Desicritics Author: BangaloreGuy

Attack on Sri Lanka Cricketers - The New Wild Wild West

BangaloreGuy — Tue, 3 Mar 2009 05:06:42 EST

In a rather sombre nod to the Indian Government's very correct decision not to send Indian cricketers to Pakistan, Sri Lankan cricketers faced attack from terrorists in Pakistan(link). This is no ordinary thing - Sri Lankans are no strangers to terrorism, but in the history of their nation their cricketers have never been attacked. Not even by the LTTE - another 'terrorist' organization - in the 25 years of their struggle.

The brazen attack by the terrorists, and their scooting from the place of attack without *anyone* being caught points to the inside hand as well as to the danger India faces from Pakistan.

Talk of dismembering Pakistan is seen to be as per official circles something that will destabilize India, India's growth, and increase chances of loose nukes - in the hands of terrorists, but the brazen attack symbolizes that whether the Indian, American, Pakistani or any other government wants it, Pakistan is getting dismembered. Piece by piece, between the Army that both serves cannon fodder and arms to the terrorists, and the terrorists themselves. Pakistani civil society - if there's such a thing is just a non-actor. And its mostly the terrorists who are gaining the upper hand.

If it was Swat the other day that was bartered away, then the Lahore attacks - even to a city not so much a stranger to bomb blasts (link) - indicates that the terrorists aren't done yet - and are targetting more higher profile targets everytime.

If India hasnt planned for loose nukes yet, this is the time. Prepare for the scare an attack is going to generate, prepare to take out Pakistani nukes - and for the short term up the security at major events.

Mumbai 26/11 showed up the intelligence lacunae, its great to have a 10,000 page chargesheet, but not worth much if the info on them isnt followed up. Sure, police reforms, political reforms will take time. But India's people and its leaders have to stand up now (link).

The enemy is at the gates.

Searching for the Indian Obama

BangaloreGuy — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 10:04:49 EST

One of the many welcome factors in Barack Obama's rise has been that the rest of the world, their elite is looking for their own Obama. In doing so, various conclusions have come up, but one thing has remained largely on the radar.

And that has been his race. Barack Obama is being seen as a black man who's become the President of the United States of America. But that's the most superficial - and make no mistake - racist view of the event. Barack Obama has become the President not because, or in spite of being black. He's become the PotUS after establishing that he was the better candidate in terms of views, in terms of Vision - not only winning over the formidable Hillary Clinton machine but also the Republican war Machine. And to top it all, he's made Hillary his Sec. of State. How many people can claim to win over their opponents?

To credit this to his race, and race only, is stupid. Hence the comparisons to Mayawati should stop. Mayawati represents everything that is corrupt about our politics - criminals running the roost, black money, identity politics, cult worship. Barack Obama represents a clean (more or less) break from such politics.

To find the Indian Barack Obama, look elsewhere - look to a competent, clean, inspirational politician, irrespective of his identity - racial, class or otherwise.

Awaking a Sleeping Man

BangaloreGuy — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 13:41:25 EST

<i>You can only awake a sleeping man, and not one who pretends to sleep.</i>

-Mahatma Gandhi

In a pointed response to how good this government, the Prime Minister and the new Home Minister are at securing us, is the information that the expanded NSG is to expand to 4 more (metro) cities Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai & Hyderabad. That the "metros" definition needs a big lookover aside, it underscores the fact that these bozos do not have their head over anything that relates to governance, or security.

When was the last time Kolkata even had a terrorist attack - yeah, that is the kind of question that keeps the mind ticking, doesnt it?(2003, American Embassy) How about Chennai. Umm, the closest, is attacks in 98 at Coimbatore and in Bangalore. But, in their infinite wisdom they've a hub in Chennai too.

Attacks on Chennai may impact the Indian economy - but its not on the World radar, neither does it face a threat perception of that level (or impact the economy on a big enough scale). Attacks on Kolkata will not hurt the economy either - the last time West Bengal had a decent chance of impacting the Indian economy positively was with the Nano project, but that wasnt based in Kolkata either! (and the techs there are about the same as most Tier2 Indian cities)

No NSG for Guwahati which faces attacks here, there everywhere. No NSG for Bangalore which gives on an average 25 billion US$ to the government buckets, and has faced 2 terror attacks in the space of a year. 300,000 tech workers reside in bangalore - most employed in hubs around Electronic City or Whitefield areas. But nope, Bangalore doesnt get a NSG hub. Nearest will be in Chennai (and given the chaos in travel to the BIAL airport, travelling by road's faster - but the NSG might get Volvos if, god forbid, they'd need to be deployed in Bangalore)

Listen to this damning piece of Information (from the ToI link):

As soon as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had announced setting up regional NSG hubs in the wake of Mumbai attacks, chief ministers of several states including Andhra Pradesh, Assam and Maharashtra had met home minister P Chidambaram and pitched for setting up such units in their states.

Do Chief Ministers need to meet the Centre, towel-in-hand for an NSG hub to be there? What is the rationale for setting up a NSG hub? Prestige status for that state?

Or what this news report quotes:

The tech city was the favourite for stationing the elite anti-terror commando force, but it has now given way to the neighbouring Hyderabad and Chennai.

Under fire after the Mumbai terror attacks, the Centre had stressed its intention of creating more NSG hubs, and Bangalore —high on the terror radar for years—was billed as one. However, when it was announced early this week, the garden city was missing from the list. Those that bagged the NSG centres, apart from the two southern cities, were Mumbai and Kolkata.

When Deccan Herald sought to find out the reason, Home Ministry sources indicated it was mainly to deal with lobbying. “Karnataka failed in it both politically and bureaucratically. On top of it, Karnataka is an Opposition-ruled state, while Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh are not.

Is it little wonder that Pakistan repeatedly spouts its "Baseless" remarks, and runs hoops around our government, while asking for"evidence"?

Pakistan Can't Bleed Us to Death With a Thousand Cuts

BangaloreGuy — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 13:31:03 EST

It's not because we've corrupt nincompoops for politicians, not because our bureaucracy is a parasite eating at the Indian state's core, not because criminals get away scot-free.

It's Not even because our intelligence gathering mechanisms arent well-oiled or well co-ordinated. And definitely not because of something stupid called "Mumbai spirit" or "Bangalore spirit" or whatever spirit that people spout on the telly.

It's because safety and security is inherently not a priority of the Indian population. The aam aadmi just doesn't care a hoot for safety.

It is not a one-off incident related to terrorism in Mumbai, or anywhere else in the country. But pretty much on a daily basis.

The aam aadmi doesn't give a hoot for life insurance unless it's meant as a tax-saving or as a money-growing device. The aam aadmi doesn't do anything better than snigger about safety, on the road. Notice the number of seat belts worn, the number of helmets properly fastened (if worn), the lack of road manners - and the infuriating overloading of vehicles beyond capacity.

Or when the aam aadmi walks calmly across the road when a truck 300 times her/his weight is bearing upon them.

Or when a prominent mall is so unsafe that 3 children die there (falling between parapet and wall), apart from few people trapped in the lifts. Mall cleans up, makes some noises and goes about its business without a thought - no one even thinks it merits discussion, or thought!

Safety is just not a concern.

So, when Sheila Dixit said that her government won because terrorism is not an election issue, shock is replaced with an all-knowing calm - we are like this wonly!

People can come out in marches, people may light candles, but here's the thing - an average of 40 lakh commuters travel on Mumbai's trains. Crammed worse than sheep at times - if they don't give a shit about improving safety on trains, improving capacity on trains - things which affect their lives every day - what are the chances of them making terrorism an issue - not too much.

So Pakistan gets to play its game, US asks India to keep restraint and Indian government (which again gives a hoot for security) plays ball knowing public anger about terror only exists in pockets and doesn't last.

Hitting the Summit

BangaloreGuy — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 12:46:27 EST

If you're a cricket writer worth your salt, then by this time you would have written about Australia's loss of form, and also somewhere pondered about the impending competition between Indian and South African teams for the number 1 slot. There would be case studies on the different aspects - with some like Ian Chappell describing Indians as slightly ahead because of their balanced bowling attack vis-a-vis the South Africans as also the captain, Dhoni. There would also be some other chaps who would celebrate rise of South Africa more than India purely because it puts cricket's no1 somewhere in the "white" folds.

If India are to raise their game enough to be number 1 in all forms of the game, they should necessarily be as competitive as the Aussies were - against all teams. The Aussies didnt get to be number 1 by beating the top teams comprehensively and by just beating the lesser ones. The Aussies beat all comers (save India) rather comprehensively. Even if it was Bangladesh, they looked to beat them by an Innings and more in tests, and by hundred runs or more in ODIs - and they frequently did that.

It is this aspect that has to be embraced by any team which wants to be number 1.

Hence, for a team with a stated goal of wanting to be number 1 in Tests and ODIs - the shocking display of not declaring and going after England - on a 5th day with about 60 overs left is not on. The goal has to be always a Win - and when that looks impossible, a draw). A series win of 2-0 looks much better for a team than does a 1-0 - especially against an England team which they'd whitewashed in ODIs.

M S Dhoni missed more than a trick when he said he wanted the Yuvi and Gambhir to get to their centuries. In similar circumstances in Sydney, Ricky Ponting put India in, to play out 72 overs - and aided by some gobsmacking umpiring mistakes, and appeals that bordered on the wrong side of cheating - they did show India up.

It is unfathomable how an England team which got the best of conditions to bat on, and could only muster up 320 or so, can achieve a similar score in the last innings of a Test, with the pressure of losing the game, and perhaps in fading light - at a higher ask.

When commentators speak about Cricket being a mental game, it is to this that they refer. Cricket's a game of confidence - something that stares you in the face, when you look into the Aussie era of the last decade or so - wins from positions where others would cave-in, in fact some of them wins just because Aussies believed in Winning longer than anyone else, epitomising what Alec Baldwin says in Pearl Harbor "Victory belongs to those that believe in it the most and believe in it the longest. We're going to believe"

Mumbai Terror Attacks: The Way Forward

BangaloreGuy — Mon, 8 Dec 2008 07:39:35 EST

Post the Mumbai terror attacks, there have been scores of questions asked, a million answers provided, some conclusions arrived at. Most of it is on these lines:

India needs a central agency to fight terror,
Indian intelligence needs revamp, and freedom from Political interference.
Politicians are scumbags, have neglected the nation and need to Unite.
Law/Police reforms need to be carried out

There is also the mention of attacking Pakistan, killing terrorists etc. Most of the time in the past, the reaction has tended to be localised - and died after a day (if we're lucky), or more like a couple of hours. This time has been different - both in the scale of the attack, and the reactions aroused.

It's been a stunning and welcome development - that people are coming out in force onto the streets. Not everyone has to come onto the streets for change - but the media's interviews, and the people coming on it have shown enough anger, and force for the government and society at large to respond.

For advocating steps that one needs to take from here, one needs to know what the problem or issue is.

The problem is this:

India has been, and continues to suffer from terrorist attacks where perpetrators either directly or indirectly funded by and trained in Pakistan.(since late 1970s, early 80s)
There has been no cost of any of these attacks to Pakistan. (Operation Parakram only threatened war - and made the rest of the World lean on India - and not on Pakistan)
The last attacks have inflicted a total cost of 4,000 Crore Rupees on India. Cost to Pakistan is 50 lakh Rupees(for training/arming terrorists, etc.,) A gain of 200,000% for Pakistan!
Indian cities are now being viewed by the rest of the world as dangerous (read: Do not go) - again being clubbed with Pakistani ones - the big difference being is India is doing well on economic fronts

Now, that's the problem. What do these above indicate?

Status-quo and defensive mechanisms arent working.
Peace process with Pakistan is not working.
Pakistan is an existential enemy to India. No country that continues to attack another country for 30 years - without provocation can be negotiated with, for peace.
Pakistan is paying No Price for the terror attacks it carries out in India and Indian citizens, business and government are paying the price for the terror it imposes on us.
Indian cities and economy can face a loss of business confidence - global confidence if the status quo continues. So not only will innocent lives be lost - the global downturn will get added to, with a loss of confidence in India.

So what should we do? We should think of steps for the near, short, medium, long terms.

Near/Short term:

1. Take the nation into confidence. Inspire the nation.

2. Hire a PR team for the Government. Ensure the government speaks with one voice.

3. Do NOT go to Conventional war with Pakistan

4. Take out Pakistani terror camps. We know where they are - no need to inform anyone of what we're going to do - not even the Indian public. Just do it. Israelis do it, Americans do it - and rightly so.

5. Impose a cost on Pakistan for each terrorist attack. (see step 4)

6. Put in place mechanisms to raise and develop a strike force that will strike at strategic Pakistani targets - black ops.

7. Ensure every hawala transaction gets exemplary punishment. (go for broke, if necessary)

8. Brainstorm ways to strengthen border controls. Enforce Better Border Controls

9. Create big enough Black Ops teams

10. Create a single emergency number for the whole country. Its stupid to have to dial 100/103/101 with STD code on mobile phones

Medium/Long Term:

11.Tell the Nation and the world that We are right, and Pakistan is wrong. (without making it official statement though - if required asked BCCI help on how to do it)

12. Do not hesitate to designate Pakistan as a state sponsor of Terror. (avoid official statement though)

13. Cut-off relations with Pakistan - piece by piece. India doesn't do any business worth the while with Pakistan - and shouldn't until Pakistan's core nation is defeated. (Follow Reagan's Cold War stance, in a sense)

14. Use every means - economic and otherwise (but short of open war) to dismantle the state of Pakistan.

15. Relook at relations with the United States. The Nuclear deal is alright but if it thinks it can fight its war on terror by letting Pakistan off the hook - ensure business costs for that too.

16. Create a National Identity Card for Every Citizen(no, not Bangladeshis) - we should not require a hundred different IDs to prove our identity.

16. Ensure steps 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 16 reach their logical conclusions

Book Review: The Way We Will Be 50 Years From Today

BangaloreGuy — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 07:56:27 EDT

Firstly, congratulations to the editor and to the authors. Writing a book about the future, especially a compilation of essays on what the future might hold from 60 brilliant minds is usually something that comes up from a governmental organization - carrying out the same in a private space is commendable. One wishes more such endeavours are undertaken!

The preview for the book was interesting enough. There was mention of Nobel Peace Winners writing about wars - not just any wars, but nuclear wars. There were mentions about forced marriages amongst other things!
Whoa! I wanted to review it already!

There's always this lingering taste of a "slip betwixt cup and the lip", and in this case, it kind of seemed true, on starting with the book. But then, I discovered that this book's like a hamburger, almost. The starting and ending parts are (almost) plain, boring and somewhat poorly written (relatively). Its the essays in the middle that provide the taste, and some of the more compelling reading.

If you're going to read the book, I suggest that you dump the first 30 pages or so, and you might want to consider a similar number to dump at the last too - they're just a conundrum of blase writing, wishing for horses, and some stupid Utopian dreams mixed with some serious over the top thinking - "you're not allowed to marry X 'cos your gene pool's bad". Hello?? Someone miss the Stallone movie? (Demolition Man)

So, almost a quarter of the book's plain bad. There, I said it. Bad. Oh but, don't run off, the rest of the book makes up for it. There are a few essays that really should be the only ones they should have published - and boy, they're good.

Some pieces like that of Craig Newmark, founder of "Craig's list", are a joy to read - funny, witty, and a peekaboo at the future. Some like the Internet co-founders' piece on how humans will transcend their, what he calls "biological barriers" are marvellous - its been lucidly written, backed up by facts known currently - and it doesn't go Utopian, or look at the glass being half-full, but points perceptively to a future.

The prescriptions/predictions written by these authors - the "meat" in this hamburger of a book, are marvellous - because they deal with our present, and project from there to the future. They're all futurologists - to extend the term, slightly. Very clear cut cases made for embracing the new technologies that will help feed the world, feed the growing economies' appetite for energy with energy from sources that will not damage the world. There are cases made that describe how and why the environment can be saved - rainforests in the amazon etc., - quite a few with sound logic, facts and examples to buttress their future projections.

In fact, I would think any responsible government of a large country would want to do a similar thingy - but make it large enough to pull government policy out of it. In fact, for India - a country which has been rather slow to change - except in the greed with which natural resources are being plundered - this sort of a book, or a study would be a wonderful way to set-up for the future.

Book Review: The Art of Black and White Photography

BangaloreGuy — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 02:17:50 EDT

The Art of Black and White Photography is the first serious book I have read on photography. As an amateur photographer with relatively less experience with the SLR camera (a little over a year), it was a booster in a lot of ways - and it really is a book one shouldn't judge by its cover (which, doesn't look too er, artistic)

Having long been fascinated by the visual landscape around me, and being persuaded to buy an SLR, my photography ability seemed to be finding its limitations in that from a passion it seemed to be turning into a boring hobby. The trouble with finding good guidance on photography is that most websites and people talk more about the technical details of the camera, and less about how a shot can be approached, planned for, anticipated - and then taken - and also on how post-processing is to be done.

That is where this book is so handy - and where it actually justifies the title's Artistic reference. Torsten Andreas Hoffmann is still new to me - he's still a fantastic teacher, decent author and superlative photographer. But most importantly, he's someone who helped me appreciate the art of photography even more than before, and to broaden my way of looking at images.

As the preface notes, the art of digital photography is about seeing images, about composing them, etc., - not about technicality, even though it does deal with in bits and pieces. To drive a Ferrari well, I need to know how to shift gears, where the pedals are etc., and not a PhD in automobile technology!

The book starts off at a very easy pace - which is especially useful for an amateur. Among the first pieces discussed are the need for selecting a good camera, why RAW mode is best for the B&W photos - and the use of filters. It's been amongst the best things I have learnt from this book - and initially transformed the way I look at things, of course the book has also helped me immensely in the way I approach photos as well- in composing them in my mind before I actually take the shot, in looking for "visual tension" as Hoffman puts it. The various forms of photography are covered in depth - and illustrated to telling effect via Hoffman's lens - and some seem to make even the more difficult forms of photography very easy, when the shot has been thought through and executed well!

Hoffmann writes in a very easy approach - although not all lessons can be learnt in a day, and not all of them are immediately apparent - some of them actually took me a while to figure out. (and some I still haven't!) The best part is that each of the lessons are imparted as though one's taken through distinct phases of learning - a first basic shot, a second improved shot, a 3rd shot with most things in place - and then the best shot. It is this which would be of most use to any reader - and that is really the crux of this whole book - the approach to taking a photo - where taking a photo isn't just a point-and-click, or point-make a thousand camera adjustments-click.

It is instead more of looking at life, through different lenses, analyzing the mood which that lens shows - and even changing it, for a better, more interesting view.

Don't buy the book because I'm recommending it. Buy it because it will help you look at things more visually, because you'll notice art in everyday life - even help you fall in love with the black and white medium - almost like I have.

Cash For Votes Allegations - No Surprises

BangaloreGuy — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:18:45 EDT

When Desicritics invited opinions on the "cash for votes" scam - my internet search engines hadn't picked up on the one crore rupees displayed by BJP MPs in Parliament for apparently abstaining from the Trust vote on the UPA Government - still a small sum, going by the recent talk of an MP's or an MLA's worth in the Karnataka Assembly.

That said, I think the average Indian is probably resigned to it - the horse trading, the relatively large sums of money exchanged etc; Shibu Soren, who got convicted for one such act for Narasimha Rao's government is still around, still an MP - and is being promised ministries while in the process of deciding this government's fate as well.

I don't see why people would be surprised about Horse-trading when we see murderers, rapists, arsonists and rioters as MLAs/MPs. At least 4 of those are prominently highlighted in the media with 3 currently in jail. Why would one expect any of those members not to be available for cash/positions - after all, those would help "cement" their illegal lifestyles. (Only self-interest, no national interest)

Even the not-so-tainted MPs would be available for sale, wouldn't they? After all, the honourable PMO no less sent 8 letters for a specific company's profit to one PSU oil company - there was nary a trust vote over that - some edits, some TV debates, Karan Thapar haranguing a couple of "TV politicians" (politicians with little other political 'base') - and that was about it.

On the specific issue that this trust vote is over, I can count on my fingers the number of times it came up for debate in Parliament, and the clarifications issued by the PM - twice that is, excluding the current debate. If my Prime Minister cannot brief Parliament on what is referred to as a "game-changing" agreement more than twice, or create a consensus why advocate for it - or go to a trust vote over it?

Another reason for actually needing to curry the MP's favour with cash is the ridiculous laws governing defection, lack of inner party democracy/meritocracy and the so-called "party whip". What's the point of the "party whip" - I mean, come on, if you need a "whip" to convince your party members that they need to vote for your government (or against the other party's government) - surely something's wrong there?

US Immigration - Stars & Stripes Lounges to Ease the Pain

BangaloreGuy — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 09:08:05 EST

If you have been on a visit to the US Consulate for a Visa appointment, or if you are planning one, you have no doubt heard about - or seen first hand - the long wait it entails in the hot sun. It also means you cannot carry most things you want to - a shoulder bag containing all your documents and other stuff neatly, a cell phone etc.,

Now, it seems that the US Government (or VFS Global rather, which provides services to many diplomatic missions) has finally woken up to this hardship and is doing something to address it. Well, at least in the cities of Mumbai and Chennai - among the hotter and busiest consulates in India.

They're calling it - surprise, surprise - the Stars and Stripes Lounge. The lounges are located fairly close to the Consulates and VFS provides free return shuttle services to the Consulate and back.

Among the interesting options is that one can purchase coupons to the lounge at the VFS offices in other cities as well - Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kochi, Ahmedabad, Pune - although it would probably be more convenient to do so at the VFS lounge itself.

The Stars and Stripes Lounges offer the following amenities:

* A comfortable air-conditioned waiting room protected from the weather.
* A Café Coffee Day counter which offers you a cup of tea or coffee and a sandwich at no extra charge.
* Free storage area for your baggage and items that cannot be taken inside the Consulate.
* Free use of changing rooms.
* Free use of clean restroom facilities.
* Free return coach transfers between the Lounge and the U.S. Consulate. Coaches leave the lounge every 30 minutes.
* Privacy and safety: The Lounge is protected by security staff, with access restricted only to visa applicants and accompanying persons
* Snack Bar for refreshments priced most reasonably

So if you want to talk to your sweetie, or loved ones for some last minute reassurances, you can do that and leave your cellphone in the storage area.

The eEntry charge is Rs. 200 per person, including food and drink coupons, plus the added convenience of air-conditioning in our hot weather.

Considering that I once had to shell out the same just to the darned security person to give me back my cellphone, I think its worth it! You can even plan for the interview with a change of clothes - change at the Lounge, attend the interview, and get back to your home city.

This is a very good business proposition, and definitely a case of win-win for VFS and the Visa applicant!