Russia, Ukraine & The Politics of it all

It was the early 1990s. I was in a boarding school. Life was simple and routine; until the day the “Mandal Commission” reservations were announced. Suddenly there was a disruption to the daily rhythm. We could not venture out of the hostel premises, not even to the school building. Classes were held in the hostel and meals were served in the quadrangle of the building. Social media was non-existent and being in a boarding school meant that information we had was very limited. There was no way we knew about the large-scale protests and self-immolations occurring around the nation. All we knew was that educational institutions were asked to be closed and our institution was trying their best to continue our education. Then one fine day the protestors realised that we were all still at school. Before violence erupted, the authorities packed us all home.

Alas, today Volodymyr Zelenskyy does not have the option of evacuating the Ukrainian citizens away to a safe home. They are fighting hard and heroically to save their way of life and their harbour of livelihood. Social media, television news, newspapers; they are all filled with stories of terror, courage and generosity of the civilians and armed forces of the attacked nation. Global leaders have imposed heavy sanctions and have had a dialogue with the aggressor as well. Yet the bombings and raging continue. I can only imagine the anxiety and worry of the Ukrainians and those with loved ones there. What I cannot still get my hands around is why this conflict.

I have read enough to understand that Ukraine is a great treasure trove of natural reserves and arable land. Historically, the interest of Russia in “owning” this part of the world is also something I am aware of. People have told me how the fear of the country joining NATO means Russia will have missiles targeted on it from its own borders. Yet I do not get the kind of invasion that has been launched. Yes, Russia can own the ore and the land. That could be done via trade treaties as well. Africa and Latin Amercia have seen these in abundance. A victory for Russia will satisfy its ego and pride of extending its empire. But was there an EU like solve plausible? I do not know, and acknowledge that for the said ambition a coalition may not be the perfect answer. Lastly of course, if real, with Ukraine surrendering the NATO threat will be annihilated. The last two achievements may come but at what cost? The cost of leaving a legacy of violence, decades of unrest, famine, economic downfall, and travesty all around! How is this even remotely rationale! But then there are certain styles of leadership that do not rely on rationality or compassion at all. They depend on achieving the end result, whatever maybe the price and whoever may have to render it as long as it is not them.

Every nation has the right to protect and defend its borders and govern its citizens so that there is a balance maintained across economic, cultural, and historic planes. We have seen recent, widespread discomfort in two large democracies of the world with the decisions of the government and the leader of the nation. The anti-views have largely hinged on human rights and liberal thought. The pro views have taken the approach of preserving what is core to the country and to a group of people fearing displacement and disenfranchisement.  Both have a viewpoint that could have been balanced but instead have polarised the populations. Yet these issues have been internal, creating discomfort and tilts of power within the borders of these democracies. None created a situation of endangering the lives of neighbouring civilians. While not ideal they are still matters that are not taking us back to ages of Genghis Khan and Alexander where it was power and loot that extended national boundaries.

All the happenings that I am writing of highlight the importance of leadership and the onus on citizens to elect the right leaders, to hold them accountable, and to ensure that we leave a world that is better than today for our children. We already have the environmental degradation that threatens the survival of the planet. Now with hostility and war we may just be either hastening the end of the earth or making the survival unpalatable. Once again, is this the legacy that we want to leave for the generations that may come after?

I consider myself a cautiously optimistic individual and believe that there is a likelihood that the sanctions will stop this madness. The fervent hope that this invasion stops is also so that there is no China – Taiwan next or a furthering of the Russian empire agenda. While change is the only constant and we must be prepared to deal with situations that come our way, I believe that we can also affect change and improve the situations that some our way. So today, it is more than ever that we have a moral obligation to think hard of how to render our responsibility of electing those who would govern with rationality and compassion, how can we hold those who we elect accountable to us and how can the world come together to live in harmony even when we have our myriad differences. Maybe it is time that I personally end my indifference to polity, or I will be the biggest hypocrite and culprit around. To quote Albert Einstein – “The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.”

 

Politics and the senselessness of it all

Of late I have found myself writing more than I have in the last couple of years. Let me rephrase, I am posting a lot more, not writing, because I am now writing of things that I am comfortable sharing. There have been research pieces and thought pieces that I have written in the last couple of years that unfortunately I am hesitant to share in public because I was advised that I sometimes write on topics so controversial that posting in my own name may not be good for me professionally. So, taking that advise I have been selective on what I have posted.

One of the many topics that has interested me over the years has been history. Another one has been politics. In fact, I started writing this blog because I was so frustrated with the affairs of governance of my second home city in the world, London. Well, I will admit that I was a Boris Johnson supporter then. Don’t judge me, hindsight is always 20/20. I then covered the Indian elections for a US website, and I had some very firm views as well. But over the course of the last decade, this is the first time I find myself completely disinterested in politics. I am not indifferent. I am just not drawn to discussions or to writing of what I think. And that is what I want to write about today. Why am I suddenly so disinterested in the polity of the world?

Can anyone point out a single speech, given by a single world leader barring maybe Angela Merkel that talks of thought leadership or is toned with dignity and grace? I would love to hear or read something in that shape and form. The last that I could remember the same was when he had a PV Narasimha Rao, an Atal Bihari Vajpayee, a Lady Thatcher, a Barrack Obama and most recently a Merkel. Of course, this is in my opinion that they had thought leadership and grace and dignity. That some of their decisions may not be right is not the point of contention. Yet slander, arrogance and crassness were not their methodology. I can say the same for Arun Shourie who I had the chance of hearing in person and meeting in person too. It left a great mark on me, a mark of an intellectually honest and dignified politician. The question I am asking now is if he actually is a politician!

Let me leave out the entire four years of oratory of the orange. I think we can all agree that it sometimes stymied the mind into numbness; but we must respect that there was a voting population that liked that agenda or propaganda whatever you may call it. If I want to be heard, then they deserve their voice too. If it soaked my brain with chloroform, it was my problem and mine to deal with. Those who thought otherwise definitely had the right to elect the leader they thought fit. However, I remained uninspired and well that was away from the shores of this ancient land called India. So let me examine what has happened here…

Let me start with the engineer. Someone who started as the representative of the educated middle class wanting to change the system from within. Educated at a premier institute of the nation he showed the light for the youth. Maybe there was hope but then he won the capital city state of India in a turn of events that was less than dignified. Yet the fact that he gave the historically powerful a run for their money is commendable. I would have thought that his first term, sitting in the opposition, would not only have been more graceful but may also have had provided a ground for training. That did not happen. Instead, now in these elections, the man has gone completely senseless. His latest remarks had me scratching my head for a while and I still did not see what he wanted to convey other than sway the public by calling himself the disciple of a freedom fighter. He was retorting to alleged allegations of him being called a terrorist and said that just like the British called the great Bhagat Singh a terrorist. the corrupt politicians of the country were calling him, a disciple of Bhagat Singh a terrorist.

So here are my questions to him – what are the ideals of Bhagat Singh that he has deployed to date? How come the fact that he considers Bhagat Singh a guru only being propagated today? Allegations of corruption have been made against him as well. He is also a politician. So, is he saying he is calling himself a terrorist? And then his tweet calls himself a “sweet terrorist”. Really! This is because he claims to have done a lot of work on education and healthcare. If that were the case, then why did the state of Delhi suffer severe oxygen shortage in the second wave, and he could only finger pointing but not secure oxygen for hospitals starving patients of their breath! Let me forget the past. For the current elections, why is there no discussion on the statistical improvement done and how that will be implemented in the next states where his party is fighting for elections. All this emotional barfing is no different from what we have done since years to confuse the electorate! What had emerged as a potential beacon of hope was just a shooting star that has lost its shine and been enveloped in the darkness of the universe that it floats in.

Next in line are our great leaders from the political party that has a family legacy. The total discord and discontent in that family run party is now well known and the intelligent minds are somewhere idling in the background as the next generation is trying to use the family name and fame to influence the voters once again. But look at how their comments shape up –Punjab should be run by Punjabis but UP people are not interested in coming and ruling Punjab! Really, we want someone to “rule” someone in this day and age! Their mindset is still as if they were the rulers and the rest of the citizens the subjects. Have they really forgotten that this is a socialist, sovereign, democratic republic! What more can be an insult to the constitution of this nation whose first PM was the family and party patriarch! But the emotional electorate does not notice the nuance. Unfortunately, my analytical pea sized brain does and gets fogged all over again.

While this party talks about the current party in power dividing on basis of religion they have adopted divide and conquer on their own agenda. Just that they are camouflaging it as women empowerment. Free rides for women passenger in government buses and 40% reservation for government jobs is nothing but luring a gender based on promises that have weak economic basis and potential to fracture the society on yet another level which is gender. While I may have to content that all politics is luring the vote bank; what irks me the most is the very emotionally twisted mythology loaded delivery of the message. While clamouring that there is a rise of Hindutva, they use the same Hindu mythology to demonise the current government. Double standards like this once again misses the masses whose emotions are heightened, and I am stumped by this irony.

These speeches and promises are not all serious. The next one had me in splits. This is from the so called third front, an unsaid coalition of sorts of all other parties who would like to make it to the governing seats and earn their share too. One of the leaders said the following – a train with 70 seats takes 300 passengers and is not fined so why is there a fine if there are three people on a bike? The man in question went ahead to promise that if his party was voted in then they would allow three people on bike to ride else fine the trains! I am still laughing out loud. I mean centre of gravity, space, road safety, none of this comes to mind of anyone writing or hearing this speech. Just use any analogy to make a statement that can be inciting! That seems to be the way that every politician approaches interactions with the citizens.

And lastly it comes down to those who were voted into power the last time both at the centre and as the governing party for the largest state of the country. I completely lost all faith in them when the chief minister of the largest state, after the second wave, said that anyone who claims that there were deaths due to lack of oxygen in the state should be imprisoned as that is fake news. Having lost a direct reportee in that state due to lack of oxygen, due to the complete apathy of the government, due to the restrictions imposed on RTPCR testing; all I can say is that someone who cannot admit their mistake but still wants to roar with rage has lost my vote and thus my interest. He has the complete confidence of the party leaders and it baffles me. I cannot seem to digest this.

While the world of Indian and global polity engages with citizens in this, what for me is unintelligent fashion, I have chosen to invest my brain power elsewhere. I would like to be able to lead a life that is productive and has a positive impact on the people I interact with. I will do my duty and vote and when I do that, I will take an informed decision. Till then I will enjoy this wonderful life with more exciting and less constricting avenues.  

A Crime and An Aggravated Political Assault

I was preparing to go to bed and decided to skim through my twitter feed. On most days it helps me catch up with updates and sometimes even go to bed amused with my readings. However, today what I read had my insides knotted and mind knitted. In the last thirty minutes I have not been able to do anything, let alone try and sleep.

The headline read, “West Bengal horror: Tribal woman gang-raped, iron rods inserted in private parts; Opposition slams Mamata Banerjee.” Of-course what has me tangled is the completely beastly act committed against the young woman. But what has me additionally riled up is how the opposition has politicised the misery of one innocent victim. Yes, there is always an opportunity for the underdog to score a brownie point against the one in power. But at the cost of someone’s misery, misfortune and mortification! That I think is a mirror of how shallow we have become as human beings.  

As a woman I wince even at the mere thought of iron rods and to try and think what the poor soul must have gone through is sending agitated shockwaves from my head to the toes. Then to consider that politicians want to use the description of this ghastly act that she has to live with to slander the ruling party; to use her story in daily news to gain mileage and win support, is making my skin shrink and blood vessels crawl. As a woman I am feeling vulnerable and as a citizen reprehensible! The woman in me is seeking safety and the citizen in me is searching for respect and dignity!

Each time such an incident happens in the country there is a national outcry to hang the perpetrators. It is assumed that the death of the demon will bring calm and quiet to the victim and create a threat for anyone wanting to commit such a heinous crime in future. No punishment handed to the culprit can probably bring peace to the sufferer. However, allowing her to not relive the horror every second will help her move on and find normalcy sooner. So why do the politicians make the wounds of the victim deeper? Only to wind up emotions that could potentially win a few extra votes! If the attackers are brutally selfish, these supposed leaders are venomously venal! In a country that boasts of women having been Prime Ministers and Presidents, this hypocrisy is a loud cry of decaying values.

If our leaders light a fire, Indian media only fuels it further. Think about it, which media house will ask these politicians to stop in their tracks? Which publication will call upon citizens to gather evidence to help bring justice and not show case political debates on this topic? Which broadcaster will refrain from sensationalising this atrocity further by adding that this happened in a state ruled by a woman chief minister? None! Because they all want their TRPs and their advertisement revenue! And the easiest thing that sells is the one that incites emotions, as we are an emotional society. That one thing which is our biggest strength is misused by our leaders and media to our own detriment and we don’t even realise it.

Yes I am sensitive and touchy and excited at the moment. Yes I am annoyed, provoked and feeling helpless. But that is because I am a woman and I do not understand why someone in pain cannot be left alone to heal...

http://www.firstpost.com/india/west-begal-horror-tribal-woman-gang-raped-iron-rods-inserted-in-private-parts-opposition-slams-mamata-banerjee-4360105.html