A sense of humour is the ability to see the funny side of things and revel in the experience. Enjoy the moment. Different people and cultures may find different things funny. RK Laxman’s Common Man and You Said It cartoons published daily in the Times of India did it for me. The subtle digs at our socio-political system with its antics and posturing’s and travails hit home. The entertaining wordplay in the Amul ads had a charm of their own. Chuckling through the Life’s Like That and Laughter is the Best Medicine features in the Reader’s Digest became a monthly dose of humour. Moving on to the witty metaphors and quirky humour in the PG Wodehouse novels. It helped that many amongst friends and family were already on the same bandwagon.
Comedy films have a lasting and refreshing impact. Be it the vintage Modern Times with Charlie Chaplin or the Hindi film classics like Padosan, Chupke-Chupke, Angoor, Golmaal or Hera Pheri. One can watch these movies again and again and still laugh out loud at familiar scenes. This is the effervescent power of humour. Recently, I viewed on YouTube filmmaker Rajkumar Santoshi relive the making of Andaz Apna Apna which has now acquired cult status. One couldn’t help but laugh with the Director as he laughingly narrated what craziness transpired behind the scenes. During Covid times in 2021 the rollicking Telugu film in a similar genre, Jathi Ratnalu, captured an all-India audience on the OTT space. As did the Tamil comedy-drama-political satire Mandela.
A book called The Wit of Cricket delightfully revealed that the game has so much more to offer than statistics and records and trophies and controversies. At the Headingly Test in 1952 the Indian team were in dire straits- losing 4 wickets for no runs in the second innings. Fiery Fred Truman was bowling to the hapless batsman. He beat him with sheer pace and then hit him on the shoulder. The 5th ball of the over then found the sensitive spot-you know where- the box guard. The batter collapsed to the ground in pain. After a few minutes he got up to face the next delivery. The commentator dryly remarked, “Good Man. One ball left.”
Humour in the work-place. A great way to alleviate stress, make work enjoyable and build camaraderie. As a fresher and trainee at National Insurance Company Ltd in 1981 I went through one of the first issues of the Company magazine. The last page caught my eye as it referred to the Funny Side of It. Capturing some of the amusing reasons given by customers in a claim form after a motor vehicle accident. One said, “the only and immediate reason for the accident was a small man in a medium car with a big mouth.” Years later with the newly formed Bajaj Allianz General Insurance I was at the meeting hall of a Corporate Finance Company with whom we had signed a tie-up. The senior Manager- probably struggling with the word Allianz- introduced me as “He… is … Alien.” There was laughter for many, many minutes. But then I had the opportunity to make an informal pitch to a receptive group, happy to hear from an extra-terrestrial.
Even at official conferences and presentations light-hearted wit often wins the day. A friend of mine who is an Actuary told me about a conference he had attended in London. One of the main speakers projected his PPT on screen. It introduced him as say, John Woods, MA FIA (Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries). This brought the roof down and as the laughter subsided, he dryly remarked that there was actually little difference between the MAFIA and Actuaries. The latter estimated the number of mortalities in an area whilst the Mob actually decided who would depart. A rapt audience listened to a 60 minute presentation on a dry subject like Data Analytics as it was peppered with some more amusing anecdotes.
Even serious messages have more impact and recall value when packaged in ironic terms. Like some Indian Road signs, ‘Better be late than Mr Late’ and ‘This is a Highway, not a Runaway.’
We have the 5 senses and Intuition or Instinct is at times referred to as the sixth-sense. Some psychologists have characterised Humour as the 7th Sense whilst many others refer to it as a character trait or virtue. Empirical research has supported the fact that a person with a good sense of humour will be in a better position to handle difficult times, enjoy more cohesive relationships and benefit from more positive mental and physical health. The singular attribute is the relief from stress and worry with laughter serving the function of a steam pressure valve. The muscular and breathing process connected with laughter plays the role of releasing pent-up anxiety and frustration.
Hence the ever increasing popularity of Late Night shows, Stand Up comedy acts, Laughter clubs and comic memes on social media. All for the good. However, there is an unseemly and even toxic side to this trove of laughs and guffaws. Double meaning dialogues in films and plays have an audience of their own. But a definite line should be drawn at Misogynist, Racist or Community offensive joke and even where the unfair stereotyping of a people is perpetuated. They are not only in bad taste but can spell trouble. Sarcasm is oft called a wasted form of wit. Churchill revelled in it and once famously called out a political opponent, “There, but for the grace of God, goes God.”
One wishes that our political leaders hold back on vitriol and invective and resort to wit and humorous repartee. The political scenario in the US of A today is vituperative. But our Netas can take heed from Ronald Reagan who was targeted for his age during his re-election bid, “I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit for political purposes my opponents youth and inexperience.” He won his second Presidency term.
In conclusion one has to be careful if the gags and jokes are at someone else’s expense. The warm, fun quotient goes out of it if it becomes a barb to hurt another’s feelings or identity. But self-deprecating humour helps in navigating situations – even sensitive ones- and fostering rapport. If one can laugh at oneself and not take oneself too seriously, life tends to become simpler and smoother. It feels like some tiresome burden has been removed. Lighten up and let the laughs roll and the smiles spread.
The scourge of corruption and the unaccountability of the political class and their complicit bureaucrats have seriously undermined India’s well-being and development. Good, transparent and fair governance has never been front and centre. In our country the rich and the connected are above the law.
Let’s start with the sensational potboilers playing out in Mumbai for the last 2 years and more. The unexplained death of film actor Sushant Singh Rajput (SSR) which the city police immediately dismissed as a suicide. This tragic event was preceded 3 days earlier by another mysterious death of Disha Salian, one time manager of SSR. Passed off as another suicide. Accompanied by a curious, affirmative chorus from a section of the media, some film people and some politicos. Both the cases were closed in the first week itself by the Mumbai police, supported by botched up post mortems at a convenient hospital. The entire approach seemed casually pre-determined. The professional Mumbai police of yesteryears under Julio Ribeiro would not have contaminated the possible crime- scenes. Once evidence surfaced of a possible link between the 2 suspicious deaths, the detectives should have been smacking their lips. Instead, a narco-racket connection, missing hard-drive from SSR’s systems and trails leading to the film industry and the corridors of power were ignored and buried. Thanks to massive outrage on social media the CBI and NCB were brought into the picture and raised hopes of a thorough investigation. Over the last 18 months there have been political theatrics and lots of planted news but justice has not been served. The Central Agencies have flattered to deceive. Why the inordinate silence. ?! At least let the final official version come out.
The other matter is equally sensational and has many strands. The “Vasooligate” or extortion scandal masterminded by some politicians and their police lackeys. Collecting monthly money from dance clubs, bars, restaurants et al. Shades of the protection money or hafta collected by the goons of the underworld. The Home Minister had to resign, a big wicket to fall. That’s all. The Sarkar’s hand-picked Commissioner of Police ended up on the wrong side of this venal churning and disappeared for more than 220 days. What were the State Police and the Central Agencies doing??!! An absolute disgrace. A re-instated sub-inspector goon presumably ran the racket at the behest of the powers that be and went around with a note counting machine. Was the administration sleeping?! Amidst all this a dead body was found floating near a creek. Quickly pronounced as another suicide by the local police authorities. However, in this case the charade could not be kept up and Murder it was. Another link to this curious plot was the planting of explosive devices outside the residence of India’s richest man, Mr Mukesh Ambani. Central Agencies like the CBI and NIA joined the fray with the Mumbai CID and Police going great guns. With so much time, energy and resource invested what has been the outcome so far. Another never-ending saga. Till the next episode. For public memory is short.
This leads to 3 assumptions. First, that the police are under the control of their political masters and will not rock the boat. The colonial police of the British Raj has evolved into the “Feudal” force of present times. All political parties are one on this matter. Ironically, if given a free hand the cops will not cop-out but can solve difficult cases like the Nirbhaya rape and murder.
The investigating agencies have not been provided with the professional know-how and infrastructure to crack today’s crimes. Forensic training, social data recovery, tracking cyber-hacking footprints and money-laundering trails and sharing of inputs between different agencies. In the much publicised “Aarushi” murder case incompetent police and forensic work has led to the question of whether the conviction of the Talwars was a miscarriage of justice.
Last but not least is to whether there is a quiet understanding between the political parties to have each other’s backs if a big scandal erupts. A few pawns will have to be sacrificed but that’s the political chess-board, isn’t it. The long-hands of the law rarely grasp the necks of the biggie politicians, business and media tycoons and stars and celebrities.
Please draw your own conclusions. Are these raids or arrests – witch-hunts or political or personal vendetta? Or just to gain political capital from a gullible populace and garner votes during elections. For many of these arrests and allegations are made just before election season kicks off? Or to deflect and distract public attention from some sordid goings on in their own camp? Here, a word of caution. In all fairness, such fraud or crime issues should not be kept simmering indefinitely. The Government of the day (the BJP led government now or the State governments) should give it a closure if there be no conclusive evidence. It should not be raked up again for a hit job during the next election season. As the Bard said, “a lot of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”
The unearthing of the Rs 270 crs cache of black money from the residence of a perfume baron in UP coincides with the upcoming UP election. Probably, these monies were to fund rallies and campaigns; to buy and swing votes for some political party in the State polls. With some part of the country always in election mode, such news snippets give a sense that the anti- black money mission is very effective. Nothing can be farther from the truth. Despite De-Monetisation, unaccounted cash continues to grow and thrive. This dark side of our election story harks back many decades. The Nagarvala case of 1971. Supposedly a RAW agent gone rogue. The Rs 60 lakhs of unaccounted cash was kept in suitcases at a leading nationalised bank branch and handed over to this mystery man on the basis of a purported phone call from the PMO office. He was nabbed the next day, confessed and sentenced within 2 days, to a 4 years imprisonment and died in prison a few months later. One of the speculations was that this was KGB sponsored election funds. The Agency had infiltrated the highest levels of our Government per the Mitrokhin documents. Today’s Chinese whispers are that Chinese money is propping up some of our political outfits, media houses and activists. A serious national security issue. Indian intelligence agencies will be on high alert.
Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi are our poster-boys of financial crimes. The two have duped our PSU banks of thousands of crores and are financial fugitives in London. Their passports could have been impounded as evidence of their scams had already surfaced. That the King of Good Times attended a Rajya Sabha session on the 1st March 2016 before fleeing the next day is telling. Coincidentally, it was on the 2nd March 2016 that a cluster of PSU banks moved the Debt Recovery Tribunal against Mallya. The diamond merchant escaped from the country on the 1st Jan 2018. On the 29th Jan 2018, the PNB filed a case with the CBI against Modi. Is it just sloppiness on display here or is there more to it? The Panama papers were released in 2016 with the names of 930 Indians or entities parking their monies in off-shore accounts in tax havens. The Pandora papers of 2021 exposed the names of 300 Indian businessmen and celebrities with such accounts. These reports are the work of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICICJ) and many European countries have taken serious note and action. Other than a few snippets here and there like the actress Aishwarya Rai being called for questioning, there does not seem to be much headway. It needs to be said that some of these off-shore accounts may have been disclosed and legitimate. Official statements to such effect must also be released.
Over the last 70+ years Independent India has seen thousands of public frauds, corruption scandals, corporate favouritism cases, and ties with the underworld. But the administrative will to go after the big-wig culprits has simply not been there. Yes in the late 50’s Mundhra went to jail in the LIC scam as did Big Bull Harshad Mehta in the stocks-scam of the 1990’s. But the exception proves the rule. The defence procurement scams of HDW submarine, Bofors and Augusta Westland have never been laid to rest. The middle-men have been outed and named (foreign nationals) but the investigators have lacked the balls or the skills to connect them with senior political figures or bureaucrats. Mr VP Singh, our Mr Clean PM, used them to win an election, period. The leaked Nira Radia tapes not only brought to light the corporate lobbying interface with the Union Ministers. It also hinted at how coalition political partners were vying for lucrative ministerial berths and how influential media persons were facilitating the same. The Saradha Chit fund Ponzi scam claimed a couple of MLA’s in Bengal and the file was closed. Coming to the present, is it so difficult to establish whether in the Rafale fighter aircraft deal kickbacks of 7.5 million euros were paid in secret commission to a middleman to seal the deal (alleged by a French investigative journal in 2021). Although, the Supreme Court has already ruled on the matter in 2019.
Some may pertinently point out that Bihar’s CM Shri Lalu Prasad Yadav went to jail in the fodder scam. Sure. His wife, Smt Rabri Devi became the interim CM. Madam Jayalalitha also spent time in jail in a disproportionate assets case, but her life is celebrated in a recent film drama called “Thalaivi” or Revolutionary leader. Sahara Shree Subroto Roy is in the Tihar jail. But he is frequently out on parole and by all accounts having a cushy arrangement in the prison quarters also. The Sahara group long innings was enabled by political patronage. Mr Ramalinga Raju spent only 35 months behind bars for the Satyam Corporate scam which shook the Indian business world at that time. Not even a slap on the wrist. Film star Sanjay Dutt was jailed for illegal possession of weapons but was out on parole for a large chunk of his sentence time. And then there was the film, “Sanju” and director Raj Kumar Hirani doing a great white-wash job on his buddy’s very dubious connections.
The NCB raids especially on Bollywood stars have attracted a lot of media attention. Drug peddlers have been nabbed and there have been drug seizures across the country. Some film stars have been grilled eliciting excited reactions on social media. The spotlight on drug trafficking and the film world is welcome. These celebrities are role models to millions of youngsters and their being held accountable is a good thing. So is the counselling of some of the young stars and star scions. But here again are we missing the forest for the trees. Drugs are the main source of income for the underworld and the Pakistani establishment and terror outfits in the region use it to fund terrorism. It finally boils down to a national security issue. No political party or law and order machinery can compromise on this. Also, what of the 3000 kgs of heroin worth Rs 20,000 crores seized at Adani port in Oct 2021. The Director of Revenue Intelligence and the National Intelligence Agency are seized of the matter. But will we know more about the origins and the kingpins or will it just remain one of the largest drug seizures in the world?
This leads me to another headline grabber- the incarceration of businessman Raj Kundra for 60 days around Sept 2021. He was arrested by the Mumbai police in connection with an adult film racket. Released on a surety of a paltry Rs 50,000. Was this yet another case of Much Ado About Nothing; or was it the Maharashtra Sarkar trying to deflect attention from the “Vasooligate” crises; or with the accused being the husband of Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty was it signalling that it was not being soft on the film industry. Perhaps the Mumbai police was trying to reclaim its lost glory. Else, did this exemplify another case-study of poor diligence and follow-up in building up a convincing case? An aside. Raj Kundra is a joint-owner of the Rajasthan Royals franchise which was banned from the IPL tournament for 2 years on match fixing charges.
Take the case of match-fixing in Indian cricket. Would the truth have ever come out had not South African captain Hansie Cronje admitted and confessed to South Africa’s King Commission in 2000 that he had fixed matches for money and had been first introduced in 1996 by Azharuddin, the India captain, to a bookie. Granted that the Delhi police had shared the initial findings with the South African Cricket Board in March 2000. A side-note is that a PR movie called “Azhar” was made to clean the slate and he became the Congress MP from Moradabad and now is a senior functionary in the Telangana Congress. Then the IPL match fixing and spot fixing scandal saw CSK and RR being banned for 2 years from the tournament. Sreesanth being the only well- known cricketer to take the rap. Why the top promoters, administrators and players got away is not really a mystery. Incidentally, the film on MS Dhoni makes no mention of this sordid saga.
The toxic effect of unbridled corruption and power on our society is there for all to see. The black-money economy has become a large, parallel and unregulated sector with all its corrosive impact. But it is the top-down trickle syndrome which has earned us the stigma of a highly corrupt nation. People in all walks of life are now emboldened to be corrupt and not only for financial gain. Integrity has lost its value and currency. The real brunt is being felt by the poor and the middle-class. Think of the labourer whose 50% wages is siphoned off on a daily basis by the contractor through his agent. The Government proclaims that a lot of government transactions and document related work can be completed on-line. Things have improved in certain areas like passport issuance and renewal. Otherwise, the ground reality is that one has to download forms and submit the documents physically. If one wants prompt results, enter the agent. You know what this means. This palm greasing for every little thing is what earns us the honors on global corruption indexes. The heroism of front-line health workers, policemen and sanitary workers and many common folk are being justly applauded in these Covid hit times. But one cannot turn a blind-eye to the huge profiteering during the pandemic. Whether it being availability of the Remdesivir drug or the scarcity of oxygen or hospital beds. Covid 19 has shown us both the good and bad sides of who we are as a people. The Aam Aadmi has just given up or become indifferent to this plague of corruption.
What is also worrying is that even educated people tend to shrug off this unsavoury aspect of life. As if it was just another tax to pay as a common citizen. Even more worrying is that many of them tend to look at corruption through the prism of community, State or ideology. Underhand dealings are ok if done by a leader from ones’s own community, State or preferred political party. Some of these charlatans are feted as Chanakyas- Masters of the political chess-board.
The pandemic of corruption is rampant throughout India and has hollowed us out as a nation. Is it better or worse in a certain area or region or government is a relative concept. The misdeeds of the present Union Government will also be exposed after a few years. After all, they have adopted the same old playbook. Then the skeletons will be out of the closet and will dance to the tunes of the new regime in place.
One of the lowest points of the current dispensation has been the handling of the 2017 Unnao rape and subsequent murder cases. The BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar continued to get the support of his party till the shit hit the ceiling. The 17 year old rape victim tried to immolate herself in front of the CM’s residence and the media and activists thankfully jumped in from thereon. Amidst the uproar, the Supreme Court and the CBI had to step in to send this so called local bahubali to life imprisonment in 2019.
One of the ways to break this insidious status quo is the tabling of the Vohra Committee report in its entirety in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha for an intensive debate. It should also be made available for public scrutiny and consumption. Submitted in Oct 1993, it is deemed to be an expose of the links between the Mumbai underworld and top politicians and officials at the State and Central governments. Only 7 or 8 pages have been briefly discussed in some Parliamentary Committee and the 100+ page exhaustive dossier has apparently gone missing. Why??? By Whom??? The PIL matter is pending with the Supreme Court.
Police reforms will be the game-changer. A litmus test for the Central Government. Incredibly, the Police Act of 1861 is still in place. The landmark SC ruling of 2006 with its 7 crucial directives for implementation has been gathering dust for many years. A law-oriented, fair, impartial and apolitical police force is a hallmark of a mature and progressive nation. But an anathema to the powers that be. This vital force has to be ramped up by half a million personnel; their abysmal working conditions and below- par salary structure requires significant improvement; with modern equipment and training enhancing their effectiveness and public perception. But considering the general disenchantment with the police, it will make sense to expand the Community-Policing initiative. To foster engagement and trust between the people and the police in an area. The other side of the same coin is to invest in, to overhaul and build a robust judicial system. Most administrations have been very miserly on their judicial related budgets.
Our Netas and their Enablers are averse to any change and they rejoice in the general public apathy. As a people we are quite indifferent to reform although we will benefit the most from it. Change for the common good has to be forced into the system. Constant pressure has to be built up and applied on the powers that be. Social media now provides a vast and instant connect and it’s for the citizens and especially the younger, aspirational generation to put the writing on the wall.
The First World refers to the USA and its Western Allies opposed to the Soviet Union after WW2. Nations characterised by democracy, prosperity, stability and progress. Over the last 7 decades this bloc has called the shots and controlled the narrative. Developing and Third World countries like India have tacitly accepted their superiority, condescending attitude and sermons without question. As an emerging power now, it is high time we shed our colonial mind-set and see the world in starkly real terms.
The game-changing ideas and policies, innovations and inventions from these western countries are richly acknowledged and warmly celebrated. But it is time to show the mirror to capture the less known darker side also. This blog has been triggered by the American debacle in Afghanistan. Recommend that you please take it with A Fistful of Salt.
Geopolitics. Think about the chaotic retreat of the US from Afghanistan after 20 years of occupation. Leaving almost 40 million Afghans (half of them female) to the mercy of a cruel and regressive regime which harks back to the medieval ages. Leaving a huge cache of deadly weapons and armaments for their ready use. Ironically, the Taliban was created by the US and their partner Pakistan to oust the Soviet troops from Afghanistan. Mission accomplished in 1989. The land of the free and the brave sponsoring and promoting a terror outfit. The monster comes back to drive them out in 2021. During these 20 years almost $3 trillion was spent with only a miniscule going to build hospitals, schools and much needed infrastructure. Funds were splurged on state of the art weaponry and equipment- cheered on by the domestic military-industrial complex. With generous cutbacks going to the defence contractors and their political patrons.
This super-power also exited Vietnam in ignominy in 1974. After dropping more bombs on Vietnam and Cambodia than in the entire second world war. Napalm was deployed to execute the scorched earth policy. Rivers were poisoned to kill civilians and livestock. History is generally written by the winners. Here the loser cleverly covered up all the war crimes and misadventures.
Turn the clock back to the late 1930’s when Hitler’s Nazis started the most devastating war in human history-WW II. Italy, Spain played willing accomplices and second fiddle to the Fuhrer. Those long, dark, destructive days and the brutal genocide of 6 million Jews have been well documented. The War ended with the Americans dropping atomic bombs- Little Boy and Fat Man- on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945.
All the hotspots in recent times have had the signature of the US and its Allies. That there were no WMD’s (Weapons of Mass Destruction) did not deter the old firm of Bush & Blair from toppling Saddam in Iraq with their eyes on the oil-fields. Syria, Lebanon, Libya and the cursed land of Yemen- the tentacles go back to this Western bloc. This is not to absolve Russia and the regional powers like Saudi Arabia and Iran who are equally complicit. But the First World nations have left these countries to a worse state and fate than when they first invaded. The geo-political chessboard has been played for ideology, hegemony, natural resources, trade routes and military bases. The Iron Curtain fell in 1989 but today the world is still a very divided and troubled place. The First World has not been the civilising influence it credits itself to be.
Colonial powers. UK, France, Spain, Portugal with vassal states across the world. The dream of an Empire has been a recurrent human theme throughout history. But the driving force was to exploit natural resources and wealth and cheap labour in the colonies and boast of a global footprint. “The Sun never sets on the British Empire.’ The plundering of minerals and crops, cruelty towards the native population and determined efforts to uproot local cultures and traditions are not even foot notes in the history books we read. It has all been white-washed.
Slave trade epitomises how the US, UK and other European empires manned their farms and mines and mansions. Even today statues of glorified and knighted slave merchants dot the United Kingdom. Some of the founding fathers of the US of A owned hundreds of slaves. Slaves were officially traded as cargo and even insured. Claims were paid for the goods lost at sea. But the colonisers with their rich history are quick to lecture other nations on human rights. Smells of hypocrisy, right!!
Let’s turn back the page to August 1947 and the India-Pakistan independence story. PM Attlee announced in the House of Commons that the transfer of power would happen before June 1948. But Lord Mountbatten, wanted to have it done asap. The 3323 km border line was drawn by Radcliffe, a British lawyer, who had never been to the sub-continent and had no clue about the demography. The mammoth and complex task was completed by him and his team within 2 months in the cool environs of Shimla. IMAGINE!!! It does not take hindsight to see that the additional months would have been very valuable in communicating and planning for the inevitable cross-migration of 12-15 million people. Instead a million died in the panic and violence that erupted. The last Viceroy couldn’t care less. Nor did his political masters at the Whitehall.
The USA is deeply polarised country today. The Trump fan base of 30% voters are largely an alienated tribe who are at odds with their increasingly multicultural land. The main reason why the Brexiteers won was because Russian social media manipulators scared enough of the populace through images of immigrants flooding into their nation, from the hotspots of the Middle East, Africa and Asia. France, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands (the cradle of liberalism) are sounding the bugle of a clash of civilisations and enacting restrictive laws and social measures. But all these happenings have not been a wake-up call for India and other developing nations . We continue with our mongrel behaviour of constantly putting ourselves down and lapping whatever criticism these elite western nations and their proxies throw at us.
The beacons of democracy. On the 6th Jan 2021 the US Capitol was attacked by an angry, vicious mob goaded on by President Trump who had lost the election and could not take it. This would have been sneered at as” a banana republic episode” in a third world country. But in the US of A the TV pundits kept sagely saying that ‘this is not who we are’ and the Trumpians even dismissed the rampaging crowd as tourists at the Capitol. The Caribbean island of Puerto Rico has been a territory of the United States since 1898 and its current President is Joe Biden. But Puerto Ricans remain second class citizens and have no representation and voting rights in the US Congress. Again, with the most funded and militarised police force in the world in place, automatic guns are available and sold over-the –counter across the nation as a fundamental right to defend oneself.
Across continents, the patronising First World has propped up and supported despots, brutal dictators and puppet rulers. From the Shah of Iran, Libya’s Gaddafi, the Pakistani Generals, Marcos of the Philippines and so on and on. Else, a coup was orchestrated as the one to remove Allende in Chile. The UK grappled with the Irish problem for 70 years. For nearly 25 of those it was a violent cauldron of bomb attacks and guerrilla warfare- ruthlessly dealt with by the British forces. But hey, shrug, shrug. This was an internal matter of the United Kingdom and the English could deal with it.
The fault-lines of racism are now very evident in the fractured societies of the US and Europe. But these have been glossed over for decades as the developing world has been lectured on how to be civilised people. The lid has always been kept on the rape and murder of thousands of indigenous people in Canada. But now corpses of hundreds of native children have been recovered from many Catholic school sites. How many news channels carried this tragic story which played over from the 1890’s to the late 1970’s?!! PM Trudeau merely called for the Pope to apologise. Of course, the State had no role to play. News reports from France state that more than 300000 children have been abused over the last few decades by priests of the Catholic Church. The powerful Church protected its clergy from the law and order arms of the State. On the other side of the world in Australia the aborigines got a taste of hell in their own land as the white settlers discovered their paradise.
Yes, the Industrial Revolution took off in England and the technological one in the Silicon Valley. The world has benefitted in many, many ways. But not in the humane way. Many big brands in the west sourced their material and parts through sweat shops in the poorer countries. Cheap and exploitative labour was the way to big profit margins. Why, even in North America today, Amazon runs boot-camps with the workers having little time to pee. “Show me the Money,” is the corporate war cry. As a whistleblower has recently revealed, Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook allowed disturbing messages and images to trend on their platforms as it made them astronomical profits. So what, if it inflamed some racial hatred and divisions or drove more suicides or even put democracy at risk. A lot of good has been done by the charitable Gates foundation. But the halo of the ultimate billionaire do-gooder has paled off. Bill Gates batted to protect the turf of big pharma at the height of Covid. Disparaging suggestions for low-cost generic vaccines to help the world battling the pandemic. And his curious association with the late sex trafficker and power broker Epstein. Presumably to help him get the Nobel Peace Prize.
In the movie ‘Wall Street’ Gordon Gekko says the famous lines, “Greed is good.” Sure. The top 1% of the US rich pay tax at a lower rate than any other segment of the society. In the rush to cover-up the origins of Covid 19 were many top scientists from Europe and the USA. The stakes were too high. Billions of dollars for the Gain of Function research which possibly led to the leak at the Wuhan Lab in China. The 2008 US financial meltdown featured a lot of Gordon Gekko characters. Banks, Insurers, Wall Street Finance companies, housing corporates, credit rating agencies and big name audit firms all collaborating and looking the other way as the sub-prime and derivatives fuelled crises unravelled. “Too big to fail” and the Government bailed them out. Deregulation of the financial markets from the Reagan years and lack of oversight caused the global crises. And the CXO’s walked away with fat bonuses as millions across the globe lost their jobs and pensions and savings.
The Volkswagen emission cheating scandal represented an ethical breakdown and would have shut-down a lesser Company. The German Government stepped in to bail out this auto-giant which was poised at becoming the largest in the world. High-level talks with the Americans, some big penalties and back to business as usual. What also came out was the European Union’s somewhat lax attitude in applying emission norms to vehicle manufacturers on the Continent.
Let’s come to the Panama Papers and its latest edition called the Pandora Papers. Most of the attractive tax-havens are in the West. Of course, the scenic Switzerland heads the list which has South Dakota in the US, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Lichtenstein… It’s not only the Colombian and Mexican drug lords or Russian oligarchs or the Arab Sheikhs or super-rich Indians stashing away their money through shell companies. The First World had long earned this rite of passage. It is also not surprising that the UK is a preferred destination for financial scamsters. Perhaps, the tough extradition laws appeal to these criminal fugitives. And staying with Colombia and Mexico which are derided for their Narcos cartels. Guess which are the most lucrative markets for the drug peddlers??
We can go on and on. The corruption at the highest levels of FIFA. The systematic doping on the Tour de France. Match fixing in football at the Serie A in Italy. These are all malaises associated with ‘those other countries.’
Human nature is what it is. Power and greed corrupts and no nation or peoples are immune to it. India is a work in progress. A huge and complex nation. We have a surfeit of venal politicians and problems of poverty, un-employment, education and public health. Community and regional divides and the scourges of corruption, and casteism. But we are only 75 years old as a nation and progress is also being made. The young generation will signal the tipping point through its confidence and aspirations.
However, to really discover its own identity India will have to work to protect and serve its interests. That is Realpolitik. Absorb good initiatives and ideas and learn from the failures and blunders. There are positive takeaways from countries in Asia, Africa, Oceania, Middle East and South America. As an emerging power, strive to be a more responsible force both domestically and on the global stage.
The bottom-line is that ideas and philosophies and policies are revisited and revamped or fine-tuned or discarded when actually challenged by ground realities. The world is changing and the struggles and evolution of each nation needs more empathy and a better understanding. The only path towards achieving the Greater Good on the planet.
His name is Skipper. A 9 month old Cocker Spaniel who is enriching our lives. Named so by cricket buffs- he is actually leading us and showing us the small pleasures of life.
Unconditional love and trust. In those brown, melting eyes. In the way he scampers around the house to keep us company. If someone coughs or sneezes he approaches with a concerned look. He senses that we are about to go out when he sees one of us dressed up. Then, the mild whimpering and fussing around. He has to be petted and reassured. The delighted welcome when we are back, jumping all over and expressing his joy. During these long months of Covid lockdown the puppy has brought in warmth and fun. And heightened our empathy and understanding.
Living in the moment. It is common to brood over the disappointments of the past or worry about the uncertain future. Especially with all the negativity which seems to shroud us in today’s times. Skipper’s coming has been a blessing. Nudging us towards a positive outlook. Most importantly, living in the present. We are enjoying sitting with him in the balcony and simply watching the kids playing in the society or the birds settling in the trees. After quite some time the smell and flavour of the monsoons have entered our home.
Skipper looking out of the balcony
Skipper has also little time for the loungers and the social media addicts. He demands attention after a reasonable stretch of time. One has to get up and throw the ball or the ring or play tug-tug. He deflects attention from the binge-worthy stuff on Prime or Netfilx or being glued to the phone. These time-outs are not only opportunities to stretch out but also a welcome break from the Work Form Home routine.
Then there is the animal instinct of time. At 5am in the morning he is up for his morning trot and politely waits for me to get up. At around 8.30 pm in the evening he gets a bit restless and cranky if we are not having our dinner. Many a times he comes up and paws and licks us to the table. By around 10.00 pm he is asleep. 15 minutes later he is on his back with all fours in the air. A truly relaxing and resting spectacle.
Skipper and his naps
In the frantic pace of life, we have come to take our meals for granted. Pan the camera on Skipper. Before meal time he will be reminding us of the event through looks or licks and taps on our hands. Once the bowl and ingredients are on the table he bounds onto the nearby sofa to get a closer look and sniff what’s in store. Oft times, he actually sees and smells his food being mixed. Then the smacking and gobbling sounds are the back-track for the next 10-15 mins. Our spaniel has hit the pause button on the rush-rush routines. We now savour whatever is on the plate, talk over small daily stuff and give ourselves more time.
Then there is the actual tail between the legs and not the proverbial one. On our morning walks, Skipper still gets rattled by the motor-cycle which rumbles through the Society at 5.30 am each morning. A couple of larger dogs intimidate him and he scurries to the other side. But the scooters of the early morning vendors no longer bother him. Nor do the cats which dart across. Every day, he is adjusting, learning and growing in confidence.
Soaking in the Sun
He is a dogged doggie. Does not give in in a tug of war over a piece of cloth or a furry toy. There have been occasions when he has mis-judged a jump to catch a ball and fallen on the wrong side. Briefly shaken, but quickly back in action for the next catch.
His cute mannerisms and antics often have us in splits. His stand-up jumping is a sight to behold. When he squats on his hind legs, with his long ears and furry head and soulful eyes he looks like a philosopher. In another moment, when he has had enough of jumping and running he becomes mischievous and hides the ball. When it’s time to wipe or wash his face and mouth after food he avoids looking into the mirror. Inevitably, after the wash or when the room freshener is sprayed Skipper slithers and gyrates on the floor rubbing his nose and face to the floor or the wall. Akin to a ‘Nagin’ dance. At times he irritates us by not finishing his food or biting the mat or digging into a newspaper. He gets smacked and goes quietly to the corner with his head down. The next minute he is back to make amends, wagging his tail and butt and entreating us with those incredible eyes.
Skipper’s melting eyes
Skipper is family. He also makes friends easily and is a favourite with family- friends. He has taken a liking to two security guards in our society, and they to him. These two petting stops have become part of the early morning schedule. He welcomes both our house-helps and they happily take out time to play with him. It is a pleasure to watch. Such innocence and energy have in a sense recharged our lives. Our pup has also introduced us to some professionals- the Dog breeder in Mumbai and a team of Vets near home- whose passion for what they do goes well beyond commerce and business.
As I come to the end of this doggie tale, I look at him. He is stretched out near my chair. Those melting eyes look up and the tail wags gently. He stands up, stretches and bends elegantly. Then the fervent shaking of the head and flapping of those drooping ears. It’s Skipper time.
This is a tale of a surreal experience I had many, many years ago. Even so, I can vividly remember the dream and how the entire episode unfolded. I had and have this sense of Divine Providence.
At the centre of the story is the divine aura of Shirdi Shri Sai Baba. At our Lucknow residence, we had this simple picture of him in a white garb, sitting on a rock or large stone. The line below said, “Why Fear When I am Here.” My mother was an ardent devotee of this Saint .The Sai Leela periodical was a must-read for her and many a time I went to the Post office for making the annual subscription vide Money Order. She once told me that in the late 40’s a gentleman called Shri Narasimha Swamy had come visiting to our ancestral home in Madras. Over coffee and snacks he told my grandparents and family about this spiritual and humane being and his profound influence in interior Maharashtra. Indeed, this great apostle of Shri Sai carried the inspiring story of the Baba across the South. In the early 50’s he was the catalyst and the force behind the construction of the Sai Baba temple in Mylapore, Madras. It has since become the Shirdi of the South. Much later, I remember my Mama (maternal uncle whom we have always looked up to) telling me more about Shri Narasimha Swamy. That he was a well-known lawyer and a member of the Madras Legislative Council for many years. A double family tragedy set him off on a spiritual quest to all parts of this vast land. In the mid 1930’s he heard about this godly-man from the small town of Shirdi. A visit to the Samadhi and multiple interactions with the local people and the Baba’s close circle convinced him about his tryst with Divinity. Then followed several meetings with more Sai disciples in the cities of Bombay and Poona- Judges, lawyers, professors, government officials… Today, of course, the Spiritual Master has millions of devotees across the country and in many parts of the world. Shirdi has become a major pilgrimage destination.
The year was 1975. We were on an extended summer vacation at the serene family home in Madras. This was a yearly sojourn we really looked forward to. My father, a retired Army doctor, returned to Lucknow after a two week stay. He had joined a well-known private trust hospital in the city. Those were the days of Inland letters and post cards. A letter from my father jolted me out of the holiday mood. He had written that my roll number had not appeared amongst the list of successful candidates for the Intermediate exam, published in the local newspaper. He had requested a friend of mine to confirm at the college and the list on the Notice Board also did not show my name or number. My world had gone topsy-turvy. I felt acute guilt and shame. I had let my parents down and wasted a crucial year of education. I had become a failure for family and friends. The rest of the Madras trip was a blur. The only other thing that I recall is my mother taking me to the Mylapore temple for a darshan.
The long rail journey back to Lucknow was a miserable experience. The train was scheduled to reach in the early morning and I had a restless night on the upper berth. And then I was there at the breakfast table with my father and couldn’t meet his eyes. He said that yes, it was disappointing but I had to move on. No sharp words, no rebukes. It made me feel even smaller. While getting up he said that I should go and collect my report card and later on we would discuss the next course of action.
So around 11.00 am I got on my bicycle for the long haul to the college. My mother had come to the gate and applied Vibhuti (holy ash) on my forehead. As I cycled, I thought that it was probably the Hindi paper which had pulled me down. On reaching the college administration office I met Sharmaji at his table. I requested him to first check the Supplementary List register. This was my best hope. Supplementary meant that I could have another shot at the paper I had flunked in- provided my marks were within 5 marks of the pass-marks cut-off. I could then move on to a graduate degree course albeit from a less reputed college but would not lose out on a year. Sharmaji went through the sheets and shook his head. He then moved on to the Failed Students Register and seemed to spend an eternity looking it over. “You are not here, as well,” he remarked and reached out for the third file. After a couple of minutes he looked up and smiled, “Babua, you have passed. Why have you wasted my time?” He handed over my report card and took my signature on the duplicate. I had passed with good marks in all the subjects including Hindi. A wave of relief swept through me. As I stammered through my back-story, his smile broadened. He shook my hand warmly and asked me to get him ½ kilo mithai (sweets) from Ram Aasrey or Chowdhary Sweet House, two well-known sweet marts in Lucknow. I virtually broke the record, cycling back home. My mother and brothers were delighted at the sudden turn of events. Three good friends also landed up in some time and they wanted to celebrate the occasion. But it was getting time for my father to reach home for lunch. It was a very happy and chatty group around the table with my buddies joining in. The entire atmosphere had changed in a few hours.
After a long break my friends wanted to hang-out together. So on this hot summer afternoon we cycled to Chowdhary Sweets for Sharmaji’s order plus for family and friends. Then all the way to the college where a surprised Sharmaji was happy to receive his treat. It was past 3 pm and all the cycling had taken its toll. Someone suggested that we catch the movie at the nearby theatre. Tickets were easily available as we entered the plush AC hall. In a few minutes the main feature film started with the hero running and running and running in a desperate manner. He reaches the house of an eminent Judge at night and confesses that he has killed a man. He wants to tell his strange story before the police arrest him. My mates and I looked at each other- wow, this is going to be thrilling. But after the first 15 mins it all unravelled into some bizarre Nagin story. Time to take a nap. Come interval and we took our cycles from the stand and headed for a good Chat (street food) joint. Batashes, aloo-tikki, samosas and lemonade- the works. A great end to an eventful day. The strange thing was that I kept seeing that picture of Sai Baba- off and on.
And then suddenly I heard the shouts of the coolies. The train had reached its destination station. Oh shit, this had all been a dream!
My father had come in the Fiat car to pick us up. With the extra luggage, one of us had to go home in a cycle rickshaw. I quickly opted for it. But there was no escaping my father at the breakfast table. He quietly told me’ that what has happened has happened. I should go and collect my report card.’ As I left my mother applied the Vibhuti (holy ash) to my forehead. I grunted it out to the college on the cycle. On my request Sharmaji pulled out the Supplementary register first. He shook his head and my heart sank. Then to the list of the failed candidates. As I continued to watch numbly he said that I had passed. The report card and the warm handshake. The smiling ask for a ½ kilo of mithai from those famous shops. I shook my head. Have I been here before?!?
The good cheer at home. A happy lunch with family and friends. Then we pedalled off to Chowdhary Sweets enroute to the college. We were drained by the time we handed over the sweet box to a delighted Sharmaji. Then a friend suggested that we chill out at the nearby cinema hall- watch the matinee show. The film was ‘Milap’ starring an upcoming Shatrughan Sinha and Reena Roy. A re-run before the next big release hit town. As the credits rolled- the lead man is shown running and running but with a touch of agony. He knocks at the door of Judge’s residence. It’s night time. As the Judge checks out this distraught man, he blurts out that he has killed a person and wants to tell his strange story. My pals are excited by this dramatic opening sequence. I whisper to them that there is some Nagin angle to the plot. Sometime later we have all switched off and dozed off. We make our escape during the interval and go over to a nice Chat joint. The delicacies wipe out the bitter taste of a bad movie experience.
When I discussed all this with family and friends the standard response was that my dream reflected that I was confident of clearing my exams. The culprit was a typo error. A few years back a school-mate who has become a reputed psychiatrist and I were swapping stories; he said that the non-stop running of the movie protagonist was in fact me running away from my sorry situation and ending in a confession. (Read failure-guilt-shame).
For me many things did not add up so rationally. I had been away from Lucknow for 45 days and had no way of knowing what movie was running at the cinema hall near the college. It was a spur of the moment decision to beat the summer heat. Although it was a re-run we had no clue about the film or its subject. With our limited pocket money we picked and watched only Hindi movies with our favourite stars and directors. Milap had never been on our watch list. Also we had never walked out of a movie at half-time before. On the radio the only film program I tuned into was Binaca Geet Mala. Else, it was all about cricket or hockey commentaries. Most of our leisure time was spent on the sports field. Also, those were not the times of social media and IOT with movie spoilers as a common occurrence.
Then about dear Sharmaji. He was just one of the Admin team at the college office- Mr Sebastian, Tiwariji and Mary Madam being the others. I had met and interacted with the others also in equal measure- about forms, fees, special classes, leave applications… The fear of failing the Hindi test paper was also not misplaced. It was a tough paper that year. Internal assessment would have seen us all through but we also dreaded the possibility of it being checked by some strict lecturer at say Allahabad University. Indeed, I came to know later on that some of my classmates who were also pretty good at the subject had their grades pulled down by the Hindi marks. They got a lower Division.
Finally, there is the matter of the Sai Baba image virtually punctuating my dream narrative. Add to it my mother’s simple and pure faith. The uncanny sequence of events. Way beyond just intuition – moving into the metaphysical space. An undercurrent of curious energy which transcends normal explanations.
Shirdi Shri Sai Baba. Shraddha Saburi. Faith. Patience.
I have no desire to go down a rabbit hole only to dig out some far- fetched conspiracy theory. Having said that, the murkiness surrounding the origins of this global pandemic has to be thoroughly cleared. Did nature or humans open the Pandora’s box in Wuhan? After all, the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) is Asia’s largest virus bank.
The first inklings came out in a South China Morning Post news video. 44 persons have been infected by a mysterious illness in Wuhan, China. All have been quarantined. 11 of them in a serious condition. No medical personnel infected. Most patients worked in the seafood market where birds and rabbits were also sold. Unlike 2002 SARS outbreak, China has quickly shared all information with the World Health Organisation (WHO). Origins and nature of viral pneumonia spread unknown. Medical researchers across China on the job. The government in full control.
Now for some relevant context. As always, Xi Jinping and his CCP comrades muzzled all information about the early days of the virus. Indeed, China weighed in on the WHO and virtually decided on the Committee to first visit Ground Zero. There was no mention of any lab escape whilst there was not a single shred of evidence of a natural escape from bats.
The Director General of WHO, Tedros Adhanom played perfect PR for the PR (People’s Republic) of China. In his Jan 2020 visit he expressed full solidarity with his hosts and complimented them on the way they had handled the outbreak. 2 months later WHO declared COVID 19 a global pandemic. The institution has morphed into a public-private partnership-a deviation from the UN Charter. The USA is its largest contributor with $480 million or approx. 22% of the budget, compared to China’s $89 million. However assessment fees are based on population and wealth of the member nation. The prospect of China becoming a major contributor is very alluring to the Agency. It needs China on its side.
The drum beaters for ‘the lab leak’ theory were President Trump and his men. His Secretary of State Mike Pompeo openly declared that Corona virus had escaped from the Wuhan lab. Trump and the Fox News anchors sneered at ‘the Chinese virus’. The liberal media termed this as a racial slur and immediately dismissed this hypothesis. A bio-science scenario snuffed out by political polarisation. Chinese propaganda had won the day. As for the scientists, only those with no conflict of interest spoke up but their versions had few takers. And with time there emerged a UK variant, A South African variant, a Brazilian mutant and an Indian mutant.
Why is ‘the lab leak origins’ plausible? First, the Chinese response. They delayed giving access to the Wuhan lab for months after the initial outbreak guaranteeing that the lab had been deep cleaned before any forensic analysis could be done. They did not share any raw data of the early Covid patients or any lab records or data logs that were critical to understanding the origins of SARS Cov2. A key avenue would have been to run a genetic sequencing on original samples that the lab was working on. The Chinese sign board at the entrance read- No Entry!!! Trespassing Prohibited!!!
18 months after the first cases on record there is not a single shred of evidence that it was transmitted from bats, pangolins, minks, rabbits or frozen meat. There was some buzz about a few young kids in Yunnan province coming down with fever and breathing problems after a visit to a bat cave. This was said to have some similarities to the corona virus symptoms. But Yunnan is 1800 kms from Wuhan and bats do not travel far. Also, these creatures start hibernating from the month of September leaving no possibility for a colony of bats acting as carriers. Reports also emerged that no trace of virus or its RNA molecule was found in the wet market in Wuhan.
Some more perspective on this Centre of Interest/Intrigue- the Wuhan Lab- will be in order. After the 2002 SARS epidemic, China had become obsessed with developing vaccines and cures for such viruses. The Wuhan Institute of Virology was set up in 2014 through French collaboration and US support. By 2017 both had been side-lined. The Chinese State took over all control and the military stepped in. Maj Gen Dr Chen Wei became a key figure. He had earlier been involved in the research for an Ebola vaccine in Africa. It is from here that rumours started that the lab was being used for bio-chemical warfare- to create weaponised viruses. It is also pertinent to note that it was the military which shut down the lab after alarm signals went out. Another important player is Prof Shi Zhengli, a Director at WIV, famously known as ‘the Batwoman’. She and her team had performed hundreds of experiments on bats and mice. It was common knowledge in scientific circles that the lab researchers were creating new viruses by using reverse engineering on bat coronavirus. Also that humanised mice in the lab confines were very well adjusted to human cells. Juicing up Viruses is done in labs across the world. The novel corona virus has proved to be far more transmissible, virulent, mutant-prone and fatal than SARS 1 in 2002. This indisputably puts the WIV on the investigative radar. Consider this- SARS Cov1 had 8437 reported cases and 813 known deaths from 2002-2004. It was traced to horse-shoe bats in Guangdong province. The current pandemic has already logged 16.9 crore cases and till date more than 35 lakhs people have succumbed across the world. Merits some serious thought and action, right!
On the 24th May 2021, the Wall Street Journal reported that 3 staff researchers at the Lab were taken acutely ill in Nov 2019 and had to be hospitalised. The official Chinese case of the first novel corona virus patient is the 8th Dec 2019. Over the years repeated concerns had been raised about the bio-safety of the Wuhan lab with the US embassy in Beijing officially communicating it in the fall of 2017. A major lab like WIV should have been rated at P-4 – complying with the highest bio- safety standards. BSL-4 or Bio-Safety Lab -4. But it was opened for international inspection only in the fall of 2019 and the first safety protocols declared.
The first WHO investigation report in Jan 2020 was co-authored by 17 Chinese scientists (??) many of whom worked with State institutions. An important member was Dr Peter Daszak, whose credentials will be discussed later. The lab-leak angle was barely discussed. A clean-chit? On the 31st Dec 2019, the Taiwan Central Epidemiology Command Centre has sent a red-flag message to WHO – warning about the possibility of human to human transmission by the virus. Taiwan? Who? Considered by China as its territory and not yet a nation member of the World Health Organisation. Yet again in late Dec 2019 and early Jan 2020, Chinese virologist Li- Meng Yan (Post- Doctoral fellow at Hong Kong University) sounded the alarm bells. As part of the first medico-forensic team to land in Wuhan she refused to become part of the cover-up. She had to flee to New York and turned whistle-blower. Amongst her observations- China had deliberately suppressed the number of afflicted patients in Wuhan in the early days. Also that her WHO supervisor told her not to cross the red-line by talking about human to human contagion and the high mutation rates.
A sinister trail leads to Dr Ai Fen, Director Emergency Services at Wuhan Hospital, who went missing for many months. In a story which broke more than a year ago, she referred to an early patient ( early Dec 2019) with signs of flu and influenza who did not respond to the conventional treatment. She had broken into a cold sweat when she discovered symptoms of SARS Corona virus. But her seniors at the hospital muzzled her voice and her concerns about human to human transmissions. The Chinese Dragon ensured her disappearance in the critical months when the pandemic was declared. She reappeared later in strange circumstances with an eye surgery which has left her nearly blind in one eye..
Now to the core problem which may have resulted in the leak of a virulent SARS Cov2. The controversial ‘Gain of Function’ research. The underlying mantra- to get ahead of the virus instead of chasing them down. To protect people from viruses which jump from one species to another. They deliberately set out to create dangerous variants of viruses so that they can study and research them. It is a reverse genetic engineering process. Helping pathogens and micro-organisms to grow, reproduce itself and mutate freely into lethal viruses. A Jurassic Park scenario. Fraught with real dangers and risk. The WIV passionately embraced the Gain of Function Research with China’s ambitions to develop capabilities and be a world leader in this critical field also.
The story gets curiouser and curiouser. The Wuhan lab was set up in 2014. President Obama banned Gain of Function research in Oct 2014 (except for National Security purposes). In May 2014 the National Institute of Health (NIH) and its affiliate National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID- headed by Dr Fauci) gave $ 3.4 million grant to the Eco Health Alliance (ECH) run by Peter Daszak (one of the first scientist investigators to reach Wuhan). ECH sent $600,000 to WIV between 2014 and 2019. The Alliance has 30 member countries. In a recent interview Dr Fauci has denied that these monies were meant or used for Gain of Function research in China. But both he and Dr Daszak remain champions of this risky method of research. In a 2011 co-authored opinion piece published in the Washington Post, Dr Fauci had said as much. So it’s not surprising that throughout 2020 both these top scientists vehemently rejected the lab-leak theory. Further, Global Viral Project has recently sanctioned $1.2 billion for such research projects. One of the important reasons as to why even the media has been blind-sided is deference to the Science experts. Donald McNeil, New York Times Science Reporter has admitted that he had debunked the virus leak possibility out of respect for Dr Fauci’s stand. The latter seems to have done a 180 degree turn in a 11th May 2021 interview to Politifact, “The leak hypothesis is legitimate and needs to be investigated.”
However, what has created a paradigm shift in the approach to the Wuhan intrigue is a 10,000 word article published on Medium on the 2nd May 2021. The writer is British scientist Nicholas Wade, earlier associated with the New York Times and The Science Journal. He has brought the lab-leak hypothesis both front and centre. The title is ‘Sustained Chinese Propaganda blocking Covid origin facts’. He says with simple clarity, “There are two possible scenarios. But if you look at all the evidence and ask yourself which scenario explained all the facts better, it seems to me at least, that the lab leak hypothesis explains it a lot better. In their labs they created viruses more dangerous than those which exist in nature. They argued that they could do so safely and that by getting ahead of nature they could predict and prevent natural ‘spillovers’- the cross-over of viruses from animal host to people. If SARS2 had indeed escaped from such a lab experiment a savage blow back could be expected and the storm of public indignation would affect virologists everywhere and not only in China.”
Another respected authority, Italian Professor Tritto has lent authority to this view-point in his book, ‘China Covid 19, The Chimera Which Changed the World’. Let me bring in another significant voice Dr Ralph Baric of North Carolina University, an eminent virologist and a fervent supporter of Gain of Function research. For years he has been a confidant and collaborator of Dr Shi Zhengli, (the Batwoman) Director, Centre for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Wuhan Institute of Virology. He is one of the 18 scientists who on the 13th May 2021 wrote an open letter to The Science Journal seeking a more rigorous investigation into the origins of the corona virus, saying that the theory of accidental release from the lab and a natural spill-over both remain viable. There are lab-leaks every year in some lab or the other but they are contained quickly. For instance at the Fort Detrick, a military lab in Maryland USA. In August 2019 its deadly germ research operation was abruptly shut down following serious safety violations- in particular relating to the disposal of dangerous material.
So how are the 2 major actors performing in this long drawn drama? WHO has not quite lived up to its name. After its massive endorsement of the Chinese Government in January 2020 itself, this institution has blundered its way along. After declaring the pandemic in March 2020, on the 4th May 2020, WHO categorically stated that Covid 19 was of natural origin and the lab-leak story was extremely unlikely. On the 19th May 2020, 137 member nations called for a thorough scrutiny and inquiry into the origins of the virus. The organisation suddenly fell into line. In a 30th Nov 2020 statement it said that it was committed to find out about the origins of the virus. Dr Tedros offered hypothesis and promises. Bats, frozen-meat, minks, pangolins, lab-leak were all on the table. What followed, bordered on the ridiculous. Transmission from frozen meat, bats, directly from animals to humans everything was deemed possible. Finally on the 5th January 2021, a WHO delegation of 10 specialist virologists landed in Wuhan. The Chinese tactics of delay and defy had paid off. The WHO Chief issued a disclaimer, “The mission will not find all the answers.” This investigative sojourn turned out to be a charade. With TV cameras lined up- trips to the WIV and the wet meat and seafood market and the Centre of Disease Control, Wuhan. In this well staged event, China also got all the sound-bites it wanted. So 18 months after SARS Cov 2 was detected, the world is still waiting for answers. A few days back WHO put out its latest status update-, “We must continue to follow the science and leave no stone unturned.”
China refuses to budge and indeed has dug its heels in as the call for an independent probe escalates. Dr Shi Zhengli’s latest report says that, “The novel coronavirus is closer to pangolins than bats.” On the 25th May 2021, China told the annual gathering of WHO’s decision making body that it considered the investigation in its country complete and attention should now turn to other countries. The Great Wall of China remains impregnable.
Of late, TV channels and media have started saying that ‘the lab leak theory’ has got a new lease of life. Investigation into the origins of the novel corona virus is both legitimate and imperative. If nothing else, to prevent the next pandemic. This can only happen if the Chinese State allows unfettered access to the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Wishful thinking, what?
India is hailed as the world’s largest democracy. The sheer scale and logistics of our elections have been celebrated in Discovery channel documentaries. Yet 70+ years after independence we have not evolved into a mature, functioning democracy. Indeed, in many, many ways we have lost our way. Hordes of politicians- precious few leaders and statesmen. Political dynasties sprouting all over, endemic corruption, gross incompetence. Turncoats and floor crossers; Subsidies, freebies, quotas and reservations; vote banks and appeasement and divide and rule. Always in election mode with little time for good governance. Hollowing out our nation. Cheered on by a largely discredited Fourth Estate. Navigated by a mostly pliant babudom of bureaucracy ( with some honorable exceptions).
Why do we give our Netas a free pass again and again? Why do we tolerate their BS? Why do we not hold them accountable as public representatives for their conduct and performance? Look at any other walk of life. A rash bus driver will be suspended- the passengers will ensure that he is not in the driving seat any longer. A construction worker will lose his /her livelihood if not reporting in time for the grind every day. An errant school teacher will be hounded and reported by irate parents. An underperformer at a corporate will likely get the pink slip. A soldier/officer who has breached military discipline will be court-martialled.
We, as a people, are largely to blame- beyond our apathy and indifference. We have this mongrel attitude of putting ourselves down. Plus the colonial/feudal hangover. The people in authority cannot be questioned. So we willingly play into their hands. Region, community, caste or creed. Or a once in a 5 year spread of booze and mutton. We have been manipulated to such an extent that even educated people gloat when their preferred venal leader has outsmarted the tainted leader from the other side. Grandmaster, Chanakya are the accolades. We have become accomplices in a very corrupt system.
It is laughable that the only criteria we have to monitor the performance of our elected representatives is the attendance sheet at the Assembly/House or the number of questions asked or debates participated in. The average attendance in the Lok Sabha is below 80% and the other parameter does not bear scrutiny. Even raising the hand and making a few inane observations count as participation. In no other self- respecting institution or organisation will such a person be invited again to join a meeting or a quorum.
Take the mismanagement of the second Covid surge. Yes, India has a huge population and some resource issues. Nobody knew the second wave would be so virulent. The fact is that the recurrence of the pandemic was entirely predictable after the outbreak in UK & Europe last December. The Central Government was lulled into a false sense of complacency after an effective handling of the first phase. Even the Sangh Chief has admitted as much. The dropping of guard happens when the powers that be are surrounded by Yes Men. No professional and non-political Task Force to tell it as it is. The tone deaf denial mode of the Union Government was highlighted by the prolonged elections in West Bengal, the rallies all over and the hosting of the Kumbh (thankfully, called off after a week.) Super-spreader events. Any responsible government (including State Governments) would have focused on expanding the number of hospital beds, stocking Remdesvir and other drugs, ramping up of vaccination and planning the evacuation of migrants, if required. The oxygen and ventilator crises could have been averted through stocking up and imports. Supplies from industrial oxygen producers could easily have been diverted for public health use as was done much later in the day. How have Sikh Gurudwaras achieved the miracle of running both oxygen and food langars so effectively? The NDMA (National Disaster Management Authority) and critical units of the Armed Forces could have been put on alert. Again in an established Company, heads would have rolled in the Boardroom. But our expectations from our political leadership is woefully low. Even as the human tragedy unfolds every day, the politicians and their media partners delight in taking pot-shots at their opponents.
And it is not that India does not know how to deal with catastrophes. When a cyclone is imminent and the landfall declared the NDMA swings into action. Evacuation exercises, shelters, food & provisions, medical help, rescue ops – all are conducted humanely and efficiently. With the collaboration of the State Administration, NGO’s and philanthropic trusts. The way Orissa cyclones have been dealt with in recent times should be a matter of pride for us. Far better relief and response than the Americans have experienced when hurricanes have battered their regions.
Good Economics is the best politics. But this seems to be lost on our timid and status-quoist Ministers. Our Hon FM brushed off the issue of fuel price as a ‘Dharamsankat’ (a very difficult decision to make) – a matter to be resolved between Centre and States. So why not do it? Fuel prices are nearly hitting Rs 100/- per litre with nearly 2/3rds going to Central and State Treasuries. Diesel & Petrol prices also fuel the inflationary trend. A reasonable reduction in taxes will help on the ground. If the hike in taxes is to cover-up revenue shortfalls during the pandemic or to create a Crises fund- be transparent about it with the public. Continuing with Covid 19, the NDA administration has not talked about measures to rejuvenate the economy once more normal times are around the corner.. No relief or rebates for the hard-hit industries, sectors or even retail commerce and trade. In India after agriculture the employment generation sectors are Construction, Trade, Transport & Storage, Education, Hotels & Restaurants’ and the retail markets. The economy has to be jump started into resurgence. In the second term of the BJP led government there has been only some noise about disinvestment and privatisation. Again, nobody is seeing the whole picture. For instance, the Japanese and the UAE are willing to invest billions$ into even home and apartment constructions if the law of the lands satisfy them and RERA ( Real Estate Regulatory Authority) is made effective and mandatory at State levels. Homes and flats will be cheaper for the average citizen. But there is a close nexus between politicians, real estate and the mafia. FINITO!!! The other reason for the lack of direction is the curious reluctance to seek expert advice from those who do not subscribe to the party’s political philosophy. For instance Gita Gopinath, Chief Economic Advisor to the International Monetary Fund can be roped in for structural and sector reforms; Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee should be the go to person for new ways to alleviate poverty.
On the political turf, we still seem to be stuck in the 70’s-90’s period when the Congress called the shots. Vote bank politics, reservations, engineering defections and horse-trading, imposing President’s rule and unleashing Central Investigative agencies on opponents; the winning formula of caste, creed, money and muscle; getting TV channels and media on board. The BJP and the regional parties have fully espoused the Congress playbook. The GOP may be in decline but their machinations endure. Verily, we may be caught up in ‘ the devil and the deep sea’ syndrome.
The only glaring difference is that the power game has become much polarised. With the deaths of Shri Arun Jaitely, Madam Sushma Swaraj and Shri Manohar Parrikar the BJP has lost the senior leaders who could reach across the aisle and have a dialogue with the other side. The ruling party has to realise that it governs the country and not just those who voted for it. The ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas’ slogan has to have a genuine ring about it.
Political and personal attacks have reached the nadir- across the political spectrum. Such language will not be tolerated in any other space. Our ministers & parliamentarians simply shrug it off and say that they have been misquoted or even dig in their heels. The regressive comments made about women, dress-sense or food habits do not fit in with India 2021. These motor-mouths are not even rapped on the knuckles let alone fired, suspended or disqualified.
The mishandling of part 2 of the pandemic has brought the Hon PM Modiji’s government to its lowest point since 2014. Of course, the opposition and their cheer leaders are gloating. But it is also a loud wake- up call which they can ignore only at their peril. If they don’t see the real picture, the road leads downhill. It will be a hat-trick of misses since the majority governments of Mrs Gandhi in 1972 and Mr Rajiv Gandhi in 1984. The power to achieve a Greater Good will be wasted again.
The NDA Government does have some bold decisions to its credit. Can it harness the same resolve and its majority strength in both houses to push through some vital reforms? The expose of the rotten politician-police nexus in Mumbai underscores the imperative need for Police Reforms. Till now, all parties have ‘Copped Out’. What better than to have the Cops serve their venal interests and boost their power. A Supreme Court Judgement of 2006 attempted to move the needle a bit. The Soli Sorabjee Commission (2015) made 7 recommendations to kick-start reform. Constituting a State Service Commission to set broad policy guidelines, ensure functional space for the police and to evaluate their performance. At least a 2 year tenure for DGP’s, SP’s, Station Heads. To separate the Investigative and Law & Order functions of the force. Set up a Police Est. Board to independently decide on the transfers, postings and promotions at least up to the DSP level with recommendatory authority above that. Likewise a Police Complaint Authority to which the general public can have easy access to. At the Central level a National Security Commission would take up the responsibilities.
The working conditions also shout out for change. India has only 198 policemen for every lakh of population. Even the most conservative bench-mark is 275. Constables work 14-16 hour days with no over-time. Service and housing conditions are pathetic. There is little dignity in wearing the uniform at their level. There is no career path to speak off. Operational budgets are so tight that petrol/diesel is often filled in police jeeps by some ‘business cronies’ or by heavy-handed tactics. Even today in some States the force works at only 75% of the sanctioned strength.
A lot of lip-service has been paid to the cause of 1/3rd reservation of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. The UPA Government had tried to introduce the bill but threats of withdrawal of support from the Samajwadi Party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal made it a non-starter. In Jan 2019 women representatives from across parties in the Rajya Sabha appealed to PM Modiji to get the Bill passed with his majority force. The sooner this becomes a Law the better. Yes, some of the women candidates will be proxies for their political families. Some MP’s may turn out to be incompetent for the job at hand. But greater women representation will usher in more decorum and dignity in these Chambers and going forward more diligence and responsibility.
In 1970 the Wanchoo Committee report raised alarms as to how black money had permeated our politics. The Vohra Committee Report of 1993 was titled ‘ The Criminalisation Of Indian Politics.’ It is said to have even spelt out the politico-bureaucrat links with the D Company. It is not surprising that only 11 pages of the report were tabled in Aug 1995 in the Lok Sabha. The more than 100 page report was buried. Clearly, there is Honour Amongst Thieves. Politicians across the gamut know how to take care of each other, especially the Big Fish.
The Aam Aadmi Party was born out of an Anti-Corruption crusade. But in the Delhi Assembly elections of 2020, nearly half of their candidates had criminal cases against them. 116 BJP MP’s (39%) in the Lok Sabha have criminal charges on their records and with Congress sharing space with 29 tainted MP’s. In the recently conducted polls in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal 71%,60% and 49% of the winning coalitions boast of criminal charges and quite a few of a serious nature. ( As per media sources and electoral news reports gleaned on the internet). So whether it is the disciplined cadres of the BJP or the holier than thou Comrades, criminality is a common theme. It is the winnability factor which has sullied our electoral process. Adding Money and Muscle to the earlier caste and creed to intimidate, buy, and steal elections.
The response from the Hon Supreme Court and the Election Commission of India (ECI) has been disappointing. A declaration is all that is needed, courtesy the political parties. They have to detail the criminal history of their candidates on their official web-site and justify why they have given them a seat. That’s It.!!!
The lust to get power and retain it takes all our political outfits over the red line-into gross criminality. We are told that we have some really tall leaders, even cult figures gracing our political landscape. With millions of die-hard followers. Why do these dominant personalities not use their charisma to enlist competent, sensible people as their candidates and ensure that the right people are voted in? Why lug on the same old dirty bag of dirty tricks??
Black money is the other insidious influence on our democracy. The undisclosed wealth in India has been officially estimated at 15% of the GDP. That we are a cash economy helps. A rational mixture of reduced income and consumption tax will spread the tax net considerably. Per other researchers our parallel economy is closer to 25% of the GDP. Indian money parked in Swiss and other off-shore banks is said to be in the range of $1.5 to $ 2 trillion. Now our super-rich are actively looking at buying Residency and Citizenship in St Lucia, St Kitts, Antigua, Malta and Cyprus. Of course, the UK remains the haven for our fugitive financial criminals and the extradition of Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya will be an achievement, if and when it happens.
Although tricky to monitor, poll funding should constantly be under the scanner. It represents another bane of our electoral process and tells why the quality of the representatives is so low. In France, business is barred from political donations to avoid the mess of special interests or in Indian lingo, ‘crony capitalism’. Individual contributions are limited to 7500 euros per year and if exceeding 1520 euros have to be made by cheque. Regular payments by the registered party members make up around 35% of their funds. In the Presidential elections the State reimburses 20% of the campaign expenses of all parties. This % age goes up with %age of votes and seats won. If India has to shake off the murky sources of election monies, the ECI+ SC+ lawmakers will have to roll out a viable model. The ECI observation that the average election spending per candidate is around Rs 40 lacs cannot be taken seriously.
The last of this wish-list pertains to re-structuring of our creaking judicial system. Inefficient and overwhelmed. Out of the 4 crore cases pending, the District and Subordinate Courts are submerged by 75% of them. Litigation by the Government Departments is high accounting for almost 50% of the cases and many Dept. vs Dept. Our country has only 21000 judges where there should at least be 40,000. The Indian Judicial Service does not attract the best talent and the competence of the judges in the lower courts is not up to the mark. At the HC and SC levels there is a ? on the transparency of the process of appointment of the Judges. The bottom-line is that neither the Centre nor the State is interested in increasing the spending on this vital pillar in our democracy. Budgetary allocation varies from a pathetic 0.17% to 0.40% of the budgets. Faith in our judiciary is at its lowest. We acutely need more Fast Track Courts and Tribunals, Lok Adalats and Gram Nyayalayas. It has also not sunk in that this dubious track-record adversely impacts the flow of foreign direct investment in India.
This lethargic machinery caters to the under-trials- a whopping 70% of the approx. 4.75 lakh prison population in India. The Prison Report in 2019 has said that 65% of them have already spent more than a year as inmates for petty and minor crimes. The poor and the illiterate can’t afford bail. Why a sweeping decision cannot be taken by the Law Ministry with the guidance of the Hon. Supreme Court to release those who have completed 85% or more of their maximum expected term of imprisonment. Let’s take a leaf from the recent Supreme Court order to release 568 prisoners held in Kerala jails on parole and another 350 on bail. The objective-immediate release of the prisoners to avoid overcrowding of jails in the wake of the unprecedented spread of the pandemic.
Indian democracy and its institutions require urgent overhaul. Request the Hon PM Modi’s Government to use their majority to push through these reforms. There will be a lot of resistance from within and without. No matter. They have another 3 years to go and what better and enduring legacy to leave behind or take forward.
Let’s take a look at the Ideologies and Doctrines which have dominated discourses and radically shaped the world- geopolitically, economically, culture-wise- over the last 100 years. Whilst science and technology, IOT and social media have made today’s world a different place, in many ways we are stuck with the same ‘Isms’ albeit in variant forms. What the ‘ Isms’. Time to revisit these long-held and almost sacrosanct beliefs. Review how they have stood the test of time and actually fared in practice. Are they still effective and relevant or past their shelf-life.
I post this blog as a student and an observer. Recommend that you take it with A Fistful of Salt.
Capitalism, we have been told, is about free markets with limited government intervention. Defined by the profit motive of entrepreneurs and corporates, freedom of consumers to choose goods and services, fair competition(?), flexible labour markets (!!), robust finance sector and free trade. The Capital of this ‘Ism’ is the USA. It has been said that if Wall Street sneezes the rest of the world catches a cold. The $ is the global and petro currency. From Europe to Japan to China and Saudi Arabia trillions of dollars have been invested in US Treasury bonds, real estates and the US stock market. Silicon Valley rules the roost in the IT of things. A galaxy of American brands shine over the world. At $ 22 trillion the US economy accounts for 25% of the world’s GDP. The wealthiest, most powerful nation in history. A roaring success, right???
Not quite. Almost 40% of the US population live in poverty. Another 10% hold on to 2 jobs to put food on the table and send the kids to school. The proportion of middle class (the weather bell index) has fallen below 50% over the last 5 decades. Real Income remains stagnant at the 1989 levels. More than 20% of the adults are illiterate. College grads carry a staggering burden of $ 1.3 trillion debt. Amongst developed nations the USA ranks a poor 15th in healthcare and services. Yet, yet … in 2020 the richest 400 Americans paid tax at a lower rate than any other section of the society. Unbridled, deregulated capitalism was unleashed by the economist Milton Friedman and President Ronald Reagan. (Curiously around the same time the movie ‘Wall Street’ was released with the Gordon Gekko character saying, “Greed is Good.”) This led to the meltdown of 2008. The US government bailed out the ‘Too Big to Fail’ firms ($ 700 billion program) and their CXO’s walked away with fat salaries and bonuses. Sadly as millions across the USA and the world lost their jobs, pensions and homes. The corrupt nexus between Capitol Hill, the White House, Wall Street, the media houses and the Ivy League experts is out there for all to see. As is the plight of a worker who does not even get the time to pee as he sweats to keep the line moving. Did I say minimum government intervention, earlier on. It is the irony of ironies that the Biden administration has got a $ 1.9 trillion relief bill passed to help out millions of ordinary Americans caught up in the Covid crises. The Federal administration as the Saviour. What the ISM!!!
The Russian Revolution of 1917 led by Lenin brought the Communist Manifesto into practice and it shook up the world. The doctrine quickly took over Eastern Europe, parts of Asia, spread to Africa and Latin America with Cuba becoming a flag bearer and a flash point. The footprint grew rapidly. A Communist State became a state that was administered by a single party-guided by the Marxist/Leninist/Maoist philosophy.
The captivating charm of this philosophy lay in its egalitarian, humane and idealistic welfare promises. A better socio-economic order. Remember the oft quoted definition of Communism, “a theory or a system where all property is owned by the State, where each person contributes according to their ability and gets according to their needs.” Intellectuals, academics and activists in Europe were swept away by the fervour. A few decades later the bearded guerrilla Che Guevera was romanticised around the world with his face adorning T shirts and jackets. As Chairman Mao had said, “Power flows from the barrel of a gun.” PM Nehru was a great admirer of the Soviet Union and the Stalinist 5 year plans. As the years rolled by, many in India- politicians, bureaucrats, professors, economists, writers and activists bought into the Vodka fuelled narrative. The hangover still lingers on. Only today the General Secretary of our communist parties sits in Delhi whilst the Chairman sits in Beijing. West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura have had leftist governments with multiple tenures.
How did the Utopian ideal work on the ground. China’s stupendous economic growth over the last 40 years has been driven by a mutant Ideology. China and Russia still remain dominant military and nuclear powers. But after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia has struggled with its economy which is heavily dependent on oil, natural gas and minerals. An embarrassing fall for a country which till 1989 was the other super-power. East European nations- earlier a part of the Iron Curtain- are still struggling to play catch-up with their Western neighbours. The case of the 2 Germany’s is stark and glaring. Even after nearly 4 decades of re-unification and an infusion-aid of $ 2 trillion, East Germany has twice the rate of unemployment and lags behind in wages to the extent of 20%-40%. The meltdown of the oil rich Venezuela is another example of the collapse of the command economy model. Castro’s Cuba has done well in health-care and education. As is the case with the Indian state of Kerala and esp. on the literacy front. The Naxalbaris of the late 60’s with their violent protests did augur in substantial land reforms in West Bengal. The State became a communist bastion for 3 decades. Today the Naxal movement has degenerated into domestic terrorism funded and armed by China and Pakistan. On the side, they have evolved into a Mafia group deep into an extortion and protection racket and illegal trading.
The only Communist wickets left standing are China, Cuba, Vietnam and North Korea. Vietnam’s economy is picking up pages from the Chinese model. North Korea is the worst embodiment of the communist practice- a Hermit Kingdom run by a cruel dictator, a wannabe nuclear power with millions living in poverty and misery. The really dark side of communism is not as freely discussed as it should be. Probably because so-called intellectuals and left leaning activists still control the narrative in India and many other parts of the world. Millions and millions have been brutally killed by the likes of Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot in Cambodia and the Dear Leaders in North Korea. Surprisingly, these mass murderers continue to be deified and have their portraits in Parliament Halls, Public offices and even Universities.
Let the final word rest with George Orwell’s classic ‘Animal Farm’ – the best unravelling of the Communist culture and state of mind. What starts of as the Utopian ideal of creating a paradise of progress, justice and equality where all are happy and free but fatally ignores the human weaknesses for power, control and greed. Alas, the revolution against tyranny leads to totalitarianism, just as terrible.
Deng Xiao Ping who followed Mao jettisoned the Great Leader’s Ideology. Sacrilege! His oft quoted mantra- “Black Cat. White Cat. What does it matter what colour the cat is so long as it catches mice.” Just 40 years later, China is the second largest economy in the world at GDP $15 trillion. In purchasing power parity (PPP) it has overtaken the USA. State Capitalism. The factory to the world. The capital of off-shoring. Leveraging cheap labour to power the world’s largest brands and plants. Benefitting from and eating into the tech transfer. Transforming this huge country into the world’s largest market. But it continues to be governed with an iron fist by a single party with a strong man at the head. The cutting to size of Jack Ma of Alibaba fame shows who’s the Boss. This is Bian ti, the Chinese variant of capitalism. Ironically this rapid, exponential growth has rolled out because of the authoritarian regime. The Comrades have bulldozed their agenda through, lands and communities cleared overnight to set up factories and for infrastructure projects. No courts, no opposition, no activism.
This massive economic surge has propelled more than 30% Chinese into the middle-class., majorly in urban areas. Basic health-care insurance covers have been provided to all citizens. Mandatory school education from the age of 6-15 years has also been a game changer.
But there is much that is hidden. The yuan is a tightly managed currency and the Communist Government manoeuvres to keep it low. Off late, there have been rumblings in the US and Europe about the theft of patents and IP rights. The Chinese have stolen everything from the formulae for drugs, technology for mobiles and blueprint for heavy equipment. The reason for joint ventures with a not so subtle aim to access state of the art Western and Japanese technology. And there is the controversial issue of large scale dumping- selling its oversupply in overseas and Indian markets, depressing prices and hurting indigenous manufacturing. There are many many secrets behind the Great Wall- forced labour from rural areas on construction sites, sweat -shop factory hubs and the origins of the Wuhan virus. The Comrades and Capitalists have much in common- Greed and a lust for power. Human nature being what it is. With Big Brother watching, corruption is rampant.
Europe is deemed to be the cradle of liberal thought and practice with England and France claiming to be at the vanguard of the movement. Liberalism can be broadly defined as a socio-economic and political philosophy which promotes democracy, civil rights and individual liberties and free enterprise. A liberal being a person with an open-mind -receptive to opinions, ideas and lifestyles different from one’s own. The report card has been impressive on the whole-voting rights for adult population, gender equality, marriage equality, racial equality, environmental justice, minimum wages and stipulated work conditions, labour unions and constitutionally limited and democratically elected governments. Positive Progress. But any thought, however virtuous and taken to the extreme can be counterproductive. Look at France today. Unregulated freedom of expression has sparked an outrage amongst millions of Muslim faithful around the world. On the other hand French liberals have reset themselves into the belief that these communities should espouse the values and culture of the country they are living in and integrate themselves into the mainstream to the extent possible. Now these are being implemented through laws. Across the continent also there are many European leaders and peoples who now believe that their way of life is being undermined and challenged by these migrants- The Other. Attitudes are hardening and suspicions are rising. Is this ‘The Clash of Civilisations’ as predicted by Samuel Huntington..
Also genuine liberal thought is on the wane. Reaching out to understand where the other is coming from is a rare occurrence. Objective and reasonable opinions and analysis based on sound research is no longer the norm. Self -proclaimed liberals and activists are often aligned to a political party or ideology or an NGO or a think tank with an agenda of its own. Why are our progressive intellectuals silent on the mass persecution of Uyghur Muslims in the Xinjiang province of China.!!?? The basic premise of an open mind-set has long been jettisoned. Even once trusted institutions like the BBC and The New York Times have lost a lot of credibility. The latter, for example, provides a platform and $money to discredited Indian journalists to vent their opinion and bias. No fact-checking. No one like Mark Tully (the famous BBC correspondent in Delhi) to deep-dive and ascertain the real situation. India and the world need the conscience-keepers and the sane and reasonable voices more than ever. May their tribe increase. However, liberalism has to reboot itself to be an effective influence and to resonate across borders.
For the concept of secularism, let us turn again to a French philosopher and sociologist Jean Bauberot and the French word ‘laicite’ with its anti-clerical roots. It refers basically to the separation of State from religious institutions. No domination of the political sphere by any religious community or entity . Neutral State in an Open Society. In increasingly plural and diverse nations Secularism seeks to maximise harmony and minimise conflict. Another exploration of the term brings out 3 core principles-institutional separation, freedom of conscience and belief and no discrimination on the grounds of religion. “These conditions allow for the competing concepts of the good life to be pursued in society.”
In practice, this philosophy ran into a lot of hurdles. The clarion call for Religion to be entirely excluded from the public square and manifest solely as a private matter remained a non-starter. Human nature being what it is and the power of religion being what it is. For centuries, the State and the Faith had fed off each other and used each other to consolidate their powers. It is to Dr Ambedkar’s credit that he realised the impracticality of introducing the word ‘secular’ in the Indian constitution. Mrs Gandhi added it in the year 1976 for political reasons and political capital. Taking a leaf from the playbook of our colonial masters, our GOP (Grand Old Party) mastered the art of Divide and Rule, Vote Bank politics and selective appeasement on regional or religious grounds. All political parties play the same psuedo secular card today. An idealistic and progressive Idea remains unrecognisable – hijacked and manipulated beyond measure. In the Indian context we have to reclaim the soul and spirit of our secularism-Genuine tolerance for all religions rather than separation from the temporal – with a secure place for even non-believers.
At the global level also, Secularism has been resisted and derided. It is seen by many as a maligned Western concept. When the burkhas and veils were banned in many European nations the International Humanist and Ethical Union of the Middle East protested that this was not their secularism. The powerful Evangelical lobby in the USA supported the venal Trump to move the needle on their agenda- Anti abortion and anti LGBTQ. Even a much debated issue like Mercy Killing remains on hold because of the overlap of Religion and Public Policy. It took Independent India seven decades to ban a practice like the Triple Talaq, which had already been rejected by many Islamic countries. The issue is complex and sensitive. It is not helped by the fact that many religions have themselves fragmented into different denominations and there is even discrimination and hostility amongst some. As the churning in Europe demonstrates it is difficult to get all sides on board to agree to a common definition of Secularism for the Greater Good.
Another ‘ISM’ in currency is Internationalism- a political movement that advocates greater economic and political cooperation amongst nations of the world. It is meant to promote peace and security, economic stability and humanitarism. Organisations like the United Nations, World Bank, ASEAN, OECD, WTO, WHO, UNICEF are the tangible results of this thought. Single nation states cannot resolve systemic global issues like climate change, nuclear disarmament, cyber terrorism, global tax avoidance, pandemic and the catastrophe risk. These agencies have stepped in with varying degrees of success. For instance, climate change has been addressed through the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Accords. The latter had 195 signatories- a possible tipping point to take on this crisis. However the terms are not enforceable on the nation states and any progress is subject to the focus/ whims of the large and powerful signatories. President Trump withdrew the USA from the Paris Agreement and also the World Health Organisation. Likewise, the World Trade Organisation has to a large extent stabilised global trade through agreed upon terms which are fair and remove inequities amongst trading partners. It has also played a significant role in the reduction of trade protectionist policies. But the large scale dumping from China continues to disrupt other markets. The World Bank has helped nations recover after the global recession of 2008. Peace keeping forces have played a stellar role in controlling hostilities in war zones. The International Red Cross has gallantly stepped in during the Ebola pandemic and in providing humanitarian aid in war ravaged countries. The positives are many. International sports events like the Olympics and the football World Cup have connected countries like never before as have cultural exchanges like music, movies and cuisine.
The downside is also stark. The world is a more troubled place and new blocs are forming. There are many hotspots and prolonged localised wars. Yemen and Syria are truly cursed lands. The scourge of terrorism continues unabated. North Korea continues to be a nuclear rogue whilst the Iran deal may be back on the table. COVID 19 has again demonstrated as to how the rich countries call the shots. They have pre- booked and stocked the major supplies of vaccines and left the rest of the world to their own fate. The pandemic crisis has been gravely compounded by the WHO chief playing PR for the Chinese and playing down the gravity of the virus.
Colonialism did not die with the British Empire. The USA stepped in with its subtle model – leveraging on its 800 military bases across the globe, its industrial might and its control over the international finance agencies. China takes the baton forward in a refined form. The Belt and Road initiative is one with its expansionist dream of a great Chinese Empire. Pakistan and Sri Lanka and some East European and African countries will soon be reduced to debt-ridden vassal states. China will have unfettered access to raw materials, minerals, trade routes and markets. As British historian Mark Mazower aptly observes in his book ‘Governing the World’, “Internationalism was first and foremost a Euro-American project. It was a gift the West promised to give the Rest but like all Gifts created its inadequacies and dependencies.” National Interests and ambitions of these dominant powers plus geo-politics will determine what the future of the global order will be. They guard the same with intense zeal. How else does one explain that India as the world’s largest democracy with a 1.3 billion population and the 6th largest economy in the world does not have a permanent seat at the UN Security Council.
And so we wait for the next great experiment which will enamour the world. Hope it has Humanity at its core. Where basics like food, shelter, health, education, public utilities, law and order will co-exist with entrepreneurship and innovation, aspirations and wealth creation. Where quality of life will also factor in the Happiness Index. The signs are out there with Canada seriously debating about Universal Basic Income and New Zealand raising its minimum hourly wages and taxing its 2% super-rich at 39%. Hopefully, they will bridge the gap between theory and practice by factoring in human nature. And hark back to another Deng Xiao Ping mantra “Of crossing the river by touching the stones.” Meaning gradual implementation of the reforms or models to know which policies produce favourable outcomes and which do not before they can be implemented across.
In 2004, a TV reality show called “The Apprentice” made Donald Trump a household name. A reality business competition, it aired for 15 successful seasons and just under 200 hit episodes. It added to his aura of the savvy, tough billionaire tycoon with the Catch Phrase, ‘You’re Fired.’
Reality was different. By 2004, his companies were in the dumps. He had received around $ 40 million from his father in the mid 80’s and had started managing Fred Trump’s $ 250 million real-estate empire. Another bright spot was the co-authored book ‘The Art of the Deal’ which topped the best seller lists and made him a celebrity. Thus began this tale of myths, illusions and charades.
Between 1991-2006, Trump companies filed for bankruptcy 6 times. Starting with the Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City and the Plaza Hotel in New York. An interesting aside is that some vendors for the casino project claimed that they had not been paid in full. This was a recurrent theme in some other projects also. By the mid 90’s major US banks had blacklisted the Trump Organisation for loans. So he re-worked on the valuation of his assets and Deutsche Bank was happy to oblige.
However, the real bailout in 2004 came from the Russian oligarchs looking to launder their ill-gotten wealth. Paying top prices for office spaces and apartments, mansions and cottages at exclusive resorts. A few years’ later the Saudi Sheikhs went on a buying spree shelling out exorbitant amounts for the properties. The Trump brand continued to grow and he diversified into licensing his name. The Trump name attached to prestigious projects globally for a 15% (??) equity stake it is said. President Trump continued to see US foreign relations through the prism of his own business deals. For instance, the $90 million dollars Saudi investment in Kushner’s companies, to pull them out of a deep hole. No wonder that the President and his son-in-law Jared Kushner were so protective of the Saudi prince Mohammad bin Salman (MBS) after the brutal killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Shady business deals. Unethical practices. The US President pushing his UK Ambassador to get the Open Championship (of Golf) moved to his property in Scotland. Hosting Xi Jinping at his Mar-a-Lago property in Florida. Business as usual!!
Citizen Trump did not pay any Income Tax for 11 of the last 18 years. President Trump paid $750 dollars as Income Tax in 2016 & 2017. Billionaire Trump did not file any tax returns for the last 10 years and more. Now having lost the White House, Citizen Trump will have to face the lenders at his door. For starters, $100 million in mortgages in 2022. Another $125 million two years later for the Florida golf course property. Deutsche Bank will also be jumping into the fray to recover $ 340 million in outstanding loans. The German Bank, tired of all the controversy and negative publicity, has tired of Trump and wants to end all ties. Even if there be an overlap in the figures above, the President is in deep shit.
Prominent Trump supporters shrug this off as this is how real estate business works. So let’s move on to Trump University, affiliated to the Trump Organisation. Running specialised classes and seminars on how to crack the best deals in the real estate domain. A great rip-off whilst it lasted from 2005-2010. In 2013, approx. 6000 duped students received a court settlement of $ 25 million.
In 1989 he had publicly shown his racist colours. The Central Park 5 (a young group of blacks and Latinos) had been convicted of rape and aggravated assault on a white woman despite contrary evidence. Trump took out full page ads in 4 New York newspapers screaming ‘Bring Back the Death Penalty’ The wrongfully convicted men were released in 2002 after the actual criminal had confessed. No remorse, no apology from the builder businessman even after the City had awarded a $41 million dollar settlement.
His womaniser reputation just added to his charisma. Hosting the Miss USA &Miss World pageants added to the glamour. The 2005 tapes boasting about his ‘conquests’ and objectifying of women to a TV host, his friendship with the disgraced sex trafficker the late Jeffrey Epstein and his pay-off to porn-stars to ensure their silence revealed a sleazy and sordid side of his personality.
In the 2016 elections, Trump was pitted against an unpopular Hillary Clinton. Just banking on the Clinton name she had little personal connect with the voters and a rather dubious reputation. Remember, ‘Crooked Hillary’ and the ‘Lock Her Up’ chants at the Trump rallies. Yet, she led in the popular vote count by more than 3 million votes. Donald Trump entered the White House through the Electoral College door. His trump card was the Outsider Image, the Anti Establishment guy who would get things done. He would’ drain the swamp’ in Washington – another effective rally cry. His business acumen would propel the economy to unheard of heights. Make America Great Again. Typical Trump speak- the greatest, the biggest, never before in history.’
His Russian friends and Putin were firmly in his corner. The Republican candidate openly called out to the Russian hackers to hack into the DNC server and also to out the Hillary e-mails. More sinister was their infiltration of Face-book and other social media platforms to scare off swing states and the undecided voters to support their Man.
Some hoped that the White House would make him more responsible.. The Oval office has never seen such a venal, corrupt, narcissistic, self-serving and incompetent President. The fault-lines of racism have re-surfaced because of his support to the White Supremacists and his dismissal of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. His support for white cops killing unarmed black men in cold blood and his deference to the slave owners/Southern Confederate generals. African countries have been called ‘shit holes’. The Mexicans are thugs and rapists-so the need for a beautiful border wall which Mexico would pay for. Like most of Trump’s projects, the Wall remains incomplete. That Homeland Security has not yet re-united 545 separated children with their parents would be heart-rending to most- a top priority- but not to this Administration.
On foreign relations, his admiration for brutal dictators is there for all to see. MBS in Saudi Arabia, Putin in Russia, Erdogan in Turkey. He is Putin’s puppet and the ex-KGB officer has some dirt on him. His photo-ops with Kim Jong Un of North Korea achieved nothing except to raise the stock of this cruel despot. The tested allies in Europe, Canada and Japan played second fiddle at the cost of world order and balance of power. Yes, NATO countries have to pay their dues. A long over-due rap on the knuckles. But undermining the alliance played into the hands of Russia, China and Turkey. There are many who say that he is the only US President who has not led his country into war. But the US withdrawal from Syria was tantamount to surrender to Assad, Russia and Turkey and a death warrant for thousands of Kurds who had fought on the American side. Yemen has been left to the mercy of the Saudis and is being bombed out of existence. Trump’s bromance with the’ Rocket Man’ of North Korea was fuelled by a desire to get the Nobel Peace prize and played out by the hermit kingdom and its Big Brother China. His hated predecessor Obama had received the Nobel. For trying to make the world a better place- especially through constructive engagement with hostile nations like Iran and Cuba. Plus he had got Bin Laden.
His sneering comments calling fallen American soldiers as ‘suckers’ and ‘losers’ would have sunk any other Presidency. Not Mr Teflon-for nothing seems to stick to him. It has been said that ‘you can fool some of the people all the time’. We are now talking about 70 million plus Americans here.
Most appalling is the way Trump has undermined US democracy and institutions over the last 4 years. The Attorney General has become his personal lackey, the DOJ doing his personal bidding. The Republican led Senate has become a mute spectator and complicit in his autocratic actions. The GOP has mutated into the Trump party. The Democrats dominated Congress has been undermined, ignored and thwarted at every turn. The list of his associates indicted for crimes keeps growing from his personal lawyer to his campaign manager… The Conservatives are thrilled that he has packed the courts with judges of dubious track-records and regressive persuasions. In retrospect this may turn out to be his single biggest achievement . National Guards, Reserves, Prison Patrols without insignia or badges or identities were deployed in cities to intimidate non-violent BLM protestors.
Trumpers have hailed him for a robust economy before the pandemic struck. Fact check. It was Obama who inherited a recession crippled economy in 2008. Every year of his second term generated more employment than happened in the first 2 years of the current President. Trump is simply surfing off the economy that Obama had turned around after the initial gloomy years of his Presidency. ‘The Donald’ was simply overseeing and taking forward what he had inherited. His only major initiative was another tax-break for the very rich- for the first time in American history the 400 wealthiest Americans paid at a rate lower than any other group… And the extraordinary $ 48 billion bailout for the agriculture sector reeling from the trade war and the Covid outbreak. In 2016, soya bean exports alone to China had netted $ 11 billion. Of course, this record direct subsidy has kept his farmer base intact.
The gross mishandling and underplaying of COVID 19 has cost him the White House. More than 2,37,000 deaths and counting is a record which even the record-obsessed Trump shies away from. His disdain for the advice of his own scientists, derision for mask-wearers and for social distancing puts the onus of thousands of deaths on his conscience and his watch. Not wearing masks became a political statement for millions of his devout followers. Trump pledged that he would dismantle Obamacare and come out with his own grand plan. Zilch!!. Even die-hard Republicans have admitted to the benefits of the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid which the GOP threatened to unravel in the midst of a pandemic. The withdrawal from the Paris Accord on climate change is one with this contempt for the scientific community.
His signature line from the TV show resonated across the Oval Office many times in these 4 years. ‘You’re Fired.’ 2 Chiefs of Staff, an Attorney General, the Defence Secretary, National Security Advisor, Labour Secretary, Director of National Intelligence, Homeland Secretary, EU Ambassador and the list goes on and on… Even after the election results he has fired the present Defence Secretary on twitter.
No President has been a more polarising figure. USA is a severely divided nation. More than 70 million Americans have voted for Trump even after a grossly decadent 4 year term. Biden has pulled in approx 5 million more popular votes. Trumpism has become a cult and is here to stay. A coarse ideology of white grievance and alienation, racism and bigotry, narcissism and superiority, disregard for science and facts, an alternative reality full of conspiracies. Fox News huddles together with Breitbart (a far right news network) and QAnon (a crazily wierd conspiracy outfit). Shameless Senate leaders like Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham have become a part of the pack. Surprise, Shocker!! Trump’s solid vote base of 30% plus voters includes Evangelical leaders and their loyal followers. Driven by their anti-abortion, anti LGBTQ dogma.
It is possible that all this divisiveness has lurked below the surface for some decades. It has taken a Trump to tap into it and bring it out into the open. The Statue of Liberty has shrunk. The USA is no longer the ‘land of the free and the brave.’ It can no longer take the condescending high ground and dismiss a third of the planets’ nations as banana republics. It has lost its credibility and stature on the world stage. Biden and Harris have a tough road ahead to heal and to get things back to normalcy.
Joe Biden does not cut an impressive figure. He is definitely not a President Bartlet from the iconic ‘West Wing’ TV series. COVID 19, the revulsion for Trump and the Obama factor have seen him through. In the early 70’s he was seen as a segregationist and his racial prejudices came through right till the mid 90’s. His son Hunter Biden’s dealings with Ukraine and China may be above board but the stink of political privilege and leverage will linger on.
Some Indian commentators have called the Biden/Harris win a setback for India. Some adverse comments in the past underpin these concerns. On the other hand, Trump has pushed back China and ignored Pakistan over these years. Betting on his support is fraught with risk. A fickle, all about himself person can be easily manipulated. A summit meeting invite by the Chinese strongman, a photo-op with elaborate pomp and ceremony on the Great Wall and he would be feasting on the popular Chinese dish Chow Mein instead of his favourite McDonald burger. Remember how the Saudis got him to dance with a royal sword at the palace. The President elect and his VP will have to grapple with realpolitik in a troubled world. Mend fences with and rally their traditional allies again. In the current global scenario with an expansionist and aggressive China, India will get a seat at the table.
Over the last 4 years, only the Saturday Night Live hosts have called out President Trump for what he is and what he represents. Calling a spade a bloody shovel with spadesful of laughs thrown in. I distinctly recall 2 comments from a few months back. One that COVID 19 would magically beat Trump. Prediction realised. But the Don will sulk terribly and fire out tweets. He and his Mob will shout ‘fraud’ and seek to delegitimise Biden’s win. He will put his ‘Capo’ William Barr to probe into the electoral fraud. All from the Putin playbook.
The other prediction from the SNL episode was that Trump would pardon himself before exiting the White House. Very much on the cards. After 3 months of sordid drama the curtain will finally fall on what has been a ridiculous, long drawn and very dark soap opera.
The mysterious deaths of the talented actor, Sushant Singh Rajput (SSR) and his one-time manager Disha Salian have created frenzy in the media space and in political circles. There are some who dismiss it as TRP sensationalism when the country is facing a COVID and economic crises. They do have a very valid point. The Lutyens group and their Bollywood cronies have derided it as the media trial of a helpless Rhea Chakraborty and her decent, middle-class family. A veritable witch-hunt.! A chorus of other reasonable people question why an actor’s apparent suicide is deflecting attention from a 23% drop in GDP and the tense confrontation with China at the LAC. Pause. The palpable panic which has gripped the Maharashtra coalition government tells a different story. B-town after the usual sarcasm from the usual suspects has gone deathly silent. That the Mumbai police is being played by their political masters is becoming more obvious by the day. What a fall from grace for the professional Bombay force of the Julio Ribeiro days.
There is something rotten in the state of Mumbai. The cover-up of SSR’s death has inadvertently opened up a can of worms. A smelly, filthy, ugly can of worms. The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe is haunting the powers that be- politicos, cops, Bollywood, drug cartels and the larger Mafia. The investigation has become an expose not only of possible homicides or abetted suicide but of a huge drug ring, hawala racket, narco-terrorism and even a deliberate undermining of our nation’s security and interests. The ‘Janata’ following the case for 3 months are keeping their fingers crossed.
It is my hope and prayer that this Trimurti effort be entrusted to the best professionals and be given a free hand. Let the facts come out. Let the truth prevail. Let this not be an elaborate ploy just to get the BJP party back in power in the State. If the Aghadi Sarkar comes down be sure that the politicians will again show their true colours- cling on to whatever power or position they can. President’s rule for a couple of years will be the right decision. The BJP should not forget that this can of worms has taken a multi-dimensional life of its own.
I have long been convinced that political parties have a secret pact of their own. They may spew vitriol at each other in public but there is a tacit understanding in private. Whichever party is in power will not go after the big fish in the opposition ranks. There is a mutual protection agreement amongst the political elite. Please do not get misled by the occasional case of a Jayalalitha or Lalu Yadav spending some time in comfortable confinement.
The investigative dossiers may be there, so also the proofs. But nobody goes the whole hog. Mr Chidambaram spends sometime in the cooler on alleged corruption charges. Remember that he had sent the present Home Minister to jail when he was the Home Minister…?! This money laundering case too will linger on and the public will forget. Most intriguing was the ₹ 15,000 crore bogus stamp papers Telgi scam. His narco-tests were suddenly shown on some TV channels, whispering the name of a political strongman. The head of a national level party just sending a not so veiled message to a political opponent.?!!!
It must be emphasized that in all fairness such issues should not be kept simmering indefinitely. If there be no conclusive evidence, the government of the day ( the BJP led govt now) should give it a closure. It should not be raked up again for a hit job during the next election season.
Independent India’s first official scam was the Jeep scam. Krishna Menon, High Commissioner to UK, bypassed protocol in 1948 and ordered around 2,000 refurbished jeeps from a little known foreign company for our military use. A substantial amount of the then ₹ 80 lakhs deal was paid upfront. Only 155 jeeps were delivered but did not pass the Defence Ministry tests. Pandit Nehru’s patronage ensured that even the judicial inquiry was dropped in 1955. In Jan 1956, Mr Menon became a member of the Union Cabinet ending with his glory days as Defence Minister in the disastrous Indo-China war of 1962.
1957- The Mundhra scam. The Calcutta industrialist was given ₹ 1.26 crores from the LIC to bail out his six troubled companies, without the approval of the LIC investment board. Further, Mr Mundhra had just had a forged shares episode in 1956. Government pressure prevailed. Till one Mr Feroze Gandhi, MP, raised the issue in the Lok Sabha. A one man inquiry committee in MC Chagla was appointed and he submitted his report in only 24 days (he was later one of India’s best External Affairs Ministers). TT Krishnamachari had to resign as the Finance Minister and Mundhra was sentenced to 22 years imprisonment. Feroze Gandhi had hit a home run. He was the son-in-law of PM Nehru. Their rift continued to grow.
The Nagarvala case of 1971 gets curioser and curioser. He called up Mr Malhotra, Manager, SBI, in presumably Mrs Gandhi’s voice asking for Rs 60 lakhs for a mission of national importance. He got the money!! and disappeared for all of a day. On 22nd May he was picked up at the airport. On the 26th May 1971 after a day’s trial and a confession he was sentenced to 4 years in jail. He died a few months later. So did the police officer assigned to the matter- in a road accident! Was Nagarvala an ex-RAW agent and a fraudster or simply a courier with things going awry? As the Mitrokhin papers have revealed India had been infiltrated by the KGB by this time. Ministers, bureaucrats, journalists, professors did their bidding. Or were these secret funds for a geo-political purpose?
On the late night hours of the 2nd December 1984, the ghastly Bhopal Gas tragedy happened. Lethal gas leak from the Union Carbide plant. 20,000 died. Lakhs more developed severe health complications. On December 7th 1984, their CEO Warren Anderson was quietly airlifted from Bhopal to Delhi at the orders of the CM. Mr Rajiv Gandhi, the PM, allowed him a free pass to the USA. It is speculated that this was done as a quid-pro-quo for a US Presidential pardon for Adil Sharyar, a close friend of the Gandhis, who had a long prison sentence ahead. Finally in 1989 the Supreme Court ordered a $470 million compensation. One of the legal eagles consulted by Union Carbide – Mr Arun Jaitley.
In 1982, there had been the HDW submarine $300 million deal with the West German Company. Fat commissions and middle-men were involved. 6 people including the Secretary in the Defence Ministry and Mr GP Hinduja, industrialist in London were under the scanner. VP Singh later said that he resigned as Defence Minister in 1987 because of this corrupt arrangement. No money trail. No closure. No notable convictions. Just political capital for VP Singh, Mr Clean, as he became the PM in 1989.
This was also the fall-out of the famous Bofors scandal in 1987 when a Swedish whistle-blower exposed the money sleaze in this ₹ 1,500 crs contract for 410 field howitzer guns. The middleman was Ottavio Quattrochi, an Italian citizen, said to be close to India’s first family. But again a lot of noise and confusion signifying nothing. The CBI botched up everything- delaying lodging the FIR, dragging their feet on the Interpol Red Corner notice, de-freezing Quatrocchi London bank account, shoddy extradition follow-ups…Sounds very familiar doesn’t it?
After the Mumbai bomb blasts in 1993, the then CM added one location to the 12 actually impacted by the blasts. He said that he did this to avoid a communal conflagration by fictitiously bringing in a minority dominated locality into the picture. His presence of mind was lauded by some in the media and also by the SriKrishna commission. The CM also repeatedly stated that the LTTE may be behind the blasts. But was this an attempt to deflect attention from Pakistan and Dawood Ibrahim. The Vohra Committee was appointed in July 1993 and gave its 100+ page findings by October 1993. Some in the know say that it contains explosive revelations of the nexus between senior Maharashtra politicians and babus and D company. The report has never seen the light of the day and the Home Ministry now says that it has been misplaced. Connect the dots. A sense of dejavu. Almost 30 years later we are again talking about the same underworld links. If only the Vohra Committee report had been tabled and discussed responsibly and in the national interests.
The 26/11 attacks have been categorically tracked back to Pakistan and the ISI by the Indian intelligence agencies under the UPA regime and fully corroborated by the international intelligence community. But Digvijay Singh and Mahesh Bhatt presided at the launch of the book ‘26/11- A RSS Conspiracy” in December 2010. The former to please his political masters in Delhi as a loyal courtier and to counter the growing threat of the BJP. The latter’s son Rahul hobnobbed and moved around with David Coleman Headley, the ISI agent and mastermind for almost a year- a recce of all the spots where the terror attacks took place. A rattled and fragmented Indian government gave this B town scion a surprisingly easy pass. It did not matter that innocent foreigners and Indians, hotel staff and police had been brutally killed in a terror attack managed from Karachi. In 2020 also, these insidious elements and manipulators who have hollowed out India into a soft country, continue to thrive. If only it were not so disgraceful, it could have been shrugged off as ridiculous.
In 2009, Ramalinga Raju admitted to a ₹ 14,000 crore fraud. Falsifying accounts, inflating company revenues, raising false invoices, diverting money to real-estate. He was fined ₹ 5 crore and finally sentenced to 7 years in jail. In 2011 itself, he was on bail as the CBI had still failed to file a charge-sheet. He has done a total time of just 35 months and is now involved with his family’s successful health-care and agri businesses. Not even a slap on the wrist. The rich and the connected are above the law.
The Sahara scam of ₹ 24000 crore is well known in the public domain. With full political backing Subrata Roy was going great guns in 2011 with 3 crore ( mostly fictitious) investors. From 2008 he had been raising money without complying to the Regulatory framework. SEBI stepped in and stood its ground and finally the Supreme Court brought him to book in 2014. But Sahara Shree has been enjoying regular parole since 2016 . After all, he has had such close associations with several big time politicians.
Breaking news is that civil courts in Hyderabad and Patna have granted an injunction restraining Netflix from airing its new web series Bad Boy Billionaire from the 2nd Sept 2020. Mr Raju and Mr Roy say that it is an invasion of privacy and tarnishes their good name. Holy Shit!!!
The Saradha Chit Fund rip-off in Bengal has also hit the headlines. A Ponzi cum Pyramid scheme where more than ₹ 20000 crore has been siphoned off from mainly 1.7 million lower income investors lured by the promise of high returns. In 2014, the Supreme Court had to order a CBI investigation as nothing was moving at the State level. Two TMC MP’s and one State Minister have been arrested. Sudipto Sen, the MD, turned out to be a former Naxalite who had undergone a complete identity change. Recently, the high profile Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar has been grilled by the CBI for tampering with evidence to protect the accused and also some TMC politicians The West Bengal CM gallantly protected him from the Central investigators for as long as she could. Resonates with what is happening today in Maharashtra, what??
In 2002, a drunk Salman Khan is alleged to have killed one and injured 4 other pavement dwellers in a hit and run. Consider what happened afterwards. Singer and friend Kamaal Khan who was also in the vehicle catches the first flight back to London. But Ravindra Patil, the constable bodyguard sitting next to the star reports to the Bandra Police station that Salman was driving the vehicle in a drunken state. This police eye-witness, officially assigned, is repeatedly threatened and driven into hiding. He misses 5 hearings and the police issue a non-bailable warrant against their own. He is even thrown into jail. His testimony is dismissed as not reliable. The broken guy, without a job, dies in 2007, an alcoholic and TB patient. The powerful can get away with just about anything. The much-vaunted Mumbai police had started showing its true colours many years back.
The 2017 Unnao (UP) gang rape case starkly shows the criminalization of politics. At the centre, the BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, touted as the Bahubali in these parts.!! The 17 year old victim tried to immolate herself in front of the CM’s residence in April 2018. Thankfully, the media and the activists jumped into the fray.But the Supreme Court and the CBI had to step in for this hardened criminal to be sentenced for life behind bars in Dec 2019.In this shameful case, the father of the victim was wrongfully accused of being the perpetrator and died in judicial custody. In another sinister incident in July 2019 a truck rammed into a car causing serious injury to the victim and the death of two of her relatives.Eerily reminiscent of the movie-‘ Article 15’. Outrageously, the BJP continued to support the goon till the shit hit the ceiling.
Just 2 small rotten nuggets to add to this unpalatable fare being served. For the list is long and growing. The Harshad Mehta stock-market scam, Coalgate, Irrigation Ghotala (scam) , DHFL collapse, ICICI Bank-Videocon corrupt deals, the Nirav Modi super swindle…The $2 billion dollar diamond fraudster runs away from the country in Jan 2018 under the watch of the BJP led Centre. Taking the cue from the ‘King of Good Times.’ Vijay Mallya, an independent Rajya Sabha MP with friends across the political spectrum, coolly chatted with them on the 1st March 2016. The next day, this defaulter of ₹ 9000 crore from 17 Indian banks flees to London. Have the authorities been napping at the wheel? Or well-wishers told him to move on? Take your pick.
A few days back we all celebrated Teacher’s day – the birthday of our second President Dr Radhakrishnan. His mentee for Doctorate, Jadunath Sinha filed a case against him in the Calcutta High court in 1929. For infringement of copyrights and plagiarism from his published and thesis material for the Professor’s books. The case was settled out of court three years later. Radhakrishnan was a close of friend of Mr Nehru and his left leanings endeared him further to the PM. Hence, Ambassador to the Soviet Union, Vice President and President of the Republic in 1962. The first Teacher’s day was commemorated that year. We should move it to the 15th October every year as homage to Dr Abdul Kalam, our only great President.
Corruption, Inefficiency and Cabalism hurts the poor and the middle-class the most. 70+ years after independence we have to shed our feudal regard for politicians and bureaucrats. Not foolishly adulate some as modern day Chanakyas. We have to demand accountability. Performance. Delivery on promises. They are counting on our short public memory span. Divide and Rule still works for them. Manipulating and distracting is their modus operandi. And to paraphrase GB Shaw, “Politics is the first refuge of the scoundrel”. We have to stop joining them in kicking all these cans of worms off the roads and out of sight.
Use the power of genuine public activism and an effective social media to make things uncomfortable for these so-called leaders. Give them no place to hide. Persuade & Influence the Prime Minister to use his majority to push through these structural reforms before the end of 2021. Indeed, the NDA has been paying lip service for many years. (a) the police reform Act to make the force independent, autonomous and totally professional. Ditto for the Central Agencies. (b) Make political financing transparent. (c) Keep criminals out of political positions. (d) bring in one-third reservation for women at the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The States will have to follow suit. (e) Finally, strengthen and enable the judiciary that critical cases are fast-tracked over a few months. Justice has to be seen to be fair and impartial with nobody above the law. Justice has not only to be done but also seen to be done.
A Fistful of Salt 