Not only cynical, but the cause of cynicism in others
by Ritwik on October 26, 2009
The naysayers have won.
As they always do, albeit in the short scheme of things.
Why won’t they? When the other side [“the good side”] lacks dedication, focus and passion? The cynical herd of sheeple are assured victory when the Good Side treats enterprise as that damned entity, E-C-A.
and there is but one dividing line, just one, and that is between those who go so far and no further, and then there are those who DO go further, who take that final step. the risk takers versus the rest. the passionate versus the herd.
And where do i find myself? in the former class, struggling to emerge as a sentient being. shackled this way, in a prison worse than black water, or indeed any other colour.
You may tell me that it is only the short scheme of things, but till the time we live, it’s only the ephemeral passing moment that matters, and after we are gone, who gives a fuck?
yea, and now will live the pretense, the veneer of interestedness in idly sitting on the posterior enjoying the trappings of comfort. but I will go back and fight, another day, smarter and stronger than before. always.
Now, Darwin censored in America
by Ritwik on September 15, 2009
The Telegraph (UK) reports that Jon Amiel’s film Creation, a British project about Charles Darwin and the theory of evolution has not found a distributor in America. The film, which has secured positive early reviews, has had no problem in securing distributors in other territories all over the world.
It may be recalled that America has witnessed an acrimonious debate on Darwin’s theory of evolution, which is widely accepted as the best explanation for the origin of life and evolution of various life-forms. Creationists in America refuse to accept Darwin’s theory as it clashes with ideas propagated by Christianity.
However, US distributors have resolutely passed on a film which will prove hugely divisive in a country where, according to a Gallup poll conducted in February, only 39 per cent of Americans believe in the theory of evolution.
Movieguide.org, an influential site which reviews films from a Christian perspective, described Darwin as the father of eugenics and denounced him as “a racist, a bigot and an 1800s naturalist whose legacy is mass murder”. His “half-baked theory” directly influenced Adolf Hitler and led to “atrocities, crimes against humanity, cloning and genetic engineering”, the site stated.
It is difficult to see this incident in isolation, given the increasing intolerance and jingoism shown by vast sections of the American media over the past few years, while covering matters as diverse as Iraq, health care and outsourcing.
It is also interesting that despite the election of Barack Obama, right-wing opinions seem to hold a great amount of sway over the country. This seems to rule out any hope of genuine “change”, at least for now.
For a society that prides itself on being free, America has touched a new low. One can only hope that sense will prevail and at least one distributor will show the guts to stand up for freedom of speech, in the land that is gave us Operation Enduring Freedom
Why the BJP is right in expelling Jaswant Singh
by Ritwik on August 23, 2009
Jaswant Singh’s Controversial Book
Over the last week, there has been much brouhaha over Jaswant Singh’s new book titled Jinnah: India Partition Independence
The former BJP leader has tried to argue that Jinnah was a secular man who was “pushed” towards communal politics due to the inflexible attitude of senior Congress leaders.
This basic contention fits in well with the old RSS/BJP approach of using any stick to beat Nehru and other Congress leaders, and hold them responsible for all of India’s ills. Jaswant Singh advocates that Jinnah’s recommendations to the Motilal Nehru Committee (demanding special concessions to Muslims) should have been accepted back in 1929. Singh contends that had this been done, Jinnah would have never orbited towards communal politics.
It is amusing to see a senior (now former) leader of a Hindu nationalist organization like the BJP advocating concessions to Muslims. One can well imagine what the RSS and Hindu Mahasabha response would have been (in the 1930s) had Jinnah’s recommendations been accepted by the Congress. For some reason, I can clearly hear “minority appeasement” echoing in my head.
I’ve always found it incredible how RSS/BJP sympathizers, who otherwise profess a deep hatred for Jinnah and his muslim communal politics, hold that if only Nehru had overcome his personal “greed” and allowed Jinnah to be prime minister, then partition would have never occurred.
These people set no store by the popular will of the people of India, who elected the Congress by record margins in all polls conducted till then. The Congress was the largest political organization in the country [by far], Gandhi was the tallest leader, and Nehru was both a tall leader and Gandhi’s handpicked nominee. None of these things seem to make any impact on the immune-to-logic grey cells of the Hindu nationalist crowd.
This is probably because inspite of public protestations to the contrary, I suspect that the RSS/BJP and their cohorts feel quite comfortable with Jinnah. Believing as they do in identity politics, they deem it natural for a muslim to speak for muslims, as a hindu must speak for hindus. It is incomprehensible for them to see Gandhi, Nehru and other hindus speaking for the minorities, and minority leaders like Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan speaking for an inclusive nationality.
Thus, what has done in Jaswant Singh is not his exoneration of Jinnah, or putting the blame on Nehru. The seasoned politician that he is, Jaswant Singh must have realized that holding Sardar Patel equally culpable for the partition of the country would seriously ruffle feathers in the “parivaar”. Over the years, the RSS and its fronts like the BJP have successfully wrested Patel’s legacy from a stupor-ridden Congress, which seems to have forgotten it ever had leaders other than the “first family”. Patel’s aggressive nationalism and “iron man” image fits in well with the RSS idea of India.
In this light, one can well imagine the fury of RSS leaders. Jaswant Singh was identified as a very senior BJP leader, and organizationally speaking, it was extremely irresponsible of him to “tarnish” Patel with the same brush as Nehru, when the RSS has for years been trying to appropriate the former and demonize the latter.
To put it simply: in the RSS fantasy world, Nehru was a Europeanized brat, who tricked Gandhi and wrested the PM-ship to satisfy his personal greed, which led to the partition of the country. Patel was a good samaritan who had to bow down to pressure from Gandhi, but who nonetheless did unparalleled work in unifying the country. Jaswant Singh effectively shows Nehru and Patel to be working together, as a team, and not at cross purposes as the RSS would want us to believe.
When the BJP says that Jaswant’s contentions are against its core ideological beliefs, this is what it is alluding to: a senior leader cannot undermine the years of ideological work done by committed RSS pracharaks, and consequently leave the parivaar in an indefensible position.
Politically speaking, if Jaswant Singh had not been expelled, then the self-styled “Chotte Sardar” Narendra Modi would have been taken to the cleaners by the Congress in Gujarat. Patel is a highly respected leader even outside his home state, and one can well imagine the BJP’s discomfort had it not taken prompt action by expelling Mr. Singh.
Thus, I find it incredible that the media [both print and broadcast] has been typifying the BJP’s action as intolerant. It is amazing that The Hindu faults the BJP for expelling Jaswant Singh, but didn’t bat an eyelid when Somnath Chatterjee was expelled for defying party orders. The latter didn’t even question his party’s core beliefs in marxism-leninism!
The BJP is right in expelling Jaswant Singh because a senior leader cannot publicly question his party’s view of history – that puts the entire ideology under a cloud of doubt.
I completely agree that Mr. Jaswant Singh should have freedom of expression, and thus I think it is reprehensible that his book has been banned in Gujarat [for I believe that no book should be banned], but as far as being member of a political party goes, he cannot continue being a member of a party unless he accepts its core ideological position.
To sum it up: it is right to expel jaswant singh, but wrong to silence him.
Putting billions in perspective
by Ritwik on August 19, 2009
informationisbeautiful.net features an interesting chart which puts into perspective the vast sums of money thrown about by politicians and commentators:
(click image to enlarge)
Vodafone, Iphone and Swine Flu
by Ritwik on August 12, 2009
Apple Iphone
I love the Apple Iphone. It is a device high on ease of use, features and style. It perfectly blends great looks with usability.
I have always wanted to own one of these beautiful devices. Now, after much cajoling and coaxing, I am in a position to buy an iphone and attain digital nirvana.
The problem: my present phone [a very battered Nokia] has all but died and I need to find a new cell phone soon. The latest model of the Iphone, the 3GS [S stands for speed] hasn’t been launched in India yet. The 3GS adds a lot of nifty features to what is an already great device.
Why exactly the 3GS is not in India escapes me, considering this is the second largest cell phone market in the world. Still, Apple has been hinting that the latest and greatest Iphone will hit these shores sometime this month.
You wouldn’t think so, given that their is zero publicity for the device, from either Airtel or Vodafone – the two companies which are allowed to sell Iphones in India.
Given that I (urgently) need to buy a new phone, and I want that phone to be an Iphone, I have two options – either buy the model currently available in the market [and run the risk of being outdated within a matter of days] or wait for a few more days and buy the 3GS as soon it hits the Indian market.
Having decided on option 2, I have been scouring the web for any news related to the imminent arrival of the 3GS. The Airtel and Vodafone websites have zilch. Apple promotes the 3GS on its India site but doesn’t talk of a release date. The web has failed me as a source of credible information.
Worry not, I tell myself, and start working the phones. “We don’t sell Iphones in India – contact vodafone or airtel”, the Apple dealer in Delhi informs me [somewhat rudely]. I get similarly pleas of ignorance from the two service providers.
Finally, I drag myself down to the large Vodafone store in CP.
Me: I wish to make inquiries about the Iphone
Clerk [must be some kind of “executive”]: keval inquiries, ya khareedna chahtein hain ? [do you just want to inquire, or are you interested in buying?]
Me: khareedna hai [I want to buy]
C: I have only 16 GB model available.
Me: 3GS ? (hopefully)
C: no, 3G
Me: When would 3GS be available ?
C: No idea.
Me: You have absolutely no clue ?
C: None (rudely)
Me: Look here, my phone is broken, I want to give you 30000 bucks for a new phone, the least you can do is share with me any information you might have on the iphone
C: It might take 3 months
Me: but apple has said it will come in august!
C: 3 months. You buy 3G
Me: What if I buy it and then next day 3GS becomes available, I would be wasting my money.
C: In any case, I sell blackberries [produces different blackberry models for my perusal]
Me: let’s see [halfheartedly, after all I had not gone to buy a bloody blackberry]
C: Iphone data transfer plans from Vodafone are very expensive (!!). You should go for blackberry
At this point, a terrible thing happens [even worse than not getting an Iphone] – the man sneezes. thrice. without the use of a handkerchief.
Needless to say, I beat a hasty retreat from the store.
Getting home, I pounced upon a bunch of Tulsi leaves – traditional wisdom suggests that tulsi is a miraculous remedy for all kinds of influenza. Well, I’d choose tulsi over tamiflu anyday!
The lost art of searching the web
by Ritwik on August 12, 2009
Why do I call searching a lost art ? Simply because I hardly hear anyone mention search anymore; everybody seems to be googling for information.
Michael Kordahi has developed an interesting tool called Blind Search
With Blind Search, a user enters a search query and sees three different set of search results, from Google, Yahoo! and Microsoft Bing – the catch is that the user is not shown which search engine is associated with a given set of results.
The idea is that a search engine’s effectiveness should be evaluated independent of reputation.
Use it – the results may be revealing for those who rely exclusively on Google for their search needs.
Heroic Venezuelan President seeks to muzzle the press
by Ritwik on August 5, 2009
Hugo Chavez and Robert Mugabe
Wonder how Indian leftists [in politics, media and academia] will go about defending this.
Hugo Chavez – revolutionary leader of the third world in the fight against American imperialism and messiah of the people, has not had much to say since the end of the Bush Presidency.
After all, George W Bush was everything a demagogue like Chavez could ever hope for.
Over the last decade or so, Chavez cleverly mixed socialist rhetoric & populist economic policies with shrill anti-Bush vitriol to win a cult following all over the world. In India too, Chavez has a committed band of sympathizers, including the entire spectrum of communist parties in the country. For example, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) proclaims:
Under President Chavez’s leadership, a radical transformation is taking place in Venezuela.
-People’s Democracy, December 12, 2004 (link)
All over the world, those inimical to Bush were more than ready to welcome Chavez with open arms, inspite of the fact that his authoritarian streak has become increasingly evident over the years. Even while he spewed venom on Bush, Chavez had no qualms about glorifying fascist Zimbabwean dictator Robert Mugabe.
Chavez has been relatively quiet for the past few months. As Denis Macshane notes in the Guardian, the election of Barack Obama as President of the United States robbed Chavez of his main anti-American plank.
But his enthusiastic supporters needn’t worry any longer, for their maverick leader has found a new enemy: the free press.
Hugo Chavez’s government has introduced a new draft law against “media offences”. Some provisions of this law:
Journalism hostile to the social peace, the security and independence of the nation can be punished by prison sentences of between six months and four years.
Journalists will also break the proposed new law if their writings are seen as an attack on public order or Venezuelans’ “mental or moral health”. Article 5 threatens imprisonment for “false information” that is prejudicial to the interests of the state.
On careful reading, it immediately becomes clear that such provisions can be used to muzzle the media to an almost unlimited extent.
Put simply, it means that once the proposed law is passed, journalists in Venezuela who do the kind of investigative stories that Tehelka excels in would find themselves behind bars.
Distressingly, the wording of the law runs counter to the very nature of journalism, which, in its true sense, is MEANT to highlight systemic lapses, instead of brushing them under the carpet.
One can imagine the [justifiable] protests that would ensue if such a law were ever to be conceived of in India or Western Europe or America.
I hope that our “opinion makers” [especially of the leftist/socialist/communist variety] do not shy away from condemning Chavez’s attempts at taming the media in the strongest possible terms.
After all, if Chavez’s “21st century Socialism” is such a panacea, then the people must not be deprived of an opportunity to hear about it from the press!
Should Kasab be hanged?
by Ritwik on July 28, 2009
Last week there was much drama following the unexpected courtroom confession of Mohammad Ajmal Amir ‘Kasab’. By owning up to his crimes, the terrorist managed to take the court and the public prosecutor by surprise. Kasab, who had pleaded not guilty on an earlier occasion, wished that he given the death penalty, ostensibly to ease his feeling of ‘guilt’.
Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan too expressed a desire for the quick completion of the trial, resulting in the hanging of the accused.
The rationale for awarding the death penalty to Kasab is strong. His crime unquestionably falls into the “rarest of rare” category, which is the Supreme Court mandated requirement for a criminal to be hanged unto death.
According to our legal system, Kasab should be hanged for the sheer barbarity, audacity and scale of his crime. For the fact that he and his accomplices crossed into foreign territory, fired indiscriminately at innocent civilians, killed persons in uniform and tried to destroy heritage structures and take hostages.
Hanging Kasab would presumably provide closure to the families and friends of those killed and injured in the Mumbai attacks.
Ujjwal Nikam, the public prosecutor in the case, has argued that Kasab confessed to win sympathy and somehow avoid the death penalty.
I think he misses the point entirely, or more probably, chooses to gloss over Kasab’s true intentions.
It is an inconvenient truth that young boys like Kasab are systematically brainwashed using a potent mixture of religious and national ‘pride’. Such recruits and their families are assured of the “glory” of the mission and their place in history. It is repeatedly drilled into impressionable young minds that their “sacrifice” would not be in vain and would in fact corner the highest rewards. They would be honoured forever as heroes and martyrs.
Few things match the appeal of the idea of sacrificing one’s life while fighting for a cause.
Thus in many ways, the people and the ideology which converted Kasab into a cold blooded killer would actually want him dead. Used once, he is not of any utility to them; his death though would presumably give them another “martyr” whose “memory” would serve to inspire countless others.
In light of this, though I can see the legal and sentimental reasons which demand that Kasab be hanged, I sometimes wonder, whether Kasab should be given life imprisonment [for the extent of his natural lifetime, without an option of parole]? This would send out a message that we are ready to fight terrorism ideologically, not just legally. This would be one example which would hopefully force terrorist masterminds to ponder and maybe recalibrate their strategies.
At least, we would, for once, be taking the initiative in the so called “war” against terrorism.
Axixa: a technology we need to import ASAP
by Ritwik on July 28, 2009
It is common knowledge that our country lacks public toilets. This fact, combined with our utter lack of civic sense, has resulted in a situation where it is common to see people [mostly males] relieving themselves in public with impunity. It is not unusual to see wall upon wall enhanced by the penile artistry of generations of men.
But, fear not, for Mexican designer Miguel Melgarejo has hit upon what seems be a jackpot idea which would revolutionize urban living, or at the very least, clean up some walls:
Miguel Melgarejo has come up with a public urinal concept dubbed “Axixa” (urine in Nahuatl) that will help in maintaining a measure cleanliness on the streets. Featuring the shape that a leak leaves on a wall, the public ceramic urinal generates a permanent mark in public streets or places where people can urinate and participate in a manifestation in which the disposal itself becomes part of the public life.
Or, since a picture speaks a thousand words:
full story on The Design Blog