IN(E)ternally Dumb

Nandan Nilekani recently said in an interview, an Indian will soon be identified with three numbers: his bank account number, his mobile phone number and the UID It is a natural corollary of the today’s situation, where we and are obsessions are getting increasingly digitalised. With the globalisation and digitalisation of the world , different hues : Violet, Indigo, Blue, Red ; are all mixing to form a mundane white .With the monotonity and homogeneity of the technological cloud that wraps around the world , we are fast losing our intrinsic strands of heritage and becoming that shirt –trouser jeans clad global citizen. Perhaps, global citizen is just a euphemism for the confusion that lurks in the souls today, the confusion of one’s unique identity ,of where does one belong really? Studying engineering, I was supposed to have carved a niche for myself in the educational domain. But I have been decapitated to a situation where I can only interview in companies where analytical skills are tasted. In today’s parlance, I want to become a manager(really?). Similarly born and brought up in different parts of India, and stayed and studied and worked abroad, I am not very sure, which part of the world can I claim myself to be a proud ambassador of! The confusion and loss of my identity has led to a blurr, where I feel I have lost touch with myself. Not very sure of goals and desires and ambitions , ihas been almost impossible to find out what I can live without . When I try to hear the inner voice, I can only hear the clatter of keyboards. In the face of the universal blitzkrieg today, orphaned from my past, I feel alone. Sadly, I am not the only one.

The travesty of governance

It was the summer of 2004. The feel good factor was ubiquitous. Staying in the country side and not insulated within the glitz of a metro, I could feel the fruits of progress percolating to the lower realms of the society. With India shining, my future looked bright too. Then the wheels of democracy turned around and it was time for the national elections. I anticipated a hot contest and was confident irrespective of who comes to power, the progress is going to continue. As the UPA stomped into power, its punchline of socially inclusive growth sounded more like a rhetoric. The party which rode on the fresh faces to impress the populace, passed the power buttons as well, as the keys of the treasury to the old vultures. I felt disconnected and was skeptical as the government was enjoying itself in the sop party, an extravagance paid with tax payer's money and with the return gift of strengthening the vote banks. The worst was yet to come. As I like thousands of my peers was slogging day and day night to grab a seat at the venerated IITs , the government was contemplating doling out the seats for free- supposedly for the struggles the grandfathers of these lucky 21st century silver spoon in a mouth born princes and princesses. I wish I had such an awesome inheritance!

Congress got lucky second time around too and it doesnt need a German shepherd to figure out the stink of opportunism wafting out of the corridors of power today.
As Kalmadi and co played games with the common wealth, lets not forget he continues to hold both, the reins of the Organising Committee and the congress ticket. The rhetoric of the high handed Madam and the erudite scholar too immersed in his economics tomes to catch hold of the wrong doers is louder but emptier. The recent days have exposed the fear lurking behind the veneer of virtue- the fear to be probed. The government is accountable to its people and its shameful for any democracy if the government after brazenly denying any scope for transparency resorts to a knife fight against the opposition.
It seems the ad campaign of Fair (with an Italian tan, it is even better!) and Lovely(Oh! so innocent man!) seems to be too shrewdly designed to dissuade the junta. But, As more than 1 billion people keep on struggling to make their ends meet, those with with the means,seem to have got the kitty at the ends . As sans onion. Indian gourmet seems bland, governance in India definitely rots! With India's progress losing steam, the Sun also doesnt seem to shine on my career as brightly as it used to b.....