Sinha, Swami, Shatrughan and Shiv Sena

Sinha, Swami, Satrughan and Shiv Sena. All four who now talking in the same tune, critical of the current status of Indian economy are generalists (except Swami) and political opportunists. All have their axe to grind against current Modi government - wrong people trying to say the right thing. Let's look at each case on individual basis.

YASHWANT SINHA - He is generalist to the core, as clearing an Exam in 1950s doesn't make him a great economic professional (though his bureaucratic fraternity are self proclaimed Mr. Know Alls). Yashwant Sinha is doing exactly what an opportunist career Bureaucrat, and a turncoat who has swung like Pendulum from the Left (Socialist) to the Right (Swayamsevak) in his career.

As a bureaucrat he was a well ensconced Babu who licked the b**ls of the Bihar Chief Minister Karpoori Thakur and Chandra Sekhar, both legendary Socialists to climb the Bureaucratic ladder. Sensing VP Singh wave in 1989, he joined politics. Firmly in Chandra Sekhar's camp, he became the Finance Minister in 1991 in his protege's ministry which lasted only for 40 days.

After the Fall of Chandra Sekhar government he joined a resurgent BJP and became close to Advani. He again backstabbed Advani soon after 2005 when Advani praised Jinnah, only to patch with him later - a la, a typical Babu who like cockroach mastered the art of survival.

In 2013, Sinha was 80 and probably became too slow witted to figure out the Modi wave. He boycotted the Goa session of BJP where Modi was declared the Party's Prime Minister candidate. But the Bihari Babu, a master in the art of manipulation later patched up and managed to get a seat for his son and saw that his son became a minister.

Now at 84 and fag end of his career, Yashwant Sinha is talking bullshit to stay in the news. He is a mere generalist, with a politically laced point of view - far from being an expert on economy.

SUBRAMANIAN SWAMI - The only erudite person and economist of substance among the quartet. But his criticism is purely political. The sulking Swami has few Friends and more enemies as he backstabbed all through out his political career. Those who have a short memory - he was the main architect of the downfall of the BJP government in 1999. He is pissed at not getting the Finance ministry which he has been eying since ages. Frustration of not getting it grows with his age.

SATRUGHAN SINHA - A failed actor and a failed politician noted for his cheap histrionics. Does anyone cares for him ?

SHIV SHENA - It has become a toothless tiger after the death of Bal Thackeray whose PUTRA MOHA (Love for son) led to passing the baton to his useless son rather than the more charismatic nephew Raj. The party is more of an liability rather than an asset to BJP now. The cub Thackeray can only mew like a cat, can't roar. Now he tries to mew louder to stay relevant by questioning every decision by BJP - from Bullet train to Books on economics.

RIP Satyaswarup Mohanty

Every person has a right to live. It hurts utmost and a pall of gloom descends  when like a bolt from the blue we get the news of someone's passing away. And it hurts more, if that person happens to be young and known to you. Because, like every young man and woman, they too have a dream.

I don't know Satyaswarup Mohanty personally. Never saw him, never spoke to him. We hooked up on Facebook. He constantly complimented me on my writing. Soon our interactions increased and we turned into Facebook buddies.

He was a Right Of the Center person, sometimes aligned to my points of view, sometime not. Though an ardent supporter of Modi and BJP,  he was far from a ANDHA BHAKT (Blind devotee). We had our share of differences on occasions, but it was respectful within the realms of civility, never personal.

In fact, during my last trip to India this summer, he texted me with a desire to meet me. I was immensely flattered, but my limited time on hand, prioritization, a hectic schedule and non - cooperative, snail crawling Bhubaneswar traffic prevented me from doing so. 

However, on my "to do list" before my departure I wanted to make a courtesy call to him, but the selfish me kept on procrastinating and the call never materialized. Knowing the vagaries of life, if I were a Clairvoyant and had my ways, I sure would have met him.

Reminds me of this Hindi song.

ZINDAGI SAU BARAS KI SAHI,

ZINDAGI KA BHAROSA NAHI;

CHAAND CHHOOP JAE KAB KYA PATA,

CHANDNI KA BHAROSA NAHI.

Transliterated..

Life is to live for hundred years,

But destiny is unreliable forever ;

Never know when moon goes hiding,

For Moonlight is not worth relying.

When this morning I heard the news of his passing away due to chronic ailment, something snapped inside me. As I finish writing my obituary and regretting my inadvertent ignoring him, not being able to meet him one last time, I can feel the blurriness of eyelids. The haziness is due to the corner of my eyes moistened enough to take off my eye getting glasses. My reflex action used bare fingers as wipers to wipe the tears off.

Stay happy amongst Angels in heaven my dear friend, where you rightly belong.

The story of Dawood's wife secretly visiting India

I am reminded of a funny story from my home state. A starving jackal was lying on a large field, craving for food. He saw a Bull, happily grazing with it's huge ba*ls swinging like a low hanging fruit from its behind.

The hungry jackal wouldn't dare attack the Bull, as the giant bovines reaction can be unpredictable. Watching his forbidden fruit swinging vigorously like pendulum from behind, the Jackal thought its fall is imminent and patiently waited for his meal.

Soon it became noon, evening, followed by twilight. No sign of the Bull's ba**ls  falling off ! The mountain sized bovine moved away after finishing his meal. The frustrated jackal died from starvation.

The moral of this story in Odia :

"ANAAI ANAAI GALANI BELA

 SANDHA PE**A LAGI MALA SIALA".

Roughly transliterated...

"Forever Waiting for Bull's Ba*ls to Fall,

 The Jackal Died After All."

If media reports are to be believed, India's most wanted fugitive Dawood Ibrahim's wife reportedly visited India last year, incognito of course. It has been revealed by the Don's brother during his interrogation in Bombay.

May be inside my lifetime, unlike this ill fated Jackal, I will see a strong, assertive India capturing (I doubt) or killing of Dawood. Great expectation, but certainly not out of bounds. The son of a Mumbai Constable of police, now based in Pakistan supposedly runs an illicit empire of $7 Billion. Dawood has reportedly owns half of Bombay, has so much contacts across India - forget his wife, he can be an honorable guest of someone at helm in India and go back incongito.

A Nation or a Person, whose vision goes above and beyond the next quarter into the next quarter of century, succeeds in its mission. USA, Russia, China, Israel fall into that category. Remember, it took Americans nearly a decade to eliminate Bin Laden and Russians 9 years to punish Zia Ul Haq (rumor has been KGB planted a device in his plane to kill him). It took over a decade for Mossad to track down and spectacularly eliminate all the perpetrators of Black September terrorist group who massacred Israeli athletes in 1972, Munich Olympics.

Yet a sizable chunk of our security establishment are still stuck in Cold War era, lacking purpose, direction. They're mostly inefficient and often corrupt.

I recently read an interview with Vyacheslav Trubnikov, now SVR chief (Russian secret service post Soviet) from 1996-2000 given to an American journalist. He was born in Siberia and joined KGB in 1967.

Immediately he was sent to Calcutta, India under cover as a reporter. He said - "Every journalist in Calcutta those days was considered a spy". A KGB spy in India, in the middle of Commie paradise called Calcutta at the height of Cold War, was certainly not there to do social service with Mother Teresa. Soviet Union then was a nation friendly towards India, yet recruited spies in the house of a friend. But at the same time it supposedly trained India's secret service RAW a thing or two about the old school of spying.

RAW has its share of success, esoe in its neighborhood. It was still quite active under P V Narasimha Rao until mid 1990s and then faltered to keep upto the expectation. Hope it is getting back to track now under the current administration.

In that context, this Hungry Jackal in me is still waiting. Remember, I K Gujral withdrew RAW support networks from Pakistan, making us scratch our head and now starting our security from scratch. The present government has some catch up to do and I need to wait for that happen during my lifetime.

The hyocricy of the protest against Sunny Leone's Condom Ad

The nationwide uproar against the controversial Condom Ad by Indian actress cum model Sunny Leone simply reeks of hypocrisy. In fact more such ads are needed for safe sex and population control in a nation with extremely high number of sexually transmitted diseases, including the dreaded AIDS.

Our men are quite randy and women fecund. That makes Condom is the need of the hour, not condemn of its commercials. She is not advertising Tobacco which causes cancer, nor junk food which aren't heart healthy. 

We simply breed like rabbits - currently at 1.25 billion and still going strong, we are getting nowhere. Whatever economic progress we make is gobbled by this teeming, monstrous millions.

India's exploding human bomb is a major deterrent to its growth, yet hardly any politician talks about the stark necessity of controlling it. Most agonies our nation faces today can be very well be traced to this burgeoning POPULATION. 

Our politicians hardly bother about it, let alone have an agenda to curb this menace. Not long ago, a Hindutva protagonist advocated Hindus to have 4 children each as if we don't have enough. Tomorrow a Mullah or an Evangelist might match this rhetoric. As the old African proverb goes - if two elephants make love or war, it is the grass which suffers. It is India which suffers due to these battle of rhetorics.

It was never too late for China to address its population issue in the late 1970s. It is said that the Middle Kingdom's population would have been 1.75 billion now instead of the current 1.35 billion, had they not implemented the one child principle then. We are not a dictatorship like China who can ruthlessly impose any such agenda on its citizens.

 Only a conscious effort by the populace can bring down the growth. 

Interestingly, the only politician who seriously ever tried to control this epidemic menace was Sanjay Gandhi, the maverick son of Indira Gandhi.  (Another agenda of his was to keep our cities clean, free from dirty slums which were perennial eyesore). 

His grandfather Nehru supposedly said "Population is the strength of India" at a time when J R D Tata, a great visionary warned the former about it. CV Raman was more blunt and said " let's stop producing like pigs". 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 Netas, Mullahs and Mahants can only think parochially to achieve their political goals, rather than taking the Bull by the horn. Sunny Leone should be rewarded doing a social service, not stigmatized by the politicians - ideally it should be other way round.

The man who saved the world

In September, 1983  Stanislav Petrov, a Russian Military officer was sitting at his command center of the Soviet Air Defense Satellite monitoring system. He was suddenly startled as in front of him the alarming signals on the Computer grabbed his immediate attention. It  was several blips on the screen showing 5 Missiles on their way from their arch rival Superpower Unites States of America already on their path to hit the erstwhile USSR (Union of Soviet Republics as Soviet Union was known at that time).

Any person in his place would have immediately alerted the higher authorities. But not this man, who is widely credited for saving the world from a Nuclear war, probably a holocaust of unimaginable proportions. If he defied his conscience and informed his superiors, the Soviet Union would have got mad and responded in kind, resulting in MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction). Thankfully, common sense prevailed on the head of a calm and cool Stanislav Petrov as he resisted from doing so.

There was several reason for him to have trusted his computer - for there was palpable tension in the air, as this incident happened only a few days after a Civilian South Korean Airliner was shot down over Russian Airspace, resulting in the death of more than 200 innocent civilians, which included an American Congressman. (Soviet Union claimed that Airliner was on a spying mission, deviated from its path, hid from the Radar and didn't heed to warnings. US and NATO didn't think so).

Yet he knew by heart of heart that Americans are not suicidal to attack its then Superpower rival without expecting any retaliation. Secondly, even if USA does so, it will fire hundreds to ensure total annihilation of USSR rather than fire just five. Thirdly, he knew that the Russian Inter Continental Ballistic Missile tracking system was far from being accurate and foolproof.

And it was exactly as he thought. It took him 23 minutes to figure out that what he just saw was no more than a computer malfunction. But what if it wasn't a glitch and the missiles were real ? For it would have taken exactly 23 minuted then for the Nuclear tipped missiles from US to have reached the heart of Russia. Stanislav Petrov could have gone down the history as the man who dilly dallied and responsible for destroying the erstwhile Soviet Union.

Petrov recently died at the age of 77, his son announced his death today. His extraordinary story was kept secret under wraps by the Soviets, typically of secretive Communist Regimes, lest it will expose the ugly underbelly of a nation rapidly slipping from its Superpower status. The news trickled out soon after the dismantling of the Soviet Union in 1991.

This episode has been depicted by the great narrator Kevin Kostner (famous for doing so in JFK) in a documentary aptly titled "The Man Who Saved the World". It received several international awards. 

Yet Stanislav Petrov, the man who kept his cool under such adverse circumstances and later won award from his government for "Services to Fatherland", coolly faded into oblivion. He preferred to stay away from the media glare, until his death. RIP, The Man Who Saved The World. Without him, neither World nor We would not have seen the Internet, Facebook, iWhatever devices and much more.

Trump's dinner diplomacy with Dems

Donald Trump recently invited the Democratic Minority leaders Nancy Pelosi (House of Representatives) and Chuck Schumer (Senate) over for Supper. This is no Last Supper, rather the first of dinner diplomatic efforts to cut a deal over Trump's several pending legislative agendas.

This has left many hardcore Conservatives whining about the wining and dining by the President from their own party with the same folks they find alleric. A woman on Rush Limbaugh ( A hard core Conservative) show ascribed it as her PTSD (Pelosi - Trump - Schumer - Deal) moment.

Breaking bread with Democrats is a strict no no for the extreme Right wingers. Forget about any deal with Dems - they don't want to budge a bit on their hardcore Conservative agendas of Immigration and Economy of low taxes, any deal with the party is taboo to them.

Does Trump care ? Certainly not. It is not the Right wing fringe, but rather the moderate Swing voters from the Swing States have elected him to get things done in the swamp called Washington which has come to a screetching halt due to rabid bipartisanship.

As l said earlier, Trump is not a Conservative Republican. He was a Democrat before (so also Ronald Reagan who started his political career as a Democrat and famously said - I didn't leave Democratic party, the Democratic party left me). Trump is more like a Right of the Centre Democrat. Republicans didn't elect him in the last election. It is rather the Democrats of the states of Pennsylvania (last voted for a Republican President in 1988),  Michigan and Wisconsin (last voted GOP in 1984).

Even if the Republicans nominate a Donkey or a Dog, those 35% of the Republican base will always vote for their party's nominee (same goes with Democratic base as well). Trump knows it and has taken these voters for granted. Come election, using his great convincing skill Trump can cajole his base to vote for him - by instilling a fear in their mind about a Democratic comeback. Politics is a game of perception and Trump has mastered it to perfection. This Dinner, Deal and Dessert thing fits to his image of a dealmaker.

In the meantime, Hillary Clinton is going on a cross country tour to promote her new book. Democrats are now saying, "Oh, so now you will visit some Swing States". I smell a rat here. The woman, highly ambitious she is, is doing the groundwork for a third Presidential run in 2020. 

God forbid if that happens. If Dems nominate her for 2020 - Trump (or Mike Pence if Trump doesn't complete his first term) or a Donkey nominated by GOP got my vote.

P.S. : For the uninitiated GOP which is the acronym for Grand Old Party is another name for Republican party in USA. It is akin to the Congress Party back home, which can be termed as GOP of India.

Why I admire Kangana Raunat

Why I admire Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut? It is more than she being an excellent actor. The reason I admire her, for she has taken the feudal, dynastic, hypocricy and nepotism laden Bull called Bollywood by horn. Her guts and raw courage puts her above the rest.

Most of these Mumbai based actors are slaves of the ever pervading, obnoxious Underworld. When the DADAs (Bosses) desire them to bend, they crawl. More than a decade ago, it took Preeti Zinta, a brave Rajput girl to speak out a thing or two against this mafia menace when our Macho, Muscled but MAICHIA (effeminate) heroes were ever ready to lick the balls of their BHAIs (Mafia Bosses).

Post independence, many actors and actresses came to Bombay from far and wide in order to try their luck in tinsel town, to carve a niche on their own. Many like Balraj Sahni, the Kapoors, Chetan & Dev Anand, Dillip Kumar came from Pakistan. Some gifted actors like Sanjeev Kumar arrived with modest means to hit the jackpot by sheer talent and hard work.

But in 1980s and 90s, many of them foresaw another jackpot in promoting their off springs. Dharmendra made sure his children from both wives delve into film industry. His son Sunny Deol was at best average, the other boy Bobby Deol  tried to be the both action and romantic hero and failed playing both. His two daughters born much later to his 2nd wife, a well known actress named Hema Malini had mostly forgettable careers.

Soon the star kids started regarding Bollywood as their BOPA ZAMIDARI (The Feudal adode of their Father). Many were simply spoilt brats, misogynists to core. They won't be on the stage today without the backing and blessings of their celebrity Godfathers (in some cases Godmothers and Godparents).

When asked who their favorite actors are, they take the names of their dad or mom (in some cases both) and / or many prominent Hollywood stars. (No wonder the name Bollywood has been cloned from Hollywood, it is a fetish in Bombay movie industry to ape anything and everything Hollywood). Rarely they adore anyone from their own fraternity - as they reek of jealousy and internecine rivalry.

Such insecure men constipated by tons of ego, unable to dump it, surreptitiously protect their turf - eventually making a mockery and ass of themselves. When Kangana Ranaut protested of their misdemeanors and misadventures, many including the likes of Hirthrik Roshan went berserk, venting out silly in front of the ever bitching media.

These effeminate heros can sleep with 100 girls to prove themselve as macho and boast about it. But if an actress sleeps around, she is branded a slut. The depth of our hypocrisy is difficult to fathom. Bollywood which loves to echo Hollywood, doesn't do the same as far as women lib goes.

There used to be a saying in my College - MUCHHE WOHI RAKHTE HAIN JIN KE APNI MARDANGI PER SHAQ HOTA HAI (Moustaches are kept by those who have doubts on their virility). Shaq or Shock, these AAMIR BAAP KE BIGDE HUE AULAADs (The spoilt brats of influential dads) badly needed to be taught a lesson.

I am glad, finally an woman of calibre, i.e. Kangana has busted the impregnable male bastion, manly enough to have the audacity to take on the recalcitrant eunuchs, exposing their ugly underbelly - their manhood or rather the lack of it. Hats Off to you girl for being the harbinger of much required change to status quo.

UN Hypocrisy of criticizing India on Rohingyas issue

 The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has criticised India for seeking to deport Rohingyas who fled to India from neighboring Myanmar.

There goes an Odia proverb : GARIBA MAIPI SABURI SAALI. Transliterated means "A poor woman is every body's sister-in-law (denotes wife's younger sister prone to teasing). Metaphorically it stands "A weakling is poked fun at by one and all". 

India, still perceived as a soft state is being treated so by UN. I don't remember this bloated, inefficient, nincompoop and corrupt bureaucracy with more failures than successes on its balance sheet, has been anything but critical of bigger powers who hold it to ransom. Here are couple of examples to elucidate my viewpoint.

US has stubbornly refused to accept any Syrian refusees. When Obama, a Left liberal from Chicago proposed to take in Syrian refugees during his 2nd term, the Congress rejected his move with a veto proof 2/3rd majority, where a sizable number of Democrats voted against their own President. 

Expecting anything of that order under a Trump administration is a pipe dream. America hardly cares about what UN thinks when it comes to protect its national interest. Nor I heard United Nation of getting critical of US for not letting in the Syrian refugees, as it foots the bills of its bureaucrats too used to fribees.

China on the other hand goes a step further. In its restive XinXiang province it ruthlessly forces its Muslim citizens to eat during the day time at the time of Ramzan, cut down their beards and make them dance on the street, literally. It is said that China humiliates leaders of Uighur separatists by forcing them to consume Pork and Liquor, both HARAAM or sacrilegious under Islam. Hardly any protest from the Islamic world. The silence of the custodians of Islam, e.g, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan as well as United Nations is not golden, rather speaks volumes. 

There could be 1001 instances of UN's hypocrisy which is beyond the scope of this blog. The former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Tip O'Neil famously said "All politics is local". Foreign policy is an extension of preserving a country's national interest, unless you are a dreamer of utopian proportion but a la India's first Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Any prudent nation on earth pursue that, with or without United Nations.

It is heartening to see India injecting some pragmatism into its foreign policy and coming out of the Nehruvian mindset by staying out of this Myanmar mess. I am completely against any kind of killing of the innocents and for the rehabilitation of Rohingyas or anyone else facing genocide. 

But at the same time, I would expect Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan and the rest of the champions of the Islamic world to come forward and share the burden of these Myanmar refusees who number just less than a million in a world of 7.5 billion people. The Human Rights Commission better come out of its bureaucratic stranglehold and focus on these self proclaimed flag bearers of Islam to accomodate them on their vast lands, rather than being critical of India.

Irma arrives in Columbus

If Margaret Mitchell were alive today, she would have written "Arrival of the Winds", a sequel to her famous Novel "Gone with the wind" based in Georgia. The roaring hurricane Irma has started rolling into the state, its outer bands lashing out rain, pounding us with 45 miles force of wind gusts. 

I can hear the raindrops accompanying the pummeling gale force wind pattering the windows in a rhythm which will put a seasoned TABLA (Small Drum) player to shame. When I stepped out to my porch to pick up today's newspaper, the howling wind forced me to run back to my comfort zone called home.

My son is at home today, his school being cancelled. I am enjoying the small pleasures of life working from home - I can fart and pick my nose, scratch my private part not in pulic, rather in my own privacy without brothering about bothering others. If you wish, you can sneak your way to take a short nap with no one noticing. 

Will continue to work as long as I got power. Addiction to power is beyond electric, it is an aphrodisiac. It ain't fun to lose power when you are used to it. Glad the temperature is a pleasant 60 (15 degree Centigrade) - we don't have to be at the mercy of Air Conditioning.

Outside my window the silvery streaks of rain drift through the wind, wafting its way through the cloudy, hazy air making the foliage dance to its tune - then making a soft landing on the lawn. It is followed by incessant waves of another burst and followed by another. The leaves and twigs from the trees intermittently float and swirl around, scattered on the watery grass surface.

I took a Peeping Tom look at the Pumpkin plants taking a shower in my backyard, only to be rudely interrupted by a drenched Frog jumping on to take shelter under a large green leaf. The yellow flowers of the Ridged Gourd (Janhi) creeper tried their best to force a smile though the broad leaves, struggling to hold on to the plant, as the fallen ones lay strewn on the grass form a flower bed. 

The short and sturdy Banana Pepper and Thai Chilli plant were still standing tall, bending to and fro in the howling wind, still able to skirt the occasional gale force wind. The Memosa, Pine, Sweet gum and the Oak tree facing me on could be seen going through wild mood swings, negotiating the roaring waves of wind to live another day.

Feels so exciting about the nature's marvel - The water pouring from the sky could have been picked up by Irma somewhere along the West African near the Cape Verde Islands above the vast, wild Atlantic and delivered thousands of miles away in the state of Georgia in US.

I feel confident after stocking up a paraphernalia of essential items - a 2" long flashlight (we call it torch in India), 24 bottles of bottled (mineral) water, milk, fruits, bread, jam, tea cookies and crackers (Biscuits in India), peanuts, pistachios, a Bottle of Vodka and Bourbon. That's plenty of stuff, enough to quench my thirst and save me from starvation in case of a long power outage. So far so good, we are hanging in there...more later.

The senseless killing of Gouri Lankesh

Gauri Lankesh's ruthless and senseless muder has evoked varied, partisan reactions. The protagonists of Right Wing Hindutva brigade have blamed her for her own death - it's her suicidal killing due to harboring a different point of view, alluding to conspiracy theories ranging from Maoist to Congress and the personal enemies she cultivated contributing towards her killing.

Almost all Muslims on social media or otherwise have blamed the Right wing nuts for getting rid of an annoyance in her. All my minority friends have squarely blamed it on the Chaddi Wallas (Knicker wearing guys) going berserk, alluding to the Right Wing Hindu fanatics for getting rid of her (some have openly expressed the same on social media, the less extroverts have privately confided the same to me).

I thought America as the only divided nation on earth. But views from back home mirrors pretty close. With the exception of a miniscule erudite and sensible friend Devashree Dutta no one focused on the real issue - the Law and Order angle of it. 

It's not about Left, Right or Center, liberal or conservative. It's about the sanctity of human life. Was she a criminal ? No. She just had a different point of view in a nation touted as the largest democracy on earth. She was a Liberal and an outright champion of women's lib and a voval critic of the Hindutva Brigade. And the punishment for having a Liberal point of view is certainly not death by 7 bullets from close range - 5 through heart and 2 through head. If so, that's fascism.

Has the police apprehended the person behind the cold blooded murder so far ? I think it's affirmatively negative as of now. Will the real culprit be ever caught and punished ? Will the truth behind the murder ever come out ? 

Hoping against hope, I hope so. But your guess is as good as mine. The wish of the real perpetrators of this heinous kind might end up as pipe dream. We all will carry it to our grave without ever knowing the truth behind this cowardice assassination - for I always consider attacks on women and children being utterly cowardice. Only a quick turnaround and justice delivered in this case will sooth her soul. Nothing else.

Zimbardo's Stanford Prison Experiment

A friend of mine was recently talking to me about the summer of 1971 when the famous prison experiment in Stanford, California took place. He was at that time taking Japanese language classes in that reputed University and recounted about the Stanford Prison experiment, the brainchild of a brilliant but controversial Psychology professor -Phillip Zimbardo.

My friend always wanted to attend Zimbardo's classes. But he could not, as the Professor's classes were invariables full with long waiting list. His razor sharp mind, ready wit and mesmerizing intelligence attracted students in droves towards him like moth to fire, also attracted its share of controversies.

And nothing more controversial than the Stanford Prison Experiment, a topic covered in most introductory psychology textbooks. It was an attempt to investigate the phychological effects of perceived power, focusing on the struggle between prisoner and prison guards, who like Mother-in-laws and Daughter-in-laws have a AHI NAKULA SAMPARKA (the eternal enmity between Snake and Mongoose).

The project was funded by the U.S. Office of Naval Research as an investigation into the causes of conflict between guards and prisoners in the United States Navy and Marine Corps. Professor Zimbardo selected students chosen randomly from the volunteering college students who were known to be sane, sturdy and mentally well balanced to play the role of prisoners and guards respectively.

As the experiment commenced, the students playing Prison Guards ruthlessly enforced dictatorial measures and psychological tortures on their prisoner subjects. Many of the prisoners passively accepted psychological abuse and by the officers' request actively harassed other prisoners who tried to stop it. Zimbardo, playing the role as the Prison Superintendent allowed the abuses to continue.

Two of the prisoners left midexperiment. The whole exercise supposed to last 2 weeks was abandoned after six days as the simulation of the real life situation became too real and too close for comfort to be continued further. The enacting students started acting the real tormentors and victim.

the program was scrapped based on one of Zimbardo's student volunteers, a girl names Christiana Maslach who objected this Prison experiment and proclaimed her hatred for Professor Zimbardo. Interestingly, she ended up dating and eventually marrying him. It vindicates another psychological human behavior - your open critic could be your secret admirer with a crush on you, something more seen amongst women.

To give a background of this - the Ivy league schools like Stanford aren't designed to make you rote your subject overnight, vomit it on answer paper next morning and grab a job with license to loot for life. Those Universities provide a natural platform to nurture innovation and creativity. Those schools are the cradles of scientific inventions, producing innovators and Nobel laureates in dime a dozen.

Not all of these experiments succeed. Many fail and pass into oblivion. Some succeed and crash into limelight. That is the nature of innovations and inventions. The Wright brothers failed multiple times before they were able to fly their man made bird. C V Raman struggled a lot before coming up with his "Raman Effects" which earned him Nobel prize. Zimbardo's experiment might have failed but was harbinger and stepping stone towards further experimentations, some daring. Why not - as No risks, no gains.