13th October, 2009
Hi Friends,
As I am having a late dinner I am watching the news channels. Times Now says that the voting in Gadchiroli was better than that in Mumbai. Look of abject resignation on Arnav Goswami’s face as he slips this on to us. I thought he would burst into tears.
Now, I really beg to present another point of view. For one, you just can’t compare Gadchiroli and Bombay, can you? It’s like comparing San Francisco and Jhumri Talaya – Gadchiroli being San Francisco.
For another, I just KNOW that EVERYBODY has expressed his view on the state of the country. Those who love the ruling party have voted for Continuity; others have voted for Change.
But an overwhelming majority have expressed their desire for Nirvana by just not wanting to stain their fingers with some dirty purple ink that refuses to wash. They stayed away.
And it is this overwhelming majority that I truly admire. Like the param yogis who seek salvation and inner peace through a rigorous masochistic exercise of inflicting unspeakable forms of torture on oneself – like sleeping on a bed of nails or standing on one leg like a stork for days on end - the Overwhelming Majority too seek solace and eternal bliss in the status quo.
Difficult though it may be, try to imagine the look of sheer ecstasy on their face as they breathe in the soothing fumes of overheated BEST buses, and the intoxicating aroma from the mounds of human and animal waste, the rotting garbage and the bio-waste from public hospitals – and you will understand why they don’t want change. Indeed, the Overwhelming Majority have solved the riddle of Life – it is just Maya.
So who cares if a score of farmers or two commit suicide in Vidarbha? Or if the Marathi manoos finally gets his due and a hundred fly-overs? Or if the Lord gives us our daily vada-pao? It is just Maya.
And this is what I truly admire about the Overwhelming Majority. With a packaged philosophy of thousands of years being rammed down our throats we have learnt to accept His presence in everything – even in the mountains of human waste and overflowing gutters. Look at our temples if you don’t believe me! Indeed, a few of the enlightened Overwhelming Majority told me with the utmost passion and sincerity that in the ordinary cockroach they see a superior form of Life, for only the cockroach can flourish in the slime and slush of drain pipes.
And so, if anyone asks me whether I voted, I will shrug my shoulders and, like Alfred Neuman of MAD magazine, will say: “What? Me worry?”
So Mr Goswami, please do not say that the Bombay-wallahs have not voted. They may not have gone to the polling booth, but they have almost unanimously expressed their collective wish - to be like the indestructible cockroach.
Cheers,
Deepak Tralshawala
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
THE POLITICS OF STATUES
28th August 2009.
Hi Friends,
The Government of Maharashtra has once again been caught napping. The petite mademoiselle Mayavati has cleverly stolen a march over them by having not just a statue or two, but a whole statue park. The Government of Maharashtra will therefore have to move quickly to complete the Shivaji-statue-in-the-Arabian-Sea project.
According to estimates, the project - to be constructed about a kilometer from the shore - is likely to cost Rs. 350 crores. According to the DNA of Aug 26, this will include the cost of reclaiming 800 acres from the seabed, having a 10,000 sq.ft. revolving restaurant, a 300 seat auditorium, art galleries, food courts and green areas (whatever that means), a helipad, etc. In short, the works. The statue itself will be of 159 ft. – a clear 4 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty - on a pedestal 150 ft high. Looking at the pace at which the Government of Maharashtra complete their projects, notably the Bandra-Worli sealink, this project could take anything over seven years with a final tag of about Rs. 1,500 crores.
But so what, I say.
There are many critics of this project. Pranoy Roy spoke about this on NDTV 24 X 7 channel with such a somber face that I thought some minister or the other had copped it. But no such luck; he was only heralding in this news with a reminder to us simpletons that “Maharashtra is officially reeling under a drought, and several farmers have committed suicide”.
In my opinion, critics like Pranoy Roy are singularly ill-informed and are complete kill-joys. Party poopers, if you like. So what if there is a 40% drop in the farm yield and a consequent loss of Rs. 4500 crores to the state? So what if farmers are committing suicide in droves in Vidharbha due to drought-caused indebtedness? So what if a single bore well which could provide them with water costs just Rs. 15,000/-? Don’t these rural fellows know that statues are more important than water, and that PRIDE a lot more valuable than LIFE? Mademoiselle Mayavati knows it well, as did Kim Il Sung of North Korea. If the Vidharbha farmers are in such dire straits, it is due to their karma alone. I mean, if their past lives had been more virtuous, they would have been Ministers in Mr. Vilasrao Deshmukh’s and Mr. Ashok Chavan’s cabinet!
And talking about pride, let me tell you what Pride can do. Earlier I used to amble with a stoop when going past V.T and the Prince of Wales museum. Now, after these heritage buildings have been re-named, I have a positive bounce in my step. My shoulders are flung back. My chest swells with Pride and I do not walk - I march to the tune of the Colonel Boogey Band. Now, JUST IMAGINE! If this is what a simple re-naming could do, what would the effect of THE statue, 4 feet higher than the Statue of Liberty, have on us . . .
These professional critics have failed to appreciate the tremendous economic boost that this 159 ft. statue, 4 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty, will usher in. Apart from the revenues generated by the estimated 10,000 visitors daily, the critics have failed to realize the other ancillary benefits.
· This will generate huge employment opportunities. The Vidharbha farmers can straightaway be employed on site for reclaiming the 800 acres from the sea and completing the majestic monument there-on. Almost like the Tower of Babel, I’d say, except that this one will never falter. The spin-off? No farmer will touch a drop of poison to commit suicide!
· This will have a tremendous demonstration effect. Other states will vie with each other in erecting statues of their heroes everywhere - in the sea, in the rivers and in the lakes. Sant Thiruvalluvar in Tamil Nadu, Kandukoori Veeresalingam in Andhra Pradesh, Vayalar Ravi Varma in Kerala, and so on . . .
· This will inspire other countries also to erect similar statues in the sea. Pakistan will undoubtedly erect the statue of Mohammad Ali Jinnah (hand in hand with Mr. Jaswant Singh, if the present camaraderie continues), Australia of Sir Donald Bradman, the US of George Bush in a cowboy hat, six-guns blazing away at Saddam and the rest of the world. The only problem is countries like West Indies that have far too many icons. I can only think of a Frank Worell, but they would surely like to honour Charlie Griffith, Gary Sobers and Viv Richards too. The problem: do they have enough sea in which to put up these statues?
· The passion for statues will create an enormous demand abroad for Indian sculptors, who will be a very important source of our foreign exchange reserves.
· Mr Kapil Sibal will be forced to introduce “Sculpture” as a compulsory subject at the school level.
Now, I am of the view, and mind you this is a strictly personal view, that other leaders in our state have got a raw deal. To correct this imbalance I suggest that a statue be erected off the Dadar Chowpatty of Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar. Not that Mademoiselle Mayavati has not done enough; I just feel that the Maharashtra cabinet should pitch in too. I also feel that Mr. Prabodhankar Thakaray deserves a full statue befitting his status, not just a pot-holed poorly-constructed flyover bearing his name. So do Savarkar and Yeshwantrao Chavan . . .
What about Field Marshal Manekshaw and ‘Timmy’ Thimayya? Hey, hang on. Come again, please? Never heard of these chaps!!
And if some ignoramus were to ask, What of national leaders like Gandhi, Nehru, Patel, I would somberly say like Pranoy Roy, Let the central government be. After all somebody has to do the mundane work of running the government - the Railways, the Finance Ministry, the Ministry of Defence, etc.
If at all the national leaders have to be remembered I suggest we request Mr. Jaswant Singh to write their biographies and fill them with some really sensational stuff. Stuff so un-put-down-able that Mr. Jaswant Singh’s Kandahar jaunt with the 3 terrorists would look like a stroll on Marine Drive. And some truly “human interest story” on our first PM could make the Kennedy-Monroe tryst look like a Sunday school picnic for 5-year olds. Mr. Narendra Modi would immediately ban the biographies, which will then sell like freshly baked dhoklas, and Mr. Jaswant Singh would be doubling up with laughter all the way to the bank.
To go back to the starting point, maybe we can then ask Mr. Singh to spare a thought and a few lakhs for the poor Vidharbha farmer. Don’t forget, the Government of Maharashtra is bankrupt, but will soon have plenty of magnificent statues.
Cheers!
Deepak Tralshawala
Hi Friends,
The Government of Maharashtra has once again been caught napping. The petite mademoiselle Mayavati has cleverly stolen a march over them by having not just a statue or two, but a whole statue park. The Government of Maharashtra will therefore have to move quickly to complete the Shivaji-statue-in-the-Arabian-Sea project.
According to estimates, the project - to be constructed about a kilometer from the shore - is likely to cost Rs. 350 crores. According to the DNA of Aug 26, this will include the cost of reclaiming 800 acres from the seabed, having a 10,000 sq.ft. revolving restaurant, a 300 seat auditorium, art galleries, food courts and green areas (whatever that means), a helipad, etc. In short, the works. The statue itself will be of 159 ft. – a clear 4 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty - on a pedestal 150 ft high. Looking at the pace at which the Government of Maharashtra complete their projects, notably the Bandra-Worli sealink, this project could take anything over seven years with a final tag of about Rs. 1,500 crores.
But so what, I say.
There are many critics of this project. Pranoy Roy spoke about this on NDTV 24 X 7 channel with such a somber face that I thought some minister or the other had copped it. But no such luck; he was only heralding in this news with a reminder to us simpletons that “Maharashtra is officially reeling under a drought, and several farmers have committed suicide”.
In my opinion, critics like Pranoy Roy are singularly ill-informed and are complete kill-joys. Party poopers, if you like. So what if there is a 40% drop in the farm yield and a consequent loss of Rs. 4500 crores to the state? So what if farmers are committing suicide in droves in Vidharbha due to drought-caused indebtedness? So what if a single bore well which could provide them with water costs just Rs. 15,000/-? Don’t these rural fellows know that statues are more important than water, and that PRIDE a lot more valuable than LIFE? Mademoiselle Mayavati knows it well, as did Kim Il Sung of North Korea. If the Vidharbha farmers are in such dire straits, it is due to their karma alone. I mean, if their past lives had been more virtuous, they would have been Ministers in Mr. Vilasrao Deshmukh’s and Mr. Ashok Chavan’s cabinet!
And talking about pride, let me tell you what Pride can do. Earlier I used to amble with a stoop when going past V.T and the Prince of Wales museum. Now, after these heritage buildings have been re-named, I have a positive bounce in my step. My shoulders are flung back. My chest swells with Pride and I do not walk - I march to the tune of the Colonel Boogey Band. Now, JUST IMAGINE! If this is what a simple re-naming could do, what would the effect of THE statue, 4 feet higher than the Statue of Liberty, have on us . . .
These professional critics have failed to appreciate the tremendous economic boost that this 159 ft. statue, 4 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty, will usher in. Apart from the revenues generated by the estimated 10,000 visitors daily, the critics have failed to realize the other ancillary benefits.
· This will generate huge employment opportunities. The Vidharbha farmers can straightaway be employed on site for reclaiming the 800 acres from the sea and completing the majestic monument there-on. Almost like the Tower of Babel, I’d say, except that this one will never falter. The spin-off? No farmer will touch a drop of poison to commit suicide!
· This will have a tremendous demonstration effect. Other states will vie with each other in erecting statues of their heroes everywhere - in the sea, in the rivers and in the lakes. Sant Thiruvalluvar in Tamil Nadu, Kandukoori Veeresalingam in Andhra Pradesh, Vayalar Ravi Varma in Kerala, and so on . . .
· This will inspire other countries also to erect similar statues in the sea. Pakistan will undoubtedly erect the statue of Mohammad Ali Jinnah (hand in hand with Mr. Jaswant Singh, if the present camaraderie continues), Australia of Sir Donald Bradman, the US of George Bush in a cowboy hat, six-guns blazing away at Saddam and the rest of the world. The only problem is countries like West Indies that have far too many icons. I can only think of a Frank Worell, but they would surely like to honour Charlie Griffith, Gary Sobers and Viv Richards too. The problem: do they have enough sea in which to put up these statues?
· The passion for statues will create an enormous demand abroad for Indian sculptors, who will be a very important source of our foreign exchange reserves.
· Mr Kapil Sibal will be forced to introduce “Sculpture” as a compulsory subject at the school level.
Now, I am of the view, and mind you this is a strictly personal view, that other leaders in our state have got a raw deal. To correct this imbalance I suggest that a statue be erected off the Dadar Chowpatty of Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar. Not that Mademoiselle Mayavati has not done enough; I just feel that the Maharashtra cabinet should pitch in too. I also feel that Mr. Prabodhankar Thakaray deserves a full statue befitting his status, not just a pot-holed poorly-constructed flyover bearing his name. So do Savarkar and Yeshwantrao Chavan . . .
What about Field Marshal Manekshaw and ‘Timmy’ Thimayya? Hey, hang on. Come again, please? Never heard of these chaps!!
And if some ignoramus were to ask, What of national leaders like Gandhi, Nehru, Patel, I would somberly say like Pranoy Roy, Let the central government be. After all somebody has to do the mundane work of running the government - the Railways, the Finance Ministry, the Ministry of Defence, etc.
If at all the national leaders have to be remembered I suggest we request Mr. Jaswant Singh to write their biographies and fill them with some really sensational stuff. Stuff so un-put-down-able that Mr. Jaswant Singh’s Kandahar jaunt with the 3 terrorists would look like a stroll on Marine Drive. And some truly “human interest story” on our first PM could make the Kennedy-Monroe tryst look like a Sunday school picnic for 5-year olds. Mr. Narendra Modi would immediately ban the biographies, which will then sell like freshly baked dhoklas, and Mr. Jaswant Singh would be doubling up with laughter all the way to the bank.
To go back to the starting point, maybe we can then ask Mr. Singh to spare a thought and a few lakhs for the poor Vidharbha farmer. Don’t forget, the Government of Maharashtra is bankrupt, but will soon have plenty of magnificent statues.
Cheers!
Deepak Tralshawala
THE POLITICS OF INTOLERANCE
Hi Friends,
Once again, it’s time to inflict upon you this little write-up.
The BJP have done the only thing that a party on a suicidal roller-coaster ride downhill could do – expel Mr. Jaswant Singh apparently for his book “Jinnah – India, Partition, Independence”. Mr. Narendra Modi chipped in as only he could – he banned the book in Gujarat, apparently for the hurt the book caused to Gujaratis by the so-called insult to Sardar Patel. Never mind that the Sardar had banned the RSS making him enemy no. 1 of the saffron party. Never mind that the Sardar himself had hardly ever thought of himself as a Gujarati except in the linguistic sense. Never mind if Mr Jaswant Singh’s book is selling faster than you can count till ten.
Nobody knows how many of these worthies have actually read the book, but the political ethos of the lumpen elements is clearly this: If you don’t like it, ban it. The list is miles long.
In the recent category of the damned and the banned are Tasleema Nasreen, Lakshmana Kailash and actor Aamir Khan.
Mr. Narendra Modi did not like Aamir Khan’s views on the Narmada Project. Never mind that all Aamir Khan did was making a fervent plea to adequately re-locate and rehabilitate those displaced by the Sardar Sarovar Dam. Never mind that millions across the country saw nothing wrong in Aamir pitching in for a human cause. But Mr. Modi saw differently. So what did he do? Simple. He banned Aamir’s movie “Fanaa” which had nothing to do with the SSD. Never mind that the movie raked in crores. Never mind if the displaced are yet to be rehabilitated. Banning and damning is the order of the day.
And who is Lakshamana Kailash? He is a techie who is supposed to have posted on Orkut something blasphemous about a historical warrior-king. Unlike Mr. Jaswant Singh’s book which is in the public domain what the techie supposedly wrote is known only to those idle few who surf the net for sites like Orkut. So what did the police do? Acting swiftly on a complaint reportedly filed by a BJP worker they arrested him from Bangalore, jailed him for 50 days, and allegedly thrashed him silly – only to realise that they had got the wrong man! Please see the DNA of this August 20 for a full report.
India is not alone in this politics of intolerance. In neighbouring Bangladesh following the publication of Lajja, author Taslima Nasreen suffered a number of physical and other attacks. In October 1993, an Islamic fundamentalist group called the Council of Islamic Soldiers offered a bounty for her death. [See Wikipaedia for details] Why? She wrote about a Hindu family facing persecution from their Muslim neighbours. Ms Tasleema is still in exile, periodically begging for asylum in India. Begging, because some Islamic outfit here does not want Tasleema around. Ban her permanently, is their take on the author.
Today, to prove your patriotism all that you need to do is either deify or demonise someone according to your beliefs. Better still, burn some public property or break a few bones a la Mangalore Muthalik! Rational analysis of events is the first casualty. At this rate India’s national heroes will be found only in the archives of a British public library. What we will have instead will be caricatures like those in the brightly coloured posters sold at railway stations.
When the film “Gandhi” was still in the planning stage – as the story goes - Sir Richard Attenborough met Pandit Nehru. Panditji reportedly told him in no uncertain terms “Portray Bapu as the man he was. Do not deify him. Paint him, warts and all”. But that was in a different age and era – millions of mental years ago.
India has travelled a long way indeed from those heady days of the freedom movement when the freedom of expression won us independence. We need another freedom movement – freedom from prejudice and jingoism, where the human mind can soar to greater heights, shorn of barriers to thinking and expression. As Mr. Jaswant Singh said philosophically and with obvious anguish, “Banning a book is like banning thinking”.
Do write in. Would appreciate your observations. And forward this if you feel it worth your while.
Yours sincerely,
Deepak Tralshawala
Once again, it’s time to inflict upon you this little write-up.
The BJP have done the only thing that a party on a suicidal roller-coaster ride downhill could do – expel Mr. Jaswant Singh apparently for his book “Jinnah – India, Partition, Independence”. Mr. Narendra Modi chipped in as only he could – he banned the book in Gujarat, apparently for the hurt the book caused to Gujaratis by the so-called insult to Sardar Patel. Never mind that the Sardar had banned the RSS making him enemy no. 1 of the saffron party. Never mind that the Sardar himself had hardly ever thought of himself as a Gujarati except in the linguistic sense. Never mind if Mr Jaswant Singh’s book is selling faster than you can count till ten.
Nobody knows how many of these worthies have actually read the book, but the political ethos of the lumpen elements is clearly this: If you don’t like it, ban it. The list is miles long.
In the recent category of the damned and the banned are Tasleema Nasreen, Lakshmana Kailash and actor Aamir Khan.
Mr. Narendra Modi did not like Aamir Khan’s views on the Narmada Project. Never mind that all Aamir Khan did was making a fervent plea to adequately re-locate and rehabilitate those displaced by the Sardar Sarovar Dam. Never mind that millions across the country saw nothing wrong in Aamir pitching in for a human cause. But Mr. Modi saw differently. So what did he do? Simple. He banned Aamir’s movie “Fanaa” which had nothing to do with the SSD. Never mind that the movie raked in crores. Never mind if the displaced are yet to be rehabilitated. Banning and damning is the order of the day.
And who is Lakshamana Kailash? He is a techie who is supposed to have posted on Orkut something blasphemous about a historical warrior-king. Unlike Mr. Jaswant Singh’s book which is in the public domain what the techie supposedly wrote is known only to those idle few who surf the net for sites like Orkut. So what did the police do? Acting swiftly on a complaint reportedly filed by a BJP worker they arrested him from Bangalore, jailed him for 50 days, and allegedly thrashed him silly – only to realise that they had got the wrong man! Please see the DNA of this August 20 for a full report.
India is not alone in this politics of intolerance. In neighbouring Bangladesh following the publication of Lajja, author Taslima Nasreen suffered a number of physical and other attacks. In October 1993, an Islamic fundamentalist group called the Council of Islamic Soldiers offered a bounty for her death. [See Wikipaedia for details] Why? She wrote about a Hindu family facing persecution from their Muslim neighbours. Ms Tasleema is still in exile, periodically begging for asylum in India. Begging, because some Islamic outfit here does not want Tasleema around. Ban her permanently, is their take on the author.
Today, to prove your patriotism all that you need to do is either deify or demonise someone according to your beliefs. Better still, burn some public property or break a few bones a la Mangalore Muthalik! Rational analysis of events is the first casualty. At this rate India’s national heroes will be found only in the archives of a British public library. What we will have instead will be caricatures like those in the brightly coloured posters sold at railway stations.
When the film “Gandhi” was still in the planning stage – as the story goes - Sir Richard Attenborough met Pandit Nehru. Panditji reportedly told him in no uncertain terms “Portray Bapu as the man he was. Do not deify him. Paint him, warts and all”. But that was in a different age and era – millions of mental years ago.
India has travelled a long way indeed from those heady days of the freedom movement when the freedom of expression won us independence. We need another freedom movement – freedom from prejudice and jingoism, where the human mind can soar to greater heights, shorn of barriers to thinking and expression. As Mr. Jaswant Singh said philosophically and with obvious anguish, “Banning a book is like banning thinking”.
Do write in. Would appreciate your observations. And forward this if you feel it worth your while.
Yours sincerely,
Deepak Tralshawala
DECENCY IN PUBLIC LIFE - 6
28th April 2009.
Dear Fellow-Travellers,
By the time you read this it will be E-Day minus one. Whereas many will have already decided whom to vote for, an equal number must be having some difficulty in making up their minds. I wouldn’t blame the latter group. Both the major parties in the fray – the Congress and the BJP – have identical manifestoes, both promise development going hand in hand with lower tax rates and grain at throwaway prices (pure magic!), neither has covered itself with glory and both have skeletons in the cupboard - in the case of one of them it is not a question of how many skeletons but of how many cupboards. . .
So, the choice before us essentially boils down to the right candidate. And how does one decide upon the ‘right’ candidate?
I would like to adopt a simple yardstick – choose the one you would not feel embarrassed or ashamed to have as a guest in your home. Personally, I would feel somewhat uncomfortable to share a meal with someone with a criminal record a mile long. So, criminals are definitely out. Fortunately, we have mumbaivotes.com to tell us who the criminals in the fray are.
When both the major parties are in a race to outrun each other in notoriety, it’s time to take a look at The Independent. I do not know what it is about them that is a thorn in the side of Madame Soniaji (on Sunday she exhorted the Mumbai-ites not to vote for them) or of Manmohan Singhji (he called them “spoilers”, remember?). Please note that they have never said these things about the Pappu Yadavs of Indian politics!
Now, I would give my vote to “Spoiler” Meera Sanyal in the South Mumbai constituency
Not only because she is young (so are Bal Nandgaonkar and Milind Deora)
Not only because she has excellent educational qualifications (so does Milind D)
Not only because she has tremendous work experience as a leader in an organisation (none in the S. Mumbai constituency can match that!)
Not only because she has had a terrific international exposure (she won’t say silly things like turning Mumbai into Shanghai),
Not only because of her proven leadership qualities, but
because she exudes SINCERITY of purpose, INTEGRITY – financial, professional and intellectual, all vital requirements in a legislator-leader and, above all, HOPE – something that successive governments have crushed in the common man. I would say the same for Rishi Agarwal. Hardly surprising that Madame Soniaji had to warn us against these threats!
So, let the die be cast, and may the best candidate win. Please remember to cast your vote on the 30th for the one you think is best for your family. India demands just one hour of your time. But no matter who wins, we must be determined to make them ACCOUNTABLE. More on this in the next few days.
As I bring this series of small write-ups to an end I thank each one of you for forwarding these mails to your friends. What started off as an expression of disgust against the use of unparliamentary language in the election campaign has turned into a cry for Decency in our lives. For that, I have only to thank you. Let us vote for Decency in Public Life, let us vote for ourselves.
Yours sincerely,
Deepak Tralshawala
Dear Fellow-Travellers,
By the time you read this it will be E-Day minus one. Whereas many will have already decided whom to vote for, an equal number must be having some difficulty in making up their minds. I wouldn’t blame the latter group. Both the major parties in the fray – the Congress and the BJP – have identical manifestoes, both promise development going hand in hand with lower tax rates and grain at throwaway prices (pure magic!), neither has covered itself with glory and both have skeletons in the cupboard - in the case of one of them it is not a question of how many skeletons but of how many cupboards. . .
So, the choice before us essentially boils down to the right candidate. And how does one decide upon the ‘right’ candidate?
I would like to adopt a simple yardstick – choose the one you would not feel embarrassed or ashamed to have as a guest in your home. Personally, I would feel somewhat uncomfortable to share a meal with someone with a criminal record a mile long. So, criminals are definitely out. Fortunately, we have mumbaivotes.com to tell us who the criminals in the fray are.
When both the major parties are in a race to outrun each other in notoriety, it’s time to take a look at The Independent. I do not know what it is about them that is a thorn in the side of Madame Soniaji (on Sunday she exhorted the Mumbai-ites not to vote for them) or of Manmohan Singhji (he called them “spoilers”, remember?). Please note that they have never said these things about the Pappu Yadavs of Indian politics!
Now, I would give my vote to “Spoiler” Meera Sanyal in the South Mumbai constituency
Not only because she is young (so are Bal Nandgaonkar and Milind Deora)
Not only because she has excellent educational qualifications (so does Milind D)
Not only because she has tremendous work experience as a leader in an organisation (none in the S. Mumbai constituency can match that!)
Not only because she has had a terrific international exposure (she won’t say silly things like turning Mumbai into Shanghai),
Not only because of her proven leadership qualities, but
because she exudes SINCERITY of purpose, INTEGRITY – financial, professional and intellectual, all vital requirements in a legislator-leader and, above all, HOPE – something that successive governments have crushed in the common man. I would say the same for Rishi Agarwal. Hardly surprising that Madame Soniaji had to warn us against these threats!
So, let the die be cast, and may the best candidate win. Please remember to cast your vote on the 30th for the one you think is best for your family. India demands just one hour of your time. But no matter who wins, we must be determined to make them ACCOUNTABLE. More on this in the next few days.
As I bring this series of small write-ups to an end I thank each one of you for forwarding these mails to your friends. What started off as an expression of disgust against the use of unparliamentary language in the election campaign has turned into a cry for Decency in our lives. For that, I have only to thank you. Let us vote for Decency in Public Life, let us vote for ourselves.
Yours sincerely,
Deepak Tralshawala
DECENCY IN PUBLIC LIFE - 5
21st April 2009.
Dear Fellow-Campionites,
It’s an amazing paradox, I thought to myself today. When we go shopping for clothes we look at the brand, see the colours in the natural light, examine the texture and ask the cost. And yet we are perfectly willing to place our fate for five years in the hands of those we barely know, no questions asked. Last Sunday I went to “Meet the Candidate” meeting at Sewa Sadan (I wrote to you about that) and came back convinced whom NOT to vote for.
Today, on Sunday evening, I decided to see for myself the kind of person who wants to decide our fate for the next five years. She showed me the way – literally. Meera Sanyal was doing a padyatra in the Ambedkar and Geeta Nagar slums behind the World Trade Centre. I decided to walk alongside and judge for myself whether she truly deserved my keemti vote. Although I had seen my fair share of poverty and famine-stricken villages during my career in the civil service this was the first time I had ventured into a slum, the size of a small township, right in my backyard. Small, narrow alleys where three people could barely walk together passed of as a ‘main road’ in Ambedkar Nagar. It was suffocatingly hot and humid. Dotted with typically small shrines of Sai Baba the aroma of incense hung heavy in the air. Was it to disguise the stench from the toilets outside, I wondered?
Meera’s padyatra on Sunday evening covered the areas of Colaba and Cuffe Parade, and culminated in the Ambedkar Nagar slums. She walked in as though she knew the alleys and the by-lanes of the slum like the back of her hand. Dressed in plain green salwar-kameez Meera confidently greeted the residents with none of the diffidence of a new-comer. Going into their ‘houses’ she namaste-ed the seniors and reached out playfully to the children. Your main problem is water, I can see that, she said. You have voted for different parties in the past. They have done nothing. I do not belong to any party. We all deserve to live with dignity. Give me a chance. All I need is your good wishes to succeed, she said. Remember my symbol, the ballebaaz, the batsman hitting a six.
Soon there was a large group of children following us chanting the usual election slogans as we went deeper into Ambedkar Nagar. I trailed behind and stopped at intervals to talk to a few people.
Has any party campaigned here? I asked.
No.
Not at all?
No.
Not even the candidates in the fray?
No.
Strange, I thought. And just a few days ago I wrote in my mail of 15th April, “True, the slums have proliferated as has the vote bank. But has anyone even interacted with, let alone cultivated, this vote bank?” Meera has. She spent more than an hour and a half in a place you and I would not venture into. I have witnessed it. It was clear to me that Meera was running this campaign as a well-planned exercise. The film Lagaan was discussed as a subject at the IIM-A. Meera’s campaign should find a place there too. For one, it is overwhelmingly cost-effective. She has a few highly motivated people in her team who have planned out the padyatras – a hugely cost-effective way to have direct contact with potential voters, and yet keep within the legally permissible limits of spending. The routes are also well thought out – kaizen at work. And most important of all – her band of helpers. Campaigning hard they persuasively remind the slum residents that Meera Sanyal is the daughter of a fauji. Do not let the parties divide us in the name of language, caste and religion. . .
Last Sunday I went to “Meet the Candidate” meeting at Sewa Sadan and came back convinced whom NOT to vote for. Today, I know who is getting my vote.
30th April is not far away. Cast your vote for the one YOU think is best for you and your family. But do vote.
Yours sincerely,
Deepak Tralshawala
Dear Fellow-Campionites,
It’s an amazing paradox, I thought to myself today. When we go shopping for clothes we look at the brand, see the colours in the natural light, examine the texture and ask the cost. And yet we are perfectly willing to place our fate for five years in the hands of those we barely know, no questions asked. Last Sunday I went to “Meet the Candidate” meeting at Sewa Sadan (I wrote to you about that) and came back convinced whom NOT to vote for.
Today, on Sunday evening, I decided to see for myself the kind of person who wants to decide our fate for the next five years. She showed me the way – literally. Meera Sanyal was doing a padyatra in the Ambedkar and Geeta Nagar slums behind the World Trade Centre. I decided to walk alongside and judge for myself whether she truly deserved my keemti vote. Although I had seen my fair share of poverty and famine-stricken villages during my career in the civil service this was the first time I had ventured into a slum, the size of a small township, right in my backyard. Small, narrow alleys where three people could barely walk together passed of as a ‘main road’ in Ambedkar Nagar. It was suffocatingly hot and humid. Dotted with typically small shrines of Sai Baba the aroma of incense hung heavy in the air. Was it to disguise the stench from the toilets outside, I wondered?
Meera’s padyatra on Sunday evening covered the areas of Colaba and Cuffe Parade, and culminated in the Ambedkar Nagar slums. She walked in as though she knew the alleys and the by-lanes of the slum like the back of her hand. Dressed in plain green salwar-kameez Meera confidently greeted the residents with none of the diffidence of a new-comer. Going into their ‘houses’ she namaste-ed the seniors and reached out playfully to the children. Your main problem is water, I can see that, she said. You have voted for different parties in the past. They have done nothing. I do not belong to any party. We all deserve to live with dignity. Give me a chance. All I need is your good wishes to succeed, she said. Remember my symbol, the ballebaaz, the batsman hitting a six.
Soon there was a large group of children following us chanting the usual election slogans as we went deeper into Ambedkar Nagar. I trailed behind and stopped at intervals to talk to a few people.
Has any party campaigned here? I asked.
No.
Not at all?
No.
Not even the candidates in the fray?
No.
Strange, I thought. And just a few days ago I wrote in my mail of 15th April, “True, the slums have proliferated as has the vote bank. But has anyone even interacted with, let alone cultivated, this vote bank?” Meera has. She spent more than an hour and a half in a place you and I would not venture into. I have witnessed it. It was clear to me that Meera was running this campaign as a well-planned exercise. The film Lagaan was discussed as a subject at the IIM-A. Meera’s campaign should find a place there too. For one, it is overwhelmingly cost-effective. She has a few highly motivated people in her team who have planned out the padyatras – a hugely cost-effective way to have direct contact with potential voters, and yet keep within the legally permissible limits of spending. The routes are also well thought out – kaizen at work. And most important of all – her band of helpers. Campaigning hard they persuasively remind the slum residents that Meera Sanyal is the daughter of a fauji. Do not let the parties divide us in the name of language, caste and religion. . .
Last Sunday I went to “Meet the Candidate” meeting at Sewa Sadan and came back convinced whom NOT to vote for. Today, I know who is getting my vote.
30th April is not far away. Cast your vote for the one YOU think is best for you and your family. But do vote.
Yours sincerely,
Deepak Tralshawala
DECENCY IN PUBLIC LIFE - 4
12th April 2009.
Dear Fellow-Travellers,
This morning I went to the “Meet Your Candidate” programme at Seva Sadan near Gamdevi Police Station. I had made a mention about it yesterday in my mail. Let me give you a brief feedback of what transpired.
The meeting was scheduled to begin at 10.30 AM. Hats off to Meera Sanyal (Independent), Dr. Mona Shah (Professionals’ Party of India) and Bala Nandgaonkar (MNS) for being there on time.
A complete Thumbs Down for unpunctuality to Mohan Rawle (SS-BJP) and particularly to Milind Deora (Congress) for taking the electorate for granted and coming at their fancy.
Now the gory details:
The Moderator explained that each candidate is being given 3 minutes to introduce himself/herself, followed by a question or two from the Moderator, after which the audience would be allowed sufficient time to question the candidate.
Bala Nandgaonkar (MNS), with 42 pending court cases according to mumbaivotes.com, requested that he be allowed to talk first as he had another meeting to attend. This was a clear and a blatant deception. He remained upto 1.15 PM. Clearly, he wanted the maximum time and succeeded in hoodwinking the organisers into giving him that mileage. But let me tell you what he said. He said he stood for COMMUNAL HARMONY!!! And his motto was THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY! Wow, I thought, did I hear something about the leopard and his spots? And he wanted to devote his time for Mumbai’s security.
So our Moderator asked him what plans he had for improving our security. Mr. Nandgaonkar was silent for a few moments. Obviously, he had no idea about security measures. So he gave us priceless information that Maharashtra had a 720 km coastline, that it was unjust of people to brand the police force as corrupt (they also had families to maintain), that he was elected to the Assembly three times, that he was recognised as Best MLA (??), that he was Dy. Home Minister, and that he had very cordial relations with his constituents else, he asked, would they have elected him? So much for his answer. The Moderator next asked him whether he had read this morning’s papers that the police had not been paid for months. Yes, indeed he had! And it was terrible that the police were not paid on time because they too had families to support.
The audience was now invited to ask questions. Somebody said that he had not answered the questions put to him by the Moderator. Our candidate was flummoxed. Someone then posed a question in Marathi to which Mr BN replied in Marathi, which invited a comment from someone (I suspect, from the same group) that the reply should have been in Hindi, to which Mr BN retorted that he had demonstrated his knowledge of Hindi and that the questioner being in Maharashtra should know Marathi. Now the pandemonium began: Marathi vs Hindi vs English! Inconvenient questions were completely sidetracked, Mr BN forgot that he was standing for Parliament and not for the State Assembly, and the police had to be called to rein in his supporters, fans and hangers-on.
The Moderator soon realised that an hour was lost, and so he invited Meera Sanyal and Mona Shah to introduce themselves and field the questions. This they did with aplomb, with dignity, with decency and in a few short minutes gave us the benefit of their individual agendas and manifestos. Both ladies come with an impeccable track record of education, work experience and service, and both were highly impressive. What came through was their sincerity – no beating about the bush, only their vision for the city if elected. If Mona Shah had oratorical skills and was equally comfortable with Hindi and English, Meera Sanyal was precisely articulate and completely focussed on her agenda for change. Unfortunately, these two young ladies had their time curtailed because of the excess time taken by Mr BN.
Mohan Rawle (SS-BJP), who had come in the meantime, was next. Again, a long-winded discourse on his popularity which resulted in him being elected as MP five times in a row, how a single discussion with Laloo Prasad Yadav resulted in crores being disbursed for the local railway network and how – and this is something! – he had camped for 3 days in a row at Nariman House when it was captured during the 26/11. Everybody has seen me on TV, he said. Frankly, I hadn’t. I saw him and Mr. Gopinath Munde only on the last day after the final assault was over on Nariman House, creating a traffic jam by insisting on patting the backs of our NSG. Anyway, he showed us a letter of appreciation from the Naval HQ which he insisted on reading out, despite the Moderator’s and our pleas that we believed him. To ensure that we had thoroughly digested every word of this appreciation he distributed photocopies that he had got made to the already restive audience. Somehow he reminded me of the naughty schoolboy who finally got a letter of good conduct from the Principal. Cheers and even more cheers from his supporters, fans, and hangers-on. It was as though he had single-handedly warded off the attack from Pakistan! Not a word about his plans if elected.
By this time at 12.20 PM, Milind Deora (Congress) walked in to resounding booes and hisses. Somebody shouted why he had never shown his face these 5 years when he was a sitting MP, and thought of the electorate only when it was re-election time. The refrain was taken up, and Milind was allowed to speak only after repeated intervention by the Moderator. Stop this uncivilised behaviour, roared Milind. There he blows his chances with this audience, I thought. Milind claimed credit for the BRIMSTOWAD project, deepening and extending the lake catchment area and the RTI Act (which, I thought, was the brainchild of the quiet ex-armyman Anna Hazare, the second Gandhi). He promised to do more for the city, despite occasional cries of “Shame shame, no no”.
My conclusion? The established parties clearly came in for a severe drubbing. What was worse was that apparently at least 2 parties, the MNS and the SS, had brought in their bunch of saboteurs and trouble-mongers to upstage the inconvenient question and the other side. That was the distressing and disgusting part. Yatha praja tatha raja, as I wrote in my e-mail no.3, As the subjects, so the king. . . .
The point of optimism was the confidence the two lady candidates exuded. They were dignified, to-the-point and clear about their intentions to give us a change from the old stuff. They truly characterised Decency In Public Life, the title of these e-mails.
Somebody once asked: Whom do I vote for? Well, I know whom I am NOT going to vote for. My humble suggestion: pay attention to the Independents. They have the sincerity, and they will deliver. My request: please forward this to your friends, and PLEASE VOTE.
Yours sincerely,
Deepak Tralshawala
Dear Fellow-Travellers,
This morning I went to the “Meet Your Candidate” programme at Seva Sadan near Gamdevi Police Station. I had made a mention about it yesterday in my mail. Let me give you a brief feedback of what transpired.
The meeting was scheduled to begin at 10.30 AM. Hats off to Meera Sanyal (Independent), Dr. Mona Shah (Professionals’ Party of India) and Bala Nandgaonkar (MNS) for being there on time.
A complete Thumbs Down for unpunctuality to Mohan Rawle (SS-BJP) and particularly to Milind Deora (Congress) for taking the electorate for granted and coming at their fancy.
Now the gory details:
The Moderator explained that each candidate is being given 3 minutes to introduce himself/herself, followed by a question or two from the Moderator, after which the audience would be allowed sufficient time to question the candidate.
Bala Nandgaonkar (MNS), with 42 pending court cases according to mumbaivotes.com, requested that he be allowed to talk first as he had another meeting to attend. This was a clear and a blatant deception. He remained upto 1.15 PM. Clearly, he wanted the maximum time and succeeded in hoodwinking the organisers into giving him that mileage. But let me tell you what he said. He said he stood for COMMUNAL HARMONY!!! And his motto was THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY! Wow, I thought, did I hear something about the leopard and his spots? And he wanted to devote his time for Mumbai’s security.
So our Moderator asked him what plans he had for improving our security. Mr. Nandgaonkar was silent for a few moments. Obviously, he had no idea about security measures. So he gave us priceless information that Maharashtra had a 720 km coastline, that it was unjust of people to brand the police force as corrupt (they also had families to maintain), that he was elected to the Assembly three times, that he was recognised as Best MLA (??), that he was Dy. Home Minister, and that he had very cordial relations with his constituents else, he asked, would they have elected him? So much for his answer. The Moderator next asked him whether he had read this morning’s papers that the police had not been paid for months. Yes, indeed he had! And it was terrible that the police were not paid on time because they too had families to support.
The audience was now invited to ask questions. Somebody said that he had not answered the questions put to him by the Moderator. Our candidate was flummoxed. Someone then posed a question in Marathi to which Mr BN replied in Marathi, which invited a comment from someone (I suspect, from the same group) that the reply should have been in Hindi, to which Mr BN retorted that he had demonstrated his knowledge of Hindi and that the questioner being in Maharashtra should know Marathi. Now the pandemonium began: Marathi vs Hindi vs English! Inconvenient questions were completely sidetracked, Mr BN forgot that he was standing for Parliament and not for the State Assembly, and the police had to be called to rein in his supporters, fans and hangers-on.
The Moderator soon realised that an hour was lost, and so he invited Meera Sanyal and Mona Shah to introduce themselves and field the questions. This they did with aplomb, with dignity, with decency and in a few short minutes gave us the benefit of their individual agendas and manifestos. Both ladies come with an impeccable track record of education, work experience and service, and both were highly impressive. What came through was their sincerity – no beating about the bush, only their vision for the city if elected. If Mona Shah had oratorical skills and was equally comfortable with Hindi and English, Meera Sanyal was precisely articulate and completely focussed on her agenda for change. Unfortunately, these two young ladies had their time curtailed because of the excess time taken by Mr BN.
Mohan Rawle (SS-BJP), who had come in the meantime, was next. Again, a long-winded discourse on his popularity which resulted in him being elected as MP five times in a row, how a single discussion with Laloo Prasad Yadav resulted in crores being disbursed for the local railway network and how – and this is something! – he had camped for 3 days in a row at Nariman House when it was captured during the 26/11. Everybody has seen me on TV, he said. Frankly, I hadn’t. I saw him and Mr. Gopinath Munde only on the last day after the final assault was over on Nariman House, creating a traffic jam by insisting on patting the backs of our NSG. Anyway, he showed us a letter of appreciation from the Naval HQ which he insisted on reading out, despite the Moderator’s and our pleas that we believed him. To ensure that we had thoroughly digested every word of this appreciation he distributed photocopies that he had got made to the already restive audience. Somehow he reminded me of the naughty schoolboy who finally got a letter of good conduct from the Principal. Cheers and even more cheers from his supporters, fans, and hangers-on. It was as though he had single-handedly warded off the attack from Pakistan! Not a word about his plans if elected.
By this time at 12.20 PM, Milind Deora (Congress) walked in to resounding booes and hisses. Somebody shouted why he had never shown his face these 5 years when he was a sitting MP, and thought of the electorate only when it was re-election time. The refrain was taken up, and Milind was allowed to speak only after repeated intervention by the Moderator. Stop this uncivilised behaviour, roared Milind. There he blows his chances with this audience, I thought. Milind claimed credit for the BRIMSTOWAD project, deepening and extending the lake catchment area and the RTI Act (which, I thought, was the brainchild of the quiet ex-armyman Anna Hazare, the second Gandhi). He promised to do more for the city, despite occasional cries of “Shame shame, no no”.
My conclusion? The established parties clearly came in for a severe drubbing. What was worse was that apparently at least 2 parties, the MNS and the SS, had brought in their bunch of saboteurs and trouble-mongers to upstage the inconvenient question and the other side. That was the distressing and disgusting part. Yatha praja tatha raja, as I wrote in my e-mail no.3, As the subjects, so the king. . . .
The point of optimism was the confidence the two lady candidates exuded. They were dignified, to-the-point and clear about their intentions to give us a change from the old stuff. They truly characterised Decency In Public Life, the title of these e-mails.
Somebody once asked: Whom do I vote for? Well, I know whom I am NOT going to vote for. My humble suggestion: pay attention to the Independents. They have the sincerity, and they will deliver. My request: please forward this to your friends, and PLEASE VOTE.
Yours sincerely,
Deepak Tralshawala
DECENCY IN PUBLIC LIFE - 3
5th April 2009.
Hi Fellow-Campionites,
I can’t thank you enough for forwarding my e-mails to friends. I have had perfect strangers write to me saying how topical the stuff was and, more important, the need to act; to act decisively and to act NOW. I was, thanks to our very own Mukesh Gokal, at a small kick-off campaign function yesterday organised by an independent candidate in the South Mumbai constituency, when a young doctor sauntered up and, on introducing myself to him, said “Aren’t you the one who has been circulating the e-mails on public life?” I pleaded guilty, but only partly. I said that my school friends were my main partners-in-crime.
May our crimes never stop, friends, and thanks a million once again.
Thanks also to Priyadarshan Pradhan who e-mailed us information on “Meet the Candidate” programme at Gamdevi this morning. We were specifically informed that one candidate cannot make it, being in jail.
With D-day just about 3 weeks away we are still faced with the dilemma of choosing between the Tweedledees and the Tweedledums – the only difference being that probably for the first time in decades we have a few very well-educated candidates in the fray.
Now, speaking for myself, what concerns me apart from the hate campaigns is the issue of the scandalous levels of corruption. If the Congress is trying hard to deny the taint of the Rs. 600 crore “business charges” in the Israel missile deal, the BJP has egg all over its face by projecting as their candidate an ex-IAS officer who was given the sobriquet of Queen of Corruption by none other than her IAS colleagues. The other parties are also in the same boat. Perhaps the only party that has managed to keep the skeletons covered so far is the CPM.
So again the question: Whom do we vote for?
In my view there are three ways of looking at this:
1. DO NOT VOTE for a criminal. By this I do not refer to the legal requirement of conviction, but the popular notion of who is a criminal.
2. VOTE FOR the lesser evil, and
3. Take a very, very hard look at the INDEPENDENTS.
Why the independents? Again, for 3 reasons:
i. They are young professionals, have no axe to grind and are propelled by nothing more than a strong motivation to do “something”.
ii. Their conscience is not corrupted by party politics, and
iii. They carry no baggage EXCEPT THE BEST EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS and THE BEST WORK EXPERIENCE IN THEIR FIELDS.
I am enclosing below Mukesh Gokul’s e-mail. Please go through it. It contains good food for thought. Question him on this, and get INVOLVED. I am.
All through the years the common refrain during election time is that B-category candidates are declared winners by default, simply because the Malabar Hill-Cuffe Parade residents prefer not to vote. The results have been calamitous. This year too, the temptation not to cast your vote is very strong as –
i. 30th April is a Thursday and a holiday for voting,
ii. with a day’s leave from office (Friday) one can easily enjoy a long weekend, and finally
iii. with the children’s exams over one is set for a grand vacation to cooler climes.
This is simply an exhortation to PLEASE VOTE before you go on a holiday. And set an example for your children so that they vote too. For the first time in independent India we have a student voters body of more than 10 crore strong. This makes all the difference between good governance and chaos.
34 years ago as a probationer at the Mussoorie Academy I learnt from Mr. D.C. Tewari, our tutor in Political Science and Indian Constitution, a simple adage for all administrators from Chanakya’s Arthashastra:
Yatha Raja tatha Praja – As the ruler, so the subjects.
34 years later one realises that in a far-from-perfect democratic set-up as ours the adage that is topical is
Yatha Praja tatha Raja – As the subjects, so the ruler.
So friends, the ball is in our court. India demands just one hour of our time on Thursday the 30th April. So PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE, DON’T VOTE FOR CASTE.
Yours sincerely,
Deepak Tralshawala
Hi Fellow-Campionites,
I can’t thank you enough for forwarding my e-mails to friends. I have had perfect strangers write to me saying how topical the stuff was and, more important, the need to act; to act decisively and to act NOW. I was, thanks to our very own Mukesh Gokal, at a small kick-off campaign function yesterday organised by an independent candidate in the South Mumbai constituency, when a young doctor sauntered up and, on introducing myself to him, said “Aren’t you the one who has been circulating the e-mails on public life?” I pleaded guilty, but only partly. I said that my school friends were my main partners-in-crime.
May our crimes never stop, friends, and thanks a million once again.
Thanks also to Priyadarshan Pradhan who e-mailed us information on “Meet the Candidate” programme at Gamdevi this morning. We were specifically informed that one candidate cannot make it, being in jail.
With D-day just about 3 weeks away we are still faced with the dilemma of choosing between the Tweedledees and the Tweedledums – the only difference being that probably for the first time in decades we have a few very well-educated candidates in the fray.
Now, speaking for myself, what concerns me apart from the hate campaigns is the issue of the scandalous levels of corruption. If the Congress is trying hard to deny the taint of the Rs. 600 crore “business charges” in the Israel missile deal, the BJP has egg all over its face by projecting as their candidate an ex-IAS officer who was given the sobriquet of Queen of Corruption by none other than her IAS colleagues. The other parties are also in the same boat. Perhaps the only party that has managed to keep the skeletons covered so far is the CPM.
So again the question: Whom do we vote for?
In my view there are three ways of looking at this:
1. DO NOT VOTE for a criminal. By this I do not refer to the legal requirement of conviction, but the popular notion of who is a criminal.
2. VOTE FOR the lesser evil, and
3. Take a very, very hard look at the INDEPENDENTS.
Why the independents? Again, for 3 reasons:
i. They are young professionals, have no axe to grind and are propelled by nothing more than a strong motivation to do “something”.
ii. Their conscience is not corrupted by party politics, and
iii. They carry no baggage EXCEPT THE BEST EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS and THE BEST WORK EXPERIENCE IN THEIR FIELDS.
I am enclosing below Mukesh Gokul’s e-mail. Please go through it. It contains good food for thought. Question him on this, and get INVOLVED. I am.
All through the years the common refrain during election time is that B-category candidates are declared winners by default, simply because the Malabar Hill-Cuffe Parade residents prefer not to vote. The results have been calamitous. This year too, the temptation not to cast your vote is very strong as –
i. 30th April is a Thursday and a holiday for voting,
ii. with a day’s leave from office (Friday) one can easily enjoy a long weekend, and finally
iii. with the children’s exams over one is set for a grand vacation to cooler climes.
This is simply an exhortation to PLEASE VOTE before you go on a holiday. And set an example for your children so that they vote too. For the first time in independent India we have a student voters body of more than 10 crore strong. This makes all the difference between good governance and chaos.
34 years ago as a probationer at the Mussoorie Academy I learnt from Mr. D.C. Tewari, our tutor in Political Science and Indian Constitution, a simple adage for all administrators from Chanakya’s Arthashastra:
Yatha Raja tatha Praja – As the ruler, so the subjects.
34 years later one realises that in a far-from-perfect democratic set-up as ours the adage that is topical is
Yatha Praja tatha Raja – As the subjects, so the ruler.
So friends, the ball is in our court. India demands just one hour of our time on Thursday the 30th April. So PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE, DON’T VOTE FOR CASTE.
Yours sincerely,
Deepak Tralshawala
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
DECENCY IN PUBLIC LIFE - 2
26th March 2009.
Dear Friends,
Thank you for your response to my last e-mail. One of the commonest reactions that I have received is: “Whom do I vote for?”
A profound question indeed, and one difficult to answer. They are the same bunch of opportunistic rogues. Old wine – only it is packaged more attractively. And yet, hope springs eternal . . .
Let me narrate a small anecdote. Nothing very revolutionary, but it highlights the concept of a word many of us have forgotten – Responsibility. During my early days in the civil service I was appointed election observer in South Bombay. I think it was the year 1979. I had to make rounds of the various polling booths in the constituency and see that all was well. I began with the one at Cuffe Parade, it being closest to my residence. I reached there at about 7.40 AM and saw that everything was in readiness to receive what I imagined would be the vast multitudes of voters. The voting was to begin at 8AM. A few minutes before voting time I saw an elderly gentleman in a suit with a walking stick approaching the polling booth accompanied by his wife, a very charming lady dressed even more elegantly. Recognising him I went up to them and asked what brought them there so early. His short reply summed up the values he held dear. “Duty, my friend”, he said. “It’s our responsibility to vote.” He was Mr M.C. Chagla, the first Indian Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court. It was a shame that the percentage of voters in that booth barely touched double figures.
A few days ago on the evening of the 23rd, I went to a panel discussion on “Your Vote Counts” organised by Citizens Take Charge (CTC) at the Indian Merchants’ Chamber. There were two things about that meeting that I thought I would share with you.
1. The exuberance and optimism shown by two venerable and well-respected senior citizens, in the face of every reason to feel the contrary: Mr Narayan Varma Chartered Accountant, and Mr Julio Ribeiro, former Commissioner of Bombay Police, and later DG of Punjab Police. They are the moving spirit behind CTC at a time when most in their age group have already hung up their boots and are chanting the Lord’s name.
(Mr Ribeiro tackled the problem of terrorism in Punjab when it was at its peak. His autobiography “Bullet for Bullet” is an amazing account of how one man can make a difference. Read it if you haven’t. What happened to the Shiv Sainiks when he organised an army recruitment drive for them makes for terrific reading).
2. The dynamism shown by Natasha Kevalramani. She is barely out of her teens, a student of St. Xavier’s College who, with her friends, created “ivote”, a forum to help register voters in their respective constituencies and give them the information they seek about the voting process. Her attitude proclaimed “If I want change I have to bring about that change”. Her short address about our duty to vote was an appeal straight from the heart. Young in age but already showing signs of statesmanship.
I came away feeling that there was enough optimism around that could result in change. Not just optimism; there was an energy force waiting to be unleashed. I learnt something more at that meeting – the power of your vote. I learnt that Mr Gehlot became the CM of Rajasthan pipping Mr Joshi to the post by just one vote! That’s the power of one. The one vote that made all the difference.
That one vote could be yours. . .
And, oh yes, I almost forgot. To answer the question “Whom do I vote for?” please go to http://mumbaivotes.com. Vivek Gilani who is the brain behind the site gave us a small but brilliant expose on what prompted him to develop this site. His reason – Let the voter know his candidate. Like a sumptuous buffet in a good restaurant the site gives you the chance to choose from an array of candidates: from the academics and professionals to the scoundrels and scamsters right up to your neighbourhood social worker with a criminal record. Click on the View Profile to see the background of the candidates in your constituency.
Friends, the first step to ushering in change is to ask ourselves whether we really need it. If the answer is Yes, the next step is to discuss it. We constantly make decisions in our lives – from education to a career option to business to marriage. Sometimes our decisions click, sometimes they don’t. But that doesn’t stop us from making our choices. Not voting may be one answer, but it may not be the right solution. So decide on the candidate that you think is best for you. And cast your vote.
Sorry for inflicting this again upon you, but it’s time we did SOMETHING to arrest this slide. We can. We have the power of one. For starters please send this to as many people as you can. And please ask them to forward this in turn to their friends. Please set the ball rolling. Get INVOLVED. And VOTE for the candidate you think will deliver. India asks for nothing more than an hour of your time on 30th April. Please re-act and respond to this appeal. Write to each other, and to me, with your comments and observations.
Let us vote for Decency in Public Life. Let us vote for ourselves.
Sincerely,
Deepak Tralshawala
Commissioner of Income Tax (Retd.)
Dear Friends,
Thank you for your response to my last e-mail. One of the commonest reactions that I have received is: “Whom do I vote for?”
A profound question indeed, and one difficult to answer. They are the same bunch of opportunistic rogues. Old wine – only it is packaged more attractively. And yet, hope springs eternal . . .
Let me narrate a small anecdote. Nothing very revolutionary, but it highlights the concept of a word many of us have forgotten – Responsibility. During my early days in the civil service I was appointed election observer in South Bombay. I think it was the year 1979. I had to make rounds of the various polling booths in the constituency and see that all was well. I began with the one at Cuffe Parade, it being closest to my residence. I reached there at about 7.40 AM and saw that everything was in readiness to receive what I imagined would be the vast multitudes of voters. The voting was to begin at 8AM. A few minutes before voting time I saw an elderly gentleman in a suit with a walking stick approaching the polling booth accompanied by his wife, a very charming lady dressed even more elegantly. Recognising him I went up to them and asked what brought them there so early. His short reply summed up the values he held dear. “Duty, my friend”, he said. “It’s our responsibility to vote.” He was Mr M.C. Chagla, the first Indian Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court. It was a shame that the percentage of voters in that booth barely touched double figures.
A few days ago on the evening of the 23rd, I went to a panel discussion on “Your Vote Counts” organised by Citizens Take Charge (CTC) at the Indian Merchants’ Chamber. There were two things about that meeting that I thought I would share with you.
1. The exuberance and optimism shown by two venerable and well-respected senior citizens, in the face of every reason to feel the contrary: Mr Narayan Varma Chartered Accountant, and Mr Julio Ribeiro, former Commissioner of Bombay Police, and later DG of Punjab Police. They are the moving spirit behind CTC at a time when most in their age group have already hung up their boots and are chanting the Lord’s name.
(Mr Ribeiro tackled the problem of terrorism in Punjab when it was at its peak. His autobiography “Bullet for Bullet” is an amazing account of how one man can make a difference. Read it if you haven’t. What happened to the Shiv Sainiks when he organised an army recruitment drive for them makes for terrific reading).
2. The dynamism shown by Natasha Kevalramani. She is barely out of her teens, a student of St. Xavier’s College who, with her friends, created “ivote”, a forum to help register voters in their respective constituencies and give them the information they seek about the voting process. Her attitude proclaimed “If I want change I have to bring about that change”. Her short address about our duty to vote was an appeal straight from the heart. Young in age but already showing signs of statesmanship.
I came away feeling that there was enough optimism around that could result in change. Not just optimism; there was an energy force waiting to be unleashed. I learnt something more at that meeting – the power of your vote. I learnt that Mr Gehlot became the CM of Rajasthan pipping Mr Joshi to the post by just one vote! That’s the power of one. The one vote that made all the difference.
That one vote could be yours. . .
And, oh yes, I almost forgot. To answer the question “Whom do I vote for?” please go to http://mumbaivotes.com. Vivek Gilani who is the brain behind the site gave us a small but brilliant expose on what prompted him to develop this site. His reason – Let the voter know his candidate. Like a sumptuous buffet in a good restaurant the site gives you the chance to choose from an array of candidates: from the academics and professionals to the scoundrels and scamsters right up to your neighbourhood social worker with a criminal record. Click on the View Profile to see the background of the candidates in your constituency.
Friends, the first step to ushering in change is to ask ourselves whether we really need it. If the answer is Yes, the next step is to discuss it. We constantly make decisions in our lives – from education to a career option to business to marriage. Sometimes our decisions click, sometimes they don’t. But that doesn’t stop us from making our choices. Not voting may be one answer, but it may not be the right solution. So decide on the candidate that you think is best for you. And cast your vote.
Sorry for inflicting this again upon you, but it’s time we did SOMETHING to arrest this slide. We can. We have the power of one. For starters please send this to as many people as you can. And please ask them to forward this in turn to their friends. Please set the ball rolling. Get INVOLVED. And VOTE for the candidate you think will deliver. India asks for nothing more than an hour of your time on 30th April. Please re-act and respond to this appeal. Write to each other, and to me, with your comments and observations.
Let us vote for Decency in Public Life. Let us vote for ourselves.
Sincerely,
Deepak Tralshawala
Commissioner of Income Tax (Retd.)
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