The New Nomadic Life

A recent article in the Financial Times (http://msittig.freeshell.org/articles/FinT_TribalWorkers.html) labelled the current generation of ambitious achievers, “Tribal Workers”. It was not a belittling tag nor was the phrase used derogatorily. The author was only attempting to describe, how today’s youth, just like their tribal ancestors wants to have as little roots/commitments as possible. However, while the tribes were nomadic to hunt for food to satiate hunger, today’s youth is looking for greener pastures to satisfy intellectual curiosity. Be it relationships or be it jobs, all is meant to be transitory, teaching one in the process.

I happened to discuss this with a friend, a bright and successful hedge fund manager, and he did not accept the point of view that myriad experiences are necessary to satisfy intellectual curiosity. In his words “there is more to life than a job”. I was surprised, as in my interactions hedge fund professionals are probably the most ambitious, driven and intelligence seeking individuals around. Clearly this person, despite his life and education on three continents, seems to have a different view. I tend to agree with my friend when he says, “God has been gracious and given us a lot. It cannot just be a free lunch that we are supposed to eat and forget”.

So if I hear my friend; we need to have a life outside of the work place. But what is that life? Is it a cause that we are committed to (but that is again sort of work right?)? Is it a hobby that we are devoted to? Is it a family? Is it friends? What is that which will make life wholesome? As the weekend draws to a close slowly, I think I am starting to look for the answer leisurely.

Credit Worthy vs. Credit Worthiness

Having lived and travelled across a large part of the developed and semi-developed world (clearly my brush with the developing countries other than India has been limited), I am accustomed to the use of plastic money and on many occasions it has been a saviour. However, on all my travels back home to India, I have consciously always carried local currency; just this once I forgot and landed with a measly hundred rupees on me. And it is today I realised how over reliant am I on the plastic card in my wallet.

The driver coming to fetch me at the airport had an accident and could not make it. I decided to take a pre-paid taxi but had no cash and the taxi company accepted no cards at all. The only ATM machine at Mumbai International Airport was broken and no money exchanger would give money against a credit card. So I was stuck; till a lady behind one counter told me that I could take one of their cab company’s cars and pay on reaching home. I heaved a sigh of relief even though the fare charged was three times the normal fare; at least I could get home in time and proceed to work.

As I sat in the car, staring out of the window, I thought that maybe I could have exchanged some of my pound sterling into rupees. However, looking into my wallet and scratching me sleepy brain, I realised that I had none; I had bought gifts at the duty free and so I was out of foreign currency as well. It was a first time situation and I was a little peeved with myself.

However, thinking about this morning, now, a few hours later; I am beginning to realise that short term credit in India is an integral part of daily life. Just like I got the credit from the airport to home this morning, I could get credit from my local grocer to pay him in 30min and he will even send his errand boy over to collect the amount. The chemist has no problem in delivering medicines to the flat and keeping a monthly record of his receivables. The milkman, the newspaper vendor, the vegetable man; all of them are happy to run with monthly credits. They have no problem in accepting my word of honour as my credit worthiness; however, the plastic card in my wallet to them is no guarantee what so ever!

In the developed world my bank and my bank cards define my credit worthiness; but in India I am credit worthy to those who have known me for some time. So maybe the facilities do not abound here, but human interaction and personal relationships do. That to me is sufficient, as life is because of the people in it and not due to the comforts that one has at hand.

Its a Small World

It is seldom that we realise that the world is not just small but probably it is tiny. Rare as they may be, the sudden incidents that spring familiar faces in front of us, leave memories that make us smile for an eternity that follows.

After a long gap, I was visiting London and I was excited. Like a little child left in a toy shop, I arrived at Paddington train station longing to work my way to my favourite coffee shop. I was waiting for a cup of steaming hot latte. It did not matter that I had luggage with me or that I had already had my morning tea on the flight. Just like a child desiring his favourite toy, I needed my latte. So off I went, with a skip in my step, to the coffee shop and was about to order my coffee when I heard a stunned familiar voice from across the till, “Where have you been all these days”. One part of my brain associated the voice and the face with Bruno, the chirpy barista at the Starbucks opposite the London office. The other was saying that Bruno worked through the week at the Starbucks, had won the best employee award at that Starbucks outlet; he could not be working at this Costa Coffee outlet. I was confused and so the thirty odd seconds passed without any response from me. The manager recognising my surprise chipped in, “He works through the week at the Starbucks and the weekends at the Costa here”. My surprise turned into a beaming smile and I greeted Bruno, who by now had picked up the medium sized cup and was heading towards the coffee machine. With a twist of the neck he turned towards me and asked me if it was still my usual. The season in London had indeed changed but not my coffee choice and even Bruno’s memory had maintained the energy of spring not succumbing to the numbing winter that the city had encountered. As Bruno handed me my latte, silently and unknowingly he welcomed me home; he remembered me and that meant that the city had some of my memories hidden. I did feel like I had belonged there once upon a time.

I adore London and I love Mumbai. These are the two cities that have defined the tale of my life thus far. So if London had given me such a pleasant surprise, Mumbai was not going to stay far behind.

The day before yesterday, I had to go to a meeting in the suburbs but did not have the car. I ordered an air-conditioned radio taxi, as taking a normal cab or the public transport would have meant reaching the client’s office drenched in sweat. As I walked towards the waiting green cab, the driver suddenly got out and took my rather heavy laptop bag from me. He kept the bag on the back seat and then ran to the opposite side and held the door open. I was shell shocked! The green cab drivers were never this courteous or polite. I sat down with amusement and amazement written all across my face. He started the meter and then turned around, asked me how my parents were and when we envisaged moving back into our own flat. This was enough to spook me, how did he know my parents and that our flat is under renovation! Sensing my bewilderment, Ankit turned around and said, “You did not recognise me did you. I used to work for a family in the building next to yours. Have recently started living far away and cannot commute to work, so I have started driving this taxi.” Come to think of it, he had seemed familiar but yes this time I could not place the recognizable face. That day I had a very smooth ride to the meeting and back. It was a taxi but it was my own chauffer driven car.

Strange and sweet; such incidents occur to make each one of us realise that we do belong in this world. While it might not be every day that we face the truth, but in reality, someone somewhere is always thinking of us. And if that someone somewhere comes face to face with you, then your next few days are spent in absorbing the beautiful wonders of this world. The world - it is a strange place and yet a beautiful place; and I am thankful to Bruno and Ankit for making mine even better.

The Truth...

The last few days have forced me to think once more. Think about what I value and what I want out of life. There have been different people that I have met in different parts of the world, yet the message seems to have been loud and clear – power, money and sex are the motivations and desires of most people. It seems strange to me that intellect and honesty have not figured on most lists. Actually I should rephrase that. Intelligence and truth are not deemed “in fashion” in their purest forms. Wisdom is thought to be of use only if it generates cash and truth is attractive only if packaged with some sex appeal.

While majority of the people are telling me this, the silly me is fascinated by Gandhi’s autobiography – My experiments with truth. My little brain reasons; Gandhi did not accumulate wealth for self nor was his honesty sold with physical pleasures. On the contrary, this man who believed that “nothing is impossible for pure love” actually secured the treasure of freedom for the nation at the cost of his own family. He gave up physical pleasures (not just sexual but even those of taste and the touch of silk) in his quest to test his own endurance. The world holds him as an iconic example of a model human being. So was Gandhi wrong, am I naïve or is the world just hypocritical?

Unable to find the answer, I am confused and agitated. Why does everything boil down to sex, money and power? Is it worth believing in love, having faith in a supreme power, valuing knowledge and astuteness and dealing with integrity and sincerity? Or is it wiser following the world, seeking pleasures and hoarding materialistic gains? Will there ever be a time when mankind will cherish the pure values that Gandhi promoted and true love conquer the current and future generations?

I take a deep breath and close my eyes. I do not have the answers and fear ridicule with this post. However, I am interested in knowing the world’s view and the truth. So I am risking this post, putting myself out there and being who I am; because there is no other way that I know how to live other than being honest with myself at least...

The Cup is Always Half Full

It was past 2:00 pm and I was hungry. In the queue to buy lunch I was restless and was looking around. Suddenly a lady jumped the queue and went to the top end, but before I could react I realised it was a mistake. Everyone is allowed such errors, but that was not what the person behind me thought. Even after the lady apologised and joined the end of the queue, he shook his head in grave disapproval. Watching this scene play out, I missed moving forward which drew another groan from Mr. Perfect. Normally I would have laughed this out, but the fact that it was a Caucasian male disapproving of brown skin errors, made it a hard to ignore act.

I am myself critical of the weaknesses of my fellow countrymen and our systems, but sometimes find the intolerance of foreigners a little overbearing. It is not because I am holier than thou that I think I can be nit-picking and outsiders cannot be, but it is because I think I can look into my own house and set right the wrong. If we do not amend our own limitations, outsiders will only exploit us. But the outsiders need to look into their own affairs before they start raising eyebrows at our dealings. It is the assumed higher ground of some foreigners that I have difficulty in accepting.

The first time I went to live in Europe, I was asked if I could really afford the education and life in France. There were questions on if I had ever travelled outside of India, how I would repay any loans I had taken and did I watch movies other than Bollywood productions. These were amusing questions asked by the intrigued French and initially seemed to be harmless. But on the one occasion that a French policeman tore my Indian driving licence and bad mouthed India, I felt the discrimination. When a friend, whose car was burnt by French hooligans was asked by the French police if he had set fire to his own vehicle to claim insurance; I confirmed that brown skin was not looked upon favourably.

A couple of years ago, on a business trip to India, I met with a British professional who had decided to come to India and gain some work experience. It was a voluntary decision and there were no personal or professional pressures that prompted the decision; but apparently her decision was making her very unhappy. In her few months in India she concluded that nothing in India worked, no one cared about the surroundings and that it was all doomed to the end. Her lamenting went on for twenty minutes, after which I had to bring to her attention that if she waited for two weeks for an internet connection in Mumbai, in London too it takes three weeks. If the cable set up in Mumbai happens in 3 days, in London it takes 5 working days. If she felt salespeople were too pushy in Mumbai stores, in London they were sometimes apathetic. On the other hand, if she fell ill in London, she would probably have to manage on her own; in Mumbai, however, an unknown neighbour would readily help. If in London she wanted to meet friends, she would need to book her slot; in India though she could just go across. If in London she needed groceries immediately, she would need to go in person; whereas in India she could have them delivered at the doorstep for no charge!

Each nation has its own sets of strengths and weaknesses and if everyone would learn the best practices of the rest; the world would be a better place. To balance my own blog, I will increase the positive coverage of India, Indians and our rich history and culture. If I do not sell our strengths, I cannot expect others to acknowledge them. If I want to have the right to find flaws publicly I must recognize the strengths more openly. This is my resolve and I hope I live up to it.

PS: As there are those who moan about India, there are those foreigners who appreciate the country and the culture. I would like to thank all my friends and the strangers, who over the years have brought to my notice the richness of the country that we live in

Indian Media - A Sprained Fourth Limb?

Media industry empowers its workforce to spread awareness, generate opinion and induce change; whether it is positive or negative impact that is created depends on the content carried. In the race to make money, it seems like Indian media has thrown caution to the winds. Analysing from across the seas only a small aspect of this carelessness was evident, but a closer inspection at home brought me face to face with the significant amount of violence, sex and glamour that spans news media; without thought to the probable influence on the adolescent and the impressionable young. Indian media also carries unabashed biased content on criminal offences, jeopardising fair trials, if audience coverage increases.

Recently, a popular English daily of the country carried a column titled “Water Cooler Moments” with explicit content on flogging, spanking and violence as increasing “bonding” during sexual activities. The piece mentioned “research” that corroborates such indulgence. Sex in India is not an openly discussed topic either in schools or at homes. However, there is a lot of exposure that teenagers have to sex via media. This intrigues teenagers who are increasingly engaging in different acts of physical intimacy without much thought, understanding or safety. Imagine the impact that columns such as the one under discussion, on “increasing pleasure”, can have if youngsters really try to attempt “bonding in bondage” either consensually or forcefully (especially in cases of forced sex).

This column is supposedly meant to bring forth overheard “interesting” conversations, but such content is blatantly lackadaisical. Furthermore, this column is regularly published right next to the “Open Space” column, which has a large young reader base. Having content as it did, almost positioned the piece to target the youth as the prime audience! I must admit that I had not read the newspaper and was pointed to this article by a friend. I was horrified and on pointing out the objectionable content to the newspaper’s editor, I received no response. It is really sad to know that Indian media professionals are abusing their privilege of “freedom of speech and expression”, a constitutional right, without acknowledging that they are capable of shaping the nation’s future.

The recent rape case of the American girl is an incident that highlights media’s liking for creating frenzy. (I would like to admit that the reports also agitated me). The first few days post the incident Indian dailies carried front page articles on this issue. Pre and post facto details, the statement of girl and suggestive comments by parents of the accused; were all published without censorship. Additionally, the accused’ statement saying that they did not flee the city as they did not think that the girl would “cry rape” made bold headlines. Printing such statements could signal to youngsters that it is alright to commit crimes as long as they are not caught; but on the part of media there was no curtailing. Once the news had lost its initial excitement, all coverage was dropped. The victim’s sufferings, the accused’ innocence and the police’s findings; nothing was deemed important enough to be brought out in the open.

There was no balance in the reporting of this incident. Responsible journalism would have been in reporting the facts in full, producing complete statements of both the victim and the accused (as opposed to publishing just the victim’s statement), refraining from publishing the strong opinionated comments of parents of the accused and then following through with the case. I also opine that the identity of the accused should have been protected until the case had closed. If found guilty, the media should have then increased awareness of the punishment meted out and promoted the judiciary’s efforts of setting an example in order to avert such horrifying crimes in future.

The legal luminary, Fali S Nariman had once said, “Free and robust reporting, criticism and debate contribute to public understanding of the rule of law, and to a better comprehension of the entire system. It also helps improve the quality of that system by subjecting it to the cleansing effect of exposure and public accountability.”

The gigantic Indian media is providing apathetic exposure to the youth and publishing without any responsibility itself; thus it remains doubtful if it will perform its function of improving “quality of the system”. With a weak “fourth limb of a democratic system”, media as called by GN Ray the Chairman of the Press Council of India, will this democracy be able to strongly stride and take on the world is a question that we need to address. Just as India needs to demand accountability from its politicians, Indians need to ensure that media begins to acknowledge its duties. The nation needs to awaken and smell the coffee!

PS: Maybe I spoke to soon, there was an aricle in the Mumbai Mirror on the rape case this morning. The balnced view is still questionable as the language still sensationalises the issue. The piece can be found on http://www.mumbaimirror.com/article/15/2009050420090504031227495d8b4e80f/Party-pics-boomerangon-TISS-rape-suspect.html. Interestingly, Mumbai Mirror calls itself a tabloid newspaper!

Abominable Face of Indian Youth

Late teens to early twenties were the best years of my life. Those were the years which left me richer with the most cherished of all my friendships. Having selected fields which were male dominated, most of my close friends happened to be men. However, those friendships were formed on the basis of mutual respect, admiration and understanding. We had, and to-date have disagreements; but never do we question the other person’s intelligence. There have been instances of attraction within the group; but no advances have ever been made to compromise an individual’s integrity.

In fact my male friends were always protective of the women around them, whether close friends or not. I remember one particular instance quite vividly. There was an event in the college where a senior tried to act funny with me while on stage. Post the performance I was visibly upset which was noticed by a friend. On knowing what had transpired, he approached the perpetrator and confronted him. He ensured that the wrong doer got the message that he had been caught and was being watched from then on. Yes, I should have had the courage to do the same myself; but probably I was weak then. Nonetheless, my friends filled the gap and became my strength. Around them I was safe; and after all these years, to a large extent, because of them, I am a strong individual who can take care of herself and fight her own battles.

Today when I read about the 23-year old American woman who was raped by six Indian boys in Mumbai; something in my heart gave way. I was aggrieved and agitated. These boys hail from the same institutions where I made my friends. The girl studies in the same college (Tata Insititue of Social Sciences – TISS) where a close friend did her masters. The lounge bar that they went to is in the vicinity where I went to college for four years. So these youngsters hang out in the same places as I and my friends did; just that we are a decade and plus apart. Has that decade made so much of a difference that we have forgotten respect for people! Is that the youth of today – a brigade that thinks of excesses and violations as a hobby, a birthright!

While I might have highlighted my emotions, let me begin my analysis. By the girl’s own statement (published in media), I think she was not comfortable with the guys and could have averted trouble to start with. When almost total strangers forced her to drink despite her wanting, why did she give in? That she was drunk does not make the crime of the boys less offensive, but the fact that she accompanied acquaintances to an alien place definitely makes her more vulnerable. Post the beginning of the harassment, the girl went to the bathroom and called a friend. Then why not wait till he called back rather than get out in to the lions’ den? Letting herself out of the toilet, made her position even more fragile. Yet, it is possible that in a state of intoxication, her reflexes were subdued.

What is beyond comprehension is the admission of the boys (printed in the news dailies) that they planned this entire episode! Desperation, hunger, lust, experimentation; no adjective that comes to mind can ever justify this act. Violating a female mind and body to satisfy their momentary desires is a vile action and should be punished rigorously. Taking the facts as they were – the boys intoxicated the girl, duped her into going with them to a lonely apartment and then set the scene for group non-consensual sex; all these clearly point towards a well orchestrated act. They were sane and had a motive. On top of that (as reported by the media) they had the cheek to say that they “never expected the girl to cry rape” and hence never fled the city! Were they expecting her to thank them for the best night of her life! Or thank them for the morning pill they gave her to protect themselves! Abominable!

This is not the first time that such a ghastly act has been committed and reported. If found guilty (post a fair trial rather than media or individual opinionated views, mine included) the accused should be punished to set an example such that this becomes the last time that someone dares such an act. Violation of the female mind, body and soul cannot just be reprimanded anymore. It needs to be catered to more sensitively, seriously and severely. And this only means that the law and its guardians need to become more through and strict. I sincerely hope that Indian law makers acknowledge this need of the hour.

PS: I do hope that the media has published the girl’s statement with her consent. I am not sure if I condone the printing of the statement. However, if the girl has conceded to it then I guess my first apprehension of victim’s confidentiality and peace of mind being harmed will rest assured to the contrary.