Thursday, May 21, 2009

A sigh of relief

Yesterday, With result declared for class XII by CBSE, marks completion of schooling for my elder daughter, and I am glad that she has performed reasonably well.

I had kept myself and my family away from the typical rat race, including studies of my kids. I have asked for only justifiable effort and reasonable performance.

I am pretty happy with her performance in XII. Our life have been through a tough period for the last few years, and this performance is despite that.

This would not have been possible without help and prayers from many. In particular, Words are not enough to describe support extended by the management and teachers of the school Chettinad Vidyashram. They have focused on allround development of the student, not just academic marks. True to the spirit, they stood by us through the tough times guiding, mentoring and motivating the child

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Long live Indian Democracy!

In what is arguably the biggest democratic event in the world, people of India has decided in favour of continuance of policies of current governance.

Generally, anti-incumbency factors works against the ruling party/alliance. However, results of general elections 2009 have favoured continuance, and outrightly favoring positive image of growth and development, rather than negative notions of religious fanatism, self indulgence and self pity. This, in itself, is a strong and clear message to the country's political class.
This is the first time since 1957 of Nehruvian times of nationalist euphoria that the same leadership who ruled full term is being re-elected. Those were times of national heroism and euphoria, and very early days of Indian democracy. Credible alternatives had not yet to emerged challenge congress party leadership, most popular leadership behind Indian independence struggle.

Especially at a time when the world is reeling under unprecedented, for independent India, economic recession, stability and continuity is of paramount importance and people of India, often called gullible masses, have favored the same. Consideration for national governance change with time and context, and Indian populace has shown consistent maturity to respond to the call time and again.

Time now requires professional governance and administration. Government headed the economist Dr. Manmohan singh would continue now. Dr. Manmohan singh happens to be a professional, rather than a politician, to head the country. Politician is typically overloaded with the task of party administration and biased by political and ideological perspective. Professional, in contrast, is characterized by scientific knowledge and analytical decision making. While both has its merits and demerits, time now calls for professionalism in politics and governance moving away corruption and votebank politics, and that is what people of India had decided for.

Center-right and center-left forces are not eliminated but only marginalized for now, and that is important balancing force. It is not a brute majority or a unilateral victory as the winners would like to present it as. Fact is, people of India have considered and weighed myriad of current issues, and sent a decisive signal for now

While it indicates largely return to government for Congress party, and rejection of communist parties in their bastions Kerala and West Bengal, it is significant in that ruling party of the state cutting across political spectrum is elected to massive victory for in Delhi, Gujarat, Orissa and Bihar. This rules out typical considerations of anti-incumbency factor, religious fanatism, factionalism, etc.

Key differentiator in each of them appears to be image of development oriented governance; be it political combination of local governance or opposition promising change. This clear mandate for growth and development in laudable where leftist trends seem to be raising its held in many traditionally capitalist parts on the world

Friday, May 15, 2009

Humpty dumpty had a great fall!

Experience is a great teacher though the cost is high. Hence make sense to learn from failures of others. An interesting perspective on anti-patterns in business

Yet another election coming to a closure

A great democratic event is coming to a closure, with Indian general election results due for tomorrow. Kudos to the visionaries behind making India a vibrant democracy! Hats off to those who made this possible through decades!!

A great achievement in itself considering the odds! Human life is lost in ruthless violence around the world in the name of power, politics and religion; a deadly combination in itself

Waiting for the results, and looking ahead to changing times, Rabindranath Tagore's words in Gitanjali are resonating in my mind:

Where the mind is without fear and the head held high;
Where knowledge is free;
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls;
Where words come out from the depth of truth;
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection;
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit;
Where the mind is led forward by Thee into ever-widening thought and action;
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Time for leadership and action

Systemic failure of global socio-economic system is exposed through the current economic crisis. That dogmas and theories get questioned during crisis and get revised in the new context is quite natural.

Democratically elected governments are duty bound to appropriately act upon crisis, and protect the interests of its citizen. Hope to see the largest and the oldest democracies of the world leave behind ideological baggages of the past and work together towards this goal, and get done with it fast

Thursday, May 07, 2009

Condoling death of communism and capitalism!

I am no economist! But I am fascinated by rise and fall of two major economic paradigms in less than 100 years. 100 years is indeed a long time when we see our life span but much shorter to assess validity of any theory that influence human mind, living and society at large!

Simplicity of communist ideals was appealing to young me, having born in the state of Kerala. But through my teens, I realized the folly as I started seeing the gap between theory and practice. Followers of the philosopher who argued against religion ended up creating a new religion. What was meant to an equalizer, ended up created a new hierarchy. Well, the more it changes, the more it remains the same! Soon, the world witnessed collapse of the biggest communist empire, once a dream of the downtrodden!

Notion of natural balance of free market was then appealing as it offered possibility of equality through freedom. While technology is striving to be an equalizer connecting the world, former advocates of free market seems to be sulking by raising newer barriers! Swings of free market, between bullish run or bearish slump, ends up cornering wealth of the world in the hands of a few... and what is worse, from patterns of the free market swings, it seems to be more of a design than accident! Is the free market truly free, or just a good old ideal?

As a common man, what I am concerned is not so much effectiveness of economic paradigms but rather their appeal. It seems to me that the world needs a hope, a new theory, a new promise, to rally around albeit for a short while