Review of the movie, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

My review of the movie, Dawn of the Planet of Apes was published in the web edition of Hans India. Here is the link:


http://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/2014-07-14/Dawn-of-the-Planet-of-the-Apes-Dawn-of-Some-Sense-Finally-101837

Finally, the studio executives, writers, and the director get it right with an apes sequel.  Most of the apes sequels had nonsensical names, and were terrible with utter lack of creativity. They were dished out only to milk the fan base of the original.  Even Tim Burton could not get it right in 2001. It was a good decision to reboot it in 2011 instead of trying to explain the ape statue at the Lincoln Memorial!

Most fans of the apes movies loved only the 1968 original. The fact that most people rented the original and ignored the sequels bears testimony to its popularity. The original had a great premise and it had Charlton Heston! The climactic shot of a buried Statue of Liberty shocks as well as informs the audience that the ape evolution happened not on some distant planet but on earth itself.  However, one wondered about the lousiness of the space mission that was actually aimed at some distant planet. The astronauts traveled light years, probably in circles, to land back on earth a few thousand years into future! The space vehicle was actually a time machine! How stupid is that?

When one learns that popular actors of the time played the apes in all the five original movies, it does not make much sense. Anyone could have played the roles and it would not have made any difference to the audience. It looked like the actors were wearing masks though it was actually heavy ape make up.

Beneath the Planet of the Apes was perhaps the most dim-witted apes sequel. It had psychic humans who survived a nuclear apocalypse and lived in a forbidden zone while apes grew dominant everywhere around them. When conflict ensues between the dominant apes and the humans, the humans detonate the Alpha-Omega bomb that destroys the earth for good! No wonder Charlton Heston was not even a wee bit interested and wanted his character to be killed off for good so that the franchise would not need him in further sequels.

This latest apes sequel does not have such illogical stuff as some obscure gas that inexplicably increase the intelligence of apes overnight, electromagnetic storms that push you thousands of years into future, or a space vehicle that travels light years only to land in the same place. It is a great story about the difficulty of leadership in turbulent times, how a handful of bigoted individuals can scuttle peace between two warring communities, about how fear and hatred fan distrust, and about discovering that members of your community are equally capable of betrayal and are not above your enemies in moral stature.  The director Matt Reeves says that the premise of this movie is what happened when there was a chance for peace between humans and apes.

Ceaser is the leader of the apes who revolted against humans in Rise of the Planet of the Apes, the launch film of the rebooted series. The apes take refuge in a California forest and thrive. It has been ten years since the human race infected itself with the fatal simian virus. The virus decimates the human race.

The apes have not spotted a human in years and almost presume that the human race is extinct. A small band of human survivors then arrive to locate and repair a dam that may provide power to their dilapidated San Francisco camp.  Humans and apes reach a fragile peace. However, fear and hatred fan distrust on both sides and conflict ensues.

There is no question on who wins the war between humans and apes. After all, it is supposed to be the planet of the apes and not of humans ultimately. “Dawn” documents the moment when humans struggle for survival and the apes take their first step towards dominance.

The main and supporting cast all did a great job. Andy Serkis, who is known for his motion-capture roles, returns for the role of Ceaser. Jason Clarke does a good job as the benevolent human leader.  Keri Russell plays his wife. Toby Kebbell plays the motion-captured role of Koba, an ape who had been a lab rat and develops hatred for humans as a result.  Gary Oldman plays Koba’s human counterpart, a leader who lost his dear ones to simian flu and has only hatred for apes.

“Dawn” is perhaps the best movie of the franchise so far and with the same director returning to action, fans can’t wait for the next sequel.

The Dilemma on United Andhra

The position of YSRCP and TDP vis-à-vis the Telangana issue is amusing.

No one should have any doubts that YSRCP would be the biggest gainer in case of separation. Their lack of strength in Telangana is common knowledge and the recent Panchayat polls have only exposed this weakness.  However, in the Seemandhra region, they have only TDP to contend with. Because without a charismatic leader at the state level, the Congress has already been decimated. Do not let the Panchayat poll results fool you.  Though Congress-backed candidates won the biggest number of Panchayats, it is mainly because Congress is the ruling party.

With its weakest region taken out, YSRCP has a great chance to form government in a separate Seemandhra state.  Even if they did not gain power this time, they will be the biggest opposition party with a formidable presence in the Assembly.  With a good number of MP seats, they will have a huge bargaining power with the next government at the centre.  Getting Jagan out would be child’s play!

TDP, on the other hand, might be the biggest loser if the state is separated.  At the grassroots level, it is the TDP that is the strongest party in AP.  NTR gave a political platform to energetic youth of the 1980s.  Now, most of them are in their 50s and early 60s, powerful socially and financially.  While in power, Chandrababu Naidu had carefully cultivated the grassroots leaders with contracts and other benefits.  As a party that ruled for the majority of the last 30 years, TDP is strong throughout the length and breadth of AP.  Naturally, TDP would not want to alienate people of either region. Or rather TDP would try to remain strong in all the regions and consolidate further.

It is a pity that until a few weeks ago, the TDP cadres believed that they were coasting towards a comfortable win in the 2014 elections.  They were expecting to cross the magic number comfortably in the Assembly elections.  At the centre, they believed they will win a handsome number of parliament seats - enough to become a kingmaker in a third front government.  Their hopes were rooted in very sound logic. Without a strong state-level leader, the Congress was going to be a non-entity in the next elections.  Though Kiran Kumar Reddy proved to be an efficient and clean CM, he never had enough power to take tough decisions and prove himself.  Jagan’s long incarceration was weakening YSRCP as it was fast losing the momentum it gained after the by-elections that saw them win 15 of 18 Assembly seats at stake.  TDP was riding high on the back of Chandrababu’s Vastunna Meekosam Padayatra.  But alas! With the advantage and arrogance of being the ruling party, the Congress turned the tables with its decision on Telangana.

Now that push came to shove, to remain politically relevant in Telangana, TDP has no other option but to say yes to separation.  After dousing the fire in Telangana, TDP can always mollify coastal Andhra with ease.  After all, it is their own backyard.  What matters now is living another day in Telangana.  However, TDP has T Congress and TRS to contend with in Telangana. A merger will surely turn the revitalized Congress into a juggernaut that will mow down everything on its way in 2014.  TDP can only wait another five years and hope for a strong anti-incumbency factor in the next elections.  However, BJP may gain presence in Telangana because of the Modi factor and communal tensions that arise because of an increased minority percentage population.  If the TRS did not merge in Congress, TDP will have the Congress, TRS, and the BJP to contend with in the new Telangana state.  TDP is most likely to lose relevance in Telangana in a few years of a separate state formation.

In the backdrop of a strong reaction and continued agitations in Seemandhra after the announcement of a Separate state by the Congress, the actions and reactions of both YSRCP and TDP are worth watching.  YSRCP reluctantly argues about the need for consensus, taking people of both sides into confidence, and solving the contentious issues.  TDP, on the other hand, reacts cautiously.

YSRCP knows that its best interests lie in a separate Seemandhra state.  However, by talking about the interests of the Seemandhra people, it is trying to ride the high tide of Seemandhra sentiments.  While secretly wishing for a separate Seemandhra state, YSRCP hopes to hijack the public support that is on offer for whichever party/organization that fights for the cause of a united AP.

TDP hopes to ride the wave in Seemandhra too, but while also making sure that it lives to fight another day in Telangana.  For political parties of AP, suddenly, the united Andhra dilemma replaces the Telangana dilemma.

Due to the reluctant reaction of YSRCP and cautious non-action of TDP, it is not surprising that the Samaikyandhra agitations in Seemandhra do not have any party at the helm, and are largely unorganized. Not surprisingly, the party that supports the united state cause in Seemandhra most vocally is the Seemandhra Congress which stares at a wipe out in the coming elections.

BJP's Interests in a Separate Telangana

Why the Congress would not let a separate Telangana State materialize? And why would BJP strive to make a separate State a reality?

In a separate Telangana state or even in the hypothetical Rayala Telangana, polarization of people among religious lines is easy. That is the reason BJP wants a separate State. BJP and MIM can easily gain ground in these regions by whipping up passions.

There is never any problem when a minority is insignificant. The numerical majority never feels threatened. That is how people of different religions live together peacefully in villages of AP. Members of the majority religion even celebrate, support, and fecilitate festivals of minorities. But when the minority has a certain critical mass, a conflict of interests ensues. The conflict could be both economic and social.

That is why Hyderabad or parts of Nizamabad and Adilabad do not have the same tolerance levels as villages of coastal Andhra. Demagogues can easily whip up passions against the other community. Each community views the other as a threat. They become polarized on religious lines as a result. They start voting en-bloc to political parties that offer them safety and support. This is what is happening in the Old City area of Hyderabad. Both the BJP and MIM are strong there. In a separate state, both can gain in certain pockets. BJP now has only a sporadic presence in Andhra Pradesh. In a separate state, BJP sees a great opportunity to increase their presence and numbers.

BJP could gain enough strength to form a government in Karnataka for the same reason. The presence and numbers of the minority is more significant in Karnataka compared to the other Southern states. Many regions of the state has a history of Muslim rule.

Parts of Kerala around the Malabar region have a significant minority. The area is the only stronghold of the Muslim League. However, it is not possible for the BJP to gain ground as easily in Kerala. The average Keralaite is more educated than the average Indian and leans towards the Left. The Left parties consider religion as opium of the masses and strongly disapprove of the concept of religion. As a result, the Keralaite does not have a strong religious identity. It is difficult for the BJP to polarize the majority community on religious lines.

The Congress would not give in to the demands of a separate Telangana for the same reason that BJP would!

Who is the UPA Prime Ministerial Candidate for the 2014 General Elections?

Why is there so much debate on who would be the Prime Ministerial candidate of UPA for the 2014 General Elections? I guess among the top echelons of the Congress, the decision has already been taken. It is very much written on the wall. The media has been rather slow.

The choice of Manmohan as PM in 2004 was a mind-blowing coup of sorts. Not many people anticipated it, barring very intelligent newspapers like Eenadu. In one stroke, the Congress almost made up for the whole Operation Blue Star fiasco. The congress never overtly expressed it, but it is a huge move to gain back the confidence and faith of the Sikh community towards not only the Congress, but also the Indian Republic.

Through history, the allegiance of the Sikh community has been rather wavering. One of the major causes for the failure of the 1857 revolt was the strong support to the British from Punjab. The community realized this and wanted to make up for it. The need to make amends to the historical mistake was stressed by the community leaders while drumming up support for the Indian National Movement.

The community realized the mistake and made amends and how? The majority of Indians imprisoned by the British and sent to gallows were from Punjab. Punjab suffered like no other region in India, during the Independence Struggle, as well as the aftermath, during the partition. Sikhs are known for their bravery and are an important element in Indian military. It is very easy to stoke emotions with such history and geography.

The strong arm tactics of PV Narasimha Rao successfully decimated the Punjab separatist movement. However, in the backdrop of Operation Blue Star and the riots of 1984, there was a need to make the community feel integrated and their confidence in India regained. And that is the reason the choice of Manmohan Singh was such a coup.

He was the perfect choice. In the eyes of the media and people, he was the architect of economic reforms and liberalization. He is clean. He is loyal and humble. He does not talk much, not assertive, does not hanker for any benefits, political, financial, or any other.

Now again, there is another region in India where it is not difficult to raise the banner of separatism.  The region is in great contrast to Punjab and much of the rest of India - Tamilnadu, the land of the Dravidians. There is more difference between Delhi and Chennai than between London and Istanbul. The language is similar to none of the Indian languages. Tamil did not originate from Sanskrit. Culturally, the Tamilian is very different from any state North of the Vindhyas. Ethnically, they are almost a different race from the North Indian population. Sanskritisation during the middle ages, integration of their Gods into Hinduism, and a shared history of British rule are the only threads that bind them to the rest of India.

Similar to Punjab and the North-Eastern states, Tamilnadu has been witness to demands of separatism. The 1970's was a period of tumult that saw the Dravidians assert their cultural identity. Though the confrontation never degenerated into an armed uprising, their unique cultural identity is a key political scoring point and an easy instrument to whip up passions and frenzy, even today.

In this backdrop, the neighboring Tamilian issue in Sri Lanka adds fuel to the dormant fire. A prime minister of India was killed in the Tamil heartland in India by a separatist organization in Sri Lanka (read LTTE) as he gave military support to Sri Lankan army. Over the first term (2004-2009), the congress government witnessed the terrorist group erased in Sri Lanka. Nobody knows to what extent Indian involvement or support had been. The handling of this issue by itself was a great victory for the Congress. There was never much hue and cry over the issue except until recently.  With the LTTE wiped out and the goal accomplished, the congress government does not want to ruffle the feathers of the Tamilians any further. Soon after the LTTE was wiped out, India began distancing itself from Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka started feeling alianated from India and began moving closer to China.

In such context, there is again a pressing need for the Indian government to make a vastly different group of people and piece of geography assimilated and integrated. And how about a Tamilian prime minister to address that concern? A dhoti-clad Tamilian who is Harvard educated and supports further economic liberalization. A towering intellectual (some say an intellectual snob) who is known for his honesty and clean image. Yes, the current union finance minister, P. Chidambaram.

There is every reason to applaud such a move. Such measures only address the need for reconciliation and sense of integration in this culturally and geographically diverse nation. Not only the two Indian states mentioned above, but more so the North-Eastern states need more conspicuous representation among the top echelons of the Indian government and media, and public life in general. That is the reason not electing PA Sangma for President was such a lost opportunity!

Interview 3: Y D Rama Rao, Vice-President of AP LSP

Y.D. Rama Rao garu is the Vice-President of the AP State unit of Lok Satta Party. He has been in active public life for more than 30 years.

I interviewed him in November 2011 for the lspleaders site. Here is his profile:

http://lspleaders.wordpress.com/2014/01/29/y-d-ramarao-kakinada-east-godavari-profile/

Here is his interview:

http://lspleaders.wordpress.com/2014/01/29/y-d-ramarao-kakinada-east-godavari-interview/

Opium of the Indian Masses

People give so much importance to movie actors and cricket players. If cricket and movies are only seen as entertainment, there is no harm. But people take it to the extreme.

With the white noise of useless information, it has been getting increasingly difficult for social activists, organizations and political parties with good intentions to make an impact and bring about change.

The remedy is to educate people to respect and give importance to the right role models and the real issues. We need to give importance to who really matter in public life - good politicians, scientists, social activists, and eminent people in many other fields.

 

Cricket and movies have become the opium of the Indian masses. Youngsters are ending up knowing every useless detail about celebrities, but nothing about what and who really matter in public life. With so much stupid information floating around, they are oblivious to the issues that matter, like:

• The government policies
• What one's locality needs from the local representative in the assembly and parliament
• Whether the local MLA and MP are doing any useful work or are they indulging in corruption
• Any social movements going on to change the status quo
• What the government is doing about pressing issues like education and healthcare

 

The media is just pandering to the low tastes of people instead of educating them. We see movie news and meaningless sensational tidbits encroaching upon and getting equal if not more importance and air time on TV channels. Newspapers give so much importance to celebrity trivia.... that it is getting increasingly difficult for us to differentiate between actual news and trivia.

 

We need a change in the attitudes of people and the media if we hope to bring about any positive change in India.

Appreciating Music

Chuck your existing phone and buy a Nokia Asha phone.

I did it. The best thing is, you can download music from Nokia Music Store free for three months. Apart from downloading my favorite albums - film songs mostly by AR Rahman, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, and very few others - I got to download all the albums of Lucky Ali.

I got to download many of the music albums of the movies of Dev Anand and Rajesh Khanna (thanks to Doordarshan's Rangoli, I only know a song by the actors and not by their singers. I don't know or don't care if a song is a Mohammad Rafee or Kishore Kumar. Probably I dont' have that good a music ear). Now, I can listen to "Gunguna rahe hain banwre" on demand! That's the best song in Rajesh Khanna's Aradhana according to me.

I guess in Telugu, if you go by actors, the number of good songs that Nagarjuna has is a lot more than any other contemporary actor. Geetanjali, Nirnayam, Ninne Pelladutha, Rakshana, Rakshakudu, Manmadudu....

Apart from downloading the albums that I already know of, this gives me an opportunity to widen my music appreciation horizons. Bands like Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, The Doors, The Beatles are only names to me so far. I have only heard that they made great music. Rock, Reggae, Jazz - I have only limited knowledge about these phenomena and no idea what differentiates them. I have a chance now to experience their magic. I got to download albums of Abba that I already know of, appreciate and love - now, I can play Dancing Queen, Chiquitita, Mamma Mia any time! And Michael Jackson, whose "Dangerous" is one of my favorite albums. Now, I can check if his Bad, History, and Thriller stand true to their reputation as well.

Individuals, I heard of John Lennon who was shot dead by his fan who wanted to see if his hero would die of a mere gun shot. I heard of Bob Marley and admired his Rastafarianism. Jim Morrison, who died at 27 and who was famous for his (feigned) antipathy and derision for his live audience (made famous by the movie Rockstar). Now, I can see for myself what all the fuss was about.  I will know if their music agrees with my sensibilities and taste.

However, I am a bit disappointed when I could not find a few classics on the Nokia Music Store. And when I finally downloaded some albums of the famous bands of 70s, I could not find anything special...... yet. Probably, the music grows on you and it takes time to appreciate it. I am hopeful. Also, I am astonished how many Rahman albums found themselves into my phone. Easily, he is the best and the most prolific music director the world has seen or heard!

Creativity and IPL Team Naming

Even with so many millions of dollars running on IPL and with so many millions of crazy supporters, it is amusing to see how unimaginatively most of the teams are named.

It seems Deccan Chargers came up trumps with the name. Mumbai Indians too shows some traces of imagination.

For Deccan Chargers, it matches the initials of their flagship newspaper, the Deccan Chronicle (fondly called DC by Hyderabadis). The Mumbai team came up with a name that transcends the regional constraints of the city. It shows some spirit of nationalism. The presence of Sachin Tendulkar in the team is a straw for fans all over India to support the Mumbai team. And the name just gives one more reason for fans from other cities to support MI.

For Royal Challengers Bangalore, the name is an opportunity for advertising their beverage.

The team that is now barred - Kochi Tuskers - showed some imagination too with naming. They drew from one of the aspects of the region that is part of the identity of Kerala - the presence of elephants in droves in the region.

Pune tried to use the same logic as MI and appended India to the team's name.

But apart from the above, the naming is pedestrian and clearly not much thought has gone into it.

Kings XI Punjab ---------------- ????
Chennai Super Kings ---------- ????
Delhi Daredevils -----------????
Pune Warriors India -----------????
Kolkata Knight Riders -----------????
Rajasthan Royals ------------????

As can be expected, the teams did not try to be provincial or chauvinistic with their names. The Pune team could easily have been Maratha Warriors. Of course, they can't name it so as the team comprises of not only the local players but also other Indian players and a few foreigners as well.

While naming, the teams could have drawn from what forms the identity of the city - it's culture, geography, history, or any unique aspect. With so much support and so much money riding, they could certainly have done better!

Interview 2: Jetti Ravi Kumar, LSP in-charge of the Wardhannapet

Jetti Ravi Kumar is Lok Satta party in-charge of the Wardhannapet Assembly constituency and vice-president for Warangal district.

I interviewed him in August 2011. Here is his profile:

http://lspleaders.wordpress.com/2011/11/19/jetti-ravi-wardhannapet-warangal-profile/

Here is his interview:

http://lspleaders.wordpress.com/2011/11/19/jetti-ravi-wardhannapet-warangal-interview/

I or We? The Middle Path!

One of my favorite books is “The Fountainhead” authored by Ayn Rand. It was a book written by her in the 1930s. It has reinforced my belief in individualism. I had read the book when I was 22, while I was still under the influence of communist thought.

However, I realized that in promoting individualism and in turn capitalism, she went too far. She rejects any form of altruism saying “where there's service, there is someone being served.”

This attitude of hers could be attributed to her early life spent in communist Russia. Every form of writing of Ayn Rand is a revolt against external interference upon an individual’s own interests, be it by society, family or any other group or institution. Conforming to a government and society that force individuals to live for the society while suppressing their own goals and interests had made her revolt against any form of external interference upon the individual. We can trace the origins of her theory of objectivism to her early revolt. She escaped from the oppressive society and fled to the US, the haven for individual freedom. She condemned the use of force as immoral and opposed all forms of collectivism and statism, instead supporting laissez-faire capitalism. She believed no-holds barred capitalism was the only social system that protected individual rights.

While I respect her insistence on fierce individualism, I do not support her promotion of self-centrism and selfishness. In my opinion, if an individual lives only for oneself, s/he would be equivalent to an animal. I distance myself equally from the two opposing poles of communist thought and the theory of objectivism. I am all for the cause of individual liberty, but at the same time I insist that an individual has a responsibility towards her/his fellow beings and the society at large.

I wish to elaborate on this further in a future post. Chanting of Ayn Rand's name by people like Ramgopal Varma and glorification of the ego-centric attitude rankles me. Though I believe India has a long way to go in terms of individual freedom, we don't really need to teach people to be self-centric.  Most people are already more selfish than necessary.  There is no harm to anyone or to the world at large if people are more altruistic than necessary.  However, if more and more of them turn ego-centric and are ready to go ruthlessly to any length for achieving their own goals irrespective of what damage it might cause to the rest of the world, then it will only trigger chaos in the society.

However, I admire Ayn Rand's take on the concepts of originality and secondhandedness, how the world is full of mediocre morons, and how zealously the society worships mediocrity.  More on this in a future post!!!

Seawards Ahoy!

The memory and joy of watching the sea from the shore for the first time had left an indelible impression on my mind.  My age then was 20 years.

I was born in a coastal district of Andhra Pradesh, one of the states of peninsular India.  The Bay of Bengal is hardly 150 km from the village where I spent the first seven years of my life.  However, my family being not one of those that toured or traveled much, I could not go near the sea during those years. And then our family left for Hyderabad when I was 7.  Hyderabad is situated on the Deccan Plateau.  Now, the distance from the sea to the place where I lived increased to 350 km.  The geography of the city narrowed my chances of watching the relentless march of waves on to the shore.

I did not miss the sea all those years.  It was when I started reading novels on sea faring men like Moby Dick that I began to long to go on the sea.  Reading the works of Robert Louis Stevenson, the 19th century Scottish writer, I grew up admiring daring sea pirates and even wicked characters like Long John Silver, and their escapades.  However, the tale of Robinson Crusoe who was marooned on a lonely island and who had to fight savage cannibals to survive did not fail to fill me with a sense of fear and awe of the oceans.

The sea held a lot of romance and mystic for me those times.  I read with great interest Thor Hayerdal's account of the Kon-Tiki expedition.  He led a motely group of a handful of men on a sailing expedition on a raft made of balsa, the lightest wood.  They started from the shores of Peru and sailed through the rough Caribbean waters to reach the Polynesian archipelago.  Ever since reading Thor’s recounting of the expedition, I dreamed of sailing on a self-made raft on the Caribbean waters, surviving solely on rain water and the marine life.

I have always been awed by the extent of intrigue the sea held.  The sea voyage is a metaphor for life.  Shipwreck is a sign that the inherent power of the sea cannot ever be mastered by mere mortals.

I became a huge fan of the movie series “Pirates of the Caribbean.”  I knew, by heart, all the dialogues of Captain Jack Sparrow.  I knew Jack’s little secret – of how he successfully got out of a marooned island.  It was simple – wade into the shallows and strap sea ............  I was no longer afraid of the sea!

When I was 20, my uncle’s family moved to a coastal village of Andhra Pradesh.  Finally, my chances of watching the sea grew manifold.  My dream of feeling the sea, hearing the drone, letting the waves touch my feet, swimming on the shallows, walking on the sands on the shore was soon going to become real.

I was as excited as I ever thought I would be on going close to the sea.  That day is one of the best days of my life so far!

Interview 1: Panchadi Rambabu, AP State Secretary of Yuva Satta

Panchadi Rambabu is the AP State Secretary of Yuva Satta (youth wing of Lok Satta Party) and its zonal in-charge for three districts – Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, and Vishakapatnam. 

I interviewed him in June 2011.

Here is his profile:

http://lspleaders.wordpress.com/2011/10/17/panchadi-rambabu-amudalavalasa-srikakulam-profile/

Here is his interview:

http://lspleaders.wordpress.com/2011/10/17/panchadi-rambabu-amudalavalasa-srikakulam-interview/

Effectively Utilizing Public Transport

Traffic is the cause of frustration for most of our metro city dwellers. It is the chief reason we try to get far from the maddening crowds once in a while. It is the primary reason for the shoots in our BP, smoke in our lungs, and holes in our ear drums!

One main reason for the hugely congested traffic is utilization of personal vehicles by employees to commute to their offices. We IBMers can become role models by effectively utilizing public transport and avoiding use of personal vehicles.

The advantages are:
 1. Public transport is cheaper
2. Less stressful
3. Less health risk because of noise and air pollution
4. Least risk of accident (God forbid!)
5. Petrol is an import by India and we as a nation spend hugely on oil imports. We can help reduce that!
6. We can read books, listen to music, or just chat and make friends with strangers in the bus

The government has introduced AC buses so that we can commute comfortably.

Let us IBMers do great service to ourselves, our beautiful cities, and our beloved country by availing public transport effectively!  ---------------------------------------------------------------One of my posts in IBM JAM held in February 2011, on the eve of IBM's centennial. 

Education Reforms & Inclusive Employment Policies

Most of us Indians, be they from any background, agree that our formal education system needs to be reformed. Many of us acknowledge the ill effects and disadvantages of the existing system.

1. The compulsion for rote learning and puking in the exams
2. Rigid course curriculum. No flexibility of choosing subjects once a student has opted for a particular stream.
3. Lack of exposure to real-time technologies and practices
4. No importance to soft skills
5. Only teaches how to earn a living and not how to live
6. Outdated methods of pedagogy

In spite of this widespread acknowledgment of the shortcomings, employers inexplicably insist on a certain threshold percentage to even consider a candidate fresh out of college. And some companies insist that the percentage of marks scored in X, +II, and graduation be uniform - no steep spikes or troughs! Some companies insist that there be no a gap of more than two years in education or employment.

Why do employers insist that the candidate's life be a straight line and that s/he should retain the same level of interest in our examination/marks system all through her/his education? How can the life of unfortunate/poor students follow such a straight line? Is it really possible for genuinely excellent minds to pass through the rigmarole of such dim-witted education system, without blinking an eye?

Is it because companies only look for mediocrity. We can proudly say that IBM is one company that gives more importance to experience and skills. What else can IBM do to be more inclusive in its employment policies? What can IBM do to ensure that our education system is reformed? With whom does IBM need to collaborate to achieve this end?

--------------------------------------------------------------One of my posts in IBM JAM held in February 2011, on the eve of IBM's centennial.    

Bridging the Skill Gap

In India, hundreds of thousands of graduates are coming out of professional colleges and universities. However, much to the lament of employers, only a minuscule percentage turn out to be employable. Corporates have to sieve through hundreds to find a handful of employable candidates equipped with the right skills.

This is the reason for the huge demand for the top educational institutes like IITs and the IIMs among the big corporates. India has only a handful of such world-class higher educational institutions.  Corporates offer huge packages as salaries to students of top-notch institutes.

It is a struggle for companies to find the right candidates to fill up their positions, both technical and managerial. For students of hundreds of obscure colleges, it is a hard struggle to find their first job. In their search for job, gullible students are falling prey to fraudulent consultancies and crash coaching centers and end up paying huge amounts of money as fee.

On the other hand, in second-tier cities and districts, the problem is of a different nature. Lack of proper communication skills is the main hurdle for the candidates there.

India has the best human resources potential and if corporates wish to tap it effectively, the issue of the skill gap needs to be addressed. Can the Big Blue (IBM) take the initiative of collaborating effectively with educational institutions and universities? The following reforms are needed in our higher education system:

1. What is practically relevant in real-time is taught to students and enough importance given to practice rather than theory.
2. Teaching the skills that are relevant to the industry, not some archaic theory.
3. Reform the examination system to do away the need for rote learning.
4. Make the courses more flexible. Allow students some options to choose the credits and subjects they are interested in, in a semester.
5. Introduce alternative/innovative teaching methods.
6. Effective use of e-learning
7. Teaching soft skills

If done effectively, this will be a win-win situation to students and corporates. For corporates, the increment in the number of industry-ready students coming out of colleges will result in huge savings in the form of reduced amounts spent on training candidates and headhunting.  For students, it would spare them the agony of spending money and time on crash courses offered by institutes of dubious nature.
Please share your ideas on how corporates can take the lead in bridging the skill-gap to the advantage of students and corporates in particular and the welfare of the country in general. --------------------------------------------------------------------------One of my posts in IBM JAM held in February 2011, on the eve of IBM's centennial.

Importance of Voting

India, as we know, is the largest democracy in the world. However, it was only after years of struggle that we achieved freedom from foreign occupation and became a democracy. Our freedom is the fruit of the sacrifices of generations of leaders and millions of ordinary men and women.

For people of many countries, even now democracy is a distant dream. The most populous nation on our north-east is still not one. We can see people of many countries still rising in revolt against dictatorships.

Now, because ours is a democracy, we Indians can elect our leaders. We can vote for the candidate who we think will work for us and will spend the funds for the development of our constituency, and will help make laws that will help our country progress. But are we utilizing this privilege that so people of so many nations are still dreaming for?

For many of us, especially the educated and economically well off, the day of voting is just another holiday. If on the same day, there is a cricket match being broadcast live, all of us will be hooked to the television.

As a result of the apathy of the so-called cream of the Indian society, the voting percentage does not cross 60. The politicians have become adept at garnering easy votes by dividing people across caste, religion, region and by promising mindless schemes and sops that prove costly to the exchequer. Unscrupulous politicians buy votes of the economically weaker voters. As a result, each candidate is spending Rs. 5-10 crores to win a state assembly election and multiple times of that for a parliament seat. There is now no place for honest leaders. Crooks and anti-social elements are able to find their way into the law-making houses.

Is it not a pathetic state?

We, the arm-chair intellectuals philosophize and sit at home on election days and the crooks loot our dear nation. Why can't we behave responsibly. Why can't we just go out and vote. We should remember that we have a responsibility towards voting because we understand better the capabilities of a leader and can see through their dishonesty better than our less educated and less privileged gullible brethren.

The worst affected people because of our apathy are the downtrodden lot. If crooked politicians make their way and continue to loot, they continue to wallow in poverty and ignorance. They continue to go hungry to bed every night and their children will continue to work as child laborers to earn daily bread. The status quo will be perpetuated while we enjoy our cricket match with a pack of popcorn!

The only solution to this is to go out and vote for the right leader in the elections and encourage all our friends, relatives, and acquaintances to do the same. This is the minimum that we can for our fellow, less privileged brethren.-------------------------------------------------------------One of my posts in IBM JAM held in February 2011, on the eve of IBM's centennial.

Dr. JP Meets His Orkut Friends

Orkut is a social networking site popular amongst youth in India. Youth discovered it is a great way of being connected. One can find long lost friends, stay connected with current friends, and make new friends. One can create communities of their own on any topic of their liking or join existing ones.

Many communities have been created by earnest Orkutters on political topics. The communities have become hotbeds for emerging trends in political thought amongst Indian youth. Youth discuss here wide-ranging political ideas and thoughts. Youth discuss the state of the existing political culture and the need for a change and how we can bring about the change. They discuss the pressing need to combat the menace of corruption in our governance and politics.

Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan and Lok Satta Party are popular among young Orkutters. There are more than 110 communities in Orkut dedicated to Lok Satta Party and Dr. JP. Thousands of youth are members of these communities.

They drum up support for Lok Satta Party and discuss the importance of ensuring to all equal opportunities for growth and ending any discrimination based on birth. They discuss the novel measures introduced by Lok Satta Party that stand testimonial to the party’s commitment to transparency and democracy. Many earnest, erudite youth desiring change participate in these discussions. They have been advocating the need for a New Political Culture in the cyber world.

LSP provided the virtual world Lok Satta Party activists a chance to get involved in the activities of LSP in real.

Dr. JP met his Orkut friends at the party head office at 1:30 pm on Sunday, 9th March and had an interaction with them. There was a lively discussion on the current political scenario in Andhra Pradesh. Dr. JP emphasized the need for youth to take an active part in politics. The youth expressed their support to Lok Satta Party and wished to participate in its activities.

The active members of the party then guided them on how they can get involved in the activities of LSP in their locality.

The meet concluded with the youth taking a pledge for a corruption-free, developed India.
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I organized this meet and wrote the press release.  It was a success.  Young orkutters who had Dr. JP as their Orkut friend got to meet Dr. JP in person and interact with him.  TV channels covered the meet and took some bytes from the youth.

Yuva Satta

Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive,

But to be young was very heaven

                                                            ---- said Wordsworth about the joy of being young at the dawn of one of the epoch-making moments in history that shaped world’s destiny.  We are now at the dawn of a similar moment.  And we, the young, are blessed with this opportunity to take part in and lead the movement that will shape India's destiny.

This year marks the completion of 150 years of the 1857 Revolt and 60 years of our Independence.  On this occasion, we need to spare a moment to look back at 60 years of our self-rule.  We need to identify and correct the mistakes committed.

It is true that we have achieved tremendous progress in many fields, but many are left as bystanders of the moving procession called Developing India.  There is darkness cast over the lives of many.  Opportunities for growth are not available equally.  Education, the only means of progress for the poor, is increasingly getting out of their reach.  The cancer of corruption in politics and bureaucracy is snuffing out the little that is intended for the relief and uplift of the poor.

We need a polity that aims to ensure a life of dignity for everyone.  We need an administrative machinery that is corruption-free, accountable, transparent, and efficient to smoothly turn any noble intentions into tangible reality.

We need to wage a Second Freedom Struggle.  While our forefathers had only foreign rule to fight against, we have many demons to vanquish to achieve an India of our dreams.  It is time we rise out of our own individualistic concerns and contribute our mite to a larger cause.  We, the young, need to respond to this clarion call.

Yuva Satta is conducting this campaign to identify talent in youth and provide them a platform to showcase their skills/talents.  We will guide you on how to utilize your skills to realize your vision for a better Hyderabad and India.

The future is ours, of the youth.

Youth can lead!

You can lead!

Wake up the leader in you.  Let us change Hyderabad.  Let us change India!

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This was a pamphlet I wrote for Yuva Satta in the year 2007, that marked 60 years of Indian Independence.  It was initial days for Yuva Satta as well.  We distributed the pamphlets when we visited colleges and such other occasions when Yuva Satta volunteers chanced upon meeting youth in groups.  I thought it turned out well, though it might have gone straight over the heads of people and youth in particular.....:)

Lok Satta Party - FAQs

In October 2006, I translated a booklet written by Dr. JP from Telugu to English.  It consisted of the most common questions that people may ask about Lok Satta Party.  The translation was posted as FAQs on the Lok Satta Party website: 

https://loksatta.org/how-party-different

Education for the Underprivileged - A Holistic Approach

The fact that education of the underprivileged is a critical requisite to bring about social change in India has been recognized by many individuals and organizations who want to bring about social reform. Individuals, either single or in groups, and non-governmental organizations have begun working in their own small way to achieve this objective.

They deserve all the accolades for their work in this endeavor, but what is disconcerting is that it does not look like they realize the enormity of the problem.  They are mostly working on an ad hoc basis and do not seem to have the vision to attain a wider reach.  They mostly concentrate their work on being conduits between the magnanimous donors and a small number of needy children.  Fundraising and fund disbursal is the main thing they are involved in if not the only thing.

The donors are almost always the foreign-settled educated Indians with middle class backgrounds.  With their newfound financial stability and success, they can afford to be magnanimous.  They are thankful to India which gave them the education that they have capitalized on and want to give something back.  Also, they derive a sense of satisfaction, of playing part in a worthy social cause.  The organizations back home act as effective channels in making good use of the money they provide.  In a small way, it is wonderful

work being done.

But is it enough given the enormity of the problem?  Is it enough if the organizations inform and enlighten just the potential donors, at home or in foreign lands, of the needy and their needs?  Should not efforts need to be made to make the problem of education part of the consciousness of people across all sections of the society?  Education is increasingly getting out of reach for a substantial percentage of the population.  It is not only the destitute children who are out of the loop.  What efforts are being made to reverse the process?  Do the children need to depend on the philanthropy of good-natured individuals for what is their fundamental right?  What the State, which holds the responsibility, has been doing?  Are the organizations making efforts to involve the State or at least remind it of its responsibility?

In our society, education of children is seen as a family issue.  And the less said the better about the children without proper families or no families.  But the social cost of lives gone wrong would have to be borne by the entire society.  It is not a sin to be selfish, but it is simply cruel to be indifferent.  The fortunate few should be made aware that they share a responsibility.  It is the duty of the organizations to sensitize people about the problem.  Also, the underprivileged should be made aware of the importance of education and its role in making them escape the cycle of poverty.  It is not just the donors, but the society as a whole that should be made aware that the problem exists. 

Making people understand that they have a responsibility too is the job half done.  The people, aware of their responsibility, can bring positive pressure upon the government.  It goes a long way in realizing the ultimate objective, of making the State accept and fulfill its responsibility of providing every child free and equal education in spite of its social and economic background.

Is it not a wonder that such an important social issue has never been a significant poll issue in our six-decade-long democracy?  Have we allowed the definition of democracy to be crystallized into the vote-politics-leaders prototype?  Is the State responsible only to maintain the status quo?  Is protecting and enhancing the wealth of the privileged the only function of the government?  Have people come to accept that the only result of the five-year periodic change of guard is a change of players?

The existing conditions continue as long as education, the only means of the poor to become upwardly mobile, continues to remain a privilege of the rich.  It is not just education, but childhood that is the responsibility of the State.  By providing free and equal education, the State helps the child overcome its disadvantages of birth.  It will make irrelevant the differences of class, caste, and creed.

The non-governmental organizations and committed individuals should take a holistic approach in trying to solve a problem of this dimension.  A concerted effort to involve the public should be made.  A parallel can here be drawn to what Gandhiji had done to the Congress.  Gandhiji transformed the Indian National Congress from a drawing room discussion forum of the upper middle class into a mass organization.  The power capable of change lies always with the masses and the masses alone.

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This article was written in 2005 when my belief that change is possible only through political action was growing.  It also marks the beginning of me losing faith in bringing change solely through NGO action.  I started searching for avenues to be politically active.  This article stresses the need to make the cause of accessible education a political issue rather than trying to mitigate a very minute part of the problem by NGO action alone.  It stresses the need for NGOs and individuals to make efforts to remind the public that accessible education is the duty of the society as a whole, which automatically becomes the duty of the government.  One can see that I unwittingly used the language of LSP ..........."the only result of the five-year periodic change of guard is a change of players."  Any wonder that I jumped up and joined Lok Satta Party as soon as Dr. JP announced the party in 2006?