Big Moon Rising

I'm pleased as punch with myself today!

While driving my bike yesterday evening, i was passing through the lonely stretch on the way home that has no buildings around, and has greenery on both sides of the road.

It was an empty road, and it must have been around 545~6pm... so the brightness of the afternoon-sun was still around, but without any of the harshness.

When i looked to my side i saw a fantastically large moon! Awesome moment then. A full moon too, and really bright, considering the time - I was immediately reminded of the 'Bruce Almighty'-scene where Jim Carrey uses his divine powers to "pull in" the moon, to set the mood for a romantic evening.

Anyway, i drove on past and didn't think to check out the moon again in the night.

Skip to today and i read this headline from a NASA site:

"Biggest Full Moon of the Year: Take 2"

There's a picture in the article that's very similar to the what i saw yesterday, to give you a better idea. Apparently, the moon was at it's Perigee yesterday.

I feel like patting myself on the head for being so "aware of my surroundings", and get lucky enough to notice a rare, beautiful moonrise. (I don't do that so often, so it's nice!)  I guess, a Zen-moment...on a well maintained motorbike. (LOLz!)
image from deansouglass

Debate will always be the stronger weapon

There has been a lot of crazy-talk recently about a possible "military intervention" by India.

AUFKM?!!!

Sure we need to do something extra-ordinary- Yes, we have earned international license for it.

And this time we won't be bound my the usual 'calls for restraint' by the International-community.
But seriously?
Military Intervention??.....known to some as "War"??
LOL!

Just like the Mumbai-attacks have unified India to some extent, Pakistan would be gifted with a reason to unify behind a common cause against India, if we gave them a reason to do so. Already, in Pakistan, in the matter of the US-bombings of their border areas, there is equal outrage amongst the Mainstream as well as the Radicals.

Today's wars are fought equally on the economic-warfield, and through covert means - and India has the means to do it. The overt use of the Military nowadays is only as a deterrent - and here India although it has the means, lacks the Political or Financial clout (recessions affect war too!) that the P-5 superpowers do.

And exactly who's means are we furthering when people say "jaake maar do" or "sabak sikhao"... Not ours, not the Pakistani mainstream's - it would be playing into the hands of the anti-India lot - The radicals and their sympathizers. I cannot imagine that the average-Joe in Pakistan (average-Javed?) would like to hop across the border to kill Indians, nor have his country torn apart through military force or disintegrate into anarchy at the hands of extremists.

And the Indian voice we hear now - baying for blood - That's a gut-reaction, and it should be recognized as one. India, mind you- not just J&K, would doom itself to Jihad for the next 100years, for the sake of acting on a public gut reaction.

While action is necessary, Peace is the ultimate goal....If you had asked me a month back if i expected Indo-Pak peace within my lifetime- my answer was 'Perhaps'. But if we ever make the mistake of putting such a rash step forward, we'd be likely to slip 10 steps back in our own arc of progress.

We need to normalize things in the public sphere. Amp things up in the diplomatic sphere. And lay groundwork now for a political consensus that lasts beyond successive governments- sufficiently long enough to make our foreign-policy credible and to see results with our neighbors.
Seriously- anything military should not be an option.

Technorati Tags: peace, terror, indo pak

Lessons from the Mumbai Terror tragedy - Too Little Practice (Part 4/4)

What went Wrong - Too little Practice:
Even though everyone who participated in the encounter got the job done...it barely got done, and now noone can ever say that a particular way would/could have resulted in a different outcome. But the familiarity of each player with the next was very apparent.

Ideally: There should be dedicated Liason-units which develop intimate familiarity with any other agencies their own agency might be expected to work with, depending on the situation. For instance, in case of a Terror-situation A,B,C agencies do G,H,I functions while in a Natural-Disaster-situation X,Y,Z and A,B agencies do P,Q,R functions.

Unless the situations are hypothetically imagined, and planned for, and then rehearsed - in mock, anything else would be "winging it" when the real thing happens, with familiar dissapointing results. Also, the Liason-units must be tested to actually work, and not to just cover their respective organizations asses.
 

'Ind'eally: Liason-units are expected to be non-functioning and for half-hearted rehearsals to be the norm - unless, these itself are included into the compulsary machinery of the Govt by making them auditable. Use the red tape! Make inter-operability check-able and involve private consultants to keep things fresh and relevant, and accounted.


This is post 4 of a 4part article. Read Part 1: Introduction Part 2: Too Many Heroes Part 3: Too Many Voices
Technorati Tags: terror, terrorism, terrorist, mumbai, bombay, india, taj, trident, taj mahal hotel, oberoi, indo pak

Lessons from the Mumbai Terror tragedy - Too Many Voices (Part 3/4)

What went wrong - Too many Voices:
Perhaps there is a hesitation to setup a unified command in any situation, because any lapse in judgement would be 'pinned' on the authority-figure in command. So, we saw people come, go in, rush out - and claim their credit immediately, and precautionarily, before anything untoward could happen following their involvement. Meanwhile, noone from the public got the impression of any one person being in charge, and even the people who gave the interview were frequently misinformed.

Ideally: There should be just one voice - or maybe two; Centre & State - giving responses, to the press and issuing statements and updates. A strict Gag-order must be enforced and any leaks/unofficial statements must be promptly and categorically addressed as 'Unofficial' before they become the sensational sub-story that whips up passion and creates pressure on the agencies to meet the public's expectation of justice.


'Ind'eally: Indian journalism doesn't score very high on ethics as it is. And it has been ages since a newpaper or a media-house was regarded for it's honest unbiased reporting, without any 'leanings'.

Given that, and the shamelessly headline-hungry hacks who are the present face of the Indian Press - especially those of New Media - it is difficult to expect that the press will attain enlightenment overnight, and begin responsible journalism instead of sensational gossip-mongering or stop claiming to be the 'voice of the masses'/'keeping a check on the polity' instead of realizing it's true calling as a builder of society, acting in the joint interest of the people and the powers, not the people versus the powers.

What we need are media-savvy departments, who realize realize the impact of their words, and who talk in clear factual terms - not giving information until it is appropriate and verified, also also, importantly, who have the cojones to say "No" "Until it becomes clear" or even "I cannot divulge that information", instead of giving opinions and hazarding guesses and increasing the confusion. If there is a strong voice booming out the Official line, the press will have to faithfully report it and the people will also know where
to turn to and whom to ask of.

This is post 3 of a 4part article. Read Part 1: Introduction Part 2: Too Many Heroes Part 4: Too Little Practice
Technorati Tags: terror, terrorism, terrorist, mumbai, bombay, india, taj, trident, taj mahal hotel, oberoi, indo pak

Lessons from the Mumbai Terror tragedy - Too Many Heroes (Part 2/4)

What went wrong - Too Many Heroes:
There were too many people involved - the general police, the ATS, the MARCOS/Navy, the NSG, the regular Army, and the intelligence agencies not to mention the medical and fire services. Their presence was to be expected perhaps, but the manner in which they conducted themselves amongst the whole, made it seem as if each was functioning in parallel or at best, with only loose interaction. Often times there was no secure perimeter, and there were police-personnel and soldiers literally strewn about all over, without much instruction. Manpower was poured in, that is for sure, but all of it did not seem properly utilized.

Ideally: A planned heirarchy of different Agencies should swing into action (If required, a makeshift arrangement until the duties can be rotated to the correct authority, once the situation permits). The core-competency of each should decide the way in which the heirarchy is structured. Asking one agency to perform the functions better performed by another, and then expecting equal results is bad management. Similarly, involving more than the necessary institutions and expecting efficient functioning is asking for trouble- too many cooks spoil the broth.


'Ind'eally: Look, i can't imagine that Indian Agencies will ever learn to work together. At least, not as long as 'Responsibility' is feared as a potential chance to getting one's fingers burnt, and as long as the heads of institutions cozy up to varied Political Godfathers - which will be forever.

But, since we're a Democracy, why not look at shared responsibility - Divide the Risk! - the fear of which makes our organizations impotent - with a "Knights-of-the-round-table" arrangement, where a collective decision is then the official decision to be executed. And is then promptly executed, with the collective knowledge of all involved.

This is post 2 of a 4part article. Read Part 1: Introduction Part 3: Too Many Voices Part 4: Too Little Practice
Technorati Tags: terror, terrorism, terrorist, mumbai, bombay, india, taj, trident, taj mahal hotel, oberoi, indo pak

Lessons from the Mumbai Terror tragedy - Introduction (Part 1/4)

The recent terror attacks in Mumbai got me thinking on how better things could have been managed. I am proud of the way we came together as a nation, and of the people who worked on the frontlines against terror, but i think the whole episode made visible a lot of things to improve.

I put down a few points on paper during the attacks itself, which i later expanded on - under 3 headings:

1. What Went Wrong - Things that caught my eye, which went wrong/could be better.
   
2. Ideally - What i think we should ideally aspire for, but which i realize is utopian to expect.
   
3. 'Ind'eally - What best can happen- keeping in mind the functioning of a country like ours.

I crystallized things down to 3 points that i feel strongly about, that i now plan to blog about in a 3part-series.


This is post 1 of a 4part article. Read Part 2: Too Many Heroes Part 3: Too Many Voices Part 4: Too Little Practice
Technorati Tags: terror, terrorism, terrorist, mumbai, bombay, india, taj, trident, taj mahal hotel, oberoi, indo pak

The AoL experience

(Retrospective Post)

(adjunct post to "Back from THINK INDIA)

VVMP...Ved Vigyan Mahavidya Peeth is the actual name of the AoL ashram where i spent 3 days. It's not too far from the city to be inconvenient... just remote enough to get lose the urban feel we all arrive with.


I confess i haven't been to many ashram's... The only ashram i actually have spent any meaningful time in is the Aurobindo ashram in Pondicherry and in Auroville. Auroville, of course, sets a pretty high standard, and i found that VVMP matches up quite well...


The ashram is spread over 70 acres, and the adjoining lands are mostly fields, some of which are tilled by the Ashramites themselves, as part of their ashram work schedule. There are also a sprinkling of Health Resorts and private farmhouses near the campus, many of which function is quasi-spa's, offering Massages and Ayurvedic treatments, keeping with the 'mind-body-soul' theme of the place.


The ashram itself is built on a set of 5 small hills, with a lake close by. The are the usual kiosks for internet, essentials, spiritual literature, souveniers, laundry, mail, ATM, visitors-desk etc... A massive accomodation facility is located at the base of the hill, consisiting of around 250~300 single rooms, where most of the attendees stay, including some of the International participants. On the ridge of the hill itself, looking down towards the lake are various bungalows where most of the foreign participants stay, in 'ashram-luxury'. At the highest point is the guru's abode... where SriSri stays, looking across the amphitheare carved out of the slope of the hill, to the jewel of the ashram- the Vishalakshi Mantap.

(The Campus the hilltop...our room's at exteme right)

It is a breathtaking sight to see at dusk, when lit up, with its dome pulsing myriad colours. It consists of 6 levels, 2 of which are accessible to the public.... me and a senior managed passed off as Ashramites and managed to make it to the 4th level....and let me tell you, the view is just fabulous. You get unparalleled views in all directions, and as darkness falls you can see the glow Bangalore's lights light up a section of the sky. Incidentally, we got caught by some Bihari guards who spotted us from down below and came up just as we were coming down...we almost got reported- fast-walked our way out, mumbling in Kannada since we knew the guards wouldn't know any!

(An evening with the Guru..."Satsang")

One of the evenings we attended was spent with the Sri Sri himself, who interacted with his followers in a question-answer session. It was a forum for people to ask questions to the Guru himself, on philosophical and metaphysical topics, and to hear his wisdom. Needless to say, everyone in the audience was quite eager to listen to the pearls of thought that Sri Sri would have to offer. The actual experience, however, was quite lacklustre... and i thought, showed the Guru to be nothing more than a wily orator. A few examples...


Example1:

(hands raised in the crowd...mike is passed to one person..)

"Pranam Guruji, i want to ask you, how one should live one's life to attain perfect peace?"

".....well....(smiles)....(pauses)....you know....if someone tells you this thing...then he does not really know....(pauses).......aaaaand....if you ask such a question to someone who really knows....he will not tell you....(smiles again)"

(laughter in the crowd...mike is passed on quickly to the next person)


Example2:

(many hands raised...one person stands up)

"Jai Gurudev! Guruji, i have come here to see you all the way from Varanasi, and i just wanted to know, if there was any point where you realized your destiny...any turning point?"

(mild laughter from the crowd)

" Well, for that i can only refer you to the many books that are available in our Spiritual Library. You read and you will come to know...(smiles)"


Example3:

(following a meditation session, Sri Sri asks the crowd if anyone was unable to meditate, man stands up...)

"Guruji, i tried to meditate but i was unable toe...because of severe back pain that i have had for many years"

"How much do you have?...100%?" (stretches hands apart)

(Man pauses..bit confused)

".....30% pain, Guruji"

"Okay, now take a deeeeep breath."

(man breathes in deeply)

"Now relax"

(man exhales)

"Now is your pain decreased?"

(man pauses....then nods)

"Now do you have pain?"

(man still nods....laughter in crowd)

"Okay how much percent pain do you have now?"

"10%"

"Only 10%!!!...and you want to keep that also!!!!"

(laughs loudly....crowd picks up on his laughter and laughs loudly)

(mike is passed on)




Seriously, dude....Whatta Sham!!!!

Technorati Tags: AoL, art of living, spirituality

Think India...Think!

[Alternatively titled: Join the Klan, mein furher!]

I'm off to the Think India convention... from the 11th to the 13th.

Who'd have ever thought i'd ever go to an event organized by the ABVP! And not just visiting the place...Staying there! For 3 days...Christ!





I present several quotes from the "Think India" website:



"In the context of the present day degradation of the nation's social and moral values....."

"...ignite the minds of the youth..."

"...addressing the need of spirituality and patriotism..."

"... to trigger appropriate action on the part of 'intellectual soldiers' of our country..."





Also, a page describing the topics to be covered lists the very first topic as:

"Spiritual Nationalism"

(Love the wordsmiths who thought this term up...)





There's also an essay competition. The topics being:



"India as a nation: A SWOT assessment"

(attached text: SWOT: Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, Threats)

"Branding India to Indians"

(attached text: "...Account for the existing image of India and make out a case for its change in terms of... religion, democracy, in the coming years...")

"Role of students in campus and society"

(attached text: "...student activism as an asset to society and not a liability...")

"Spirituality, Society and Development: towards Synthesis."







Is it just me or did you just notice a pattern here??? :D

Lets just hope there isn't any lynching! click