Social network experience and its impact

Since being introduced into Google+, I have tried to understand the why of what's fundamentally different about it. Google couldn't have created it as just another social portal, as they already have Orkut, which today is a been-there-done-that for most users in my Facebook network.

Android users have  several real-time integration benefits with Google+, but for now, let me focus on just the convergance aspect of a social portal. If Facebook is about a Wall, why does Google have Circles? That's where the fundamental difference lies, more than just the terminology. What does this mean to our interactions with the two different tools?

In real life, down to ground level away from the cyberspace, do we consider all friends 'similarly'? We mentally slot people we meet as just acquaintances, friends, like-family, family and many other nuances of relationships tedious to compile here. But what happens when you log onto Facebook? There is one Wall and it is up there for everyone to write as they please and for everyone else to read, even if it is not just 'apt' to share it with everyone.  With a Wall on a Network, you are essentially bringing all to the same plane, whether you like it or not. We have accepted this as this is all we got.

Admit it, there are level of friends and you'd like to share not everything with all of them, at the same time, even if eventually you would.  Then, there is the local 'circle' (school, college, dorm, special interest) specific language that you'd like to use with the right set of people. But hovering at the back of your mind is the point that maybe others that who do not understand what's being said might not 'get it'. What happens then? Think of what happens when a group within a party starts talking about a specialised topic or event that is of no relevance to others. The group rares out. Sure, a Wall is asynchronous or not 'live' since not everyone is not interacting at the same time. But the behavior is nevertheless impacted since everyone consumes the same content, eventually. There might be self-selection in what one consumes. But the fact that the information or impressions were put out there has some impact on the user who put it there and those who read it.

For example, there are some friends you will let 'take you for granted'. This, on Facebook might mean you will let them say anything i.e. metaphorically speaking, piss on your Wall. The implication of this is wider than just that it is for there for all to see. In two recent examples my friends 'violated' discretion by writing things that were not for public consumption. They might have done that under a misguided sense of humor. You cannot avoid such indiscretions, as much as you cannot blame them for their behaviour. One of them, in an offline conversation, even went on to call me hypocritical for having deleted his posts. I am still not sure what impression the online exchange might have left on others. The fact that this problem even occured is an implication.

Circles solves some of these issues. But is the Circles or Circles of Circles (Extended Circles) the ultimate answer? This is a great change toward the right direction, but not a panacea. When we create our own Circles, we still end up adding A and B who are each known to U, but not to each other. How fine tuned would you make your circles? How many Circles can you manage? I am sure there is a smaller Dunbar's Number for Circles you can manage. Will your network set-up imitate exactly what you have in your mind?

So, essentially, bogged down by lack of choices, what are the users doing? They might be either getting used to the idea of 'sharing it all with all', or using discretion in what they share, so that they at least deliver a 'common mimimum' content to the 'Wall' or 'Circles'. In a sense, therefore, even the best tools today still give us a compromised experience, even if they are, innovative, technically well executed and design-wise state-of-the-art. Another question to consider is, how is this group level behaviour changing us at the individual level as we continue to use the available social tools in current formats? There are more questions than answers.

My bigger problem right now is learning to juggle my time for Google+ and Facebook.

On public etiquette and sycophancy

Breakneck traffic on hardly busy suburban roads, Honda Civics brushing past caravans of pedal-rickshaws, traffic quasi-police trying in vain to control the flow of automobiles and an off-duty policeman without a helmet trying to cross the road even while the mainstream traffic cruised along... these are what I observed in the first ten minutes in the land of chikan and 'pehle aap - tehzeeb' (etiquette of 'you first').

But the most striking thing was that the city was aglow with blue colored lighting, blue colored cloth hoardings, large posters bearing photographs and symbols of the governing party politicians. Whizzing past statue after statue of the chief minister and mentors of the political party, I could not but wonder how much money was being spent on this mega-celebration. Then we drove past the planned venue for the gala anniversary event where more than a hundred thousand people were expected to assemble in a couple of days. But it appeared as if all the police jeeps in the city had already found parking around the locale.

My driver explained in a careful tone how the administration is spending 'araboan rupayeh' (unimaginably high amount of money) for an anniversary. While farmers and students outside the city make do with just a few hours of power everyday, the city casts a blue stamp in the sky for the passing satellite.

There was one conspicuous stretch of road though that bore absolutely no lighting. Nothing else changed- smooth as glass tarmac, neatly painted traffic-lanes, manicured divider and dedicated, separated pedestrian and bicycle tracks. The stretch was dark with no street lights of any type. The ensuing explanation of the anomaly told me about how politicians' egos function in complete isolation from public safety norms. The particular stretch of road was apparently the dream project the former chief minister. The project having been a success and the current administration being at constant loggerheads with the former, the latter chose to downplay the success of the road by knocking out all lights. Who would dare cross the road here?

Three days hence, we now know that fifty million dollars were spent and a garland made of currency notes worth a million dollars was presented to the chief of the party. Where the money came from is altogether a different question and for the CAG of India to worry. In a state where the number of people living below poverty line is one of the highest in the country, this amount of money given to them, in kind -food and shelter even- would have had a colossal impact on thousands of lives. If caste politics is the name of the game, fine, the party could have still distributed the money to their own voters if no one else. Even that, biased it may have been, would have still served a social cause.

Do the people from the, historically, economically disadvantaged factions, whose cause the party claims to champion and who voted this party to power, wonder why their chosen one did not make better use of the money? Or did they admire the pink garland of grands, thinking all the while that it looked so big and so pretty it befitted a white elephant?

A million dollar currency garland and a fifty million dollar gala is bad public tehzeeb for any leader in any land.

In Mumbai, there's lot of drama...(Part 2)

(Continued from here)

Scene#1 Take#2:

It's late on a Saturday winter afternoon in a winterless Mumbai. It is very crowded today as I drive from one point in the suburbs to another. 'When isn't it crowded?' are my thoughts as I pull into a traffic light. Trance is playing on my car music system just as I notice that I am surrounded by autorickshaws.

A face peers out of the auto stopped to my immediate right. The sweet looking girl gestures me to roll down my car window. And I think, 'Don't I know this girl? I am dreaming? This has happened to me before. Is this deja vu?' Mind races back to the last time this scene was played out. Four months back, rainy night, traffic, same gestures... 'Oh, I know what is coming. Damn...my instincts were on the dot! I am glad I did not fall for that trick last time',are my thoughts as I cut the music and roll down the window.

Looks can be deceptive. But I feel a little proud for having judged it right the first time around. I need to get this girl to understand that she cannot get away with it all the time. A meek 'Sorry!' wouldn't have the punch. I need to say it like she cannot forget it for some time. But, I cannot make a scene. If a guy shouts at a stranger-woman (by now, all the sweetness about her has metamorphosed into wiliness) who is asking for help, those around you will likely trash you verbally, or physically, before listening to your story. Then there will be lot of honking from those behind me who are not interested in seeing where this goes. The inanity of the potential chaos makes me think we'll settle it the simple way. I only need to get a point across.

So, by the time she says it, I am saying it in my mind, smile on my face 'Sir, can you please do me a favour?'. My smile widens, as I lift up my index finger and say ' Ma'am, I know what you are going to say. But you have asked me for this favour once before, remember?'. I think she does not recognize me. But, I am sure that she knows that I know. She knows that she has slipped this time. She also probably cannot believe that she has tried to trick the same guy twice. What are the odds, isn't it? There are some things money can buy, but the look on her face was priceless.

Anyway, I am glad I had recognized that confident delivery of the request the first time around. I see that confidence again, when she recovers her poise and with sufficient stoicism, responds with 'OK' and then withdraws into the auto rickshaw.


(To be continued)

In Mumbai, there's lots of drama...(Part 1)

Called by many names, Mumbai, as a film city, ensnares people's imagination like no other. Does life mimic cinema or cinema mimic life here? In the continuum of what imitates what, the answer must lie only somewhere at the center. You'll find all flavours of life on the street -romance, fantasy, adultery, violence, deceit, drama, comedy etc- as long as you care to step back and observe. When the regular Mumbaikar cannot escape the real virtuality of the city, how can a simple guy like me? Here's are a few scenes from my life in the past few months...

Scene#1 Take#1:

It's late on a rainy evening of an otherwise quiet Saturday. You might have noticed that when it has been drizzling continuously, things kind of quieten down. I am driving alone from one point in the suburbs to another, cutting across several busy junctions. Now, I am stuck at the same signal for the third time that the light changes back to red.

Just as I am cursing the traffic congestion, the autorickshaw that was , directionally speaking, hanging around my five o'clock pulls ahead to my one o'clock. A sweet face of a girl in her early twenties or late teens cranes out of the auto. Her hand gestures to me to roll down my car window. As I see her eyelashes blinking away rain drops, I wonder whether she is looking for directions. But she is in an auto and usually, it is me that goes to an auto for directions, not the other way round. Anyway, my car window hisses halfway down and I wait for her to speak.

She says,in perfect English, "Sir, can you please do me a favour?" I am all the more unsure about what to expect now. "Sir, I do not have money to pay to this autorishaw guy. Can you please give me 80 Rupees?" My mind races. Something is not right about this scenario. Her sweet voice wants me to believe this is a genuine request. Her immaculate private school educated accent tells me she must be coming from at least a middle class home. I cannot make out what she is wearing, but, someone in her position, I assume, must have a cellphone. Even if she does not have one, why doesn't she wait till she reaches her destination and arrange for money with whomever she is meeting? Maybe, she is even going home now. Either way, asking money, publicly, from a stranger, is not a smart thing to do in my opinion. Doing so exposes her vulnerability. Why is she asking me then?

A couple or three seconds pass as I consider all this. My thoughts are interrupted by her voice again, "Sir?". I have to decide whether I want to dig into my pocket or not. Would it be OK to not give her the money? 'Come on fast', I think. I go with my instincts and decide that the straight face and the confidence with which she delivered her request tells me that she is used to making such requests. Maybe she is just wanting to bill her ride on a stranger willing to help. Circumstances do not seem to be dire. So, I just shake my head and say "I am sorry!" and roll up my window. Her face disappears into the auto and I look around to check whether the light has changed. It has not.

In the background of raindrops falling on my car roof, I think about whether I did the right thing. She did seem sweet, after all.


(To be continued)

No Discounting New Year's Eve

The Christmas to new year's week is usually filled with tension among those who want to put it on sale and those who come to buy it. On one hand are those willing to start their new year with a bang. They will shop till the ball drops. On the other, there are those who want bang for their buck. Bargain hunters will make sure they start the new year with 'new everything' with nothing more than a pinch on their wallet. Then there are those who will, each year, shop one last time before they step into the new year with a resolution to stop splurging altogether. The malls have something for all categories.

The weird thing, though, is if you want to stay at home on the new year's eve, you will not get an offer in just the right places. I was asked to register and sign up for promotions before I could access the downloadable coupons from a couple of top pizza houses in the country. And when I did download them, the fine print did not help my appetite- "This offer is not valid on 31-Dec-2009!" I am trying to recall if this is the case in the United States too. I guess they have special discounts on the turn of the year. Is it because the same chains in India think people here are less imaginative on new year's and would order more pizzas no matter what? Why then pass the opportunity to fill the orders, at full price, from home parties?

Hearing about New year's eve parties is one of the traditional catching up activities you do in the first week. After the first week, it's as boring as talking about last year! Anyway, as you'd have guessed ours was a 'nice' one at home. Sit at home, play with our son and order pizzas at full price; no offers! Don't get me wrong, for a bargain hunter is not really about money. Just like for a kleptomaniac, it is not about the item. Think bigger, it is a middle class value; more like a value game.

But for many the eve went better than they expected it to. For some it almost did. Here are some stories I heard...

One of my colleagues regretted that she and her husband could not go to Goa to one of the progressive trance parties where they ring every new year in. Later, on learning that, this year, the place got busted with a lot of drugs on site they thought it was a good sign of times to come.

Another colleague ushered new year in a resort and for unknown reasons (he thinks it is a case of mistaken identity), he and his wife received more than their share of hospitality. They could not believe their luck when they received as gift a 'three days all expenses covered package at a beach resort'. It was given as a reward for their loyal patronage. But, this was the first time the couple had even been to the city. Would you call that lucky start or what?

You have reason to be happy when you have free couples pass to, I was told, one of the coolest places to be in Mumbai. Named after an exotic amphibian, the place charges a high fee for its new year's party. If all a guy has, to take to the party, is another male friend, then he does not want to use the pass as a couples pass, lest he send out all the wrong signals. So, he should feel luckier that he gets two free passes to cover both the stags. Economically, as one colleague pointed out, this is a loss to a potential couple who could have instead gone free to the party with those two half unused passe. Anyway, this guy lands up and finds himself among TV celebrities and really cool crowd. Or hot crowd as he later corrected himself.

Having the time of his life, he lands up at the bar next to an attractive woman (his description was much risqué). Adrenalin and new years spirits propel him to ask her, harmlessly, if she would like to dance with him. He, however, is faced with the dilemma of answering the question- "How much will you pay me?" Got to give it to the honesty of the guy, unfazed, he replies "What are the standard rates at a place like this? I am new here." 'I charge twenty five thousand' pat comes the reply. Still maintaining his presence of mind and also trying some fishing, if not getting some more free airtime as well as taking a big risk on his reputation or judgement on class (But, no mincing words in Mumbai, they say) he says 'Isn't that a little too high even for today?'. Looks like this woman is ready for anything, she says 'For you I will give a 10% discount!'. That response, to me was simply Manoj T Shyamalan-esqe unanticipated. Tell me if you hear a better one than that in all of 2010!

Like I said, if you are into buying something, there is someone selling it for a discount on new years. Unfortunately, that does not seem to be the case with pizzas delivered home on New Year's eve.

Up and down in Mumbai

Mumbai, the big city of India, teaches you something new every day. The last six weeks have been full of hopes rising up and hopes falling down, traveling up and down, moving up and down and looking up and down.

For the most part of last three weeks, the small talk has revolved around the delayed onset of monsoons. Wiping beads of sweat off their foreheads, people glance up at the sky and shake their heads down in disbelief that rains have beaten them in to the sultry mid-summer. Kids though too happy to go back to school, also probably wonder when it will be called off for a day or two when the waters enshroud the roads and bring productivity of the city down.

My second day in Mumbai was spent learning firsthand the vicissitudes of life on a ‘local’. My local batch mates from IIMA-PGPX had planned a meeting, it so happened, on the day after I landed here. Living with a few relatives until I moved into the company guest house, I was left to figure out how I could negotiate the forty kilometer distance from uptown Borivali to downtown Colaba. The first evening I watched trains at Borivali station cough out people in a hurry and suck in people in a hurry. Two and a half decades back, as a kid, watching trains was apparently an obsession with me. After work, my parents would take me to the nearest level crossing where we would watch trains until they got bored or I stopped jumping with joy, or both. Watching what was going on in the Mumbai local station did not bring up any of those fond memories. Anyway, I had a task to do the next day and my wife’s cousin and uncle had one of their own that day. They had to ensure that their esteemed (tch! tch!) relative was well taken care of and trained enough to travel safely up and down the busy chest of the big city. The next day, while I had no problem getting to Churchgate, on the way back, I learned not to underestimate statements made with respect to the local. I had been warned 'let the Virar local go, you have to take the Borivali local'. But, I thought that warning was too much to be taken seriously at midnight. The Virar passengers take it to their heart that someone would take a Virar local to Borivali when the latter has a train all to itself, last stop Borivali. And they showed this to me the hard way. The carriage full of people standing on each other’s feet, would only allow people in and refused to let me out. (Stepping out and into locals is not how it works in India's city that never sleeps) Jumping out of a train slowing gathering speed, I learned it is never too late (read as never too restful) on a Mumbai local, time of the night notwithstanding.

Lifts, the ones that take you up and down, of all kinds is another thing that one needs to get used to in the Big Apple of India. Tall buildings are not built to impress; they are built to sustain. Sustain the ever growing population of the city that shelters (or not) the fourteen million aspirants and the arrived. But unlike many other cities, Mumbai had learnt many decades ago that it needed high rises. Hence, the variety of lifts in the variety of buildings. The modern one in our office is not always as predictable as the old collapsible-grill kind in the guest house building. The former, though computerized (ahem!) has a mind of its own. Back at the guest house, one has to remember that the lift is not automatic. And this learning did not come to me automatically. One evening, a bunch of kids rushed in shouting ‘wait, lift, uncle, wait’ (or was it ‘wait, lift-uncle, wait’?). I smiled and opened the door. The little people took over the charge of lift operations. They pressed some number and I said ‘Six please’. The little girl did not respond. So, I looked down at her and said ‘Six please’. A little irritated, she looked up at me and said ‘Uncle, this is not automatic. You press Six after we go out’.

Like I said, Mumbai (small or big) teaches you something every day.

Nano-voce-philia: Defined as...

...love of talking about Nano!

I am not a fanatic for the car per se but am for the principle behind it, for the alternatives Nano provides (still saying that it will be a big hot potato to swallow), the fundamentals it will change, utilitarian concept it embodies and frugal manufacturing technology it testifies. But for the record, I must admit that despite my fears about Nano, Nano is all over my mind. Nano is having an 'in your face' effect on me.

Nano is bound to change our lives and the signs are already showing. Here are some samples.

A recent article in the newspaper prophesied about the peripheral,in several meanings of the word,industries that will flourish in the shadow of Nano. Will not cheap (economical) accessories well embellish a cheap car? It also took a shot at how our conversations and attitudes and jargon would change to accommodate the shifts in paradigms that Nano would trigger. You might say I am progressively becoming a Nano-voce-philic (For good or bad, such people as yours truly like talking about Nano!). Now that is a word I made up. Is there a "Nano" word for someone who makes up Nano words? Nana-verbo-philic, perhaps? If you are getting the hang of it and think I am getting carried away, I have made my point.

If the masses get their bread should the 'nouveau' as well as the 'riche' not get their cakes? Dilip Chabbria has unveiled his impression of a car that could buy a hundred Nanos. Pegged at 1 crore, the rich man's space age answer to Nano will snub the masses with its antiNano philosphy. There in lies the irony: For the rich India, an answer to a frugal car is an extravagant car of similar dimensions with little else in common.

The irony also represents the socio-economic divide that has manifested in different forms in different cities. Be it the Bangalore-commons' quasi-despisal of those working in, literally, glass houses that are IT complexes. Opportunism, crime, harassment and verbal abuse against techies in Bangalore, Pune and other cities. It also shows up in the amplified pillage caused by mobs incited by any issue, the damage in which is mosty incommensurate to what one would expect in response(!) to the problem which triggered it in the first place.

Here is a more significant example of how Nano is raising its hydra-head even before it juggernauts onto the road ten months down the line. Read here about how Nano has upset another automobile manufacturer's grand plans. Electrotherm had a big idea of a small priced AutoRickshaw, but Nano would allow none of it. But as you would have read in the quoted article, ElectroTherm has plans of salvaging their project by converting the prototype into one that is electric and at the same time cheaper. Now, that is innovation driven by market forces. How often do we get witness that so closely and in the live?

We are in exciting times in India and, going by the international pulse, beyond. The show has just began. Nano has just entered the building.

PS: Now, would you call me a Nano-blogo-philic for that matter? Apologies to OUP for misusing the poetic license. For, officially, Oxford has done away with hyphenated words.

Big little things

A non-working day in the middle of the week works like a charm. Doubling the joy, I chose to not work on the first day of the new year,only an optional holiday. How precious is that?

That evening, after a long time, we thought we should ride around the countryside on our bike. It's always a pleasure to ride an Enfield. The drive took us to the Anekal lake and presented us with a carmine sunset over the still shallow waters. Confined to the corridors of Vastrapur campus for the latter part of the year, I think will only be able to look back at life's little pleasures such as watching a painted sky withdraw out of horizon like expensive silk sliding off a dark rosewood table inscribed with glitter. At the end of the clear day, the colours lingered even as we turned our backs and chugged on.

Rolling down the unusually slug (many offices in E-city were not working, we guessed) and therefore pleasant Hosur Road, we made our way yet another time to our deary chinese eating place China Pearl. Finding it too early to sit down for dinner and moreover needing to stretch our legs after a fifty kilometer ride, we decided to take a walk on the street. That is when my wife's slipper broke (Who listens to unsolicited advice on apt footwear for a bike ride?). A little late for a cobbler to be open, we realised, when after hunting down a repair shop found it shut. My offer to replace broken slippers with new ones was gently declined, as there were 'many pairs unused yet'.While S was dragging her right foot along, I was trying figure out how the slipper could be revived for a couple of more hours.

They say something about necessity bearing ideas, but I will qualify it as simple improvisation. An idea sprung up when we were passing by a tender-coconut seller. When I was a kid , I remembered, there was a neat way in which the tender-coconut seller would tie up two tender coconuts by using strands drawn out of the green damp shells of each of those and hang the pair over the bar of my bicycle. I still remember how the knot would survive the bumps on the road and needed to be scissored to be undone. So, there it was- an idea hanging over a pile of tender coconuts. The strands from the green shell of the coconut could be used as a makeshift tie for the broken slipper. The fix would also be inconspicuous. But even as I was explaining to the lady who was clasping a sickle about how she could help us with the the broken slipper, she offered other ideas such as giving us a safety pin. But the design of the fancy slipper would not allow a pin to fix things, so we declined and we went ahead with our idea of stringing up the slipper with the juicy strands. We were good to go!

Dinner was delectable, as expected. We have some favourites which we mix and match with new items on the menu. China Pearl has never disappointed us.

Something strikes me when I think about the evening. The eagerness of the lady to help in the situation is commendable. I do not mean to make a big deal of a safety pin offer. It is the attitude that is in point. I am sure she endures a lot of flack from the street and the public on a daily basis and it leaves a bitter taste in her mouth. And here we were talking to her at the end of her rough day explaining a weird patch-up I was attempting on the broken slipper. She was cool and eager to listen. May be, then again, only I do not meet such enthusiastic people so often.

Or am I becoming progressively cynical about people and expecting very little? Then again , may be she values human interaction. How many times do we try and listen to anything a stranger has to ask of us? Thoughts of mugging and mooching ensnare us (I will concede to the part-truth behind this). Technology is a useful raider. It robs us of basic interactions with the lure of productivity and efficiency. How many times do we walk down to our colleagues instead of picking up the phone and getting it done? How many of us know our support staff on first name basis?

Anyway, her help was appreciated and we let her know that.For the records, the slipper lasted till it was retired out to the corner of the shoe box.

I relearned, in more ways than one in the evening, that it's the little things that make life livable.

Transforming India with a Reality Show

Since the last anniversary - the diamond jubilee - of Indian Independence, readers of a leading Indian tabloid have been cajoled, enthused and shaken-to-be-awakened to the reality of 'Indian system'. Those with sincere (as in willing work full-time) intentions of bringing about a transformation in Indian system have been challenged to come forward and spearhead the 'Lead India' campaign. At the end of a process that was a mix of job-or-B-school-interview and election campaign and which generated excitement a la American Idol with its SMS polls, city-level winners were announced today.

All is good, so far. A company, and quite ably in the publishing and visual media domain, has taken this up. A media firm of its size is apt for this type of initiative simply because it has the muscle and the means to garner sponsorship, information and publicity that the initiative would need. At least someone is doing something about it! With the tabloid's existing readership demographic, the campaign will probably reach the right people who ought to and may care - the youth.

A report card, in the paper today, then stated the next steps of this process. Apparently, the next part of the selection process will be a TV program where in the winners of the city-level competitions will compete in a 'live reality show'. Now, why did I not see this coming?

Reality Show is the order of the day.You give some and you get some. And the media company in questions makes no claims about 'Lead India' venture (that should be the correct term, it is not just an initiative) being a charitable one. No problems with that. It would make no business sense for the tabloid to invest crores of rupees in dedicating hundreds of square inches of advertising space over several weeks to 'jagao' the public about this venture and invite dedicated individuals into this mission.

The keen sense of marketing used behind this is worth noting . They identified the right theme-transform India, they chose the right time- the diamond jubilee, they chose the right medium -a tabloid popular with the youth, and now in a symbiotic operation the group will use print and visual media together to propogate, provoke and prompt the citizens to stand up for themselves and be led by the chosen one. I hope the intentions and the drive can be sustained.

Until a critical mass is reached, any transformation of almost a revolutionary scale is not possible. NGOs and other social activists have been trying to do what 'Lead India' is attempting. The difference is that the former groups' voice did not reach as far what Lead India campaigners have managed to cross (?). So, commercialization (Priyanka Chopra and Shah Rukh Khan are two of the public faces of this campaign) is the way forward. Mass movements require mass communication and today television is no doubt the best mass influencer. The reality show show that will identify the champion for Leading India will probably also find the TRP ratings the network is looking for. After all, we all want India to improve and we all want to have a say in who will do it on our behalf. And if you can involve everyone through their TV sets, it is a win-win-win (sic) for the people, the network and the sponsors.

How for will this go?

Cliched it may be be, but it needs to be said that one needs to have political clout as politicains call the shots at the administrators and bureaucrats. I think 'Lead India' campaign will lead to the emergence of a political party in the next few years, if the initiave- sorry, the venture- finds people's accpetance. One that will have a secular, progressive, anti-corruption based mandate (I can join a party with this jargon!).

While the 'Lead India' campaigners have hit upon a great idea and will probably see it through (over many years, if not decades that it will require), one can almost expect opportunistic businessmen build around this idea to set-up similar ventures to exploit the let's-change-India-weakness of the educated masses and to rake in moolah in the process. It could then become a ropeway for the publicity-hungry and wannabe-but-don't-have-it-to-be publicity mongers. The contribution of such people would be as much as those of item numbers to classical dance.

Anyway, this is a beginning. What seemed like a publicity stunt is increasingly seeming to be a genuine effort to identify true leaders who have it in them; this going by the profiles of those shortlisted. But it may be too soon to talk about the efficacy of the operation.

But will they be able to change India? I cannot say, but I do hope. A reality show may help get the balls if not the hearts to achieve this.

The art and math of tipping

A tip is a bribe, a tip is a token of appreciation, they deserve it, they are only doing their job, a tip should not be a norm instead be left as an individual's prerogative...these are few of the mixed impressions I heard over a radio channel during a 30 minute drive back from work. For those traveling abroad, I can talk specifically about the States, tipping is not an option but a dimension of acceptance of local norms. Just as you cannot go to an upscale dinner place, some lounges or even the theater (Broadway/off-Broadway) wearing anything less than a 'dress', you cannot get away with leaving just any tip. You will be judged or at least stereotyped.

A recent article in the Economic Times,here, says Bombay High Court has decreed that tips can be shown as a legitimate business expense. This is good in a way since business travellers will be inclined to be more benevolent towards service-providers. Those who lack appreciation for tipping may now do good at companies' expense. I am assuming that the company policies will accommodate this, and why not.

The US thumb rule is that one has to tip around 15 % of the billed amount. As the article points out, one of the contemporary reasons for this norm is the fact that most workers in restaurants are paid minimum wage. But other reasons could be the basic fact that human labor is involved in activities that make up a dining experience. Human labor does not come easy or cheap in the US, given rampant automation again owing to low population levels. You can see this in a drive-through (no tips here), which is a quickie, but is not satisfying as an experience since a human being, typically bearing a scowl, is seen only at the fag end of the process when food is exchanged for money. Additionally, most people who work at just-any-eatery or chains are mostly 'fighting it out' for a larger pursuit in their life, such as education (just one of the many possibilities). Many are also young people in their rite of passage to work life. A combination of all this leads to a greater appreciation, in the basic sense of it, for labor. Hence, the requirement or inclination for generous tipping as you may want to see it.

Much has also got to do with faith, social history and demographic. In an ex-fuedal system or a caste-based system, and to top it in a society where memories of colonial subjugation are still lingering, the 'privileged feeling' of being serviced does not go away easily. Otherwise, why do you need an army of people to clean trays and leftovers at self-service food courts in Indian malls? Patrons do not think that self-service includes leaving a table as clean as they left it (assuming they got it clean). People pay upwards of Rs.200 per head to watch a weekend show at multiplexes, but what they leave behind resembles nothing less than a rampage. Surely, some amount of common sense must come with the ability to patronise an expensive theater.

That on an average Indians are not the best tippers is common knowledge. That 10% of Indians in the US live below poverty line may be a remote consequence of this. If the expat brethren tipped better at the several 'Indian streets' spread across the American geography, the BPL number might slightly improve(several assumptions need to be in place including legal employment). I have seen that Indian restaurants in the US have worked around the Desi resistance to 'proper' tipping by mandating at least 18% gratuity for eating groups of 5 or 7 or more depending on the scale of the place. As it is, this is a norm in non-Indian places.

Tipping is a host's prerogative, but if you are in a smaller group and your host turns out to be a bad tipper, you are in a dilemma whether to disrespect the host by adding to the tip or be unfair to the keen waiter; worse still, if you like the place and plan to come back. I have heard horror stories from friends who have been embarrassed in such situations. One story has the host leaving just a dollar for a $100-odd 'cheque', for an uneventful (read as normal service) dinner at a Thai place in Los Angeles.

Then there is the question of where your tips go. I remember talking to a friendly waiter at the Pizza Corner on Brigade Road. They apparently have a socialist framework for tips. Everything that anyone earns goes into a common box, spoils of which are shared by all at the end of the week. Even if getting a generous tipper is a matter of small chance for any waiter in India, in my opinion, this is a corrupt system, where the inefficient live off the productive ones. At a restaurant, attitude of the servers is what matters and can be easily controlled. So, why should everyone get the same share if some have better attitude than others? This partly why I never tip on my credit card receipt. If the money goes to the cash box, it may not reach the gent or the lady who attended us. Instead, I leave cash behind, hoping it goes to the rightful owner.

To tip or not tip is your own prerogative, but if you will appreciate, as the cliched acronym stands, TIPS are given 'To Insure Prompt Service'.

'Life in a Metro' review

Full entertainment in the middle of the week. This is how I would describe my experience with this movie.

The theme explored in this movie is not new. Rajat Kapoor's 'Mixed Doubles' dealt with the emotions and feelings related to adultery in married life in a largely comical way. Anurag Basu has taken this a step further in dealing with adultery in married life, in work life and in alternative lifestyles all put together in one story.

The Indianness of characters is very evident from the first few minutes of the movie, starting with Monty's (later we find out, harmless) leching. 'Passing the apartment key' (though I remember this from a Hollywood flick I cannot recall) is another facet of Indianness when it comes to the sheer number of people using the key and the efforts put in by Rahul in managing everyone's 'needs'. The use of a BPO company, where Rahul works, for the background of the movie, may be not coincidental after all, since this group of people is the young upwardly-mobile face of Indian society. Without being judgemental about it, this group of people does have the benefit of opportunity as well as means when it comes to 'enjoying life' as shown in the movie.

The storyline has very intricately woven into it, two complex yet relevant issues faced by young working adults. First is that of that of marriage - a pull between love marriage and the arranged one and the confusions surrounding the choice of a partner. Second is that of hassles faced by gay people in leading their lives
normally. Basu has dealt with them lightly but without losing focus.

I would personally call this a practical film, in that the situations shown in the movie are close to real life. That a parody has been constructed out of multitudes of such situations including that of revival of lost love (Amol and Shivani) demonstrates Anurag Basu's skill in putting together an enjoyable adult movie. Tracing nine intertwined lives leading to a rather preditable ending, this movie entertains with inanities of young work life, lightsided portrayal of insecurities of the youth and gays and significantly the pointlessness of the search of perfect partner by young men and women. Shikha's character balances the film by raising (and partly answering) serious questions about guilt, fidelity and responsibility in married life.

Irfan Khan, playing the ever-eligible bachelor shows class in acting. One moment a lech another a valued friend to Shruti has played his part in style. Konkona Sen Sharma playing the traditional-wannabe-modern-but-confused-30-year-old-bachelor searching for the 'right partner' does justice to her role with her sensitivity; sometimes reminding you of Bridget Jones with her reliance on chocolate. Kangana Ranaut, Shilpa Shetty, Dharmendra, Nafisa Ali, Sharman Joshi and Shiny Ahuja are memorable.

If a message has to be taken out, then it would be 'reconciliation'- Shikha's with realities of her married life, Amol's with loss of loved one, Shruti's with practicality of finding love and Neha's with recognising love.

Some of my friends who watched this movie stressed on the exploitation in BPO industry. May be they are overly sensitive about the issue. This is a light-hearted movie and aptly certified 'A' since it deals with complex issues appreciable by adults. And this list of issues does not include exploitation in BPO industry, unless I missed by miles the point of this movie. My advise to them would be to focus on the fun element, sit back, relax and enjoy the show.

Parting note: I liked the music in the movie and the situational appearance of the band while the story is running. Thanks to 'no running around the trees approach'(director gave no scope for such inanities), I found the songs light and relevant to the story. The music would be quite enjoyable while driving, if you ask me; Silk-Route-ish.

All in all, two hours well spent after dinner!

Rare encounters of the honest kind

A sumptuous dinner of favourite cuisine was what S and I had needed to make the weekend utile. It had been a tiring day, with the usual weekend capers. Overall, the weekend had been going on well. Having gone to bed on Saturday night, I had no intention of rolling off the bed before propriety demanded it. Thus, a wake-up call at nine on a Sunday morning was unsought. Hoping it would be a wrong call, not needing any mental energies to be pulled up, I picked up the phone to face the voice of a woman haltingly speaking in Kannada.

"Am I talking to..."
"Yes, what is this about..." (Some courtesies are lost in translation)
"Do you live at the address..."
"Yes!"
I was getting more confused than frustrated. Then, she delivered the biff that kicked out any remnants of sleep from my eyes and drooped shoulders.

"Do you know that you have lost your wallet?"

A flurry of images speedily rushed past me. What the ...? What? When? How? The consequences of losing a wallet are new, but not unknown to me. I have never lost my wallet, more out of diligence and the knowledge of pains associated with losing one than out of luck. I have been carrying wallets for at least 17 years. I was already visualising myself making scores of phone calls, going over pages of statements, getting new cards, disputing charges, getting a new license card from the RTO, loss of a few hundreds in Indian currency and the 'just for kicks' carry-ons in my wallet-20 Euros, a ten dollar note and an each of the extinct one and two rupees notes.

As she continued, realisation descended on me that she would not be calling me if my wallet were merely lost. This telephonic transaction was consequent to the occurrence of the logical next step of 'lost', 'found'. OK, then I knew what all this was about.

"Thank you! Can you please tell me where you are calling from?" was all I could muster, still trying to recover from the agnition that my wallet had been, fortunately for me, found by someone responsible.

"We live near your house. I am calling from house number ... on 12th Main". Aha, a neighbor!

"My brother found your wallet last night on the street near your house", she continued,"We tried to call you up soon after, but no one picked up the phone". In blissful ignorance, I had been lolling in the bed for more than 10 hours, while my billfold, which had never before been away from me was being cared for by some stranger.

I threw some water on my face and dressed-up and I was at the gates of this good Samaritan in less than three minutes. I was greeted by a short man in white mundu and a white vest. He ushered me in, even as another younger guy with wavy hair and thick moustache waved to a young lady in a gown. They must have started their day just now, I thought, since she was just wiping off traces of toothpaste from her chin.

I said 'Hi, my name is... I think you spoke to me over the phone'.

She handed me the wallet as I was shaking hands with the others and asking their names. I had guessed by that time that I was with a Malayalee family .

"My brother Anish found your wallet when he was walking past the new apartment building. He said he had seen some labourers around, but he picked up the wallet before they did. He is at the church now. "

I took the wallet and was about to put it in my pocket, when she said "Please check the contents". My gut was telling me there was no need to. Their intention was clear. A wallet had been found, it was being returned. However, there are reasons why people would ask you to do this. It is a reasonable thing to do lest there be disputes in future. I gave the insides of the wallet a cursory glance and confirmed that everything was fine.

"I do not know how to thank you for this! Please thank Anish on my behalf", I urged them. I really do not know how to reciprocate this action. My friends and I have found things in the past - it especially happens with debit cards at the many ATMS in our office campus- and returned them to the rightful. But this is the first time that I have been at the receiving end. Quantifying something as gracious an action diminishes its sanctity. I could not embarrass them with a monetary reward. All I could do was invite them over to our home for a tea and offer help if they needed any in settling down (they had moved in a few weeks back).

In an attempt to pen this seemingly mundane, but quite a significant if you think about it, event , I tried to look for synonyms for the word 'honesty'- as in what I would want to describe what the finder of my wallet did. I find that there is no other single-worded-term that perfectly fits. Truthfulness, integrity, guilelessness, honour- they all come close but are nuances of character not same as honesty. It is definitely something basic.

So, why is it rare?

6 things that will make India an icon in the next 60 years:

India's Diamond Jubilee of independence is no small occasion. 'Life starts at 60', '60 and sexier' are themes newspapers and other media are enthusing people with. So, what will happen in the next sixty (any other number misses the point) years is a fair question.

We do not like to think about future, as in really think; own much less our country's. This is just the reason why national events incite thought on futurity. I should not miss out on riding this wave lest my daily pursuits subdue my enthusiasm to express what my mind is able to grasp in this festivity.

Enough has been written about achievements of and lacunae in The Great Indian system, but it needs to be noted that India has reached certain high stratum of economy, industrialisation and quality of living. Of course, we (much less all of us) are not 'there' yet, but we have come a long way. Compare with various other countries that have achieved independence with or after India and you will see how much Indian Democratic principles have stood the test of 60 years; all this is given.

To get 'there' and become an icon, there are certain things India needs to refocus on. In my opinion:

1. REDEFINE LITERACY: The current numbers are enough to make us look good in surveys, but they serve no practical purpose. Choosing leaders based on their mandate is unheard of in India. There are a handful of popular, dynastic, and historic political parties in the limelight and rest is all horse-trading. The power to swing numbers lies with the rural and semi-urban population, but majority of it is not truly literate. People we elect are not true leaders. So, what we get as a government is a group of compromised political players. Political debate as a part of election campaign in this scenario is reduced to a farce, not that it even happens. It all comes back to literacy or the lack of it.

2. RURAL UPLIFTMENT: Today, the PM announced a Rs 25000 Crore benefit package for farmers. This is a great gift, if it reaches those who need it. Late Rajiv Gandhi said that out of every rupee allocated to rural benefit, only 40 paisa reaches those who need it. The focus needs to be intensified on inclusivity of the poor into mainstream economy. When the poorest of the poor have subsistence as a daily goal, education, better health and growth lose relevance. Rural health centers and rural school system need to be revamped decentralised for execution (IAS, Civil services, alliances with NGOs).

3. INFRASTRUCTURE: There is nothing required to say here.

4. DEMOLISH RESERVATION not related to economic status: The Gujjar agitation earlier this year is the worst example of what reservation system has become. That apart, the government is not able to explain the basis of the new magic-number 27. Those who need opportunity are not those who belong to a particular caste or tribe, but those who do not have the money to enable them to come within reach of such opportunities. Yes, most of such people do belong to certain communities, but then those who reap benefits from the existing system (the rich among those communities) are not exactly those who need them (your guess). And the current system also marginalises the poor in communities not on the list of beneficiaries.

5. EMPOWER PEOPLE and bring accountability: Right to Information Act is one of the most significant policies India has adopted since that of liberalisation. What is still lacking is the accountability with someone to act on the information that could be sought. Much is also directly linked to corruption. In the lack of a judicio-legal system that is accountable to punish the guilty, there is not much one can expect from administrative perspective; it is a vicious cycle. To begin with, the Home Ministry and the allied bodies should publish annual reports on benefits accrued from ongoing efforts on e-governance efforts etc.-much like what corporates do at AGMs. But who will watch the gatekeeper?

6. ABOLISH REGIONALISM: India can wish forever to be a true 21st century icon in business and global politics and further even to be a part of the UNSC, but there will no realisation of it until regionalism and caste politics (reservation system too) exist. Particularly, regionalism as on lines of national integration has taken big strides since liberalisation (e.g. many techies, students and other migrants from rest of India are comfortable living in Bangalore, Pune or Hyderabad to name a few cities not withstanding specific infrastructure issues), but naxalism with different names is rampant in most states of India. Unless such sentiments are put to rest, India's efforts at becoming an icon will be cheapened.

Given that Indian population is only growing younger, I think India will not need something as draconian as China's one-child-policy for the next couple of decades, so I am not putting it in this list.

The above are high-level themes on which focus is needed. Action-ising them is the need of the hour. And the more literate, technocratic and academic leaders we have sitting in the Parliament House the better. Unless there is greater political debate antedating elections, my sole objective during next elections would continue to be to topple the incumbent as I will continue to have no idea what he has done or others are planning to do.

There is hope, because despite everything India as she enters the 'sensational sixties' is a thriving globalised democratic young nation with an enviable (economic) growth rate.

Be sure to gain more perspective on this subject at Kiran's blog with his post.

Dying from denial:

'Youth dies due to medical negligence'- cried the local headlines in the newspaper this morning. In recent days, infamy has become the doctors' friend , while death is befriending the lesser mortals. And the lower in the SEC-pyramid one is, the lesser are the odds that he or she will cross the average life expectancy of an Indian. The unfortunate death of Shivaraj (Read the story here.) is just another example of how much the socio-economic system is lacking in accountability (what is that!) and social responsibility (ouch, not that nerve again!).

Either some of us keep running into the wrong set of people or it has now become a habit for doctors to act pricey-and-stately for no reason. A smaller example of this- minor in significance but chafing none the less under the circumstances- is that of a relative of ours who recently lost her mother and had to call-up as many as four doctors in vain, before my father requested our family doctor on the relative's behalf, to provide a death certificate for the departed woman. One 'nieghbourhood doctor' refused to even speak on the phone, let alone decline a visit, when called up for the request.

Such callousness as shown at Bowring should not go unpunished, for there is absolutely no reason why doctor should deny service to anyone. One can look at it in several dimensions. As pointed out in the article, there is no legal impediment to providing service. Medical negligence of the popular kind (misdiagnosis, failure to exercise diligence during procedure etc) comes later. One must first ask the question- Can a doctor be punished for providing service. Obviously no! Additionally, there ought to be no economic impediment, at least not in Shivaraj's case, as he was brought into the hospital by his father to a government hospital. In any case, the responsibility of the cost of the treatment in an emergency cannot and should not be the doctor's responsibility. The doctor is expected to skillfully do that which is technically apt in his judgment based on his training. Economic responsibility lies with the patient or his kin as the case may be. Denial of service on grounds of economic status certainly is unconstitutional. There is no evidence of procedural impediment either, because the patient in this case was not a victim of crime. Typically, one requires an FIR or some police report for an unaccompanied or unidentified patient where foul-play is suspected. Shivaraj's case is plainly that of a one-party road accident and moreover the police themselves shifted Shivaraj from one hospital to the other.

Come to think of it, basically, it makes no economic sense for a doctor to behave this way. Thousands of doctors pass out every year from greater Bangalore given the plenteous harvest of doctors from medical colleges in the region. Good doctors might be in short-supply but medical graduates are not. How can a doctor think he can grow by turning away or turning off patients in this demand-supply situation?

That the accused doctors shouted at the grieving party and refused to read the report given by NIMHANS, let alone admit the victim, itself tells that they are not fit to be doctors. Of course, suspension of the doctors has been issued and a 'departmental enquiry' ordered, but this will not help the dead man's family, for whom he might just have been the sole bread-winner. It can be fairly estimated that after having paid tons to get into the medical education-and-profession the doctors will try to buy their way out of the death on their hands. If the case goes judicial, all hope is lost for the survived, who might find themselves in a dilemma to choose between survival and legal (and moral) victory.

Treating this as a second degree murder (their action directly lead to the patient's death, did it not?), the doctors should be stripped of privileges to practice, barred from IMC and made to compensate the Shivaraj's family financially.

This may be an odd case that has made it to page-2 of a popular tabloid, hundreds more may not even be noticed. But this should be made a precedent for other doctors who consider themselves as human gods and take their roles for granted.

After that, the doctors might not live in and patients not die out of denial.

Gandhigiri and related aspirations:

Someone sent us this link and we were expected to be awed by the 'working phenomenon' that is Munnabhai. 'So soon?', I wondered. The movie is not even 3 weeks old and I have not even been revealing the plot to people afraid that I may not be able to do it justifiably.

http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/sep212006/national1813552006920.asp

(The following assumes you have read-up the page in the link.)

Gandhigiri is becoming fashionable now that the movie is still in the theaters. Let me correct myself there. Talking about Gandhigiri is becoming..blah…. There is a whale of difference which any anti-Gandhian too would see.

Khadi used to be fashionable too(still is? I can’t tell). Gandhigiri’s giving TRP to the news-starved TV broadcasters and to the gift-hamper-mongering radio stations in whatever little or big way it can; and no doubt well-deserved accolades to the director, producers and the unforgettable duo.

In any case, the Lawyer and Magistrate have only admired the unique way in which the inspiration from the movie was realized. Admiring any of us can do, because it will get us into conversations and get us audience for raving about the movie and the good-hearted-goons. I too have gotten excited ‘Oh did you see it? What did you think about it?’ responses on phone and outside it when I said I had just seen the LRMb movie (And before that ‘Oh really…you haven’t yet? Why not?’ ). But that’s where it stops.

Because the minute anyone is nice to someone who breaks the queue or jumps the line in traffic, spits outside your door (aah! this one's a classic from the movie), grabs a seat in the company bus, stamps your foot or leaves the used plate in the food-court table, she/he’s labeled a ‘Gandhi’. And that is not in the most admirable senses of the term. ‘Naïve’ will probably come close to what they mean. 'Jobless' will follow.

If you believe in the ‘Tipping Point’ theory by Malcolm Gladwell, it will do well to wait till the point is reached because then it will then become inevitable for us to join in.

By the way did I miss reading what the magistrate/Lawyer/police inspector plan to do to clean up their acts after being so pleasantly amazed at the ‘Munnabhai’ phenomenon, or did they not say anything about that? See what I mean? It's fashionanable to only talk about it.

Are there some places where Gandhigiri will not work? Like counter-terrorism for example?

As for me, I am not going to delve into thoughts of joining the bandwagon of Gandhigiri. Some things are best left to others, especially here; because if everyone becomes a Gandhi, life's small and big transactions will become easier for me to negotiate. But, if I started doing it myself... (No way! I need a two-minute nature break; even the thought of it is scary.)

OK I am back.I will wait for the Tipping Point to be reached. Hail Gladwell!

Da Vinci Code encrypted:

A supposedly great performance by Tom hangs and Audrey Tautou in which, as Ron Howard the director put it, the two are absolutely involved in the characters and could not have been better cast. A superb story (I am on the fence as far as whether it is true) which has survived controversies that it ran into for interpretations of the symbolism left behind by a master artist, and which introduced me to Dan Brown's writings. Alas, this is not to be seen by the Indian public sooner, because the government thinks it is too controversial a topic and some Indian Christians are already up with their guns and all.
The movie has been shown in Italy, around where a lot of the story is based. It would be just for people to think that their religious symbolisms and plausible evidences have been misinterpreted to show that a lot of Christian religious history, from the first AD has been all wrong. But has the Christian world, outside India, not taken it with an open mind? Is this what differenciates the 'modern us' from them, an open-mindedness about everything, especially culture and religion? Why does Indian Christian community have to feel threatened by the movie? If the damage had to be done, it already would have been, simply because the 'teaching' of the book has reached the people in the book that was released a couple of years ago. Since it is an English movie, which is at the least thought-provoking, one can be guess that people who go to a theatre to watch it will not take things on face value.
Evidence or the lack of it can hardly shake thousands of years of faith in people. The recent trends in Indian society might suggest that, say Hindu, youth are not religiously inclined in the sense that they are not knowledgeable of the rites and rituals of the Hindu ceremonies. But does that mean they stop believing in Lord Ganesha citing lack of proof, or stop believing in Lord Hanuman questioning evidence of his being?
Indian Christian community has been probably the most open-minded group of people in India in several ways. Looking at the intelligent and smart Indian Christian friends I have, I am of the opinion that their faith will not budge even an inch, by the revelations encrypted by Da Vinci years ago or propagated by Dan Brown and others recently. So, what is bothering the people who are protesting against it? The masses will not see the movie in all probability, and the educated man will not fall for it. Orthodox families may not even watch the movie even if labeling it as sacrilegious.
Then why the unnecessary publicity which will only give mileage to the promoters of the movie? And what is dearer will be in more demand. So, be ready to see pirated discs flood the market; another demon to be killed. In today's connected world, people will even pay and watch an movie online (download/streaming/whatever). So, how far will the protesters go to curtail the screening of this movie anyway?
On an equally significant dimension of this issue is that the choice of watching movies is being taken away from the people. This has been an issue from times immemorial. Movies that are usually R rated are reduced to the level of G by the time they are released in India. Why does a movie like 'Water' by Deepa Mehta not allowed to be shot and screened in India? Is it because it reflects the conservative perceptions of many who think this is not how India should be portrayed? Why should a set of middle aged if not old conservative people decide what the country should see? Given they ought to be on the panel for several good reasons, can the representation of liberals not be increased in the panel.Especially, when it comes to foreign movies avid movie watchers are at an utter disadvantage. Why are songs like 'Sarkhailo Khatiya, 'Kaantaa Lagaa', and many others recently, passed while scenes which depict contextually relevant nudity in foreign movies clipped. In my opinion such racy songs leave the same kind of impression a nude scene does. At least people cannot hum tunes of scenes that censor board clip.
In a democracy, there ought to be public debates before any decision that affects a good number of people directly is taken by the government . Let there be an equal number of conservative and liberal experts in an televised discussion and let them clear out their apprehensions in public. Let there be an 'ombudsman' who can preside over these discussions and make official observations. We may start becoming a mature developing society rather than being 'headmastered' by a censor board and conservative factions.

Jam, Jam, here comes the man...

Bangalore will soon become famous for jams...of the traffic kind!Ruthless in their being, gut crunching at their best and utterly time wasting, traffic jams are every Bangaloreans nightmare! I like them for only one attribute of theirs that they are a great leveller. Be it a modest Maruti 800, a Corolla or a BMW (there are quite a few of those in Bangalore), a school bus an ambulance or a police car there is no escaping a jam. They are predictable and they are not predicatable; depends on where you are at what time. A traffic jam is an invisible giant that likes to take walks on some busy, already choked spots of the city, on the nicest times of the day and leaves behind miles-long pile-up of vehicles of all sizes. The giant also shows up unpredictably in some unexpected spots. When in a mood he also likes to play games with Murphy's laws in the middle of the streets, making you end up thinking how
the hell this happened.
This giant was born out of the consummate marriage of bolted growth and bad infrastructure. An unlikely union, but no one saw it coming. The powers that be were busy appeasing the rural vote bank and their own thirst for power they did not deserve or know what to do with. EVen now that this has happened, it is the lame bureaucracy that has been outwitted by the pace of growth and is bogged down by its own weight.
There are 7 million people living in Bangalore. There are 1.2 million privately owned vehicles, 12000 goverment run buses and as many private buses running in the city.There are about 70000 Autos, 10000+ tempos and everyday about a 1000 new vehicles are registered.Having been caught unawares and clueless about what needs to be done to catch up with the fast emptying road-space, the local government has tried some mildly successful experiments to counter deficient roadways for the ever-growing populace and the vehicular appendage that comes with the people.

The favourite one of these has been the conversion of roads to one-ways. While it has reduced congestion, it has only increased travel time.It has added to the confusion. It is literally like a game that the police try new permutations for one-ways to identify what works best. Nothing is constant except the change- seems to be the rule of the day, going by the gusto with which the traffic police is making maps obsolete and testing peoples' patience. A study says these one way conversion have helped improve average speed of movement in the city from 14 kmph to 16kmph. Nice! But is this enough? They also defined a factor called Level of Service (LOS) where in they divided amount of the traffic on a road by the amount it was built to support. If this is between 0.6 and 0.8, we are good. Guess what most important roads in Bangalore (Double Road, Hosur Road, Airport Road, bannerghatta Road etc) have an LOS of >2 and approaching 3. What's the point in converting roads to oneways when they cannot support the traffic anyways? We need more roads- road on stilts, peripheral ring roads, whatever diverts away unnecessary traffic.

We thought we should build flyovers. Fine. But when we built them we did not know how to use them. Why am I saying this? Why do you think, when you see a traffic light (read crossover) in the middle of your journey over a flyover? The Richmond circle flyover actually has a manned crossing right in the middle of the X that the flyover makes connecting four roads near Bangalore club. I think they should build more flyovers and grade separators and build them fast, there is a bomb waiting to go off.There is bound to be a traffic explosion and bigger than what we have seen, and not try such stupid antics with flyovers. This may be a lone example, but this could well be the role model for new ones to come.

There is an immediate need for co-ordination between government bodies that are working in isolation. If BDA builds roads and pedestrians walkways, the BESCOM, the BWSSB or the telephones department digs them up no sooner than the latter finishes the job. What is point in laying the road? Why is there no accountability established?Why cannot the departments talk to each other before doing something? Who is accoutable for these mishaps in the first place?

Three years ago a Bannerghatta Road to Electronics City drive took 30 minutes at 8:15 AM. TOday the same takes 70 minutes on a good day. If you have to maintain the same level of travel time as before you have to start at 7:15 AM. Two years years ago you could start at 7:30 AM. The experience is very stressful and leaves one jittery even as one leaves the parking lot to walk into the office. Average time spent on road has doubled from about 70 minutes a couple of years ago. Organisations are concerned about productivity. One IT company has introduced early morning buses (starting 6:15 AM) and scrapped the late morning buses. Makes sense for the company, but takes flexibility away from people who have no option now, but to take leave, if they have some important personal work to attend to.

A lot of the problems are also due to the pathetic implementation and administration of traffic rules. All sorts fo vehicles driving the wrong way on a one-way street, auto spewing billows of smoke into the city air, cars and bikes weaving through snail paced traffic, cyclists and pedestrians snubbing the wave of automobiles and walking arrongantly in the middle of the road, uncontrolled honking are some of the symptoms of a traffic-illiterate populace. How can we expect to turn this around if people can get licenses to drive, without even passing a test? All one needs to do is pass a 50 buck note and voila you are a license holder! The ease with which the driving examiner absolves himself of the duty of inducting responsible drivers onto the roads speaks volumes about the abject callousness with which we treat the concept of road safety.

I think a solution for this is to drastically increase the penalty for small offences the cops usually condone. Jumping lights should invite a penalty of 500 bucks and parking on restricted spots should invite an equally large fine. And penalize repeated offences by withdrawing driving privileges. But the ground reality still remains that about a fifth of the drivers do not have a valid license. What have they got to lose?

An unmanned traffic light is useless with people oblivious to the concept of right of way. Unless there is a cop waiting to scribble down your vehicle number for the offence of jumping a light, the average Bangalore driver does not mind jumping a red signal.Even with the cop around many are willing to take the chance since there is a very bleak chance that you may actually get a notice asking you to cough up a fine.

On the infrastructure front, the executive should tighten up contracts to complete contruction work in time. There should be heavy penalty for delays in completion of the projects. It worked in Mumbai. Apparently, builders had to pay-back the authorities upto 1 lakh for every day that the work got delayes beyond the deadline.

Lately, there have been talks of declaring certain key areas as non-congestion zones. This means that you would not be allowed to drive into the area or pay a huge toll to do it. The idea is obviously aimed at discouraging use of private vehicles in congested places. This is unfair to the vehicle owners because the very reason they need the private vehicle is becuase the public transport system is shame. If the plan has to be fairly and success fully implemented, public transportation options around the region need to be tremendously improved. Without this, it is possible that the local economy in that zone would devolve.

The Myth of a family restaurant:

This weekend, my wife and I thought we should make a stopover at 'The Filling Station' in Koramangala. We like the place China Pearl nearby and each time the mystery of the restaurant that we could see from there beaconed us to fill something up from the Station.

The eating place announces itself as a multi-cuisine family restaurant. OK. The first thing we notice is that the place has a kind of not-so-soft ambience. Beige and red tables with chairs for some tables and sofas for the ones against the wall are set around steel columns used to support the higher floors of the building. The I-beams are orange in colour and stand out from the overall decor of the place. We also noticed that the place has a bar, after they handed us the beverage menu. Is this a family place or what? Or do they think families in Koramangala are different?

We order a seafood soup, not brave enough to swallow assurances given by the government that chicken is not sickening anymore. We very clearly mentioned our preference in this regard. Only after the soup arrived on our table and we supped it up, were we a little suspicious that the soup might have egg in it. Our doubts were confirmed when the first waiter was not sure and the captain followed up with a confused 'No sir, it contains no egg'. I trust my tastebuds more! That was enough to upset the rest of the meal.

We had just recovered from the eggy experience, when the man (I have skipped the 'gentle' part) behind our table lit up a cigarette! Trying not to fume, I asked the waiter if smoking was allowed. He immediately conjured up the existence of a non-smoking zone in the small place and gave us an option to settle ourselves in a corner. A smoking zone and a non-amoking zone with a common AC set-up and no walls in between? There must be some confusion here. We moved to the far table, but were wondering about the state of the 7 year old who was munching away in the table next to the smoking Joe's.

Unenthusiatically goin about our food, we were pleasantly surprised at the Mandarin fish that surpassed our expectations. But the schezuan rice has some basmati mixed in it! For some reason (care to help?) we got little help with refilling the glasses of water we kept emptying. Disappointed with the service, we left a nominal tip and a promise of never returning to this 'family place' to fill our gastronomic needs.

Can someone tell me if smoking in restaurants is banned in India; especially restaurants of the family kind?

Crumbling Infrastructure in Bangalore:

Bangalore has many epitaphs and I will not even begin to list them. These are but will fade away into watermarks, if nothing happens soon enough.

Let me begin by what I saw seventeen years ago, when we moved in here. This was a very peaceful city. We had a lot of time on our hands. We were never in a hurry. We need not have been. You never had traffic problems. Roads were wide enough for everyone. Then overnite, one fine day, the scales tipped there were just too many problems and we are in the thick of them now. What happened?

Bangalore happened. The latent businesses just flourished. IT, ITeS, Biotech and garment dreams were coming true. There was fertile ground for them to grow. But what successive goverments since early 90s failed to acknowledge was that, with this growth was a fertilizer needed to sustain this growth- infrastructure. Each one was smug in the development that was happening, not falling short of making claims on the success of Bangalore-based industries. With the exception of the last Congress government that Karnataka saw, there is not any substantial work done to improve the conditions of a city that has imploded.

Bangalore is not exactly an epitome of city planning, and since the turn of the century it is showing. The 'please adjust' culture of Bangalore, which has led us to be considered as one of the most welcoming and patient people has led to our downfall. If we have not yet, we soon will reach the nadir of urban bankruptcy- non-existent roads, hapless drainage system, rampant corruption, sub-standard public transportation system, an airport worse than some train stations, lame traffic control system, deficient power-supply and so on.

The international airport being built now has been on the table since around 1978. Why does a city of pensioners need an international airport? But, at the same time, we did give clearances to new business that would one day demand these.More bad planning on flyover executions. While it takes Mumbai 1 year to complete 51 flyovers, we are limping to bring 3 choking spots to normalcy for over 2 years now. People are willing to adjust, and so have I. And for the last decade we have been paying infrastructure cess on the petrol we buy, making Bangalore's petrol one of the most expensive in India.

Along with the people, the other people who are hurt the most are the businessmen who have built world-class facilities for their employees and the builders who have built 'world-class' homes for those who can afford it. They wish the same can be extended, to the extent possible, to the city. Then comes Public Private Partnerships (PPP) and the corporate sponsered task forces. This is an experiment which is bound to succeed if everyone place fair and plays his part. Corporates have the think tank to critically view planning and execution of the proposals for management of the city. Builders have the might to build the roads that will withstand the forces of traffic and nature. But no, we have politicians who think development is anti-poor and that talking pro-poor will help development. In any case what will they personally stand to gain from such partnerships, they are way too transparent for them to digest? They are here to bask in the glory of having been a 'minister' and while at it having made fortunes for his future generations- liqour licenses, land clearances, file-pushing, approval of licenses for what have you- all for cash. PPP work is hampered by government agencies (BMC, PWD, State PWD etc) who are used to laggard pace of doing work, and at most is manned by the losers in the bureaucratic set-up of city's planning. What the Agenda Task force gets is a snub from the last CM and the dismantling of the agency itself without even the consent of the stakeholders/private-sector sponsoring companies.

The Lok Ayukta vigilance cell set-up to contain curruption is crying hoarse that the state is lucky to be evaluated the third most corrupt one in the country. And that it should be on top of the list. But who is listening? You can guard the people but who will guard the guards (legislature and the executionary)? Both are busy filling their own pockets. Atleast this agency is succeeding at some pace to contain corruption at the grass-root level. I think they should have a carte-blanche for how they work, with checks and balances (already?) in place to prevent misuse of power.

In a controversial coup (which ones are not?), the current CM ousted the earlier one and is right now making the right noises. I am sceptical this is the 'heat of the moment' initiatives by the CM to bring back infrastructure-normalcy to the city, and it remains to be seen if the CM is able to sustain this enthusiasm. Lots of miles to go before this CM can claim he reached a landmark. There are far too many roads that lack pedestrian paths, far too many low-lying areas that beg for an effective storm-drain system, far too many disgruntled people at home waiting for power to come-back-and-stay.

Will be back with more on slow moving traffic in Bangalore. Your comments are welcome.