi is compared to Goddess Durga. A truly powerful pan-India leader at the top of her game. Just three years later the Emergency happens and the rest is history.

1984. Riding on a sympathy wave, Mr Rajiv Gandhi’s Congress wins an astounding 404 seats in the Lok Sabha. A young, modern leader will pilot the country to unprecedented heights. Just three years later, the government is engulfed by Bofors, Mandal and Shah Bano.

Forward to 2014. Enter Shri Narendra Modi on the national stage. People vote for him in droves and the BJP cruises to a majority of its own. His clean image and CEO style of governance holds a lot of promise. The mantra is Development. Just three years later Vikas (aka development) has become the butt of jokes on social media. The level of political debate has fallen to a new low. Regressive and uncouth motor-mouths hijack headlines every other week. Nothing has changed. The same political machinations prevail. Horse-trading, whole-sale defections, criminal candidates. Money, muscle, caste and community-the formula remains the same. Only today’s chanakya has a different name. Has Modiji lost his mojo?

Will India be unlucky a third time around. Has another golden opportunity for progress been missed?

At the risk of sounding naïve and foolishly idealistic, I stick my neck out. India has thousands of politicians- most of them corrupt, feudal, venal and full of themselves. Isn’t it high time we are blessed with a few Statesmen. Mature visionaries who act for the greater good. A few good men who do not surround themselves with “Yes” men. Tall leaders who are not bothered about the next election. A few public personalities with the ideas and the drive to change the narrative for this vast and great nation.

There is a still a year to go before the next general elections. It is time for some more big bang reforms to positively change our economic, social and political future. If I had the honourable PM’s ear, I would earnestly recommend that a Padamaavati bill be tabled in Parliament asap ensuring 33% reservation for women in both houses. Yes, a majority of them will be proxies for their politician fathers, husbands and brothers. But even if 50 get elected on merits it will be a tipping point in our toxic politics.

Then, fresh winds of change will blow through our corridors of power.