A little bit about me before we get onto the rant. I have now moved to IIT's Institute of Design in Chicago as an Assistant Professor. IIT ID is ranked among the top schools of Design in the world (Design Intelligence ranked it number 1 this year). So this is an amazing move for me. Also Chicago is a great city. Lots to learn, lots to see, and lots to reflect about.
So here's to some good blogging in the near future.
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Sunday, January 03, 2010
Reboot in the New Year
A New Year, a new decade. New thoughts, new gyan. And a great time for a reboot.
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Sunday, March 18, 2007
mitro bahini
We lost!
Of course knowing our cricket team, thats not a new thing, is it? What is key is that we lost to Bangladesh. Minnows.
All of this hurts but you know what hurts most? The arrogance and bad sportsmanship we displayed on the field. The most experienced Indian cricket team fell - in both the game and in the eyes of our opponents - kids of 18 and 20 who played the game as it was meant to be played - with respect.
Minnows?
Why? Why? Why? Why did Dravid, Sachin, and Dhoni flight their shots when they were required to ground them? Why (and what) did Munaf Patel exchange with Tamim when he hit him for a six? Why did Harbhajan try to trip the runner when he was on the ground? Why were we such sore losers?
I say - good going Bangladesh! Of course, I know (as all Indians do) that 2007 is India's year. But I applaud your victory. I applaud your courage, your strength, and your game. And as the Bangla supporters in the stands said - may be 2011 is the year of the Bangla tigers...but till then, play like there is no tomorrow and play fair. For there is nothing greater in the game and in life...
Joy Bangla!
Of course knowing our cricket team, thats not a new thing, is it? What is key is that we lost to Bangladesh. Minnows.
All of this hurts but you know what hurts most? The arrogance and bad sportsmanship we displayed on the field. The most experienced Indian cricket team fell - in both the game and in the eyes of our opponents - kids of 18 and 20 who played the game as it was meant to be played - with respect.
Minnows?
Why? Why? Why? Why did Dravid, Sachin, and Dhoni flight their shots when they were required to ground them? Why (and what) did Munaf Patel exchange with Tamim when he hit him for a six? Why did Harbhajan try to trip the runner when he was on the ground? Why were we such sore losers?
I say - good going Bangladesh! Of course, I know (as all Indians do) that 2007 is India's year. But I applaud your victory. I applaud your courage, your strength, and your game. And as the Bangla supporters in the stands said - may be 2011 is the year of the Bangla tigers...but till then, play like there is no tomorrow and play fair. For there is nothing greater in the game and in life...
Joy Bangla!
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
in response...
My responses to responses to my earlier post...
Since the question has been raised as an argument, I would like to present mine with an analogy... The British first visited India in 17th century... they had a shrewd plan in mind... but people in general did not pay attention to whatever was happening till they started feeling the heat as late as two - three centuries later...Better late than never.
I agree...we have to react when we feel it is appropriate...otherwise we remain mute observers in a changing world. The analogy which has been used however is incomplete. The British took over our lives not because we did not recognise the danger but because as a class divided we never really cared for it. Our ruling Maharajas seized the free reign to divide and rob our people more than before; the higher castes took it as an opportunity to develop their own personal lifestyles. In fact those that did not fraternise with the English (albeit higher caste persons) suffered the same way as those in the lower or no caste (harijan's). In the end it is this suffering that led to revolution. Our struggle for independence did not start from the homes of the rich and the famous...it started from the sepoys of Kanpur, from the streets of Poona, from the villages of Punjab! Yes, there were leaders…but without the multitude, the countless farmers and village folks, revolution as we know it may never have happened. In short, revolution is a result of the common man - those whom we once again choose to ignore.
Reservation was not intended for those few that managed to send their children to Sandhurst, to Oxford, to Cambridge...it is for those that stayed drenched in the poverty that was and is the reality of India.
True, reservation in itself will never pave the way for weaker sections to develop...I agree change has to start from a grass root level...through infrastructure development, improved public schooling systems, feasible healthcare delivery models...everything…I agree, I agree, I agree. I am in full support of all these efforts...But to ignore reservation will mean the death of the weaker sections of the society even before these developments reach them.
There are two ways to feed your son. Keep supplying food, or teach him how to earn, even if it’s the hard way.
This couldn’t be truer – the weaker sections of our society are like a child. A father must teach the child to feed itself, for only then will it be able to fend for itself in this cruel world. BUT what father will leave a child to fetch its own food from the day it is born? It is but a simple truth that only when a child has been fed, can it be taught to feed itself! Teaching a hungry child to fend for its own may in itself be murder!
What is more skewed is that this child we discuss is not a normal child...it is handicapped, physically challenged, mentally retarded, blind, deaf, dumb, scarred, mutilated...everything that a normal child is not! To presume that it should be taught in the same manner and with the same instruments as you teach a normal child will lead to its own demise.
So in a nut shell the argument is because we have a 3000 years history of oppression, we should have at least 3000 years of pampering with freebies... quite justified in this age isn't it... of course when B.R. Ambedkar himself forecasted that an honest implementation should mean that in 25-30 years there would be a LEVEL playing field and the sanctions should be removed... he was being naive because he missed the target by a good 2775 years... grand miscalculation perhaps...
I said and I maintain - reservation is an apology...it’s not going to help OBC/SC/ST's or even those economically poor sections develop overnight...it can only be effective IF and only IF it is implemented OVER time. One OBC or 100 OBC's may benefit from it today...but unless there is a change in the way the CLASS itself reacts, the whole concept of development is but a farce. When Ambedkar put a time span, I think he believed in the earnest nature of Indian society; forgetting the honest truth – that we are not unlike anyone else. The real deal is that there is no limit…reservations should be removed but when we as a nation believe that the CLASS has improved…not one person or a group of people…the WHOLE CLASS!
From your argument I understand that your definition of WE and US is very skewed and very NARROW... When we refer to the folks who are protesting they are not '... the english speaking, convent educated, staying abroad... blah blah blah...' Who are you talking about whom you so melodramatically embrace with WE. Those who are protesting are advocates of a process not a bunch invalids looking for alibi...And the use of ELITE is a misnomer here if not euphemistic to denote a miniscule percentage of well- off folks doling out their opinion from the higher echelons of society... No Sir they are not US... US is a more wider term... it includes hoards of students who feel cheated because despite their efforts, people who worked way less grabbed the seats, it includes all the so called 'Upper Caste' youths who couldn’t secure employment because of these quotas and it includes millions of those who feel that merit (educational and capability) should be respected even though they themselves don't stand to gain anything from this...
Let us in this regard dissect the protesting clan of students...Everyday I hear of the upper class youth who because of his economic despair was ignored the seat that he worked hard for…Everyday I hear the cry of the boy from the poor village who in spite of his high marks in school could not get a seat in college. I sympathise…I think steps should be taken to help them…they are not unimportant…they are but another aspect of our society that needs help. The sad part however is that I hardly ever see the face of a SC/ST/OBC claiming that reservation is not the means to their development. I hardly ever hear anyone from the weaker section argue that it is not the method that should be followed. Forget that…I hardly ever see OR hear anyone from this section say ANYTHING! That is the dark truth of oppression…there is no voice…no one to make the plea…no one to fight.
To explain let me take you to a world different from ours - I am the faculty advisor to the National Organization of Minority Architecture Students in my University in the US...a student body comprised of Black Americans, Hispanics, Asians, Indians etc. – minorities in their own right. In a country that has proved that affirmative action does not denigrate the quality of its establishments, these minorities still suffer from low self esteem, low speaking prowess, and minimal overall development. Thus in spite of the Jordans that fly across Nike ads, the Woods that swing their clubs in the greens around the world, the Rices that meet diplomats in India and China, a large number of these kids still cannot stand up and argue with their white counterparts...not because of lack of opportunities but because of the society that they live in. Capitalist America claims that white kids and black kids come from the same schools but the truth is that Black America deals with problems that White America does not even want to hear about...racial demure, drugs, riots, teen pregnancies, rape etc. Everyday I face these kids...kids who have made it thus far to a large university but often lose the battle - not because they are not capable or meritorious but because they fall behind in when pitted against the privileged white society that never once had to deal with anything they went through.
Is the situation in India any different? I say not. We say that all the students that get into our institutions are equals...rarely do we questions if they are they really so…How many of us (high caste or otherwise) have had to deal with class bias, gender bias, economic bias at a personal scale...how many of us lived in constant fear of not having a meal to eat, a rape in the house, a day without water? The truth is 75% of India does...I agree merit should be respected…but what merit? That which comes from the head of a child who has had three square meals a day or that which comes from the head of child that lives in the midst of oppression and undernourishment?
Are we indeed trying to help them get out of their deemed class and come one step closer to the upper class or are we brandishing them as OBC's forever?. Yeah they do have the right to education, so special colleges can be proposed for them, otherwise on a brighter side free scholarships can be made available to them. IIT's and IIM's have a reputation in the world scenario just because of the students who come into their fold- read students with merit. I can get an OBC certificate for 5000 bucks in India, do you know that?
I respect the position of the IITs and the IIMs as islands of excellence and I have not intention of spoiling that repute. It is the belief that reservation will lead to a decrease in standards that I have a problem with. I know - an OBC certificate can be bought for Rs. 5000 in India…that is not the problem…let us not confuse legislation with corruption. Corruption is not permanent…over time it will erase itself…democracy will make certain of that…It is the legislation that we so strongly oppose that I am worried about. Opposing legislation without discussion is the death of democracy. It only adds to our elitist mindset - that which claims that we will never consult an OBC doctor; or employ an SC/ST architect; and so on…this is the elitism that I so melodramatically disregard!
Does anyone remember a website called usa.net? In the years of free information, it was the first one stop its free email service and g the pay if you want to use my services way... what did we do? Quietly moved to other accounts that were free... usa.net is nearly defunct as far as email is concerned... 123india.com completely exited of the email business... then came Gmail and everyone was in the mad rush of either securing a 1 GB free mail account or providing one... Why the analogy? Because it clearly illustrates the flaw in the system.... if you provide something that is easy to get... people would consider it their Birthright and would never learn to put in true effort for that... you can provide them eons of pampering but the day you remove your support... they would come down like a pack of cards and probably end up lot worse than where they would have been otherwise...
In retort, I argue that paid email services did not work not because we were flooded with free opportunities but because free email is the better of the two systems; BECAUSE we had the right to choose. Over time, companies that offered free email developed a MUCH better system of revenue generation and everybody won!
None of this happened because of intelligent CEOs brainstorms – it happened through selection…through free election. Thus the truth is that in a democracy, the voice of the multitude WILL WIN... democracy will find a way to survive…that is the beauty of the system. That is why as educated folks, we should keep arguing…only through discussion will we be able to weed out the bad and nurture the good. It is this indomitable faith in our democracy that keeps me (us?) going every day. And win, democracy will!
As you can understand (hopefully...) it is easier to browse the internet and comment on something from the high chair ... come and see the ground realities... from the ground level... I am sure it will change the view to life...
1. Each year the reserved seats in a number of the places are left empty because not enough people end up qualifying even when barest of minimum of marks are reqd.
2. The real benefit has still not reached where it was intended... truth is no one is interested in the actual development... if the voting class grows wiser it starts questioning... not good.
In the end, I agree - we should all step out of our air conditioned homes and offices into the real world…see what is actually happening. But adding to what is said, I ask that we (you, me…everyone) step out beyond the halls of DPS, KV and Junior Colleges; beyond the walls of IITs, AIIMS, BITs…to the “real” world of the “backward” classes…Let us look beyond what we perceive as the voting class to what is the “real” voting class.
For only then will we see beyond the empty reserved seats to WHY they remain empty; WHY they take 5-6 years for a 4 years course; WHY they are not confident of administering as simple a device as a Vigo into a patients arm…
The truth is when every one of these seats gets filled every year for years together, when these students start finishing in 4 years, when they are confident to do the simplest of jobs, it is indication that reservation needs revision…until then…
Since the question has been raised as an argument, I would like to present mine with an analogy... The British first visited India in 17th century... they had a shrewd plan in mind... but people in general did not pay attention to whatever was happening till they started feeling the heat as late as two - three centuries later...Better late than never.
I agree...we have to react when we feel it is appropriate...otherwise we remain mute observers in a changing world. The analogy which has been used however is incomplete. The British took over our lives not because we did not recognise the danger but because as a class divided we never really cared for it. Our ruling Maharajas seized the free reign to divide and rob our people more than before; the higher castes took it as an opportunity to develop their own personal lifestyles. In fact those that did not fraternise with the English (albeit higher caste persons) suffered the same way as those in the lower or no caste (harijan's). In the end it is this suffering that led to revolution. Our struggle for independence did not start from the homes of the rich and the famous...it started from the sepoys of Kanpur, from the streets of Poona, from the villages of Punjab! Yes, there were leaders…but without the multitude, the countless farmers and village folks, revolution as we know it may never have happened. In short, revolution is a result of the common man - those whom we once again choose to ignore.
Reservation was not intended for those few that managed to send their children to Sandhurst, to Oxford, to Cambridge...it is for those that stayed drenched in the poverty that was and is the reality of India.
True, reservation in itself will never pave the way for weaker sections to develop...I agree change has to start from a grass root level...through infrastructure development, improved public schooling systems, feasible healthcare delivery models...everything…I agree, I agree, I agree. I am in full support of all these efforts...But to ignore reservation will mean the death of the weaker sections of the society even before these developments reach them.
There are two ways to feed your son. Keep supplying food, or teach him how to earn, even if it’s the hard way.
This couldn’t be truer – the weaker sections of our society are like a child. A father must teach the child to feed itself, for only then will it be able to fend for itself in this cruel world. BUT what father will leave a child to fetch its own food from the day it is born? It is but a simple truth that only when a child has been fed, can it be taught to feed itself! Teaching a hungry child to fend for its own may in itself be murder!
What is more skewed is that this child we discuss is not a normal child...it is handicapped, physically challenged, mentally retarded, blind, deaf, dumb, scarred, mutilated...everything that a normal child is not! To presume that it should be taught in the same manner and with the same instruments as you teach a normal child will lead to its own demise.
So in a nut shell the argument is because we have a 3000 years history of oppression, we should have at least 3000 years of pampering with freebies... quite justified in this age isn't it... of course when B.R. Ambedkar himself forecasted that an honest implementation should mean that in 25-30 years there would be a LEVEL playing field and the sanctions should be removed... he was being naive because he missed the target by a good 2775 years... grand miscalculation perhaps...
I said and I maintain - reservation is an apology...it’s not going to help OBC/SC/ST's or even those economically poor sections develop overnight...it can only be effective IF and only IF it is implemented OVER time. One OBC or 100 OBC's may benefit from it today...but unless there is a change in the way the CLASS itself reacts, the whole concept of development is but a farce. When Ambedkar put a time span, I think he believed in the earnest nature of Indian society; forgetting the honest truth – that we are not unlike anyone else. The real deal is that there is no limit…reservations should be removed but when we as a nation believe that the CLASS has improved…not one person or a group of people…the WHOLE CLASS!
From your argument I understand that your definition of WE and US is very skewed and very NARROW... When we refer to the folks who are protesting they are not '... the english speaking, convent educated, staying abroad... blah blah blah...' Who are you talking about whom you so melodramatically embrace with WE. Those who are protesting are advocates of a process not a bunch invalids looking for alibi...And the use of ELITE is a misnomer here if not euphemistic to denote a miniscule percentage of well- off folks doling out their opinion from the higher echelons of society... No Sir they are not US... US is a more wider term... it includes hoards of students who feel cheated because despite their efforts, people who worked way less grabbed the seats, it includes all the so called 'Upper Caste' youths who couldn’t secure employment because of these quotas and it includes millions of those who feel that merit (educational and capability) should be respected even though they themselves don't stand to gain anything from this...
Let us in this regard dissect the protesting clan of students...Everyday I hear of the upper class youth who because of his economic despair was ignored the seat that he worked hard for…Everyday I hear the cry of the boy from the poor village who in spite of his high marks in school could not get a seat in college. I sympathise…I think steps should be taken to help them…they are not unimportant…they are but another aspect of our society that needs help. The sad part however is that I hardly ever see the face of a SC/ST/OBC claiming that reservation is not the means to their development. I hardly ever hear anyone from the weaker section argue that it is not the method that should be followed. Forget that…I hardly ever see OR hear anyone from this section say ANYTHING! That is the dark truth of oppression…there is no voice…no one to make the plea…no one to fight.
To explain let me take you to a world different from ours - I am the faculty advisor to the National Organization of Minority Architecture Students in my University in the US...a student body comprised of Black Americans, Hispanics, Asians, Indians etc. – minorities in their own right. In a country that has proved that affirmative action does not denigrate the quality of its establishments, these minorities still suffer from low self esteem, low speaking prowess, and minimal overall development. Thus in spite of the Jordans that fly across Nike ads, the Woods that swing their clubs in the greens around the world, the Rices that meet diplomats in India and China, a large number of these kids still cannot stand up and argue with their white counterparts...not because of lack of opportunities but because of the society that they live in. Capitalist America claims that white kids and black kids come from the same schools but the truth is that Black America deals with problems that White America does not even want to hear about...racial demure, drugs, riots, teen pregnancies, rape etc. Everyday I face these kids...kids who have made it thus far to a large university but often lose the battle - not because they are not capable or meritorious but because they fall behind in when pitted against the privileged white society that never once had to deal with anything they went through.
Is the situation in India any different? I say not. We say that all the students that get into our institutions are equals...rarely do we questions if they are they really so…How many of us (high caste or otherwise) have had to deal with class bias, gender bias, economic bias at a personal scale...how many of us lived in constant fear of not having a meal to eat, a rape in the house, a day without water? The truth is 75% of India does...I agree merit should be respected…but what merit? That which comes from the head of a child who has had three square meals a day or that which comes from the head of child that lives in the midst of oppression and undernourishment?
Are we indeed trying to help them get out of their deemed class and come one step closer to the upper class or are we brandishing them as OBC's forever?. Yeah they do have the right to education, so special colleges can be proposed for them, otherwise on a brighter side free scholarships can be made available to them. IIT's and IIM's have a reputation in the world scenario just because of the students who come into their fold- read students with merit. I can get an OBC certificate for 5000 bucks in India, do you know that?
I respect the position of the IITs and the IIMs as islands of excellence and I have not intention of spoiling that repute. It is the belief that reservation will lead to a decrease in standards that I have a problem with. I know - an OBC certificate can be bought for Rs. 5000 in India…that is not the problem…let us not confuse legislation with corruption. Corruption is not permanent…over time it will erase itself…democracy will make certain of that…It is the legislation that we so strongly oppose that I am worried about. Opposing legislation without discussion is the death of democracy. It only adds to our elitist mindset - that which claims that we will never consult an OBC doctor; or employ an SC/ST architect; and so on…this is the elitism that I so melodramatically disregard!
Does anyone remember a website called usa.net? In the years of free information, it was the first one stop its free email service and g the pay if you want to use my services way... what did we do? Quietly moved to other accounts that were free... usa.net is nearly defunct as far as email is concerned... 123india.com completely exited of the email business... then came Gmail and everyone was in the mad rush of either securing a 1 GB free mail account or providing one... Why the analogy? Because it clearly illustrates the flaw in the system.... if you provide something that is easy to get... people would consider it their Birthright and would never learn to put in true effort for that... you can provide them eons of pampering but the day you remove your support... they would come down like a pack of cards and probably end up lot worse than where they would have been otherwise...
In retort, I argue that paid email services did not work not because we were flooded with free opportunities but because free email is the better of the two systems; BECAUSE we had the right to choose. Over time, companies that offered free email developed a MUCH better system of revenue generation and everybody won!
None of this happened because of intelligent CEOs brainstorms – it happened through selection…through free election. Thus the truth is that in a democracy, the voice of the multitude WILL WIN... democracy will find a way to survive…that is the beauty of the system. That is why as educated folks, we should keep arguing…only through discussion will we be able to weed out the bad and nurture the good. It is this indomitable faith in our democracy that keeps me (us?) going every day. And win, democracy will!
As you can understand (hopefully...) it is easier to browse the internet and comment on something from the high chair ... come and see the ground realities... from the ground level... I am sure it will change the view to life...
1. Each year the reserved seats in a number of the places are left empty because not enough people end up qualifying even when barest of minimum of marks are reqd.
2. The real benefit has still not reached where it was intended... truth is no one is interested in the actual development... if the voting class grows wiser it starts questioning... not good.
In the end, I agree - we should all step out of our air conditioned homes and offices into the real world…see what is actually happening. But adding to what is said, I ask that we (you, me…everyone) step out beyond the halls of DPS, KV and Junior Colleges; beyond the walls of IITs, AIIMS, BITs…to the “real” world of the “backward” classes…Let us look beyond what we perceive as the voting class to what is the “real” voting class.
For only then will we see beyond the empty reserved seats to WHY they remain empty; WHY they take 5-6 years for a 4 years course; WHY they are not confident of administering as simple a device as a Vigo into a patients arm…
The truth is when every one of these seats gets filled every year for years together, when these students start finishing in 4 years, when they are confident to do the simplest of jobs, it is indication that reservation needs revision…until then…
Monday, May 22, 2006
Sunday, May 21, 2006
acknowledgement
This is an acknowledgement to all my friends in Starkville (and nearby areas) without whose input the last post would not have been possible. One person in particular is key to the change in our thinking...Mithun Varma whose constant pessimism brings us a common perspective that our elitist lives would otherwise ignore. It is without doubt his words that are stated below...the only thing I have done is that I articulate them through my keyboard.
reservations...
Recently I got a forward from a junior of mine asking to support the Medico strike...I am attaching below my response to that email.
I REFUSE TO FORWARD THIS EMAIL! I think it is baseless and unimportant - atleast now! I think our country deserves more than such pointless blackmail!
For argument, let me pose the question - as the so called intellectual section of our democracy, why is it that we are raising our voices against a bill that was passed a long time ago? The 93rd Amendment, which is now Article 15(5) of the Constitution is now in its implementation stage and we oppose it because as the elite section of the society we FINALLY realise its implications upon our lives (see http://www.hindu.com/2006/05/18/stories/2006051803881100.htm). None of us knew or even cared about the amendment when it was up for discussion.
The more important issue is how can we even argue the importance of reservations?
We claim that entrance to colleges should be on merit...but what is this merit? Is it still merit when even after years of private school education and expensive entrance coaching sessions, we still cannot clear the screening exam of IIT? Is it not then a farcical pretention that we hide our own imperfections behind? No one made a fuss when NRI quotas were introduced. No one solicits protests when management quotas form about 20% of every engineering/medical school admission - Is merit not effected by these? Or is it only a problem when it effects US?
We say there should be a level playing field - the truth is there NEVER WAS nor will there ever be. What happens to those millions of other Indians who cannot afford the same schooling and entrance exams? How will they EVER compete with us - the convent educated, english speaking elite of India? And then there is 3000 years of oppression and racism - how can we EVER say sorry? Do you really think this academic well being that we talk about is a result of a day? NO - Its a result of centuries of privileged up-bringing!
We like to argue that the class distinctions should be economical and not caste based...TRUE...I agree completely. So do economists and planners (see
http://www.hindu.com/2006/05/18/stories/2006051803891100.htm). BUT WHAT IS A GOOD ECONOMIC INDICATOR? Your parent's income level? Your access to education? Let us agree that economics should be an indicator and all admissions should be based on percentage of economic access (very democratic eh?). This poses a major problem - Lets take a simple (accepted) economic indicator - telephone penetration - In 2004, only 4.3 persons in India had access to telephones per 100 (in urban areas it is 15.2)...so IF YOU HAVE A TELEPHONE IN YOUR HOMES - you constitute merely 5% of the population of India - which means that in truth instead of the 50% seats that we enjoy, we should have access to less than 5% - talk about ELITE!
We say the problem is that deserving students are effected - ARE WE REALLY? So what does it effect? Our GRE scores? Our GMAT scores? Our UK/US visas? How many of us really stay back and help those populations of our country that need our help? I can say that I havent!
We say the problem is not the reservation issue - it is the aggressive behavior of the gonvernment against peaceful protests - I argue that the peaceful protests ARE THE PROBLEM! These are doctors and medical students that are protesting - a whole day without medical services...We call ourselves the intellectual society and yet we have to resort to such coercions to make our point felt? These are DOCTORS for God's sake - CAN YOU IMAGINE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN if all hospitals stopped working for a day? What if it were your wife's delivery that were affected? Or an emergency operation for your brother?
For the first time, this Government has had the guts to implement that portion of the Mandal Commission that went unnoticed by others for a quarter of a century.
Today instead of forwarding such one sided emails, I say KUDOS to Arjun Singh and the Congress for taking such a step!
I urge each of you to take atleast a few minutes to read up on the issue from both angles - there are tons of editorials and reports all over media that represents the true issue - not just our (elitist) point of view...read these - if nothing else, let us use our education to debate and argue instead of protest and blackmail!
I REFUSE TO FORWARD THIS EMAIL! I think it is baseless and unimportant - atleast now! I think our country deserves more than such pointless blackmail!
For argument, let me pose the question - as the so called intellectual section of our democracy, why is it that we are raising our voices against a bill that was passed a long time ago? The 93rd Amendment, which is now Article 15(5) of the Constitution is now in its implementation stage and we oppose it because as the elite section of the society we FINALLY realise its implications upon our lives (see http://www.hindu.com/2006/05/18/stories/2006051803881100.htm). None of us knew or even cared about the amendment when it was up for discussion.
The more important issue is how can we even argue the importance of reservations?
We claim that entrance to colleges should be on merit...but what is this merit? Is it still merit when even after years of private school education and expensive entrance coaching sessions, we still cannot clear the screening exam of IIT? Is it not then a farcical pretention that we hide our own imperfections behind? No one made a fuss when NRI quotas were introduced. No one solicits protests when management quotas form about 20% of every engineering/medical school admission - Is merit not effected by these? Or is it only a problem when it effects US?
We say there should be a level playing field - the truth is there NEVER WAS nor will there ever be. What happens to those millions of other Indians who cannot afford the same schooling and entrance exams? How will they EVER compete with us - the convent educated, english speaking elite of India? And then there is 3000 years of oppression and racism - how can we EVER say sorry? Do you really think this academic well being that we talk about is a result of a day? NO - Its a result of centuries of privileged up-bringing!
We like to argue that the class distinctions should be economical and not caste based...TRUE...I agree completely. So do economists and planners (see
http://www.hindu.com/2006/05/18/stories/2006051803891100.htm). BUT WHAT IS A GOOD ECONOMIC INDICATOR? Your parent's income level? Your access to education? Let us agree that economics should be an indicator and all admissions should be based on percentage of economic access (very democratic eh?). This poses a major problem - Lets take a simple (accepted) economic indicator - telephone penetration - In 2004, only 4.3 persons in India had access to telephones per 100 (in urban areas it is 15.2)...so IF YOU HAVE A TELEPHONE IN YOUR HOMES - you constitute merely 5% of the population of India - which means that in truth instead of the 50% seats that we enjoy, we should have access to less than 5% - talk about ELITE!
We say the problem is that deserving students are effected - ARE WE REALLY? So what does it effect? Our GRE scores? Our GMAT scores? Our UK/US visas? How many of us really stay back and help those populations of our country that need our help? I can say that I havent!
We say the problem is not the reservation issue - it is the aggressive behavior of the gonvernment against peaceful protests - I argue that the peaceful protests ARE THE PROBLEM! These are doctors and medical students that are protesting - a whole day without medical services...We call ourselves the intellectual society and yet we have to resort to such coercions to make our point felt? These are DOCTORS for God's sake - CAN YOU IMAGINE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN if all hospitals stopped working for a day? What if it were your wife's delivery that were affected? Or an emergency operation for your brother?
For the first time, this Government has had the guts to implement that portion of the Mandal Commission that went unnoticed by others for a quarter of a century.
Today instead of forwarding such one sided emails, I say KUDOS to Arjun Singh and the Congress for taking such a step!
I urge each of you to take atleast a few minutes to read up on the issue from both angles - there are tons of editorials and reports all over media that represents the true issue - not just our (elitist) point of view...read these - if nothing else, let us use our education to debate and argue instead of protest and blackmail!
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
To each his (/her) own faith…
The never-ending debate - what rules supreme? Religion or science? Faith or logic?
Before I begin, I think it’s important to clarify: I will always side with science and logic. I believe that only the simplest explanation will prevail and that explanation will always be logical. However, the question – “is science supreme?” cannot be answered easily. The first thing to understand - to believe in science is itself to have “faith” in it. “Faith” that science will work every time in every place; “faith” that things will begin and end in the same logical manner; “faith” that systems won’t fail; and that all principles will exist through all time.
To better explain this, let’s presume for a moment that nothing exists. Nothing…no universe, no place, no time, no science, no religion…nothing. Except you...
A purely existential level (a epistomologic mysticist world?) - a world where rules are defined by you; where logic is defined by you; where systems respond to you; and where everything (but you) is your own creation. In this nothingness…you are supreme…you say what will happen and what will not.
In such an existence, what is science? What is logic? Only that which you clad it with; only that which you want. It is you who built the universe around logic. It is you!
However, this is not the existence we live in, you argue! But it is…isn’t t? Beyond the tomes and the principles and the systems and the logic, what makes you sure that anything exists? What makes you sure that science is supreme? What can you use to prove when the very act of proving itself is logic!
It’s faith! Your faith…that which is construed by you!
If then, could not another person construe religious faith to existence?
Would not that existence work just as well?
Essential faith is always the same. We both believe that our “faith” is stronger than the other. Of course I am not saying that all attributes of religion (or science) are perfect! Or that you can use faith as a blindfold preventing you from seeing what is true and what is false!
In the end, whether science is supreme or religion doesn’t matter! What matters is that at an existential level, we are both the same!
And I say…to each his (/her) own faith!
Before I begin, I think it’s important to clarify: I will always side with science and logic. I believe that only the simplest explanation will prevail and that explanation will always be logical. However, the question – “is science supreme?” cannot be answered easily. The first thing to understand - to believe in science is itself to have “faith” in it. “Faith” that science will work every time in every place; “faith” that things will begin and end in the same logical manner; “faith” that systems won’t fail; and that all principles will exist through all time.
To better explain this, let’s presume for a moment that nothing exists. Nothing…no universe, no place, no time, no science, no religion…nothing. Except you...
A purely existential level (a epistomologic mysticist world?) - a world where rules are defined by you; where logic is defined by you; where systems respond to you; and where everything (but you) is your own creation. In this nothingness…you are supreme…you say what will happen and what will not.
In such an existence, what is science? What is logic? Only that which you clad it with; only that which you want. It is you who built the universe around logic. It is you!
However, this is not the existence we live in, you argue! But it is…isn’t t? Beyond the tomes and the principles and the systems and the logic, what makes you sure that anything exists? What makes you sure that science is supreme? What can you use to prove when the very act of proving itself is logic!
It’s faith! Your faith…that which is construed by you!
If then, could not another person construe religious faith to existence?
Would not that existence work just as well?
Essential faith is always the same. We both believe that our “faith” is stronger than the other. Of course I am not saying that all attributes of religion (or science) are perfect! Or that you can use faith as a blindfold preventing you from seeing what is true and what is false!
In the end, whether science is supreme or religion doesn’t matter! What matters is that at an existential level, we are both the same!
And I say…to each his (/her) own faith!
Saturday, June 04, 2005
can you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?
When you are displaced from your roots and thrust into a new place, what is your first inclination? To look for your roots within the place that you are now? To discard any semblance to your roots and wholeheartedly accept the new place? Or to find a balance between your roots and the new place?
We are all faced with this problem atleast once in our life. We quantify the problem in the form of sighs - "oh, it is so difficult to raise children here"; "it was so much better back in India, atleast they are our people". However, we eventually realise that resistance is futile; we love this new place...we love the new culture...we love the accented English...the color without the "u" and the zee instead of the zed. We are quick to adapt and change...but of course as pious Indians, we are ashamed to show it.
As a result, we bring our children up in this constant state of confusion. They are caught up in our mental struggle.
The truth is the children of this land are not the children of India. Yes, they have Indian roots and it is absolutely important that they learn about their culture, their religion. But are they also entitled to the cultural imprisonment that is the bane of our land? That which we all claim we were escaping from?
Are our children Indians or Americans?
I always ask my Indian American students one question - if one day there were to be a war between India and the USA, which side would you fight for? I get a confused look, a befuddled answer and often a quick brushing away of the question. Where do these children's loyalties lie? To the soil that they were born on or to the soil that their parents once came from? They are born American citizens and want to live as Americans but are forced to live the life of their parents...to live a life that they did not choose. Are we perhaps doing our children a great injustice by not telling them the difference?
In my mind, the problem is not that our children do not know the answer, it is that we do not ask the question! To ourselves first.
The problem is that we do not know who we are...yet we expect our children to realise who they are in the blink of an eye.
Where does my loyalty lie? To the country that made me everything I am today or the country that gave me this temporal biss? What language should I speak? The language that my mother sang to put me to bed or the language of the common in a land where I find myself today? What makes me what I am? My existence or the way I choose to live?
Can you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth? Can I?
We are all faced with this problem atleast once in our life. We quantify the problem in the form of sighs - "oh, it is so difficult to raise children here"; "it was so much better back in India, atleast they are our people". However, we eventually realise that resistance is futile; we love this new place...we love the new culture...we love the accented English...the color without the "u" and the zee instead of the zed. We are quick to adapt and change...but of course as pious Indians, we are ashamed to show it.
As a result, we bring our children up in this constant state of confusion. They are caught up in our mental struggle.
The truth is the children of this land are not the children of India. Yes, they have Indian roots and it is absolutely important that they learn about their culture, their religion. But are they also entitled to the cultural imprisonment that is the bane of our land? That which we all claim we were escaping from?
Are our children Indians or Americans?
I always ask my Indian American students one question - if one day there were to be a war between India and the USA, which side would you fight for? I get a confused look, a befuddled answer and often a quick brushing away of the question. Where do these children's loyalties lie? To the soil that they were born on or to the soil that their parents once came from? They are born American citizens and want to live as Americans but are forced to live the life of their parents...to live a life that they did not choose. Are we perhaps doing our children a great injustice by not telling them the difference?
In my mind, the problem is not that our children do not know the answer, it is that we do not ask the question! To ourselves first.
The problem is that we do not know who we are...yet we expect our children to realise who they are in the blink of an eye.
Where does my loyalty lie? To the country that made me everything I am today or the country that gave me this temporal biss? What language should I speak? The language that my mother sang to put me to bed or the language of the common in a land where I find myself today? What makes me what I am? My existence or the way I choose to live?
Can you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth? Can I?
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