I just concluded reading Patrick French's "India: A Portrait". I was drawn to the book by reviews in prestigious publications (and at least one famed prior work by the author albeit unread by Yours Truly). While none of them were particularly appreciative, my assumption was only serious substance could merit such prolific attention.
To give the author his due, this book serves as a rather informative cheat-sheet for those with an interest in post-independence India but bereft of the patience to read more detailed writings. The writer manages to capture and narrate several interesting nuggets on important political figures over the last few decades. These are peppered with candid opinions that are bound to foster the desired controversy should the book ever face a media debate. Besides, there are wide ranging facets of Indian society that are reflected upon, often forcing introspection into our easy tolerance of primitive and irrational practices. Patrick French manages to communicate these successfully without ever conveying prejudice that many of us would associate with a"white" author.
The book's principal failing lies in the absence of a common thread through chapters or any central message(s). It comes across as a series of disjointed essays put together by travel for interviews and sessions at the India International Centre Bar. Further, while narrating incidents of topical interest, the author has failed to keep his personal bias aside. A classic example is the description of the Arushi murder and subsequent events. It is apparent that the author is well-acquainted with the Talwars (or their lawyer) and is attempting a spirited defence which is far from objective.
The former is disappointing because there was a clear opportunity for an important message. There are sketchy but informative biographies of several important contemporary Indians like Sunil Mittal, L K Advani and even Manmohan Singh. While media reviews have focussed on the book's research on dynastic representation in Indian Parliament, these sketches actually communicate a very important facet of our country that is deprived of its due. While America is universally seen to be a "land of opportunity" the same holds true for India in most sections of civil society. If we were to keep a few high-profile dynasties out of the ambit, every dimension of accomplishment has several self-made, first generation achievers ruling the roost. The author has profiled many such people without communicating this important message powerfully.
As an aside, this book has effectively shelved an intended blog post on The Doon School. I had planned to write about this prestigious boarding school that breeds several people with enviable social skills and little else. Their achievement seemed rather limited outside the comfort zone of established family hegemony. I now stand enlightened with information that the prodigious London-based sculptor Anish Kapoor went to Doon. Ditto for the "famed" Maoist Kobad Ghandy. While I may not be a fan of his ideology, he has excelled in his chosen line of work (without any known ancestral tail-winds).
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Thursday, December 9, 2010
The Lobby for Lobbying
The timing of “Radiagate” couldn’t have been more strategically inopportune. Far from Lobbying providing a shot in the arm to economic development, we shall now move a dozen steps away from legitimizing lobbying. There are various reasons why we need streamlined and organized lobbying today.
For starters, there is a not-so-subtle difference between a “lobbyist” and a “fixer”. Lobbyists are meant to leverage their knowledge of policy, international best practices and procedural loopholes to influence the moving parts that determine regulation. While I have not listened to all the available “Radiagate” tapes, some of them do seem to reveal an objective, no-nonsense approach with a comprehensive understanding of all arms of the power establishment. There was reasoning behind most of her persuasion attempts as opposed to sycophancy. In case she has gone on to merely grease palms for achieving her end-objectives, she has in effect gone on to nullify what she brought to the table. There is after all no dearth of “agents” who could comfortably lug currency filled suitcases to the relevant LBZ addresses. There are few though who can straddle between the likes of an urbane Vir Sanghvi and a "son-of-the-soil" A Raja with equal ease. (not to mention comfortable parleys with Ratan Tata himself). This skill, coupled with subject matter expertise on chosen industries is what ought to have singularly set her apart. From the looks of it, she chose to widen her “proposition” by possibly breaking the law in addition to influencing it. That is disappointing because it seems needless.
The need for organized lobbying gathers further import if one examines our governance structure. At one level we have elected politicians who are the public face of policy making. The nuts and bolts though are managed by bureaucrats who are typically drawn in from the civil services. The nature of this service imparts superior administrative skills, diverse assignments and an unmatched understanding of the ground realities confronting governance. What it fails to provide though is deep understanding of the more complex and technical issues around some of the new economy industries. Managing these invariably calls for some level of specialization given their very nature and relative nascency on the evolution charts. The need for an expert to influence policy therefore becomes more pronounced.
Governments have historically appointed “consultants” for this purpose. Some empanel big names who churn out lengthy reports which I suspect are seldom read. Others appoint their former bosses as consultants and generate income for them. This becomes a self-serving practice as subsequent incumbents are also meant to follow suit and the consequence is rather malignant. Lobbyists would perhaps engage with similar consultants but distil the relevant stuff and convert it into something more actionable for both, their principal and the policy maker.
Our socialist conscience seems fairly shocked at senior journalists proposing scripted interviews. It is par for the course in developed economies. George Bush launched his autobiography recently and followed it up with a series of rather obviously scripted interviews with “hard nosed” TV journalists. In fact there were TV debates on whether some of the scripting had gone a bit too far since the wit on display seemed too misplaced to be spontaneous. Interviews are an integral part of a PR exercise and TV Channels are as focused on bottomline as public service. To expect journalists to remain eternal Holy Cows was a wee bit optimistic. Sooner than later, treachery around the hitherto sacrosanct omerta was inevitable.
Make no mistake I am not even remotely suggesting that lobbyists of the Niira Radia variety are misunderstood angels. The moot point is the emergent need for part of her skill-sets making an important contribution to the changing nature of the economy. Sadly, a public revelation of her seemingly devious attempts at maneuvers in territory that ought to have been out of her designated domain shall be a setback for “legitimate” lobbyists (if any) for a long time.
For starters, there is a not-so-subtle difference between a “lobbyist” and a “fixer”. Lobbyists are meant to leverage their knowledge of policy, international best practices and procedural loopholes to influence the moving parts that determine regulation. While I have not listened to all the available “Radiagate” tapes, some of them do seem to reveal an objective, no-nonsense approach with a comprehensive understanding of all arms of the power establishment. There was reasoning behind most of her persuasion attempts as opposed to sycophancy. In case she has gone on to merely grease palms for achieving her end-objectives, she has in effect gone on to nullify what she brought to the table. There is after all no dearth of “agents” who could comfortably lug currency filled suitcases to the relevant LBZ addresses. There are few though who can straddle between the likes of an urbane Vir Sanghvi and a "son-of-the-soil" A Raja with equal ease. (not to mention comfortable parleys with Ratan Tata himself). This skill, coupled with subject matter expertise on chosen industries is what ought to have singularly set her apart. From the looks of it, she chose to widen her “proposition” by possibly breaking the law in addition to influencing it. That is disappointing because it seems needless.
The need for organized lobbying gathers further import if one examines our governance structure. At one level we have elected politicians who are the public face of policy making. The nuts and bolts though are managed by bureaucrats who are typically drawn in from the civil services. The nature of this service imparts superior administrative skills, diverse assignments and an unmatched understanding of the ground realities confronting governance. What it fails to provide though is deep understanding of the more complex and technical issues around some of the new economy industries. Managing these invariably calls for some level of specialization given their very nature and relative nascency on the evolution charts. The need for an expert to influence policy therefore becomes more pronounced.
Governments have historically appointed “consultants” for this purpose. Some empanel big names who churn out lengthy reports which I suspect are seldom read. Others appoint their former bosses as consultants and generate income for them. This becomes a self-serving practice as subsequent incumbents are also meant to follow suit and the consequence is rather malignant. Lobbyists would perhaps engage with similar consultants but distil the relevant stuff and convert it into something more actionable for both, their principal and the policy maker.
Our socialist conscience seems fairly shocked at senior journalists proposing scripted interviews. It is par for the course in developed economies. George Bush launched his autobiography recently and followed it up with a series of rather obviously scripted interviews with “hard nosed” TV journalists. In fact there were TV debates on whether some of the scripting had gone a bit too far since the wit on display seemed too misplaced to be spontaneous. Interviews are an integral part of a PR exercise and TV Channels are as focused on bottomline as public service. To expect journalists to remain eternal Holy Cows was a wee bit optimistic. Sooner than later, treachery around the hitherto sacrosanct omerta was inevitable.
Make no mistake I am not even remotely suggesting that lobbyists of the Niira Radia variety are misunderstood angels. The moot point is the emergent need for part of her skill-sets making an important contribution to the changing nature of the economy. Sadly, a public revelation of her seemingly devious attempts at maneuvers in territory that ought to have been out of her designated domain shall be a setback for “legitimate” lobbyists (if any) for a long time.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Supreme Circus
The Supreme Court of India's decision to defer the Babri Masjid verdict by the Allahabad High Court is dangerously mindless. While I am relatively ignorant of the legal technicalities, here is why I believe this could have far-reaching and unhealthy consequences:
- While the Judiciary is grappling with debates around executive interference and questions around integrity of judges of superior courts, such a confused signal from the highest court in the country is what we needed least. Part of a Court's primary function is to resolve disputes between individuals and/or groups. To throw the ball back in their court (pun unintended) for a solution questions the very need for a judicial system to exist. That this should revolve around a High Court judgement makes it even more baffling given the wide-ranging powers conferred to High Courts by Article 226 of the Constitution.
- The logic behind the postponement seems even more preposterous. Judicial discipline is meant to ensure judgements are made in keeping with the law of the land with scant (or rather, NIL) regard for social or political ramifications. Implementing verdicts and reigning in their consequences are part of the Executive and Legislative purview. If courts were to now factor in law & order issues and similar fallouts, it will lead to significant weakening of judicial resolve. If this were to become the order of the day, it may be impossible to dismiss unlawfully formed governments, convict those accused of communally sensitive crimes and the like.
- Lastly, loose remarks around convoluted circumvention of potential show-stoppers like impending retirement of a sitting judge does not befit courtrooms in The Supreme Court. Surprisingly, the legal fraternity does not seem to be protesting against this irrational decision to admit a ludicrous petition with the kind of decibel levels one had expected.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Coffee Anyone?
As a self-styled bloke, I am a natural fan of "The International Rules of Blokedom" (Google it for details). One of the 2 additions that I have sought to make to this list of interesting rules is- "A Bloke shall not be seen in a coffee bar post sundown". (there is another on bacardi-drinking men but more on that later). Frankly, for a long time I never saw reason to visit say Barista pre sundown either. Domestic pressures around numerous flanks have prompted a climbdown in stance albeit with the Blokedom Rule remaining intact. One such visit was to "Gloria Jeans Coffee" in the neighbourhood over the weekend.
As we neared the cafe (with its Devnagiri signage if you please), we encountered a couple purposefully strolling in armed with a book each in hand. I was a trifle perplexed at the need to catch up on reading in a public place over a weekend but there was a first in store after all. It was my first glimpse of a hard-bound P G Wodehouse. At the risk of sounding tacky, I guess "coffee-table books" have given way to "coffee shop editions". Having placed our order, we seated ourselves in the outdoor section of the cafe since all the seats inside were taken by similar couples deeply engrossed in "reading".
I noticed a long-haired, bearded gent (mysteriously, 70% of all men in coffee shops seem to wear beards) gesticulating wildly with his arms. Initially, I thought he was trying to indicate an open door or a wobbly tyre to a motorist opposite. To my amazement, he was actually practicing (or maybe "composing") a music score! It seemed as if noisy automobiles whizzing past him whilst honking away to glory, did wonders for his concentration. Or perhaps, the positive creative energy that a cafe's ambience generates is completely lost on me.
More was in store. In walked a bald gent sporting a mane inspired directly by Professor Calculus. Just as I was reconciling to his err, "unusual" appearance, I noticed he was not fully bald after all. At the rear of his head, there lay a carefully cropped, square tuft of hair ostensibly as his trademark style statement!
I could go on and on about the number of bizarre sights and sounds that I encountered in a mere 45 minutes. But lets come to the point. Firstly, my blokedom rule stands reinforced with the rider around sundown too being deleted. Second, coffee bars join the long list of impressive marketing stories that have succeeded in creating an intellectual imagery around themselves. Gone are the college kids lounging around over numerous cappucinos for the sake of being in air-conditioned environs. Weird souls with a crying need to publicize their intellectual pretensions seem to have taken over, at least part of the space.
A caveat- I retain rights to think of myself as a bloke despite future trips to coffee bars. A little hypocrisy is well worth it for the sake of domestic bliss.
As we neared the cafe (with its Devnagiri signage if you please), we encountered a couple purposefully strolling in armed with a book each in hand. I was a trifle perplexed at the need to catch up on reading in a public place over a weekend but there was a first in store after all. It was my first glimpse of a hard-bound P G Wodehouse. At the risk of sounding tacky, I guess "coffee-table books" have given way to "coffee shop editions". Having placed our order, we seated ourselves in the outdoor section of the cafe since all the seats inside were taken by similar couples deeply engrossed in "reading".
I noticed a long-haired, bearded gent (mysteriously, 70% of all men in coffee shops seem to wear beards) gesticulating wildly with his arms. Initially, I thought he was trying to indicate an open door or a wobbly tyre to a motorist opposite. To my amazement, he was actually practicing (or maybe "composing") a music score! It seemed as if noisy automobiles whizzing past him whilst honking away to glory, did wonders for his concentration. Or perhaps, the positive creative energy that a cafe's ambience generates is completely lost on me.
More was in store. In walked a bald gent sporting a mane inspired directly by Professor Calculus. Just as I was reconciling to his err, "unusual" appearance, I noticed he was not fully bald after all. At the rear of his head, there lay a carefully cropped, square tuft of hair ostensibly as his trademark style statement!
I could go on and on about the number of bizarre sights and sounds that I encountered in a mere 45 minutes. But lets come to the point. Firstly, my blokedom rule stands reinforced with the rider around sundown too being deleted. Second, coffee bars join the long list of impressive marketing stories that have succeeded in creating an intellectual imagery around themselves. Gone are the college kids lounging around over numerous cappucinos for the sake of being in air-conditioned environs. Weird souls with a crying need to publicize their intellectual pretensions seem to have taken over, at least part of the space.
A caveat- I retain rights to think of myself as a bloke despite future trips to coffee bars. A little hypocrisy is well worth it for the sake of domestic bliss.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
90-day itch
We complete 90-days in our Mumbai apartment today. While we are still "breaking-in" and before one becomes a full-fledged turncoat, I cant help reminisce about some of the stuff we really miss about Delhi.
Late night drives have been the first casualty. First attempt was the Mount Mary- Bandstand-Carter Road circuit. I lost count but I think we had a near-miss with 4 pavement dwellers and about half a dozen night birds who in their craving for ice-cream, kulfi and the like seemed to mindlessly cross roads with little or no regard for oncoming traffic. The following week we embarked on the "real deal" i.e. Haji-Ali-Marine Drive etc. 4th gear was a luxury as one had to indulge in peak hour concentration since traffic was near bumper to bumper (at 1 a.m.if you please). Give me the Safdarjang Road-Krishna Menon Marg-Akbar Road-Rajpath combination any day. The luxury of a leisurely drive amidst the pretty boulevards with colonial bungalows lining the wide roads (and scores of stately monuments thrown in) is unmatched.
The search for good quality, non 5-star Indian Food has proved endless and horribly futile. It was best summed up by the experience of a friend who asked for Indian options in South Mumbai and ended up in the same restaurant for the 5th sraight time since it was the only option given to him by everyone he checked with each time! I am also struggling with the logic of landing up in fine-dining places in shorts but more on that another day. There has been a positive fallout on the health front though. Like a true East Indian, sunday lunches were always meant to be rice and mutton curry. I now seldom consume red-meat given the bony, lifeless meat on sale in most shops here. Again we did the round of recommended shops all across town before deciding that mutton consumption shall be restricted to Delhi trips (where one is spoilt with succulent meat with a wide option of cuts). Curiously, shops in Mumbai find fame not basis quality of goods/service/ambience but on the parameter of most famous customer. So one is typically directed to "Katrina Kaif's florist" or " Saif Ali Khan's mechanic".
A reluctant mall-goer like Yours Truly was successfully persuaded to drive to one of the fancier malls in town a few weeks ago. My spirited dash to the mall was literally stopped in its tracks with a delayed realisation that I had actually missed a mile-long queue of cars waiting to enter! I was certain my "DL" number plate prompted a slew of curses centring around the Capital as I insisted on nonchalantly jumping the queue. But the saga of queues had only just begun and its unlikely I am returning in a hurry. A subsequent weekend trip to Delhi made the Vasant Kunj malls (that I once scorned) feel like the ultimate in luxury.
There are scores of similarities too. If you thought only delhi-ites could call "Kamla Nagar" as "K-Nags", Mumbaikars are not be left behind. Hence, "South Bombay" is "So-Bo", in fact to the point of being cliched now. And while I reside in an apartment complex that is far from being upscale, I own the smallest car in the parking lot. So much for dilli-wallas being the "big-car showoffs".
Late night drives have been the first casualty. First attempt was the Mount Mary- Bandstand-Carter Road circuit. I lost count but I think we had a near-miss with 4 pavement dwellers and about half a dozen night birds who in their craving for ice-cream, kulfi and the like seemed to mindlessly cross roads with little or no regard for oncoming traffic. The following week we embarked on the "real deal" i.e. Haji-Ali-Marine Drive etc. 4th gear was a luxury as one had to indulge in peak hour concentration since traffic was near bumper to bumper (at 1 a.m.if you please). Give me the Safdarjang Road-Krishna Menon Marg-Akbar Road-Rajpath combination any day. The luxury of a leisurely drive amidst the pretty boulevards with colonial bungalows lining the wide roads (and scores of stately monuments thrown in) is unmatched.
The search for good quality, non 5-star Indian Food has proved endless and horribly futile. It was best summed up by the experience of a friend who asked for Indian options in South Mumbai and ended up in the same restaurant for the 5th sraight time since it was the only option given to him by everyone he checked with each time! I am also struggling with the logic of landing up in fine-dining places in shorts but more on that another day. There has been a positive fallout on the health front though. Like a true East Indian, sunday lunches were always meant to be rice and mutton curry. I now seldom consume red-meat given the bony, lifeless meat on sale in most shops here. Again we did the round of recommended shops all across town before deciding that mutton consumption shall be restricted to Delhi trips (where one is spoilt with succulent meat with a wide option of cuts). Curiously, shops in Mumbai find fame not basis quality of goods/service/ambience but on the parameter of most famous customer. So one is typically directed to "Katrina Kaif's florist" or " Saif Ali Khan's mechanic".
A reluctant mall-goer like Yours Truly was successfully persuaded to drive to one of the fancier malls in town a few weeks ago. My spirited dash to the mall was literally stopped in its tracks with a delayed realisation that I had actually missed a mile-long queue of cars waiting to enter! I was certain my "DL" number plate prompted a slew of curses centring around the Capital as I insisted on nonchalantly jumping the queue. But the saga of queues had only just begun and its unlikely I am returning in a hurry. A subsequent weekend trip to Delhi made the Vasant Kunj malls (that I once scorned) feel like the ultimate in luxury.
There are scores of similarities too. If you thought only delhi-ites could call "Kamla Nagar" as "K-Nags", Mumbaikars are not be left behind. Hence, "South Bombay" is "So-Bo", in fact to the point of being cliched now. And while I reside in an apartment complex that is far from being upscale, I own the smallest car in the parking lot. So much for dilli-wallas being the "big-car showoffs".
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Waste of time in Mumbai
The Mafia they say was born in a Port. Having grown up in one, I therefore harbour an irrationally unhealthy keenness in the underworld. (my bookshelf provides damning evidence). My subject-matter interest coupled with a recent vow to watch more than my standard average of 4 movies a year had me book tickets for "Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai". My first mistake was to dismiss the discouraging newspaper review as the handiwork of an ill-equipped journalist. I went on to ignore a bad omen. It was only the 23rd auto-rickshaw we hailed that reluctantly agreed to ferry us to the cinema. (I am now enlightened with the information that auto-drivers need significant financial incentives to make the journey from Bandra West to Bandra East).
At the end of a damp first half which just about managed to give a loose sketch of the principal characters, I braced for the real drama to commence. An hour later, a few exciting events occurred which convinced me the turning point was (for lack of a better phrase) round the corner. To my amazement, the lights came on and the movie had ended! I sprang in my seat, shocked at the complete absence of a meaningful plot whatsoever.
Word-of-mouth had over-ridden the newspaper review. I was assured of a "riveting" performance by Ajay Devgan (sorry "Devgn"). He might have well been mouthing those corny one-liners into a mirror given the absolute lack of context. It was amusing to see an Emran Hashmi copy Devgn's theatrical demeanour and then a confused Randeep Hooda alternately ape both of them. The movie is meant to have been set in the 70s with the only visible throwback to that decade being the cliched automobiles. Even the whisky being poured seemed to be "Grants" as opposed to Vat 69, the quintessential favourite of that generation, at least in the movies.
I have to conclude by conceding that the seats in Cinemax- Bandra (EAST I hasten to reiterate) are by far the most comfortable and luxurious that I have ever occupied in my limited exposure to Cinemas across the country. I just wish it was located in Bhubaneswar, in which case I would have had access to far more interesting beverages than Coke to cope with this eminently forgettable movie. As regards those whose "word of mouth" I relied on to brave the irritating rains to make the rare journey to a Cinema, guess I now know who my real friends are.
At the end of a damp first half which just about managed to give a loose sketch of the principal characters, I braced for the real drama to commence. An hour later, a few exciting events occurred which convinced me the turning point was (for lack of a better phrase) round the corner. To my amazement, the lights came on and the movie had ended! I sprang in my seat, shocked at the complete absence of a meaningful plot whatsoever.
Word-of-mouth had over-ridden the newspaper review. I was assured of a "riveting" performance by Ajay Devgan (sorry "Devgn"). He might have well been mouthing those corny one-liners into a mirror given the absolute lack of context. It was amusing to see an Emran Hashmi copy Devgn's theatrical demeanour and then a confused Randeep Hooda alternately ape both of them. The movie is meant to have been set in the 70s with the only visible throwback to that decade being the cliched automobiles. Even the whisky being poured seemed to be "Grants" as opposed to Vat 69, the quintessential favourite of that generation, at least in the movies.
I have to conclude by conceding that the seats in Cinemax- Bandra (EAST I hasten to reiterate) are by far the most comfortable and luxurious that I have ever occupied in my limited exposure to Cinemas across the country. I just wish it was located in Bhubaneswar, in which case I would have had access to far more interesting beverages than Coke to cope with this eminently forgettable movie. As regards those whose "word of mouth" I relied on to brave the irritating rains to make the rare journey to a Cinema, guess I now know who my real friends are.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
The True American Spirit
Attached link leads to an article I wrote recently on Bourbon. Was published in the last issue of India Today Spice.
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/106167/the-true-american-spirit.html?page=0
Cheers
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/106167/the-true-american-spirit.html?page=0
Cheers
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