Mitt Romney announced quitting from 2016 Presidential race

After some initial dilly dallying with the idea of running for arguably the most powerful position on earth in 2016, Mitt Romney announced yesterday that he is no more in the race and wisely so. Power is a powerful aphrodisiac. Arguably nobody is more more powerful than the President of United States. The POTUS can unilaterally declare a war for 60 days and use his executive power to veto legislation passed by the House and Senate. It seemed Romney who was so near yet so far in getting the coveted post in 2012 was obsessed with it and thought worth giving it a shot.

 

No one in the history of United States has made a back to back run for the highest office of the land. And only person who ever won the Presidency after a defeat as a nominated candidate was Richard Nixon who after his defeat to JFK in 1960, came back to win in 1968 (I doubt it would have happened but for the tragic assassination of Bobby Kennedy, the charismatic younger Kennedy brother).

 

Romney would have been the second person after Ronald Reagan to run for the office of the Presidency for the third time. But unlike the loquacious former actor it would not have been mission difficult, but mission impossible for him. Last time he failed to defeat a vulnerable Barack Obama who was presiding over an unstable economy. He failed to tell a good life story unlike the charismatic Obama and Bill Clinton who could do the same to connect to a broader audience.  Now I doubt, with lower gas price and an economy in upswing he would have succeed if ( a big if) he ever got nominated. Glad realism descended upon him at the right time. RIP (politically) Mitt Romney.

Obama's trip to India - warmth in cold January

The late chill in Delhi air is full of warmth as Modi pours Tea from the kettle for Obama, a traditional India way of treating the guest. In between are perfunctory sound bites, "We are two of the World's biggest democracies, share common values, bondage and more such diplomatic niceties." Notwithstanding the reported bonhomie between the two there are contentious issues between the nations. One is Af-Pak, just reverse the way to is sounds. "Fak-Ap" summarizes the issue as it stands today. Call it an obsession, the reality is that big elephant in the room called Pakistan, a factor which can't be easily ignored. Pakistan is America's first love, an old flame which just refuses to extinguish coming back to haunt like a recurring migraine. It has always been the perennial WOH (the other person) between the PATI- PATNI Indo- US spouse. Obama's presidency will gradually fade away, but The Foggy Bottom (as US State Department is known as) is full of Paki lovers, a remnant from Cold World era isn't going away.

 

Relationship between any two nations is governed by strategic or trade partnership. There is no permanent friends or enemies in this world, only permanent interest. Unfortunately strategically for Uncle Sam India is no Pakistan. NATO convoys don't pass through our territory. We cannot burn 10 NATO convoys and instantly extort $2 billion from America, an art Pakistan has mastered. America knows the running with the hare and hunting with Hounds" game the Pakis play,yet continues to uses it as a client state. Ayub Khan, the Pakistani military dictator wrote a book in 1960s named " FRIENDS NOT MASTERS", ascribing to his country's relationship with US. But the Master-Slave relationship continues till date. Pakistan is still treated as an "international con**m" by America time, use it for convenience and conveniently discard it afterwards.

 

 But what we can do is make ourselves more attractive as an investment destination and slowly build it to our advantage. On that Modi has started with the right note attracting Uncle Sam's attention. China and South Korea, both did it starting back in 1970s and never looked back. We missed the bus, whenever we try to run and catch up it speeds away with the Chinese and Koreans on board seemingly mocking at us. Like the proverbial monkey climbing a pole, we have a history of taking one step forward and two step back. We have to come out of the loop. It's still a long road ahead but a good, positive beginning never hurts. On that count Modi has done much better job than his predecessors. Let's keep our fingers crossed and hope the coming days will be refreshingly different.

Netaji's Birthday

Today is the Birth Anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, a man who has earned my deep admiration.  Subhah Bose was the real NETAJI, vindicated by the fact that he was the Commander-in-Chief of an entire Army called Azad Hind Fauz ( Independent Indian Army) with no tangible military experience. It requires solid leadership qualities. A highly motivational and charismatic speaker, his famous speech "Give me blood, I will give you freedom" is so simple yet so profound inspires millions. It still gives me goose bumps. Netaji was academically brilliant who topped Civil Services. But rather than joining the coveted Civil Service for his reluctance to serve under the British he chose the path to travel globally, lived in dense forests and raised an army, fighting the enemy almost single handed. Such depth of patriotism is unfathomable these days. My thousand salute to the  man who unfortunately never got the reward and recognition he duly deserved by the country for which he made ultimate sacrifices. 

Now, A tale of two NETAJIs. In pre independence time people fondly addressed Subhah Chandra Bose as NETAJI which means " Dear Leader". He earned the sobriquet. The term Netaji (leader) is very loosely used these days to depict any politician from small timers to big fishes. Any KUJI NETA (sundry leader) is a Netaji these days, the more ubiquitous being Mulayam Singh Yadav the UP politician who is addressed the same. Sadly the similarities between them ends there.  Netaji said decades ago " Give me blood; I will give you freedom ". Our modern Netaji Bhaiyya said earlier "there is no need to change anti-rape laws as boys commit mistakes for which they shouldn't be hanged". Tragedy this comes from a politician of a state which has produced stalwarts like Lal Bahadur Shastri and J L Arya ( the Allahad High Court Judge whose verdict against Indira Gandhi forced the later to impose emergency in 1974).

In Odia we say KAHI RANI KAHI MEHENTRANI (Where stands the Queen and where stands the Toilet Cleaner). In Hindi they say KAHA RAJA BHOJ AUR KAHA GANGU TELI. Meaning of the proverbs in both languages is quite obvious. The term NETAJI has been diluted and downgraded beyond repair regressed over time. Hoping to be proved wrong, our generation could fade away remembering Subhas Bose as the last NETAJI of our time, a la the Royal Bengal tiger.

Martin Luther King's Birthday

Little more than 50 years back on a Southern summer day of 11th June 1963 not far from where I live, the then Governor of Alabama George Wallace tried to block two black students from integrating into the University of Alabama. Only a month before in May 1963 he famously said "Segregation then, segregation now and segregation forever".

 

George Wallace died unsung but Martin Luther King's Civil Rights movement gained steam. Can't stop admiring this man's charisma and leadership. It's said that those who teach leadership quality at Harvard's Business School often allude "Leaders are born, can never be made". It was followed by his iconic speech " I have a Dream when a man will be judged not by the color of his skin but by content of his character." He went on further " I have a dream when on the Red Hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and former slave owners will be able to seat down together in tables of brotherhood".

 

The rest we know is history. Martin Luther King never saw his dream come true during his life time but a few decades down the road it was realized. Not that racism has completely vanished from America but it has come a long was since, vindicated by Barack Obama being the first African-American President and already in the middle of his 2nd term. Happy birthday to the legend, who inspired beyond the boundaries of the land he was born.

Water and MIlkman Mix well

Most of our major cities in India get their milk supplies from their local cooperatives. In Odisha it is called OMFED. It was not so during my growing up days. We had to depend on local GAUDA (in Odia) or GWALA (in Hindi) meaning "the Milkman". Sometime it could be the GAUDUNI or the milkmaid. Either way, there was no concept of getting 100% pure milk. If you are lucky you might get it in less adulterated form. Even the most honest of the milkman/maid would mix some water. Like gold the milk would never be 24 carat, its purity depending upon the person's honesty and his degree of dilution.

Adjacent to the BJB Flats (apartments) we used to live were the government quarters of the class IV employees. Most used their front yard to fruitful use farming fruits, veggies and kept cows in sheds in their backyard to supplement their income. After finishing my gully cricket, my task every evening was to trudge a furlong to one such dingy residence and fetch our daily quota of milk. This particular Milkman was known to be well versed with our ancient scriptures. With an impressive voice he could readily recite couplets from BHAGABAT and PURANA from tip of his glib, loquacious tongue. Rumor had it, he was blessed by Lord Krishna and his black cow delivered the sweetest milk not found anywhere covering several miles from the epicenter of his house. My mother had immense faith in him, flattered by him addressing her as MAA (mother) and touching her feet most mornings when she would venture out to pluck flowers. A pious man of such stature would never do such a mundane act of diluting his well earned, accrued good Karma by diluting the milk. Or so we thought.

One fine evening as usual I reached the cowshed, swinging the classic cylindrical metallic container by its thin metal string tied to its top. In the twilight inside his shadowy shed he started milking in dimly lit lantern light. To the unsuspecting in me it still didn't get unnoticed as he tilted his milk bucket and stealthily poured water into it from a shapeless, dirty LOTA (pot). I told this to my mom who dismissed it as my figment of imagination. A few days later I contacted fever. My uncle who covered for me also saw the same and almost got into a fist fight with him. The milkman would never admit of any wrongdoing and resorted to the usual GALUAMI (The Odia term for stubborn refusal to admit). His hypocrisy exposed, we eventually switched to another Milkman.

It explains the popular Odia idiom KETE PANI MISICHI (how much water is mixed) to ascertain the degree of manipulation made. It is best seen in gully cricket matches where at least 5% score is added by the scorer to the ultimate tally. Like milk a little bit of adulteration here and there wont hurt. I have heard how tiny pebbles were ideal mix for rice, grinded brick granules for Chilli powder, dried Papaya seeds for Bloack pepper and so on. It probably explains why Gold is 22 carats.

Population Control - A necessity in India

When a certain BJP MP in news was espousing all Hindus to have 4 kids, he was certainly not kidding. In this context lemme repeat my post from a few months back. We can conveniently ignore such rants from those suffering from perennial foot in the mouth syndrome. India's exploding human bomb is a major deterrent to its growth, yet hardly any one talks about the stark necessity of population control. Most of the agonies our nation is facing can be traced to this burgeoning POPULATION. Our politicians rarely ever talk about it, let alone have an agenda for the future to curb this menace.

 

 It was never too late for China to address this issue in late 1970s. It is said their population would have been 1.75 billion now instead of the current 1.35 had they not implemented the one child principle then. We are not a dictatorship like China who can ruthlessly impose any such agenda on their citizens. Only a conscious effort by the populace can bring down the growth. We simply breed like rabbits and at 1.25 billion we are getting nowhere. Whatever economic advances we are making is gobbled by this monstrous mass.

 

Interestingly the only politician who seriously ever tried to control this epidemic menace was Sanjay Gandhi, the maverick son of Indira Gandhi.  His grandfather Nehru supposedly said "Population is the strength of India" when J R D Tata ( arguably a great visionary) warned the former about it. Many including educated folks knowingly go into a Repeat - Until loop (in computer programming parlance) to procure a Male Heir to carry on their linage. It is time to put a break on it. Like certain laws of Chemistry hold good under Normal Pressure and Temperature, India would have been far better off with a population of 600 millions (half of present) under normal conditions of Corruption and Lawlessness. Sad that in our chaotic democracy a few Maharaj, Mullahs and Mahants can only think parochially to achieve their political goals, rather than taking the Bull by its horn which the Chinese are apt at.

China and US - The Odd Couple

US and China make an odd couple. Or may not be so odd, conspicuously akin to numerous married couples who don't like each other but stick together simply because of mutual dependency. Both are suspicious, distrustful, frequently spy on each other, and occasionally flirt with paramours. They hold each other's hand and fake smiles for public consumption, fighting in private. Yet end of the day, they stay together to protect their common interest. Like two sides of coin they may be able to see each other but live together.

 

Their marriage was arranged by one Richard Nixon in 1973 on the advise of irrefutable, wily matchmaker Henry Kissinger, known for his out of box, maverick foreign policy to checkmate then Soviet Union at the height of Cold War. The husband US obviously had the upper hand then vis a vis a coy, unsure and insecure of herself China, a la a new bride in an arranged marriage. Lots of water have flown down  Mississippi and Yangtze Kiang, the irritant in the relationship called Soviet Union has long lost it's fang. Now China is an equal if not the larger say in the relationship. America cannot divorce her easily and diverse his attention to another suitor as she has the custody of its debt like their child. This relationship will sustain as long as the producer-cum-debtor China will be lending in USD to its favorite consumer America to consumer its product.

 

China wants American consumers to buy what it makes, otherwise its export oriented economy will be in serious trouble. It could open the lid of a can of worms which kept closed tightly till date by the Chinese authorities and lead to social unrest in a nation of 1.35 billion people which would be a nightmare. The smart and foresighted leaders of the Middle Kingdom know it. All bravado not withstanding both US and China cannot do without each other. Chinese products from Toys to Tilapia flood the American market, even the ubiquitous American Flags visible on 4th of July have "Made in China" tag. Huge ocean liners ply goods across the Pacific manufactured in miles long Sanghai EPZ (Export Processing Zone) for the voracious American consumers. It's said that if those shipping liners stop coming to US West Coast for couple of weeks the prices in Wal Mart would double. Reminds me of the SAHUKAR MAHAJAN ( traders and money lenders) in villages back home. They lend money to their customers in their village so that the later can buy their produce. As it's said in Sankrit RUNAM KRITVA GHRUTAM PIVET, transliterated "Borrow money to drink Ghee (clarified butter)". The US - China relationship perfectly describes it, on a larger scale of course.

Never Borrow, Never Lend

There are occasional posts on facebook about people borrowing money and never returning. Not an uncommon phenomenon, I am sure most of at some point or other in our life would have gone through this agony of lending money and never seen it returned. In Odisha it is called HATHA UDHARI ( hand loans), i.e., money normally passed from hand to hand at 0% APR interest purely based on faith. Invariably no kind of paperwork is involved. There was this guy who came to my place in 1992 asking for Rs. 5000 for his sister's wedding. He literally cried in front of me. Wrapping his arm around my shoulder he said " MO BHAITA PARA ( you are my dear brother). You have sisters too, so you can understand my pain. I will return the money in 2-3 weeks." We are champions at expressing fraternal love at the time of need, which rarely stays the same after the deed.

 

His gesture melted my heart. Without hesitating further I grabbed whatever I had and settled for Rs. 3000. It was a substantial amount for me then which was pretty much equivalent of my monthly salary. Weeks and months rolled by. The promise was never kept, the money was never returned. One day I stopped by his place and asked if he can return at least a part of his hand loan procured through filial love. I could instantly sense that his overflowing brotherly love during our last meeting has considerably dried up like river MAHANADI bed during summer. Needless to say I returned empty handed with the solace of recovering Rs. 7, Rs 2 for the price of two ALUCHAPs (Potato cutlets, a popular snack in Odisha) washed down with Limca priced at Rs.5. Rest Rs.2993 assured washed down the drain as far as I was concerned.

 

I have interacted with many here and haven't heard of any story of hand loans gone bust, but some use hand guns to procure them. In that case there is hardly any expectations for getting it back. Alas back home when money is lent purely based on trust there is hardly any barometer to measure it. The lure of easy cash can easily turn a person of trust to BHRAST (spoilsport), ruining the goodwill  and eventually the relationship. I wish I had listened to my father who often says

" If you want to keep a friend,
  Never borrow, never lend."

Oil over the Oily head

Those from my generation might be aware of a popular brand of Coconut Oil called KMP. The shape of the green or yellow colored cylindrical tin is still fresh in my memory. One needs to make couple of punctures on its surface using nail and hammer, then tilt it a bit to let the oil flow out. In winter months a few minutes under the mild sun would melt the solidified grease, enough to bring it out from the orifice. Not sure what KMP stood for but a joke used to go around that KMP stands for KEBALA MAALISH PAAIN which in Odia means "Suitable for Massaging (buttering) Only".

Oiling or buttering comes in many shades, hue and color, in different shapes and sizes. Irrespective of its form the effect can be quite profound. MASKA LAGANA (in Hindi) or TELA MAARIBA (in Odia) both meaning buttering, is an art. A friend of mine during our college days perfected it. We had this fastidious, stubborn Professor who was rarely approachable. My friend approached him for a favor only to be rebuffed " Your TELA (buttering) won't work on me". My friend smiled back and politely replied " You are correct Sir, you are the only Professor in this entire institution who is not prone to buttering". Needless to say he got his mission accomplished. Irrespective of the means, the success of an effort is judged by the end. My friend vindicated that.

Many characters from my student days stuck at back of my head often come flashing. They are invariably males (I studied in Co-Ed institutes, in the girls only institutes it could be different). The familiar sight of them obsequiously following teachers with one hand inside their pocket, the other hand scratching the back of their ear with head slightly bent would ring a bell to many. They would readily volunteer to do the teacher's odd jobs. Their impressive TELIABILITY ( TEL in most Indian language means Oil + Ability) impacted our teacher's Malleability. Westerners in general are not so accustomed to flattery, often readily fall for it. Most Orientals are arguably tougher nuts to crack, one needs to work harder due the surplus of sebaceous glands. In Odia we have a proverb "TELIA MUNDARE TELA" transliterated "excess of oil lies on a oil soaked head". Literally it means those who have, always tend to have more. But in reality it needs some extra effort for the oil to sip in because of the already surplus oil, similar to water which percolates better on a dry rather than wet surface.

Debates about PK

The protests against PK doesn't make sense. You are free to express your opinion as PK has done in this movie, without indulging in vandalism. The worst sufferers are neither Raju Hirani nor Aamir Khan who are laughing their way to bank, rather the theater owners and the innocent bystanders.

 

We are a democracy where freedom of opinion should be accepted and respected. You don't like it, don't see it. Period. It's a movie which espouses rational thinking and not to be fooled by Godmen. Our much venerated Swami Dayananda Saraswati and Bibekananda espoused the same. PK is a movie which has an agnostic theme tied to it - not atheism. We are not a theocracy, rather a democracy. So, one has every right to mock at the existing dogma through mediums of art and literature. At the same time the movie has been declared Tax free in two of our most cash rich, revenue surplus states, i.e., UP and Bihar. It's not that our PUTTAR PRADESH (of the son) and Perennial PM aspirant Nitish's SARKAR (government) have suddenly become a champion of free speech, rather they want a piece of the political pie.

 

It's interesting to note the conspicuous silence of the Bollywood fraternity on this subject, yet vindicating themselves as champion hypocrites. They have no qualms preaching social justice, rationalism, challenging stereotyping and dogmas etc on screen, yet hardly anyone has come out of closet to condemn the vandalism and violence related to PK. Their silence is not golden,  it speaks volumes.