Dynasties... Nasty for Indian Politics??

The recent election campaign was a major cacophony against dynasty rule. Political parties wanted to leverage on the fact that one major party has a dynasty which makes the decision for the country. I am no great supporter of Gandhi family apart from admiration of the charm. But when I started thinking I saw a different angle.
Why Rahul Gandhi announced his entry to politics was puzzling to me. He was one guy who was away from the hustle bustle of Indian politcs happily spending his days with a Slovakian girl friend. In politics the Gandhi family always had a curse (reminds of Hound of Baskerville??). Indira Gandhi has been under threat from Sikhs long before she was assassinated. Same is the case with Rajiv Gandhi. Even after three murder attempts he never gave up politics until dead. Till this day there is a constant threat from Sikhs and LTTEs to the Gandhi family, then why should Rahul Gandhi enter Indian Politics? He needs no money, his ancestors gave him much. He needs no name, his family name is enough. He needs no power, he already excercises even from a foreign country. I just feel he is attending a call of duty for the Gandhi family. People respect this tradition specially the rural vote bank. But the urban vote bank (read as the neo-mindsets) scorn at this idea brushing off the idea as a rustic, illogical and outlandish. Let me take up a counter argument against each of this:
World wide, India is not the only country which votes for a dynasty. There are more than 35 countries in this world which have set dynastic rule. In fact even developed nations like UK, Australia, Spain, Norway, Sweden, Japan, Canada have head of the state as a hereditary position. In fact a referendum in Canada, Australia has shown the popular opinion in favour of dynastic head. Even in US, Kennedy's kith and kin are still governors of states only because of JFK's charm. So this is no rustic idea but an idea which even modern economies practice to date.
In one poll-opinion gathering, people of Rajasthan were asked why they always voted the Scindia Scions (remember Vasundhara Raje is from BJP which strongly opposed the dynasty rule!! ) into power. The rustic vote bank has given a deep cut argument. They said that they have enough money to live for generations. There is no chance that they can be corrupt unlike a new, small time, politician. Now this is what is logic!!
Even this day, where corporates thrive on the principle of professional management, we still have Tata, Ambanis, Birlas ruling corporate kingdoms as dynasty's. Even on global front we have Mittals, Trumps, Hiltons. Why only businesses even movie world is dominated by this. (Hollywood, Bollywood, Kollywood and Tollywood). So do you still think this idea is outlandish?

Dont Utopia'ize India ...

Ask any MBA student and he will characterise the personality of a professional this way: All Marketing guys are optimists (thats where I belong to) ... finance guys are pessimists... IT guys are day dreamers ... lawyers are suspicious. True to the statement I have come across professionals in each arena. But the most prominent breed in current day society is the IT breed. Give a chance they eulogize, utopia'ise society and things and come up with wierd dreams which they believe will come true and have to come true. These are snippets from my encounters:
There should not be any corruption in India... it should be made corruption-free. There should not be any filth/waste thrown on the ground/road. There should not be any one left unemployed. Every one should have access to internet. PM should answer queries on orkut and facebook. All citizens should have hi-fi gadgets like smart phones.
I never understand why should India be so eulogized? Why should India be compared to Singapore, Malaysia, US and should not have filth on roads? Why should people be prevented in attending nature calls in open air? What happens if everyone passing out is put in a job without any free labour? Why should all citizens have access to internet and smartphones like those Singapore? Why should we be compared and assessed? India is a mighty power from ages. Infact a report from Goldman Sachs says that from all recorded history from 1AD India has been in the top three of highest GDP. Only last 250 years were an abberation and we would again climb back to our previous ranking. All these years we never imitated any country. Our ancestors from ages have been using empty vast lands for meeting nature.... throwing waste on roads... common citizens never had access to super-knowledge or super equipment. But all the time we were rich. Thats because we have our own way of moving things. If we are bound to grow at 6% even this day when the world is facing recession/slow down, thats only because we have a large unorganised market. We still have 30% of illiteracy, almost 40% living BPL. All this though appear as drawbacks, have kept us on our toes and made us acheive higher. This was the driving force for our growth and will be the driving force.
So next time you come across any IT professional saying that India should develop more in this area.... or we do this in India while it is the other way ... just tell them:
"Hum logon ko samajh sako to samjho dilbar jaani
Ulti seedhi jaisi bhi hai apni yehi kahaani
Aankhon mein kuchh aansoo hain kuchh sapne hain
Aansoo aur sapne donon hi apne hain
Dil dukha hai lekin toota to nahin hai
Umeed ka daaman chooka to nahin hai
Thodi majboori hai lekin thodi hai manmaani
Thodi tu tu main main hai aur thodi kheecha taani
Hum mein kaafi baatein hain jo lagti hain deewani
Phir bhi dil hai hindusatni"

Varna - The indispensable part of the Hindu Society

Disclaimer: I have no intentions of arousing fanatic emotions or condescend on anyone. I am expressing my views after analysing the contemporary society from my perspective. I do not believe in supporting or deviating from any popular view. Instead I am giving the state of affairs and what best has to be done in order to make society achieve some direction.
When it comes to caste, rationalism is given no credence or worse there is none which exist. It looks as though there is one set of people who support it staunchly, illogically and in obsolete manner. While the other set vehemently oppose this without even understanding the reason or the implications but projecting themselves as radical, benefit-the-human-race reformers. Does either of them purport any benefit to the society or improve the situation? Is this not making the creek deeper, differences glaring, confusing more and denying stability?
I hear many elders strongly support the “varna” system of the Hindu society. I believe as an open society/culture, they have enough freedom to express their views and thrust some of them on their kids. In fact as kids many traditions/practices/rituals are thrust. This should be no different. I have also seen people of my generation (I am going on 28 while writing this article) vehemently oppose these views of elders. The reason for their opposition is that they feel it is a taboo in this modern society. They seem to don a cap of a super-hero (I am no gender biased... this applies to girls also) among friends when they openly ridicule their elders, purportedly perform an inter-caste marriage just to teach a lesson to their elders. Who is benefitting in all this? Parents are losing value before their children, while the children are made to look wayward.
Parents thrust mannerisms, traditions and rituals. As the kid comes of age, he evaluates each of these traditions to his level of belief, importance, convenience, ease of performing and chooses those which he can follow. This is nothing shocking or new and has been a continued over ages. This offers a chance to over throw anarchic, inhuman, impertinent traditions. Thanks to do this we no longer have the practices of Sati and Child marriage. So for the kid to take the right decision on which traditions to choose, it is the responsibility of the parents to impart the belief and make him understand the importance. If they are unable to reason out and explain, why it is important or why one should believe in it and instead thrust it blindly they simply cannot expect him to follow it for long. But does that mean the kids are not at fault?
One thing a contemporary young member of a Hindu society should understand that the caste system is in vogue for more than 3000 years now. If it was an inhuman practice it would not have survived the test of time. It would have been discontinued after a few centuries just like Slavery or Colonialism or Sati. But the very fact it still exists in modern world implies that there is some credibility in the system which has to be observed and analysed. If parents are unable to provide sufficient reasoning for a tradition, it is the responsibility of the kids to study the roots of the tradition and analyse what he is supposed to do and what is actually prohibited. Blindly declaring that elders are anarchic and flouting their tradition is no solution. This would not end/resolve the division of society. Especially because Indian politics, businesses, religion, culture are all closely knitted in the web of “varna”. It is not prudent to think that by an inter-caste marriage they are erasing the discrimination. In fact if they understand and respect the roots of this practice, it will be make them more helpful. They should realise that this “varna” is a part of the Hindu society and cannot be erased. What should be erased is the discrimination and not the division!!
When one matures and realises this truth, it brings clarity on his freedom and limitations. To marry through an inter-caste wedding and to declare “caste-agnostic” does not help anyone. They will be faced with perpetual question of caste identity. Subsequent generations are also troubled with identity crisis. (After all even in this modern age, Indian Government mandates us to declare caste in schooling, job and welfare activities.).
Does that mean I am against inter-caste marriages? No. I believe that it is better to identify the marriage with a particular caste. But practice day-to-day rituals or traditions according to convenience of both partners. This way there is enough respect for the traditions of both “varna” while at the same time it is giving enough identity for the subsequent generations. I do not claim this as a panacea for the age-old problem. But by doing this I see that the discrimination for “varnas” does not exist at the same time giving due credit to the division respecting our age old traditions. This also addresses the concern of the elders on the losing identity for future generations.
I claim no originality in suggesting this. In all my extensive reading of the Indian culture and history this has been the practice. Vatsayana Kamasutra gives an account of when an inter-caste marriage can be performed and how it can be performed. Vedas speak on what to lay importance during a wedding and marriage (Caste system did not exist when Vedas were written). History has examples of inter-religion, inter-caste marriages which are successful. In all cases, it was evident, that their success was because of acknowledging the realities of society and identifying with a particular religion/caste but at the same time giving freedom for each other to follow their individual traditions.

Papa Kehtey Hai...

Papa kehte hain bada naam karega
Beta hamara aisa kaam karega
Magar yeh to koi na jaane
Ki meri manzil hai kahan

This is a persistent and pertinent confusion of today’s youth. As a career minded youth we have high aims and aspirations on what we should achieve or be like. In an attempt to achieve these dreams, we look forward for a dream partner in our life who would help us realise this. But do we end up in realising either of these or in making a “bada naam”?

Right from childhood we have built many aspirations and dreams. Most of these dreams are influenced or built by our parents themselves. And there is so much special importance attached because of this. So every child derives a great sense of achievement and satisfaction in fulfilling these dreams and would not like to leave any stone unturned for this. Once we land up in the corporate world, there is a reality check and we tone down our dreams and make them into realistic goals. Reaching these toned down goals itself is a painful ordeal but still we persevere because we want to put all efforts in achieving what “papa kehtey hai”.

When we see the dirty and tough corporate world we realise it is tough to wade through here and realise our dreams. We need support. Though friends are always there with us but in almost all cases they tend to pursue a different route. After all friendship is never binding. As we start thinking of marriage, we lay all our hopes on the would-be to support us. We chalk out an ideal mate for us and then expect someone close to this. (After all marriage is always a compromise and true love lies in compromising). Suddenly we encounter that someone who almost is close to this ideal mate. We think, analyse and argue with ourselves. We reason out what we are compromising and is it worth compromising on these. We are doing all this just to make parents happy. But do they realise this?

For them probably “bada naam” is something different. For them it means the pleasure in telling a zillion people that my child is ready for marriage and get a bulky rooster of “prospects” who sound good. Probably they want to weigh and measure “bada naam” in how many alliances the ward gets and how many people keep talking about him/her and has nothing to do with all the childhood dreams they have built in us.

When will they realise we are doing everything to keep them happy and it is no selfishness. When will they realise the decisions we are taking is for making them happy by realising their dreams. When will they realise the a zillion people talking about your ward is not the dream which you showed your kids. Or is it a hidden dream/agenda which is not shown to the ward? What is the real “manzil” a child has to pursue? Is it about career or marriage proposals?

Papa kehte hain bada naam karega
Beta hamara aisa kaam karega
Magar yeh to koi na jaane
Ki meri manzil hai kahan

The Place ...

It is same, every time I come over here. Nothing changes. Water pool, cool breeze from swaying of the trees, people who are too busy with their conversations that they are unaware of passer-bys, business men digging their heads deep into the laptop screens, the waiters scuttling here and there in all hurry even when the order flows are not brisk. But it is not the same that day. That day it was quite, not that there were no conversations but it was a peace in heart which made me hear the silence. That day it was a happy surrounding, it was not that businessmen did not wear the grim looks on their face but it was optimism in me which made me saw those smiles behind the faces on closing deals. That day it was warm, not that there was no cold breeze blowing but it was the warmth generated by hope. That day it was enthusiastic not that the waiters scuttled more but because I wanted that answer I was looking for. But that day was different, not that I did not get the answer which I was expecting but that it raised fears in me “What if”.
Every time I visited the “Lavazza Barista” @ Leela Palace, I had a uniquely life defining spell on my life. The first time I went there, was on a business deal. I never knew that it is such an important deal that my days in job will be filled completely with it. The second time i visited was different, this time I had a personal “deal”. I am looking for this to happen. Though there was initial resistance, I got the answer I was looking for. But that visit changed my peace. From that day onwards there was this fear in me “What if” the “deal” did not happen? Though I have not much to influence on it, at the end I am involved into it completely. This fear still haunts me till day. These days I go there restricting myself to business deals else the sleeping fear is again aroused. On these visits when I occasionally lift my head and see a young couple, sipping coffee and talking endlessly, images of past flow through. And then the fear grips my heart. What if? What if it did not happen? What if it comes to an abrupt stop? What if I can never visit the place with all the hope I had in past? Though I collect myself and start looking at the work in hand, the fear doesn’t leave me soon. I promise myself I will not visit the coffee shop anymore. But professional dedication demands more than just your professional life and I inevitably land up there again for my next deal. Till today I am still living with hope for a miracle day to return to the place in all smiles. But What if??