राजतंत्र से जनतंत्र तक

भारत के 135 करोड़ नागरिकों को आज गणतंत्र दिवस के अद्भुत मौके पर हार्दिक बधाइयां!

जब अंग्रेज़ भारत छोड़ कर गए, उन्होंने वे सभी प्रयास प्रत्यक्ष व परोक्ष रूप से किये जिससे उपमहाद्वीप में सदा के लिए दरारें पड़ी रहें - भले ही हड़बड़ी में माउंटबैटन का भारत छोड़ बर्मा चले जाना (नहीं जाते तो विभाजन का नरसंहार रोका जा सकता था) या एक गैर-विशेषज्ञ द्वारा रेडक्लिफ लाइन बना कर भारत से दो टुकड़े अलग करना (पाकिस्तान और भविष्य का बांग्लादेश) या साम्प्रदायिकता के ऐसे जहरीले बीज बोना जो वक़्त के साथ फलते-फूलते। ये उनकी दिली तमन्ना थी कि भारत टुकड़े टुकड़े हो जायेगा, क्योंकि इसे एक करने वाला कोई है ही नहीं। विंस्टन चर्चिल के भारत पर जहरीले बोल किसी से छुपे नहीं हैं!

उनके मंसूबों पर भारत के नेताओं ने पानी फेर दिया - सरदार पटेल ने देश को एक सूत्र में बाँध दिया (कश्मीर से कन्याकुमारी तक), पंडित नेहरू ने एक लोकतांत्रिक चुनाव और गणतंत्र की नींव रखने में कोई कसर नहीं छोड़ी, और अन्य ने भी भरपूर योगदान दिया। अंततः 1960 आते-आते भारत में एक व्यवस्थित संवैधानिक और लोकतांत्रिक व्यवस्था ने पैर जमा ही लिए। तमाम झटकों और विरोधाभासों के बाद भी, हम बने रहे, और आज इक्कीसवी सदी की ओर आशा से देख रहे हैं।

लेकिन इस साथ दशकों की लंबी यात्रा में हमने एक बहुत गलत रुझान देखा है, जो आज ठीक न किया गया, तो लोगों का विश्वास खो देने का डर सदा बना रहेगा। और ये है - जिस गणतंत्र का भरोसा हमें दिलाया गया था, और जिससे एक सच्चा जनतंत्र अस्तित्व में आता, जहाँ आमजन पूरी आज़ादी से सशक्त हो पाता,  कब सत्ता के गलियारों में राजतंत्र में तब्दील होता चला गया, पता ही नहीं चला। नागरिक हाशिये पर चले गए, व्यवस्था प्रधान हो गयी; जनता की ज़रूरतें सरकार की नीतियों में दब कर रह गयीं; राजतंत्र ने अपनी दबंगई से गणतंत्र के कमज़ोर हिस्सों पर ऐसा वार किया कि नागरिक कानून के लिए बन गए, कानून नागरिकों के लिए नहीं!

एक आम नागरिक की दृष्टि से आज के तंत्र पर नज़र डालें तो यकीन हो जाता है कि संविधान निर्माताओं ने ऐसे भारत की कल्पना तो नहीं की होगी - स्वर्णिम तो दूर, हम अपने अधिकांश नागरिकों को एक नारकीय जीवन जीने हेतु विवश देखते हैं। ऐसे तीन साफ़ चिन्ह आप स्वयं परख लें -

पहला चिन्ह - हमारी आधी आबादी की अधिकार-विहीन स्थिति। जिस प्रकार पिछले दस वर्षों में महिलाओं का कार्यबल में प्रतिशत गिरता जा रहा है, और उनके विरुद्ध होने वाले अपराधों की प्रवृत्ति और संख्याओं में इजाफा हो रहा है, सवाल उठना स्वाभाविक है कि क्या हमारे राजतंत्र ने पूरी तरह अपराधियों और सामाजिक निष्क्रियता हेतु मैदान खुला छोड़ दिया है?

दूसरा चिन्ह - हमारी आबादी की क्षमताएं और शिक्षा द्वारा उन्हें जीवन-यापन के लिए तैयार करने की हमारी प्रतिबद्धता। सर्वेक्षण लगातार बता रहे हैं कि सरकारी स्कूलों में, जहाँ आबादी का बड़ा हिस्सा अपने बच्चों को भेजता है, वहां कैसी निराशाजनक स्थिति है और किस प्रकार से बच्चों के भविष्य के साथ अनुपस्थित शिक्षक और अधिकारी वर्ग के हज़ारों जिम्मेदार खिलवाड़ कर रहे हैं।

तीसरा चिन्ह - हमारी सामाजिक सुरक्षा प्रणाली की स्थिति - जिसमें जीवन की सुरक्षा से लेकर पौष्टिक भोजन, बीमारियों से लड़ने की ताक़त और स्वच्छ वायु भी शामिल है - बहुत कुछ कह जाती है। गरीब के लिए गरीबी उतना बड़ा अभिशाप नहीं जितना गंभीर बीमारी के चंगुल में फँसना।

हमारे संविधान की उद्देशिका कहती है कि भारत एक "संप्रभु, समाजवादी, पंथ-निरपेक्ष, लोकतान्त्रिक, गणराज्य" बनेगा। एक-एक कर देखें कि इन पांच तत्वों का एक नागरिक से क्या लेना-देना है। जब तक हम एक नागरिक पर ये परीक्षण नहीं करेंगे, तब तक कुछ नहीं पता चलेगा।

सत्ता और राजतन्त्र संप्रभु हैं, इसमें कोई शक़ नहीं, किन्तु नागरिक अपने हक़ों को लेकर संप्रभु नहीं। जिस किसी का पुलिस या कचहरी या प्रशासन से अपने माकूल हक़ पाने हेतु कभी पाला पड़ा है, वो जानता है कि दिखने वाले दांतों और खाने वाले दांतों में कितना बड़ा अंतर है! बरसों गुज़र जाते हैं, सभी मानदंड बदल जाते हैं, जीवन गुज़र जाता है, और तब कहीं न्याय की आस बंधती दिखती है।

समाजवादी हम कितने बने, ये हमारी प्रति व्यक्ति आय (2000 डॉलरों से कम, जो हमें निम्न माध्यम आय मुल्क बनाती है), से साफ़ ज़ाहिर है। हम व्यापक गरीबी हटाने हेतु लगातार नए कार्यक्रम लाते रहे, और गरीबी बढ़ती रही। एक आम जन ने यही सोचा होगा कि नेताओं से उम्मीदें बेकार हैं, तो चुनावों में जो फायदा (धन, वस्तुओं) का लिया जा सके वो ले लिया जाये। व्यापक चुनावी भ्रष्टाचार दशकों की निराशा से पनपा।

पंथ-निरपेक्षता से जुड़े विवादों का भरपूर फायदा सभी दलों ने अपने-अपने ढंग से उठाया, किन्तु मूल नैतिकता जो सभी धर्मों का आधार है, वो खो गयी। हमने जीवन के हर वर्ग में मुंडक उपनिषद् के "सत्यमेव जयते" को त्याग दिया, हालाँकि हर आधिकारिक दस्तावेज पर वो शान से विराजमान रहा।

लोकतान्त्रिक हम बने रहे, और जनता ने उन राजनेताओं को भी समय-समय पर कड़ा सबक सिखाया जिन्होंने खुलेआम वादा-खिलाफ की। किन्तु उससे कुछ मूलभूत बदला नहीं - नए रूपों में कभी उन्हीं परिवारों के, कभी रिश्तेदारों के, तो कभी चमचों के हाथों जनता की गाढ़ी कमाई का धन लुटता रहा, नेता अमीर और धनाढ्य बनते रहे और आमजन पिसता रहा। लोकतंत्र दुर्भाग्यवश एक मशीन बन गया, हर पांच वर्षों में नए चेहरे आगे लाने का, लेकिन वो जनता जो सुशिक्षित न बन पायी, उसके लिए 26 जनवरी और 15 अगस्त के असली मायने धीरे-धीरे धुंधले होते चले गए।
 

और बचा गणराज्य! हमारे शासक परिवारवादी वंशों और राजवंशों के नहीं होंगे, और वे चुने हुए जनता के असली नेता होंगे, ये थी गणतंत्र की असली भावना और उद्देश्य। आप खुद तय करें, उपरोक्त तःथ्यों के साथ, कि हमने सात दशकों में वाकई कितना सफर तय किया।

निराशा के बादल से ही आशा की किरण फूटती है। स्याह रातों के बाद ही एक सुनहरा सवेरा होता है। एक नागरिक के नाते, आप और हम बहुत कुछ कर सकते हैं जो हम कर नहीं रहे। क्या संभावनाएं हैं?

पहला - अपने नेताओं को हम अपना राजा और अपना मालिक समझना बंद करें। "सत्ता भ्रष्ट करती है और पूर्ण सत्ता पूर्ण भ्रष्ट करती है" के मन्त्र पर ही हमें अपने नेताओं को समझाना होगा कि हमारी पसीने की कमाई (हमारे चुकाए कर) के दम पर वे हमारे हितैषी नहीं बन जायेंगे - उन्हें नित नए नवाचारी और कुशल उद्यम और तरीकों से इन करों से काम लेकर दिखाना होगा। इनकी परीक्षा होनी आवश्यक है, और केवल एक जागरूक नागरिकवर्ग ही ऐसा कर पायेगा।

दूसरा - हमारे अपने स्वार्थों के लिए हर बार छोटी गलियां निकालने, और छोटे-छोटे भ्रष्टाचार के ज़रिये हिट साधने की अपनी आदतें हमें त्यागनी होंगी। हम ही उन बड़े भ्रष्टाचारों की नींव रख देते हैं, जिन घोटालों के फूटने पर हमें अचरज होता है।

तीसरा - हमारे मौलिक अधिकार अपने साथ कुछ गंभीर मौलिक कर्त्तव्य भी लाते हैं, ये हमें समझना होगा। एक हाथ से सब्सिडी लेते वक़्त हम ध्यान रखें कि व्यवस्था को ज़िम्मेदार बनाना हमारी की ज़िम्मेदारी है।

आइये, एक सच्चा गणतंत्र बनाएं, जहाँ जन ही तंत्र हों, राज उनके अधीन हो और तंत्र केवल जन हेतु हो। जय हिन्द!

मेरा संपादकीय लेख, आप यहाँ पढ़ें

~

Liberal Globalisation meets its nemesis - Welcome Mr.Trump

The wheel has come full circle

It was 1991. My country was going through a huge period of turbulence. Rajiv Gandhi had been brutally assassinated, and the leading party Congress was rudderless, when a dimunitive but extremely intelligent politician Mr P V Narsimha Rao was thrust into the limelight. All other satraps imagined he wouldn't last too long, but he did. He not only lasted five full years, he ended up transforming India.

India abolishes industrial licensing - headline in Economic Times.
India adopts the New Economic Policy - headline in Times of India.
India opens up for business - headline in Hindustan Times.

As a young man about to graduate from the IIT Delhi, I was a curious newcomer reading these newspapers with intense interest. For the first time, I was introduced to the concepts called "globalisation", "liberalisation", and "privatisation". These were projected almost as the panacea for an economy struggling with rapid population growth rates, but poor industrial output.

Prime Minister Rao thrust India into the golden period of high GDP growth rates (despite all the leaking public services) and ensured that Indian entrepreneurs (like me) got a fair chance at doing what we loved to do - building enterprises. That would have been impossible just a few years ago.

(By the way, the public services have remained leaky till date!)

It was a bright new era. Open borders. An open world. Free trade (whatever that was supposed to mean). A new WTO coming up (Jan 1995). Wow. The world will be a free place, no borders stopping capital or labour.

Today, 26 years later, while sitting with my son about to enter college, I watched Donald Trump say everything that was the direct opposite to what I experienced in 1991.

We will put America First ⇒ The end of liberal globalisation as we know it.
We will ensure that Americans get their due ⇒ The whole Chinese narrative of "free trade" whacked.

We will bring back jobs to America ⇒ The end of a free run for Indian IT companies

We will ensure others don't get enriched at our cost ⇒ Allies, beware!
We will eradicate radical Islam from the face of this Earth ⇒ Pakistan - any reply to that?
We will eradicate radical Islam from the face of this Earth ⇒ Music to a patriotic Indian's ears.

We will ensure that power goes back to the people ⇒ Ooooh, bad days ahead, Establishment.

In the most radical of ways, Mr Trump has made it clear that starting Day 1, he intends to remain true to those who voted him to power, despite the brutal ridiculing he received at the hands of the liberal mainstream media and "coastal elite". Even the media and the elite have powers that are not infinite. While he shook hands warmly with Obama, he made sure to pull the philosophical rug from under his feet almost immediately.

I could hear the globalisation engine emit a loud noise as the gears went into reverse.

Here is my take on what the coming era will hold for all of us :

1. Bad days for Indian I.T. companies, if Trump really does what he said today. Since most Indian IT companies make their profits using cheap labour packaged into dollar-billable assets, their basic model may evaporate. Since these companies are largely into services and lack any world-beating product (say, in consumer internet segment - the market of the future), their profit story may get a rude shock. And don't even imagine what will happen to the hundreds of engineering colleges dependent on "mass campus recruitments" to stay liquid. Bad luck for IT cos. shareholders, as valuations will tumble down the hole. If they don't, it will be another mystery of this story called "globalisation". All  the effort Mr Jinping put in at Davos seemed futile today.
2. Pakistan and China may get the hard end of the stick pretty soon. India has cried herself hoarse reminding China (touchy as they are about "One China") that our own territorial sentiments must be respected. In the most blatant, devious and insulting of ways, the Pak-China combo has rubbed salt into India's wounds. It will be very bad days for that approach, if Trump sticks to his words. And anyway, for Trump "Hindus are a great people". Thank you Mr.Trump.
3. India's overall geo-strategic interests will get a terrific boost. We are not a major manufacturing nation anyway - at least not when compared to China. So any harm that comes to exporters to the US, will be minimal in our case (relatively). We will recover. But for those hoarding trillions of dollars and using that leverage geostrategically, time to make fun of the Commander in Chief is all but over. Good luck to them!
4. The closeness of many Indian businessmen and leaders to Mr. Trump must be leveraged to push India's case real hard. The time is right to reclaim the Indian Ocean Region for a long, long time. The time is right to speak aloud that enough is enough, stay off us. And anyway, Mr Rex Tillerson has warned the dragon to stay off the south China sea islands.
5. More populism across the world - Trump's remarkable campaign (for all the hatred it evoked) will be a template for many more watching him closely. The frustration of the 99% may spill over, flooding and swamping away the riches of the 1%. Anything seems possible now.

To all the liberal lobbies tearing their hair out, it is time for a cold, objective look into what prompted this amazing populist backlash.

Can technology really be allowed to take over millions of jobs?
Will people just sit and watch as elites corner all the benefits progress has to offer?
Will a condescending attitude towards the less fortunate ever sustain in the long run?
Will the narrative of a Utopian future in the presence of dystopian present ever hold?

Mr.Trump's arrival is the beginning of a whole new era of trade, finance and economics. He will not rest until he gets the job again (the next 4 years). In that light, among other things, I wonder what mighty institutions like the IIMs will do now, as the whole edifice on which their lofty existence was built is crumbling right under their feet. First it was Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balakrishna who threw all the polish and facade of modern management practice down the gutter by upstaging monolithinc rivals through brutal innovation and back-to-the-roots. And now Trump. Ha ha - unimaginable.

Welcome to the brave new world, ladies and gentlemen. Get your seatbelts along.

And stay glued to Twitter. He is about to announce something soon :)

Read a detailed analysis on "The Arrival of Donald Trump"

उपरोक्त को हिंदी में पढ़ें
~

The emerging Asian mega-struggle

History in a nut-shell

The story goes back to 1947. India had just gained independence, and power was about to be transferred in the hands of a Prime Minister who believed firmly in the sentiment of a global fraternity of nations. Another Asian giant was struggling with its own internal challenges. Recovering from the Japanese attack, the Chinese Kuomintang Party – under the leadership of Chiang Kai-shek – was struggling with the domestic Communists. America and other nations had been supporting Kuomintang and the Communists were not expected to usurp power. But surprisingly, in 1949, power came into the hands of Mao Tse-tung and he founded the People's Republic of China (PRC). The Kuomintang Party leaders fled to Taiwan. The same Taiwan, the recent tweets on which by Donald Trump has enraged the Chinese government for violating the “one China” policy.
 

Pandit Nehru’s philosophy was that of peaceful co-existence, but in only one decade all his dreams stood shattered when the Chinese communists not only annexed entire Tibet, but also engaged in a bloody military confrontation with India. Tibet, which with its 12.25 lac sq. k.m. geographical area, had been a safe “buffer zone” between India and China for centuries, suddenly came under Chinese ownership. The PLA immediately started building military assets there. Its impact is seen today in India’s military strategies, where we are forced to deploy our state-of –the-art weapons and military assets to combat the visible threats coming over from Tibet and Arunachal Pradesh.

Today, it's different

The conditions today are such that China directly criticises India for Dalai Lama’s activities in India and the Indian government responds with clarifications. China has not only acted in this fashion with India, but China has done the same with Mongolia and the US in the recent past – only the US responded tersely saying that criticism was not acceptable. If we see the entire overall strategy of China, it would be clear that there is only one direct, clear and current challenge for India, which  has both the capability and intention of harming Indian interests, and that is China. Pakistan does not have the capability to threaten India at all, if it does not enjoy the blatant support of the Chinese.

Let us first look at the big differences between India and China –

First difference – No government in India frames a long term policy (strategic, industrial, or any other) which can last the next ten to fifteen years, whereas China is not only directly framing policies for the next twenty or thirty years, but also implementing them. It can be said that our democracy and elections every five years, have given us this huge “relative strategic loss”.

Second difference – Since China practically does not have the concept of Fundamental Rights, or the supremacy of any Constitution, and also no Supreme Court which can stop or prevent the government, hence, only a single-party government makes the economic and military  capability of the country at its will, and speedily implements it. In India, where the policy of “take it easy”  looms large all across, this type of speed can look like a day-dream. 

Third difference – Ever since 1980, under the leadership of Deng Xioping, China had realized that no strategic victory was possible without economic advancement, and hence it wholeheartedly devoted itself to manufacturing and scientific research. The situation today is such that this becomes the main issue in the US presidential elections.

Fourth difference – The Chinese state, working in only a single direction, with only a single aim and target, strives to eliminate every possible strategic problem either by virtue of resources or by the use of force. Huge foreign exchange reserves and massive economic power give it this immediate advantage.

Fifth difference – China wants a complete dominance on entire Asia. China has openly opposed and abused India’s every interest in the past decade. It is indicative of the fact that China wants to create the a 21st century of its own, with no intention of sharing it with India.

All these indications are now transforming into ground realities, and they are happening in our own land! China has speedily made its CPEC in the Illegally occupied PoK in the past two years and thereby prepared for its entry in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). Possibly this would be its ultimate objective – to reduce India’s dominance in the most strategic IOR. All nations, which have so far been close to India are being supplied military equipments, like submarines (Bangladesh). Pakistan’s courage and 'power' has increased manifold, despite the Baloch rebels raising a hue and cry. The Babur missile test conducted by Pakistan in 2017 should be viewed in this light.

Now the issue is no longer limited to Pakistan. In the battle of supremacy on entire Asia, China is continuously investing which can seriously impact India’s interests. By showing huge procurement favours to an economically troubled Russia and convincing the Taliban for accepting a mid-way, China is creating new equations the ultimate results of which would possibly be not understood by anyone.

An Action Plan

So, what should India do? We can focus on five things –

First – We should try to make a common front with all possible allies. The military and strategic close relationship with Vietnam and Japan is being developed with this view.

Second – Our intrinsic strengths – our education system, scientific research capability and economy – should be strengthened if we are to remain steadfast against such forces for the next fifty years.

Third – The political system and democracy we take pride in, and which has slowed us against the Chinese communists, has to be completely cleansed – i.e. revolutionary electoral reforms.

Fourth – Speak in unison – when the issue relates to national interest, mutual bitterness and confrontations would not be helpful, and that too against an opponent like China. Our unity will always remain our strength.

Fifth – Preparedness for the future – It is quite possible that the Chinese government’s current model (no democratic elections) may struggle some day in the wake of despotism and finally collapse. And then there will be a likelihood of a change in China’s strategic approach.

The speed with which the 21st century is showing new forms, India should not hesitate to do everything possible to protect its interests and the prosperity of its citizens by national consensus.

My Hindi editorials on this was published recently. May like to read it here -

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Castro – The last great revolutionary

The twentieth century has been a big turning point in modern human history. Three factors moulded it – First, the continued colonialism since the 18th century, which was itself influenced by mercantilism (accumulation of gold and silver by nations); Second, the miraculous success of industrial revolution in some countries and Third, the social disparities that arose as a result of the two – socialism and its extreme form, communism.

The results of complete success of industrial revolution were evident in some countries. Nations were divided into two groups – modern-industrialized and backward. Those countries which surged ahead went on to develop massive and dangerous military capabilities, and its result manifested in the form of World War I (1914-1919). The result of this devastating war was the ultra-nationalism of some countries, and finally the military expansion by Hitler culminated in the beginning of World War II (1939-1945).

When Germany and Japan were comprehensively defeated, America emerged as the undisputed and insuperable victor. America made relentless efforts to avoid the occurrence of a Third World War, for which it was proposed to constitute an international framework to institutionally help various nations and the focus remained on development and not on militarization. This resulted in the formation of institutions like IMF and the World Bank (WB) in 1945, and for once it was felt that humanity would indeed reach an era of persistent development and peace.

But a consensus on fundamental key issues was never reached – these issues being – which was better, Capitalism or Socialism, Mercantilism or Humanitarianism of the Welfare State, and whether it is right to interfere with sovereign states or not. These three key issues defined the entire twentieth century (from 1945 till the end). And ever since 1950 it was quite clear that the ideological conflict between communism of the Soviet Union and the “unrestrained” capitalism of the US could any time transform into a devastating nuclear battle of the Third World War.

Countries like India, Yugoslavia and Egypt kept themselves away from this tangle and formed a non-aligned group of the Third World countries and categorically conveyed to the first world (US and West) and second world (the Communist bloc) that they would remain out of this conflict. But the conflict between Capitalism (US) and Communism (USSR) flared up so much that the blazing flame of Cold War engulfed the whole world in different ways right from 1950 to 1991. The Cold War – no bullets fired but a nuclear war would loom large, meet at a forum but be prepared for backstabbing – a war of that kind!

Amidst all this a leader emerged in politics right in the backyard of the US who, despite all dangers and assassination attempts, would continue to challenge the mighty US for the next five decades. The message was straight and clear – do not interfere in the affairs of others, do not depict the omnipotence of market-mechanism as Godlike, and do not allow the international institutionalization of the robbing the deprived classes. It was a scary dream which would haunt the US year after year at all international forums that the all-powerful could also commit blunders and that they must be shown a mirror.

Five primary elements of Fidel Castro’s politics and personality defined him. Let us see the magical charisma of this personality.

First – Not losing any opportunity of reminding the US of its blunders despite the constant grave dangers to his own life (the CIA had official sanction to eliminate him!), and boldly raising his assertive voice for hours on end at the UN as well as at all other international fora. This provided a moral support to the poor nations that in a bi-polar world (until 1991), and thereafter in a uni-polar world a lot could be achieved provided one had the courage to speak the truth. Although, most other countries did nothing more than genuflecting their financial knees before global agencies, but still, symbolically Castro continued to shine like the proverbial Pole-Star.

Second – Castro repeatedly cautioned the world that the dangers of global financial systems had converted the entire system into a gambler’s den. In the blazing storm of liberalization and globalization post-1980, these dangers had spread across the world, and Castro's foresight was visible after the 2007 collapse of the US housing sector which prompted a global recession. He had also predicted that the current form of consumerism would finish off all resources. Isn't this not what's precisely happening presently?

Third – Fidel Castro had cautioned that the capitalism that we have embraced, would take social inequality to such a dangerous level – and the 2015 report of Oxfam made it clear when it highlighted the fact that the wealth of top 62 people today is equal to that of half of the global population! This equation (62 = 350,00,00,000) apparently seems to be the most dreadful aspect of the lopsided global economy! And why even recall Castro – remember the words of Mahatma Gandhi “This world has everything for the requirements of all of us, but it does not have anything for the greed of any one of us”.

Fourth – Quite different from the alleged communists of many nations, Castro’s Cuba tried to help and support local revolutionaries of various countries who revolted against the colonial powers. And this was not secret but bold and open, which Cuba had openly declared. So the designs of the power and wealth-hungry colonial powers (mostly European) came in an open and honest manner, and the results were usually pleasant – in Congo, Mozambique and particularly in Angola, where the racist South African army got such a humiliating beating that finally the white regime had to abandon apartheid in 1993! But Castro’s fighters never tried to reap the fruits – they always returned to Cuba after accomplishing their mission. Such honesty in words and deeds is rarely seen in the world.

Fifth and the last was Castro’s never surrendering to mercantilism despite almost the entire world bowing before it! It is now that one realizes that he could envision the power of unlimited greed to plunge humanity into a deep morass.

Despite all the criticism, it would not be wrong to salute Castro for his honesty and his steadfastness towards the goal. This great and last revolutionary of the twentieth century could never be bent, and who gave a firm voice to millions of oppressed communities against mercantilism.

Here is my editorial on the topic published in a Hindi newspaper. Enjoy!

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Demonetisation and nation-building - a multifarious exercise

Post the major & bold decision on currency demonetisation, many aspects of governance and nation-building are in sharp focus. In the middle of the inconvenience caused to the masses at the banks and ATMs, there are many other serious points to ponder. I wrote an Editorial Article in Hindi, published recently and excerpted below, the English version of which is here. Do let me know your views. Let the Mahayagna begin.

And don't forget to check out our comprehensive analyses on demonetisation, here!


Jai Hind!

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An open letter to the Prime Minister

Hon’ble Modiji,

The country is struggling with many grave challenges, and all true Indians are striving to transform these challenges in to opportunities. I am trying to understand all aspects of this intricate subject of modern nation-building. May I attract your attention to seven issues. Despite all the hardships that the common Indians are facing today, crores of citizens feel that a genuine crucial action seems to have been initiated.

First – Entrepreneurship and nation-building - After your important announcement of November 8, an honest entrepreneur who could only weep in despair, has started feeling a sense of relief.  He was compelled to part with his hard, lawfully earned “white” money to gain his lawful rights, by various government officials who would want payment in black. If one did not oblige, it was impossible to go even one step forward. This meant months of further problems.  It seems that out of fear, this menace can be curbed to an extent. Yes, now possibly the number of job seekers in the government sector is likely to go down because a major attraction for these jobs seems to be evaporating!

न्यायपालिका - कार्यकारी गतिरोध सुलझना आवश्यक

Here is an editorial I wrote for a leading Hindi newspaper. Enjoy, and the link to original image is at the end.

भारतीय राज्य व्यवस्था की सबसे बड़ी खूबी है उसका संतुलन। हमने 1950 से ही, संविधान को अपना सर्वस्व माना, और राज्य के हर अंग को उसके अधीन करते हुए, ऐसी व्यवस्था बनाई जिसने इतने विशाल और विविध देश को 70 सालों से संभाल रखा है।

हमारी राज्य व्यवस्था तीन स्तरों पर कार्य करती है - केंद्र सरकार और उसके संस्थान व निकाय, राज्य सरकारें और उनके संस्थान/निकाय, एवं स्थानीय प्रशासन निकाय (शहरी और ग्रामीण) जो जड़ों तक फैले हुए हैं। चूंकि ये एक वृहद् व्यवस्था है जो विभिन्न सरकारें मिलकर चलाती हैं, अतः संविधान में अनेकों संतुलन बनाये रखने वाले सूत्र दिए गए हैं, मसलन केंद्र-राज्य-स्थानीय निकाय संबंधों को परिभाषित करना और एक निरपेक्ष भाव से उनको चलाते रहने हेतु अनेकों स्वायत्त निकाय भी बनाना।

किन्तु सत्ता का एक श्याम पक्ष होता है - सत्ता भ्रष्ट बनाने की ताकत रखती है, और पूर्ण सत्ता पूर्ण रूप से भ्रष्ट बनाने की ताकत रखती है। इसीलिए, हमारे लोकतंत्र को तीन स्तंभों पर खड़ा किया गया है, एक पर नहीं। पहला - विधायिका (लेजिस्लेटिव) अर्थात संसद व विधानसभाएं, जो कानूनों को बनाती हैं और इन्हीं में से बनती है सरकारें (राजनीतिक कार्यकारी), दूसरा - कार्यपालिका अर्थात प्रशासनिक व्यवस्था जो चुन कर नहीं वरन परीक्षा से चयन होकर आये लोगों से बनती है, और तीसरा - न्यायपालिका जिसका मुख्य कार्य है संविधान की संरक्षा करना, कानूनी विवाद निपटाना और कानून की व्याख्या करना (बनाना नहीं)।

Detailed Editorial Analyses - Bodhi Prabodhan - a Premium service

I am happy to present to you a Bodhi Prabodhan session - detailed editorial analyses - in which we cover multiple editorials/articles from leading newspapers and magazines, and then present all possible interpretations and insights that students and professionals can directly use. This is part of our Premium service, in the Bodhi Booster platform.

This project was in the making for long, and it was rolled out this week! Here is the complimentary session we uploaded on YouTube, for you!

Bodhi Prabodhan - sample playlist

Some useful information -

• Totally free knowledge platform - Bodhi Booster
• The Hindi version of our knowledge platform - हिंदी बोधि बूस्टर
• PREMIUM service, learn more here - BODHI BOOSTER PREMIUM

Do let me know what you think of this initiative. Thanks for reading, and watching!

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The Iron Man who united modern India - a salute

Today is India's Iron Man - Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's - birth anniversary, and his amazing achievements need to be understood in the context of the complex background he was working in.

The Britishers came into south Asia as traders, became our rulers, looted us for 200 years with all enthusiasm and sowed seeds of discontent and struggle that we are forced to live with till date. The central pillar of their rule over such a huge land with massive diversity was simple - break Indian unity by nurturing selfish kings and princes, while defanging their military strength systematically and giving them a dream of a bright future. Today's Rajya Sabha itself came into being as a Council for such Princes, where they would meet together under British supervision.

As the fires of independence struggle started burning bright, the British were sure of one thing - once they left, India would simply balkanise (break apart) into hundreds of pieces. They knew it as they saw no single Party or individual capable enough of tying the huge land into one thread of unity. The rulers had no idea that a man whose vision was broader than Bismarck and skills sharper than Robert Clive and Warren Hastings combined, was waiting in the wings.

Here is one of the many maps of the India when Britishers left in 1947. The complexity of the situation and immensity of the task of unification could have driven anyone crazy.

(this is one of the many maps available)

Festive season of Diwali - a time to reassess India's priorities

The entire nation is drenched in the festive and colourful spirit of Diwali - the festival of lights. It is wonderful to see how over hundreds of years, this festival has taken on contemporary hues while retaining its ancient structure, alive with legends still relevant.

So before moving ahead - here's wishing all my readers a wonderful Diwali!

The key message from Diwali is - arrival of Good, destruction of Bad, cleaning of the clutter and mess, & a renewed vigour for prosperity!

In fact, there's this amazing article on Diwali you must read!

Let me apply Diwali's lessons in a national context. As we near the end of 2016, it is a good time to see the direction our national priorities are taking, and how far we still have to go to ensure a decent quality of life to all Indians.

From the experiences gained in 25 years as an education entrepreneur working at the grassroot levels, I feel that an India aspiring for superpower status needs to urgently work on the seven priorities listed below, and Diwali is the best time to list these!

1. Rapid economic growth - India needs tonnes of investment, both internal and external, to speed up the industrial sector and overall economy and absorb the huge pool of emerging youth. Many initiatives are being pushed by the Government, with Make-in-India leading the march. Unfortunately, the speed still needs much acceleration. This single priority, if successfully achieved, can put renewed vigour in India's rejuvenation. We have a long way to go.

Leadership lessons from Tata Group's latest ordeal

So it happened finally on the 24th October, 2016.

What was simmering below the surface, popping up occasionally through news reports and the rare interviews, rare enough to be brushed under the carpet, exploded into full public view. 

Barely four years into the job, Cyrus Mistry lost his job as the top gun at the huge Tata industrial and services empire in India.

For the group, it is a rare thing to happen. In fact, in its nearly 150 years of existence, the group has seen only six individuals heading it. That puts it in a league that even the hallowed General Electric can't compete with - GE has had 12 CEOs over 124 years (of course, GE is a single legal entity running multiple businesses, and the Tata Sons holding company is controlling multiple legal entities (separate companies), but that's just a legal difference. For practical purposes, group Chairman is the boss and his word is final). Also, since Mr Mistry belongs to the family that holds the largest chunk of shareholding in Tata Sons (the holding company of the entire group), something must have gone terribly wrong for the Board to resort to such a desperate measure. I try to analyse it from a leadership - management perspective, and hopefully we all have some lessons to learn here.

1. Times change, Systems usually do not. Well, times had changed in 1991 when the prime minister of India Mr P V Narsimha Rao had thrust an unprepared India into the fires of economic liberalisation. Most corporate groups, accustomed to greasing their way to prosperity, simply fell by the wayside in the raging and unfamiliar storm of global competition. A young Ratan Tata, newly minted Chairman of the Tata Group, set upon radically restructuring the group to stay relevant. He succeeded big time. We have covered that story at length in this Bodhi for our site BodhiBooster.com here. It was the sheer force of Ratan Tata's vision and personality that he carried the group through the most difficult time imaginable. However, Mr Cyrus Mistry was not allowed the same freedom this time round. He was simply removed, as major transformations were afoot. Cyrus was facing the heat of a global slowdown just when the Tata Group had truly globalised itself (65% revenues coming from 100 countries). Was the system not able to cope up with rapid change this time? Obviously not. Was Mr Mistry not able to take the system into confidence? It seems not. For a visionary leader in an important position of power, the quality of communication can mean the difference between pulling it through, and losing it.

An amazing set of learning resources, for you!

What a fortnight it has been! Full of excitement, new resource launches, and solid innovation. So let me tell you all about it!

First of all, we have launched the Open beta version of a fantastic knowledge portal for learners and achievers, and we passionately call it the - Bodhi Booster!

We are creating amazing Bodhis (articles), Bodhi Prashns (Quizzes on those articles) and bilingual learning content - Hindi Bodhi Booster!

The whole idea came from the constant and pressing need for students across south Asia, and especially India, to have a dedicated portal for GK and current affairs, but one that would be tastefully done, refined and with adequate depth. And yes, one that would do justice to both Hindi and English medium students. We have attempted precisely that.

Just visit Bodhi Booster, and take a taste of this solid resource! Don't forget to spend some quality time knowing the nitty-gritty of it by visiting About Us, FAQs and Bodhi Soochi.

And while you are at it, don't forget to subscribe to the Free weekly newsletter - Bodhi Prakash, here!

And of course, all this is available in Hindi as well, in parallel, here!

This has taken tremendous passion and perseverance for the whole team, and we are happy with the beta that's out for you to enjoy.

What would happen if everyone on the planet was a billionaire?

The concept of ‘Money’ is the most fantastic creation of the human mind. It is artificial, and holds up only because we all allow it to.

It has helped speed up a lot of our daily lives, due to easy understanding of transactions. This much we all know, agree with, and love, as none would like to prefer using the alternative - bartering.

So what this amazing invention called ‘money’ has done is to reduce every product, experience, service and interaction to a common scale - the value scale - measured through a certain currency (convertible to another, or most of the rest). That this ‘money’ is physical or virtual, convertible or non-convertible, means little in the bigger scheme of things (unless, of course, you are a crook or a cyber-thief siphoning off central banks’ monies! Or North Korea.)

“Value” is what underlies everything. It defines how much money we are willing to part with, or earn through hard labour, and also why shining objects called the iPhones can keep commanding ridiculous sums of money to get owned, despite equally good or even better products available at much lower ‘prices’.

Value is, because you have more of what can measure it, and I have less of it (or vice versa). Value (created through human effort) and the dissimilar amounts of moneys that can exchange it, creates the required ‘potential difference’ that keeps economies moving.

So, when you give a sum of, say, $ 1 billion to every human on Earth,

Sums of money with everyone = Equal, huge, equally huge!
Potential Difference needed to create meaningful flows of value = Nil
Value of the “money” we hold = Equal, hence very low!
Worth of what we hold = drastically down
Prices of nearly all products and services = sky high (worth down)
Welcome to hyperinflation, and the breakdown of monetary systems.
Government’s response? Reset the monetary system. Create new potential differences.

As an extension of this thought, it is amazing to visualise mankind’s future. If machine-use speeds up drastically and possible infinite energy sources like cold fusion etc. really come into being, we have a perennial and super-abundant future. Money will become meaningless in the glut-economy, and bingo! We would have created a truly communist society! Ha, ha.

I have tried to analyse the whole idea of money is a series of lectures, the first of which can be viewed by clicking below.

The Concept of Money

Thank you for reading.
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The need for ambitious self-teaching

In today's competitive age, millions of young Indians are trying to achieve their life-goals, either through the job market or by pursuing an entrepreneurial dream. More than 10 million new faces join the race each year! Indeed, that makes it a very tough race, and old methods that worked in an age gone by, can neither ensure victory nor any solid destination. And we keep coming across depressing news items in media regarding our degree-holders being unemployable. Many of our colleges and universities, assuming outdated and obsolete methods of imparting education and skills as relevant to the present day tsunamis, are delivering something that has little practical value. No one in particular is responsible, yet everyone actually is! We hear passionate cries promising system-repair, but little turns up on the ground. The youth understands that she/he needs to do something, but is usually clueless regarding the nitty-gritty.

A common refrain is - there are no opportunities, and the markets have little to offer educated people.

All this is having a telling effect on our social and political situation as well. Tensions keep mounting, and immediate solutions elude us. The choice before most of us is clear - either we give us and stop dreaming, or decide to go after it and find a solution. If you are young by age or attitude, then the latter option is always preferable! The good news is that in these difficult and changing times, there are many resources available that can easily impart skills which will not only develop your self-esteem and confidence, but even your market value. Let us try and understand how using simple and easy tools, we can learn something of value each day. These could mean the difference between success and failure. Seen as a whole, these can help our Indian society remain much more optimistic and positive.

First and foremost, we need to understand that the very internet that has revolutionsed most sectors, and has created huge problems for conventional methods, has simultaneously created a wonderful opportunity as well - it has brought the best teachers and learning resources right on your computer screen, available on a click. Many of them will do it free for you (on, say, Youtube), and the rest will do it at a price (on personal teaching sites). Try getting the gist of this argument. If you really want to crack it, then you have an option of getting help from the most skilled professionals in the world on a one-to-one basis, and this can help you deliver more in your job and race forward. Not only this, you can become an internet entrepreneur yourself, without any major investment. Excited? Let's see some milestones you're likely to face in this exciting journey.

First milestone - Make three things a part of your daily life. (a) Read the blogs and articles by experts of your chosen field (on the internet), (b) Keep digging deep into the multiple aspects of emerging technologies (on relevant technology websites and forums), and (c) Keep saving relevant and useful content in a notebook (or a webtool like Evernote). Just keep at this for six months at least, and realise how the techniques of learning and skilling have truly transformed. As an example - many engineering related courses are available for free. Immense resources are available related to technologies being used on the internet to create various tools. Multiple marketplaces abount (like Envato), where skilled graphic and web designers can sell their wares, without even stepping out of their homes. And if you have the teacher-talent in you, then why not start your own course academy to teach others (using platforms like Ruzuku, Kajabi, Udemy etc.), and earn in dollars!

Second milestone - When you will start spending your time (and datapack) on these skill-focussed areas rather than mostly useless chatting and video-watching, then you'll surely face three questions. Whom to follow daily (Google to the rescue, followed by Alexa ranking like tools), which paid programmes are really useful (check out various review and comparison sites), and how to really turn your entrepreneurial dreams into reality (check out teaching, blogging and hosting sites). You'll surely face problems with English. So you'll begin searching the right language teachers. The plethora of options will make your mind spin! I strongly feel that the millions of educated ladies who often utilise their talents only in cooking food for their families - they can (with some effort) become a micro-entrepreneur leveraging the internet and empower themselves and their families. If the family elders happen to be hyper-conservative, they can be told that this would not necessarily entail action outside the home.

Third milestone - To prepare oneself, one's organisation, and the nation too, for the coming decades. It surely is not an exaggeration to say that the internet-enabled storm of easily available yet powerful technologies has totally transformed most sectors. We witness the changes in many areas like taxi services, shopping platforms, medical diagnosis and freelancing. Sadly, the Indian brands are not at the forefront of this unique race (surprising, given the dominance Indians display in services and in running some of these very global leader brands!). I have often spoken of this issue, calling it 'Digital Sovereignty' or 'Digital Independence'. Why has this happened? A simple answer is - we have spent our energies in cramming stuff, and acing exams. We lost the art of learning. The three key skills duly adapted to a new world - ability to read & comprehend fast, expressing ourselves through the written word beautifully, and basic arithmetic - were not developed. Net result? The easy methods by which one can try to cater to a global market despite being a micro-entrepreneur are not in our radar.

The choice is ours - keep cursing the system, and wait for a messiah who will transform the entire scenario. Or begin the journey of our individual success today, and start creating innovative products and services using modern technologies. We may not succeed always, but when we do, it may be spectacular.

My Hindi editorial article on this theme was published recently. Can check here!

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