Bangalore Rising

When you think of it, this fight over India's GDP numbers - whether it is 5% or 3.5% is not really relevant to the common man. What the common man aspires for is three square meals, a roof over his head, education for his children, an opportunity to stay healthy, and should the need arise, easy access to affordable healthcare for day-to-day health issues at a minimum, and an opportunity to work so that all of these can be provided to his or her family. These are not tall aspirations. Many of our parents ventured out of their villages into the big cities out of compulsion, because the family back in the village was finding it increasingly difficult to make two ends meet with the meagre opportunities that village and agriculture life provided. Our fathers sought greener pastures in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, or Kolkata, skilled themselves for clerical jobs, found themselves a job for life, raised a family, and just about managed to provide all those things to the family I mentioned...

While parts of Indian Kashmir is on the boil again, with national media focused on giving us an unbiased view, I paused to understand how different life was on the other side of the border, in what is euphemistically called “Azad” Jammu & Kashmir – an Azad J&K that some Kashmiris on the Indian side desire to be part of, through what Pakistan terms as a ‘UN plebiscite’. By the way, I learnt that the plebiscite, that has since been superseded by the post-war 1972 Gandhi-Bhutto Simla Accord which requires India and Pakistan to resolve the Kashmir issue peacefully and bilaterally, states unequivocally that Pakistan must completely demilitarize its side of the border, which obviously, it cannot, and will not let happen in the foreseeable future. Back anyway to what I gleaned about Azad Kashmir. Azad Kashmir is lead by the President of Azad J&K, who takes oath of office, swearing that his office is lower to the country and to the cause of accession to the State of Pakista...

It is but natural that we are a nation of cynics. Of course it is not at all surprising we are this way, since we have been governed by a bunch of corrupt, self-seeking megalomaniacs for a long time - primarily Congress in the centre, and a ragtag bunch of opportunists in the states, who denuded the state exchequer for personal gains.  We also are a generation of fools and cowards, who either stayed away from the political spectrum for fear of backlash, or were mere v oters who toed the family line - for stability, and safety. From the time our umbilical cords have been cut, we have been trained to obey, and never stray. Our parents drummed into our collective heads, that in order to survive, and possibly thrive, hard work and anonymity paid more dividends than independent thought and leadership. If middle-class India epitomised this culture, the average TamBram family took this as the holy grail and never strayed from this straight and narrow path. Of course, it served its pur...

This is not exactly the way I would have loved to start my first post for the year. But this post was prompted by today's news that Bangalore much touted Namma Metro Rail project's Phase 1 Corridor rollout is about a year behind schedule ("will be operational by Sep 2015, promised Chief Minister Siddharamiah"), and burning ~Rs 2.5 crore additionally for every day of delay. And there is absolutely no accountability. BMRCL, the agency that is building and operating the rail project is let off, and there is no single government agency that has been tasked with oversight. I have always felt that India lacks project management skills. None of our projects - public or private, end up being completed on time, within costs, as per quality norms. We don't have processes, we don't have good caliber specialists, we don't have the honesty to accept our shortcomings, and we don't have the will to learn. This malaise is evident in every project across the ...

The perks of visiting my mother-in-law's place in Chennai has always been the food of course, which is simply fantastic, and the complete freedom to do and be what I want to do or be…there is never an expectation from anyone to adhere to any 'home' norms. Its an all-women household, with a 92-year pretty much vegetative grand mom being the oldest resident. But having lived in the same house in gopalapuram for almost forty-five years, my mother-in-law (Jaya mami or paatu-maami as she is known to all) does not want to move, in spite of umpteen problems with her present home. And I can understand why. Her thirty year music school has kept her very busy and happy. If that were not enough, she is quite famous in the neighbourhood. Once an auto rickshaw guy gave her the ultimate compliment - amma, naan silappa romba tired-a irunthen-na unga veettu keeley ninthindu paatu kaypen-amma. Tension-ellam poidum amma. The keerai kaari and the veggie vendor knows her, the shopkeepers know...

India seems to be in the midst of a crisis. The string of bad news is never ending. The rupee is falling faster than a wet easter egg slipping out of a four-year old's hands. Prices are galloping faster than Rajnikanth's steed. And worst of all? Sachin fell six dratted runs short of his century of centuries. Can it get any worse? Nope, it cant. In India, it can never be all doom and gloom. There are always reasons to cheer. Like when 1.2 billion Indians collectively responded to the midwife's call to 'push...push....push'. And push they did...till a brand new bachchan popped out of moma Rai! Dad..oops..Grandad Senior Bachchan was seen beaming ear to ear. Junior Bachchan was seen sulking somewhere in the shadows, mobile phone in hand, mumbling something to the effect "no idea surjee". The UPA government waited for Baby B to gain some four pounds before announcing the opening of doors to Walmart and the likes. What fun! Ms. Rai will soon get the benefit...