Saturday, August 26, 2006
+ It Doesn't Matter... But It Does!
There are quite a few things I remember – mainly because I want to remember. Some good things. Some bad. If we are a function of our memories – and I think we are – then these chosen memories are necessary.
Everyone has their own paradigm, and I have a strong distaste of prescriptions in these matters, and chicken soup in general. But it is easy to get caught in generalities and the macro picture, in a way, miss the trees for the wood. And there was this little starfish tale I found somewhere that has stuck in my mind. Let me relive it this moment.
The Starfish Tale
A young man went out to the beach early one morning. He found the shore littered with star fish that had been washed ashore during high tide the previous night. They would gasp there for a few minutes and soon die.
As he walked along, he found an old man picking up a star fish, taking it out to the receded waters and laying it down in it. He did this for an hour, after which he did not need to, because the grounded ones were dead. The young man went to the beach every day and every day he saw this sight.
One day, he went up to the old man and asked him, "Why do you indulge in this futile exercise? There are thousands of star fish along this beach and you at best would be able put a few dozen of them back in the sea each day. All the others would die anyway. How does it matter?"
The old man stooped down, picked up a star fish, cradled it in his palms, looked at the young man, then at the fish, and said: — "It matters to this one."
Friday, August 25, 2006
+ Acceptance
Nobody is saying anything new. So, what makes the words of a person appealing depends on how we relate to what they say, and also on how we relate to how they express it.
It is not uncommon to find someone agreeing wholeheartedly with someone’s sentiments or ideas while rejecting the same stuff from someone else – only because it was presented differently. Or, maybe, because of the person who is saying it.
It is not uncommon to find someone agreeing wholeheartedly with someone’s sentiments or ideas while rejecting the same stuff from someone else – only because it was presented differently. Or, maybe, because of the person who is saying it.
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
+ Kadi!
Desert-la irukkara post office-la ellaarum aen letter ezhudhittu, stamp vaangittu, veliye poraanga?
Veliye thaan otta-gum irukku!
Veliye thaan otta-gum irukku!
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
+ Mannai Yirundhu Thuzhaavi...
Thiruvaaimozhi - Naangaam Paththu
3156:
maNNai yirundhu thuzhaavi
....'vaamanan maNNidhu' ennum,
viNNaith thozhudhavan mEvu
....vaigundha menRugai kaattum,
kaNNaiyuL neermalga ninRu
....'kadalvaNNan' ennum annE!en
peNNaip perumayal seydhaaR
....kenseygEn peyvaLai yeerE..............4.4.1
3163:
thiruvudai mannaraik kaaNil
....'thirumaalaik kandEnE' ennum,
uruvudai vaNNangaL kaaNil
....'ulagaLanN thaan'enRu thuLLum,
karuvudaith thEvilga Lellaam
veruvilum veezhvilum OvaaL
Monday, August 21, 2006
Sunday, August 20, 2006
+ Checks & Balances
There is something called the system of checks and balances – essentially, a lot of people watching each other’s backs. However, this requires that everyone put up their hands and choose to be counted. What usually happens – and this is true, whether we are talking about India, the US, or any other democracy – is that the only people who are involved in anything proactive are those who are looking for power, prestige, gratification, or big bucks. So, this has become a game of looking for and finding one’ own needs. No wonder, politics is called the art of the possible.
And empowerment does happen in a cynical sense – I might be a nobody, but if I grease a few palms, I could get a lot of things done my way. The way to go about it, I would say, is to appeal to groups of people who are idealistic about certain things – environment, civic infrastructure, health, etc – and create groups with them to build active and sustained pressure, and ensure that there are numbers and names to make it count. And macro issues don’t make as much of a difference as specific points. Macro issues enable authorities to waffle, specific issues do a much better job of pinning them down.
Coming to the issue of two parties, bad and worse, it is the same. They are bad and worse also because it is possible to be so. The first thing is for the people to get the right to question, convert that into power to question, and extend that to the ability to get answers.
Recently, three idealistic iit-ians have got together and started a political party. The momentum is important, and also the results they can show quickly - these will determine whether this venture succeeds and to what extent.
In a truly open and empowered system which continually produces results, checks and balances will work well enough. Of course, there is nothing like the perfect system!!
And empowerment does happen in a cynical sense – I might be a nobody, but if I grease a few palms, I could get a lot of things done my way. The way to go about it, I would say, is to appeal to groups of people who are idealistic about certain things – environment, civic infrastructure, health, etc – and create groups with them to build active and sustained pressure, and ensure that there are numbers and names to make it count. And macro issues don’t make as much of a difference as specific points. Macro issues enable authorities to waffle, specific issues do a much better job of pinning them down.
Coming to the issue of two parties, bad and worse, it is the same. They are bad and worse also because it is possible to be so. The first thing is for the people to get the right to question, convert that into power to question, and extend that to the ability to get answers.
Recently, three idealistic iit-ians have got together and started a political party. The momentum is important, and also the results they can show quickly - these will determine whether this venture succeeds and to what extent.
In a truly open and empowered system which continually produces results, checks and balances will work well enough. Of course, there is nothing like the perfect system!!
Thursday, August 17, 2006
+ Rant on Civic Behaviour - 2
Traffic in Bangalore is nightmarish. When will it improve?
Improve?? One instance.... At one of the busy junctions where four roads meet – what the hell, I am talking about the junction of M G Road and Kasturba Road - there is the ubiquitous signal. Pedestrians get the green signal for all of 15 seconds every three minutes. And the moment the pedestrian signal turns green, the vehicles start moving, not waiting for their turn. There might be a few conscientious souls prepared to wait out the 15 seconds. But then, at this point, the police constable, otherwise just an eyewitness, turns activist and urges, even forces, the vehicles to move! I have seen him get agitated, and almost physical, when someone refuses to go through a red light.
Bangalore makes a dozen mega traffic management plans every year, but with such souls directing traffic is it any wonder that nothing improves on the city’s roads?
Improve?? One instance.... At one of the busy junctions where four roads meet – what the hell, I am talking about the junction of M G Road and Kasturba Road - there is the ubiquitous signal. Pedestrians get the green signal for all of 15 seconds every three minutes. And the moment the pedestrian signal turns green, the vehicles start moving, not waiting for their turn. There might be a few conscientious souls prepared to wait out the 15 seconds. But then, at this point, the police constable, otherwise just an eyewitness, turns activist and urges, even forces, the vehicles to move! I have seen him get agitated, and almost physical, when someone refuses to go through a red light.
Bangalore makes a dozen mega traffic management plans every year, but with such souls directing traffic is it any wonder that nothing improves on the city’s roads?
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