Last week the country witnessed the most important event when the Union Budget was announced by Mr. Pranab Mukherjee in the Parliament. The budget is important not only because it will affect over a billion people for a year, but also because of the role the country will play in driving the next phase of global growth.
The occasion for the budget is unique this time. The world seems to be baby-stepping out from one of the worst recessions of human history and for India, whether to wean the stimulus at this nascent stage or wait for some more time is what weighed heavily in the pre-budget discussions.
I believe Pranab babu has done a real good job this time much because of a budget which is not flashy and flamboyant but practical and of vision. He has decided to partially wean the stimulus which seems to be correct given the situation. One thing which seemed to be pleasing is his acceptance of certain truths, like the budget is essentially a document which follows the political agenda of the party. Pranab babu did not reek of hypocrisy which seemed so fresh from a politician.
Rolling back of stimulus packages is a political hot potato! It is never easy to announce lesser public expenditure, lesser sops, higher indirect taxes leading to higher commodity prices; but the government has to do it at some point of time. Opposition from the left of the house is understandable. The fact that this is only the second year of UPA-II has helped the cause. Its atleast two years before some economically unviable measure, like farm loan waver, will again be announced. So Pranab babu has very shrewdly announced some rollbacks this year to create space for some fiscal imprudence in the coming years as hogwash before the next lok sabha elections.
The issue of inflation is another political imbroglio. The issue is so powerful that the opposition chose to walk out of the budget session as soon as the rise in excise on petrol and diesel was announced. The motive, probably, is to reduce the fiscal deficit from the increased Rs 26000 crore realisation on account of the rise in excise in petrol and diesel. I believe such an announcement could have been avoided in the budget. One can always announce a price hike at any other time of the year. May be, Pranab babu was too inclined on reducing the fiscal deficit, which, indeed is a very positive sign. After all with a high deficit, the borrowings will be more which in turn will move the interest rates northwards and thus the cost of inputs will shoot up leading to rise in inflation. But in such a case, the food prices may not rise that much and it is food prices that the majority of the population in India is really worried about. So what I feel is that the petrol and diesel hikes could have been done away with while food inflation is so high! This could have saved them the political mess they are into now with even the allies protesting against it.
Pros and cons will always be there, but all-in-all this budget seems to be a good one. There is nothing big to discuss or brag about, but it gives a sense of control, calm, prudence and vision.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Fear a Primal Human Race
The world has had enough of the bright, starry American Dream. The market driven dream of opportunity for all has shattered and has taken down the world with it. Shattered dreams of the night with eyes closed do not cause much pain, but when it is seen with eyes wide open, the pain becomes unbearable.
Whenever we thought of the failure of a number of large and small countries with socialist ideologies, we thought why such muddle headedness in ideology when the panacea is available right in front of us, the glory of America and the West, the CAPITALISM.
Whosoever was not leftist was for market driven economy. Never did we shun from deriding those leftist whenever they preached restraint and gave N number of examples of the failure that is the leftist ideology. When some socialist bastion society wanted industrialisation from private investments, the rightist proponents cheered their victory and thus further hammered the nail of the widespread acknowledgement of the fact that capitalism is truly the panacea of all the evils in this world. Adam Smith must have laughed from his grave that day.
But when being market driven took the turn of greed, is nobody’s understanding. Capitalism became hedonism and people always thought the collective will of each person to excel and yearning of each of us to earn more and lead a better life will do a collective good for the society? But we have moved much ahead from the days of Smith, so wasn’t it expected from us to be more discerning? But no, we gave in to our primal instincts, to be hedonist and greedy.
Such greed took the whole world down and today we are on the brink of an economic catastrophe. Unemployment is rampant and so is global trade and commerce because of colossal imprudence on the part of some countries. But what is stranger, is changing the mindset of those very people who caused the catastrophe has become so difficult. The massive banks which lend to people so indiscriminately and got into trouble and subsequently got bailed out with tax payers money, are again resorting to astronomical bonus payments to its employees so that they can once again create a future conducive to another crisis.
So the proof is conspicuous enough that capitalism, just like socialism doesn’t work in isolation. What is needed is an optimal mix of capitalism with regulation. A deregulated market can never sustain itself and is bound to go out of hand just as human greed never remains in control. A hedonist, greedy human race needs control just to ensure greater good for the maximum number of inhabitants of the world.
Whenever we thought of the failure of a number of large and small countries with socialist ideologies, we thought why such muddle headedness in ideology when the panacea is available right in front of us, the glory of America and the West, the CAPITALISM.
Whosoever was not leftist was for market driven economy. Never did we shun from deriding those leftist whenever they preached restraint and gave N number of examples of the failure that is the leftist ideology. When some socialist bastion society wanted industrialisation from private investments, the rightist proponents cheered their victory and thus further hammered the nail of the widespread acknowledgement of the fact that capitalism is truly the panacea of all the evils in this world. Adam Smith must have laughed from his grave that day.
But when being market driven took the turn of greed, is nobody’s understanding. Capitalism became hedonism and people always thought the collective will of each person to excel and yearning of each of us to earn more and lead a better life will do a collective good for the society? But we have moved much ahead from the days of Smith, so wasn’t it expected from us to be more discerning? But no, we gave in to our primal instincts, to be hedonist and greedy.
Such greed took the whole world down and today we are on the brink of an economic catastrophe. Unemployment is rampant and so is global trade and commerce because of colossal imprudence on the part of some countries. But what is stranger, is changing the mindset of those very people who caused the catastrophe has become so difficult. The massive banks which lend to people so indiscriminately and got into trouble and subsequently got bailed out with tax payers money, are again resorting to astronomical bonus payments to its employees so that they can once again create a future conducive to another crisis.
So the proof is conspicuous enough that capitalism, just like socialism doesn’t work in isolation. What is needed is an optimal mix of capitalism with regulation. A deregulated market can never sustain itself and is bound to go out of hand just as human greed never remains in control. A hedonist, greedy human race needs control just to ensure greater good for the maximum number of inhabitants of the world.
Friday, January 22, 2010
We....the People
I have heard the question of why we Indians do not follow the rules of the society and show some civic responsibility ad nauseam, and the explanations we tend to give are nothing more than stupid. For identifying the root cause is not that easy and neither it is to give me a convincing reason. So let me myself delve into the quagmire.
We may be developing as an economic power but when it comes to social development it's rather the lack of it that we are developing in. Lack of civility is so ingrained in us that it’s hard to get rid of. A deliberate attempt by what we call ‘the system’ with its same age old principles of imposing fines or the media imploring people and devising newer tactics like the stupid ‘pappu’ campaign (an effort to get more people to vote by generating peer pressure) can do nothing to improve the situation. Temporarily, may be, but nothing when we are looking at a long term fix. Just to give an idea of how it is difficult to change people’s mindsets, the ‘pappu’ campaign managed to get a meagre 50% vote in Delhi and the star studded campaign of the seemingly only celebrities of the country, that is the film stars managed to eke out 43% vote in their own Mumbai. It’s another story that the Mumbaikars are such hypocrites when they could take out a candlelight march but not vote and rather spend an extended weekend holiday at Pune or Ooty. Again, the police thought that putting errant drivers hopping lanes, behind the bars will make them desist from such act. One must travel on Delhi roads to get a feel. So as I said before, such acts can produce results that are only transient in nature…………………..Oh! I am sorry for blabbering so much. Pitfalls of a critical mind you see. Upset about so many things that just can’t resist the temptation.
Now let me get back to my original point.
What is it that makes us behave as we do? Why is it that we behave prim and propa in foreign settings? I find it to be the subservient, submissive nature that we have generated over the years we have let foreigners rule ourselves. Our country was anybody’s cake. The Mughals, the Afghans, the Turks, the British, everybody had it. And we, so much grown into the atmosphere of somebody or the other ruling us, became subservient. It’s so much ingrained in us and that we most inadvertently behave the perfect citizen in another country. But then again, is it that all the country we visit we behave like that? I don’t think so. It has to be a country that has a living standard better than us to invoke such behaviour. A country like Bangladesh, Myanmar, or any African country will never evoke such response. And that is because we suddenly believe we are in control there. It’s another aspect of our behaviour that comes to the fore, which is using our strengths over the weak. Ever wondered why we feel so satisfied after we bargain with a rickshawala to keep the fare down to Rs. 10 which has remained so for a number of years while our DA has taken care of the inflation? Or why we greet when our boss comes over our house and kick when salespersons selling socks to eke out a living does the same? And we all thought India is a land of Namaste……………….I don’t blame anybody ‘coz it’s a typical folly of human behaviour and anybody anywhere indulges in such act.
But the problem with us Indians is, since we have become so subservient to others superior to us and so comfortable in our own cocoon that it’s very difficult to change our behaviour.
Religious books taught us to treat our body, our house as a temple. So we did. And the books never said anything about the roads outside so we never cared. “So obedient we are”. But again given a chance to maul a weak and a frail, we care two hoots what the books said. “So hypocrite we are”.
Until and unless we change our attitude towards ourselves it’s difficult to become civilised. By not being civilised we demean ourselves because at the back of our mind we still respect the developed nations more. Typical passive submission. When we do not consider ourselves equal how on earth somebody else is going to treat us that way. The day we start to respect ourselves and hold our head high; we are going to be developed in the truest sense of the word.
We may be developing as an economic power but when it comes to social development it's rather the lack of it that we are developing in. Lack of civility is so ingrained in us that it’s hard to get rid of. A deliberate attempt by what we call ‘the system’ with its same age old principles of imposing fines or the media imploring people and devising newer tactics like the stupid ‘pappu’ campaign (an effort to get more people to vote by generating peer pressure) can do nothing to improve the situation. Temporarily, may be, but nothing when we are looking at a long term fix. Just to give an idea of how it is difficult to change people’s mindsets, the ‘pappu’ campaign managed to get a meagre 50% vote in Delhi and the star studded campaign of the seemingly only celebrities of the country, that is the film stars managed to eke out 43% vote in their own Mumbai. It’s another story that the Mumbaikars are such hypocrites when they could take out a candlelight march but not vote and rather spend an extended weekend holiday at Pune or Ooty. Again, the police thought that putting errant drivers hopping lanes, behind the bars will make them desist from such act. One must travel on Delhi roads to get a feel. So as I said before, such acts can produce results that are only transient in nature…………………..Oh! I am sorry for blabbering so much. Pitfalls of a critical mind you see. Upset about so many things that just can’t resist the temptation.
Now let me get back to my original point.
What is it that makes us behave as we do? Why is it that we behave prim and propa in foreign settings? I find it to be the subservient, submissive nature that we have generated over the years we have let foreigners rule ourselves. Our country was anybody’s cake. The Mughals, the Afghans, the Turks, the British, everybody had it. And we, so much grown into the atmosphere of somebody or the other ruling us, became subservient. It’s so much ingrained in us and that we most inadvertently behave the perfect citizen in another country. But then again, is it that all the country we visit we behave like that? I don’t think so. It has to be a country that has a living standard better than us to invoke such behaviour. A country like Bangladesh, Myanmar, or any African country will never evoke such response. And that is because we suddenly believe we are in control there. It’s another aspect of our behaviour that comes to the fore, which is using our strengths over the weak. Ever wondered why we feel so satisfied after we bargain with a rickshawala to keep the fare down to Rs. 10 which has remained so for a number of years while our DA has taken care of the inflation? Or why we greet when our boss comes over our house and kick when salespersons selling socks to eke out a living does the same? And we all thought India is a land of Namaste……………….I don’t blame anybody ‘coz it’s a typical folly of human behaviour and anybody anywhere indulges in such act.
But the problem with us Indians is, since we have become so subservient to others superior to us and so comfortable in our own cocoon that it’s very difficult to change our behaviour.
Religious books taught us to treat our body, our house as a temple. So we did. And the books never said anything about the roads outside so we never cared. “So obedient we are”. But again given a chance to maul a weak and a frail, we care two hoots what the books said. “So hypocrite we are”.
Until and unless we change our attitude towards ourselves it’s difficult to become civilised. By not being civilised we demean ourselves because at the back of our mind we still respect the developed nations more. Typical passive submission. When we do not consider ourselves equal how on earth somebody else is going to treat us that way. The day we start to respect ourselves and hold our head high; we are going to be developed in the truest sense of the word.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
'24' and Anil Kapoor
Before I start, this is a long time since I last wrote something here. Though I have plenty of things in my mind, its just that I did'nt put my pen to paper (more precisely my fingers on the keyboard).
Yesterday I watched what I waited for a long time. That's the TV series '24'. May be I'll put off a few people here by my repeated mention of this TV series. I agree its difficult to appreciate something which you have not seen yourself. But the only reason I'm writing about it is because of our own Anil Kapoor. Yes, after Slumdog Millionaire happened to him he's now widely recognised in the west, or precisely, US. From the 2 episodes I saw, his acting was above average though not fabulous. He has got considerable screen presence, which I frankly speaking, did'nt expect.
Moving on, his act as a President of an imaginary country (though based on a real country) who has come to the US to sign a peace accord is convincing. As a matter of fact, sometimes he tries to put on a different accent as per the demand of the role (not US accent mind you) and sometimes he completely forgets to do that. The requirement of the role to talk at a lesser pace has helped him though. It's no Jack Bauer with his verbal blitzkrieg and the son-of-a-b@#$ act for those who can understand what I am talking about.
All in all Kapoor is convincing in his act. '24' is a hugely popular TV series in US and outside and Kapoor for being able to bag a role and have a considerable and vital part, a picture in the main promotional banner and his name in the main credits is super achievement. Oscar or no Oscar, leveraging his new found popularity or not, he has surely done us proud.
Lets cheer for him for once. Kudos Anil Kapoor!!
I for sure will look forward to the upcoming episodes with bated breath. Kapoor and Jack in a single frame is what I'm waiting for!!
Yesterday I watched what I waited for a long time. That's the TV series '24'. May be I'll put off a few people here by my repeated mention of this TV series. I agree its difficult to appreciate something which you have not seen yourself. But the only reason I'm writing about it is because of our own Anil Kapoor. Yes, after Slumdog Millionaire happened to him he's now widely recognised in the west, or precisely, US. From the 2 episodes I saw, his acting was above average though not fabulous. He has got considerable screen presence, which I frankly speaking, did'nt expect.
Moving on, his act as a President of an imaginary country (though based on a real country) who has come to the US to sign a peace accord is convincing. As a matter of fact, sometimes he tries to put on a different accent as per the demand of the role (not US accent mind you) and sometimes he completely forgets to do that. The requirement of the role to talk at a lesser pace has helped him though. It's no Jack Bauer with his verbal blitzkrieg and the son-of-a-b@#$ act for those who can understand what I am talking about.
All in all Kapoor is convincing in his act. '24' is a hugely popular TV series in US and outside and Kapoor for being able to bag a role and have a considerable and vital part, a picture in the main promotional banner and his name in the main credits is super achievement. Oscar or no Oscar, leveraging his new found popularity or not, he has surely done us proud.
Lets cheer for him for once. Kudos Anil Kapoor!!
I for sure will look forward to the upcoming episodes with bated breath. Kapoor and Jack in a single frame is what I'm waiting for!!
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