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Bharat Ratna

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Bharat Ratna- The Jewel of India

The Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award in the country, was instituted in 1954. It is awarded in recognition of exceptional service/performance of the highest order in any field of human endeavour. No formal recommendation for the award is necessary. This is made by the Prime Minister himself to the President. The number of awards is restricted to 3 annually. On conferment of the award, the recipient receives the Sanad (Certificate) and a Medallion from the President. The award does not carry any monetary grant (Ministry of Home Affairs site- mha.gov.in).

The medallion is designed in the shape of a peepal leaf with the obverse having the Bharat Ratna inscribed in Devanagari script under the image of a sun. The reverse side has the motto, ‘Satyamev Jayate’ written under the Emblem of the State. The emblems, the sun and the rim of the medal are made of platinum whilst the inscriptions are in burnished bronze. The awards are created at the Kolkotta Alipore Mint along with the prestigious Padma awards and the Param Veer Chakra. The award is worn around the neck by a white ribbon.  An interesting fact is that the Bharat Ratna cannot be used as a prefix or suffix with the recipient’s name( India Today).

Let’s look at the subject in the context of the highest honours conferred in other democratic nations. The Presidential Medal of Freedom was established by President Kennedy in 1963. There have been 647 recipients and whilst it is a civilian award it can also be awarded to military personnel and worn on the uniform. An equivalent honour is the Congressional Gold Medal presented by the United States Congress.  Thus far 184 individuals and institutions have received this prestigious prize since 1776. If institutions also are considered for our highest award, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will be a leading candidate.

The Legion of Honour is the highest decoration in France and is divided into 5 categories with the Grand Croix (Grand Cross) at the highest. This was instituted by Napoleon Bonaparte in the year 1802. On average 2000 French and 300 foreigners are decorated each year. And here lies the rub. Around 3000 French citizens have received the Grand Cross since inception averaging around 14 per year.  The current French population is around 7 crores. India has 140 crores. We are also 4X of the US population. The fact is that the Bharat Ratna and even the Padma awards have literally been rationed out.

70 years after the first awards were conferred; we have only 53 recipients of our highest civilian award. The limitation of a max of only 3 awards per year has brought us to this ridiculous situation. This limit has been breached by 4 awards in 1999 and 5 awards in 2024. Another big disappointment is that the Bharat Ratna was not awarded between 2020 and 2023. The award doesn’t need to be given every year.

Controversies related to the Bharat Ratna are all about political colour and affiliations. A few of the names in this ultimate roll-call of honour may make your eyebrows rise. Dr Radhakrishnan was conferred the honour in 1954 as a sitting Vice President. Sardar Patel, India’s first Home Minister and Deputy Prime minister, credited with the seminal achievement of preserving the Union of India was honoured posthumously only in 1991, four decades after his demise. PM Nehru was a recipient in 1955 with the Congress supporters and Nehruvian followers insisting that the President presented it to him suo-moto. Again, Smt Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister in 1971 when she received the top honours. Earnestly hope that such an event does not happen again in the next few years. In 1992, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose was awarded the Bharat Ratna reigniting controversies regarding his death. This was the only instance where the award was announced and withdrawn. This historical wrong should now be corrected.

There is no formal provision that the decoration be given only to Indian citizens. It has been conferred on a naturalised Indian citizen, Mother Theresa in 1980, which begs the question as to why it has not yet been conferred on the Dalai Lama. The two foreign recipients are Abdul Ghaffar Khan, born in British India, but a Pakistani citizen at the award ceremony in 1987; the other being the iconic South African leader and President Nelson Mandela. Whilst the Pakistani national received India’s highest honour, Dilip Kumar got the Nishan-e-Imtiaz (Pakistan’s highest civilian honour) in 1998. Here’s hoping that India’s first ‘Method Actor’ Dilip Saab moves from the Padma Vibhushan award in 2015 to a richly deserved Bharat Ratna, albeit posthumously. Surprise, Surprise!!  Morarji Desai remains the only Indian honoured with both the Bharat Ratna and the Nishaan-e-Pakistan (the second-highest civilian award in Pakistan).

The one Mega film star to make this august list is M G Ramachandran (MGR) who also became Chief Minister of the State of Tamil Nadu. But overlooked is his Telugu counterpart N T Rama Rao, ‘the God of Telugu Cinema’ not only because of his stirring portrayals of Lord Ram and Lord Krishna but also of several inspiring historical characters. His huge following also made him the Chief Minister of the then Andhra Pradesh. Dr Rajkumar was the colossus of the Kannada film industry- an accomplished playback singer, the SuperStar in more than 200 hit films and a social-cultural symbol in the State like none other. Vara Nada (Gifted Actor) and Bangarada Manushya (Man of Gold) for his legion of fans. The top civilian award also eluded Sivaji Ganesan, hailed as Nadigar Thilagam (Prince of Actors) in the Tamil film industry. His versatility and brilliance in over 280 films have made him the inspiration for generations of Tamil and Indian actors after him. The venerated Mohanlal and Manmooty from Malayalam cinema should also make the shortlist for the Bharat Ratna awards.

Winner of the first National Award in 1967 for Best Actor, Mahanayak Uttam Kumar is the most successful and influential actor in Bengali film history. His name will add lustre to the top national honour. As will that of the consummate actress Suchitra Sen who co-starred with him in many memorable films. Another name that readily comes to mind- the accomplished actress and dancer from Hindi films, Waheeda Rehman.

No case needs to be made for Amitabh Bachchan, ‘The Star of the Millenium’. A real anecdote will suffice. In the 1980’s when his stardom was at its peak, the stunned Egyptian film industry came up with the decree that no Indian film should be allowed a consecutive run of more than 4 weeks. The Soft Power of Indian Cinema was first exemplified by Raj Kapoor whose films ‘Awara’ ( 1951) and ‘Shree 420’ ( 1955) captivated audiences across the Soviet Union and China. The celebrated Satyajit Ray remains the only filmmaker in the list of 53 recipients thus far. Guru Dutt the maker of internationally acclaimed films like ‘Pyaasa’ and ‘Kaagaz Ke Phool’ has also been ignored. Let recognition be delayed, but not denied. Rajamouli Garu and Mani Ratnam are also staking their claims for this highest accolade. But are the powers- that- be paying any attention?!

Lata Mangeshkar’s golden voice floated in the air when the award was conferred on her in 2001. Classical Maestros like Bhimsen Joshi, Bhupen Hazarika, M S Subbalakshmi and Ravi Shankar have also been so honoured. But surely cherished household names Mohammad Rafi Saab, Kishore Kumar and Asha Bhosle do not have to prove ‘ their performance of the highest order’ in their artistic space. The sublime voice of S P Balasubramaniam has not only captivated South Indian film audiences but also those of popular Hindi cinema. Kerala’s iconic singer KJ Yesudas has sung mellifluously in multiple Indian languages and bagged 8 National Awards. Tabla maestro Zakir Hussain after 3 Grammy Awards is again knocking on the door.

In 2014, Sachin Tendulkar became the youngest recipient and the only sportsman to make the honour list. You may well ask- what about Sunil Gavaskar who scored tons of runs against the dreaded West Indian fast bowlers without wearing a helmet?! Or Kapil Dev, lifting the World Cup at Lords in 1983, which remains to this day the most seminal moment in Indian cricket history. Five times World Champion Vishwanathan Anand’s name does not make the honour list – shocking in a country which invented the game of chess in the 6th century Gupta period. To a forgotten hockey hero Balbir Singh Sr part of the Olympic gold medal winning teams in 1948, 1952 and again as captain in 1956. Eligible for the Bharat Ratna- a no-brainer one would think!! Mary Kom, bronze medallist at the 2012 Olympics and the most successful boxer in the history of the World Championships also deserves the highest civil recognition in India,

A welcome news has been of the late PM Narasimha Rao being awarded the Bharat Ratna for opening up and liberalising the Indian economy in the early 1990s. Surely his partner in arms Dr Manmohan Singh, Finance Minister and architect of critical economic reforms in a major crisis situation deserves the same laurels. Jan Nayak and ex-Bihar CM Karpoori Thakur’s belated recognition also raise hope that Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik gets his place in the sun. The hugely popular Naveen Babu’s administration (+ NDMA) handling of recurrent cyclones has been highlighted as the model for disaster management globally. His initiatives have pulled his State from its acute poverty and Naxal insurgencies and made it an attractive FDI and Domestic investment destination. Add to this the sponsoring of the Indian men’s and women’s hockey teams till 2033 and it remains for the Honourable Prime Minister to take the right call.

The socialist/leftist mindset that prevailed for over 5 decades ensured that only JRD Tata received the Bharat Ratna award as a hugely respected business leader.  Ratan Tata has followed in his footsteps through generous philanthropy, especially in health care and education and the Tata Group is now valued at $370 billion which is more than the current GDP of Pakistan, estimated at $341 billion by the IMF. Azim Premji at Wipro and Narayana Murthy at Infosys ushered in the IT revolution in India. Nandan Nilekani, a co-founder at Infosys, is also known as the father of the Aadhar Card (Unique Identity for Indian citizens) which along with the digital revolution and Unified Payments Interface (UPI)I has been the ultimate game-changer for the economy, trade and business and for e-governance. Capitalists and Business Houses are not the derisive words as bandied around in the license-raj times from the 1950s to the late 1980s.  All these gentlemen are now seen as role models and champions of a resurgent India.

Also missing from the list of awardees are extraordinary personalities like the late Ela Bhatt, labour lawyer and organiser par-excellence, who formed SEWA- Self Employed Women’s Association- a trade union for women workers in India’s huge informal sector. What about Verghese Kurien, the architect of India’s ‘white revolution’, which transformed the country from an importer of dairy products to the world’s largest milk producer through a system of farmer’s co-operatives – pushing out the middlemen. Another hero who deserves the highest laurels posthumously is Dr Govind Venkataswamy, the founder of the Aravind Eye Hospital, Madurai. Internationally reputed for its high quality, high volumes and low-cost service model. Do these worthies come up to the criteria of ‘exceptional service/ performance of the highest order’?! –the key requirement for the Bharat Ratna award.

‘Extraordinary contribution in any field of human endeavour.’ If you are the Prime Minister will you recommend Salim Ali, India’s celebrated ornithologist and naturalist- known as ‘the Birdman of India.’ Or Kailash Sankhala noted wild-life conservationist, whose passionate efforts virtually saved the Indian tiger from becoming extinct. Or Rajendra Singh, who renewed traditional techniques for storage and conservation of water in hundreds of villages in Rajasthan and made them inhabitable again.

The above is merely a wish-list of some richly deserving individuals who have been overlooked. You will have your own opinions and your own choices. Respect. The bottom line is that the entire process and dimension and scale of evaluating India’s most prestigious award needs to be revisited and revamped.

Restricting the Bharat Ratna to a quota of 3 awards per year beggars disbelief in a nation of 140 crore Indians. 15 awards annually, including posthumous recognition, is the least correction to be made. Having a jury of 12 upstanding and accomplished citizens from various walks of life to recommend 30 deserving names to the Prime Minister for his final review and selection will greatly enhance the aura of the awards. Let’s celebrate the extraordinary achievements and influence of this unique group of Indians- without distinction of race, caste, creed, occupation, position or gender. Let’s celebrate the Naya Bharat.

Ram Janma Bhoomi- An Epic Saga

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On the 22nd of January 2024, Ayodhya will resonate with the euphoric chants of ‘Jai Shree Ram.’ The Pran Pratishtha ceremony leading up to the installation of the Ram Lalla idol, followed by the first Aarti will be performed by the Prime Minister-guided by Hindu Pandits- with 7000 special guests invited by the Temple Trust in attendance. The Consecration ceremony will illuminate and reverberate not only across our vast nation but also with millions of devotees across the world

Flashback. In 1885, Mahant Raghubir Das filed the first suit to build a temple on the land adjacent to the mosque. Denied permission by the District Magistrate, Faizabad. In December 1949 a Ram idol was found in the mosque and the faithful started offering prayers. The Indian Government declared the site ‘a contested area’ and locked the gates. The following year permission was granted by the Faizabad Court to conduct pooja for Sri Ram Lalla but only in the minor courtyard with the main gates remaining closed. In 1961, the UP Sunni Wakf Board filed a suit seeking possession of the Babri Masjid and demanding the removal of the Hindu idols.

It was in 1984 that the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) started the Ramjanmabhoomi movement as we know it now. BJP leader Mr LK Advani took the reins of the campaign. In 1986, the Babri Masjid Action Committee (BMAC) was formed as the opposing party. In the meantime, the Shah Bano case made headlines with the Supreme Court (SC) ruling in favour of the elderly, divorced Muslim woman- that she gets monthly maintenance from her re-married husband.  This was contrary to Muslim Personal Law and to appease the conservative elements in the community, the Mr Rajiv Gandhi government with 400+ MPs in the Lok Sabha overturned the SC judgement by amending the law itself.  In this balancing act political drama, the Government in 1986 allowed the Hindus to do Pooja and have darshan after opening the gates. A tipping point of sorts happened in November 1989 when the VHP was permitted to perform Shilanyas (lay foundation stone) near the Masjid.

On to the Rath Yatra led by Mr Advani in September 1990 from Somnath (Gujarat) to Ayodhya ( Uttar Pradesh). The movement mobilised huge public support leading to the 6th of December 1992 – when Hindu karsevaks demolished the Babri Masjid and left behind a makeshift temple. More than 50 of this violent mob were killed in police firings. Communal riots broke out in many parts of the country. More than 900 died in the Mumbai riots of December 1992 and January 1993. Culminating in the deadly Mumbai serial blasts of March 1993, orchestrated by Dawood Ibrahim from Dubai. To control a volatile situation the Congress-led government passed an ordinance to acquire the ‘contested land.’

All the suits related to the Ayodhya land title dispute had been transferred to the Allahabad High Court in 1989. The needle moves to 2003. The Court authorises the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to excavate the land and give its findings with evidence. The 574-page report was submitted in August 2003. The only public takeaway was that ‘of a very large structure that considerably pre-dated the Babri Masjid’. In September 2010, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court split the land 3 ways- Ram Lalla Virajman, UP Sunni Wakf Board and Nirmohi Akhara (a Hindu order of warrior saints who managed many temples in the region).

Finally on the 9th September 2019, when a full bench of the Supreme Court of India ordered the Government of India to create a Trust to build the Ram Mandir and to form a Board of Trustees within 3 months. The entire 2.77 acres of disputed land was passed to the custody of the Trust. 5 acres of land was allotted to the UP Sunni Wakf Board at a suitable place within Ayodhya to construct a mosque.

The commonly accepted narrative is that the first Mughal Emperor Babur ordered the demolition of the Ayodhya temple in 1528 and got the Masjid built on its ground,( hence the Babri Masjid). During the arguments in the SC a reference to Babur’s visit to Ayodhya (as mentioned in Baburnama- a book by Babur) was brought up. However, the Advocate for the opposing side clarified that 2 pages of the Baburnama were missing (whether about the Ayodhya temple remains unclear). Kishore Kunal, former IPS officer, in his book ‘Ayodhya Revisited’, is of the firm opinion that the temple was not destroyed in 1528 but in 1660 by Fidayi Khan, a governor appointed by Emperor Aurangzeb. This timeline seems to be in sync with the accounts of English travellers William Finch (1608-11) an English merchant with the East India Company (EIC) and Captain William Hawkins (EIC Ambassador) who both landed in Surat in August 1608 and spent more than 2 years at Emperor Jahangir’s court. Finch visited the fort in Ayodhya where Hindus believed Lord Ram was born and mentions it in his accounts. Hawkins also refers to the sacred town of Ayodhya in his travelogues (William Foster’s book “ Early Travels in India’- accounts of 7 English travellers in India).

Perhaps, most significantly, Austrian Jesuit missionary Joseph Tiefenthaler suggests in his works that the Ram temple was demolished by Aurangzeb. This European geographer came to India in 1743 and visited Ayodhya in the 1760s.’ He refers to a particularly famous spot called Sita Rasoi- or table of Sita- the revered wife of Shri Ram. He states that Aurangzeb demolished the fortress and erected a mosque in its place to prevent heathens from practising their ceremonies. However, they have continued to practice their religious ceremonies knowing that they have been to the birthplace of Ram by going around it 3 times and prostrating on the ground. On the left is a square box called Bistar palana (cradle) where Ram (Vishnu) and his 3 brothers were born. In the month of Chaitra, a large number of people gather together to celebrate the birthday of Ram, extremely popular throughout India.’

The Ayodhya Kanda Recitation was recorded in writing by Mr Robert Montgomery after the 1857 Uprising or Mutiny as he calls it. He was the Chief Commissioner of Oudh or Avadh in 1858-59.

In 1975-76 Mr B B Lal, Director General ASI and his team started excavating the Archaeology of Ramayana- Ayodhya, Bharadwaj Ashram, Nandigram, Chitrakoot, Shringverapur In his 2008 book, ‘Rama- His Histrocity, Mandir and Setu’ he states that ‘attached to the piers of the Babri Masjid there were 12 stone pillars which carried not only typical Hindu motifs and mouldings but also figurines of Hindu deities. It was self-evident that the pillars were not an integral part of the Masjid but were foreign to it.’ Another eminent archaeologist Mr K K Muhammed who was part of the team reveals in his book, “An Indian I Am” that he found the remains of the temple on the western side of the mosque. The 12 pillars were constructed with Hindu symbolism including Ashtamangala signs (8 auspicious objects as per Hindu practice and astrology.) They also found terracotta figurines of humans-men and women- and animals.’ Mr Muhammed clearly states that ‘his findings were suppressed by Marxist historians like Prof Irfan Habib who was very powerful and influential with the Indian Council of Historical Research and with many leading newspapers’. Irfan Habib and his powerful supporters even spread the lie that Mr KK Muhammed had not been a part of the ASI excavation team at Ayodhya. This coterie also went all-out to tarnish the image of the ASI after they submitted their 2003 report to the Allahabad High Court. In the early 1980s also the ASI was under tremendous pressure to play down and not to reveal the excavation findings. Recommend that you read Mr Muhammed’s book as a tribute to his passion, courage and integrity as a professional and to learn about his other interesting digs and excavations.

The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) clan led by Irfan Habib had 25 influential intellectuals including Dr Romila Thapar. They hyped up the narrative that the legendary Ayodhya of the Ramayana was a purely mythical city and was not the same as present-day Ayodhya. However, they fumbled with the name Saket which historically is one and the same as Ayodhya. Their overwhelming influence with the powers that be and the Sunni Wakf Board ensured that there could not be any out-of-court compromise solution as some moderate Muslim leaders recommended. Former Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) Chancellor Lt General (Retd) Zameeruddin Shaikh said that the Muslims should take the initiative of handing over the land to the Hindus and facilitate a harmonious out-of-court settlement. In November 2019, before the Supreme Court judgement the then AMU Chancellor and Professor Tariq Mansoor cautioned the students against false propaganda. They should accept the decision of the highest court with maturity, respect and restraint.

The Nay-Sayers and Obstructionists were in for a shock when during the demolition of the Masjid in 1992, 3 inscriptions on large stones were found. The most important was the Vishnu-Hari inscription of 20 lines in the Nagari script on a 1.10m by 0.56m stone. Shri Ajay Shastri, Chairman of the Epigraphical Society of India examined the inscriptions and observed, ‘Line 15 clearly tells us that a beautiful temple of Vishnu-Hari built with heaps of stones and beautified by golden spires, unparalleled by any other temple built by earlier kings was constructed. This wonderful temple was built in the temple city of Ayodhya situated in the Saketmandala ( Saket district). Line 19 describes God Vishnu as destroying Bali and the 10-headed personage.’ Prof Meenakshi Jain again exposes Irfan Habib who first dismissed the inscription as from a private collection and then alleged that it was stolen from the Lucknow museum and surreptitiously placed at the site. In fact, the Lucknow museum inscription was the ‘Tretha ka Thakur’ one –another Ayodhya temple demolished at Aurangzeb’s orders. The Director of the Lucknow Museum refuted the canard spread by Habib and displayed the inscription in the custody of the museum.

After the Supreme Court judgement, it was decided by the Sunni Wakf Board and the Management Committee that the mosque would be constructed on a 5-acre land at Dhannipur, around 25 km from the temple. It will be named after the Holy Prophet of Islam- Mohammed Bin Abdullah Masjid. Top clerics from several countries would be invited including the Honourable Imam, who leads the prayers at the Grand Mosque of Mecca. It will be the largest mosque in India and will have the world’s biggest Quran- measuring 21ft high and 36ft wide.

It is imperative to see the Ram Janmabhoomi saga in the global context. In 2020, the Erdogan-led government in Turkiye converted the famous UNESCO-declared heritage site and cultural museum, Hagia Sophia, into a mosque. It had earlier been a Christian Orthodox Church and Mosque and a Museum since 1934. The Icons of the Virgin Mary and the Infant Christ were covered by fabric curtains. Since 2017, the authoritarian Chinese Communist Party has destroyed or closed down hundreds of mosques in Xinjiang province (North-West) and Ningxia and Gansu provinces in the North – where the majority of the Muslim populace live. Total silence from our Comrade intellectuals. Going back to 1490- the Spanish Crown ordered all the Muslims to convert to Christianity. Over the next 100 years 3 million Muslims fled from Spain to North Africa. The last of the Moors adhering to Islam were expelled in 1610. The Iconic Cathedral of Cordoba, dedicated to Santa Maria, had been a mosque till the 13th century. Unfortunately, world history is replete with such events. Hark back to the cautionary words attributed to Spanish-American philosopher George Santayana,’ those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it.’ Discussion, Reconciliation and even some Compromise may be the only way out through difficult, divisive situations.

So on the 22nd of January, Ayodhyanagari will rejoice to the traditional sound of the conches and bells; the melodious bhajans and kirtans; the overwhelming fragrance of fresh flowers and incense. At night time, there will be thousands of lamps on the banks of the river Sarayu. In the months after the temple inauguration, around 1 lakh pilgrims each day are expected at Ayodhya.  Hotels, Hostels and homestays will be full to capacity and beyond. Buses and cabs will be on demand 24/7. Restaurants will have stand-and-eat tables and nukkad chai shops will struggle to keep pace with the relentless sipping of the beverage. Flower sellers and general merchants will be constantly stocking up their wares. The ancient town of Ayodhya, whilst retaining its spiritual core, will transform into a bustling city with a classic airport and railway station and with all the amenities.

The economic boom will be humongous for lakhs of local people in the city and the neighbourhood- transcending religion and communities.

The Uttarkashi Miracle – 41 Lives at the End of the Tunnel

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The Uttarkashi Rescue (PTI)

In the early hours of the 12th of November 2023, the under-construction Silkyara tunnel in the Uttarkashi region of Uttarakhand collapsed. For the next 17 days, the nation was transfixed by the humongous rescue efforts to bring out the 41 trapped workers alive and safe. Non-stop coverage on TV channels and on social media brought this intense story into every home. What made the entire experience so riveting and inspiring was the human heart-beat which throbbed right through. Plus the back-stories of the heroes who put their own lives at risk, and the experts and professionals who worked day and night at the site without rest or sleep.

Rat-hole mining was banned by the National Green Tribunal in India in 2014. It was the process of digging employed in Meghalaya and North East India to extract coal. It was a procedure that involved digging manually wherein the workers had to crawl and burrow in and out of a narrow passage or tunnel. The ban was due to the very high-risk working conditions and for causing damage to the environment. The technical and rescue teams at the disaster site were out of their depth as the state-of-the-art Auger horizontal dry drilling machine broke down more than 10 meters short of the 60-odd meter passage to the trapped workmen. The list of the heroic rat miners who cleared the final stretch to reach the workers reads as Munna Qureshi, Devendra, Monu Kumar, Feroze Qureshi, Wakeel Hasan, Nasir Khan, Rashid Ansari, Irshan Ansari, Ankur, Surya Mohan… Our heroes worked with Companies involved in contractual jobs with the Public Works Department and Municipal Corporations primarily in Delhi. They cleaned nallahs before monsoons, kept the sewer lines operational, and dug narrow tunnels and underground ditches for utility pipelines. Earning Rs 300/ to Rs 600/ per day for 12-hour shifts. Surya Mohan had this to say to a news channel, “We can squeeze ourselves and stay in that position longer than any normal and flexible person. We can work in holes with foul smells for 2-3 hours at a stretch. We can operate in conditions where oxygen levels are low. This is not an expertise but skills gained through practice since childhood.” Devendra Kumar, who was the first to reach the trapped workers and embrace them elaborates, “We can squat on our haunches and rest our body weight on our toes for 3 hours at a stretch. We can work like this in as little space as 2 feet and that is what we did as we sat in the pipe at Silkyara tunnel to clear the blocked portion. We held the drill machine right in front of us vertical to our chest with the heavier part where the motor is fitted touching the ride side of our chest.” Leaving the final word to Feroze Qureshi, “We expect nothing. We were so happy to save and help 41 fellow workers.” Real Heroes!!! Whilst hopefully some worthy financial rewards and honors will come their way it is refreshing to see that these saviors are being feted and applauded on prime TV shows like ‘Indian Idol.’

‘Rat miners surprised the world with their unique capability to bore around 13 meters and to fix and weld steel pipes- all this after cutting and extracting broken Auger parts.’ Lt General (Retd) Syed Ata Hasnain cited in his articles later. Local media and social influencers hailed it as a win for Indian Jugaad.

In an interview with the Free Press Journal, tunnel foreman Gabbar Singh Negi talked about how the 41 workers survived the 17 harrowing days without sinking into depression or hopelessness. Many workers later spoke about how he had kept them calm by practicing yoga and meditation and leading them on a morning walk of the 2000-meter stretch available. Negi, a local of Uttarakhand, rose to be a true leader for his team from Bihar, Odisha, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Assam, and Himachal Pradesh by motivating them to regroup as a unit for those long nerve-wracking days.

Australian Professor Arnold Dix became a national hero after all the workers were rescued unscathed. A geologist, engineer, and lawyer, he answered the SOS from the Indian Government and reached the site on the 20th of November. He inspected the collapsed tunnel, co-ordinated with all the Agencies on the ground, and suggested technical solutions to overcome challenges through the rubble. He was always on the forefront whether advising the rat mining operations or the final rescue mission by the NDRF (National Disaster Response Force). In a conversation with Business Today he talked about, “How keeping them warm and connected, providing proper food, and having all the emergency services around helped a great deal.” Prof Dix was also seen praying for the safe evacuation of the 41 workers and even performing Pooja at a small temple in the vicinity. He remains the most loved Aussie in India after the Australian cricket team broke a billion hearts by beating India in the WC ODI cricket final on the 19th of November.

Lt General Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd) as a Member of the NDMA (National Disaster Management Agency) stands out as another hero in this multi-agency, multi-approach, multi-options rescue mission. In his articles in the Indian Express and First Post, he lauds the Government of India’s dictum that “Every life is precious including those engaged in the rescue efforts. On a virtual war footing, no expense or effort was spared to save all the 41 lives at stake. A unique and outstanding example of how teamwork facilitated from the highest to the lowest levels. Bureaucratic hurdles were thrown aside. Perfect coordination between the Centre, the Uttarakhand Government, and other States left nothing to chance.”

The Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) reached the disaster location immediately and quickly estimated that the end-to-end distance of debris to reach the workers at approx. 58-60 meters. The NDRF quickly deployed 2 teams to the tunnel site. They conducted contingency drills to take out the workers in improvised stretchers with wheels using ropes. An 80-metre long, 900 mm wide steel pipe was used for the mock drill. Alongside, the Madras Sappers (Army Engineers) prepared for a side drift technology option and did all the fabrications on the spot.

In the initial days, a 4-inch compressed pipeline became the lifeline for the trapped workmen. Survival rations like almonds, dry fruits, chickpeas, and medicines were pushed through by compressed air. Around the 8th day, a 6-inch pipeline facilitated the supply of water, oxygen, cooked food, fruits, and communication lines. The conditions of entrapment revealed that the power cables had not snapped and there was some light inside the tunnel. BSNL set up a landline facility and with walkie-talkies, the workers could speak with their close family and friends. And perhaps for the first time in India, psycho-social advice was given to each worker in their own language by qualified professionals who were flown to the site. After the rescue many workers expressed their heartfelt thanks to the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami, General VK Singh (Retd) Minister of State of Road Transport and Highways, and the Principal Secretary of the PMO (Prime Minister’s office) for their concern and for regularly boosting up their morale.

The scale of the operation can be gauged by the fact that the Indian Government reached out to Norway’s Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI) and the Thailand cave rescue team. Micro-tunneling expert Mr Chris Cooper, already a consultant on the Rishikesh –Karnaprayag rail project was specially flown in on the 18th of November. A nationwide hunt for large drilling equipment led to Odisha, MP, and Gujarat. Gigantic machines were dismantled and loaded onto IAF C-17 transport aircraft, flat-bed railway rolling stocks, and huge trucks. Green corridors were provided for surface transport. State authorities in Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh effectively coordinated with the National Disaster Management Agency ( NDMA) and the nodal IAS officer of the Uttarakhand Government. The huge Auger machine was air-lifted from Delhi using two Hercules 130 planes, brought to the spot in 3 parts, and assembled without any delay at all.

A ward with 41 oxygen-supported beds was ready at the Chinyalisaur Community Health Centre -30 km from the collapsed tunnel.  Medical personnel and psychiatrists and a fleet of ambulances were on the alert. Arrangements had been made to airlift workers to advanced hospitals if required.

However, this is also a wake-up call. A 2021 research project by the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology revealed that half of Uttarakhand including Uttarkashi fell into the high to very high landslide-prone zone. There is talk that a landslide triggered the collapse. Another cause may be water seepage through loose patches of rock. The NHAI (National Highway Authority of India) preliminary report refers to geological faults and fractures – Shear zones. There are different types of rocks in the region some hard and some soft contributing to an inherently unstable region. The Himalayan mountain region is considered relatively young and growing and evolving. Mr RK Goel (former Chief Scientist at the Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research) talks about terrain-specific technical solutions. Small shear zones can be addressed by fore poles and rock anchors. Already known shear zones be incorporated into the designs.  If not known through survey, advance protection terrain-specific measures should be used. He also adds that tunnel-building technology, if correctly applied, poses minimum damage to the environment.

However, the challenge of construction on the Himalayan landscape will remain despite conducting a thorough assessment, seismic and geotechnical studies, and putting extensive safety measures in place. Please note that a leading German-Austrian engineering and consulting firm Bernard Gruppe has been on board the Silkyara tunnel project since 2018.  The NHAI has now ordered a safety audit for all the 29 under-construction tunnels in the country.

The 4.5 km tunnel when completed and operational will save the general public, the Armed Forces, and the 4 Dham pilgrims -26 km of treacherous roads.

Till then, let us celebrate the heart-warming and courageous tale of what the Union Government and State Governments, various National Institutions and agencies, and the Aam Heroes are capable of in a national emergency or crisis. If only we could somehow tap into this huge potential and harness the immense positive synergy in normal times.

INDIA POSITIVE- The Saga Continues

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When on the 23rd of August 2023, Chandrayaan 3 landed its rover on the south side of the moon, crores of Indians across the globe were all over the moon. The ISRO scientists and engineers were lauded and feted across the world. The success put India’s ‘rocket women’ in the spotlight- over 100 were closely associated with the lunar mission. Another surprising revelation was that only 2% of the ISRO space scientists had IIT affiliations.  Most of them were from Regional Engineering Colleges such as the COE Thiruvananthapuram.  Shri S Somnath had done his Mechanical Engineering degree from Kollam, Kerala. ISRO’s partners in this historic project were companies Hindustan Aeronautics, Bharat Heavy Electricals, Godrej Aerospace, Larsen & Toubro, MTAR Technologies… A satisfying ‘Make in India roll-call list’. However, what has stunned the international space community is that the Chandrayaan 3 mission cost only $75 million whereas the Russian Luna 25mission cost around $200 million. The Hollywood movie’ Interstellar’ had a production and marketing budget of $165 million. So ISRO is best placed to be the launch pad for global satellites outbidding rival agencies in the US & Europe. Satellite launches + satellite manufacturing services also.  India’s space economy which is valued at $8 billion is expected to grow to $40 billion by 2040. Forbes India has said that it may even catapult to $100 billion over the next 15 years. Since 1999 ISRO has put 381 foreign satellites in space for 34 countries and earned $279 million in revenue.

Covaxin, India’s indigenous Covid 19 vaccine was developed by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Institute of Virology (NIV). Around 35 million doses of Covaxin were administered effectively (1.69 billion doses of CovidShield). A recently released film, ‘The Vaccine War’ celebrates the dedication of Dr Bhargava (Director ICMR & team) and Dr Priya Abraham (Director NIV & team). Again, a number of women virologists and bio-scientists made a significant contribution when it really mattered. That India supplied almost 24 crore doses of the vaccines to 101 countries, mainly through grants, is hardly a footnote.

Many Indians take pride in the ever-expanding list of Indian-origin global CEOs. Sundar Pichai (Alphabet/Google), Satya Nadella (Microsoft), Leena Nair (Chanel)… Rishi Sunak (PM-UK) and Leo Varadkar (PM-Ireland) have given hope to some that a certain Vivek Ramaswamy may be the next occupant of the White House with the blessings of a certain Donald Trump. Shuddering thought!! Why indulge in these vicarious feelings when actually good things are happening in our country.  Like the expanding global footprints of Indian MNCs.  Bharat Forge is the world’s largest forging company with manufacturing facilities in India, Germany, and Sweden. Tata Steel, JSW Steel, SAIL & Arcelor Mittal are amongst the largest steel manufacturers in the world. Bajaj Auto (3rd largest 2wh- manufacturer) is the most valued 2wh company with a market cap of $13 billion. Asian Paints makes the top 10 peer list with a valuation of $2.18 billion. Sun Pharma has broken into the pharma companies’ elite top 25 club. Indian Pharma is also the world’s largest producer of low-cost generic drugs which is God Sent to developing nations. Airtel Africa (Bharti Airtel) is the first or second largest operator by customer market share in 13 out of the 14 African countries it operates in with its 4 G services. As of April 2023, India has claim to 167 billionaires, behind the US and China. This is in the context of the Indian economy being opened up only in 1991 by the Shri PV Narasimha Rao government with Dr. Manmohan Singh as the Finance Minister.  In the India Positive saga, it is also interesting to note that the Women’s Reservation Bill was first tabled in the Lok Sabha by the Shri Deve Gowda government in 1996. This much-needed legislation has finally become an Act just last month.

A lot of positive developmental work is happening on the ground. The media does not share any good news as everything is seen through a political lens. So hit the road in the next few months to find out that the Raipur-Vishakhapatnam 6-lane Greenfield highway has reduced the distance from 590 km to 464 km and the travel time from 14 hours to 7 hours. The Meerut to Prayagraj Ganga Expressway will also halve the travel time from 12 hours to 6 hours. The Bengaluru-Chennai 258 km expressway which will be open to traffic from Jan 2024 has reduced the stretch by 50 km and commute time by 30%. 4 lanes are expandable to 8. All part of the 202 NH projects worth Rs 80,000 crs are under implementation and crisscrossing the country, with a special focus on the North East.

The 1483 km Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor through Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat & Maharashtra will have industrial zones, logistic hubs, power plants, ports access, schools, and hospitals –creating new economic centers with large employment potential. The ambitious Narmada Valley project seeks to optimize water resource management and generation of power through a network of canals and small dams. Another objective is to raise the groundwater level tables in the adjoining areas. The Chenab Rail Bridge (1.3 km) is expected to open to rail traffic soon. It will connect the Kashmir Valley to the Rest of India- Baramullah- Srinagar-Udhampur. The new international airport terminal at Bengaluru (T2) is expected to take air passenger footfalls to 55 million in the near future (currently 32 million annually). With a T3 planned annual air passenger traffic can move to Heathrow levels. If critical projects are completed within timelines- the economic, social, and employment impact will be huge.

The Ayushman Bharat National Public Health Insurance Scheme already has around 24 crore card holders with the GOI aiming at 50 crore registered members from the low-income earners or ration card holders. The cashless health care benefits provided – Rs 5 lakhs per eligible family per year at empaneled hospitals and designated health care centers. Sure, there are problems of corruption, fraudulent claims, and excessive billing. But a welfare scheme at such a large level will have to face, confront, and resolve such issues.

India is a happening place as a medical tourism destination. Around 2 million patients from around 78 countries sought medical, wellness, and IVF treatments in India, and the numbers are growing. The current $6 billion revenue is expected to double by 2026 with a boost from the GOI ‘Heal in India’ initiative. Chennai hospitals are especially sought after for their high-quality treatments with more than 40% of the overseas health tourists’ traffic landing in the city.

The Indigenisation of Defence Production is another stellar chapter in the India Positive story. Indian defense exports have leapfrogged from Rs 1500 crs in 2016-17 to the current levels of Rs 16000 crs. To friendly countries in South East Asia & Africa with an intent of a long-lasting relationship for military hardware. Prithvi (surface-to-surface missile), Akash (surface-to-air), Trishul (naval version of Prithvi), Nag (anti-tank), Agni(anti-ballistic missile), and Light Combat Aircraft (Tejas) have received some coverage in the media. However, India’s specialisation in Weapon Simulators, Night vision- Monocular and binocular, Weapon locating radar, Coastal Surveillance Radar, Torpedo loading machines have invited a lot of interest from countries like the Philippines. Although 80% of the defense production is by Government establishments like HAL, DRDO and BEML private companies like Bharat Forge, Mahindra Aerospace, and MATR Technologies are stepping forward as trusted partners.

Mr Nandan Nilekani has often referred to India’s new model of growth with technology drivers whilst remaining anchored to inclusivity and the Greater Good values. This Digital Transformation is dramatically changing India from an informal, fragmented, cash-driven, and inefficient economy to a formal, organized and high-productivity economy. Mr Nilekani should know as the father of the Aadhar card issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). Remember this happened in 2009 under Dr Manmohan Singh’s UPA 2 government. Although it took its time to take off, there are 1.3 billion Indians with digital ID’s today. The Aadhar was the ID layer. In late 2014 the Jan Dhan Yojana was announced and in a few years 400 million new bank accounts were opened and India went from being one of the most unbanked countries in the world to one of the most banked ones. The account holders have now crossed 50 crs and have the added facility of the Ru Pay debit card. In 2016 the scenario became turbo-charged with the launch of the UPI (Unified Payments Interface) payment scheme and the advent of smartphones. Block Building. The payment layer and the data layer became naturally integrated. KYC (Know your customer) with 10 million authentications per day (OTP, Iris, Face, Fingerprint) became the gateway for not only opening bank accounts or securing mobile connections but for pensions, mutual funds, and insurance. One may recall that with EKYC, Jio issued 100 million SIM cards in just 6 months. Being financially inclusive and connected meant that almost $5 billion of welfare funds were directly transferred to the accounts of 160 million beneficiaries who were in dire straits during the pandemic.

UPI has catalyzed and streamlined the economy in just 7 years.  300 million active monthly users, 500 million merchants who use UPI to accept money for their businesses, and 7.6 billion transactions a month. In September 2016 the RBI launched the Bharat QR code and by Dec 2022 the Bharat QR had 4.9 million users and UPI QR-238 million. Vegetable vendors, farmers, shopkeepers, merchants, and professionals are all embracing the QR code for receiving payments, delivery of services, seeking feedback on services…

The Digital Revolution has become a way of life. As the ex- Infosys Chairman succinctly puts it, “the change and momentum is irreversible.” The Digi Locker (GOI cloud) was rolled out in 2015. As per the latest data 134 million Indians securely store their documents on the cloud- Aadhar, PAN card, Driving License, CoWin certificate… Fast-Tag has released the traffic jams at highway toll booths and also plugged considerable leakage. 324 crs (number of) transactions were done vide Fast Tag in 2022-23. The Digital Tax system for Income Tax and Indirect Taxes has made matters more efficient and transparent. The competition between Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone has ensured that the cost of consumption of data on our smartphones is amongst the lowest in the world.

At the cutting edge is the AI for Bharat- a voice tool in 22 regional languages. A farmer can raise his query about the sowing season timing, the weather, or the markets and receive a quick response in his own language. Some of the information will be facilitated by GPT. Let’s talk about another game-changer ONDC (Open Network for Digital Communication- GOI-Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade). “An advanced ecosystem that enables smooth and interoperable online transactions; ONDC provides an open protocol that envelopes different aspects of e-commerce for a streamlined exchange of goods and services.” Small and medium businesses can directly engage with potential customers or clients without the demands of intermediaries; it can provide a collaborative channel between the logistics and the seller to make deliveries more timely and efficient; small businessmen or farmers in Tier 3 and rural areas can access the App in their own language. They no longer have to rely on big firms, agencies or markets to sell their products and services.

By 2030 India is expected to become the 3rd largest economy in the world, overtaking Japan. But per-capita income is what we should be tackling on a war footing. Our current ranking is a dismal 141 out of 197 nations. The economy has to grow at 6.5% to 7% CAGR every year for the next 20 years if we have to be accepted and acknowledged as an advanced economy. There is surely some progress to cheer about but it is a long haul ahead. It is incumbent upon whichever future government is in power to relentlessly focus on a vibrant economy and real & inclusive growth. Good Economics is the Best Politics. In 2047, the Indian tricolor should unfurl after 100 years of Independence to represent one of the leading global powers and celebrate being one of the most progressive nations on Earth.

India Positive

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Photo by Naveed Ahmed on Unsplash

Rainbow Nation was a phrase coined by Archbishop Desmond Tutu to describe post-apartheid South Africa after the 1994 elections as the country peacefully and remarkably transitioned into a democracy.  This was to bolster the blending of diverse cultures and traditions to create a colorful and vibrant society. India with its huge geography and 140 crores + population defies any such paradigm. Just consider this. 122 languages adding up to 234 including dialects. Hindi is said to be spoken by a major segment of the populace. If you count dialects like Awadhi and Bhojpuri… and even the tapori slang of the Mumbaikars and the Hyderabadi lingo’s twist and flavor. 6 recognized religions (Christianity, Islam) & including 4 great faiths born in India- Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Add the small Parsee community of Zoroastrian tradition and Jews who sought refuge in India from persecution elsewhere. An ancient civilization that dates back to 6000-7500 years ( historian Tim Dyson).

Today’s India has truly started to churn as a melting pot. This cultural acceptance is being fostered by the job opportunities and economic interdependence of ordinary Indians which has led to mass relocations, which in turn is driving the wheels of commerce. Travel and tourism have led to millions of Indians discovering new sub-cultures and traditions and even taking a liking to their food and apparel habits. INDIA POSITIVE- a story not following the script of the divisive politicians and their acolyte media influencers.     

Food for Thought. Whether the sweet delicacy Rasgulla originated in Puri as an offering to Lord Jagannath or in the State of Bengal does not really matter; as also whether the original recipe of Sambhar can be traced to the royal kitchens of Maratha ruler Sambhaji Maharaj or is a Southern India concoction as considered today. Whether the famous Idli dish originated in Tamil Nadu or Karnataka or as Kedli by the cooks of the Indonesian Hindu kings more than 1000 years ago also does not matter. Today be it Punjabis, Gujaratis and Bengalis are drooling over some delicious variants of the Idli & Sambhar or the Dosa, Uthappam, or Appam. The Rasgulla is a must at large corporate events and weddings as a preferred dessert. The Lucknawi or Hyderabadi servings of the biryani or kebab are hot-sellers across the country. The Chola Bhatura, Aloo Paratha, and Rajma Chawal from up North are the stuff of thousands of Swiggy orders every day down South. The Bengali Doi Maach, Goan, and Kerala fish curries are culinary bestsellers. The very thought of farsan items like the Dhokla Khaman virtually transports us to Gujarat as does Daal-Baati-Churma to Rajasthan.  The delicious Momo –a staple in Leh-Ladakh, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh – has spread its food-print all over.  A visit to Indore is not complete if you do not sample the fare at Chhapan Bhog (the 56 eateries’ food lane) or taste the night offerings at the Sarafa bazaar.

During a recent visit to Chennai, I was struck by the number of Tea Shop chains across the city- Chai Kings, Chai Waala, and Chai Galli. Although the aroma of filter coffee still fills the metropolis the young Chennai crowd is having their sips of the other beverage also. A young woman from Chattisgarh was attending the order desk and language was hardly a barrier in handling local customers and the delivery boys. At one such crowded joint, I noticed the ubiquitous Mumbai fast food Vada Pav selling like hot cakes.

During a 2-day hotel stay in Chennai, I learned that the Supervisor and the entire Housekeeping staff were from Tripura. Disciplined, polite, and making an honest living a long way away from home. At a reputed South Indian restaurant chain, the entire waiter service staff was from Bihar and spoke the Maithili dialect. One of them told me that he had been working for them for the last 5 years and that he and his buddies were decently looked after.  Other than the specialities the restaurant is known for they had expanded the Menu items to Naan, Paneer Kulcha, and Rajma Chawal. For me, Chennai is the Bellwether of cultural shift and change.

More than 13 million domestic tourists have visited the Kashmir valley this year with 3 months of the season still to go. The hotels and guest houses are full as are the cabs, buses, and Shikaras.  Some of my friends who have returned after a memorable vacation are not just full of the beautiful scenery but also about the warm hospitality from the locals. Travel is good education. It changes perspectives and dismisses prejudices. The North East is now firmly on the Indian traveler’s map and as I have been there multiple times it is an experience to cherish. The backwaters of Kerala, the coffee hills of Coorg, the beaches of Goa and Puducherry, the wildlife sanctuaries, and the tranquil spots of Himachal and Uttarakhand are already attracting hordes. The less visited spots of the tribal hills of Araku (Andhra Pradesh) or the lush forests, icy lakes, and monasteries of Sikkim will soon turn into attractive tourist destinations. Odisha will not remain “ India’s best-kept secret’ for long and with the Governments of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat putting their weight behind scaling up the tourism economy good times are ahead for the tent stay in the Rann of Kutch, the Jaisalmer desert festival and the Kanha Tiger Reserve Park. The younger generation is on the move and they are seeing and finding the Real India. Their passion for long trips by car or bike and for trekking and adventure sports is a good omen.

When one does the ‘Matha Tekna’ at the Golden Temple in Amritsar one is bowing down to show respect to the message of the Gurbani. Then there is the heart-warming concept of the Langar. In Sikhism, the Langar is the community kitchen of the Gurudwara which serves free meals to all irrespective of caste, creed, gender, or economic status. During the Covid lockdown, the Langar was God sent for lakhs of migrant workers and the jobless and the destitute. Putting a Chadar at the Ajmer Sharif Dargah is on the wish list of millions of Indians cutting across faiths.  The Sufi saint and philosopher Moinuddin Chisti is celebrated in the A R Rahman song,’ Khwaja Mere Khwaja’ in the 2008 film ‘ Jodha Akbar’.  The Sai Baba temple at Shirdi attracts millions of devotees every year and is second only to the multitudes that pay respects at the Lord Balaji temple at Tirupati. Just imagine the seismic effects when the Ayodhya temple of Shri Ram is opened to the public. Crores of faithful will line up for darshan. But it will also do wonders for the local and neighborhood economy and will serve the Greater Good. The Buddhist and Jain circuits in Bihar are testimony to India’s rich spiritual heritage. A look at the beautiful paintings at the Jain temple in Mount Abu or the pristine sculpture work at the Meenakshi temple in Madurai gives us a glimpse of who we are as a people. The St Thomas Church in Palayoor Kerala is believed to have been established by the Saint himself as far back as 52AD. The celebration of Merry Christmas in India is not confined to the lighted-up and decorated churches and the Midnight Mass. That Santa Claus caps and little glittering Christmas trees are sold at the city traffic lights a week before the Big Day speaks of the festive spirit which has taken over.

The Soft Power of Indian films, music, and dance has reverberated across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, South America, and Europe and is now making waves in North America. Dangal has been a huge blockbuster in China. The ‘Naatu Naatu’ dance sequence from RRR has captivated the world. But now in India Bollywood no longer rules the roost. Bahubali 1 & Bahubali 2 did huge business in the original Telugu and other South Indian languages but the Hindi dubbed versions broke all box-office records. Paving the way for the big success of Pushpa & RRR (Telugu) & KGF & Kantara (Kannada) in the Hindi heartlands.  Southern stars like Yash, Prabhas & Vijay Deverakonda are now well accepted and applauded by Hindi film audiences. So much so that many Bollywood biggies do not release their films when a mega South film is about to hit the cinema theatres. The Covid lockdown and the streaming channels also have played a big role in the breakdown of these regional film barriers. Audience tastes are now conditioned to the quality content and performances from Malayalam, Tamil, Bengali, and Marathi films.  Tumbbad is a stellar example of a classic Marathi movie. Vijay Sethupathi (Tamil) and Fahadh Faasil (Malayalam) have developed a fan following of their own beyond South India. I was not surprised when on a trip to Kochi I saw a corporate gathering at a hotel grooving to the beats of ‘Zingaat’ (Sairat, a Marathi blockbuster). Nor was I surprised when I saw baraatis at a traditional Maharashtrian wedding in Pune doing the rousing Bhangra. People are now opening up to other cultural influences.

 Rabindra Sangeet strikes a popular chord much beyond Bengal with its distinctive rendition whilst singing. But the music is a fusion of Bengali folk music, Carnatic music, Hindustani classical music, and the occasional Western note. Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore created a pan India scores much before Independence. More than 100 years later we are still understanding the notes.

For the last 2 decades, many of India’s top cricketers have come from India’s smaller towns. Dhoni (Ranchi), Jadeja (Jamnagar), Shami (Saharpur-UP), and Bhuvaneshwar Kumar (Meerut) to name a few. India’s most popular sport is no longer about the metros. And for the fervent fan of the Men in Blue, it does not matter if the winning runs are scored by Kohli, Gill, or Sanju Samson or if Mohd Siraj or Ashwin wins the match with the ball. That a man from Jharkhand is anointed as Thala (Leader) by the Chennai Super Kings fans and is embraced as one of their own is a potent, emotional story. Mr. Naveen Patnaik’s Odisha government sponsoring and supporting both the men’s and women’s hockey teams has resonated well with sports buffs across India.  These impactful undercurrents are not restricted to big sports. A Pro Kabbadi League (an indigenous sport with the scent of our desi soil) was launched in 2014 and attracts full stadiums and a good viewership on Star Sports. It has brought into prominence Indian stars like Maninder Singh from Dasuya, Punjab; Nitin Tomar from Malakpur in UP; Kashiling Adake from Sangli, Maharashtra. Plus professionals from countries like Iran & South Korea. Times are changing.

The gender barrier is falling on all fronts. Sticking to the sports narrative we have medal-winning woman wrestlers from conservative Haryana. Mary Kom (Boxer- Manipur) & Deepika Kumari (Archer from Jharkhand) who both have tribal backgrounds are now pan-India sporting ICONS. Mary Kom has had a successful Bollywood film made about her life and achievements. PV Sindhu & Saina Nehwal (Badminton) and Sania Mirza (Tennis) are household names and brand ambassadors for many products and services. Earlier this year the lucrative and glamorous Indian Premier League for women’s cricket was launched and the first season had good audiences and good TV ratings. Some of the Indian women cricketers are already celebrities on social media.  Top women corporate and business leaders are no longer outliers; many successful start-ups are being driven by women entrepreneurs. It’s still a work in progress but with the tipping point in the not-too-distant future.

In a sense, this can be seen as the quiet confluence of India’s mighty rivers, criss-crossing across our vast land. The Brahmaputra, the Ganga, the Indus, the Narmada, the Godavari, the Tapti, the Krishna, and the Cauvery and their tributaries flow into and merge into the other with the mythical and hidden Saraswati beneath the surface. A myriad of sub-cultures reach out to understand, appreciate, and live with each other. This is not wishful thinking, being naïve, or misplaced idealism. The story of India Positive-around the Idea of India-is not making any headlines but has started happening. It is gradually enriching and reinforcing the national ethos. Just let people be.

Too Much of a Good Thing?!

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Photo by Дмитрий Хрусталев-Григорьев on Unsplash

How can something basically good turn bad if tested to its limits and beyond? That sounds like an oxymoron.  5 decades ago our respected teacher Mr. Joseph had this to say to his class, “Even a virtue if taken to the extreme becomes a vice. A balance has to be kept.” This insightful remark has stayed with me and I have experienced and followed the counter-productive effects he spoke about then- in more idealistic times.

Working hard and sincerely is a virtue. But in today’s boot-camp culture, this has been stretched to a toxic dimension. Workaholics are sick people and should not be regarded otherwise. But we have hard taskmaster bosses proudly referring to ‘he is always the last to leave office’ or ‘ she attends to emails or calls even on Saturday evenings.’ Employees are now referred to as a Cost to the Company and from whom every ounce of productivity has to be squeezed out. However, it remains a simple truism that a healthier work environment leads to much better results. Work-Life balance matters. Quality time with family and friends and for hobbies and interests is an integral and essential part of life.

One with the same is the perennial review meetings to start and end the day and carried forward into the weekend.  One may ask, where is the time and space to get down to actual work? Effective monitoring is a good management trait but this excess version becomes micro-management. It leads to huge pressure down the line, builds up frustration levels, and ends up in high attrition rates. Meetings properly scheduled and offering updates and solutions, interactions, and motivation are most welcome. Else, ‘meetings are where you waste hours and keep minutes.’

Honesty is a much-lauded virtue and is said to be the best policy. But it has to be refined as per the context; bluntness or plain-speak, even if factual, can backfire. The messaging has to be right. Giving a person ‘a dressing down’ in a Teams meeting is not going to work as a wake-up call. It will only breed resentment as a public humiliation. Scolding, however, justified, at home or offices don’t have to be outbursts. And what’s the harm of a small white lie to save a situation or to avoid hurting someone’s feelings.

Social media has glamorized fitness to unheard-of levels. The six-pack of Salman Bhai fills the big screen; the supreme fitness and stamina of footballer Cristiano Ronaldo over the last 10 years has won him his legion of fans; the Yo-Yo test was first introduced to Indian cricket during Virat Kohl’s fitness-focused captaincy. Kohli personifies physical fitness and has set a sterling example for the Indian cricket team to follow. But these are top-level sportsmen and the average person is not cast in the same mold and is not required to withstand the arduous physical rigors. Grueling gym sessions are not called for. So we have the tragic deaths of Kannada film star Puneeth Rajkumar, comedian Raju Srivastava, and TV actor Siddhanth Surryavanshi soon after or whilst working out at gyms. To aspire and work out for fitness is a good thing. But a brisk 1-hour walk or 45 mins of cycling or weekend swimming sessions or a 5 K run is all that is required to be in fine fettle. Push it beyond and the average body starts complaining.

The desire to win is another much-celebrated mantra through documentaries, management studies, or Success Gurus. Competitiveness is fine as it defines progress and we look forward to the next batch of leaders and innovators taking the baton forward. But there is a line that should not be crossed. ‘Win at Any Cost’ or ‘Win by Any Means’ should not be the driving principle. Because here is where the overdose kicks in. So we have a drug-powered Lance Armstrong with 7 Tour de France titles and the doped Ben Johnson breaking the 100 & 200 meters records at the 1988 Olympic Games. The German car manufacturer Volkswagen cheated its way through a rigged emission check system to get a bigger share of the US market and become the no 1 car manufacturer in the world.

Social media and the IoT of things have connected the world as never before and the benefits have been humungous. From reconnecting on WhatsApp groups to instant news updates, and digital payments to access to a plethora of products and services. But anything done in excess has a definite downside. The over-addiction to technology has undermined human interaction and activity. It’s now common to see a family of four at a restaurant having a minimum conversation with all busy on their own mobiles. So much time is being spent online that millions of youngsters are missing out on the small joys of playing football or cricket on the playfield or just chilling out with friends. Whilst the practice of Happy Birthdays and Festive Greetings has expanded exponentially the joy of actually talking to a friend has gone missing.

Such is the charm and fascination with Artificial Intelligence and Bots that some of the corporate CXOs I have met would like human involvement at work to be totally eradicated. Lesser costs, absolute efficiency, and no headaches of managing people. Nary a thought for millions without work as the ‘Driverless’ vehicles hit the roads.

Let’s move to the Left and Right Ideologies. Karl Marx Utopian vision of an all-powerful, benevolent State attracted intellectuals, leaders, and comrades in droves. Adam Smith’s treatise ‘The Wealth of Nations’ seminally influenced Capitalist fervor and thought.  It’s been a hundred years since the Russian Revolution which brought the communist doctrine center stage. Over the same period, the USA has evolved into the bastion of capitalism. Two resounding ideas and ideals have dominated the last 100 years. Both have faltered visibly because of excesses in implementation, no checks and balances, and a poor understanding of human nature. Power Corrupts. Two quotes that have come to epitomize these ideologies are- Power flows from the barrel of a gun- Mao and Greed is Good-Gordon Gekko, a character in the movie Wall Street. Communist countries have been characterized by lackadaisical economic progress and brutal dictatorial regimes. The USA has a blemished report card with high-income inequalities and an insidious nexus between Wall Street and the Capitol. Yes, Castro’s Cuba has done well on the healthcare and education front and nations like France, Canada, and the UK have tried to temper out the free market excesses with subsidized health-care, education, and pension plans. But the Left cannot pretend to be human-rights activists and the US is the symbol of the scars and excesses of capitalism.  A balanced approach for the Greater Good has been starkly missing. Ironically, it’s worth noting that China’s rapid economic growth is due to State Capitalism facilitated all the way by the authoritarian CCP (Chinese Communist Party).

Powerful dogmas, philosophies, Ideas, and concepts are successful and relevant within the bounds of reason and good sense. Nationalism escalating into a hyper-aggressive version as in China & Russia is alarming; All religions have to be respected but Faiths controlling public policy and administration is disturbing; wealth creation is good but rising inequalities is destabilizing- despite being a mixed economy just 1% of India’s population controls 40% of the nation’s wealth; subsidies are meant to be supportive welfare measures for the short or medium term.  Reckless subsidies and populist freebies may win a couple of elections but will haunt the nation and its people for years to come. Sri Lanka is in a self-inflicted, acute crisis and, totally dependent on bilateral & international loans to survive. It’s worth adding that protecting an individual’s rights and freedoms is the hallmark of democracy; stretching it as a right to bear arms (the Second Amendment) in the USA is having deadly repercussions with tragically regular mass shootings.

The sense of balance is all-important. Ancient Indian scriptures refer to the ecological balance between humankind and Nature and the Environment. Ayurveda (the traditional Indian system of health and longevity) prescribes how to achieve balance in body and mind.  In the same vein, let’s delve into the ancient Chinese philosophy of Yin & Yang.” Yin, Chinese for the Female, and the Moon also represent darkness, passivity, absorption, and the Earth.  Yang (the Sun and Male) represents light, activity, and the heavens. The balance of yin and yang was seen to influence health and order within an individual, society, and the entire universe.”

The Scourge of Corruption

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Photo by rupixen.com on Unsplash

My earlier blog ‘Cans of Worms’ was about the big scams and corruption scandals in India over the last 7 decades. Corruption in India has taken on a huge, toxic dimension. It takes a cruel toll on the poor and is very troubling for the middle class. It has seriously compromised our polity and public systems and is pervasive across the country.  It has eroded the quality and prospects of life for millions of Indians and aggravated the struggles of the majority populace of have-nots. The malaise has gone so deep that many good, educated citizens helplessly shrug that nothing can be done about it.

Western countries also have acute problems of corruption but it does not intrude into the day-to-day lives of their people. The venal ex-President and self–proclaimed billionaire Donald Trump has evaded paying income tax for many, many years. London is the welcoming, Go-to place for the world’s financial criminals as extradition is difficult. The serene beauty of Switzerland with the snow-capped Alps as shown in the Yash Chopra films is the picture-postcard version of it. The country’s banks have been the preferred havens for black money from all around the world. The Nazis were amongst their first customers.

Let’s hit the pot-holed roads. Their proliferation is such that the traffic has to navigate the holes to find the stretch of roads. The NCRB (National Crimes Records Bureau) finds that 5% of the deaths on Indian roads are due to pot-holes. The traffic police point to the same as the cause of long traffic jams in cities. This perennial bane can be resolved only if the roads are constructed with good materials and maintained properly. But there’s the rub. The 10% cut from the contractors to public officials and politicians has moved with inflation to 25%. The quality of roads becomes the first casualty. Poor roads or bridges or flyover construction is the fall-out. Let it be noted that one of the major reasons for China’s economic explosion was the focus on building good roads and infrastructure. Creating many, many jobs and driving economic growth.

The Public Distribution System (PDS) is supposed to cater to the food requirements of the neediest- the ration card holders. Instead, the sad reality is that the fair price shop owners sell the good quality food-grain in the open market by using fake ration cards. The BPL (Below Poverty Line) populace is often left with poor-quality residual stuff.  As it is, the system gives them access to only items like rice and wheat, ensuring that the poor continue to suffer on the nutrition front. The program also has an urban bias because the rural areas are not well connected by an efficient transport system. But surprise, surprise! Uttar Pradesh has redefined the system by becoming the first State to achieve more than 95% food distribution through a transparent biometric identification system.

Let’s look at the Minimum Wages scenario outside the States’ Shops and Establishment Act and the Central Sphere of Employees. The major chunk of daily wage workers is in the informal, unorganized sector.  The National Floor level wage for an unskilled worker is Rs 178/- per day.  Varying from State to State and Cities and towns. But it’s no secret that these poor people are at the mercy of the Agents.  Through a social worker friend of mine, I was shocked to learn that these middlemen appropriated 40% of their daily legitimate earnings if they wanted 20 days of work a month.  Also, extending work hours by a couple of hours a day is deemed normal.  Talk about ‘bonded labor’ in our cities. They remain gagged as the Principals, Agents, and public officials enjoy the spoils. Meanwhile, the law against underpayment or exploitation gathers dust within the legal tomes.

The Medical profession and the hospitals have also fallen from grace. There has been a positive side to Covid management in India but the flip side has been very disheartening. The black marketing of oxygen cylinders and drugs like Remdesivir has been reported in the media.  Less so the extortion from some in the hospital management for the availability of rooms and beds. Overbilling and prolonging patient stay is common practice at many private hospitals across the land. But a particular data shared with me by a health professional friend stunned me- 22,000 pediatric claims at government hospitals in a State for Rs 15 crs; 30,000 child care claims amounting to Rs 165 crs in the same State by private institutions. Malafide intent goes even beyond this. HPR (Health Professional Registration) by the National Health Authority has been made mandatory in several States. Many hospitals are accessing or buying or leveraging such certification as a cover for billing and conducting procedures and surgeries by less qualified or experienced professionals. So you have the case of 1 registered eye specialist deemed to be performing 300 cataract surgeries a day at different locations.  Eyeball-rolling, Really?!!  Then there is the frightening scenario of quacks endangering the lives of poor patients by donning surgical masks and gloves and wielding the scalpel. In fact, the ‘The Wealth is Health’ mantra goes back to the late 1980s. An anecdote as told to me by a colleague- his friend, a senior employee at a pharma firm had to pay Rs 1 lakh a month to the Health Secretary to secure access for his Company’s products at government hospitals.  As they became more comfortable, the babu confided that most of the money went upstairs.

Digitalization of the economy and business has had a positive impact. The Co Win App and the vaccination drive showed what the country and the governments are truly capable of. Listen to Sundar Pichai (CEO-Google) about UPI and the Covid Relief fund. “It’s remarkable. It shows up on an individual’s account immediately.” But E-Governance has not really freed the citizens from the corruption quagmire. A simple case of renewal of a driving license. One goes online, fills in the details, uploads the documents, and makes the requisite payment.  All one gets is the transaction number. So multiple rounds to the RTO with the same documents to get the job done. Then the middle-man enters and the fees are paid and hey presto! The job is done. This is where corruption spooks the average Indian. For every standard routine matter, one has to grease palms.

Let’s dekko at the judiciary and the police- 2 important pillars of the State. There is this saying, ‘the fish rots from its head.’ So we have a retired Supreme Court Judge reluctant to let go of his perks- having 20 public servants at his beck and call for many months post-retirement. From ‘Your Honour’ to ‘My Lord.’ Two more cases illustrate the rot in the judiciary. In May 2015, a Hindi film star was sentenced to 5 years in jail by the Mumbai Sessions Court in a hit-and-run case. The same night the High Court convened and suspended the sentence. The Superstar walked out with the swag of a Sultan. On the other hand, you have nearly 3 lakh under trial who have been locked up for more time than their alleged crime warrants. But the Governments and the Courts which only cater to the privileged do not initiate the process to set them free. It is a truism that in India a number of litigants pass away before their Judgement Day on Earth. A fresh infusion of 1 lakh + judges and magistrates and the fast track model can only clear the staggering pile of cases.

The police have a dismal reputation for being amongst the most corrupt organizations. This will continue till the Union and State Governments let go of their feudal hold on the police through the much-needed police reforms recommended by Shri Prakash Singh, retired IPS officer, and endorsed by the Supreme Court in 2006. So we have a reinstated police sub-inspector in Mumbai extorting crores of rupees from bars and clubs and having unfettered access to the Police Commissioner and the Home Minister.  More than 40 years back, I had heard from a senior police officer that Rs 50,000 was the price for a lucrative posting at one of the stations in the Bombay port area. This was the investment and a resourceful cop would certainly look forward to a multiple ROI. The same sleaze was again exposed by a report around a decade back. –the secretary of an MLA asking for Rs 15 lakhs for a posting to a particular police station. It was further elaborated that the asking amount would depend on the importance of the police station in their constituency and its income-generating capacity. However, it needs to be said that a critical part of the Police Reform Report says that the ground level Constable force be given more dignified living and working conditions.

Elections are high stake games with tons of black money involved.  All political parties follow the winnability quotient from the Congress playbook- Money, Muscle, Caste, Creed. So you have the BJP in UP strongly supporting their ‘Bahubali’ MLA from Unnao, Kuldeep Sengar. Accused and later thankfully convicted for the brutal rape of a 17-year-old girl and later killing of 2 of her relatives in a planned road crash. Sengar had earlier represented the Congress, the Samajwadi Party, and the Bahujan Samaj Party.  But this serious and blatant criminalization of politics and shameless horse-trading has not served as a wake-up call for any of our tall leaders.

The 2014 Lok Sabha election, according to informed sources, cost around Rs 30,000 crores.  The political coterie in India has become an exclusive, self-serving club. Hence, very few top politicians end up in jail. Some of them increase their assets by more than 1000 percent from one election to another. The Companies Act 2013 and the Electoral Bond scheme 2017 do not provide for more transparency and do not work for the greater good. The possibility of anonymous corporate, individual, or even foreign funding has increased.  Increasing the risk of public policies being framed for the funders and not the voters. A potentially scary situation.

With the budget session looming, signing off on the much-debated topic of Income tax. Only 3.2 lakh Indians declare income of more than Rs 50 lakhs annually; only 16.8 lakhs fall into the highest 30% tax bracket; only 5.83 crs IT returns were filed in FY 2022. Think about all this in the context of the 1 million SUVs sold in FY 2021; and that 30.85 lakh Indian tourists applied for visas in 2022 despite the pandemic travails. The parallel economy in India is estimated to be around 50% of the GDP. Despite DeMo and the increase in digitalization, the cash economy has grown from 10.7% of the GDP to 14.4% of the GDP to a record high of Rs 30.88 lakh crores. Easy to understand why ‘ the captive salaried class’ or the organized sector employees are fervently praying for tax relief in the budget. A recent Oxfam report has revealed that 64.3% of the GST collections have come from the bottom 50% of the population. High time for a more equitable review of both direct and consumption taxes and widening the base through lesser tax rates.

As the current Government has a clear majority in both Houses it should pass the much-needed structural reforms Acts-police reforms, revamping the judiciary, 30 % women’s representation bill, recall of corrupt representatives, and election finance laws and regulations (look at the French model). There is no hope for a Naya Bharat or a New India till this rampant corruption is controlled and minimized. Only well thought – through and transparent public policies and laws can reverse decades of neglect and indifference. The third largest global economy will not have a satisfying ring to it if India continues to feature in the highly corrupt and high inequality indices in the world order of nations.

It’s a Strange and Bizarre World

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Pedro Castillo, the Peruvian President under the legal scanner, declared a national emergency, dissolved the Congress, and anointed himself as the dictator. Half the capital’s populace came out on the streets to save democracy, the Congress convened to impeach the despot and by the night he had been arrested and jailed. Popular protests continue to dissolve the Congress and hold democratic elections.

In Germany, 25 persons were arrested in a plot to storm the Reichstag parliament, seize power and overthrow the government. The conspirators included members of the extremist Reichburger group (Citizens of the Reich) who do not believe in the legitimacy of the German State. A crackpot movement, harking back to the days of the Kaiser Emperor and then the Fuhrer, was stopped in its tracks because of good intelligence reports and the law and order machinery cracking down. This seditious group was already known for violent protests and racist and anti-Semitic attacks. A cache of 100 lethal weapons was recovered. Also uncovered were plans to execute and arrest people in the government, media and business. Those arrested included an ex-Member of Parliament, a sitting judge, a celebrity chef, and Wilhelm XIII, the ring leader, and an aristocratic real estate baron. Loony times?!! The German police estimate the committed cadres to number around 30,000.

On the 6th Jan 2021, the US Capitol was stormed by right-wing mobs fed on deranged conspiracy theories of a stolen election. The MAGA coup attempt egged on by Trump was supported by Senators and Congressmen, civil servants, and some media outlets. The evidence is all over the place. During the insurrection attempt, there were chilling chants of ‘Hang Pence’ (the VP) and ‘Where is Nancy?’ (Pelosi- the head of the Democratic-controlled House). Almost 2 years since the shameful event no top conspirator has been arrested and thrown in jail. The venal Trump is going to stand for re-election in 2024. His cult base of almost 30% white adult Americans are rooting for him. Simply put, neither the Justice Department, Congress or President Biden have the balls to indict and arrest this most dangerous of ex-Presidents. His powerful accomplices have also got away with acts of sedition, exposing an impotent legal and administrative system. MSNBC, and CNN have finally started drawing parallels with Peru’s fight for democracy and the German crackdown on the plot to oust the elected Government.  Not the normal B.S. about ‘this is not who we are as a people’ or about being the greatest and oldest democracy. Take a leaf out of the Peruvian book. Peru is not ‘the banana republic’. Get the point?!

The USA is a highly polarised nation but it is getting even crazier. Amongst Trump’s fervent supporters are the lunatic Q’ Anon who avow the belief that Trump is waging a secret war against elite Satan-worshipping pedophiles in government, business, media, and entertainment. This cult has grown to scary proportions since its origins in 2017. Also, many rabid evangelical leaders embraced and endorsed the corrupt Donald as the man to right things, especially for the white folks-abolish abortion, and LGBTQ rights and clamp down on immigration. The ‘land of the free and the brave’ also has a rigged and subverted Supreme Court- SCOTUS- which would be a disgrace in any other civilized democracy. Filled with ultra-conservative Trump appointees with lifetime tenure. So SCOTUS has turned the clock back 50 years (Roe v Wade) by declaring abortion illegal except in the rare case of rape victims. The USA has moved even ahead of Indonesia which recently declared sex outside marriage as a criminal offense.

When there is a coup plot in Deutschland (Germany) can Italy be far behind? Giorgia Meloni, the PM is inspired by Mussolini and heads a far-right government. The fascist II Duce (the leader) still has his fan base in Italy. Definitely not good news in 2023 for gay rights, abortion laws, and especially for minorities and immigrants.

We have heard a lot of sermons from the European Union Headquarters in Brussels on democratic values, human rights, freedom of speech… Now the Qatar corruption scandal has blown open the sleaze at the Brussels Institution. A  Vice President at the EU along with a few others have been arrested for alleged illicit lobbying for Qatar, money laundering, and for a soft stance in the run-up to the World Cup. Euros 1,50,000 were found in cash at the VP’s apartment and her PR for Qatar in the lead-up to the World Cup and other issues are trending on social media and news channels. The hypocrisy is deafening.

The controversial allotment of the ongoing World Cup to Qatar happened in 2010. The sordid story is well documented in ‘FIFA Uncovered’ on Netflix. This premier sports body is again managed and controlled by major European countries. The scale of greed and manipulation is staggering. Now that the tournament is well on its way, the deaths of thousands of migrant workers whilst constructing the grand stadiums and infrastructure facilities will be reduced to a mere statistic. The appalling living and working conditions will all be forgotten.

The Russia-Ukraine war takes us back to the tense decades of the Cold War. NATO’s reach-out to countries like Ukraine and Finland which border Russia has had Tsar Putin fuming. After all, he was a mid-level KGB operative in East Berlin when the Wall fell in 1989 leading to the collapse of the Soviet Union. If this totally unnecessary war continues Ukraine will be reduced to rubble as is the case with the unfortunate Syria and Yemen.  It’s the 70-year-old geopolitics of brinkmanship being played out again and again. No mature diplomacy or well-thought-out response from both sides. The world is certainly not a better place in 2022.

After 2 years of the Covid pandemic seriously undermining the world economy, Putin’s switching off the Nord Stream gas to Europe has ushered in a fresh crisis. A cold winter, double–digit inflation, and looming recession and unemployment.

It’s been 3 years since the outbreak of the Wuhan virus in China through a lab leak. The independent figure of the pandemic mortalities is over 6 million globally, with the World Health Organisation finally admitting to 3 million deaths. Remember – the Secretary General of WHO played PR for China and played down their negligence in the spread of the deadly virus which then mutated into other forms. Recently scientists and researchers from the USA and Europe have admitted to the leak from the Wuhan lab where a ‘Gain of Function’ research was on without adequate safety and security measures. Briefly, the virologists control the ‘serial passaging of micro-organisms to increase their transmissibility, virulence, immunogenicity and host tropism by applying selective pressure to a culture.’ Both the USA and China have conducted these experiments for bio-chemical warfare also. A top US epidemiologist who worked closely with the Wuhan lab for 2 years has recently spoken out that ‘what he saw at the lab terrified him.’ Many US & European scientists have been part of the cover-up as they benefitted from the huge grants in this space- ‘Gain of Function research.’ The close association of some US institutions and private firms with the Wuhan lab is now being exposed.   At least an apology from China, WHO, USA, and the top researchers in the know, if no reparations- wishful thinking, what?! The double standards and sheer sense of entitlement are shocking. The Dragon nation is now facing a resurgence of Covid and a record-high number of cases. Leading to Zero Covid lockdowns and unprecedented public protests. The Chinese vaccines are not effective and the wheel has come full circle.

Anti-hijab protests started in Iran more than 4 months back after the tragic death of a young woman in the custody of the moral police. After more than 450 deaths, 2 public executions and thousands of arrests by a brutal, repressive regime, the young and the women agitators remain unbowed. Shockingly, women have been shot in the face and genitals by pellet guns. The movement has now morphed into a resounding call for democracy, equal rights, and a modern State. Yet another nation where the rulers have turned the clock back to 1979-80 instead of progressing forward.

Now, a take on our erstwhile colonial master, the United Kingdom.  The Brexit vote in 2016 was a narrow one- 51.8% to 48.2%. Russian hackers swayed the ‘Aye’ voters through images of hordes of brown and black immigrants. The pitch for regaining British sovereignty was a pure hallucination. Within 3 years the volume of British Trade with the EU has slumped by almost 20% and it has had an adverse impact on the labor market in the UK.  It’s just a matter of time before foreign investment takes a hit as also the pivotal position of London as a financial capital. As of now, London is the most attractive refuge destination for financial scamsters from across the world.  You see the extradition process is tedious and difficult as in the case of Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi.  The country is facing a bleak winter further aggravated by strikes by nurses, rail employees, and many unions. And lest we forget, in the last 5 years there have been 4 Prime Ministers at 10 Downing Street, all from the Conservative Party. Not becoming of a civilized, mature, functioning democracy, is it?!

The West has long patronized and dominated the ‘Third World countries. They have created a lot of hotspots and war zones through their manipulative geo-political games. They have exploited natural and human resources for their own gain subverted emerging democracies and installed puppet rulers. But their hollow preaching and high moral ground stands have gone unopposed and unquestioned for decades. Not anymore. There are many developing nations asserting themselves in a multi-polar world and many voices cutting through these hypocritical posturing. Social media is also exposing the rot with real reporting from the ground. It’s time to reset the equation with the so-called First World. Peru’s tryst with democracy is showing the mirror to the United States of America.  The island country of Mauritius not only boasts of a growing economy but has a high literacy rate of over 90%, a life expectancy of 75 years, provides free health care and schooling, and is a beautiful and safe African country to visit. Brazil is a leader and the largest job creator in renewable energy and one of the most respected experts on climate change on the global stage. India’s leadership is being accepted globally not only as the 5th largest economy and a soft power to reckon with but as a responsible military power, especially with hostile neighbors in China and Pakistan. A multi-polar world does not necessarily mean a more peaceful and collaborative world.  But it does open up an opportunity by dismantling the old order and having more seats at the global geopolitical table.

Quiet Quitting & Why It is Trending

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The phenomenon of ‘Quiet Quitting’ has to be seen in the right perspective. The first, dismissive take was that an increasing number of the workforce is psychologically detached from their jobs and are doing the bare minimum. But in reality, ‘Quiet Quitting’ does not mean that people are spending a miserable 8 to 10 hours a day at the job. ‘It refers to quitting the idea of going above and beyond and no longer subscribing  to the hustle culture that work has to be your life.’ The 2-year global pandemic ‘was a pause on the constantly running treadmill.’

The Wuhan virus emerged from a lab leak in China. So does the Quiet Quitting Syndrome. There is a great similarity and link to recent trends amongst Chinese millennials such as ‘touching fish’ (mo yu) in which young people chat about how to pass time by drinking 8-10 glasses of water a day or dancing and exercising during breaks in the office. Such Tik Tok videos became the rage in a country where the ‘Factory to the World’ has many labour camps. Jack Ma, the tech billionaire, had publicly pushed for 12-14 hour work days. The founder of the e-commerce behemoth Ali Baba, who has now been side-lined by the Chinese Communist Party, has now toned down to say that tech advancements would help people work for fewer hours and live longer.

There is enough evidence to establish that this has become a global phenomenon. 50% of the US workforce have defined themselves as Quiet Quitters-doing what the job requires, no more and no less. Setting healthy work boundaries and not working outside routine job hours unless adequately compensated. No emailing after work hours, not responding to messages on the weekend and no off-the-clock meetings. In a sense, this acknowledges the global workforce burnout (52% per Gallup polls) and is being projected as the ultimate mantra for work-life balance. Sadly, India has the lowest well-being worldwide, a measly- 11%. (Gallup 2022 State of Global Workplace Report.).

Whilst Companies continue to talk about employee-centric initiatives to help fight burnout, disengagement and overwork, there is enough research to show that people are working way too much in today’s hyper-connected world. Most employees are fed up with a system that insists on taking their personal time without giving anything in return. So they are reclaiming their powers by just doing their job.

This unhealthy, silent battle is essentially rooted in ‘low conscious leadership’ which creates the Us vs Them dynamic. Organisation leaders are not accepting their crucial role in creating a burn-out culture which now pushes their team members to set the work hours boundaries. Such leaders, and unfortunately their numbers are growing, do not empathise with vulnerability, champion open dialogue, welcome diversity of perspective or ideas or encourage self-care or dignity in the workplace. In a way, quiet quitting is a misnomer for 2 words- ‘toxic culture. The participants are not doing anything radical. They are not sleeping at the wheel. They have just drawn the line- going about their business and performing their functions as required during their agreed-upon work timings.

Quiet Quitting is less about a lack of interest in work than about a Manager’s inability to build bonds. Where are the people who invest time in building one-to-one relations with their teams? Where are the leaders who ask themselves, ‘How best can I support my team members?  There are some but their breed is declining. This trend is putting the spotlight on a mechanical work culture where even the manager-employee relations have become transactional.  One of the big reasons for Quiet Quitting is the feeling of being underappreciated or even disrespected. To reverse this crisis, a supportive environment has to be created where the employees feel comfortable in voicing that they are deadbeat or that their bandwidth is exhausted; or in taking time off for personal wellness or family; having fun collaborating with colleagues and coming out with innovative solutions for their challenges.

To be an Advocate for the Greater Good, the Manager has to say ‘NO’ to projects and assignments which are beyond his team’s bandwidth. Mobilise more resources to be more efficient and productive instead of piling even more work on employees who are already sorely stretched. Proactive leaders may free some employee capacity by scrapping unproductive meetings; bringing some flexibility to Work from Home norms; by simplifying and streamlining processes. The leader has to become an example for the team for work-life integration. If she/he is addicted to sending emails during the night or calls during lunch break or reviews during weekends, it’s time to sit back and reset the boundaries.

There are, of course, downsides to this trending trend. There are corporate leaders and HR coaches who simply see it as symptoms of tardiness and laziness.  Some also suggest that such employees lack the motivation to ladder up or grow as professionals. They are also sarcastically compared to the chronic over-achievers in this all-pervasive all-on culture. Some of these Star-employees tend to be loud and morph into Yes-Men for the Boss. Some others manipulate and project themselves into the Boss’s good books. A co-worker who often stays late at the office or responds to e-mails on Sundays gets the attention & appreciation of the Senior Management. The attitudes and choices of these chosen ones quietly become the norm for the workforce. The flip side is that many figure out that there is no point in channelizing all energy into work where there is a lack of career growth opportunities as they have not signed into the hustle culture. If there is no suitable opportunity outside they settle down quietly under the radar.

Yes, every office and workspace has its share of underperformers and even troublemakers. If they do not mend their ways, they have to be shown the EXIT door. There are HR pundits who castigate the entire bunch of Quiet Quitters as people who are missing out on a chance to feel a real purpose in their lives. In polite lingo, they are branded as ‘Slackers’ or ‘Shirkers’. Many corporate honchos call them out as ‘lazy bums.’ The quiet response is that they are trying to locate their sense of purpose and identity outside their jobs- with family and friends, in hobbies and social work, through spirituality and meditation.

Quiet Quitters are at risk of losing their jobs and being passed over for promotions and salary hikes. But corporates regularly pass over deserving candidates for promotions and salary hikes. They also lay off hard-working people all the time because they have to ‘cut flab’ or because of factors like seniority, personal relationships, failed strategy or just to slash costs. Then, there are leaders who penalise and ignore employees in the hope that they leave off their own accord. This is called ‘Quiet Firing.’

The other real concern that psychologists point out is that emotional detachment at the workplace cannot be confined to the workplace alone. It spills over into the other areas of a person’s life. It permeates into home and family, friends and social life. It can lead to alcohol and drug excesses or even addiction. Well-meaning HR counsellors suggest taking a break, re-evaluating career options, upskilling and doing nothing which undermines the professional reputation or the individual resume.

Quiet Quitting has a big downside for the bosses, who have long relied on employees for extra-long work hours and doing work that is not accounted for in their salaries or job descriptions. Companies may be forced to hire more to achieve productivity goals or business targets rather than expecting current employees to put in 12-hour work days without appropriate rewards or compensations. Hence, there are likely to be massive downstream effects for corporates and industries across the spectrum. CEOs will have to mull over and decide whether they can rely on their existing teams to deliver during a downturn or whether they can afford to fire and replace seasoned quiet quitters in a tight labour market.

Interestingly, an AI start-up claims to offer a solution- analysing emails & slack messages to detect the level of engagement, burn-out and turnover risks amongst employees.

Corporates, Industrial houses, large firms and Institutions can only ignore ‘Quiet Quitting’ at their own peril. A more open-minded, engaged and grounded leadership can stem the flow of this malaise and can even turn the growing tide of employee disenchantment.

The Sinister Art of Covert Warfare

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John Adams, the second US President, had prophetically said, “The two ways to conquer and enslave a country is by the sword, the other way through debt.”

The USA, the undisputed super-power after WW2, suffered humiliating military defeats in Vietnam and Afghanistan after many years of occupation. But for decades their geo-political strategy, as supposed leaders of the Free World, was to install puppet rulers to do their bidding. They rolled out 800+ military bases across the globe in a show of sheer power. US controlled institutions like the IMF and the World Bank doled out loans to the developing and poor countries. As they got sucked into the quicksand of debt, the Americans took over their natural resources and cheap labour. Arms sales further pushed these nations into US subservience. Colonization- without the burden of actual occupation.  Please read ‘The Confessions of an Economic Hitman’ by John Perkins to get the real picture.

Xi Jinping, the Chinese strongman, has delusions of being the Emperor of China. In 2013, ‘The One Belt One Road’ (now Belt & Road) initiative was launched with grand fanfare. To supposedly promote trade, commerce and development in partnership with over 100 countries across the world. What happened? The $ 300 million power plant in Tajikistan has made the country a China vassal state. Default has led to take-over of the gold and silver mines. A debt-ridden Angola is now supplying cheap oil to its benefactor. The Hambantota port in Sri Lanka is’ a white elephant’, adding no value to the local economy. The corrupt ‘Gotta Go’ Rajapaksa family perfectly fits into the profile of leaders the Chinese government wants to deal with. The Chinese research vessel which docked at the port for a few days is a naval warship used to track down satellites and missiles. China has already established a naval facility at Djibouti on the Horn of Africa. It’s said that the Sri Lankans are reeling under a $12 billion debt from China.  In fact much more. The Chinese banks, monitored by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) have also loaned big.

Pakistan has become a willing pawn to the Dragon’s scheme of things. Govt to Govt debt of $ 26 billion has made it a basket case. The majestic African Union (AU) headquarters in Ethiopia has been built by Chinese loan money, Chinese contractors and workers and even their food sent over from mainland China. As the African countries cope with the debt, the Chinese have already cashed in. Also Huawei cameras have been installed to spy on their African brethren leaders.

The factory to the world plans to rule the world.  Markets + Natural Resources + humongous geo-political influence. Many of these countries are being coerced to vote for & support China on critical issues like Taiwan and human atrocities in the Xin Jiang province.

Vladimir Putin was a middle level KGB operative in East Berlin when the Berlin wall fell in 1989. Followed by the collapse of the Soviet Union. This trauma has dictated his world view and it helps that millions of Russians think the same. The Ukraine invasion was triggered by the NATO overreach. But control and supply of oil and gas to Europe is what the news headlines are now all about. Europe and especially Germany are in for a harsh and long winter. Putin has turned off the Nord Stream gas pipeline. The Continent is now reeling with the heat-wave and high inflation and is bracing for the inevitable recession. If you add the fact that Russia and Ukraine are amongst the world’s major wheat exporters, the consequences are even more alarming.

Trump has always been Putin’s puppet. The Tsar probably has the dirt on him-peeing on the bed occupied by President Obama during his Moscow visit or doing something more in keeping with the Donald’s playboy image. Russian oligarchs also got together to secretly bail out the distressed Trump Org through a major European Bank. Likewise, the Saudis sent $2billion to Jared Kushner’s (Trump son-in-law) dwindling account to control the fall-out of the brutal murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi reportedly at the behest of MBS.

The army of hackers in St Petersburg have attained cult status. They delivered Brexit to Putin with the Ayes at 51.9%. Social media was flooded with images of hordes of immigrants from the Middle East & Asia. In 2016, the same ploy had helped to get Trump into the White House. Only, then the hordes were from Mexico and South America. Indian economic institutions, corporates and infrastructure utilities are major targets of hacking, mainly from China and North Korea. A hack attempt on JNPT port was thwarted a few months ago. Imagine if the ATC (Air Traffic Control) of a major airport like Dubai or Heathrow is hacked- with flights grounded for days the financial losses will be huge. A few years’ back 60 trusts of UK’s NHS (National Health Service) bore the brunt of a cyber- attack with ransomware demands. 20% of the UK Health Service was crippled. It has still not been established whether the Russian State or a criminal group from the US were behind the attacks.

In this age of frenzied social media, misinformation by hostile powers is the name of the game.  Take for example the controlled propaganda narrative about the prolonged Farmers’ Agitation in India. Public protests and rallies are an integral part of any democracy. Yes, the genuine grievances of the farmer community deserves to be heard and addressed with sensitivity and respect.  But it soon became obvious that a very grim picture was being created, hyped and funded by controllers in Canada, USA and UK. As if the entire country had come to a stand-still. The underlying objective was to create chaos and malign and embarrass the Government of the day. Even PM Trudeau jumped on to the bandwagon to satisfy a segment of his vote-base as did some western celebrities for the lure of Mammon. But Karma hit back. The transporters strike in Canada against some Covid-19 regulations saw Trudeau hiding from the public eye for days and then emerging to declare a national emergency. Hence, spreading toxicity, stoking social unrest and fanning law and order problems is the subversive agenda of such ‘warriors.’

The proxy war through radicalised terrorists has been going on for more than 30 years. Major outfits like the Ku Klux Klan (now morphed into Proud Boys), Red Army, Black September, ISIS, Boko Haram have done their work and spread their message . Young men, brainwashed on-line, are now weaponizing motor vehicles to kill and maim and to spread terror as they did in London and Spain in 2017. Interestingly, after 9/11 an unknown assailant sent weaponised anthrax through US mail in an unsuccessful attempt to kill members of the US Congress. Disruption, fear, instability and more free lancers recruitment ensues.

Insidious infiltration of the political parties, journalists and academia has been the game-plan of the CIA & KGB from the 1950’s onwards. ‘The Mitrokhin Papers’ (KGB archivist who fled to the UK) reveals how top Indian leaders and bureaucrats were compromised by the KGB in the 60’s. The Comrade ideology was soon embraced by journalists, writers, poets, professors and even some in the film industry. Vodka, honey-traps and money did the trick where Ideology did not deliver. Now the Chinese are up to the same tricks. Besides India, Australia, Indonesia, Philippines, Eastern Europe and South America are on their radar. In India, we have heard some netas screaming that the People’s Liberation Army has occupied over 2500 square km of Indian land over the last 2 years. Debunked by international intelligence agencies of standing and repute. The Lab leak of the Wuhan virus and gross negligence by China has been downplayed by some of our top TV channels and newspapers. Moreover some human rights activists and NGO’s have kept eerily silent on the brutal pogrom run by the CCP against the 1 million Uyghur Muslims in the Xin Jiang province of China. Surely, the Comrade-rie is growing.

The Wuhan Lab leak happened when a ‘Gain of Function’ research was on.” This refers ‘to serial passaging of micro-organisms to increase their transmissibility, virulence, immunogenicity and host tropins by applying selective pressure to the culture.’’ A Red Flag alert to the scary scenario of bio-chemical warfare. The USA sprayed Agent Orange and napalm bombed Vietnam with brutality. They weaponised and stockpiled 7 bio-agents by the time they shamefully exited Vietnam. Saddam Hussein’s stockpile of chemical weapons was unleashed on the Kurds and during the Iraq-Iran war. Russia used Novichock nerve agents to murder political opponents in Salisbury, England in 2018.

The other intriguing facet enabling the Art of the unconventional power-scramble is the undermining of independent international institutions. The IMF & the World Bank were run by the US for decades. The WHO played tango with China to cover-up the country’s responsibility in the origin and spread of the pandemic which cruelly enveloped the world for 2 years. The UN and the Security Council are clearly impotent in dealing with tragic crises like Yemen, Syria or the Ukraine war. This has led to an unstable and untrusted world order. India as the largest democracy, the most populated nation and the 5th biggest economy in the world does not have a seat as a Permanent Member of the Security Council. This tells the whole story of the power struggles in the elite, self-serving club and the overwhelming desire for control.

Conventional war-fare is no longer the preferred option for the big powers. If wealthy Europe can be brought to its knees by shutting down the Nord Stream gas line, why not?! Hacking and disrupting the Pentagon or a financial powerhouse sends an incredibly strong message. A much wanted terrorist in Kabul can be taken out by a drone attack. Planted news articles and relentless social media propaganda can diminish a country, manoeuvre an election there or even topple a legitimate government. Sinister disinformation and conspiracy theories can lead to riots and even civil wars. The Remote, covert way of warfare is now the espoused strategy by both States and fanatical groups. The world may not be on the brink of WW3 despite all the noise and posturing but the world is certainly a very troubled and uncertain place.