Growing up

It had happened before. In fact, it has been happening all his life. Some people call it growing up and are awed by the miracle of this constant transformation. He plainly didn’t get it, or their apparent hypocrisy. Who in their sane minds would want to let go of a beautiful thing, for something so strange, the unknown, that only time would reveal, just a tad bit late.

It started even before his eyes had seen light. A mere egg and sperm had created life and set the wheels in motion. When he was fully formed, which now seemed a bitter joke, he was brought into this world, to face the vagaries outside the warmth and comfort of the womb.

Gradually, his limbs became stronger and he could move. It used to be easier and more enjoyable when people around him would do his bidding. Now they cheered for him to get up and take his first steps; people and their demands, he had to put in effort. In a year, they needed more than a pointed finger and a high pitched mumble. He had to learn to control his tongue and his wind pipe, to make strange sounds, which he later learnt, that only a part of the world’s population would understand. All his endeavors in learning and modulating his body, and there was more to come.

Eventually, he would start growing bigger; his body would grow out of clothes and his feet out of the shoes within weeks. He loved those clothes, and those shoes; but he couldn’t use them anymore. He would start losing his teeth and new ones would take their place - crooked and painful. Soon he would need braces to fix them. Nature was not the only force in his transformation; cosmetology and conformity were as much a part.

After several years of small transformations, he would wonder why he didn’t come with a manual. Now he had started noticing drastic changes. Some parts of his body seemed to grow plump. The distribution of hair on his body had changed so much. It was not just physiological, mind you. He now craved for new toys, the ones he had no interest in before. He craved attention and attraction from people whose existence he had once barely acknowledged. His thoughts and ideas would change; it was confusing, the pressure, the identity, and opinions, which would just hang in the air.

“When will this change ever stop?” he would ask himself. But he knew better. Once he had been a baby, an adolescent, even a teenager. In his middle age now, he knew that his body and mind would never stop changing. In fact, he had only seen what growing up was. He prepared himself for wearing down- another transformation they hadn’t warned him about.

The Slums Appall Me

There were twenty one people in the room, ten by twelve. You could smell the liquor and tobacco in the air, that is, if you were able to breathe. Right outside, you would find a person relieving himself. If the hygiene in the room was questionable, the street in front of the house was strewn with litter, and even an old sofa that looked like it was dropped from thirty feet. You could see them cook, out in the open, relishing the late spring evening and the refuse they disposed right there.

The six storey building was no mere shanty. On the bright side, the house party had some colorful conversations. From freshman to post docs, they would eventually discuss the state of third world countries and those appalling slums. After all, the first world finds as much relevance in the topic as the third world.

Strange Friends, Stranger Companions

I walked in and looked around. The dance floor, the lights, the music- although a tad annoying to my sensibilities, and a whole bunch of people looking to have a good time- drinking, dancing, making out, or all of it. This seemed a cozy place for a not so silent night. I do have a reputation for enjoying my drinks and being clueless about the real social scene. For I rarely understand a complete sentence, a mere whisper muted by the loud music; and I take offense when people nod their head for everything I say- when I know that they wouldn’t have heard a thing that I utter beneath my breath, as I always do.

Now, the train ride back home was a different story. Rather peaceful in a bustling metro, yet conversations galore. I am not too fond of the public transit system; yet, the bane is a boon when you live on a budget and miles away from “the scene”. In any society of the modern era, the public transit is a strange melting pot, bringing people together- the ones who can’t afford an automobile, the ones who care for a green world, the ones who don’t like driving around looking for a spot to park, and most importantly, the ones who wouldn’t drive after a night out binge on the hooch. The last train on a Friday night finds the last of the fore mentioned as the majority.

Now, for people who don’t know me well, I am quite the introvert. Conversations are reserved for meaningful purposes and a club offers you very little in that regard. Of late, I’ve come to realize and experience the downside of the “expert syndrome”- not just a constant need to babble about your brilliance, but also a feeling of disinterest in most things menial and redundant. The “Hi”, “How is it going” and “How are you doing today”- the icebreakers and greetings that often run into the same loops- don’t quite entice me anymore. The train, on the other hand, offers tranquility, one of personal space and etiquette. One where you are not obliged to take initiative, nor polite conversations is really necessary.

The Slavic themed club seemed rather deserted when I walked in at midnight. It filled up to the brim by the time I gulped down my first drink. I was led to believe, that it is a rather European way, of socializing post mid night. I surely wouldn’t deny- I enjoyed my drinks, was on the floor a while, spoke to a few people.
“Hey, How is it going.”, she asked me.
“It’s good.”, said I.
“You shouldn’t mix your drinks like that.”, she said.
That was probably my first conversation in half an hour. Then we continued to dance. When I was hungry enough to eat a horse, and coincidentally, that happened at the same time when most people realized they needed to get back home, I made an exit.

“Donde esta aqui?”, he said.
“No foo, you just said ‘Where are here!’ It’s ‘Donde estamos?’”, said the girl.
“Yo, hombre. You tell her that I’m right.” And he glared at me.
I was the hombre. Well, I was once mistaken for the lawn guy, asked whether I was Mexican a couple times, and my friends do tease me a bit about it. A visit to Chipotle nearly convinced me of the Indian-Latino connection. But that’s a different story. “Yo no se espanyol, homie.”, I said and we had a good laugh. The rest of the ride, and after a long time, I enjoyed a light hearted 20 minutes of jibber.

I had been to the club with friends, and I was on the train with strangers. Strangely and trust me when I say it- the alcohol had nothing to do with it- I found better companions on the train ride than on the dance floor. I just might have found a better way to socialize, on trains, while I failed relentlessly over years, trying in bars and pubs.

The Other Way

Playing the devil’s advocate is risky business; yet, every great implementation has this ordeal to thank for, in its conceptualization. 

Corruption is affecting our society. “Power corrupts” is a reality. The problem arises from the fact that power is viewed as political, monetary or one derived from affluence or related status. As citizens of the free world, each of us enjoy a degree of power- a power to educate oneself and others, a power to set a moral standard, a power to lead or to determine the leader. Corruption truly spurs from such power, when it is not exercised.

With lighted candles, a modest chunk of a billion awoke, to find their voice, to vet their power; to hazard a system that had rendered them mere puppets, comfortable ones at that. It is a shame that the populace of a democracy had to threaten its elected representatives with Satyagraha and hunger strikes to get their concerns through.

There is more than one way to approach any problem, or so I’ve been taught. You can go top-down, bottom-up, or haphazard. Although a majority believes that bottom-up yields the best results, it is also the toughest and one requiring a long term commitment. Hence many choose top-down; although it is easier to pinpoint the few issues at top, any solution will only be temporary and will not percolate to the bottom easily. This is true for engineering problems, and the current problem in society that we are fighting.ence h

While the society pushes for legislative changes to address corruption, it is important that we give a thought to bringing in change at home. It makes more sense to say that making a better man makes a better society; not vice versa. History acknowledges it and logic supports it. A “better man” has innumerable definitions and traits. Let us start with two that can, hopefully, accommodate and nurture the rest.

• You know that you are living in a better society when there is an honor system in schools. When students don’t cheat, even without invigilation and threats of dire consequences, you are sure that these will grow up to be fine individuals. Point one: Instill the virtue of honesty amongst children.

• Individuals of all ages have the right of refusal. When students refuse preferential treatment based on anything other than merit, the legislative bias loses all meaning. Point two: Nourish a sense of pride in meritocracy and apathy towards all other social differentiators.

These two aim at developing a sense of universal integrity amongst a populace that sees gray. Yes, we live in gray times, in a world that cannot clearly distinguish between the wrongs and rights. Personal morals and beliefs are not the drivers for the right lifestyle or governance. Some may argue that utopia can be created by clearly distinguishing the right from the wrong. Others realize that utopia is fictional and unachievable; especially considering that we believe in convenient more than truth, integrity and honor. The only way to overcome such obstacles in our quest for utopia is by bringing in change at the grassroots. By hardwiring a universal moral stance at a tender age, we can hope that the next generation will do the right thing. Level the playing field, set the same rules.

RIP (Religion, Identity and Politics)

This piece is inspired by what some may refer to as “Existential Angst”. George Carlin would sarcastically dismiss his thoughts on such as the “things that prevent me from making any real progress in life”. Well, someone has to address them. They are perhaps as irrelevant to our lives as social responsibility. Yet we prophesize, partake and make an attempt to keep our efforts visible.

The first stream of thought stems from a recent lecture on Market movers. We learnt the importance of first, second and third movers in the market scenario. Third movers turning the market into purely competitive and hence commoditizing products made me reflect on which market of scale was the first victim of third movers. I figured religion would make the cut. Most religions emphasize on same or similar dogmas while suggesting varied paths of attainment. Logical differentiators such as paths are necessary in pure competition.  This should have, in turn, implied that the consumers, the believers, would have a low switching cost and would derive the same satisfaction from any religion. However, the high profile market was too promising to allow such feasibility. The ones we now call “hardliners” were bred with ill construed directives to protect the market interests. The result- a radical intolerant world. Strangely, it also set a precedent for the current trend of competitive markets turning into oligopolies.

It would be unfair to end our discussions on religion without venturing a bit into “personal identity”. In the current context I find the two words being an oxymoron. Identity is not who you are anymore. Identity is a reflection of your religion, location, race, gender, orientation and other complex variables; or that is what you are made to believe. It seems more feasible to categorize a person by his “Identity” than to actually know him for who he is. The process is quite logical, with the lack of time and evanescent encounters. There is also a risk of deception and exploitation to consider. The easy path would be to ask a few questions regarding his “identity” and viola, an analyst in your head transcribes a judgment based on your knowledge, or ignorance. In an era whose jargon begins and culminates with “social networking”, gaping holes appear as the network is stretched wider and thinner.

Moving along to more relevant issues, the uprising in Egypt is being credited with a stature similar to the renaissance. The internet abounds with aspirations of similar nationalistic activities. Some are fighting dictatorships, while others, corruption and poverty. The thin networks have proven to uphold such movements. What they lack is result orientation. Egypt is still under military administration. A past evil has been uprooted from the throne while a new evil is looming large. The world is standing by, rooting for the underdog that goes by the name of democracy. The democracies are contemplating similar strategies to end corruption. The whole world is fighting for perfect governance. But when would the world open its eyes to “Power Corrupts” and realize that there is no such thing as “perfect governance”. The only possible outcome is a short-term compromise that would be exploited again, challenged again and reached again.

The views here might border on pessimism. Maybe the ones calling it “existential angst” are right. Probably it is a symptom of the newly identified “quarter life crisis”. I have reached a quarter of a lifetime, with a sizeable chunk, being ignorant to the world and its ways. The sudden awakening seems to have hit hard. Perhaps ignorance was bliss. Perhaps denial would be the new bliss. Nirvana transcends from detachment to ignorance and denial.

Delusion of an Identity

Wikileaks continued a trend of the fourth estate started over two centuries ago. The initial excitement was driven by information; a buzz catering to the curious with facts and in the crudest form. The scandals followed, the stakeholders being the first victims. The trend suggests a gradual decline into obscurity, the way of the fourth estate completing its lifecycle. The question of personal identity seems remote, if not irrelevant here. The educated world in the quest of an identity however, finds its path convoluted by this and more.

Education is the key perpetrator. Physiologically, the brain does not develop during adolescence, it is rather attuned to the society it steps into based on the information it gathers. In electronic engineering terms, the brain is like a ROM in the process of being programmed; the education burns the fuses characterizing the attributes that determine the individual’s identity. These attributes are entropic by design and at best sustain through the life. In a few lucky cases, the attributes are modified for the better.

The Internet was not just a communication infrastructure. Shrinking the world did not limit to trade and administration. It opened the gateway to demonstrate disparity in education and media. It helped introduce conflict of attained knowledge amongst geographically disconnected individuals. It fuelled the conflict to introduce others to spar over what they considered right. And through this conflict, it opened a few minds about the disparity in information available with these neo-nomads. It allowed for a few attributes to be modified for the better. Then again, like all systems running into disorder, the internet ceased to be the messiah. The conflicts increased and the understanding disappeared. The trolls had a field day while the intellectuals frowned on another wasted opportunity.

The explanation seems vague. So here is some context to elucidate. India and Pakistan are neighboring countries, a fact based on the partition after the retreat of the empire. Indians won independence for the subcontinent and Pakistanis won independence for the subcontinent, the disparity in education eight year olds receive in both these countries. Pakistan propagates infiltration and militancy in India and India funds the anti-Islam terrorism in Pakistan, propaganda of Indian and Pakistani news media and polity. The vulgar spillover on Youtube with every video, as innocent or disconnected it be, involved in incendiary dialogues, the conflict. The knowledge that these remarks are baseless and a result of corrupt education and media, priceless. Somewhere down the line, the conflicts are ignored along with the lessons, the decay.

This is not an isolated example. In every fathomable case, the convoluted understanding of their history and false pride are the culprits. The Identity, a uniqueness or individual differentiator is the casualty. It is a casualty due to its existence. It is a casualty due to its nourishment by conveniently desecrated facts. Yet, it is the goal, a final attainment in a mirage that shadows the path to Nirvana; not the supreme knowledge, but the solidarity without individual identity.

The Reason

Imagine a black male in his early twenties being cheered by a horde of white folk. Not too tough eh? Now imagine the scene half a century ago in pre civil rights America and conservative UK! Jimi Hendrix brought to the music world a new genre, the age of rock. His inimitable style was inspired by a combination of artists like Bob Dylan, The Who, and Cream, and yet gave a Jimi Hendrix experience that was unique. The left handed eccentric playing a right handed guitar will be inspiration for ages to come. He was the pivotal cog in transforming blues to rock; half a century down the line, we are yet to see an artist who has done as much. What set him apart?

Dead Poets Society, a Robin Williams classic has been my favorite movie for ages. Many movie makers, western, Indian or otherwise have sought inspiration from DPS to portray teacher-student relationships and influence the education system. Young men, slaves of a competitive society; we just need an ignition to fire to our true potentials. Limited by porous walls of viability and success, it is easy to sneak through to what our hearts crave; we need some direction or even a simple nudge. There are many great words by many great men in this movie. Carpe Diem, seize the moment, not because you are in a hurry, but for the moment is defined by how you make it your own. Brilliant lines, most of them by Walt Whitman show the purpose of life beyond the trivialities. My favorite would be the poem which Mr. John Keating explains as “poetry, art, music, romance and love, these are things that makes us human. Medicine, Law, Banking and engineering are noble pursuits required for sustenance of life. But these are not the reason to live!” So raise your barbaric yawps and be free to do what you think is right.

I have been influenced by many teachers in my life. In high school, Mrs. Geetha Sheshadri, the terror, initiated our young minds to the concept of free thinking. She taught us English and history. We were never asked to memorize what the author would like us to understand. We were required to pen our understanding of poetry and stories. Later, Mr. Arul Mani, another fine English teacher in my 11th and 12th continued the trend by quoting from material outside the syllabus, through lively discussion of literature and current affairs; things apart from career pursuits and things that justified our lives. Through Engineering, I met another luminary, Dr J P Pichamuthu, a man of science, whose theories in avionics and field theory enable our flights, commercial and military, to soar the skies freely. I vaguely remember his sessions on field theory and communication systems; however, I’ll forever cherish our talks. He was a person that would make me say “Oh Captain, My Captain.”; an inspiration to look beyond my pursuits in finding a reason to live.

The Government of India, after years of deliberation, is at the cusp of introducing the Right to Education Act. The motives are clear and fair, but the approach as ever seems chaotic and disturbing. We are a society yearning to untangle education as a domain of the elite. Why are we then trying to degrade the elitist education system to the non-progressive public schooling system? Why are we not making an effort to alleviate the public schools to the standards set by Private institutes? The RTE should provide a system to educate the masses; not to make them mere literates. What is the point of a billion people who can read, but never understand the complete meaning of it? What is the point of a billion people that are provided a life sustenance mean, but never a reason to live?

Hendrix is not the best example we can give our kids. The man who OD’d on sleeping pills was also the man who composed “Stars Spangled Banner”; just to tell the world what he thought of his government’s military policies. What set him apart? His source of sustenance was his reason to live. The man knew what he was doing, why he was doing it and enjoyed every part of it. We lack such men in the current age. We rather complain and not figure a reason for our happiness. We believe in sustenance and sustenance only. Why do we lack a reason?

Economic Sunshine

“Make hay while the sun shines”, said an old proverb. And like most proverbs, it has been clichéd severely and the actual meaning never given the importance. India has emerged as a driving economy; well, at least in the current day scenario. Economists attribute this to the population, education, the flat world and a lot of other factors. True, in some sense. But these are driving only the urban development and catering largely to the markets outside. The sunshine factor rarely figured in our planning 21st century economy.

As Mr. Nandan Nilekani puts in his book, Imagining India, India is enjoying the first dividend of a double hump population boom. The population is young compared to the graying American and European populace. The south, with a slightly lower and more urban centric population is providing the first population dividend by utilizing the knowledge boom. Surveys indicate, the median age in northern India is much lower or younger than the current south Indian median age. This implies that the next economic surge would be driven by the folks to the north of the Vindyas.

The focus of our economics should now shift from creating a corpus, which we have successfully managed over the last two decades, to sustainability. The population of northern India is a challenge to figuring the demographic dividend. The current model of knowledge and service industry that has driven the southern rise as economic behemoths is not necessarily suitable for paving the northern economic plans. With a focus on self sustenance, a single vertical will not suffice. It may seem as a case of devolution, but shifting the focus from IT and technology to Agrarian and infrastructure will provide the sustainability needed.

The economic sunshine is rather the concept of utilizing sunshine to drive economics. Our tendency to ‘move west’ to find metaphorical gold mines is a slight misnomer. We have, through history, moved towards the poles in search of these gold mines. The people of the tropics never had to worry about optimizing the utilization of Sunlight as we receive nearly 12 hours of it throughout the year. When we move towards the poles, sunlight is evidently a major economic factor. An early understanding of this helped the people to develop concepts such as Daylight Savings and higher utilization during late spring, summer and early fall. Receiving up to 18 hours of sunshine during these periods has helped them to work harder towards tasks that require the sunlight factor- infrastructure, agriculture, etc. During the winters, efforts are made to utilize the maximum of short sunlight hours and discover alternate tasks and jobs for the dark early afternoons. Whereas we, in the tropics, have considered the sunlight as a luxury and wasted it over the years.

Our typical office hours start from 0900 and in the case of government agencies at 1030 and beyond. Essentially, we are losing an average of four precious sunlight hours to sleep and other trivialities. A focused shift of work hours to at least 0730 would help us utilize more sunlight than we currently use. Another advantage of this would be minimizing our energy consumption. The current efforts to reduce global warming and carbon footprints will be supplemented by this theory. The north Indian economic dividend will be enabled through employment in industries where sunlight is a key factor.

Of course, there are industries that do not require sunlight. The flat world has changed the dependencies a lot. This however is only a small vertical that is fueling the India of tomorrow. The other skyscrapers in the graph are yet to rise, and only a uniform growth in all sectors would help in building a sustainable economy. We cannot be satisfied by a two decade boom and live in its shadows for the next century.