Political Artists as Conscience Keepers

Recently Oscar winner AR Rahman performed at a concert* organized on the occasion of Mulayam Singh's birthday. I am sure he would go even if Lalu invites him. Or if Lalit Modi or Rahul Gandhi invites him. And no one would raise an eyebrow. Why? Because apparently Rahman being an artist would be doing all these shows to "earn his bread". The fact that he would already be a millionaire and hence performing at each function where host is ready to pay should not really be counted as "earning bread" but can be seen as an attempt to keep the "rich and powerful on one's sides", could be ignored.

I think being an artist gives him the privilege of not being conscientious when it comes to grab money making opportunities. There can be some more professions like this. Doctors would treat any sick person no matter his/her background; lawyers can defend any accused if one pleads not guilty. Others are not so lucky. If you work in a firm which is considered doing unethical business or corrupt - it is often taken as a blemish on your character too.

Now, after becoming rich and powerful helped by keeping conscience locked in a closet for best part of life when one is young and energetic, if these artists or professionals suddenly start pretending to have a more genuine conscience than yours and mine, and being holier than the common man, what do we do? I discard such individuals and their claims as trash.

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* The Concert: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1f2WepFA4Y

- Rahul

Why Facebook DP Change Only For France?

After terror attacks on France, Facebook gave an option to change our profile pictures in a way to show our support to France. If you noticed the pattern, initially people felt "good" when they were changing their profile pictures. Gradually I saw a trend - people were seen criticizing Facebook for being "selective" in its initiatives.

In order to prove their point, some people, pages, journalists etc started posting ghastly images of mass violence from African or Islamic countries and started asking - Why did not FB give an option to display support to "these" countries?

If you think about their reasoning, it appears "correct". Why did not Facebook do it right "every time"? Why "only now"? I think this is a classic case of seeing a glass as "half empty" instead of "half filled".

I think through the profile picture change option, Facebook was giving a harmless means to express grief and solidarity towards a victim nation. If it worked well, it would make sense for FB to do the same next time for other countries also. After all, such activities keep users engaged and it is good for business. But if FB gets mostly criticism and faces a negative campaign against it after this episode; it will not be encouraged to give such options in future all together!

In the event of a humanitarian crisis, if by changing display picture a user feels less burdened; it helps in 'healing'. It does something 'good' even if small or inconsequential in total impact. So I think our criticism for FB does more harm than benefit to this world. Instead of asking "Why only towards France" and in a way insulting French people, or "Why not towards Iraq" and in a way insulting Iraqi people, and spreading negativity at the time of a humanitarian crisis, we should choose constructive feedback like, "I like this feature and hope they give this option even in future."

- Rahul

Swachh Bharat Cess

Recently Central Govt imposed a "Swachh Bharat cess". I read about it first in the newspaper-headlines as "Eating out, travelling and phone calls to get costlier from today". Naturally I got worried. The next day they wrote articles all over saying "Swachh Bharat Cess Is A Terrible Idea" etc. I got more worried. Then today after taking a taxi ride, I saw that I had to pay 38 paisa as "Swachh Bharat cess". 

I felt like "cheated"! After all, I was expecting this tax to really 'tax' me! Why should I be first made to believe that some grand injustice has been done in the name of Swachh Bharat and then in the end it should turn out to be just some coins?

I read that the funds collected through this cess will be used for construction of "toilets". Though the cess is only 0.5% of taxable services, Govt will get Rs 3700 crore through it this fiscal and around Rs 10000 crore in FY 2016-17. So it seems to be a very good idea. 

I can live without a few coins every once in a while in order to help make toilets in our country.

- Rahul

Attack On Paris!

God could eliminate all the demons and terrorists merely by His wish. 

But He wants "us" to do it. 

Can we do it by guns and bombs? 

France and USA failed in that so far. 

Then how can we do it? 

We can do it by Courage and Faith.

- Rahul

Happy Diwali!

Saw a man painting his house on Diwali. His was a humble one, if compared with his neighborhood. In fact only the front wall was in proper shape with a plaster on it. The man was painting the wall in blue - that blue which is used to give a shade different than regular whitewash. The man had climbed a ladder and his wife and son were holding the ladder and looking up at him with a concerned feeling.

The scene touched some cord. In one snapshot it told what a house means to a man; what a man means to his family and what a festival like Diwali means to people. Also I remembered something which a friend had said once - the kind of bonding you see in people with humble means can never be found in the rich families.

Wishing you all a very happy, prosperous and auspicious Diwali!

- Rahul

The Little Goat and A Little Girl

I want to tell you a story - or some little stories woven into one.

Our locality has a few shops selling meat. One goat is always tied to a tree trunk near the shop - perhaps it serves as 'safety stock'. One day a little girl was passing by - holding her grandmother by one finger. I could see that she had turned back and was making gestures with her other hand at the goat - as if trying to entertain it and gain its attention. She also spoke some cute words to the goat. The goat just stared at her.

Then outside a nearby chicken shop, that day only one white hen was seen in the cage. Perhaps the shop was soon to witness a stock-out situation - blame poor forecasting. Now a red cock was seen wandering on the ground. Perhaps it was a pet of someone and hence free. This big red cock looked at the solitary white hen in the cage - a damsel in distress - and made some sounds. The hen actually responded looking at the cock and spoke a few words. I think my heart skipped a few beats at the sight.

What to speak of dogs. With roads getting wider day by day and some dogs not learning how to cross roads safely - especially the newly recruited pups which popup in bunches some fine day - the situation is alarming. The only good thing is that perhaps the municipality is cleaning the roads soon enough for us. Or who knows, may be the fast vehicles do all the surface cleaning.

I had written about the fat cat in our neighborhood before - if you remember. A neighbor decided to steal one of her kittens to be raised as a pet and she religiously went to his house every evening and cried aloud. I can only update that this ritual went on for not less than a month after which either she got her baby back or else made some new ones to cope up with the situation.

On the way to morning walk, I find an unfamiliar noise coming out of a house whose doors and windows were still sleeping. Almost certain, it was a parrot making squeaky noises. Was it trying to wake up its owners? Oh, how I forget - it was responding to the call of nature. While we may find mornings lazy and uninvited, especially on working days of the week - birds find every morning worth celebrating. That parrot was acting like a bird - which I had to take time to come into terms with. So human like.

I think with cities growing high and wide, our earth is increasingly becoming unnatural for living beings which God designed to remain free and happy always. I don't count humans with these free-and-happy beings because I think we are too human to be these.

- Rahul [Views expressed are personal]

Not Tolerating Intolerance

If you follow any mass media, you would be aware that India has become 'intolerant' very recently. Specifically Hindu groups and individuals have turned intolerant. The commotion that has been created around this 'news' is pervasive; to the extent that if you even dream of being an 'intellectual', you have no choice but to 'condemn' it in the most outrageous manner possible for your profession (is that why I am also writing about it?). What to tell of small time thugs and petty politicians; positions of real power and influence like the President himself have ranted about 'intolerance' in most serious expressions. Yesterday, a political party brought out a 'protest march' to condemn 'silence' of PM on rising intolerance. Till day before yesterday, in a way a protest march was symbol of 'intolerance' and silence was symbol of 'tolerance' - but not any longer. We can't tolerate intolerance - that is the bottom line.

So how did the transformation start? It was a man beaten up to death in a UP village which started all this. Such crimes happen daily. But this one started like a wild fire. First news media started reporting it; then politicians made that village a pilgrimage, then a chain of attention-seekers took it off: writers, sorry, award winning writers, then President, then filmmakers, historians, showmen, businessmen and ultimately none other than Moody's Corporation. Is this what is called Butterfly effect?

Since President has given lecture about pluralism and tolerance two times in October 2015, it is apparent that India has suddenly transformed into an intolerant nation; it has not been a gradual process. Since this change has happened very recently - around last 2 months - logically something should have happened during these two months which was not present earlier - and hence the change. So what is it? If you even start to think on these lines, you would remember the big event - Bihar Assembly Elections!

This whole crooked episode which so called intellectuals call 'rising intolerance' is just a natural rising of pitch during elections. And it happens everywhere. If Donand Trump makes a racist comment on the blacks; or if Obama appeases a communal group and so on - in the run up to US Presidential elections - is it because America has suddenly become racist/communal? Of course not. Then why Indian intellectuals are so foolish that they can't see the plot? May be, they were not really 'intellectuals' all along!

[Views expressed are personal]