5 paise is more important than Rs 5 billion

I applaud the principle under the which the Delhi Transport Corporation dismissed the services of a bus conductor back in 1973. Supposedly shortchanging DTC by an amount of 5paise; not because he did it once but was a serial offender. The Court ordered the Conductor to pay back Rs. 1.42 to DTC as original shortchanged amount +  accumulated interest for 41 years. Yes that's the time it has taken to reach a conclusion. DTC's annual loss is Rs 10 billion; just to put the award amount in perspective.

I can draw 2 morals from the story. First, it does not matter how long it takes; but justice will be served and delivered. Second, if you are going to scam in India; better make sure its in billions cause the time it will take for the law to deliver justice may well be past the time you may have been granted by your creator on mother Earth.

Mad Cows, Mobiles, Video Games, Solar Flares and Supernature.

The thought of reading the newspaper each morning is getting more and more unappealing by the day. I think that the people on the 100 day happiness regime would have a happy day if they just stopped reading the unhappy headlines. There is really no news that would make one's morning a real "Good Morning".

I tried to think of the possible causes that is driving this insane behaviour from mankind. Could it be the food we are eating? Industrial poultry and cattle; if I can use that term, is being fed sawdust, poop (faeces), steroids; and other such wonderful things. Nature's intended vegetarians have been force fed non-veg fodder which at times includes remains of their own species. Is that why our brains have become like mush; full of shit; immune and insensitive to the point of sucking blood (figuratively) of our own species?  Well the vegetarians amongst us must feel safe; but with genetically modified food grown on chemical fertilizers and pesticides, insanity must be creeping in there as well. I am ready to go on a diet; but which one? Even water is not natural anymore. Food for thought; will anyone listen?

Listening; do we actually listen? We talk, and talk a lot. We want everyone to hear our words - be it vocal or written. To achieve this we have this wonderful machine called the mobile phone that not only conveys our voice but words too - never mind the grammar. I learnt that the best way to punish someone today is to take away that person's phone; trust me, that person will beg for forgiveness in under a minute. Is all this yottahertz of radio waves in our atmosphere overriding or short circuiting our own brainwaves to cause this irrational behaviour? Come to think of it, these lyrics come to my mind:

"Too much information running through my brain

Too much information driving me insane" 

Yes, these were sung by a band called the Police. 

Police reminds me of this game called "Grand Theft Auto" or GTA for short; the highest grossing game in the world. And what does one do in this game - steal, kill, shoot; basically be bad and be called the hero. There is a clear shift in morality where the hero is not necessarily the good guy - be it games or movies and is this fact shifting to real life? Is it shaping out violent and destructive individuals for whom "Breaking Bad" is good? There is a visible and increasing expression of rage for n number of reasons - be it inconvenience on road to being spurned by a lover. The most insignificant of an issue otherwise can cause a flash that can put a solar flare to shame. 

Aaah! maybe there is a scientific correlation there then. Could a phenomenon like a solar flare be responsible for the events happening here on mother earth? Or then it's Mother Nature's own way of fighting back for survival by inciting the most intelligent and destructive of its resident species annihilate itself? I can easily add a few more quack theories to explain the situation. But; in short, let's just say we are happily playing and plotting our own end. 

The theories above and I may sound a bit mad like Rev. Malthus - the proverbial prophet of doom. Maybe; but; is not what happening around us daily inexplicable madness? At least I, certainly cannot explain it.  

By the way - the song "Supernature" released back in 1977 had some pretty prophetic lyrics. 

Once upon a time science opened up the door
We would feed the hungry fields till they couldn't eat no more
But the potions that we made touched the creatures down below, oh
And they grew up in the way that we'd never seen before.

They were angry with the man 'cause he changed their way of life
And they take their sweet revenge, as they trample through the night
For a hundred miles or more you can hear the people cry
But there's nothin' you can do even God is on their side

How can I explain, things are different today
Darkness all around and nobody makes a sound
Such a sad affair, no one seems to care

Supernature, better watch out
Look at you now, better watch out
Look at you now, supernature

Better watch out, there's no way to stop it now
You can't escape, it's too late
Look what you've done, there's no place that you can run
The monster's made, we must pay

Maybe nature has a plan to control the ways of man
He must start from scratch again many battles he must win
Till he earns his place on earth like the other creatures do
Will there be a happy end, now that all depends on you

Read more: Cerrone - Supernature Lyrics | MetroLyrics 

Horse crAAP

Mr. Modi and his merry men completed  50 days in power on 17th July crossing the 49 day threshold mark of the Delhi government set by AAP. Was it coincidence that the Delhi budget was presented on the same day? I thought that the Budget speech was written for the FM by none other than Mr. Kejriwal. It sounded like the AAP manifesto rebooted.

Now, if there is anything that Mr. Kejriwal should be whining about; then it should be the hijacking of AAP's commitment to the people of Delhi; and not about the assumed horse trading it is possibly engaging in to gain majority in the Delhi State Assembly. Hey! the BJP is plain and simple capitalizing on the work left incomplete by AAP when it (AAP) let go of the one and only capital chance it had of ruling India's Capital state.

Mr. K; have you not heard that everything is fair in love and politics? I hope and pray that the Congress guys in the Delhi assembly defect to the BJP for their own selfish motives and meet the supposed larger selfish motives of the BJP to form the government, and thereby save the State the cost of another election. Well Milton is not around to write "Paradise Lost II" for you. So looking back, if only you had bidded your time and not given up when you did; post elections, the Congress members in the current situation may have extended unconditional support to your Government. If only you had measured your reach to cover the 3 or 4 big Metros in India in the National elections; God knows you may have made a much larger impact than just 2 or 3 seats in Parliament. Guess that cannot change now.

Anyway, why are you bothered that BJP is keen on forming the Delhi Government? You were reluctant to form the Government in Delhi anyway and did so only because of the so called mandate you received from the people. I think AAP can play a very constructive and more important role now in the opposition making sure that the Government performs and the State actually improves its governance and infrastructure. Corruption is far from over. It is a fabulous opportunity to be in secondary power than being in a reduced minority - which will be the case should a new election take place. Rebuild the Party from scratch. Weed out the seat hungry opportunists and induct new blood keen on putting the Nation's interest before their own. Make it a Party that speaks with one voice and not a 100 opposing and at times demonic voices. Above all be constructive in your approach. BJP forming the Delhi Government without an election may just be the best thing for AAP. Please don't let AAP be written off as Horse CrAAP.

All Well?

The budget has been read out
not everyone is pleased,
but on the whole a knockout
on reading the fine print released.

Chindia love story gets a fresh start
a new era both nations will chart.
Russia, Brazil and SA join the act
to make a BRICS bank a real fact.

The monsoon has finally kicked in
farmers letting out a sigh!.
But, like the sensex rising
tomatoes are on a high.

Some pain this nation will bear
it's still in a state of repair.
In this age of global strife
lots of uncertainty in our life.

It's time for hard work with some fun
not for resentment and hate.
Behind the grey cloud hides the sun
for a good day it's never too late.

Germany, the world cup it has won
with a team that played like one.
Hope in Indians it rings a bell
Then all will certainly be well.

Hey BUD! did you GET it? HOPE - The Art of Giving without Giving.

Image Credit: http://budget2014.co.in/

Did anyone get it for that matter - I mean was the budget good or bad? Pro or anti people? Did it give or not give anything to anyone at all?

I was right to the point that it will be a boring one that will leave everyone wondering why was it presented in the first place. The market echoed its mood by swinging up and down like possessed by some demon. Partly exorcised by experts after the budget speech there was realization that one would have to read the fine lines before reading debt as death and switch from spitting to smoking in an attempt to pollute the environment and commit suicide at the same time.

This morning (11th July), my mail(e)box was bombarded with the slice and dice of the budget from as many sources as I can count on my fingers and toes. Verdict great for India, good for industry, fair for the middle and lower class and bad for those in between them and the HNWI and above classes. Now WTF does that mean?

Clearly it was a Pro India budget and the signal was sent  to the world that India is open to accepting money for growth and infrastructure from overseas. Naturally, there isn't enough within the Country for the super billion dollar projects. Announcing token allocations to several social projects the message was very clear - big money for bigger project just ain't there; and the government is unwilling to borrow for them either. The latter is a very good sign as it means seriousness in curtailing deficit. Further if large projects were developed under PPP model (Public Private Partnership) then better the chances of the projects seeing light of day in the expected time and costs. There was criticism on a substantial allocation for building a statue of "Sardar Patel" in Gujarat. Yes money could always go to a more productive use; but Patel is the unsung hero of United India. If Bapu Gandhi is the father of India then Patel is its soul and honoring his memory is in a way Modi saluting his and India's mentor.

To make money flows in, the government has made the right noise that while it promises not to mess around with investors' happiness, it will keep that right reserved just in case. The latter made sure that even the insignificant opposition along with the significant bureaucracy does not have any reason to scream and shout or the government get itself labeled as a "sellout" to the now forgotten "foreign hand". With virtually every State getting a share of social projects irrespective which political party ruled it; Modi's team were out to send a message to the people of India that matter and it does not matter which State they hail from or which party governs them.

Industry by and large is quite happy particularly auto, real estate, financial and banking sectors even happier. Implementation of a uniform Goods and Services Tax (GST), permitting REITS, cuts in excise, ease of norms to raise money in India and overseas and what not will in time allow industry to prosper and operate in an environment of greater transparency and lesser harassment. Growth of the small and medium sector is as or more important in India for creation of jobs. There were a few unhappy industries but in the scheme of things they had bad days coming. The "Jawan" (Soldier) and "Kissan" (Farmer) got their "Jai"s (Salute) too from the Finance Minister and his Boss with a slew of initiatives for them. Notably on the fronts of pensions for the soldiers and insulation against bad harvests for farmers.

The lower and middle class constituting the vast majority were compensated for the rising prices (driven by removal of subsidies largely) by modest tax cuts linked with either saving up for the rainy day or investing in growth. It wasn't much but then every penny saved at that income level means a lot as opposed to the ones that live in the clouds in India. Officially there are about 500,000 High and Ultra High Net Worth families (My Guess 5,000,000 at least) of which only 10% really end up paying taxes in excess of Rs. 1 million. The Budget has just left this lot alone and rightly so for logical reasons.

It was labeled as the Budget of Hope and that's exactly what it delivered. No promises but a possibility that if all goes as per plan then the good days promised will hopefully come. In a way it gave a lot without giving anything and I think that's exactly what one can hope for now if the Nation wants to repair itself and prepare itself for the next decade. Now Bud! do you Get it?

What Goal will our Budget Score?

There are two things that are creating a buzz in the Nation called India as I write this blog - Mr. Modi's maiden budget and the world cup match between Brazil and Germany. India is not known as a soccer playing nation; but the excitement it has created is on par with that of cricket. Kids who have no clue about the players in the Indian national football team can recite the names of the key players in the top 8 international teams like they play in some Indian Football League. I hope this attachment translates into a great Indian football side that can win international accolades. Hopefully sports will get a lot of attention in the budget and may our presence in this sector show a hockey stick growth curve just like the stock market right now. Like there are no real fundamentals to explain why there is so much love for a game of soccer in India; so also there is nothing that comes to my mind on why the markets are so ecstatic.

Every strata and segment of of the population is asking what is the goal of this budget?

Just like spectators and commentators advising the players on the field; everyone (including me) seems to be telling the Government what we want and what it should do to give us the WIN-WIN results.  But like the silly players who think they know what's best and continue to play the game the way they want to; so will the Government come out with policies disregarding all the sage advice we the people have collectively offered.

While the results of the World Cup do not really impact India; the budget certainly does. I have said before that the money India needs to attract should be long; one that goes into nurturing growth, and not the short fickle money that drives up the market. Unfortunately the latter too has its uses in creating an environment of confidence for long money to follow and the long calls made by the rulers will decide if it actually will attract such capital. If the rail budget is anything to go by then the signals are very mixed. The idea of a bullet train from Mumbai to Ahmedabad (if it happens call it the "Modi Express") did not put the market up at hyper speed; but brought it down. On the other hand the message must have gone at lightening speed to Chinese and Japanese companies on the opportunity of participating in a US$10 billion infrastructure contract.

My prediction; is that the budget will be unimaginative at best in terms of delivering anything other than policies that the government will adopt in curbing expenditure and conveying a sense of a stable and non coercive tax regime. If by that, the Modi brigade can attract Global eyeballs then the Great India Story may just become interesting again. Until then the bigger question is Brazil or Germany?

Oh My God! Is this necessary?

In the news today:

Sai vs Shankaracharya: Conflict may turn ugly

"NEW DELHI: An unusual confrontation is building up ever since Dwarka Shankaracharya, Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati, ran down the followers of Shirdi Sai Baba, saying they ought not to worship the 19th century mystic who was no god, and remove his photographs and idols from temples where he gets the pride of place with Hindu deities." TOI. 

Sai Baba just a "Muslim fakir", can't be worshipped: Shankaracharya

PTI  Haridwar, June 30, 2014 | UPDATED 04:38 IST

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/sai-baba-just-a-muslim-fakir-cant-be-worshipped-shankaracharya/1/369162.html

I think God has created more wars than all the Devils combined. Come to think of it; I feel all the caretakers of religion behave more like Devils themselves rather than the God they preach about. I prefer to be labeled as an atheist as I am unwilling to align with the so called God and nowadays the Devil worshipers. 

This is a personal conclusion that I have reached from reading about quite a few spiritual leaders - neither of the gurus Gautama,Mahavir, Nanak, Christ or for that matter even Sai ever wanted either religions nor places of worship be built on their name. They preached a path for humans to attain enlightenment - freeing it from their own self created misery. All preached there is one God and unfortunately the interpretation of their teachings were churned into a religion. None of them said they were Gods and yet they were made one. The result seems to have been contrary to what they wanted and no one seems to have learnt anything from them. When Christ said " I am Son of God" it surely meant each one of us are children of God and yet we try to differentiate between the superiority of one religion over the other when there is none. Why? simple answer control, wealth and power. 

All of us born have one destination - death. No "God" has helped any of his followers to escape it nor escape the pleasure and pains of daily life. It is human faith in the concept of God to deliver that delivers and that is what we label as "miracles" in daily lives. It's good to have faith - any faith is better than none. 

I do agree with the Shankaracharya that Sai Baba's pictures or idols must not share space with those of Hindu deities. If at all Baba needs to be enshrined or worshiped as God then it must be in a place of worship solely of his own; for he has achieved what none of Hindu Idol God have achieved singularly or collectively - that is bring people of all faiths, class, creed, or any distinction to come and bow their head before him in ardent respect. Yes a fakir he was; and yet everyone goes to beg from him. He had no wealth when he was alive nor cared for it; yet today there are more temples, trusts, corporations, and means of accumulating wealth named after him. If he was alive today and just collected franchise royalty for his name used - he would probably end up as the richest man in the world. That would make him a king of Kings.

So what if Baba ate meat or smoked tobacco; there are many more important things dogging Hindus right now including the price of vegetables and this controversy started by the seer is quite unnecessary.  It is not for him to "protect" the Hindu dharma or religion - let the Gods do their job in protecting themselves. Hinduism has done well for itself in India despite being ruled by Muslims and Christians. In Hinduism even a rat, snake, stone, water, and other living and nonliving things are worshiped in a temple and to say that a picture or an idol of an evolved soul in a temple is sacrilege is quite laughable actually.

Buddhist, Jains, Sikhs and many more don't believe they are part of the Hindu sect anymore and think of themselves as part of a separate religion. What if the followers of Sai form a religion after him - there would not be many Hindus or for that matter other faiths left then. Think about it.

Oh My God! I am reminded of the lyrics of "Imagine" by John Lennon...

  

Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today...

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one