Costly Lessons

Lessons – how costly they can be?

It has now become a routine to blame the dam management for any havoc downstream! Is it not painful to those who suffer loss of properties and invaluable human lives? It has earlier happened in the infamous chennai floods and now Idukki. While in chennai, the PWD was blamed for not resorting to timely openings, in Idukki also similar complaints are heard and even put forward in SC! Is it that, those filing affidavits wantonly whip up the brewing animosities between the neighbours without any resort to accept the ‘nature’s fury’?

While one can accept the mismanagement of Chembarambakkam lake for the 2015 floods, the same may not be true in MP dam. prima facie it appears, there is an avoidable lack of coordination between the authorities of Kerala and Tamil Nadu during the crisis period: when the Damocles sword is hanging, the state authorities of Kerala seems to be writing letters to their counterparts in TN to regulate Mullai Periyar water release! With copious rainfalls both in the catchments of Idukki and Mullai Periyar, is it not a do or die situation? there should have been regular emergency meetings between all the concerned! With SC orders on the state petition to limit the max permissible water level in the MP dam in place, the discretionary regulation to limit the release of water would be a double edged weapon! Writing letters is merely to pass the buck!

With chaotic dense habitation in the downstream restricting the unhindered drainage coupled with ‘occasional’ heavy rainfalls, such incidents would not be infrequent in the coming years. Unfortunately, The sufferer is always the ‘voiceless’ poor who would be given crumps by the rulers at the end of the day.

It is high time, that Appropriate technological strategies must be spelt out by preparing an ‘Emergency Operating Procedures’ manual that would be a ready guiding reckoner for those managing the dam; this would limit the damages; actions would be Prompt, adequate and appropriate; responsibilities could also be fixed!

Would we ever learn lessons after calamities at least?

Policy Paralysis in Indian Power Sector

A catch-22 situation stares at the thermal power plants that are fraught with perineal problems with many of the assets becoming NPA! The new projects either suffer from absence of fuel supply agreements or long term power purchase agreements.

While the operating plants suffer from non payment of power bills. UDAY has not yielded expected results as most of the state DISCOMs did not utilise the breather to improve the finance stability by tariff rise: Vote-bank politics! This has resulted in overdue of credit repayments- result is the strict RBI norms for declaring NPA.

There is another obligation to the DISCOMs: they have to purchase around 20% of power from renewable resources. Those who don’t , have to compensate by purchase of bonds equivalent to the value from others! The delays in implementing the solar energy projects indirectly raised the cost of conventional power as DISCOMs have to compensate by purchase of these ‘green bonds’. Going green is a policy decision while the industry has not matured enough to yield the expected results!

Most of the DISCOMs are in dire straits! Hence the power bills are overdue! Unless the power bills are paid back, the power producers cant pay back the loan!

Many of the problems are policy driven and not the industry management. Though many of the bottlenecks related to coal production and movement from the pit heads have been resolved, the ministry’s hands are full, to address the issues of the coal consumer.

One more feather in the cap: Mossad’s heist

One more feather in its cap: Mossad’s heist of documents from high security Iran’s facility – really stirred hornets’ nests… bloodless coup indeed, resulting in Trump spearheading withdrawal from the lifting of sanctions against Iran!

The Israeli spies must have had inside help to have learned which of the 32 safes held the most important information. They watched the habits of the workers. They studied the workings of the alarm system, so that it would appear to be working even though it would not alert anyone when the agents arrived around 10:30pm.

For all the cinematics of the raid, the immediate aftermath was absent of any drama. There was no chase, said Israeli officials, who would not disclose whether the documents left by land, air or sea — though an escape from the coast, just a few hours’ drive from Tehran, appears the least risky.

Fewer than two dozen agents took part in the break-in. Fearing that some of them would be caught, the Israelis removed the materials on several different routes. At exactly 7 a.m., as the Mossad expected, a guard arrived and discovered that the doors and safes were broken. He sounded the alarm, and Iranian authorities soon began a nationwide campaign to locate the burglars — an effort that, according to an Israeli official, included “tens of thousands of Iranian security and police personnel.”

The effort yielded nothing. And until Netanyahu’s speech, the Iranians never said a word in public about what had happened.

Great work of the super spies…

Race between Civilisation and Biological Evolution

The modern day diseases like diabetes, hypertension etc., are primarily due to mismatch between evolution and socio-cultural behaviour. Darwin’s theory of Evolution explains the adaptation of human evolution over thousands’ of years – the evolution closely adapting to the progress of civilisation; his emergency response systems, for a situation like a tiger or enemy approaching him, triggering adrenaline and cortisol to enable him to fight, flight and fright reaction. In today’s protected society such dangers appear in the form of everyday stress, may be in conflicts in the family, or work or in the society, but the expending of these harmones do not happen, resulting in the triggering of immune system mismatch leading to such lifestyle diseases. The civilisation has far overtaken his biological evolution.

While fighting the symptoms of these diseases by medications would be inappropriate as they would only result in suppression of the immune system, moderating the dietary habits along with expecting less from the society, only can be the panacea.

This requires a cultural change that shall start from home and alma mater. Giving less weightage to Competitive compared to team spirit, compulsory meditation and yoga to make it as a daily ritual like brushing the teeth, explaining the evils of rat-race in the society, teaching virtues of modest living, are a few that should form part of the curriculum.

Alas…Our generation is a lost one… somehow we want to win over the other.. as an individual or as a cultural entity…at least let the future generation enjoy the life and lead a peaceful life …

Adultery: A Debate

A very interesting debate is triggered by the admission of a petition in SC on indian adultery law on its gender discriminatory character;

Marriage being essentially a civil contract, its violation can be at best cheating but not criminal. But fixing the liability only on the man that too only if the husband of the married woman objects, is nothing less than draconian. Western countries have decriminalised adultery relegating the biblical commandment.

Criminalising would entail peeking into the bedrooms of consenting adults which is moral policing. Legislation should be restricted to protecting the rights of stakeholders; for example, while derecognising triple talaq would protect woman’s rights, jail term for the proponent might be debatable. What is the punishment for abandoning without divorcing? Is the Rape law applicable between the disgruntled married? Does Refusing conjugal rights be made punishable rather than merely a ground for divorce?

All said and done, should the state be concerned at all on adultery and the courts be burdened with such lawsuits or spend their energy on other real crimes?

Is Society evolving? Yes if one closely follows the turn of events in SC recent times. The interpretation and application of Indian penal codes have changed over a ‘generation’.

Justice D Y Chandrachud in his recent pronouncement of judgement on decriminalising adulatory has reversed the order of his father former CJI YV Chandrachud which had dismissed in a 1985 case; The underlying tenet in that judgement of YVC, was a strong emotive appeal with no valid legal basis to rest upon. He said in his judgement that, “It is commonly accepted that it is the man who is the seducer and not the woman. It is better from the point of society that at least a limited class of adulterous relationships are punishable under law. Stability of marriages is not an ideal to be scorned”.

After 33 years, his son writes in his judgement, “The guarantee of equality as a real protection against arbitrariness, the guarantee of life and personal liberty as an essential recognition of dignity’.

The repealing of section 497 making the crime adultery as ‘civil’ in nature, the judges constituting the bench lent credence to the contemporary societal evolution rather than being ‘emotive’.

Is this you call as ‘Generation Gap’?

Superstition and Religions

Two states, Karnataka and Maharashtra have enacted anti superstition law, primarily to protect the innocent victims against witch craft, human sacrifice, rolling on the left overs of food eaten by Brahmins and throwing child on thorns. These laws enable preemptive action as the rituals performed prior to such crimes are prohibited.

But aren’t all the religious rituals superstitious? By definition if there is no scientific proof, then all such religious practices can be deemed as superstitious which Periyar in tamilnadu preached.

Longtime back Raja ram Mohan rai could bring an anti-sati act only by convincing the British that sati is not to be practiced as per Vedic scriptures but brought later. British believed that sati is a religious practice and were reluctant to enact the law fearing uproar in the Hindu community.

Only a thin line exists between superstition and religion; while secular democracy permits every citizen to perform any religious practice, bringing in additional laws to prevent certain religious routines as unlawful when it is construed as cruel in the eyes of modern civilisation. Can fire-walk, needle piercing in mouth, breaking coconuts on heads, whipping, etc., be banned…? Or pouring litres of milk, ghee and others in fire while performing ‘Homam’ be stopped?

There would be an upsurge of emotions if any government dares doing so…as long as any practice doesn’t upset the society and even bring in mental peace and satisfaction, the govt should not interfere in them.

Philosophically, is science itself absolute? Whether absence of proof, means, it is a fallacy? History teaches that what newton professed gospel, was shattered by Einstein. When this happens in science, the scientists justify such fallacies but not in other walks of life?

A modest minded would say that it ‘is yet to be proven’ while an arrogant scientist will say it is ‘superstitious! ‘

The growing popularity of astrology in TV shows and the need based rituals to placate the deities stress the anxieties for money and prosperity in the modern society. The question as to Whether the deity fulfils the desire is to be settled only between the between the God and the performer. The frenzy, of the followers of God-men who are sinners in the eyes of law enforcement agency, can’t be curbed by any law. Only responsible media can correct the aberration; but tranquility is a distant dream!

No one has any right to judge on other’s religious practices; this includes as innocuous ones as wearing hijabs or turbans to performing Homams to placate the deities. But when animal or human sacrifices are involved society would speak on their behalf; same is true with triple talaq or polygamy or man marrying a girl who could be as good as his grand daughter.

Can anyone comment on gods with elephant or monkey headed with such an impunity, which in other beliefs could be blasphemous inviting capital punishment by the religious heads. Self infliction of agony (such as fire walk or needle piercing or rolling in the temple) as a symbol of accepting punishment from deities, though might have entered in the recent times have always had a positive effect on the individuals. It’s only barbaric to comment on these as superstitions; if it does good why to comment against it?

That apart: the hindu religious rituals have always quickly adapted to the changing societal practices unlike the others and is tolerant to even virulent criticisms…

Former PM HD Deve Gowda readies ‘lucky’ Delhi house before LS poll. The house, which Gowda was occupying before he became PM in 1996, is considered lucky by the family. The obsession of such weird beliefs are most common among the senior politicians of Andra and Karnataka and in many northern states.They spend crores of public money to modify their official residences to propitiate the ‘vastu’ god. Thanks to his obsession with Vaastu, PWD minister HD Revanna stayed in his Holenarasipura home and traveled to Vidhana Soudha every day 342 kms to attend to his duties till his official residence could be made vastu-compliant!

Sometimes one tends to believe that the ‘invisible hand God’ might be playing politics as otherwise how to explain the unexpected crowning of accidental PMs and CMs, Deve Gowda, Manmohan Singh and Kumarasamy!

If you believe only the archaic Indians are such believers then sorry, you are sadly mistaken: modern western World invokes the god of luck – Fortuna (Latin: Fortūna, equivalent to the Greek goddess Tyche), the goddess of fortune and the personification of luck!

Even the staunch atheist also are not far behind when advised similar means to regain personal glory: For example the symbol of radicals, the late DMK scion, Karunanidhi, is said to have started wearing yellow shawls to ward of ‘evil eyes’.

Next time, when you invoke lord Ganesha before attempting answer papers in exams or refuse to venture out in ராகு காலம், don’t feel guilty at all… you are not alone in this small world.

That apart, the hindu religious rituals have always quickly adapted to the changing societal practices unlike the others and is tolerant to even virulent criticisms…

Traditions in India

Recent upsurge of revolt in the medical industry(?) in different parts of the country, pains one who is traditionally brought up in a different culture of doctor-patient relationship. The invasion of western culture has brought immense distortion in our social fabric including Guru-Sishya; these were considered holy professions for centuries but with the advent of modernisation, unethical practices ushered in; the cost of health and education have skyrocketed, thanks to their management by those driven by so called technology, business motives under the guise of charity.

The unfortunate gullible common man believes that ‘the one that is costlier must be better’; the industry exploits this falsehood and calls for clinical investigations that are unnecessary; insurance companies make hay while there is shine…mass screening programmes bring in new patients with many false positives…. once life saving drugs get enlisted under banned list years later… anti cholesterol statins increase the diabetes population…. traditional food habits are butchered by senseless media(anti coconut oil);

It’s time to set the clock back… bring in the culture of family doctor as against specialists; use less Medicine as reckless dispensation of even life saving medicines are injurious; use traditional medicines for common ailment which can even be included in the curriculum; motivate the sense of service as the symbol of social status in the curriculum as against the economic prosperity; profess simple living;

Hope many of you would know what lord McCauley stated long time back: ‘ unless you destroy the cultural values of india and make it western, india can’t be conquered’…..

Vibrant Indian Democracy

There are two sections of societies in india:

An optimistic one would say the country is progressing inspite of a parliament where there is opposition for the sake of opposition; the media which thrives on looking through tinted glass and trained to see a rope as a snake, the large economic and social disparity that always provokes a section that any policy change as against their interests; popular slogan that minorities are oppressed; etc.,

A pessimist in the other section would say, compared to China, our progress is dismal; law and order is non-existent compared to Singapore; privacy of individual is violated; freedom is inadequate compared to the US democracy; bureaucracy, executive and judiciary are corrupt laden; environment is unclean compared to west; etc., etc.,

Both the sections are not far from the reality. There is no dearth of news for everyone on opening a newspaper. One hour with a hot coffee in one hand and a favourite newspaper on the other (sometimes in two languages)? Where else such is possible? In Singapore or US, the paper may be fat but you can peruse in five minutes or so…..

Does this all sum up to ours being a vibrant and vocal democracy? Such a diverse and free society with smiles even in dire poverty is our culture that is rarely existent in any other part of the world – I LOVE INDIA.

DNA of Religions

On reading an interesting write up recently in the book ‘21 lessons for the 21st century’, one may conclude that there are bound to be distortions in any religious practices over a period of time! One such glaring example is the present-day synagogues that segregate women who are hidden behind curtain to avoid men even accidentally glancing the shape of women! This contradicts archaeological findings in excavations in Israel from the time of Mishnah and Talmud, where there is no such sign of segregation! Even there are mosaics and wall paintings depicting even scantily dressed female figures! There are no historical evidence of when there was a change or was it an outcome of interpretations by rabbis later!

Would it be safe to conclude that all the religions are subjected to transformations over a period of time and nothing is ‘sacrosanct’? The holy scriptures in all religions have been interpreted differently by scholars (may be to suit rulers or social pressures prevailing at that time) and there is no fixed DNA in any religion!

It is also not prudent to expect all religions to evolve with the societal pressures! Would it be ethical to expect Muslim countries to adopt western cultures, just because they consider themselves to be guardians of human rights and freedom? Would chimpanzees with mixed gender group culture adopt gorilla values of male controlled harem way of living?

Are the present upheavals of Sabarimala, an inevitable outcome of churning in the society?

Nationalism: Anathema to Globalisation?

On Nationalism: is nationalism, a bane or a virtue in this era of rapid globalisation?

Nationalism is a shared value of a group that motivates the group to work together to achieve a common goal, be it infrastructure, prosperity in health, child welfare, education and not the least, protection against aggression. It is felt inevitable for progress as well as to protect the wealth, so say the social scientists, since the religions have started loosing the grip over the society and loosing their sheen by the turn of modern era in the late nineteenth century. So the group motivation for a common goal which was purportedly achieved hitherto by Religionalism, was replaced with the Nationalism, a common thread for the group being mandatory.

But historically, the transition to Nationalism was also through religion. Rulers indoctrinated their citizens through a common religion, Japan being a shining example. With Shinto as the national religion, Japanese could be inspired to sacrifice their life as ‘human missiles’ during the Second World War with ‘Kamikaze’ in Pearl Harbour attack! Nationalism of Israelis could have been due to their sworn belief that Judaism is God’s religion. Same is true in different degrees with Polish Catholics or Shiite Islam in Iran or orthodox Christianity in Russia. Though a common flag, national anthem, dress code, language are believed to foster nationalism, religion has its role to play. It may appear very primitive in the modern world of science where religious leaders have lesser role to play in warding of natural calamities and epidemics. But, Multiethnic or polytheistic countries have found it a daunting task in uniting its citizens to work for a common good, as local identities manifest in distrust, resulting in hostility and frequent crisis management that derail the national agenda of progress. But there is hope that one day, the role of religions would be dwarfed by the spirit of nationalism!

But the growth of nationalism is alien to the wishes of liberalists! USSR has already disintegrated while, the European Union experiment, conceived on the promise of universal liberal values as against multi-nations, is on the verge of putting the clock back to ‘status quo ante’.

Even aggressive Globalisation would not lead to integration of the nations as everyone would be as ever zealous in protecting their national interest and welfare of their citizens first even if it hurts others! There would be Theresa Mays and Trumps springing up in many numbers!

The conclusion of this narrative is that in the present eco system, Seamless world is a distant dream despite being a ‘global village’. Inevitably, Nationalism will continue to haunt the human race for a long time to come!