As India sends a rocket to the moon, my friend Manuwant's lament from Bihar, where he lives without electricity, is a sober reminder that there is much to be achieved on the ground in India before we can lay claim to being a "space power." Manuwant says:
"I look forward to the Poornima full moon because my home does not have electricity even after 60 years since India's independence – and, at least for a night, I do not need to think about the governments electricity department. My home, my garden, everything is awash with light.
And I wonder why the earth has just a single moon.
For Bihar I wished the earth had 30 moons which would in turn light up the earth each and every night."
Read the full post here.
If after all this mooning around we really want to crash land into hard reality, the news of Raj Thackeray's release after one night in prison is another sober reminder of how the Rule of Law does not exist here. An arrest is nothing. The man, and his men, should be prosecuted, tried, convicted and punished. One Bihari examinee died. This is murder – as the RJD is saying. And murder is certainly not a "political sport."
Next: The Economic Times website reports that Swaminathan Aiyar's article, "Who Murdered the Financial System," is on the "most read" list. However, I cannot agree less with my former editor's views. He finds everyone guilty – except the central banking system! He says such bubbles, these booms-and-busts, must forever continue because "everyone loves a boom." I would have liked to give a point-by-point rebuttal, but Vipin Veetil has already beaten me to it. Good show, Vipin.
Finally, thanks to Chandra, I found Atanu Dey's post on Lee Kwan Yew's views against our former president APJ Abdul Kalam's much-hyped idea of PURA: Putting Urban Amenities in Rural Areas. Lee says the idea cannot work. We must urbanize, urbanize and urbanize. He says Singapore does not have any villages left. I totally agree with Lee on this. Kalam's PURA is just a romantic idea, completely out of tune with the basic laws of Catallactics – like the fact that the "division of labour" is maximized in cities and towns because of the bigger markets there. You cannot be a taxi driver, security guard, receptionist, plumber or electrician in a sleepy village. This understanding is older than Adam Smith. Kalam is a scientist – but he knows nothing of "social science." Indeed, India has been producing excellent scientists, doctors and engineers for over 200 years. And we have failed precisely in the area of "social science." I am therefore extremely glad that someone of Lee Kwan Yew's stature has demolished Kalam. Read Atanu Dey's blog post here.
And have a great day!
I find the entire post strangely contrasting in itself. You merely pointed out why there are so many biharis flooding the grounds of maharashtra by conveying the lamenting of the voters of the RJD and other parties in that godforsaken land and then justified a tainted leader of those and his party's call for an arrest of other of his type. Condemn the Raj hogwash but for once address the problems that mumbaikars are facing because of these rushing biharis. Understand your being very partially against Raj, just take care this doesn't go out as partiality against those who are unable to live in peace where they were born and brought up. I mean come on, a mumbai born aint going to bihar for a job.
ReplyDeleteThe precise problem with the type of thinking above (by anonymous) is that it makes the administration of Justice a "political" matter.
ReplyDeleteActually, we all have "individual rights."
Not just a Bihari, even a foreigner from Uzbekistan or Azerbaijan is entitled to a certain amount of "legal protection" anywhere in India, especially against damage to his body and his property. Scarlett Keeling was a Britisher. But her murder is being investigated by our police, and if the culprit is found, he will be punished by our courts.
How can a Bihari have less legal protection?
And why should the ordinary processes of Justice become politicized - so that the mob wins over the individual?
Anonymous is talking nonsense.
I am not denying "a certain amount of "legal protection"" to anyone, especially not to the biharis attacked. You got my point wrong, sir. What I am saying is, when you are condemning the politicization of justice, just do not site the demand for justice by RJD, cause that precisely, is politicization of justice.
ReplyDeleteThe ordinary process of justice was never the point of discussion, certainly not the matter of disagreement. The point i disagree with is the citation of politicization and mobbing of marathi ONLY. The Biharis UPinas and what not are doing the same.
Raj, I agree, is making matters worse. You are not helping, either.
Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteYou are perceiving migration as the root of problem, as it is popularly believed in India. But, isn't it the most natural human propensity to move towards prosperity and opportunity. Mumbaikars will do the same, when some other city creates better opportunity.
Dont forget! Mumbai has been built on the 'comparative advantage' each individual migrant had been bringing since years. Thats how Mumbai is made. Now, you believe localites should enjoy the privilege.
My dear you will kill 'Mumbai' in few years if this is done. Businesses will gradually shift elsewhere and people will suffer. Ofcourse, Raj and Lalu and other propagators of the 'bad idea' will definitely gain in short run.
I was born in Bombay.I am also a Maharashtrian.Though this is not a big part of my identity as an individual, I am embarrassed to call myself one because the 'Marathi Manoos' is perceived to be a pretty weirdo human being. Kumar Ketkar wrote in the Express yesterday that the lumpen masses (of Maharashtrians) in Bombay are not willing to slog 16 hours a day doing many of the jobs that 'outsiders' do. The case is the same in Goa, where i now live.Goans every now and then curse the increasing number of migrants in the state, yet these are the guys who build their houses, run their beach shacks and do a 101 other things that Goans are not willing to do.
ReplyDeleteI live in Goa, among other reasons, because to build a house and live in a village in Maharashtra is to constantly deal with a blatantly corrupt state. As for Bombayites, they seem to have become a pretty passive lot. I was at a movie theatre there recently. When they showed the national anthem every single person stood up - a kind of knee-jerk reaction. I'm sure not one of them would have been able to offer a good reason why they did it. It's a great pity because I've always thought of Bombayites as being liberal and open-minded.
hmmm . This is agreeable. I join you in condemning the Rajs and Lalus.
ReplyDeleteAnd add that it is, to an extent, the migrating population that has added to the prosperity of the place.
I merely wanted to say I do not really concede that the support Raj is getting from the masses is just a put up show. There is actually something wrong there. And we in taking sides are just fueling the anger. When pointing out the MNS mischiefs let us not forget that we need to point out the problems as well.
That is all.
Thank you.
Dear Anonymous:
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your point.
The critical problem is not that Bihari political parties are crying foul and demanding Justice.
The critical problem indeed is that the Administration of Justice has become totally and hopelessly mixed up with "politics" - that is, if you can call Raj Thackeray's gundagardhi by that word.
Note that Raj enjoys the highest category of police protection: his security status is "Z". This is how and why the police are enmeshed in political gundagardhi. And this is why our great nation is headed towards chaos and ruin.
Sri Aurobindo is the greatest social scientist that India has produced, but the intelligentsia continues to ignore him. [TNM]
ReplyDelete