My Reads: 2018

2018 marks the 2^nd year in a row when I had the discipline to compile my list of reads alongwith my personal rating . As I opened my blog page I realized the blogger in me had turned immensely lazy. Fortunately, reading habits didn’t follow the same path. My goals for the year were to brush up my knowledge of history and step-up the quota of novels in my reading list. While I did satisfactorily on the former, I could have certainly packed in a few more works of fiction last year.

My picks of the year:

Fiction:

A Gentleman in Moscow (Amor Towles) : A masterful piece of historical fiction set in Bolshevik-run Russia. Rare to find an American novelist use British humour so effectively. 9/10.

Non-fiction:

21 lessons for the 21^st century –(Yuval Noah Harari): The title is self-explanatory. Most works deal with 1 or maybe 2 central ideas. Seldom does one come across an author who provokes the mind through such a range of ideas. 8/10

And here come the rest with my self-rating:

Non-Fiction:

• The J-Curve (Ian Bremmer) : The author attempts to co-relate a nation’s openness with its stability measured through a “J-curve”. Worth a read only if one has deep interest in international relations. The theory while interesting, seems force-fitted a few times 6/10

• The Golden Passport (Duff McDonald) : A cynical account of the Harvard Business School and its Machiavellian impact on American business. Have read better from this author. Deep biases with not enough substance to prove hypothesis. 5/10

• The Undoing Project (Michael Lewis) : A quasi-bio of the genius writers- Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky. Michael Lewis with trademark punch and wit makes this a fascinating read. Recommended if one has read some of Kahneman’s own work. 7/10

• Imperfect (Sanjay Manjrekar) : This was my pick for the first sports book of the year. Disappointing. Reads like a loser’s account of his career and doesn’t gel with the smart commentator that Manjrekar normally is. 5/10

• The Storm of War (Andrew Roberts) : A war-illiterate like me found this single volume account of WW-II very useful. Fact-filled and shorn of rhetoric. The writing style is simple and direct. 8/10

• China’s Great Wall of Debt (Dinny McMahon) : Well-written account of China’s economic system and some of the unflattering truths that lie beneath. Offers original perspective but could have done better on balance. 7/10

• Anita gets Bail (Arun Shourie): One is seldom disappointed by Arun Shourie. This one is refreshingly light and unbiased for a change. The research is just as exhaustive and the opinions delivered sharply with supporting facts. 7/10

• The Culture Code (Daniel Coyle) : An excellent analysis of the culture tools that create inspired and high-performance teams. The range spans from navy seals to restaurant chains to daring jewellery robbers. 7/10

• Setting the Table (Danny Meyer) : The previous book had numerous references to this memoir by one of America’s most successful restaurateurs . A delightful story of gastronomical passion and business smarts. Could have gone easy on cliched management lingo though. 6/10

• Playing for Keeps (David Halberstam): This Michael Jordan biography sums up all that it takes to be (and stay) a sports champion. Grit, discipline, emotional balance and business savvy. Read if a biography or basketball buff. One can pick up any of this author’s many works and get educated on one of the many streams he has expertise on. 6/10

• The Great Mughals and their India (Dirk Collier) : My google search “Mughal history for beginners” threw this one up with positive reviews. Provides a little more than thumbnail sketches of each of the Mughal rulers. A useful introduction. 6/10

• Naveen Patnaik (Reuben Banerjee) : A disappointing attempt at describing the political life and times of a canny leader. Has almost nothing that isn’t available in the public domain. Avoidable. 5/10 (being generous).

• Talking to my Daughter about the Economy (Yanis Varoufakis) : A former finance minister of Greece writes a lucid primer on economics. A must-read across age groups and gender. (despite Greece’s underwhelming track record). 7/10

• Stress Test (Timothy Geithner) : The author, a former US Treasury Secretary writes a detailed account on the aftermath of the Global Financial Crisis. Does not sound boastful and provides diverse insights. His varying roles during and post the crisis make for an interesting combination. 7/10

• Hit Refresh (Satya Nadella) : A shoddy memoir by one of the greatest business leaders in recent times. Delves on too many irrelevant details and loses the plot while attempting to simplify ( a bit much). 5/10

• Start-up Nation (Dan Sensor and Saul Singer) : The story of Israel’s economic growth told from the prism of innovation. Provides numerous examples of the risk-taking and meritocratic ecosystem in Israel. Leaves the reader with a curiosity to dig for more. 7/10

• Factfulness (Hans Rosling) : Rave reviews built unreasonable expectations. Extensive research does not compensate for the repetitiveness around a single idea . 6/10

• The Prodigal Tongue (Lynne Murphy) : A linguist’s funny account of the relationship between British and American English. Murphy doesn’t end up taking sides while pointing out humorous origins and misconceptions alike. This was a strong contender for my best non-fiction read of the year. Highly recommend. 8/10

Fiction:

• Slaughterhouse Five (Kurt Vonnegut) : A dark world-war novel wasn’t the best novel to start the year with. Must say this largely went over my head. One of those novels that seemed fashionable to like just for the sake of it. 5/10

• Hillbilly Elegy (J D Vance) : This was considered recommended reading to understand why Americans voted Trump. While my understanding is no better, this is a powerful portrait of an important socio-economic strata in the U.S. A small-towner (from any country) can arguably relate to much of this book. 6/10

• The Old Man and the Sea (Ernest Hemingway): My first classic by this celebrated author. I was underwhelmed while I was reading this picturesque story. The prose-inspired visuals bizarrely lingered for weeks after I had concluded reading. Hooked me to the writer. 6/10

• Rules of Civility (Amor Towles) : Given how much I loved “A Gentleman in Moscow”, I just had to read this one by the same author. Set in New York City, its eminently readable but alas nowhere in the same league. 6/10

• Shalimar the Clown (Salman Rushdie) : Kashmir brought alive by the only man who can bring it alive with such passionate imagery. This is Rushdie at his best, or at least very near his best. (we have to grant “Midnight’s Children” its rightful status). 8/10

• Farewell to Arms (Ernest Hemingway) : A semi-autobiographical work by the author during his WW-I days in Europe. Simple, elegant writing that combines the pain of war seamlessly with the charm of continental Europe. 7/10

• A Passage to India ( E M Forster) : A gripping tale set in the days of the Raj. It is near unimaginable that a British author could paint such an authentic and nuanced portrait of colonial India. A must-read.8/10

Happy Reading

My Reads: 2017

It has never been a challenge for me to find time for reading. I would not however qualify as a "voracious" reader. 2017 however was unusually prolific by my standards. Substantial work travel aided in-flight reading. The year had more than a few long weekend getaways most of which were spent in remote places with little to do but read. For a variety of reasons, I had a relatively stress-free last quarter. The inverse co-relation between work stress and concentration had never been clearer. Earlier I considered it pretentious and pompous to talk about what one read. Over time I found it immensely beneficial to go through reading lists of other people/publications. In fact a lot of what I read gets decided by scanning such lists. In this blog am compiling all that I read in 2017 along with my personal rating on a scale of 10.  This is listed in chronological order from the beginning of the calendar year. In an uncharacteristic display of discipline I had maintained a list (and rating) perhaps with a sub-conscious decision to write about it. So here goes:

-  Revenge of Analog (David Sax)  If one prefers vinyl records to iTunes, believes moleskine notebooks up the coolness quotient and apple watches don't really cut it, then this is the one. Counter intuitive and thought provoking. 8/10 

- Aurangzeb (Audrey Truschke)   In keeping with current thinking on reviewing this much reviled Mughal's image.  Does dilute his overwhelming despot image but doesn't  do adequate justice to the military strategist or benign secularist (relatively speaking) in him. 6/10

- Our Man in Havana (Graham Greene)  A double agent's tale in the Caribbean. Greene has written better stuff.  5/10 (Fiction)

- An Era Of Darkness (Shashi Tharoor)   Swayed by rave, chest-thumping nationalist responses to his debate, Tharoor has taken off right from where he left at Oxford. A book ought to have more balance as opposed to reinforcing one-sided debating points. Alas the author seems to forget that even as he churns out a readable account of the Colonial era.  6/10

- Curse of Cash (Kenneth Rogoff)   One can be forgiven for thinking this important primer on the importance of phasing out cash was written AFTER the bold (if reckless) demonetisation exercise. If only policy gurus had read this path-breaking work on less-cash and payments efficiency 7/10

- The Sellout (Paul Beatty) Do not get carried away by the Man's Booker Prize nomination like Yours Truly did. Looks at racism through the lens of a Los Angeles courtroom saga. The author is a cross between a poor man's Martin Luther King and Wodehouse. 4/10 (Fiction)

- Barbarians At The Gate (Bryan Burrough / John Helyar)  This classic deserves every bit of its cult status . Captures  the aborted leveraged buyout of RJR Nabisco. If you thought the investment banking world was full of big egos, flamboyant manipulators and back-stabbers, this one will prove you right. 8/10

- Capone (John Kobler) A colourless portrait of one of America's most colourful gang lords. Chronicles events with little or no nuance and spice. Underwhelming. 4/10

- The New Book Of Snobs: (D J Taylor)  Humorous take on the interesting topic of snobbery- something most exhibit but deny. A confused narrative kills it. Reviews better than actual read. 5/10

- Chaos Monkeys (Antonio Garcia Martinez)  This brilliant work is to Silicon Valley what "Liars Poker" was to Wall Street. The extremely well-read author combines literary/historical references with cynical wit to debunk many myths around glorified social media giants. 8/10 (actually between 8-9)

- String Theory (David Foster Wallace)   A compilation of tennis essays. The one on Federer is one of the best pieces of sports writing I have encountered. 6/10

-The Upstarts (Brad Stone): A finely chronicled tale on the rise and rise of Uber and Air BnB. Describes incredible similarities in the challenges and opportunities faced by both these disruptive start-ups. The author combines a lucid writing style with deep understanding of Silicon Valley (his "The Everything Store" on Amazon is a classic too).  The result is a highly inspiring read. 7/10

Advice and Dissent (Y V Reddy)  The former RBI Governor narrates his journey from a civil servant to economic administrator to regulator. Does not hide behind much technicality and provides a perspective that even a lay reader can easily relate to. 7/10

Levels of the game (John McPhee) This 1969 classic is considered one of the greatest tennis books of all-time. Through the lens of a US Open Semi Final match between Arthur Ashe and Clark Gaebener, the writer paints a telling portrait of  class divide and prejudice in American society of that era. 8/10

Reckoning (David Halberstam)  The journey of Ford motor company and Nissan are used to describe industrial development in post war America and Japan. In the process one also learns about some of the more influential Americans of the era (Henry Ford, Robert McNamara etc). Its a lengthy read so recommended only if an auto enthusiast . 7/10

The Reluctant Fundamentalist (Mohsin Hamid)   Powerful, racy tale of a Pakistani who succeeds in America, falls in love with all things American only to eventually abandon it all. 6/10 (Fiction)

The Golden House (Salman Rushdie)  A poor man's attempt to re-write "The Great Gatsby". Has Rushdie's trademark wordplay and sharp wit. Alas a bit infrequent. The book is akin to the kind of innings great batsmen play just before retirement. Glimpses of genius but the best clearly behind them. 6/10 (Fiction)

Last Man Standing (Duff McDonald)   A biography of Jamie Dimon, iconic J P Morgan/Citigroup banker. Unusually one-sided and flattering. Some critique would have brought in much needed balance. Not in the same league as other works by the author. ("The Firm" on McKinsey makes it to my list of top business books of all-time). 6/10

Animal Farm (George Orwell)  : Read it. 9/10 (Fiction.... or maybe not)

The Coalition Years (Pranab Mukherjee) : The last of the trilogy by the political Dhritarashtra. Rich on information but hugely underwhelming on perspective. Reads like a mere compendium of events with little or no insight. 4/10

The Metamorphosis (Franz Kafka)  This one went completely over my head. 0/10 (or maybe "unrated" is fairer)

Class (Paul Fussell)  This witty description of the American status system is humorous and incisive at the same time. The author funnily takes you through the subtle and not-so-subtle differences to tell men and women with class from the "proles". Has an interesting take on a range of preferences : from the obvious ones like automobiles and home interiors to some interesting ones like musical instruments and pets. 7/10

As I scan my list and draw up my reading resolutions for 2018, am determined to read a lot more fiction in the year ahead. Also, given my low history-literacy, perhaps I need to have a lot more of this in the 2018 to-read list. Hopefully 2018 shall be better in more ways than one. 

Rearview Musings

Everytime one grows a year older (like I did today), one questions the "age-is-a-mere-number" cliche and indulges in contemplation. This is peppered with denial or optimism basis circumstances. As I looked back at the last year, I found it worthwhile to compile a scorecard  that made me count my blessings and also list down surrogates for next year's resolutions. I mentally rummaged through all the jargon that my "corporate" self is meant to effortlessly spout but settled for the bland "Hits and Misses" in the end. So here goes:

Hits:

1. The missus and I still wish each other on our anniversary (and every personal milestone) in-person and not via social media. Private emotions continue to be expressed in private and not for 543 people to comment upon, however well-meaning they may be.

2.  New Year Eve, Diwali and Holi were spent with family, and friends who are near-family. Hope this privilege continues in the years to come.

3. The year had a half-marathon, wildlife safari, and  time in the hills thrown in. In my considered opinion all three are essential annual events.

4. In what has been my most challenging year at work yet, I wasn't short of adrenaline on any given morning. When the going gets tough...... and all that.

5.  I was able to hire or retain at least one person in my team whose superior capability keeps me on my toes.

6.  The library expanded significantly with books that I read or ones that I intend to read. My picks of the year- " Half Lion" and "The Revenge of Analog".

7. The tailor did not require fresh measurements for the 10th year in a row.

8. An elder sibling screamed at me with the same sense of authority and entitlement as my kindergarten days. Some things don't change and we aren't complaining.

9. More often than ever, I sang as if nobody was listening (including at bars and restaurants across the world if you please). Those subjected to my performance(s) ensured they never had to endure an encore. Not exactly my problem.

10. Terms like "my bad" and "dude" did not find any place in written or spoken sentences. My self-rating of my coolness quotient seems intact without resorting to these desperate measures.

11. I did not lose a single close friend to a tiff, misunderstanding or death (touchwood!).

Misses:

1. This half-marathon was my slowest yet (and I wasn't Emil Zatopek for starters). With numerous physical ailments cropping up every quarter, its been a really sore one. "Respecting age" and all those depressing thoughts came to mind.

2. Blogger's block set in. Time for a course correction.

3. The camera got rusty.

4.  The tailor did not require fresh measurements for the 10th year in a row.

5. Culinary skills continued to be showcased only to my own palate. Celebrity chef status beckons...

6. Socks with psychedelic colours found their way into my wardrobe. The jury is out on whether this reflects on my sartorial openness or is a sign of trying too hard (contradicting claims made in Hit #10)

It doesnt look too bad when I take stock after all. Wonder what explains the (even more) thinning hairline, greying pate and nascent wrinkles then...

Tone from the top

I seldom watch TV news anymore. I find myself skipping the front page of daily newspapers most days. Partly this is on account of Twitter taking over as my primary newsfeed. More importantly though I have had more than my share of dark news with incident after disgusting incident making headlines and fodder for debates. Never before in my living memory has the country gone through more depressing times ( I was a toddler during the Emergency). Food preferences are (violently) regulated, free thinkers are killed in succession, musicians are not allowed to perform, electioneering has touched a new low while governance is restricted to shrill rhetoric or sweeping streets annually at best.

We seem to be living with the hate-mongering of the partition era, the Orwellian nervousness of The Emergency and the inaction of the immediate preceding regime. We are no strangers to communal tension, our governance has never inspired awe anywhere and the odd high profile killing has always been used as an instrument to send home a message. It is when all of these repeatedly come together that  the scenario turns unbearable. It turns scary when you look at the perception of most occurrences being state sponsored , or at least implicitly blessed.

The tone from the top matters. One could argue that we are too large and too complex a nation to be governed by a single individual. Hence laying the blame squarely there may seem grossly unfair. But hold on. This was a mandate sought practically for a single individual. Having received the mandate, the heels have dug in sharper and individual supremacy even more authoritatively established. No minister is empowered and civil servants are moved before they get their feet under the table. Hence, if the 1st solar powered district court has to be inaugurated by the man himself , I am afraid the expectation will be for a personal reaction to every individual polarising or regressive incident. The so- called right wing cannot be allowed to run amok simply because they supplied the boots on the ground for campaigning. If fund contributors during elections are not being granted special favours now, the violent voices of regression need to be publicly silenced too.

The Emergency was relatively short lived because the opposing voices had stature and could garner resources and intellectual firepower to counter excesses. That is sorely lacking today and a few regional leaders need to up the ante if there is no credible national statesman. Some members of the ruling government should also publicly voice their opposing point of view and boldly face consequences if any . Contribution to the country by stopping cultural regression in its tracks will be way greater than any short term achievement in a ministry. You don't need to look too far- the RBI governor speaks his mind and does what he has to without fear or favour. We do need cohesive action to change course now.

Or perhaps, the tone from the top could change and we can live happily ever after. After all we live in hope.

BJP's pAAP

It fills me with anxiety to live in a city ruled by AAP. In the last 10+ years, Delhi is one city that has improved every year as a city to reside in. To now leave it at the mercy of a bunch of street protestors is frightening. No harm in staying optimistic though. While my impression of Modi's governance has deteriorated substantially for now, one always thought he got the political art and science right. AAP had caught Delhi's imagination a year ago and had equally managed to lose its appeal with almost the same pace. A plethora of miscalculations by BJP have let them claw back in and actually emerge way stronger than 2013. This despite the BJP winning every single seat in the Parliament polls riding on massive resentment against Kejriwal's irresponsible antics.

The BJP had a very creditable Lok Sabha win and followed it through with a series of successful Legislative Assembly elections. The "Modi wave" certainly had a palpable impact but its effect was overestimated by the BJP leadership. The country was governed by the UPA for a decade. Maharashtra and Haryana were also governed by Congress led regimes for two terms or more. There was significant anti-incumbency that helped the BJP way more than merely the Modi wave. Modi was the instrument used to usher in the anti-incumbency message. He read way more into the message than he ought to have.

Last time round, the anti-incumbency vote in Delhi was against the Congress. By delaying elections till 9 months of their own rule, the disenchantment with Modi's "high oratory low delivery" model translated itself into an anti-BJP vote. Modi knows the short public memory better than most. The CWG scam has faded from public memory just the way 2002 riots have. To compound matters, they decided to air-drop a CM candidate with no political experience and thrust her on the soldiers. A cadre-based party does not take kindly to a last-minute import and the silent mutiny began . The strong personality of Modi and Amit Shah coupled with their reputation for mercilessness prevented a public rebellion. Surprisingly, the RSS remained a silent spectator and permitted Ms Bedi to be foisted and supported Modi's bid to stymie popular mass-leaders like Harsh Vardhan.

The Prime Minister of India is under incredible scrutiny. Every gesture or action is observed, scrutinised and dissected by all and sundry. The electorate across the country is watching the PM's publicised parleys with Sajjad Lone or even the "flexible" coalition being worked out with the PDP.  Delhi voters do realise that elections were called for only when all attempts at horse-trading with AAP legislators failed. The people of Maharashtra would have made a silent note when the BJP colluded with the NCP to win a trust vote. A challenger can resort to dirty speeches. The PM taking cheap shots at opponents make him appear like a better dressed version of Kejriwal. If manipulation, mud-slinging and inconsistent values have to be the order of the day, the PM ought to maintain arms-length and leave the overt trench fighting to his satraps. It is never too late to attempt statesmanship.

The stern demeanour and overconfident body language of Modi help cultivate the strongman image that the country so desperately craved in its leader. Add to that an Amit Shah (with very similar traits) and its an amplified overdose of arrogance. In his PM hat, Modi allocates ministries at whim, replaces officers unceremoniously (including to Andamans) and runs his government like a monarchy. Amit Shah brings the same cocky approach to political machinations. Shah brazenly dismisses a core poll promise like "black money back in 100 days" as an "election stunt". This, on the eve of a high-profile election.  Something has got to give. With the BJP increasingly operating like the Gandhi-family led Congress, how long before we see the first breakaway faction?

It will be unfair not to give Kejriwal credit for a brilliantly scripted campaign. Apart from creativity and punch, there was an element of unprecedented boldness in his approach that rattled everyone's cage. He is the only politician in the country who has Modi's combination of political vision, guile and earthy charisma.The battlelines were long drawn but the battle has just begun.

Disillusionment digging its heels....

Sticking to pretty  much the same theme as my last post, thought it was worthwhile to ponder at the subsequent 90-days too. As a long-time supporter of Modi, my sense of disillusionment is growing. Despite his massive mandate, his politics is that of survivorship. Serious policy making is yet to commence. Administrative decisions while firmly pronounced seem to solve for the lowest common denominator. There is overwhelming emphasis on showmanship and propaganda. Its almost like he has either forgotten the elections are over or he believes 2014 marks the beginning of the 2019 campaign. He often resembles a runner who keeps running after breasting the tape little knowing he has won the race.

At one level it is apparent Modi brings a superior grasp of the issues confronting the country. His diligence and singular commitment to development is exemplary. Having been a Chief Minister for the last 15 years, there is no honeymoon required for the administrative rigmarole. He can therefore hit the ground running albeit on an expected higher plane. The prioritisation and the chosen level of playing field is where one is confused. There seems to be a need for him to convey he is the PM of India and not just Gujarat.  Parochialism comes through a bit too strongly. This holds true in his choice of support system,  conduct in cross-border interaction and some say, choice of snacks in important meetings. Exposing the Chinese premiere to an India beyond Delhi was a great thought. To do so on home territory queered the pitch. It felt like Xi was the guest of honour at Modi's personal birthday celebrations. There was opportunity to showcase the financial capital,  an alternate manufacturing hub or IT power-centre. A brilliant opportunity for statesmanship reduced to myopic grandstanding.

Communication with the masses is important. Repeated and focussed messaging gets the nation to rally around a common cause alongwith a sense of overall pride. However, the phenomenal band-width being devoted to this activity early on, seems to point at an obsessive intent for self-promotion.  To do so before any real delivery is the proverbial cart before the horse. Lulling the nation into a false sense of early optimism is one downside. The  more damaging one is the impact it has on the upper echelons on administration. One is given to understand senior level discussions in ministries focus entirely around whitewashing of walls, cleaning of toilets and installation of biometric devices for attendance. The priority of the leader rubs off onto the team. Issues of greater import get relegated to the back-burner and that shows in the 1st 100-days of the new government.

There are more similarities between the BJP and the Congress than average opponents. There were 2 flanks where the BJP stood head and shoulders above. The absence of personality driven sycophancy was the first. Calibre of the cabinet was another if one were to go by the only long innings they played under Vajpayee. Modi has chosen to reverse both in his first 100-days. Let us accommodate for some realities here. Human egos tend to get swollen with repeated and consistent success and there is no dearth of willing sycophants. Also, a political leader is expected to be suitably Machiavellian in cutting potential political threats to size. However, there are many political lightweights who are capable of punching way above their weight in order to make a difference to governance. Some of these available options were no-contests compared to the chosen minions. Suresh Prabhu vs Piyush Goyal for instance. Arun Shourie vs anyone for that matter. For all the promse of youth, promising contenders like Jayant Sinha werent even shoo-ins for anything relevant.

Politically too, conventional logic seems to be turning on its head. It may be important for the PM to keep Vasundhara Raje at bay. Nil ministerial representation from Rajasthan with 25 MPs is a bit extreme. Odisha with 1 Lok Sabha MP has 2 ministers ostensibly because there is no similar threat. Many political formations were formed by breakaways from Congress when the high-handedness got unbearable. Most regional parties were formed as a consequence. It is prudent to guard against such eventualities by avoiding needless provocation. The alliance with Shiv Sena is another such incident. They were overtly sidelined during cabinet formation. The next logical step was marginalisation on home turf. The party had no choice but to fight on its own. One relevant ministry would have changed it all at least in a perception sense.

Modi is infinitely smarter than yours truly. It is therefore possible I am missing a larger gameplan. Many argue that he is far superior to any other possible alternative. His sequence of priorities could have a method that I am missing. As a supporter I am irked that somebody I looked upto for "execution" is being hailed for "oratory". Even a mature democracy like the US voted twice for Obama on the back of grandiose speeches and absence of worthy challengers. So we cant really be blamed for getting carried away by empty rhetoric at Red Fort or Madison Square Garden. I just hope the Modi tenure is not akin to the  Obama era. High on charisma-induced initial hope  but little on delivery. 

An Irrelevant Report Card

A decisive mandate can bring about a sense of deep accountability. Alternatively it can lead to a sense of reckless entitlement. Despite being a fervent Narendra Modi supporter, his first 30 odd days have left me  disappointed and I would score him 3/10, however irrelevant my score may be. Truth be told, I was secretly hopeful the BJP formed a majority but  with just about 230 seats of its own. The 280+ number on the strength of a Presidential campaign made me apprehensive and early days seem to prove my fears right.

Lets start with the PM's choice of appointments. For a man who claimed to stand for youth, technology and capability he chose to usher in a set of geriatric former administrators with highly pronounced loyalties to the BJP and questionable track records to boot. (Ajit Doval seems to be an exception on the track record piece). Do we seriously need 70-year olds like Nripendra Misra to preside over the PMO? If reliable sources are to be believed he cant even boot a PC. So much for  technology bias. Loyalty over capability seems to be the order of the day. Several key ministries have been handed over to minions with low political base or negligible administrative experience.

Next was a decree that rendered babus who were Private Secretaries to UPA ministers ineligible for similar postings in the current regime. Needless to say, an exception was made for a crony from Gujarat who must have been shamelessly pliable.  (no prizes for guessing: he is the PS to the PM)This was par for the course in the Congress regime. Where then is the promised difference? More than the issues on hand , it  is the pettiness of the initial chosen battles  that rattle. Should the Prime Minister of a country expend bandwidth on Private Secretaries to ministers? Is a competent golfing civil servant necessarily less effective than a boring bureaucrat with no extra-curricular interests? (not even booting a PC) . Is it fair to stress on Powerpoint presentations when your chosen administrative acolyte is a dinosaur? Is issuing a populist diktat banning new cars for ministers supposed to be so high on the priority of a new government? While the wisdom of insecurity suggests that trench-fighting is important,  it ought not be the sole focus of a PM.

Moving onto the other power games on display. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet is now down to 2 people. (Modi and Rajnath Singh). The Prime Minister wishes to meet Service Chiefs every month. (So who is the Defence Minister again?). Secretaries to the Government of India shall make presentations to the PM with ministerial absence being the preferred order of the day. (whatchamacallit......"snoopgate"? ) The only real alternate power centre is a man who lost the Lok Sabha elections. That makes him as disposable as a toothpick post dinner should he ever choose to demonstrate the existence of a spine.

Now for some of the real decisions the government claims to have taken. Rail fare hikes were touted as necessary and inevitable. The alleged UPA trademark roll-backs took just 24- hours to show up. Minimum Export Prices were decreed for a host of agri commodities in sharp deviance from the stated "Gujarat model" capitalism that the PM expounded. Indira Gandhi at her senile worst had confronted the judiciary. Modi has taken his first swipe in less than a month in a move that threatens to strike at the heart of judicial independence. Gubernatorial changes seem to be a key priority item for the first 100 days. Development model anyone?

I concede these are really early days and am being unduly harsh. Insiders say the sharp step-up in administrative discipline has to be seen to be believed. Real change does not occur in 30/60 or even 180 days. It is the number of  juvenile, vindictive and mindless false steps that worry. Most of believe we are good judges of people and situations for it is a direct reflection on our intelligence. Hope Modi doesn't expose my lack of intelligence so early on. It can only get better from here anyway......